Hormones That Control Your Muscle Building

 

These ideas are the basics of any bodybuilding program and are critical to your success or failure. The two most recommended muscle building programs are truth about building muscle, the musclehead,vince delmonte. If you want more information on muscle building programs you can read this review of bodybuilding programs.

Hormones are gatekeepers of body functions & regulate most of the body processes. Excess or deficiency of any hormone can have a lot of impact on your body. Any imbalance in hormones results in a side effect. e.g. acne is widely attributed to hormonal imbalances.

Muscle building is no exception. Here too hormones act as gatekeepers. Your muscle building success depends a lot on how you manage these hormones. Below is a list three of the critical hormones and the role they play in muscle building. There are hormones that simulate muscle growth while some other simulate breakage of muscle tissues.
1) Cortisol

This hormone has following two important functions

1) Increasing abdominal fat storage

2) Stimulates the breakdown of muscle tissue.

This hormone is released if you are workout time is extended beyond the one hour mark or if you are not taking proper rest. This hormone results in breaking up of muscle tissues. So, don’t extend your workouts beyond the one hour mark. It will not bring any benefit.
2) Testosterone

This is the hormone found in most steroids under different variants. Increased quantity of this hormone results in more muscle growth. If you are following a bodybuilding program than make sure that all the while you have higher testosterone. Higher levels of testesterone will result in more muscle development. Again, improper rest or incomplete sleep decreases the testosterone levels in your body.
3) Growth Hormones

The name itself indicates the functions of growth hormones. They regenerate the body and play a vital role in muscle development. The body increases the production of growth hormones during rest and sleep.

One important conclusion from the above is the need of proper rest. All the above hormones are controlled or produced by your body while you sleep. So while depriving yourself of sleep may result in more production of cortisol that will increase the muscle breakage, taking proper sleep will result in more production of testosterone and growth hormones that bring in the necessary muscle gain.

A really good post from yahoo

Top 5 Habits to Increase Longevity Posted Tue, Dec 18, 2007, 6:12 pm PST

87% of users found this article helpful.

Is it really possible for anyone to live happily to 100? The good news is that your body was designed to be 100 - you just have to get out of the way.
Getting out of the way means taking an honest look at the habits and lifestyle you are living with today. Most of us have developed habits that limit our true health potential.

But don't let these bad habits of the past discourage you - it is never too late to make new choices. What you did in the past can be changed, and your body will respond in kind. What matters is what you do from this moment forward.

Eat five small meals a day.
In the Western culture, meals are taken three times a day, but it is much better to eat five smaller meals. When you eat smaller portions five times a day, you deliver a steady stream of nutrients, blood sugar, and energy to your body throughout the day.

Additionally, eating this way is less taxing on the digestive and metabolic systems and also reduces your risk of heart disease.

Climb the stairs instead of using elevators.
The health benefits of a daily exercise program cannot be stressed enough. Regular exercise can help promote physiological well-being, strengthen the immune system, maintain joint mobility, increase energy - and the list goes on.

Look for opportunities all through your day to work in physical activity. Power-walk, run, or ride your bike instead of driving. Begin a daily tai chi practice. Join a gym and actually go! Practice safely and watch your health results pile up.

Laugh it up!
We know from research that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help protect the body from illness and cancer. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins, compounds that give you a sense of well-being, in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives.

Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
Water is essential for all healthy body functions. Centenarians from around the globe cite their native water as the source of their health and longevity - and the scientists agree with them. What they all have in common is pure water sources located far from any city, free from chemicals and toxins.

Choose filtered water; the best filtration processes are the ones that use activated charcoal, which removes the impurities but leaves the water-soluble minerals. Also, do not store water in plastic containers because the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can leach into the water.
Unwind with meditation.
Stress is the root cause of most of the diseases that shorten our life span. In our modern society stress will continue to increase - unless you find techniques to manage it. Meditation is the best way to release tension and revitalize your being. It teaches you to breath properly, which is critical for eliminating up to 70% of your body's toxins and wastes. It also quiets your mind, lowers your stress hormones, and teaches self-discipline, which is a necessary attribute to achieving your health and longevity goals.

 

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/8307/top-5-habits-to-increase-longevity/

Calories Or Body Fat - Do Ya Know Them?

Calorie has been the buzz word in weight loss and muscle building niche for a long time. You find people looking upto the calorie count on every food carton that they plan to buy. But if you randomly catch hold of such a person and ask him to explain a calorie, most of them have very vague answer or clue. They find it hard to answer some very simple questions like what calories are, how are they stored in your body, on average how many calories are burned per day, how should you reach or maintain an optimal calorie intake and consumption. Here is a technical definition of calorie that can be used by everybody - "The technical definition of a food calorie (kilocalorie) is the amount of heat required to raise 1 kilogram (1 liter) of water 1 degree Centigrade. A calorie is simply a measure of heat energy. When food is burned, it releases a certain amount of heat (energy), depending on the type of food. The more calories that are in a food, the more energy will be released when it is burned." This definition comes from the Sean Nalewanyj bodybuilding course known as 'truth about building muscle' or the muscle gain truth The word calorie is commonly used to describe the amount of energy in the food. It is also used to represent the amount of energy that is stored in the body as adipose tissue (body fat) and stored carbohydrates in form of glycogen. This brings to an interesting way of looking at body fat also. Body fat should be considered as a reserve of energy that your body stores. By burning off body fat we mean releasing calories from that storage tank and using them like a fuel for various body activities. That should explain to you why most good weight loss programs say that not all fat is bad and that why certain basic amount of fat is so necessary for body functions. Also, this should bring out the body fat equation in a clear manner to you. If you are idle or not working your body is simply not consuming any fat hence the fat accumulates in your body. If you are active and spending energy the same fat burns away like a fuel used in those activities. Its a simple equation where the fat stored in body is equivalent to calorie intake by calorie spend subtracted. This should clear up the basic idea of calorie as well as body fat among you. If you are looking for some good muscle building program that is effective in burning fat too, then you can read more on this the musclehead

