7 Back Exercises That You Can Do At Home

Back muscles have a very important role in our lives as we use our back muscles to keep us upright and our spine in correct curvature. Poor posture can not only lead to injuries while lifting weights, it can also affect your mood and confidence.

Strong back muscles can help you improve your core and they are the base for progressing in any kind of workout routine. Whether you are trying to bulk up or exercising to lose weight, back exercises should definitely be part of your workout routine.

Here are seven back exercises that you can do at home.

Push-Ups

The regular push-up can activate your core and back muscles as much as your arms and legs. You need little space to do it, and there are many variations as you get stronger.

Make sure that your back is straight, and focus on keeping your body in a long line as you lower yourself as close to the floor as you can. If you struggle to perform a proper push-up on the floor, you can start by doing pushups on a workout bench.

The best thing about push-up exercises is that you can make them harder as you progress and get stronger.

Bent-Over Row

There are many rowing exercises that can help you strengthen your back and the bent-over row is a good starting point.

You can use a resistant band when you are learning how to perform the exercise well and then progress to using dumbbells and a bench as you gain strength and stability.

The easiest option to start with is by using a low-resistance band. Start by stepping in the middle of the band, now grab the two ends in either hand in an overhand grip. When you perform a row, imagine squeezing a coin at the shoulder blades as you pull back the bands to your chest.

As you get stronger, you can replace the low-resistance band with heavier weights.

Plank

While plank is a good core exercise, it also makes a good exercise for strengthening your back muscles.

You activate your muscles to hold yourself up in the planking position instead of relying on your arms and legs while performing the exercise.

This exercise is perfect if you have weaker lower back muscles, as it will engage those muscles when you try and keep your body in a straight line.

As with the push-up, there are many options to make the exercise more difficult as you progress and feel stronger.

Another great advantage of this exercise is that you can perform it literally everywhere where there’s enough room to hold a plank as it doesn’t require any equipment (think hotel room while travelling).

Bridge

The bridge is a great exercise for beginners.

Start off by lying flat on the floor. Lying on the ground with your arms at the side, bend your knees as you keep your feet flat on the floor.

Raise your hips off the floor as you squeeze your glutes and hold the position for a few seconds. Feel the buttocks and your hamstrings contract before relaxing slowly back into the starting position.

As you get stronger, you can try doing glute bridge march which is advance version of this exercise.

Superman

The name that speaks for itself, Superman is a good exercise for beginners who want a stronger back and core.

This exercise has little room for error, and you can see yourself improve quite quickly.

Start by lying face down on the floor and gradually raise both arms and legs together and hold the position while looking straight ahead.

Although you may not feel like Superman when you can only hold the pose for a short while in the beginning, the good news is that you soon will if you keep on exercising regularly.

Front Squat

This is a leg exercise that also helps you strengthen your back.

The front squat shifts your center of gravity forward to make your back muscles work while you keep yourself upright. You can use a dumbbell or a barbell, but the idea is to hold the weight in front as you push your hips back into a squat.

Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and if you are unsure, use a workout bench as a guide. Push yourself back into the starting position. This counts as a rep.

Yoga Poses

There are also quite a few yoga poses that can help you strengthen and stretch your back muscles.

Firstly, the Cat Cow pose can help you find your neutral spine position, which you can later use as a starting point for other weight-bearing exercises.

Both Downward Dog and Upward-Facing Dog help to engage the back muscles in different ways.

Child’s pose is an active back stretching exercise that also helps you relax after a long day.

Conclusion

A strong back means that you are less likely to suffer from back pain and injuries when you lift heavy weights. Strong back muscles are also essential for building a generally healthy body.

These seven exercises above require few space and little or no equipment which makes them perfect for someone who is exercising at home.

Protecting Your Joints And Fit Your Clothes

Social pressures can have a lot to do with why we workout. But that’s not good for you as putting your body under stress when you don’t want to is not healthy for your mind. Insecurities can build up that way and sooner or later you might end up physically paying for it in the gym. But what if you are motivated to work out of your own volition but you’re new to it? Following what everyone else is doing at the gym isn’t going to be in your best interest. In fact, there’s an old saying ‘leave your ego at the entrance’ when you enter into a place of exercise. Focus on what you need to achieve the best results. Notice what parts of your body are weaker than the others and adjust to them. This attitude in being specific about your workouts can be used elsewhere such as increasing your comfort level in your clothing choices. When you feel comfortable, you’re more likely to push harder.

