January 2009 Archives

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January 26, 2009

Proper Water Intake of Bodybuilding – Do You Getting Enough?

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The more research I do, the more I find that most people already know how to build the body they want. It’s common knowledge. True, there are a few “hidden” tips and tricks of the trade, but not many.

On thing that’s common knowledge is that you should drink plenty of water everyday. Now before you tune out on this one, hear me out.

Your muscles are 80% water. When you workout, you sweat, use a lot of energy, etc. So you lose some of that water. That inflation you see in your muscles is from blood rushing to the region. But once that goes away, your poor muscles are in a dire state. They need nutrition and water! Part of the size of in your muscles has to do with how much water they contain. You need proper water intake while weight lifting as you are losing a lot of minerals and stored energy.

Your whole body is mostly water, about 60%. Water is the main ingredient for the lubricant in your joints, and the lubricant in your muscle fibers that allow them to slide back and forth across each other. People cramp up and pull muscles when they don’t get enough water. And without the right amount of water in your muscles, they won’t work as efficiently as possible. And weight lifting is all about efficiency of motion.

So now you know why you should drink water, how much should you drink? The average non-lifter loses about 2 liters of water a day through urine, breathing, etc. so they should consume about 64 oz. or about 2 liters of water a day, just to keep going right.

But us lifters need a bit more than that. I generally try to shoot for 80 – 100 oz. or about 2.5-3 liters on workout days. Sometimes a little or less. If I’m doing cardio, I may shoot it up to 100-120 oz to compensate for heavy sweating.

A good indicator to see if you’re getting enough water is the color of your urine. It should be clear to pale yellow, if you’re healthy and getting enough water.

There are all kinds of ways to get this much fluid. Food contains water. Sports drinks contain water, etc. I like to use those small bought water bottles like Dasani and Aquafini, which are about .5 liters, so it’s easy to measure. Just refill it at a water fountain and throw it away at the end of the day. Or you can a Nalgene bottle from your local Sports Authority which is about 120 mL, but just make sure you wash it out at the end of the day.

Well now you see the importance of water. Proper water intake is common knowledge, but no one does it, so it’s one of those “hidden” secrets that the “pros” use, or anyone serious about building the right body. Until next time, Happy Lifting!

Mitchell

Filed under Body Building Tips, Muscle Building Programs by Mitchell Graves on Jan 26th, 2009. 1 Comment. #

January 29, 2009

The Road to the Perfect Body

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cbp1053878_veer1Have you ever been in the backseat of a car of a person that didn’t know where they were going?  Or have you ever gotten lost while driving but were too proud to ask for directions?

I see similar mistakes made in the gym all the time.  We hear the cliché to “check your ego at the door”, but c’mon, we’re men.  It’s what we do to grunt and show off.  Let’s be real here for a second.  Part of the reason we go to the gym is to look good for the ladies.  The other part, which may be more prevalant, is to show that “I’m bigger than you and I can get more girls”.  It’s a competitive place by nature. 

But like so many things in life.  Success in the gym is counter intuitive. You really do have to “check your ego at the door” and “keep your eyes on yourself” to be successful.  The shortest distance between two points is a straight line and the same is true for your Perfect Body.  These two factors can be distractions that take you off your mark.  

We all hate to be lost or helpless when we’re going somewhere.  Yet so many people subject themselves to this everyday in the gym.  They have a vague idea of the body they’re trying to build.  That’s like driving from Dallas to California, but you only know you want to go “out West”. 

It’s been said that there are four possible physiques.  Some may argue this fact, but I tend to think it’s true.  You have the:

  1. Powerful Massive (PM)
  2. Defined Strength (DS)
  3. Lean Endurance (LE)
  4. Combination of each

That is to say if you’re going to LA, San Diego, San Francisco, or Sacramento.  Each destination is clearly defined in the state of “better shape”, but the directions to get to each place is completely different.

The same goes when you are building a particular physique.  I’ve chosen option 2 and I feel it every time I hit the gym.  

  1. PM = High Intensity = 6-8 reps with 60-90 secs rest
  2. DS = Med. Intensity = 8-12 reps with 30-60 secs rest
  3. LE = Low Intensity = 12-20 reps with 10-30 secs rest
  4. Combo = combination of all

If you read my post on how muscles work.  This will make sense to you.  It’s important to note that the Combo is a bit more advanced and should be tackled only after you master the basics of 1, 2, or 3.

Clip out a magazine article or browse the Internet until you see a physique you like.  Post it up somewhere where you can see it on a regular basis.  This will form a mental image which is very powerful.  I’ll go into the power of visualizations in another blog. 

Now you have a basic road map.  It’s time to get on the road.  Don’t wait until you have all the peices in place before you move.  The important part is to just get going.  There will be time to stop and sight see along the way.  Enjoy the journey.  Until next time, Happy Lifting!

Mitchell

Filed under Body Building Tips by Mitchell Graves on Jan 29th, 2009. 3 Comments. #

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