Gaining muscle size and gaining strength are two different adaptations.  Gaining muscle size requires the muscle fiber to increase its diameter through the accumulation of protein and other energy substrates such as glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and even some fats (intramuscular fats).  This is called muscle hypertrophy and in order to train for it one must use repetition ranges of around 6-15 reps, generally speaking, and keep the rest periods to a minimum in between sets (between 60-90 seconds).  When training in this manner, some strength gain is experienced but not nearly as much as if one trained just for strength.

Gaining maximal muscle strength however is a totally different type of adaptation.  Basically the brain has to become better at activating as many muscle fibers possible in order to move a weight from point A to point B.  This is called a neural adaptation because it happens at the nervous system level.  The more muscle size one has, the more strength potential an athlete possesses.   In order to train for maximal strength, one has to train with nearly maximal weights; mostly hovering in the 2-6 repetition range, and also, one has to rest 3-4 minutes in between sets of the same exercise.  In this case, muscle hypertrophy will be minimal but strength gains will be maximized.

It would seem that one cannot achieve maximum muscle size and maximal strength gains at the same time, but if one uses clever periodization training techniques, you can have the best of both worlds.  As a matter of fact, top experts like Charles Poliquin propose that it is imperative for the bodybuilder to include maximal strength training in the bodybuilding program as after enough muscle size is achieved, one needs to train that new size for strength as well in order to ensure continued growth.

So with that said, here is my Periodized Bodybuilding Training Routine for Achieving Maximum Muscle Size and Strength at the Same Time.

With the Holidays approaching, many people's bodybuilding routines get affected adversely due to the tight squeeze many experience in the amount of free time that they have available to themselves.  Between Holiday shopping and finalizing any sort of projects at work (or even at home) before the end of the year, it seems that there is just not enough time in the day to get a good bodybuilding workout in.   

However, with good planning and a properly designed workout that can get you in and out of the gym in 25-30 minutes, you can squeeze in your bodybuilding routines at any time of the day. 

Here are some good bodybuilding routines that you can use to get you through the Holidays in one piece:

• Short 25-30 Minute Bodybuilding Workouts
• Bodybuilding Training During the Holidays
• Bodybuilding Routine for Busy Bodybuilders

Is there a time that is better than others to perform your bodybuilding workouts for best results?  If you ask ten bodybuilders, more than likely, you will get ten different answers.  However, if you ask me, I'll tell you that it depends on what you are looking to accomplish. 

For fat loss with muscle gain, I feel working out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is the way to go.  Since your glycogen (stored carbohydrate) levels are low, it will be easier for your body to use the fat stores for energy. As long as you are not a hardgainer who has a raging metabolism and can easily burn muscle, or a bodybuilder with diabetes who needs to watch his/her blood sugar, this is a good strategy.  And if you are concerned with cortisol levels and being catabolic due to training in the morning before eating, drinking water and taking 5 grams of glutamine, 5 grams of creatine, 5-10 grams of branched chained amino acids, and 1 gram of Vitamin C prior to the workout will more than protect your muscle mass.  Working out in the morning on an empty stomach takes some getting used to but I promise you that after two weeks your body will be adapted to it. 

When muscle gain is your main bodybuilding goal, training in the afternoon offers the advantage of a higher glycogen level created by the multiple meals consumed, and thus, this results in more energy to push yourself harder.  Hardgainers should definitely stick to training at any time other than in the morning on an empty stomach.

With all of these being said, at the end of the day, in bodybuilding consistency of execution is what wins the game.  So even if fat loss with muscle gain is your goal, and you cannot train in the morning, then the best time to train is whenever you can allocate the time to perform your bodybuilding workouts.

Since training time is often a subject of controversy, I not only wanted to give you my opinion on the subject, but also the opinion of top bodybuilding legend (IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Hall of Famer) and fitness expert Lee Labrada on what is the best time to perform your bodybuilding workouts.

Please feel free to comment and let us know what bodybuilding workout times have worked best for you and why.

Bodybuilding training is composed mostly of weight training exercises.  For the best results possible, your bodybuilding training should be composed of mostly free weight exercises that use dumbbells and barbells for resistance.  However, I often get asked the questions: "What about bodyweight exercises?  Are these useful for bodybuilding?"

Truth of the matter is, that bodyweight exercises are the best exercises for the fastest bodybuilding results!  Examples of such exercises are the pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, dips, squats, lunges and calf raises.  Any exercise where you have to move your torso through space and that can be done just by using your body as the resistance is a bodyweight exercise. 