Suffering in silence

Weight training is something that is box standard when it comes to working out for guys. We want to put on some muscle mass and the only way to do that is to lift heavy. However, our muscles may be ready and willing but our joints are not. That’s actually why our joints and bones are more likely to feel pain from our workouts than our muscles are during the workout itself. Even if you have good form, you need to give them a helping hand. For example, you should buy wrist wraps to help make sure your hands and forearm align all the time when you are lifting. This helps to keep the proper tension on the muscle you’re hitting on a particular day. The same goes for knee wraps. Leg day is the hardest day, which is why so many people miss it. Give yourself some specific help for your legs but supporting your knees a little more when you squat or leg press.

No more loose ends

Once upon a time, there was a culture in fitness that thought loose-fitting clothes were best. They allowed for more freedom for your body to move and they allowed you to sweat easier. That thinking has since been debunked and now instead, closer-fitting clothes that hug the body such as basketball shooting shirts are worn in sports and in the gym. It turns out that the closer your clothes fit and if they are made from flexible and breathable material, you get all the benefits of better movement and sweating without sacrificing the one for the other. The same goes for gym shirts, that are made from stretchy nylon and hug the physique to stop any loose clothing getting in the way of your reps.

If you’re going to workout, you should pay close attention to your joints because you might be lifting weight that your muscles can stand but your wrists and knees have trouble with. Wraps for both are a good, cheap and effective solution. Clothing should be fitting you snugly, and not flapping around when you workout.

Nitric Oxide Pre and Post Workout

Nitric oxide is one of the body's most potent vasodilators. This means that it helps the blood vessels to open more fully to improve blood flow in the body. Improved blood flow results in many health benefits especially relating to serious exercise and bodybuilding. Many bodybuilders use a nitric oxide supplement to achieve all of these benefits and boost their workout.

Nitric oxide supplements don't actually contain nitric oxide because it breaks down far too quickly to have any effect if taken as a supplement. Rather these supplements contain many of the ingredients and some booster reactants to help the blood vessels produce their own nitric oxide, which they do naturally.

Many bodybuilding experts swear by nitric oxide supplements, and there is a lot of research into the role of nitric oxide and exercise as well as a deficiency of it and disease. Check out https://www.consumeradvisors.org/ to see reviews on quality nitric oxide supplements, and to find out which might work best for you.

What's In A Nitric Oxide Supplement?

Obviously, ingredients vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but there are some key ingredients that any good nitric oxide supplement should contain. One of the ingredients should be L-arginine and another one should be L-citrulline. These two amino acids are part of the biochemical pathway that produces nitric oxide. This pathway is well studied by scientific research. In other words, there is quite a lot of clinical data to backup the idea of using these ingredients to achieve a higher nitric oxide concentration in the blood, which is not always the case for every pre-workout supplement. Beware of pre-workout supplements that do not contain L-arginine or L-citrulline even if they say they improve nitric oxide production.

Also be aware of supplements that contain low dosages of these amino acids. The best dosage is around 1680 mg of L-arginine and 480 mg of L-citrulline.

Some of the better manufacturers also include certain proven plant extracts in their supplement. For example beetroot, which contains nitrate also helps to boost nitric oxide production. Other plants which improve nitric oxide production include pine bark and Quercetin.

Benefits Of Taking Nitric Oxide

●     It improves your recovery:

By opening the blood vessels and improving blood flow, nitric oxide helps the blood to carry more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles especially after a workout. Muscles become fatigued due to the buildup of lactic acid and the presence of more oxygen helps to get rid of this lactic acid and reduce muscle fatigue.

●     It minimizes lactic acid build up during your workout:

Lactic acid builds up when the muscles do not have enough oxygen to meet their energy needs. If you have more nitric oxide before working out then more blood can flow to the muscles during a workout which provides the muscle cells with more oxygen so that they do not build up as much lactic acid.

●     It improves stamina:

Without the buildup of lactic acid muscles can work much harder for much longer which improves the effectiveness of your workout. With nitric oxide you can do more reps and work out for longer overall.

●     It helps you burn glucose

More blood flow to the muscles brings more glucose to them so they burn more of it. Glucose can sometimes be one of the major obstacles to bodybuilding because it is stored as fat if it is not used. The muscle cells using more glucose which helps the body to store less fat after the workout.

