Finally, just a week ago, I launched a 2.5 hour long video showing all of the MuscleNOW workout methods in great detail, providing not only instruction but also motivation and inspiration. The MuscleNOW video covers proper form for all required exercises, demos three full MuscleNOW workouts from Plan A, shows how to perform advanced MuscleNOW methods that bring muscle growth to another level, and provides tips and tricks to maximize each of your MuscleNOW training sessions. You will see how to train the MuscleNOW way, and by implementing the workout methods shown in the MuscleNOW video, you will build more muscle mass than you ever thought possible.

Please click here to learn more about the MuscleNOW video, and contact me if you have any questions, as I am always here to help!

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There’s nothing more frustrating than entering a gym and finding that the machine or station you need to begin your workout with is occupied (which is one reason why I perform my workouts at home, and always have). Having to wait an undisclosed period of time for equipment to free up prompts many to simply reorganize a workout to capitalize on whatever machine happens to be available, and the downside of such an approach can be significant. For example, if the scheduled body parts to train are chest and shoulders, when the bench press happens to be occupied but the shoulder press machine is free, it’s very tempting to simply switch the order of exercises, performing shoulder press first, followed by bench press later, when the station becomes available. But by doing so, the shoulder muscles, which play an assisting role in bench press, fatigue, which causes them to fail prematurely during the later bench press exercise, robbing the chest from adequate overload.

There are numerous similar examples of how performing one exercise before another can adversely impact muscle growth, so it’s very important to structure a natural bodybuilding program in a way that does not fatigue assisting muscle groups before they play their pivotal role in training a major body part (such as targeting shoulders before chest, biceps before back, etc), and when in a public gym setting where a machine is occupied, see if a similar exercise is available that serves as a suitable replacement, or ask to share the machine you were planning to use so that each muscle group is fatigued in the correct way for optimum results.

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But in reality, morning, afternoon and evening workouts are objectively identical in their muscle building potency, so why, you may ask, did I mention workout timing as being such an important concept in achieving maximum muscle growth? Because bodybuilding is a hobby that is fueled by intensity with weights, and a sub-par workout leads to disappointing results. Therefore, selecting a weight training time that is consistent with the most energetic and least distracting part of the day is ideal, so that the mind and body can devote 100% effort to moving the most weight, and in turn producing the greatest muscle gains.

But what if the most energetic time of the day happens to be occupied by a job, school or some other requirement that prohibits scheduling a weight training session? If it’s impossible to rearrange daily activities so that weight training occurs in a perfect time slot, then schedule a workout at the most energetic non-conflicting time, but always remember that muscle mass gains will be best with maximum workout effort.

It’s important to try and avoid workout times that force rushing through a weight training session, if at all possible, as this type of pressure generally leads to eventual skipped workouts, and inconsistency is the foundation for poor progress (a fact that any natural bodybuilder will attest to). In the case of a very hectic schedule, workout time may need to occur at a less than ideal part of the day, but if this is the only choice, it’s far better to plan a weight training session whenever free time allows as opposed to avoiding bodybuilding completely and achieving nothing, as it’s still possible to produce impressive results when training at a time when energy may not be at its highest point of the day.

The MuscleNOW natural bodybuilding program provides numerous weight training plans that fit even the most demanding of schedules, and I, the author, am available to all MuscleNOW clients as their Lifetime Email Personal Trainer, where I can tailor the workout to provide the ideal workout for whatever schedule limitations may be present.

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Firstly, workout frequency is often less than adequate for maximum muscle growth. Because so many programs stress how important avoiding overtraining is to the natural bodybuilder, they promote once per week muscle group training, which is insufficient to induce maximum progress. While it’s true that frequent direct stress upon each body part can cause overtraining, this is only an issue if sets and reps are not properly cycled, and when they are, targeting each area every 3-5 days provides for the best possible improvement in muscle mass.

Secondly, often natural bodybuilding programs recommend a large amount of different exercises, selecting some that are not designed to promote maximum muscle growth in lieu of those that provide greater overload to the body, just for the sake of adding variety. A large number of exercises is not necessary, as there are specific weight training exercises that stress muscles better than others, and these are what a muscle mass routine should be based upon.