These exercises provide the best bodybuilding results because you have to activate the most amount of muscle fibers (since they provide the most neural stimulation) and use several stabilizer muscles (in addition to the main muscles being targeted) to accomplish the task of moving your body through space.  In addition, these exercises are excellent for creating functional strength; in other words, strength that can be used to any task in your daily life. 

As you get stronger, resistance can be added by using a weight belt for exercises like the pull-ups, chin-ups and dips, while barbells and dumbbells can be used for the squats, lunges, and calf raises.  For push-ups, you can have a partner provide you with the resistance.

So be sure to incorporate plenty of bodyweight exercises in your bodybuilding routine and watch your bodybuilding results soar!

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Yesterday I was reading an article that my dad gave me to take a look at regarding Quercetin and the debate over its effectiveness.   The article was from the October 11, 2009 edition of the New York Times Magazine and was written by Gretchen Reynolds.

Quercetin is a flavanoid found in vegetables, wine, and the skin of apples (amongst many other foods) that seems to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.  In addition Quercetin has been shown in lab rats to increase mitochondria in the cell, and as a result, the rats are able to run for significantly longer periods of time.  However, it turns out that while lab results show great promise in terms of performance enhancement, real life data in humans seems to show otherwise.  While this does not take away from the fact that Quercetin may provide several benefits to one's health, maybe in the gym there is not much that it can do for you. 

The reason I point this out is because if you browse through a muscle magazine there are countless ads for products that have been "proven" to work.  However, the fact that a product may turn a mouse into Mighty Mouse does not mean that the product will have the same effect on you.  This is something I learned early on from the writings of one of my good friends Will Brink (as he always points out what the lab says vs. what the real world shows) and also from my own Research and Development background of my engineering days.  What applies in the lab does not always apply in the same manner to the real world.      

So before you buy another bodybuilding supplement to enhance your performance in the gym, do your research on the products carefully and make sure that it has been tested in humans as well.  To be honest, only every so often there comes a new product that can really impact your performance in the gym, so my advice to you is to save your money and stick to the basics.  Also, always remember that as the author of the article I mentioned above rightfully said, you "can't expect improved performance to be delivered, without effort, in pill or liquid form." 

Related Bodybuilding Articles:

• What Bodybuilding Supplements Should I Use?
• What Are Some Bodybuilding Supplements That Work, Are Safe And Based On Science?

For some reason in our society these days, a lot of people think that they are too old to do bodybuilding and get results.  Sometimes I have even talked to 30 year old guys who feel like they are way past their prime.  Personally speaking, I must say that at almost 35, I feel better (and I am in way better shape) than I was when I was 14 years old.  As a matter of fact, the Valeo weight belt that my mom got me for my 14th birthday fits my waistline better than ever these days.  However, it can be argued quite successfully that 35 years old is still a young age. What if you are 70 years old?  Can you get great results from a bodybuilding program?  While studies and my own personal experience with clients shows me that this is the case, I was astonished when I came across some news from Japan the other day.

A bodybuilder named Tsutomu Tosuka won the 21st Japan Masters Bodybuilding Championships at 74 years old!  And when you look at this guy, he looks better than most 20 year olds!  And on top of that, the guys he was competing against were in unbelievable shape as well.

Granted, Mr. Tosuka has been training for around 50 years, but this case goes to show you how the bodybuilding lifestyle is really the fountain of youth.

Here is a video of Mr. Tosuka and his competition: 74 Year Old Bodybuilding Champion.

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Creating a Healthy Bodybuilding Lifestyle

The low pulley row is an excellent exercise to bring out the details on the middle and center of the back muscles. Combined with exercises like the wide grip and close gri[p pull-ups, the low pulley rows will add the finishing details that all of the great backs from from bodybuilding legends such as Lee Labrada, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dave Draper have.

For this exercise you will need access to a low pulley row machine with a V-bar handle. The V-bar handle will enable you to have a neutral grip where the palms of your hands face each other.  This sort of grip will also enable you to keep the arms close to your torso.  In this manner, you can better activate the midback muscles.

In order to learn how to properly perform this exercise and get the most benefit from it, please take a look at the Low Pulley Row Bodybuilding Exercise Description.

Bodybuilding should be the foundation of any weight loss program.  While the word bodybuilding still carries the stigma of large men and women posing on a bodybuilding stage, the reality is that bodybuilding is a lifestyle that combines weight training, cardiovascular exercise, good nutrition and rest in order to achieve any fitness goal you set for yourself; including weight loss.