Side Effects Of Taking Nitric Oxide

There aren't any real major side effects from taking nitric oxide because the supplements are completely natural. The biggest side effect is an increased urge to urinate. This is because the breakdown of amino acids builds up more urea in the body which needs to be excreted. There is also some evidence that nitric oxide supplements can reduce levels of a neurotransmitter dopamine, which has a role in sleep cycles and motivation but this side effect has been discounted because exercise naturally increases levels of dopamine to balance everything out. There is also some evidence that nitric oxide supplements can reduce levels of zinc in the body but this can also be comforted by eating zinc rich foods or taking supplements if necessary. It is also recommended to watch your blood pressure and blood sugar when taking these supplements to make sure you're not taking too much.

Gaining Muscle Mass Naturally

MASS? Not That Hard!

By Paul Becker owner of http://www.TrulyHuge.com

Gaining mass and strength is not a hard concept, but most people make a mountain out of a mole-hill and as a result usually get discouraged. There are three key elements to putting on mass: 

1.      A good mass workout plan 

2.      Time for recovery and rest 

3.     Proper diet 

When these 3 key elements are used together the results will change your outlook on what is possible when your goal is to put on weight in a short amount of time. 

So step one, a good mass workout plan; consists of a strict outline and is centered on your personal weight gain goals. My personal mass workout plan is a good example of what an outline should look like and helped me go from 120 pounds to 170 pounds of muscle mass. Also resulting in a max bench press of 360 lbs. My Mass workout routine is as follows. 

Monday: Chest & Triceps

Tuesday: Back & Biceps

Wednesday: Legs & Shoulders

Thursday: Off

Friday: Chest & Triceps

Saturday: Back & Biceps

Sunday: Legs & Shoulders

Using this mass workout routine I was able to hit everybody part twice a week ensuring maximum growth. Now, in the routine it says one day off but getting to the point where you are not sore for days on end to take just one day off will take some time. It is important to listen to your body. If you are too sore to train then REST! Your body grows faster with more rest. Get at least 8 hours of sleep while your training hard to grow. Again your body grows faster when you rest! 

Another thing to keep in mind is the human body is a great machine and it adapts. What this means is mix it up! Your body will get used to the routine you are using and you will stop getting sore. You do not want this to happen, even after training hard for two years I still get sore. You want to get sore after every workout, this way you know you are breaking down the muscle which ensures that you are growing and gaining as you push toward your goals. 

Now for the most important part to this mass gaining game, I will say it again the MOST IMPORTANT PART is having a good solid mass gaining diet. Without the proper diet and supplements you are wasting your time. Unfortunately, I found this out the hard way. For six months I trained and trained day in and day out and maybe put on five pounds at most. SIX MONTHS PEOPLE! This was all because I was not taking in the right amount and types of food. It is an understatement to say that it was discouraging. I do not want this to happen to you so I am going to drive this point home. HAVE A GOOD SOLID MASS GAINING DIET! 

Now what does a good diet look like? A good mass gaining diet consists of six to seven meals a day with a calorie intake of at least 3500 to 4000 a day. Drink as much water as you can. When putting on mass water plays a key role in the growing process. Also, be sure to keep up with your supplement intake. I usually drink two to three shakes a day and coun them as meals. Each shake should be at least 1000 to 1200 calories.  I also add creatine which helps help with water retention and strength and take this along with your weight gain supplement or protein powder.

  

Follow these tips and your will reach your goals faster then you thought possible.

5 Exercise Routines to Help Ladies Firm their Butt

Looking for ways to get that booty you have been dreaming of? These 5 exercise routines specifically target the glutes to leave you with a firmer, rounder and fitter butt. Regardless of whether you are at the beginner, intermediate or even advanced level, these routines will help you get that toned tush.

Your glutes consist of three different muscles and the key to toned glutes is to hit these muscles with the right exercises. And even though a firm and shapely bum starts with good genes, you could easily build on that with the right exercise routines. So, with that said, below are the 5 exercises will get you that Brazilian bum!

1. Lunges

This is a top butt exercise. Given that you are in a lurched position, you have no option but to use the glutes to stabilize the body. And apart from working your butt, lunges also work on other muscles such as the calves, hamstrings and quads.

That’s not all! The best thing about this exercise is that there many varieties thus allowing you to mix up your lunges and target your glutes in different ways.

