Get That Muscle, Lose That Fat

If you want to gain muscle, you know you are in for a lot of training in terms of reps, weights, calories and giving your body time to recover. Not following a good diet can result in your energy depleting and you will not be able to train hard enough to push your muscles to grow. You tend to lose muscle when you are training due to a lack of energy. The more you can keep training, the more calories you can take in and your muscle loss will be minimal.

If you want to gain muscle without piling on the fat as well, here are some tips that can help you. Make sure that in your diet, there is starch, grains as well as fruit only if you really need to have them. This can be at a breakfast you are having post fasting the previous night, before your workout or one hour after your regimen is done. For carbs at any other time, eat only veggies.

Maintain a diary ensure that you document your training in it. This way you will be able to keep track of what you are doing in the gym and how much more you are able to push yourself. You should aim at doing a little more than the previous time. The competition is with yourself and you should always aim for a little more.

Stay true to your diet as well as your exercise regimen. Being inconsistent will only result in you piling on the fat and disrupting your blood sugar. This will not help with muscle growth. Make sure that you eat only natural foods and add on a protein supplement power. Protein bars can give you only energy but no nutrition and again this can contribute only to fat and not to muscle growth. Do not eat processed food of any kind.

Understand that there are healthy oils and there are those that are bad for you. Everybody body needs some amount of fat for a healthy body, just make sure that you know what works for you and what quantity should be the limit. To keep your body in good working condition, you need alkaline foods which will help you build body. The body needs proteins to build muscle but this makes you acidic. Eating a lot of greens will help make a huge difference. And finally, remember that muscle building is a gradual process. You will need to have patience and you will see the results.

Joshua "Coach" Kozak has been a fixture in the world of health and fitness for over 10 years. The most effective HASfit has some of the best biceps exercise and butt exercise

Building Muscle The Easier Way

Building muscle has a lot of benefits to offer and it commands lots of dedication and hard work. This process may also depend upon the genetic structure of the body. Some people may build their muscles fast while for some it might take time. Many men today try to imitate movie stars and other celebrities and have a fascination for six pack abs. But it does take a lot of effort to build that type of a body.

If you are a beginner dreaming to have a well built body it might be a little stressful for you. You can start to search the internet or visiting the local gym to get information about how you can go about the process. A proper workout routine combines with healthy and balanced diet can help you a lot. Do regular exercise, follow a diet plan and sleep well at night and you are sure to achieve success. Also drinking a lot of water should be included in your daily routine.

First you should think about what type of muscles you are planning to build, so that you can plan your exercises accordingly. If you like lean muscles, you can do exercises like swimming, jogging, cycling or running. If you wish to gain maximum muscle mass, weight lifting is the best choice as it the fastest way to build muscles. There are some more health exercises which can help you in building muscle over a period of time. Some compound exercises include pull ups, squats, military press, bench press, dead lift and rowing with bar. These exercises develop muscles very fast.

When you take up strenuous exercises, it may become exhausting and therefore proper rest and sleep is also required to regain the lost energy. You can take the services f a professional and take progressive weight lifting training. This can help you gain maximum muscle mass quickly. You can start with lifting lower weights and can increase it later when you body gets used to it. The key to building muscle is gaining strength.

You should not exercise for too long and strain yourself. Frequent and shorter sessions work better than infrequent and longer ones. Strength training is also an important part of your muscle building program. Including lots of carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and proteins in your diet is also a very important thing. Take small meals rather than eating too much at a time. It helps to enhance your metabolism.

Building muscle can help boost your self confidence as well give you a better personality.

Weight training and building muscle is becoming a popular trend with youngsters. It helps to improve their overall personality.

Quick Muscle Gain the Natural Way

When most of my childhood friends see me now, they always in some way comment on how to build muscle mass. I used to be quite skinny when I was younger. I am still slender but with significant muscle development. My answer to them is very simple, build from what you already have. What most people don't realize is no matter how physically big or small we are, we all have a perfectly formed muscular system underneath. The question is, have you adequately nurtured this perfect muscular system that is already there.

How do I build muscle? The first thing that goes through people's mind is how do I experience quick muscle gain. Well, there is no natural way to experience quick muscle gain. If you do take certain unnatural substances including creatine, you will experience what you think is quick muscle gain but what seems to be muscle really isn't. It's mostly inflated cells of water. This means that in order to continue to look big, you must be constantly hydrated. You will also not be as strong nor have the stamina like someone who builds their muscles the natural way. On top of that, the moment you stop working out, you're muscles tend to sag and droop. This is by far one of the worst ways to build muscle.

