The Hulk

How would you like to be the Hulk for Halloween by putting on a pair of purple shorts and spray painting (with body paint) your body green? No fake muscles?

It might be a little late to get the Hulk look by this Halloween, but it is not too late for next year.  Plus you  would have the muscle look for your summer time activities at the lake and look great playing valley ball, soccer, etc.

How do you do  that?  Get started on your bodybuilding routines and keep at it.  When you have the look you want, maintain.  There are several articles on this site about body building such as 18 Ways To Arm Yourself,Rock Hard Abs: Converting that Keg into a Six Pack, and Do You Know How to Gain Muscle Fast?

Teens:  There are special ways for you to develop your muscles.  These pointers and helps are contained in the articles Top 10 Tips To Successful Teen Bodybuilding Part 1 and Top 10 Tips To Successful Teen Bodybuilding Part 2. These pointers will direct you to the correct techniques to build  your body to every girls dream guy.

Ladies – Women – Females:  Whatever label you like.  Read the article  Weight Lifting Rules for Skinny Guys and Gals to get started on the bikini look you want for summer and look sexy in that Halloween garb next year, whether you choose a witch or Cleopatra look.

The point is – don’t wait for New Years resolution time to get started.  Now is a perfect time to start.

If you want to know the answer to the question ‘which is the best’ you go to an expert.  You want to know which is the best exercise to build your abs.  Let’s see what Vincent Delmonte, professional bodybuilder and personal trainer has to say:

There you have it -- the exercise and a visual of how to do it correctly by a professional and a personal trainer.  Now all you have to do is spend a few minutes a day -- probably at the gym unless you have a total Home Gym.  What would you do to have abs like Vince?

Right now he has a 2 week trial offer going.  Soon he will have a special on his two best body building packages.  To learn more, go to Six Pack Abs or No Nonsense Muscle Building.

Also check the links below, the article index page, or the far right column for other articles about building abs.

Don’t forget to sign up for notices on specials, news, etc. at the top of the right column.

A NEW ARTICLE has been added to give you tips about Bench Pressing.  It is entitled ‘Bench Pressing for Beginners: 7 Steps For Success ‘ By Dane Fletcher Body Building Today.  Bench pressing can be dangerous if you don’t know the correct way to do it.  This article gives the beginner wise counsel on the ins and outs of bench pressing.

I could re-write what Dane says, but it is better if you read it in his own words.  Take a minute to read this article – it will be well worth your time.

We all like to ensure there is the minimum of fat in our bodies -- remembering that we need a certain percentage (based on height and weight) of fat to be healthy.  We want healthy ways to take the fat off.  After your weight workouts, your body is begging for nutrients.  Smoothies are one of the healthy choices.  Watch this video for Vince Delmonte’s smoothie snack.

These smoothies are to be used with weight workouts.  To see more about Vince’s workout programs for women, click here. Men, click here.

Also, check out the new article Protein Powder, The Skinny Guy’s Guide To Protein Powder.

Supplements or no supplements – that is a question. And it is one that I have an opinion on. Everyone likes the ‘get it quick’ theme. In this day of drive-through everything (you can even get married in a drive-through), we want our results instantly. I am the same way. If I pass up eating a donut, then I want the scales to show I lost a pound the next day. Or, if I get out the resistance bands, I want that muscle to show by morning.

The truth of the matter is, there are no miracle methods. Sure, that drink might make you expel your body waste and drop your weight quickly. But once the body waste is gone, your weight loss is done. And if you keep on, your body gradually adjusts to the drink, so the one going results are minimized. Even those who need to gain weight fast – say wrestlers – eating bananas and whatever only gives a temporary fix.

Now, the truth about supplements: There are some good supplements out there that do help to reach the goal, but must be combined with good diet and exercise. We don’t like to think of weight workouts as exercise but it is. It is just a different method of exercising our muscles and obtaining specific results. When a valid legal supplement is discovered, it is quickly replicated into different forms, different brands, fancy names, etc.Just think about it. The ads we read – in newspapers, in magazines, online – or watch on TV or online – or hear on TV or online (isn’t online great) – are all produced to one end. TO SELL A PRODUCT. Although regulated by the government, they do not have to prove the statements made about a supplement. They are not ‘drugs’ so they do not have to pass the tests and provide the documentation that drugs do. So, they can sell any placebo they want and make any claims they want to get your money. For weight loss and body building, we have a lot of emotions to appeal to which makes this a profitable market.

