Increase Bench Press By Up To 20 lbs. With Simple Exercise

How would you like a spike in upper-body power and a more powerful bench press after only a few workouts? Yes, I know adding 20 lbs. to your bench press in that short of time sounds unattainable, especially if you have been fighting with the same poundages for a while. 90% of the time people get stuck in a plateau because of a certain muscle weakness that is very easy to strengthen. This weakness is not in the shoulders, chest or triceps, but rather a small group of muscles called the rotator cuff.

The responsibility of the rotator cuff muscles is to support and stabilize the shoulder joint. These muscles protect the shoulder joint stability while performing the bench press and all other upper-body movements. If your rotator cuff muscles are underdeveloped, they become the weak link in your upper-body lifts and your pressing strength suffers, or you could also suffer a injury due to the extreme force put on such a small underdeveloped muscle during  heavy pressing exercises.

In order to strengthen your rotator cuff muscles and get that upper-body power surge you will need to perform direct rotator cuff exercises. Once you incorporate these exercises into your workout (two to three sets twice per week) for a few weeks, you will begin to see increased strength gains in your pressing movements. After a few weeks of consistent rotator cuff exercises you will be stunned with your new found benching power!

Give these exercises a shot for a few weeks and hopefully you will see yourself busting through that stubborn plateau you have been battling with for months.

For more muscle building and plateau busting tips check out Vince Delmonte's 1000 Rep Muscle Building Program.

Egg Protein as a Muscle Gainer

Egg protein has taken a very popular stance in the world of bodybuilding. Egg protein is also known as egg albumen. This is a great source of protein that is tolerated very well by most people, including those who are lactose intolerant.

Egg protein has a very high amount of BCAA's which help drive muscle protein synthesis (protein synthesis is the process of anabolic metabolism that forms new proteins) and hypertrophy ( abnormal enlargement of a body part or organ) resulting in a great muscle gainer. Egg Protein is also rich in the amino acid arginine, which causes NO production.

Egg white protein contains a high amount of sulfur, which is extremely important to the body's hormone producing system, triggering exceptional muscle growth enhancement.

I recommend adding 10-20 grams of egg protein powder to you pre and post workout shake. Another option (my favorite) is Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion, which is a blend of whey protein concentrate, isolate, egg albumen, milk protein isolate and whey hydrolysate. As always old fashioned egg whites are a great version of egg protein.

Egg protein gets a top score of 5/5 for recommended daily use.

For some great muscle building  nutritional information by Vince Del Monte check out this article 6 Muscle Building Nutrition Screw Ups Men and Women Must Avoid.

Peanut Butter Protein Bar Recipe

Some protein snacks can be a healthy alternative to help someone satisfy their sweet tooth, as well as add some extra calories and protein for someone looking to build muscle. These low-fat bars are big in taste and rich in fiber with a light spread of peanut butter covering the top.

3 ½ cups quick oats

1 ½ cups powdered nonfat milk

1 cup sugar-free pancake syrup

2 egg whites beaten

¼ cup orange juice

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup natural applesauce

4 scoops low-carb chocolate or vanilla whey protein powder

Frosting - 1/3 cup natural peanut butter

Directions - Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine egg whites, orange juice, applesauce and sugar-free syrup. Blend well. Stir liquids into dry ingredients until mixed. The consistency will be thick and comparable to cookie dough. Spread batter into a 9x12 baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake about 20 min. or until edges are crisp and browned and inserted knife comes out clean. Frost with natural peanut butter. Cut into 10 bars. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.

Totals Per Serving (Recipe Makes 10 Servings): 170 calories, 17 g Protein, 25 g Carbs, 5 g Fat, 5 g Fiber

Recipes by Stella Post – Stella's Kitchen: Creative Cooking for Fun, Flavor and a Lean, Strong Body

Also, try this Delicious and Healthy fat-burning chocolate pudding that’s high in fiber, healthy fats, protein, and low in sugar, with ZERO artificial sweeteners and NO added sugars!

4 Simple Steps to Help Build Pure Muscle

Everyone has different opinions on how to build muscle. If you are one of many that are frustrated with your progress in the gym, then I have 4 simple steps to help you build pure muscle effectively.

