Muscle Building
Author: Cathy Taylor
Andropause occurs as a result of plummeting levels of testosterone, the dominant male hormone. This hormonal function starts to decline gradually as men age. Just like menopause, when decreasing levels of estrogen (the most dominant female hormone) play havoc on the female body – it can apply to men as well. Because of this condition, symptoms such as the loss of libido, impotence, and depression may present themselves.
Let's shy away from Andropause for a second and focus on testosterone. What comes to your mind when you think of the word: testosterone? Body builders hugging their 10 lb jars of whey protein before a pose down? Mark McGwire and the bottle of andro found stored in his locker? Pumped-up, muscle-packed men strutting the boardwalk in Venice Beach?
Testosterone is much more than defining the idea of an alpha male. This hormone regulates numerous processes in the male body besides sex-related functions and muscle building. Blood sugar controlled to normal levels, the regulation of cholesterol, oxygen uptake, enhances the immune system, and helps to create healthy, strong bones. All of these are all attributed to the work of this one hormone.
Metabolic processes are also speeded up, like cell production and cell growth. In addition, Testosterone appears to help in mental concentration, improves mood and is reported to prevent depression and even Alzheimer's disease. Testosterone isn't simply an ingredient found in steroids that pack muscle mass. It is an integral part of the human body that helps shape, build, and maintain bodily processes.
Andropause is responsible for plummeting testosterone levels. Before learning more about testosterone, let's examine how Andropausal men's bodies work and result in this decline. Testosterone is developed in the brain. The pituitary glands in the brain produce a hormone called luteinizing hormone responsible for giving one special order to the testicles: produce testosterone!
Remember, the brain does not produce ¨T.¨ It regulates the glands which produce the hormones that send receptor messages directly to the testes. The combination of failing testes and the inability of the pituitary gland to send messages to the testes is the reason for testosterone decline.
If the pituitary gland is not secreting enough of the luteinizing hormone, the testes will not function. On average, 5 grams of testosterone are made daily. The secretion of this hormone is prominent during certain times of the day, most notably in the morning and sundown. Semen is also affected – less is produced as we age.
¨T¨ hormones work by connecting themselves to proteins in the blood. These proteins follow through the bloodstream and reach the vital areas of the body where the hormone works. A small amount of testosterone does not attach themselves to any protein – these are called free testosterone.
This free hormone is the most impactful hormone in your system. When Andropause comes to fruition, more testosterone attach themselves to proteins, leaving less of the free testosterone available. As you can see, proteins can have a reverse effect on us as well! It is a paradox – a hormone working too hard does more damage than good!
As men grow older, androgen levels start to decline. Remember guys, estrogen is to women as androgen is to men. Androgens are produced in the adrenal gland (located above the kidneys) and in the testicles. These hormones are responsible for producing sperm, promoting sex drive, aiding with erectile function, and helping determine the gender of an unborn child. If you are a bodybuilding enthusiast, please note that lack of androgen will affect your muscle build, causing decreased muscle mass and loss of strength.
No amount of whey protein, creatine, or glutamine can remedy this problem. Instead of building six-pack abs, you will have increased body fat in the areas you need it least. Squats (total body building exercise) and deadlifts (compound exercise that works the back) are nearly impossible to perform, as Andropause can cause osteoporosis (loss of bone tissue) and back pain. This should not deter you from having a daily exercise regimen, however.
Exercise has been scientifically proven to lessen the effects of testosterone loss and your routine should be altered to accommodate this as you age.
There are also alternatives such as testerone cream that can help you regain your sex drive and stamina. With the right nutrition, including diet and exercise, Andropause can be a comfortable passage.
About the Author
Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant with over 25 years experience. She specializes in internet marketing, strategy and plan development, as well as management of communications and public relations programs for small business sectors. She can be reached at Creative Communications: creative--com@cox.net or by visiting www.menopauseinfo.org or www.internet-marketing-small-business.com
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Are you having trouble building muscle?
Muscle Building
Author: dpm
Have you been going to the gym regularly for months and haven't been able to put on any serious poundage? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it's time to take a step back and make some plans. Building muscle is not rocket science. There are four key factors that will mean the difference between building muscle and staying skinny. You have to ask yourself these four questions.
Is my diet optimized for building muscle?
It's time to get out of the "3 meals per day" mentality. If you want to gain (or lose) weight you need to feed your body whole foods, six times per day. This means splitting your large meals up and eating about once every three hours. Not only is this good for your metabolism, but your body will use the foods instead of storing them as fat.
Your six meals per day should consist of mainly complex carbohydrates and protein. You should aim for at least thirty grams of protein per meal. High protein foods include lean meat, chicken, fish, egg whites, cheese and milk products. Complex carbohydrates are found in brown rice, brown bread and potatoes. Stay away from foods high in salt and sugar
Should I be using supplements, and when should I be taking them?
If you can afford supplements you should be using them. The basic three you should be considering are protein, carbs and creatine. Whey protein supplements are the fastest known way to deliver quality protein to your muscles. This makes shakes particularly effective after your workouts, when your body is craving protein for muscle re-growth.
There are three key times that supplements should be taken. First thing in the morning, after your workout and before bed. If your diet is up to scratch you shouldn't need supplements at any other time. Don't use supplements to replace meals. Supplements are supplements, not meal replacements.