First we must understand how muscle grows and gets bigger. When we exercise or work our muscles to fail (when you safely can no longer lift the weight), we slightly tear the muscle. Well, it is a good thing our bodies has an immune system that naturally heals things for us. So when that muscle tears (another indicator of this is being sore), our bodies naturally repairs it. What happens is the new muscle that is formed grows on top of the old muscle therefore getting bigger. One big mistake is not allowing enough time for the muscle to completely heal before working it out again. This is by far one of the most important things to keep in mind. Healing time is paramount for growing new and healthy muscles. This way of building muscle is far superior to taking unnatural substances to experience quick muscle gain. However it does not take as long as you might think to build muscles that will last a life time and won't fail when you need them at an older age. You can also label this way the natural way to experience quick muscle gain.

There are many exercises that are available that build or strengthen different things in our body. First we need some clarity before we jump into the infinite number of exercises available. Take a look to see what you want to develop. Pay attention to where you don't have as much strength as you would like. When you have isolated these things, you are well on your way to getting your body to do what you want it to do. The next thing is to search for online or ask around if your friends or family know any good exercise techniques that will build and or strengthen the muscles you wish to concentrate on. The best method is one that obviously hits all parts evenly, because like any team when they all work together, you'll have an unstoppable force. Everywhere from having a strong core (any muscles or tendons that connect to your abdomen), to having a well defined chest, arms and abs.

Get to the Gym

One of the hardest things to do when trying to lose weight or gain muscle is getting in the gym. While this is not easy it is the most important. Yes, eating right is 70 to 80 percent of your transformation; you need both exercise and proper diet to be successful. Here are 5 ways to help you get motivated to get to the gym.

1 Listen to music.

Find what ever music that gets your blood flowing. It is scientifically proven that listening to music helps you when you are working out, it will also help you get ready for the gym. So whether you are in the car, on your bike, or walking to the gym listen to whatever lifts you up and gets you ready.

2 Eat right

Eating right helps in weight loss of course, but it also helps with energy levels. If you but junk in your body than you will be sluggish and in return there will be a smaller chance you will make it to your workout.

3 Supplements

Find a good pre-workout that gives a good muscle pump and boosts energy. Sometimes we forget what pre-workouts are supposed to do, and we take what ever is popular at the time. Spend to time to find a good pre-workout that first focuses on getting blood to the muscles and second helps with focus. You don't need something loaded with caffeine that makes you bounce off the walls and then crash half way through your workout. With this increased focus you will be ready for the gym.

4 Find a good gym

If do not find somewhere that you are comfortable going, you will not want to go. Spend the time looking at the places in your area that you like the people that work there, and will take the time to show you how to use the equipment properly. Also make sure that the gym you are going to join are focused on the goals that you are looking for. Meaning that if you're looking to do cardio, then do not join a gym that focuses on bodybuilding. Take your time it will make you happier in the long run.

5 Get a partner

Finding a workout partner can be a great motivation for the both of you. On the days you don't want to go they can push you, and in return you can do the same for them. When looking for a partner make sure they have the same goals as you, and that they are about the same level as you. Not only is this great motivation but it can challenge you to push harder.

So keep these things in mind and it will keep you going back time and time again. Remember that going to the gym is supposed to be great experience and that makes you feel better. So have fun and enjoy your new body.

The Muscle Building Techniques

Muscle building technique is very important to anyone wanting to gain muscle and there are some basic muscle building techniques that should be adopted very strictly by every bodybuilder.

These are discussed as follows:

Basic Techniques

Firstly do opposing muscle workouts, e.g. do biceps and triceps, chest and back etc. The reason for muscle building techniques such as these is that it can be phenomenal in gaining muscle mass. It helps to improve the intensity of the workout and push your muscles more to their limit.

Also you should perform those exercises which will be the most effective in getting the kind of body you want. For example, bench ironing out is a notable workout. It can build up the chest muscle tremendously. Likewise if you want to improve your leg muscle you have lots of options such as, squats, lunges, plies, and heel raises, etc.

Muscle building requires you to be self motivated and to push yourself as far as you can go. If don't use up the heavy weights you can in the gym, then you cannot expect to get a good muscular physique as easily.

