How Many Reps and Sets To Build Muscle

One of the most asked questions I get while training others is how many reps and sets of an exercise are needed to achieve lean muscle growth, strength increase, and an overall improvement in body composition.

Reps

The desired repetition range for both men and women for just about all exercises is four to six repetitions for your last, heavy sets.

That doesn't include warm-ups or acclimation sets, just your last sets.

There is one and only one reason a muscle has for gaining lean muscle tissue and getting stronger....

....Progressively increased overload.

You need to progressively force the muscle into growing and getting stronger or it will not.

In order to increase overload, you need to increase resistance. In order to increase resistance, you need to increase the amount of weight, or work, you are doing.

Lower repetitions of an exercise will allow you to increase the overload to that muscle instantaneously. This forces the stimulation of new muscle fibers that will be recruited to handle the additional stresses that will be placed upon the muscle.

The repetition range for optimal muscle fiber stimulation will be between four and six repetitions for just about every heavy set of an exercise you do.

Low reps will not cause women to bulk up. Low reps will strengthen and tone your muscles quicker than higher reps.

Lighter weights and higher reps will basically keep you from making optimal gains. If you can do ten repetitions of an exercise, the weight is too light to achieve overload.

How do you know what weight to use? If you can do more than six repetitions on your heavy sets for an exercise, the weight is too light. If you cannot do at least four, the weight is too heavy.

So the low down on reps is 4 to 6 for all heavy sets. Warm up sets and intermediate can be 8 to 10 reps, but to get the muscle stimulating benefit of weight training, you must use lower reps to create enough of an overload.

Sets

The amount of heavy, intense sets per exercise will be between one and three sets, depending on the order of the exercise.

When you are warmed up, the number of all-out, intense sets will be three at the most, and on some exercises, just one or two sets.

It is the overload that causes the muscle to grow, not the amount of sets you do. There is no universal law which states that if you double the amount of sets you perform, you also double the results.

The key is to stimulate, not annihilate, the muscle into responding and growing. You do this with two, very intense sets of four to six repetitions. This will efficiently stimulate the muscles more than doing more sets with more reps at a lighter weight.

If we were doing bicep curls, we would do our warm-ups and then two heavy, intense sets of four to six repetitions. This exercise is now done. You have effectively overloaded the bicep muscles and will then proceed to the next exercise, if there is one.

As you can see, it is all about quality over quantity when it comes to producing results.

It is so much better to do one or two heavy sets at maximum intensity than 3 or more at an easier level.

More is not better....better is better.

Fitness Consultant Shawn Lebrun has helped over 13,000 individuals lose fat and build muscle in less time. To read more about what he can do for you, please check out his site at Shawn Lebrun Fitness.com

A Question of Balance & Oriental Medicine

At BIOM, we encourage ourselves and our visitors to become aware of, and act from, that special ?place? inside oneself that is the wellspring of health and wellbeing. With that in mind, we invite you to explore with us an Oriental medicine approach to balanced eating that provides the energy for living the life you want to live.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
? Lao Tzu

It's A Balancing Act
How balanced are you? If someone asked you that question how might you respond? Since the experience of 'balance' doesn't play an obvious role in daily life, you may find yourself asking some questions of your own to get to the meaning of what's being asked. How balanced am I? Do they mean: Am I physically balanced? Am I psychologically balanced? Am I emotionally balanced?

You are what you eat: So if your diet is nutritionally and energetically balanced, so are you.

All good questions to ask periodically in your ongoing assessment of your health and sense of wellbeing. And, from an Oriental medicine point of view, you would want to add to this checklist: Am I 'nutritionally' balanced?; Am I 'energetically? balanced? Because when you're 'nutritionally' balanced your food will be providing you with the energy you need to be ?energetically? balanced ? and an energetically balanced person is healthy in body, mind, and spirit.