As I said before, there are some good supplements out there that will help – HELP, NOT DO. The sidebar site has links for supplements for those of you who want to use them as well as exercise equipment and workout plans. Supplements can help accelerate your process. REMEMBER THIS: You still have to maintain a healthy diet which includes all the elements our body requires AND have a good exercise regimen that targets your goal. Only self-control and hard work will get the job done.

I wish I had a good Maxine comic to put here.  I can only imagine what she would have to say about this!

Look like a model?  Is that possible?  Well, first – really what is a model supposed to look like?  To really look like a model, you have to have perfect skin, perfect features, etc, etc.  And who decides what perfect is?

So, lets pretend that looking like a model only has to do with your body shape – having curves, not angles, no bulges, etc.  How do I get there?  Weight training is part of the process.  That is great for guys – isn’t the perfect guy muscle bound?  What about the women?

Vincent Delmonte – you know, the skinny guy that ‘grew’ muscles and now looks FABULOUS – has something to say about that.  In one of his articles How to Look Like a Female Model he says “Now, curves are back so long as they are created with muscle mass and have a softer appearance.”  ”Hot celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba are now gracing the covers showing off their new curves.”  First things first. Pink Weights” “Weights have the power to completely transform your body. They will make you a smaller, yet curvier version of your body now.”

In my words, basically it is the actual work out routine that allows a woman to make progress faster with weight training rather than cardio workout, but at a rate that curves the body rather than going ‘muscle bound’.  This allows you to develop the curves to your satisfaction, then stay at that level rather than going on to the ‘iron man’ contest (or the Women’s Figure Competition).

Vincent has teamed up with Shannon Clark to set up a fitness program just for women called Bodyshaping Success Kit for Women.

Who are bodybuilding/weight workouts for? For everyone.

• To Gain Weight
• To Tone the Body
• To Build Muscle Mass
• To Bodybuild
• To Lose Weight
• To Build Endurance
• To Build Strength
• Men
• Women
• Teens

To achieve your goal, you need to know how to use weight workouts.

Everyone has different needs to get to the body they want. Different people have different paths to get there. There are two elements to shaping up our bodies. One is weight or diet, the other is muscle building/toning. We can use all the buzz words we want, but it still comes down to weight management and muscle toning.

No matter what you look like or how fit you are, you still need a healthy diet. Adopt a daily diet with the proper balance of protein, sugars, fiber, and starches. Set a daily calorie limit. Take supplements if needed to get the minerals and vitamins you body requires. Adjust the diet for any physical conditions we have, such as diabetes.

You need to find a workout program that focuses on all your muscle groups. Weight training is not for spot reducing – you cannot work on a specific ‘problem’ area with toning exercise. Don’t do each and every activity every day. Start out your plan at the physical level you are at. If you are just starting out, don’t try to do 50 push ups and run 3 miles. Start out slower and work up your endurance and strength.

When you start your weight, realize what happens as you tone. You break down the muscle, the muscles will build back up, and you gain strength. We want to create muscle mass because as the new muscle grows, it burns more energy while remaining strong and healthy. There will also be more muscle mass, thus it burns even more calories. What does this mean? Surprise! As you tone your muscles and adjust your weight, you can eat more as the muscles will use more calories. If part of your goal is to lose weight, this is a wonderful plus.

For the novice, weights can be purchased economically.  I have several sources listed in the right hand column. Many routines can be purchased online as e-books or DVD/videos. The workout plan can be cardiovascular aerobics, muscle toning exercises, or weight lifting – OR – and this is best – a combination of the three. Investing in a good body building program is more economical than picking up an ineffective one off the bargain rack. A good workout program created especially for women by a renown body builder is the best investment you can make. Usually they will also tell you which exercise equipment is best for you.

Information on all aspects of bodybuilding/gaining muscle/ managing weight can be found in the middle column.  Also, check the site map for the articles listed by categories.

To wrap it up – this combination will allow you to make you look like the person you want to be.

• Change your attitudes,
• Change your eating habits
• Get a good bodybuilding workout program.

This combination will allow you to make the ‘you’ you want to be.