How to do it: Standing in an upright position, place one foot forward and the other one back (about three feet apart). Next, bend your knees and lunge straight down as you send the back knee towards the ground. Press into your heel to stand. Repeat this for one minute.

You could hold weights to make it more intense.

This is a great exercise for both the glutes and thighs but should be avoided if it worsens any knee problems.

2. Squats

Squats are among the best exercises known to target the gluteus maximus (the largest muscle in the lower body). They are in fact an essential for any lower body workout. They not only work the glutes, but the thighs, hips, calves, and core as well!

How to do it: Begin in an upright position with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat, maintaining the knees behind the toes. Press into your heels to stand. Repeat this for a minute.

When squatting, stick your butt out but ensure that your torso is upright. Also, weights can be included for added intensity. The weights should be held at your sides or at shoulder level.

3. Sidestep squats with resistance bands

Whereas the first two exercises mainly target the gluteus maximus, this particular exercise targets the smaller glute muscles; the gluteus minimus and medius. But since squats are involved, you will be working the gluteus maximus as well!

How to do it: Using a band with medium tension, stand on it while holding onto both its handles. Take a broad step out to your right into a squat, maintaining tension on the band. Bring your left foot in and continue moving and squatting to the right as far as possible. Do the same for the left side.

The best part about this exercise is that it can turn out to be an incredible whole body work out! How? Holding the resistance bands’ handles with your arms bent tones the biceps.

4. Step-ups

Another great exercise know to focus on the butt are step-ups. To get the most from this, choose a platform that’s high enough to get the knee at a 90-degree angle when bent. However, if that proves to be somewhat challenging, make use of the second stair of your staircase and hold onto the rail for extra balance if necessary.

How to do it: Place your right foot on the platform or step. While pressing into your heel, step up and touch your left toes. With your right foot still on the platform, return the left foot to the floor. Repeat this for a minute and then switch to the other foot.

You will really feel this if you take things slowly and concentrate on the working leg. Incorporating weights will also add some great intensity to the workout.

5. Single-legged deadlifts

Deadlifts are great for your butt, lower back and hamstrings. However, this single-legged version is killer on the glutes. The fact that the deadlifts are done on one leg adds intensity and your stabilizer muscles are also greatly involved to maintain your body balance.

How to do it: Holding weights, stretch the leg back lightly resting on your toe. Tip from your hips and gently lower the weights towards the ground. Your back should be flat and to protect it, ensure that your abs are contracted. Raise up by squeezing the glutes of the working leg. Do this for about a minute on both sides.

With deadlifts, the form is very crucial and they should not be done if one has back problems.

Cardio activities for a toned butt

Remember that the above-mentioned exercises are not the only strength moves for the bum! We often overlook cardio activities such as hiking and kickboxing that also engage the glutes.

Walking up an inclined terrain automatically involves your glutes. And if you are wearing a backpack, the better and more intense the workout. Kickboxing, on the other hand, is a great whole body work out! The controlled sidekicks, back kicks and front kicks work the thighs, hips and butt.

And not only do these cardio activities tone the butt, they help in burning calories too!

In conclusion

Getting that perfect butt might seem impossible but with these exercises, it’s only a matter of time before you get there! And the best part is that you can get them done in the comfort of your home if you are not a gym girl.

Or perhaps you lack the energy and stamina to get these intense exercises done. Do not fuss! That is where Slim Tree guide come in!

They give you that extra boost of energy you need to get going whether you are working out at home or at the gym. Your work out sessions will get enhanced in a manner you never thought possible.

7 Bodybuilding Sleep Tips for Better Rest and Recovery

Muscle recovery is just as important as exercise is to muscle growth since the two processes complement each other. Sleep is definitely the most important time for your body to recover, repair itself, and grow. Apart from inhibiting the production of growth hormone, lack of sleep also curbs your energy levels and weakens your immune system.

However, sleep is not only about completing all the recommended 8 hours but also having the highest quality sleep possible. Thankfully, there are ways that you can employ to reduce the amount it takes you to fall asleep, stay asleep for longer, and in turn maximize on your muscle growth process. To help you, here are the 7 bodybuilding sleep tips for better rest and recovery.

1. Maintain a consistent sleeping and waking up pattern

One of the best ways to have quality sleep is to maintain a consistent sleeping and waling pattern. When you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, you get to cue your body’s internal clock to except sleep at a certain period every day. This in turn helps reduce the time it takes for you to fall asleep as well as improving your overall quality of sleep.