The Five Tastes

A nutritionally and energetically balanced diet includes food that combines these five tastes:

Salty
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Spicy

Feeling Balanced

Many people 'think' they're balanced. But there's a difference between 'thinking' and 'knowing,' like there is a difference between thinking that you just ate something satisfying compared to knowing you did. And how do I know if I'm still hungry or not? I feel it. So how do you know if you?re nutritionally and energetically balanced? You feel it.

While it's easy to intellectually point out the difference between thinking and feeling, it's a little more difficult to know with your body what balance feels like, chiefly because our culture emphasizes the development of our mental faculties, while minimizing the cultivation of the feeling and intuitive aspects of ourselves. This unhealthy and illogical imbalance can comically reveal itself in a normal conversation when a caring person genuinely presses to know: Are you really feeling okay? and the other replies, I think so.

Even this core level imbalance in self-awareness can be remedied through the power of Oriental medicine by combining diet and nutrition, Chinese medical herbs, Chi Kung, and acupuncture or acupressure.

Remember: Health is a ?balancing act.?

Kitty Bradshaw is a licensed acupuncturist, with an advanced clinical degree in Oriental Medicine. Studying and working with Oriental Medicine since 1986, Kitty combines Traditional Oriental Medicine with Taoist healing methods to offer healing possibilities beyond the level of standard health care. Her deep understanding of Chinese medical herbs, combined with her intuitive abilities to diagnose and treat difficult problems, has helped many people regain and maintain their health.

For a FREE phone consultation to find out how Oriental Medicine can work for you, go to http://www.biom.net to contact Kitty, or subscribe to BIOM's FREE newsletter.

Exercise with Best Results

The problem of setting the training at a certain moment in the day is more serious than it appears to be. The choice of the period when we train depends on more factors. It's clear from the start that we cannot consider the period of three hours after every main meal, because this interval must be allotted to digestion only. Considerable physical effort is totally unadvisable in this period (blood must not be directed to the muscles, since gastric digestion has priority).

More exactly, people should train when their stomach is empty, but the level of glycemia must be constant. Considering a normal awake - asleep rhythm, there are two favorable moments when we can set fitness programs and training in general: one in the morning, between 10-12, and the other one in the afternoon, between 16-19.

Current practice in most of the sports confirms these periods as best for training.

Another argument for choosing one of these intervals for training is the body temperature, which now gets to its maximum. The second period (16-19) is even better than the first one from this point of view, because the temperature is higher and this enhances sport performance.

It is not advisable to train very early in the morning, right after waking up and before breakfast. However, there are authors who support the idea of having the training in this period. The reserves of glycogen are limited after the lack of food during sleeping and this is a reason for using the adipose tissue earlier in training than in other cases.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the stress hormones (cortisone) are secreted abundantly, so besides the adipose tissue, there is the risk of losing precious muscular tissue.

Another argument against this is the fact that body temperature is very low in the hours of morning, so no motion parameters (force, resistance, speed, mobility, skill) can be fully activated. Thus, a prolonged and tiring warming up would be necessary, hindering the actual training.

Everybody agrees that training before bedtime is not advisable at all, because they delay sleep a few hours, given growth of cortical activity and of body temperature.

This schedule can be adapted to any biorhythm and time zone and once automatism installed, effectiveness of training will definitely increase.

Isabel Curini is a fitness trainer and editor at http://www.healthfitnessworld.com HealthFitnessWorld.com - Health, Fitness, Body Building, Weight Loss, Nutrition - Articles and Resources.

HealthFitnessWorld.com is dedicated to providing high-quality, free advices, tips and resources on health, fitness, body building, supplements, nutrition, weight loss, beauty, massage, acne, medicine, depression, massage.

This article may be reprinted or published without the author's consent as long as the About and weblinks are kept intact and active.

Better Spring Break Body 5 tips to a Leaner You

Everyone on campuses all over are talking about exotic places like Daytona Beach, Mexico, Bahamas, and Hawaii, so I must guess that saying Spring Break is on our minds would be an understatement. There is something all these places have in common: the beautiful beaches and the hot bodies we are going to see on them. Do you have your hot bod ready to catch some sun when spring break rolls around? Here are five quick tips you can implement right now to get you closer to a Spring Break Hot Bod.