Often it is a good idea to begin a workout with cardio exercise like, 30 minutes brisk walking, jogging, sprinting, swimming, yoga, and stretching, etc. The idea is that it helps to loosen up you muscles and get your heart rate up, helping to increase the intensity when you start lifting weights!

Finally a great help is to learn to concentrate and enjoy the burn when you push your muscles. If you can achieve this then you can push an extra one or two reps out meaning you take the intensity up a notch and really help to build up your muscle mass.

When it comes to your diet, you need to have something that gives you the adequate nutrition. Unfortunately you can't just eat what you want; it has to be specific to change growth. One of the best things you can do is to cut down on foods full of chemicals that really slow down the procedure of building up muscle. A good rule of thumb to operate by is to eat food with a short ingredients list. This will help you to stick with actual food that gives you the right nutrition and will help you to get actual results.

From here you need to take action with what you have learned, put it into practice and you will see the results for yourself. Good Luck.

Perfect Pushups For Women

Pushups are the best exercise for women to define their muscles. Why? adding pushups to your workout not only hardens your chest but it will give you great muscle definition in your shoulders, triceps, deltoids, as well as traps. You will get that sexy definition you've always wanted, looking better and feeling great. Trust me women, men love your arms, you need to get muscle definition to gain more attraction toward yourself.

Pushups are the best and safest way to build your upper body and back. You need to do pushups reason being you can do this every single day without injury. From handicap pushups to incline, the advancement in pushups is up to how in shape you are and can handle. Excess pushups won't give you bulky, ugly male muscle in-fact, you're going to look way better than you ever though you could by increasing the reps with your pushup routine.

You will shred off calories and even give yourself an extra boost. When you do pushups in the gym, men are attracted to the hardness of your workout routine and you will see more men starring in awe when you do pushups and you have a nice physique.

Beginner pushups are for anyone starting out, you simply make your arms squared to your shoulders and your feet together. Start by going down and pause for 1 second than you want to go back up and repeat 12 times.

Handicapped pushups are usually for out of shape, obese women and you simply use your knees instead of your feet, keep your hands squared to your shoulders and you go down, pause for 1 second, go back up and repeat.

Decline pushups are more advanced pushups, for women who are in decent shape and want a tougher course of a workout routine. You find a chair or bench chair, put your feet up together and you slowly go down, hold your position for 1 second and come back up repeating this 12 times in 5 sets.

Incline pushups are the opposite, you simply find a chair or bench chair and you put your hands on top of it and your feet on the ground. You go down slowly and back up, make sure you hold your down position for 1 second.

Advanced stability pushups is where you use a medicine ball, put your hands down on top of it as the ball will support your weight, keeping your feet on the ground. When you are 2 inches from the ground hold your position for 1 second and raise back up slowly repeating this 12 times.

You should pick which type you are most comfortable with, after you do this everyday and you start gaining resistance to the workout, you can increase your reps or difficulty. Your getting stronger if you can't feel pain after the workout, it's time for you to upgrade your pushup routine and go for a more advance workout.

Stick to pushups everyday you will start to see the desired results you've always wanted. Your going to look great and feel go when you are dedicated to doing pushups.

Learn How to Do Push Ups From Beginner to Advanced

"Why do I need to know how to do push ups? Can't I do something else instead?"

Yes, you could but the simple, uncomplicated, not so scientific answer is that push ups are one of the single most effective fitness movements you can perform. They strengthen you core... notice I didn't say abs. There is a difference. They strengthen your shoulders and your back. They build your chest... and yes ladies yours too. You want the girls standing proud... just saying. They even engage your legs, biceps and triceps. So they just about cover it all.

And so a better question to ask is why not learn how to do push ups?

"But I can't."... "I'm too weak."... "My back hurts"... "I can't get up off the floor."... The excuses are endless and I have surely heard them all. BUT... they are just that excuses.

Do you think a professional baseball player knew how to play ball from birth? No. It took practice. He had a goal in mind, maybe at first just a passion, but he focused, worked on it and learned how to succeed.

And since you are reading this article, I assume you have a goal too... a goal to lose weight, tone up, get in shape and live a healthier more vibrant life. Am I right? Learning how to do push ups is a great tool to use for those goals.

So, you can't do a push up today. No problem. Let's start practicing.

I'm going to show you the 3 basic levels of push ups in videos today... wall, knee (aka ladies) and military. There are a myriad of other forms but these are the ones that you need to begin with and master before getting creative and all wild on me... hehe...