2. Don’t exercise too close to bedtime

Although exercise tends to make you fall asleep faster, it can also leave you restless when done too close to bed time. This is because when you exercise too close to bedtime, you elevate your body temperature thus leaving your mind too wired to fall asleep. Therefore, you should always try as much as possible to end all your workouts 3 to 4 hours before you go to bed.

3. Limit your intake of caffeine and other stimulants

In order to fall sleep faster and stay asleep throughout the whole night, you need to limit your intake of caffeine and any other stimulant. Since caffeine acts by boosting your energy and alertness, consuming it late at night may leave you feeling jittery when you want to go to bed. Even if you happen if you manage to fall asleep without any problem, it may still act by decreasing the overall quality of your sleep.

4. Your mattresses matters

If you have tried sleeping on a bad mattress then you know how it is like to wake up feeling tired and worn out. In order to get quality sleep, you need to make sure that you have a good mattress and a comfortable bed. A good mattress should conform to the shape of your body, relieving pressure points, and distributing your body weight evenly. Murphy bed mattress is one of the few products that will give you a great night’s sleep and wake up feeling relaxed.

5. Turn off all electronics 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime

A study by Ohio State University found that an average of four weeks exposure to light from electronic devices like smart phones, tablets, laptops, and android television box makes the fur balls more lethargic and depressed than those that sleep in total darkness. This is because this light suppresses the body’s ability to release melatonin naturally, the hormone that helps your body maintain its circadian rhythm. This is why you should always turn off all your electronic devices at least 30 minutes before you go to bed.

6. Avoid going to bed either too hungry or too full.

Having a big meals right before going to bed usually makes it harder for you to fall asleep. The extra food will cause your body to boost its metabolism and temperature which will lead to an increased brain activity. On the other hand, a small to medium sized meal allows you to sleep more comfortably and saves you from a growling stomach.

7. Add some supplements in your sleep plan.

There are some few supplements that have been found to be very effective in improving quality of your sleep. These ranges from those supplements that help you regulate your sleep quality like Magnesium to those that that calms the mind and reduces anxiety like Lavender oil.

Having quality sleep is very important when it comes to maximizing your muscle growth. It helps you to recover faster from exercise, enables you to perform better, and improves your mental health. This is done through improving your body’s efficiency in utilizing fat for energy and reducing your levels of muscle-wasting. By following these 7 simple bodybuilding sleep tips, you will be able to improve your sleep quality and in turn achieve your fitness goals much faster.

Is CBD Oil Legal For Muscle and Body Building

Cannabidiol or CBD oil has been making waves in the field of alternative medicine for its various benefits, at least from testimonies of people who have tried the product. For those like you who are wondering just how efficient CBD oil is, articles like this can help give basic insight towards how cannabidiol works especially if you want to use it for body building. However, given CBD oil is a kind of alternative medicine, it’s important to understand the legalities involved in its usage. For fitness buffs and body building enthusiasts out there, this one is for you: Is CBD oil legal for muscle and body building?

According to Harvard University’s Health blog, perhaps the most interesting aspect of CBD is that it’s the component of marijuana that has extremely few (if not no) intoxicating properties. In fact, one of the most famous marijuana components, called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) also causes “high,” which makes it surprising for CBD oil users that CBD isn’t intoxicating at all. Moreover, patients also report CBD benefits such as relieving pain, spasticity, anxiety, and even insomnia. So what are its benefits in terms of body building, and is it even legal?

Is CBD Oil Legal?

While there are no specific laws on CBD oil usage towards muscle and body building, it’s important to understand that there are some states in the United States that have specific regulations on CBD. It might be helpful you try to find specific laws on CBD in your area as well, if you’re living outside the United States. Example of these laws include:

●       Alabama allows CBD to be used exclusively by the University of Alabama at Birmingham for patients with debilitating epileptic conditions. 

●       Georgia allows the usage of cannabis oil with no more than 5-percent of THC for Parkinson’s disease, mitochondrial disease, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Crohn’s disease, cancer, sickle cell anemia, and seizures.

●       Indiana and Missouri allows the usage of substances that has at least 5-percent CBD but no more than 0.3-percent THC for epilepsy that resists treatment. North Carolina allows CBD usage for intractable epilepsy, provided the oil has no more than 0.3-percent THC and can be more than 10-percent CBD.