Problem Areas Solved
To help fine-tune specific body parts, your workouts are going to have to be more frequent. The best way to get this done is to break your day into two halves. In the morning, perform a quick 15-20 minute workout involving weights done in a circuit. By circuit I mean doing one exercise after another without any rest. In the afternoon, get into classes such as kickboxing and spinning, which Campus Activities provide for all students.

Carbohydrates: Friend or Foe
Carbohydrates are not the enemy, but when you are looking to get leaner quickly,they can be. The best suggestions are that all your carbs should come from veggies such as broccoli, celery, spinach, lettuce, and cucumbers. Stay away from juices, candies, breads, and pastries.

Protein is your friend
Make sure every single time you are eating, you have protein on your plate. Protein can be egg whites, peanuts, chicken, fish, turkey, or low salt ham. Whenever you are eating, make sure that you have one of those things in your plate. Also make sure you are consuming five to six small meals as well.

Drinking
If you are not drinking, you are not losing. It is important that you are drinking all day long, and I do not mean liquor. You should be drinking water all the time. A good way to measure if you are is by looking at the color of your urine. If your urine is not crystal clear then get your Poland Spring on!Drinking water helps in shedding weight, which is why if you are not drinking, then you are not losing.

Perform exercises that give you the best bang for your buck
With midterms coming there is no time to waste when you go to the gym. Perform workouts that can be done in a short, quick fashion and give you great results. Perform exercises like squats, pushups, lunges, shoulder presses and deadlifts. Do not waste your time on the hip machines because you will be sitting there forever before you really see the results you want.

So what are you waiting for? Do not just read these tips; it is time to implement them. For some there are less than four weeks to get your body ready for spring break. Take action right now and I promise you will not regret that you did.

Geovanni Derice is the founder of 4everToned, which is a home based personal training business in Brooklyn, New York. During his stint as a certified personal trainer, Derice has helped many frustrated men and women achieve bodies they only dreamed of until 4everToned. For more information see http://www.4evertoned.com and receive exclusive body changing tips instantly.

Deal with Alcohol

A drink in the hand can make you look sophisticated. A shot of courage can get you to talk to the girl. A drink can appear, compliments of the guy at the end of the bar. Alcohol is a part of life. Ads on television make it seem glamorous or the key to a good time. Of course, no matter what it feels like it is doing, alcohol is a depressant and it will worsen your symptoms if you drink too much of it.

That?s not to say that one drink is dangerous. One drink is usually fine, even if you are on medication. But you want to limit it to that one drink. Too many and you will most likely get sick from the interaction of the alcohol and your medications, if you don?t get drunk first. If you are not on medication, you might even be able to get away with two drinks, but that would start to push it.

If you are planning on going out, you might find that it is easier to hold a drink in your hand. That doesn?t mean that you will enjoy yourself more because you are drinking, you just think that you will. You want to be careful not to put power into alcohol because it can cause more problems than you might anticipate. A shot will dull your senses, which may lower your inhibitions, but it will not replace self-confidence. Using it as such can end up causing more problems than is worth.

Learn to alleviate your depression at http://www.curemydepression.com

Aloe Vera Research at Kew Gardens

There has been a series of BBC TV programmes shown last year, ?A Year At Kew?, in which the programme follows the work carried out at Kew Gardens, London throughout a full season. In one of the episodes, there was a feature regarding the growing and research being conducted at Kew on Aloe Vera plants. There is a special hot house at Kew dedicated to the growing of all sorts of varieties of Aloe Vera. The research team is looking into the known efficacious properties that some of this species of this miracle plant has.

A researcher within the team was investigating the varieties to try to discover if there is another species, other than the Aloe Vera Barbadensis that has equal or even greater efficacious properties that can be grown in different climates around the world, thus increasing the cultivation of the plants and its naturally known benefits. I will be waiting and watching for the outcome of this research and hope to take a trip to Kew this year to see what is going on there for myself. Watch this space for up-dated reports!