But first, let's talk about some tips for learning how to do push ups.

Do Them

Seriously. Don't just say you can't and talk about wishing you could. Find a wall or a floor and do them. You'll never learn if you don't start by trying and trying again and again.

Understand Them

I shared with you some of the key "whys" already. So now you need to be mindful of the form and begin feeling the movement as you learn it. What does that mean? Pay attention to what is working as you practice. The more you do, the more you will engage and the better you will become and more quickly you will learn how to do push ups effectively.

For example, as you practice, think about what your arms are doing. Feel them working. Picture them working in your mind's eye. Focus your mental energy on that process. And do that muscle by muscle.

Start Slow

You don't have to learn how to do diamond push ups first. Start at the beginning and build from there! Master one form then progress to the next.

Challenge Yourself

Just because you learn how to do push ups on your knees doesn't mean you should stop there. Challenge yourself and take it to the next level!

Strive to be better today than yesterday.

Mix It Up

Even at beginner level, say wall push ups, you can mix it up with varied hand and foot placement. Narrow, wide, staggered. By doing so you will encourage strength and muscle development from several planes of motion and expedite your progress.

Use Your Whole Body

I mentioned before that push ups engage just about every muscle group of the body so use them all. Don't just focus on the arms pushing you off the wall or the floor. Engage your whole body as you learn how to do push ups.

Don't Give Up

It may be a slow process. Don't give up! Keep practicing. Be persistent consistent and dedicated to the journey. Rinse, lather, repeat!

Pat Yourself on the Back

Once you learn how to do push ups, whether wall or other form, celebrate. It is a great achievement and one that will do your body well. And then keep on going!

Look, I know that as a beginner, push ups can be intimidating. Been there, done that. But I also know that you can do it! So don't make excuses and call them reasons anymore. Start practicing. And to help you do that, here are three videos for you to use.

WALL PUSHUPS

KNEE PUSHUPS

MILITARY PUSHUPS

Okay... so you have the whys, you have the tools... now get started. Learn how to do push ups and do something awesome for your body. I promise you that this anytime, anywhere fitness movement is a friend not a foe. All you need to do is #justdoit! So, will you? Who will take up the challenge?

The Best Way To Use Creatine

Creatine is a great supplement. I have used this in many different ways. But the best way to use creatine that I have found for building muscle is outlined in this post.

There are several different types of creatine but I want to talk about "creatine Monohydrate".

Creatine monohydrate is normally the cheapest on the market and it has been very effective for me.

To Load Or Not To Load?

There are mixed views when it comes to supplementing with creatine monohydrate. The biggest argument is weather or not to do a "Loading phase" with this product. To clarify, a loading phase is taking the creatine in a higher dosage during the first week or 5-7 days of the cycle. Some people suggest that this has no benefit. I have heard of people having stomach upsets from doing this also.

As I am in to finding the best results for me, I have tried both methods and also other suggested methods. but the best results have come from using a loading phase.

My Greatest Results Came From This Plan:

Creatine Monohydrate Plan

Week 1

LOADING PHASE - 5g taken 5 times every day for 7 days

Week 2 through to and including week 6

MAINTENANCE PHASE - 5g taken 2 times every day for 7 days

Week 7

TAPERING PHASE - 5g taken 2 times 4 days of this week (Every other day)

Week 8

TAPERING PHASE - 5g taken 2 times 3 days of this week (I did Mon, Wed, Fri)

When I use Monohydrate now, this is always the plan I follow. It gives me great results. I feel good effects (Fuller and stronger) by about week 3.

You will notice that there is a "Tapering phase" on this plan. I use this because I have in the past had great results but stopped and very quickly lost my gains and the effect of the creatine. By putting this tapering phase in, I noticed that I did not lose the gains I had achieved. After the 8 weeks I will have 6 weeks off and then "Rinse and repeat".

Another argument is that you do not have to cycle creatine. I can see why you would want to use it the full year through but personally I think it is good to give your body a rest from this supplement. If not for health reasons, for the health of your wallet!