A lot of people don’t utilize all of these steps properly. If you want to build a lean and muscular physique, you must follow these essential steps.

Get ready to learn the 4 simple steps to building muscle quickly without any drugs or useless supplements.

Plan on lifting weights at least 4 times per week. Your goal is to use resistance training to stimulate your muscles, which results in muscle growth. Your muscles will grow outside the gym with proper nutrition and rest. You should allow 72 hours for each body part to rest before working them again. As a general rule I would suggest working upper body and lower body twice per week. For example, a Mon. (upper) Tues. (lower) Thurs. (upper) Fri. (lower) split.

Concentrate on eating 5-7 balanced meals a day from protein, carbohydrates and fats. If your goal is to build muscle, 35% of your food consumption should be from protein, 45% from carbohydrates and 20% from fat. Make sure that at least 4-5 of those meals are from whole food sources and no more than 2-3 from whey protein shakes or liquid meal replacements.

Focus on stretching for half of the time spent lifting weights. This does not mean that you spend half your time at the gym stretching, but if you lift for one hour then plan on spending half an hour in that day or evening stretching your stressed body parts. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is neglecting to stretch. When training your muscles the tissue shortens as it is broken down, becoming  slower and more injury prone. Stretching helps to restore normal  length to the muscles allowing them to contract quicker and more explosively than the previous workout. As a general rule of thumb- if you spend 4 hours a week in the gym, then plan on spending 2 hours during the week stretching your muscles. Stretching is crucial for muscle growth!

Stay away from supplements that have not been around for at least three years. Most supplements that have been around longer than three years have had enough research support and customer satisfaction to survive. If you stick to this rule you will see only a small portion of supplements still existing. These are a few that you should not go without: multi-vitamin, fish oil capsules, creatine and whey protein powder. These products will give you a great foundation for health, strength and pure muscle mass.

Do you want to learn how to build muscle and gain weight quickly with less time in the gym? Check out the top rated muscle gaining system on the internet! Please take a few minutes to listen and read.

See results for yourself with real success stories.

How to Avoid Over-training to Maximize Muscle Growth

Almost anyone that's picked up a set of weights has or will experience symptoms of over-training at one point in there muscle building program. Over-training can lead to serious injury, chronic fatigue, and even muscle loss.

Over-training is very common amongst athletes and particularly bodybuilders, since they figure that training as much as possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains.

This couldn't be any further from the truth however...

Training too much, or at too high of an intensity will lead to over-training.

Now this doesn't mean you don't have to put plenty of effort in to see some decent results... Whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone that wants to add some additional mass to your frame, you need to train hard and be consistent-that's a given. In order to get the most out of your genetics, you have to progressively overload the muscles by increasing the weight and / or intensity of each weight training workout.

The problem is however, that many of us increase the intensity of our workouts or get insufficient amounts of rest, or even worse, a combination of both. The trick is finding the right balance between workout volume and intensity, and rest and recovery. And that is exactly what I'll cover in this article.

The Effects of Over-Training on Bodybuilders.

First, let's take a look at some of the effects of over-training and how one can prevent over-training from happening in the first place.

The Effects of Over-training on the Nervous System

Over-training effects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the following negative ways:

• Higher resting heart rate
• Weak appetite
• High blood pressure
• Weight loss
• Trouble sleeping
• Increased metabolic rate
• Irritability
• Early onset of fatigue
  

If you are experiencing more than one of the symptoms outlined above, you may be in a state of over-training, and should evaluate your routine as soon as possible.

The Effects of Over-training on Hormone Levels

Many studies have indicated that over-training negatively effects the levels of hormones, as well as the hormone response in the body.  Since hormones play such an important role in the muscle building process, this can have a detrimental effect on your training progress.

Over-training has been show to:

• Decrease testosterone levels
• Decrease thyroxine levels
• Increase cortisol levels
  

The increase in cortisol levels along with the decrease in testosterone levels is a deadly combination, since this leads to protein tissue break down. This will ultimately lead to a loss of muscle tissue.  