Thirdly, reps and sets are often either not cycled, or structured in a way that leads to overtraining or undertraining (both are extremely detrimental to muscle building). Personal trainers are notorious for focusing on the dangers of overtraining, but more often than not, bodybuilders are actually entering the opposite undertrained state due to poorly designed set, rep and workout frequency cycles.

Lastly, half of the success equation for muscle building, which is an effective diet plan, is either overlooked or based on flawed principles. Natural bodybuilding diet plans often contain too little carbohydrates, incorrect meal division and calorie selection, etc. There are just as many variables in diet as weight training, and those who achieve disappointing muscle growth must ensure that both their eating and weight training routine is consistent with what maximizes muscle building. A perfect diet without the correct weight lifting plan is worthless, and the opposite is also true.

Those who seek to achieve the best possible muscle growth without using supplements or steroids should consider the MuscleNOW natural bodybuilding program, which teaches all of the correct diet and weight training workout methods to follow for consistent results.

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Firstly, I detest waiting for or sharing machines, as when I lift weights, my mind is focused on one objective, which is to generate the greatest possible intensity for each of my weight lifting sets. Someone asking to share a machine with me, or needing to wait in line for weight lifting equipment to become available would be a great distraction for me, reducing my ability to put forth maximum workout effort. This alone was an important enough reason for me to purchase equipment for my home, so that I can dictate my own pace each set and devote maximum mental focus to my workouts.

Secondly, when I’m focused on building muscle, there is no time for conversation, and gyms are notorious for generating idle chatter that either unnecessarily prolongs a weight training session, or actually pulls a bodybuilder’s mind away from his workouts to the point that he is no longer able to produce the necessary intensity to build muscle mass naturally. By training in my basement, I have been able to avoid conversation and focus my mind and body on challenging muscles to reach their maximum growth potential. When it’s time to train, nothing else should prove to be a distraction if maximum muscle growth is the goal.

Lastly, when totalling the cost of an average gym membership, in several years, purchasing weight training equipment for the home will pay for itself, and then begin saving significant funds compared to carrying a monthly gym fee. In fact, I can recommend weight training equipment that has a lifetime in-home guarantee where any issues will be addressed by the manufacturer, and is of a quality comparable to what you will find at most gyms. This allows you to save large amounts of money long term if you plan on continuing to pursue bodybuilding, which in and of itself makes purchasing weight training equipment for the home a wise decision.

Of course, there are those who do not have the space for exercise equipment, travel often, or who actually prefer performing their weight lifting workouts in a public environment, and for such individuals, the gym becomes a viable option.

If anybody is interested in constructing a customized home gym setup that takes into consideration your space limitations and budget, please contact me, and I will be glad to help!

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Most assume that sloth is the natural enemy that prevents most from pursuing a pattern of weight lifting consistency, and never analyze whether the gym environment itself may be offering an insurmountable obstacle towards building muscle mass for many, eventually causing most to quit and never achieve their muscle building goals.

But why? How could the gym actually reduce motivation to train, when in fact the environment should be more conducive towards building muscle mass than any other (it certainly is filled with plenty of exercise equipment!)? The answer will be found within the first few weight training workouts, and clearly becomes one of the main reasons why most lose their fondness for gym attendance before they produce any noticeable muscle mass improvements.

Imagine you are prepared for an intense workout, and you encounter one or more friends who decide to lift weights at the same time as you. What will likely happen next? Will the group experience the best weight training workout of the year, or will the next hour focus upon discussing plans for the weekend? Let’s say you visit the gym and happen not to find any acquaintances, but as you scan the territory, immediately sense that every machine you are planning to use is occupied, with a 10+ minute wait for each. Do you think this will contribute towards a productive muscle building workout session, or encourage a trip to the local fast food drive thru to try and munch the mounting frustration away?

Oh, and let’s not forget the many additional convenient excuses to skip the gym for a day, such as weather (two feet of snow might make navigating the highway difficult), car breakdown (a flat tire always interferes with melting a spare tire), and traffic (wouldn’t want to be late for dinner!). Some may say that these inconveniences are occasional, and cannot occur on a regular basis, but once momentum is ruined, and a weight training workout is missed, the mind becomes far more accepting of another skipped session, and this attitude will eventually lead to a new habit, one which is much more enjoyable – couch warming, without the distraction of a daily gym visit. If you wish to gain muscle mass, avoiding such a scenario is of paramount importance.