To Sum Creatine Monohydrate Up

Creatine Monohydrate is a supplement that I really rate. I have had some good results with this. It is one of the cheapest types of creatine on the market. It is a good idea when buying a creatine monohydrate product to get it from a reputable source. As you may know there are a massive amount of companies and brands that get away with selling low quality products at high prices. A good indicator when looking for a creatine monohydrate product is if you can see the word "Creapure" on the label. I wouldn't waste money on something that wasn't a creapure brand. I have used this product with good effect, it's a good choice, cheap but good quality

I will also point out that this plan is the best that I have found works for me. There has been a lot of trial and error but if you are thinking of using creatine, you could use it as a starting point.

I would be interested to hear what you think and even more interested to hear of the results that you get if you decide to try this plan.

As always, comments welcome

All the best

Can Pushups Build Muscle That Is Strong?

I get this type of question all the time and it's a very good one. Can pushups really build a lot of muscle and if so, is it strong muscle? What you will learn is that, like everything, the answer really depends on the person and the situation! I know, nothing is every easy!

First, it's important to understand what is meant by "strong". The human body really is incredible at adapting to its environment. You get a stomach bug and your body fights it and adapts to it. You become a stronger person and are immune to that stomach bug once you develop antibodies. Well, weight training is sort of similar. In weight training terms, I could define "strong" as the amount of weight you can lift once. This would be called absolute strength. I could also define strength as how many times you could perform a certain activity, such as a push up. This type of strength is called strength endurance.

Let me give you the best example of sheer absolute strength I can think of. Have you ever seen weight lifting in the Olympics. The are actually called the "Olympic lifts". What I am referring to is the clean and press, and the snatch. These lifts require a significant amount of weight be lifted from the floor and held over head in various fashions. If you look at the athletes in the light weight classes, they are very lean an muscular and sometimes don't even weigh 170 pounds yet they are moving more than twice their body weight! Contrast this with professional bodybuilders that achieve almost grotesque muscular physiques that are enormous. Does this mean they are much stronger than the Olympic lifters? Not necessarily since most bodybuilders focus on higher repetitions and not absolute strength. Of course, anabolic steroids complicates the discussion but that is way beyond the scope of this article.

Now that we have some context, I can start answering questions. Do you want to build strong chest and arm muscles with pushups? The type of strength that would allow you to push a car out of the ditch in the winter time? In order to accomplish this, you need to provide your body with progressively heavier loads. This is how the body is forced to adapt and increase strength and muscle size. Using only push ups would make it difficult to increase absolute strength beyond your ability to push your own body weight. There is a solution though!

One must increase the training load over time to force the muscular adaptations required to build absolute strength and muscle size. Using pushups, this can be accomplished through various training implements such as weights vests, bands and chains. Chains? Yes, that's right! Have someone drape heavy tractor chains across your back while you perform push ups. This is an advanced technique and certainly not required for most individuals.

My favorite progressive resistance technique for pushups is the use of bands. You can purchase giant rubber bands of various widths from weight training stores (my favorite is elitefts). These bands are "hooked" across your back and across each hand palm. These bands are able to provide tremendous resistance that will allow you to increase your absolute strength significantly. Yes, pushups can build muscle!

Get Muscle You Want

How to build muscle is a common question particularly if you are struggling to gain muscle due to your genetic make-up. Skinny people need the look beyond the traditional training methods as these methods do not necessarily work. Of course the best way to gain muscle is the natural way using regular routines, healthy diet, and natural supplement products. The best supplements for muscle growth are most definitely natural products.

The biggest thing to avoid are synthetic artificial substances such as steroids and growth hormones as the side effects far out way any short term gain. Do some research to check out the side effects.

With natural muscle building it's important that you get the right amount of nutrients and vitamins that will maximize your muscle growth. Protein is important for muscle growth and is available in meats, dairy products, tofu, beans and legumes.

Creatine is an amino acid that helps speed recovery and gives your body more energy while doing high intensity routines. Food sources that contain creatine are lean red meats and fish. Creatine is the secret used by many people wanting to build the muscle they want.

Being genetically challenged to gain muscle mass requires a different approach to muscle building. Skinny people generally struggle to gain weight so eating the right foods is very important. You may need to eat more protein and carbs than you have in the past. Stay away from junk food.

To gain muscle studies indicate that skinny people achieve better results by fewer reps, but done more frequently. Full body workouts 3 to 4 times a week is a good muscle building routine. Try out this strategy - bench, squat, clean - three times per week, for five sets of five. There are some good programs and training regimes available online for skinny guys and gals wanting to build muscle mass and start looking great.