Question posed by garden expert Alan Titchmarsh at TV?s ?A year at Kew? Christmas Quiz In the same ?series as a ?Year at Kew?, the ?Christmas at Kew? programme held the Kew Christmas quiz, hosted by the famous Alan Titchmarsh TV garden expert. Alan, who was trained at Kew, so appropriate for him to host the seasonal quiz in which Kew students challenge the Kew experienced tutors and gardeners. One of the questions posed by Alan was:
?Which member of the Lily family produces a gel that has anti-inflammatory properties??
Sadly to say, the students got the answer wrong. The correct answer of course being ?Aloe Vera?

Simon Hancock is an independant distributor of Forever Living Products. Contact him at http://www.ForeverSecure.co.uk or on 023 9282 3011

A Boxful of Second Chance

Imagine yourself walking hurriedly along the crowded airport, trying to catch your flight to New Jersey. Suddenly, a man in front of you faints and falls heavily on the floor. He just had a cardiac arrest. As people all around start to rush calling for the ambulance, you and other people try to perform CPR to no avail. Precious minutes pass by quickly, and you soon realize that if the paramedics doesn't get to the man on time, he's dead.

*Cardiac arrest* is one of the leading causes of death in America today. It occurs swiftly and silently, leaving behind a high mortality rate where only 5% survive. And despite the best trained emergency responders like firemen and paramedics rushing as fast as they can, the unfortunate reality is that most of its victims die before reaching the hospital or while they wait for the ambulance. That is often the case in cities that have traffic jams like New York.

When someone has a cardiac arrest, the disorganization of the heart's pumping rhythm causes it to be unable to contract properly and makes an abrupt interruption of blood circulation. This results to oxygen deprivation to the brain, unconsciousness, and inability to breathe. Within 3 to 4 minutes, the victim's brain is likely to be damaged. For this reason, it is very important that emergency medical treatment is given immediately in order to resolve the condition. The most common first-aid treatment for cardiac arrest is the cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, and defibrillation.

Defibrillation helps revive the heart by sending rapid jolts of energy to shock the heart back into its rhythm. A cardiac arrest victim's chances of survival goes up by 10% with after every minute of its use. We are familiar with how they are used as we see them frequently in hospitals, ambulances, and on television shows like Rescue 911 and hospital dramas like Grey's Anatomy and ER. But we know that it's very heavy, and we need to be sufficiently trained to use it, like the doctors who mutter barely coherent instructions on its voltage and then shout ?clear!.? Of course those things cannot be found outside the hospital or the ambulance and you'd be intimidated to touch it, let alone use it.

This is where portable defibrillators come in use. Immediate aid for cardiac arrest victims is now within reach because of its easy-to-carry packaging and its more automated technology. There is no need for complex buttons to press, and it has instructions that are easy to follow, making just about anyone capable of using it to help save lives.

Portable defibrillators should be placed in public areas like malls, airports, theme parks, hotels, offices, and schools. It should also be strategically located along fire extinguishers or public pay phones for easy access. Because four out of five cardiac arrest occurs at homes, it is also advisable to keep a portable defibrillator handy to be used in emergency cases. Explaining to your kids when and how to use it can spell the difference between the life and death of one of your family members.

In 2003, it was found that the use of these portable defibrillators by volunteers in public areas gave a significant increase to the rate of cardiac arrest victims surviving compared to those who only received CPR. The said study was funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with the American Heart Association. In Milwaukee, where about 1,000 people joined a training program for the proper use of the portable defibrillator, it was reported that the state already had a cardiac arrest survival rate of 9%.

Soon, portable defibrillators will be a common sight in public areas. People will be more familiar on its importance, and almost everyone will know how to use it properly. So the next time you find yourself in the mall or in the airport, keep a vigilant eye on all emergency areas for that small glass case that contains a portable defibrillator. Knowing where one can be found is very important in case an emergency occurs. Who knows, the next life that could be saved might just be yours.

For more valuable information on Cancer, Heart Health, please visit http://www.healthsnippets.com.