So some of you will indeed want to step on a bodybuilding stage one day while others simply will want to lose fat and tone up a bit.  Some others may need to lose a lot of weight (fat weight of course) while building and toning the muscles underneath.  Regardless of what your physique goal is, bodybuilding is the most efficient way of accomplishing it!  There are a few reasons for this.

Bodybuilding is the only way in which you will end up with a toned and hard looking body.  Take it from someone who lost weight first and did not do any weight training.  While I lost over 60-lbs, I still did not have the body I wanted since i looked soft and flabby.  If I would have known 20 years ago what I know now, that would not have been the case.

In addition, bodybuilding is the most efficient (and safe) way to lose fat.  Exercising with weights 30-45 minutes, 3-4 times a week, not only increases your metabolic rate (ability to burn calories) for up to 48 hours (as the body will need to utilize more nutrients in order to re-build itself) but also builds muscle, which is what gives shape to the body and also increases the need for additional calories.  It's a win/win scenario that makes dieting easier.  Add to that aerobic exercise performed 3 days a week for 20-30 minutes and that will help to burn additional calories in addition to increasing cardiovascular capacity, fat burning ability and endurance.

Once a good exercise plan is followed then the next step is nutrition.  For ladies a balanced diet with multiple meals throughout the day spaced out every 2-3 hours works best as this strategy entices the body to keep the metabolic rate high while at the same time burning fat and gaining muscle.  The diet should consist of 1200-1500 calories (depending on activity levels and age) and have a macronutrient ratio of 40% complex low glycemic carbs, 40% proteins and 20% good fats.  This ratio works best for most people.  For men, the same ratios work but with a higher caloric intake of 2000-2500 calories.  Again, people with higher metabolisms and higher activity levels may need more calories (in the form of carbs) than this.  Good examples are construction workers and marathon runners.

So if weight loss is your goal, give bodybuilding a try and I guarantee you that you will not be disappointed at the results.

In Part 3 of Tony Little's Interview, Tony talks about his bodybuilding training at the age of 53 and he also provides valuable advice for making it in the fitness industry.

I think that those of us who are so passionate about our bodybuilding lifestyle can actually turn it into a career by helping others.  While at first it may not be readily apparent how to go about doing that, there are many avenues to achieve that:

• Personal Training
• Owning a Gym or Personal Training Studio
• Becoming a Fitness Author
• Creating Your Own Fitness Videos and Selling Them on TV
• Becoming an Owner of a Sports Supplements Company

While this is not a comprehensive list, these are the items that come to my mind immediately when I think of making money in the fitness industry.  While modeling and being a top level professional bodybuilder are also ways to make money, not all of us can make good money from those avenues, so as a result, I refrained from including those items in my list. 

The reason I placed personal training at the top of the list is because in my opinion, this is the easiest way to start making money from fitness if you are passionate about sharing your knowledge and teaching others.  Also, if you play your cards right, through personal training you can build an impressive network of people and also create a capital that will allow you to diversify into other areas of the fitness industry; such as either gym ownership, personal training studio ownership, fitness product development, or sports nutrition supplements manufacturing.  Needless to say, you can also become a fitness author as well which is something that you can do at the same time that you practice personal training.  With so many ways to get published today through either print on demand companies or e-books, there is no reason why you cannot get your knowledge placed in print. 

So as you can see, personal training can help you to create a base from which you can then diversify and expand your fitness career.  It will take a lot of hard work, planning and determination, but then again, that is no different than following the bodybuilding lifestyle; so none of this should be new to you.

The biggest problem I see most trainers face is that way too often great personal trainers with vast knowledge on the subject make very little money from the profession. One may ask: "How can this be?"  Well, the answer to this question is simple.  Like any profession, personal training is a business and has to be run accordingly.  It's like any other business.  Think about it, you could even be a Medical Doctor who decides to start his own independent practice, and if the practice is not run with business knowledge, there will not be enough money to pay the bills.  So even though your driving force should always be your passion to help others, you still need to apply sound business practices.

It is because of this that I decided to call one of the most successful personal trainers I personally know, Chris Fernandez, and not only talk about his philosophies about training, supplementation and nutrition, but also, to have him share with us some of the business tactics that have allowed him to establish a very successful personal training practice by coaching high profile clients and charging $5,000 per month per client. 

So here is my Chris Fernandez Interview where he talks about Making Money From Personal Training.