The Effects of Over-training on the Immune System

Perhaps one of the most alarming repercussions of over-training is it's negative impact on the immune system-you're bodies first defense against harmful viruses and bacteria.

Over-training can drastically decrease the levels of antibodies and lymphocytes in your body, making you much more susceptible to illness.  Simply put, this means that if you are in a state of over-training, you are much more likely to get sick.  Since you will have to skip workouts while you are sick, your muscle building progress will slow considerably.

The Effects of Over-training on the Metabolic System

Here is a list of how over-training can  effect the metabolic system.  These symptoms are the ones that are most commonly discussed, and are ones we can't ignore:

• Micro tears in the muscle
• Chronically depleted glycogen levels
• Slow, weak muscle contractions
• Depleted creatine phosphate stores
• Excessive accumulation of lactic acid
• Extreme DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)
• Tendon and connective tissue damage

So you must get the point by now... Over-training effects the entire body, and can seriously impact the results of your muscle building program.

Now let's take a look at the different types of over-training, and what we can do to prevent it.

Is it Worse to Over-Train With Cardio or Weight Training?

Any form of over-training is a bad thing, however, I've personally experienced both types of over-training and can honestly say that over-training in the weight room is much worse, and much more prevalent than over-training through cardiovascular training.

Here are some of the reasons why: 

• In order to grow, muscles must fully recover from their last workout, every workout.  If you are over-training and work the muscles before they have fully recovered, you will break down the muscle tissue before it has rebuilt-making it impossible to build muscle!

• Over-training with weights makes you more susceptible to nervous systems hormone and immune system issues, which all pose serious health risks.

• It can lead beginners down the wrong path, perhaps wasting money on unnecessary supplements, or even worse, steroids.

I personally believe that only competitive athletes such as swimmers, runners and bikers run a serious risk of reaching a state of cardiovascular over-training, since there are often training for two or more hours daily. 

The bottom line is that it is much easier for the average person to over-train while weight training than while cardiovascular training, and I think the effects can be more serious.

How do I Determine if I'm Over-training?

Determining if you're currently over-training is fairly simple.   If you're in tune with your body, you can often see the signs of over-training before they get serious.  If you are losing interest in workouts, are having trouble sleeping, and feel weak and irritable, you may be in a state of over-training and should take a week or more off.

If you are experiencing two or more of the symptoms outlined earlier in the article, this should raise a red flag. 
Another variable you can use to determine if you are over-training is by tracking the performance of your workouts. 

Has your physical performance improved compared to your last workout?

For example, let's say last workout you were able to perform 8 pull-ups using your body-weight, but were only able to perform 6 pull-ups the following week.  This means that you have not "out done" your previous workout, have not fully recovered, and therefore are likely over-training.  You nave to re-asses your program and make modifications so that you see progress every workout.

How Can I Prevent Over-training?

In order to avoid over-training, you need to take a multi-facited approach.  Determining the correct training volume and intensity, eating the right foods, and getting the right amount of rest and recovery must all be taken in to consideration.  Now let's take a look at each of those factors in more detail.

Correct Training Volume 

Determining the correct training volume can be difficult, especially when you are first starting out.  You have to determine how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and set to perform for every single workout.

You need to use your own judgment in this case, based on your recovery ability and your recovery methods.  Remember that the goal is that you improve every single workout, and if this isn't happening, you have to decrease the intensity of your workouts.

This is where many people go wrong though.  You begin your workout and realize that you have not fully recovered.  You can either continue to train at a lower intensity than the previous workout, or skip the workout entirely.

As hard as it may be, skipping the workout is the right way to go.  Just turn around and go home!  Your body is telling you that it needs more rest, and you must listen to it! 

There is no point in training at a lower intensity, further breaking down the muscle tissue.   By doing this you will increase your risk of injury, and make it harder for your body to fully recovery for your next training session.

Proper Nutrition

Your diet plays a huge role in your muscle building program.  It helps regulate hormone levels, provides energy, and provides the raw building blocks that are used to create new tissue.