To stimulate muscle growth you will need to be lifting heavier weights. Doing more than twelve reps on most exercises will be a waste of your time. Skinny people are better off doing around ten or less.

For skinny people doing lots of reps is the wrong way to go as this does not help you to build muscle mass.

As well as performing your regular training sessions and eating a healthy diet to feed your muscles, you must provide time for your body to recover which includes getting adequate sleep. While you are sleeping your body develops muscle so be sure to get plenty of rest to give your body enough time to recuperate.

Choosing who you train with and where you train can make a big difference in the results you achieve. Your training partners and your training environment can also make a difference. You need someone who will motivate and encourage you.

If you have the desire to build muscle be assured that muscle building for skinny people is possible.

Get the muscle you want by having a healthy diet, appropriate supplements, and the muscle building training that will get you results.

Advisable Types Of Exercises For Abs

There are many different types of exercises for abs out there. Many people want to have lean, toned abs. While it isn't easy, it can be achieved. In this article we will discusses the types of exercises you can do and how to get results faster.

Things to Consider for Exercises for Abs

First of all, you should make sure you are eating the proper foods. This is something that goes hand in hand with achieving the abs you want. Make sure you are eating a diet that is high in fiber and low in carbohydrates. You should eat lots of veggies and fruit and avoid processed foods altogether. It is also important that you are drinking only water while trying to get the abs you want. Eat healthy and drink good amount of water to get your abs faster.

Next, it is important to try out different types of exercises for abs to find out which one is best for you. If you are looking to lose weight all over and get abs at the same time, make sure to combine a cardio workout with muscle strengthening exercises. You should do at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise 5 times a week for the fastest results. Zumba is another type of exercise that combines cardio and ab moves. This type of exercise has quickly grown in popularity because of the effective results it delivers. If you are only looking to achieve abs and don't have much weight to lose, consider doing cardio exercises 20 minutes a day 3 times a week and strength training on those days as well.

If high paced workouts aren't for you, you may want to consider a low key workout, such as yoga or Pilates. There are many Pilates workouts available that target effective exercises for abs. While these workouts are low energy, they work. Yoga and Pilates can both help slim your body down and tone your muscles.

Make sure you remain consistent when you do exercises for abs. This is one of the key parts of getting the ideal abs you want. If you remain consistent and exercise regularly, you will have the abs you want. You should make sure you are consistently eating healthy and exercising for the best results.

While there are many different types of exercises for abs you can do, they won't all fit your needs. Narrow down the types of exercise you think is best for you and stick with it.

Do You Need To Lift Heavy Weights To Build Muscle?

Anyone who wants to increase their lean body mass may have asked "Do I need to lift heavy weights to build muscle mass?" Most people have heard that building muscle mass requires lifting heavier weights. Bodybuilders struggle to lift increasingly heavier weights until they are exhausted. Weight lifting and bodybuilding in general are not for the faint of heart.

Most trainers and fitness experts tell their students that lifting heavy weights with low repetitions is necessary for building muscle mass. Recent studies, however, have shown this advice is questionable at best. McMaster's University researchers discovered it is possible to build muscle by lifting much lighter weights. Specifically, this means lifting weights at least 30% lighter than you are able to lift. When you use a lighter weight, you will need to lift it for a longer time. The key is to completely fatigue the muscles until you cannot lift one more time. According to the study, that will help you toward your goal of achieving muscle mass.

People who fear injury from heavy weight lifting will find this good news because they will be able to build body mass without injury. People who have physical problems will also find this a helpful alternative since lifting heavy weights may be risky for them. Further studies are needed to confirm the initial findings, but at present it appears that fatiguing the muscles is key to building muscle mass. It is not really dependent on the size or heaviness of the weights you lift.

The ideal in building muscle mass is to challenge the muscles in various ways so they do not stop growing or learn to adapt to the minimum exercise required of them. Even those who regularly lift heavy weights sometimes do workouts with lighter weights and high repetitions in order to fatigue the muscles. If 30% of what they are able to lift is too light, they may decide to do 50% and continue until the muscles are fatigued. That is one way to avoid hitting a plateau in muscle building. Bodybuilders can devise a plan to alternate between two weeks of lifting heavy weights and then a week of using lighter weights to shock the muscles into stimulating growth.

Next time you ask yourself "Do I need to lift heavy weights to build muscle?" remember you can alternate heavy lifting with lighter weights and high repetitions to maximize building muscle mass and reaching your goal.