●       Kentucky allows someone to administer, dispense, or transfer CBD provided it’s with a written order of a physician practicing at a associated clinic of a Kentucky public university with a school or college of medicine, or a physician practicing at a hospital.

●       Mississippi allows the usage of substances of more than 15-percent CBD but less than 0.5-percent THC, provided it’s tested and/or from the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Natural Products Research.

●       Texas allows CBD oil with at least 10-percent CBD to be used provided it doesn’t have more than 0.5-percent THC. Moreover, patients will have to get the approval of two certified specialists before being able to use this.

●       Utah allows the possession and use of CBD for those with intractable epilepsy provided a neurologist has signed a statement. The CBD extract in question should have no more than 0.3-percent THC, and at least 15-percent CBD. It should also not have other psychoactive substances.

Why Even Use CBD Oil For Body Building?

Before you buy CBD oil from services such as Trusted CBD Oil, you may want to know its various benefits for your body building efforts. If you want a quick recall as to how you can use CBD oil for your body building efforts, it’s important to understand that CBD oil users see various benefits that can be leveraged to improve your workout:

●       It can regulate blood sugar, which means the pancreas produce less fat-storing hormones. This lessens the fat being stored and allows the body to burn more of its fat cells during their workouts.

●       It can regular cortisol levels, which regulates a person’s anxiety levels. A cortisol imbalance can result in increase of weight, which CBD oil can help regulate.

●       It can help with inflammation, which is something that happens during workout. CBD oil can help someone get back to their workout without taking medicine that can damage their livers, which is something some anti-inflammatory blogs are known to do.

●       It can help with sleep, which - along with workout breaks - can greatly help when it comes to building muscle and losing weight.

The Takeaway: CBD Oil For Physical Activities

If you’re one for body building and fitness, you’re likely going to explore various methods of improving your health and diet in order to get the kind of dream bod you’ve been working towards. In this regard, trying different diet programs, workout regimens, and even dietary supplements may or may not work for your benefit. If you’ve been meaning to try CBD oil for your workout, the above would hopefully give you the kind of helpful insight you need for you to make the right decision. 

John Truman

John Truman has a penchant for health and fitness given his upbringing as an active child. As a writer by heart, he wishes to spread his love for healthy living to his readers, which he does by contributing to sites such as Trusted CBD Oil. He strives to ensure his readers get information in an informative and entertaining manner, and is often found jogging during his spare time.

Surprising Ways To Improve Your Muscle Gains

If you are hoping to gain muscle, and it doesn’t seem to be working as well as you would like, there can be number of things which are the problem. In general it is one of a few basic things which you might need to change, and you have probably already looked into those if you are reading this. Things like increasing your protein intake are obvious, but if you have considered those and taken those changes on board and still don’t see results, you might want to think about the following. Here are some of the more surprising things which you might want to consider to improve your muscle gains easily and quickly, and without fuss.

Become A Bodybuilder

You might well have been lifting weights and eating right, but the truth is that if you want to really gain muscle, then you need to think about becoming a bodybuilder in mind and spirit as well. The more that you inhabit the role of the bodybuilder in your life, the sooner you will see the kinds of changes that you are hoping for, so this is absolutely the way to make sure that you start making more and more gains in your muscle areas. It is as simple as ensuring you are wearing the right shoes and talking about bodybuilding in the right way and often. Check out space jam online to find the right shoes for yourself, so you can really start to get into the role that you need to get into - and make sure that you are thinking and acting like a bodybuilder as best as you can as well.

Visualize

It has been proven that if you visualize your muscles becoming bigger over time, then they actually do, so it is definitely a good idea to think about getting this right as well. The more you visualize, the sooner you will see the muscle gains you want, to start doing this at least once a day if you really want to make a difference. The truth is that this is actually one of the more surprising and most powerful ways of improving your muscle gains, and yet it is extremely easy to do right. Visualizing is simple and easy, but incredibly powerful, even if you feel silly doing it at first.

Watch The Muscle

Similarly to visualization, you will find that you tend to gain more muscle faster if you also watch the muscle as you work out. Watching the muscle and getting into the gaining mindset as you exercise has been shown to help you increase the amount of muscle gain you can see, so this is worth considering as well. You might be surprised how much of a difference this makes, and ye it is so easy to do that you might as well. Watch your muscles as it grows, and it will actually grow all the more for it.