So, what is the alternative? I not only perform my weight training at home, but gained over 60 lbs of muscle mass in the process, proving that physical transformation does not require waiting in line for machines or paying expensive gym dues. In fact, I gained all of my muscle mass at home, in my basement, with basic weight training equipment, and I was able to produce far more consistency with my weight training workout regimen than most who must contend with the inconvenient gym environment, specifically because being at home allowed me to control my surroundings, instead of allowing roadblocks to interfere with my scheduled gym visits.

This is not to say that gaining muscle mass is impossible through public gym training, as many with such memberships produce excellent muscle gains, but for those who have the option to purchase some basic weight lifting equipment and exercise at home, I believe doing so is far more convenient, offers no distractions, and is significantly less expensive over a several year period than joining a local gym. Gaining muscle mass relies in great part upon mental focus, a factor which suffers greatly when subjected to an unpredictable set of circumstances, and this is why I have always opted for performing weight training workouts at home, and by doing so, have gained more muscle mass than most believe is possible naturally.

You may currently frown upon weight training at home, but may no longer feel this way if you experience the numerous frustrations inherent in trying to consistently attend a gym, so do yourself a favor; if you join a local fitness facility, make sure not to sign a long term deal until you have attended for at least three months and have proven to yourself that numerous potential distractions and obstacles will not interfere with remaining faithful to your weight training workout routine.

I built over 60 lbs of muscle mass by implementing an effective weight training workout plan at home, and have guided men and women around the world towards achieving natural muscle gains (as you will see by the hundreds of muscle building testimonials here at MuscleNOW.com). Now, I will show you how to gain muscle mass without bodybuilding supplements, regardless of whether you choose to exercise in a gym or at home.

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It’s very easy to become obsessive with weight training, to the point where skipping a workout quickly brings about fears of significant muscle mass reduction, and this can cause those who pursue bodybuilding to actually try and avoid vacations so that they can remain consistent with their weight training workout routines at all times. This, to the outsider, seems excessive, and there is no doubt that, mentally, living such a one-track bodybuilding lifestyle can bring about depression and alienation from family and friends.

Others aim for breaks from weight training workouts every several weeks, performing their weight lifting and aerobic sessions for 4-6 weeks, and then taking a 1-2 week sabbatical from building muscle mass before beginning another 4-6 week cycle. This technique can delay bodybuilding progress significantly, so I recommend, instead, planning breaks from weight training around special occasions (Christmas, summer vacations, birthdays, etc), and saving unexpected vacations for times when illness strikes (flu, injuries, etc), so that you can comfortably move away from building muscle mass for 1-2 weeks during times of the year when you have places to see and people to spend time with, or when you are sidelined with an unexpected illness or injury.

The amount of muscle mass lost during a vacation from weight training can be significant if the time away from such workouts is excessive, so a reasonable period of time to vacation from weight lifting is one week, and preferably, a vacation should never exceed two weeks, as the body begins to reduce muscle mass after a 1-2 week period (depending on individual genetics). If you are taking a trip that requires a longer time away from your normal weight training workout session, consider following an abbreviated schedule, where each body part is trained once per week with lower volume, at least to try and encourage maintenance of muscle mass during your trip. This technique can be used for a vacation of any duration, but is especially important if you are taking a trip that will exceed two weeks. Such an approach allows for very short weight lifting workouts that stimulate the muscle sufficiently to delay catabolism (muscle loss).

In regards to the frequency of breaks from weight training, this will depend on your individual schedule and lifestyle. Generally, if you wish to build maximum muscle mass, the less breaks of an extended duration that you take, the more progress you will achieve, yet a one week vacation several times per year is beneficial for the mind and body. Just make sure that such vacations occur at extended intervals, with at least two months (preferably three) of weight training consistency preceding a break.

Also, do not neglect the importance of proper diet during a vacation from weight training, as abandoning sufficient protein or carbohydrates during time spent away from your bodybuilding workouts can cause rapid muscle mass reduction, where otherwise, by observing an effective eating plan, very little negative change will occur. Most are not opposed to eating on vacation (that’s half the fun), but just make sure to consume sufficient protein during such periods, and aim for carbohydrates at maintenance levels in order to discourage unnecessary muscle mass loss or fat gain (although some fat increase is fine during vacations if you remain dedicated and consistent with your weight training workouts and diet throughout the remainder of the year, since you can quickly burn any accumulated fat when returning home from vacation).