Here are some dietary recommendations that will limit the chance of over-training: 

• Do not skip breakfast.  This is one of the most important meals of the day.  Skipping breakfast is very catabolic, and can promote muscle loss.
• Never let yourself get hungry.  If you're trying to build muscle mass, you have to constantly feed your body quality foods so that it never has the chance catabolize muscle tissue.
• Unless you are trying to build muscle and lose fat, make sure you have eaten prior to your training session and are not hungry.
• Have the largest meal of the day within an hour after your workout.  Do this every single workout!
• Consider taking proven supplements like protein powder, creatine, and antioxidants to increase performance and fight free radicals.
• Eat every 2-3 hours to ensure that your body remains in an anabolic state.
• Keep glycogen levels at full capacity to inhibit muscle tissue breakdown. 

Rest & Recovery

Rest and recovery is essential when it comes to avoiding over-training.  Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and that you are on a consistent schedule.  As for recovery time, it's important that you have days off between weight training workouts.  Try to have one rest day between weight training workouts, and never train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.

If you want to build rock hard muscle quick, check out Vince Delmonte's muscle building program. Let him show you how to add 41 pounds of lean muscle in 24 weeks!

Vince Delmonte is a competitive fitness model and personal trainer, as well as the author of No-Nonsense Muscle Building, a complete guide to building muscle for the hardgainer.

Vince's program includes extensive diet plans, complete weight training regimens, video tutorials, and full email personal training support.

5 Weight Training Tips For Pure Muscle Growth

       Most people are not taught or shown the proper way to weight train. I see guys everyday who don't know the first thing about proper technique.They see guys walking around built of pure muscle, become inspired and automatically think that if they throw a few weights around that they will look like that in no time. This is so far from the truth. I have put together a list of 5 tips that are important for weight training success.

 EDUCATION:  First, you need to ask yourself how much you really know about weight training. If the answer is “not much”, then you should look into a personal trainer or read some books to gain sufficient knowledge about building muscle.

             SET REALISTIC GOALS:  Second, you must decide why you are lifting weights. Are you trying to put on 30 pounds of pure muscle? Are you trying to build a little muscle and shed fat? These are things that you must ask yourself before you start your program. If you decide you want to gain 30 pounds in 6 months, then plan on gaining 5 pounds a month. Once you decide what you want out of weight training, and you have a clear thought process of where you want to be, your goals will seem obtainable.

           COMMITMENT and CONSISTENCY:   You must be committed to your goals 100%, or else you will fail to reach them. Research a weight training program that best fits your goals and what you are trying to accomplish. Once you find a program you need to stick with it! It will take time to see results, but it will be worth every drop of sweat. Consistency plays a huge role in reaching weight training goals (this is where the muscle is built). If you take a day of here and a day of there you are slowing your results, which will not allow you to reach your goals in the time allotted.

             PROPER TECHNIQUE:  Weight training technique is the single most important piece to building muscle. If you are not a doctor you are not going to perform surgery on yourself right? If you do not know a lot about weight training do not try to teach yourself proper technique. You will be cheating your body of pure muscle that you worked hard for, and most importantly, you will greatly increase your chances of injury. So do yourself a favor and check your ego at the door and get the proper guidance needed.

             ADVANCEMENT:  Approach your weight training goals in sections. You don’t have to achieve everything in two weeks. For example, you want to add 30 pounds to your bench press. This will not happen overnight. Try gaining 2 ½-5 pounds per week over a 6 month period (very achievable). I also recommend keeping a log book to track your reps and weight. This will easily allow you to monitor and increase weight or reps, which will lead to more strength. As your strength increases so will your muscle size.

Follow these 5 tips for building pure muscle mass in the gym. Remember, commitment and consistency is the key to obtaining your weight training goals.

If you've ever wondered why you can't pack on muscle as fast as you'd like or frustrated that you bust your butt in the gym and have little to show, then check out this no nonsense muscle building program!

Proper sports nutrition supplementation is not a bad idea for maximum results. Most people do not get all the vitamins, minerals and protein they need through their daily diet. Make sure that you choose the right supplements for the goals you are trying to achieve.