Key Ways To Prepare Your Mind Mentally For Body-Building Competitions

If you ever want to join a body-building competition, chances are you would have a good idea of how one happens - especially since these competitions differ quite a lot from races, marathons, and even pageants. Like with any competition, however, you may not be exactly immune to being nervous about your performance. If you’re in need of a few key ways to prepare your mind mentally for body-building competitions, here’s a quick guide for you:

For a bit of a scientific perspective, a study in Preventive Medicine Reports had participants from the University of Pennsylvania go through an 11-week fitness program where they participated in weightlifting, Pilates, yoga, spinning, and running classes. When segregated into groups of working out alone and with groups, it's been found that participants under a competitive banner were 90-percent likelier to attend their classes, and having an active participant can boost activity because these participants are the "ones to beat." In short, it's all about manipulating the environment to your advantage. So what are key ways to prepare your mind mentally for body-building competitions, given this research in competitiveness?

●       Stick to the objective, and make sure your follow the rules.

    Not everyone joins competitions to win sometimes, others just love the experience, or they love making connections, or they just love body-building. Before joining a body-building competition, remember what your goal is and if you're willing to sacrifice time and effort to achieve that goal.

●       Get your research game on, and research on everything you need.

     If you're going to participate in a body-building competition, always remember that research is also an extremely powerful asset. The more you know about the competition, its rules, and especially your body, the likelier you'll be able to form a plan that fits your needs when it comes to the competition. This also helps put your mind at ease, as the more you get to know, the more grounded your mind becomes and you can finally focus towards actually meeting something tangible.

●       Practice and consistency is key.

    Body-building competitions not only require you to achieve certain goals in a set period of time, they may require other tests of patience and looks that you have to fulfill. Remember to make sure you adjust the parameters of your workout according to these goals. Is your diet appropriate for the kind of challenge you're expected to do? Make sure you're prepared to experience new things, and you're prepared to do them consistently.

●       Asking help can help you make that leap.

     If you’re unsure of anything about what you’re doing with the competition, don’t hesitate to ask around. When it comes to health, for instance, it’s best you first consult your physician before joining the competition. A dietician can also help determine the best diet for you to get the results you need. In the case of emotional and mental health, psychologists from groups such as Psychologist Southern Sydney can help you.

●       Don't mind the others, mind your form.

    Remember, when it comes to body-building competitions, your form is a huge (no pun intended) part of your success. Even if you have the best body out there, if your form isn't adequate, you might lose the trust of the judges and the appeal of the audience. As such, don't mind how others do their form, and instead focus on what you've trained to do and making sure you execute what you've practiced.

●       Smile genuinely, and genuinely have fun.

      A lot of performers may advise you to smile during a performance, as smiling can increase the energy levels of the area. In way, smiling can also increase your energy levels. Remember, however, don't smile because you need to, smile because you're having fun. While the maxim "You did your best" is cliche, if you do know you've worked hard before the competition, there's nothing to lose but recognition and bragging rights. Then again, if you do get to build a great body, your health and your vigor in the competition are rewards of their own. So enjoy, have fun, and make sure you know that even if you lose, you at least gave your competition the challenge they deserve.

●       It's the journey, not the destination.

     While this quote is yet another cliche, remember that body-building competitions are also deep inside tests of personal development. How far are you willing to go to ensure not only you get a nice body, but you get a body according to a particular challenge that you get to showcase in front of a crowd? The parameters and rules can get overwhelming that other people may not even get the courage to take the risk, and yet you did. Turn that into a source of motivation.

The Bottomline: Competition Can Be Motivation

Sometimes the idea of a competition can be overwhelming and discouraging because you may not want to lose. This is normal, especially if you know you have expectations set out for yourself. Key ways to prepare your mind mentally for body-building competitions are as such made sure to help you find the inspiration and the courage to be yourself and be confident with the body you've grown. This of course isn't easy, but like with body-building, the mind may just need a bit of practice to get the hang of believing in your capabilities.

Janice Killey

Janice has a wealth of experience and training. She holds a Diploma of Education, Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Master of Arts (Counselling), Diploma of Clinical Hypnotherapy (ASH) and is a Registered Psychologist at Psychologists Southern Sydney. She’s also a member of the Australian Psychological Society.