Am I training hard and not smart?
The biggest mistake the new lifters make is thinking that the more they workout the bigger they'll get. This couldn't be further from the truth! Two basic rules you must remember when it comes to weight training. First, quality is better than quantity. Second, compound exercises are the kings of building muscle.
Compound exercises require at least two joint movements. Big compound exercises are the squat, bench press, wide grip pull up and seated row. These movements recruit many more muscles fibers to use to move the weight. This means more muscle groups are worked, the exercise is more challenging and the potential for growth is much greater.
Generally you should be doing three compound exercises for one isolation exercise. For example your back/biceps workout might consist of wide grip pull ups, seated row, bent over row and standing bicep curl. You might think this is not enough work for your biceps? Wrong. Your biceps are worked heavily in all over these exercises; the bicep curl just finishes them off.
The length of any training session should not exceed one hour. And you only need to train one muscle group once per week. This means a split routine should only need to be three days per week. In fact, most professional bodybuilders only train four times per week. Remember, it's quality not quantity.
Do I get enough rest and recovery time?
When you workout you're not building your muscles, you're breaking them down. The reason why you looked "pumped up" when you're in the gym is because your muscle tissue is swollen and damaged. Your muscles actually grow when you are resting. So in simple terms, no rest equals no muscle growth.
So take it easy when you're not working out. Ease up on the cardio. And make sure you get plenty of sleep. Sleep is the body's number one time for building muscle. This is also why it's important to eat before bed, so your body has the fuel to repair muscle in your sleep.
Simple isn't it?
So you can see that despite what you read in magazines or on the web about building muscle, it's surprisingly simple. If you get the four aspects I have mentioned in this article right, you will build muscle. If you've got any questions, I'm available on the forum on my site. See links in my bio.
Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com
This article was written by Darren Macleod, writer for Muscle&Strength, the Muscle Building Megasite . Also check out the muscle building workouts section on Muscle&Strength.
...
Author: dpm
Have you been going to the gym regularly for months and haven't been able to put on any serious poundage? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it's time to take a step back and make some plans. Building muscle is not rocket science. There are four key factors that will mean the difference between building muscle and staying skinny. You have to ask yourself these four questions.
Is my diet optimized for building muscle?
It's time to get out of the "3 meals per day" mentality. If you want to gain (or lose) weight you need to feed your body whole foods, six times per day. This means splitting your large meals up and eating about once every three hours. Not only is this good for your metabolism, but your body will use the foods instead of storing them as fat.
Your six meals per day should consist of mainly complex carbohydrates and protein. You should aim for at least thirty grams of protein per meal. High protein foods include lean meat, chicken, fish, egg whites, cheese and milk products. Complex carbohydrates are found in brown rice, brown bread and potatoes. Stay away from foods high in salt and sugar
Should I be using supplements, and when should I be taking them?
If you can afford supplements you should be using them. The basic three you should be considering are protein, carbs and creatine. Whey protein supplements are the fastest known way to deliver quality protein to your muscles. This makes shakes particularly effective after your workouts, when your body is craving protein for muscle re-growth.
There are three key times that supplements should be taken. First thing in the morning, after your workout and before bed. If your diet is up to scratch you shouldn't need supplements at any other time. Don't use supplements to replace meals. Supplements are supplements, not meal replacements.
Am I training hard and not smart?
The biggest mistake the new lifters make is thinking that the more they workout the bigger they'll get. This couldn't be further from the truth! Two basic rules you must remember when it comes to weight training. First, quality is better than quantity. Second, compound exercises are the kings of building muscle.
Compound exercises require at least two joint movements. Big compound exercises are the squat, bench press, wide grip pull up and seated row. These movements recruit many more muscles fibers to use to move the weight. This means more muscle groups are worked, the exercise is more challenging and the potential for growth is much greater.
Generally you should be doing three compound exercises for one isolation exercise. For example your back/biceps workout might consist of wide grip pull ups, seated row, bent over row and standing bicep curl. You might think this is not enough work for your biceps? Wrong. Your biceps are worked heavily in all over these exercises; the bicep curl just finishes them off.
The length of any training session should not exceed one hour. And you only need to train one muscle group once per week. This means a split routine should only need to be three days per week. In fact, most professional bodybuilders only train four times per week. Remember, it's quality not quantity.
Do I get enough rest and recovery time?
When you workout you're not building your muscles, you're breaking them down. The reason why you looked "pumped up" when you're in the gym is because your muscle tissue is swollen and damaged. Your muscles actually grow when you are resting. So in simple terms, no rest equals no muscle growth.
So take it easy when you're not working out. Ease up on the cardio. And make sure you get plenty of sleep. Sleep is the body's number one time for building muscle. This is also why it's important to eat before bed, so your body has the fuel to repair muscle in your sleep.
Simple isn't it?
So you can see that despite what you read in magazines or on the web about building muscle, it's surprisingly simple. If you get the four aspects I have mentioned in this article right, you will build muscle. If you've got any questions, I'm available on the forum on my site. See links in my bio.
Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com
This article was written by Darren Macleod, writer for Muscle&Strength, the Muscle Building Megasite . Also check out the muscle building workouts section on Muscle&Strength.
...
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