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Yet, the problem for many bodybuilders is that their desire for low reps and high weight far too often causes them to sacrifice proper weight training form, which can lead to serious injury. If research were conducted on the subject, I would not be surprised to learn that the majority of those who experience injuries are modifying form for heavier weight, which causes muscles to function in awkward ways, leading to muscle strains, tears, and tendon issues. In fact, muscle mass is maximized only if consistent weight training can be maintained for an extended period, and many individuals find themselves taking unplanned vacations from their bodybuilding workouts due to chronic pain stemming specifically from improper exercise form.

The desire is usually strong to modify form in order to increase weight used for a particular exercise, especially when using low reps and heavy weight, and when a lifter does not immediately correct such behavior, he or she will gradually modify form to the point where the exercise not only becomes dangerous, but is then far less likely to build muscle mass.

What all bodybuilders who seek to maximize muscle mass must remember is that the term “heavy” is relative, and proper weight lifting form is far more important than the amount of weight used. Therefore, when you are contemplating adding weight to a bodybuilding exercise, make sure that you are doing so with proper execution in mind at ALL times, adding weight in very small increments to avoid encouraging incorrect, awkward exercise performance.

If you find yourself gradually modifying form in order to consistently add weight to an exercise, then you should immediately reduce the amount of weight used by 10-20 lbs, focusing on the mind/muscle connection during each set, only adding weight (in small increments) when you are once again confident that form is 100% correct. Many fear a lack of results if weight is not added for 2-3 exercise sessions, when it’s actually very common for muscle mass to continue improving while you stay with the same weight for several workouts. By using improper form to try and artificially enhance the amount of weight used in a workout, you will actually risk building less muscle mass in the long run, as the injury potential increases, and the risk of removing emphasis away from the intended muscle group is high.

Remember that the success of your bodybuilding pursuits will be based primarily on how consistent you are able to perform your weight training workout sessions, and using heavy weight with improper form will lead to injuries, thus impacting your overall muscle building progress in a negative way.

I designed the MuscleNOW bodybuilding program to provide you with the correct amount of low and high rep training so you can minimize injuries and maximize muscle mass. In addition, I offer pictures and vivid descriptions of each exercise so you can maintain perfect form. Please view the hundreds of muscle building testimonials that will show how truly effective my MuscleNOW bodybuilding program will be in building muscle mass naturally, without supplements or steroids.

The post Why Low Rep Bodybuilding Workouts Can Lead To Muscle Injuries appeared first on MuscleNOW.

I suffered from very high body fat levels in my attempt to gain weight, and unfortunately, many others follow similar flawed advice that leads to massive fat gains (easily found on various muscle building Internet sites and bodybuilding magazines). If you are looking to gain fat, simply eat large quantities of junk food, but if you’re goal is to improve appearance with muscle, such improvements require specific, detailed diet and weight training rules, none of which originate from “traditional” weight gain tidbits.

Remember, building muscle mass naturally is only possible with proper weight lifting and diet methods, and you risk high levels of body fat through the adoption of common weight gain advice (especially if you decide to use a weight gain powder!). I have personally gained over 60 lbs of muscle mass, and had to burn over 50 pounds of fat due to errors in my weight gain approach; learn from both my success and mistakes through the MuscleNOW bodybuilding program, where I will teach you how to gain weight naturally, without bodybuilding supplements or drugs. The hundreds of muscle building testimonials here at MuscleNOW.com are evidence that my MuscleNOW bodybuilding program is all that you need to gain weight (muscle mass) naturally, without supplements or steroids.

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After abandoning poor weight training form, initially, the amount of weight used for each exercise will decline, but once correct form is implemented for several weeks, the amount of weight will begin to increase, and the risk of injury will lessen significantly.

If you are suffering from disappointing muscle mass gains, do not consider bodybuilding supplements to be the answer, but rather analyze closely your chosen bodybuilding program, including the type of form you use in all weight training exercises, as these variables, when properly addressed, will greatly enhance the amount of muscle mass built. Just remember, there are many flawed weight training techniques that you will find on the Internet, and my MuscleNOW bodybuilding program has helped men and women around the world to gain muscle mass naturally, through proper weight training and diet alone.

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