Ideas For Getting Better Abs

It's a common mistake in most people who want visible abs to do abdominal exercise only. Sure, you develop abdominal muscle but it's only hidden under a layer of fat. In fact, you may find your ab getting bigger as a result of the increased muscle mass.

If you want visible abs, your focus should be on reducing excess body fat.

Low body fat = ripped abs

Here are 4 ideas for losing belly fat effectively and permanently.

1. Interval training

Research has shown that interval training is more superior to slow, steady cardio for fat loss. Your metabolism remains elevated post workout, thus resulting in the after burn effect. Effectively, you continue to burn calories even after an interval workout but not after a long, steady cardio workout.

2. Nutrition

Proper nutrition is the key to fat loss. No matter how much or hard you train, you'll never get visible abs if you live on crisps, sodas, fast food, cookies and other crap. Don't fall for any of the low carb, low fat, high protein and other fad diets. Instead, eat a healthy and well balanced diet that includes various food groups - carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and to speed up fat loss.

3. Resistance training

Resistance training not only sculpts your body but is important for building muscles. Like interval training, it raises your post workout metabolism so your body continues to burn calories even when you are doing nothing.

4. Reduce stress

Stress has been associated with belly fat. In stressful situations, your body releases a stress hormone called cortisol. Excess cortisol production leads to build up of belly fat. A fat belly is more than ugly looking. Accumulated fat in the abdomen increases your risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

The good news is that you can attain a set of lean or six pack abs through a healthy diet plan and effective training program that promote fat loss.

Better Chest Growth Exercises - I

Chest development may be comparatively easy, but it still takes a concerted effort. Don't allow that effort to be in vain. Give this routine a try and you'll soon be on your way towards an armor plated chest.

There's an old expression: "Do you want it fast -- or do you want it good?" Luckily, when it comes to chest training, you can have both.

 

1) Dumbell flyes This is most definitely an isolation move, geared more as a warm up and to pre-exhaust the muscle group. It also works well as a nice stretch. While lying on a flat bench, hold two dumbells overhead, palms facing inward. Lower the weights out to the sides with slightly bent arms. Raise and repeat for 10-12 reps. There's no need to go heavy on this movement. Dumbell flyes are not mass builders. This is merely preparing the muscles for the oncoming onslaught. Do only 2 sets and move onto... When working any fast twitch muscle group for size and strength, it's best to use compound movements. These can be defined as basic exercises that allow for the use of heavy weights.

 

In order to put the most emphasis on the chest muscles when performing dips, keep your chin on your chest, round your back, lean forward slightly, and hold the feet forward under your face. Dip downwards as low as you can without discomfort and raise upwards into the straight arm position. Keep a steady tempo. This exercise really brings out the "sweep" of the lower pecs.

Although lifting heavy is the way to go, don't be tempted to take longer breaks in an attempt to simply lift heavier poundages. The goal is to build muscle, not to impress the guy (or most likely the girl) working out next to you. Besides, another advantage of working out quickly is that it induces the natural secretion of growth hormone. Any strain that continues beyond an hour's time will not release further growth hormone. Get in. Get to work. Get out.

Organic Food Is More Nutritious

Medical News Today - Oct 29, 2007
Early results of a 12 million pound, 4-year EU study on the benefits of organic food suggest that some of them, such as fruit, vegetables and milk, are more nutritious than non-organically produced food and may contain higher concentrations of cancer ...

The results were released to the press but there is no mention of a of a journal publication as yet. The research team said its findings will be published in full within the next 12 months.

The findings were announced by Professor Carlo Leifert of the Tesco Centre for Organic Agriculture based at Newcastle University, UK, who with his team are working on the EU funded project called the Quality Low Input Food (QLIF) project, the biggest ever to research the pros and cons of organic farming and food.

 

Source:

BBC News

Side effects of antibiotics on women

Here are possible side effects that women should be aware of before using these medications, courtesy of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics:

• Yeast infections.
• Diarrhea, upset stomach and vaginal infections.
• Decreased effectiveness of birth control pills.
• Certain antibiotics should not be taken by a woman who is pregnant or nursing, unless prescribed by a physician who is familiar with the woman's condition.
• Antibiotics can interact with many other medications.

Source:http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20071030/hl_hsn/healthtipwomenandantibiotics;_ylt=AoRqZEdiu9RCpCGfkVrP3E3VJRIF