You may experience two forms of overtraining in bodybuilding -- overreaching and overtraining. Overreaching results from an insufficient amount of recovery time and an accumulation of stressors, usually occurring after several consecutive days...
One pitfall in an individual's bodybuilding progress consists of the occurrence of over-training. Over-training refers to your body's response to constant and frequent exercise without allowing for recovery time, which places heavy amounts of...
Restlessness, unusually high heart rates, decreased performance and an increased occurrence of the common cold are symptoms of overtraining. Overtraining occurs when your body can't repair, remodel and grow cells because you exercise too much or...
When it comes to working out abdominal muscles, or "abs" as bodybuilders like to refer to them, we've all likely heard that it takes a lot of repetitions performed daily to achieve results. However, this kind of thinking can be more detrimental...
The largest muscles of the upper body are the latisimus dorsi, triangular muscles that go from the shoulders down to the small of the back. They serve to move the shoulders forward and back. Massage therapists make their living releasing tension...
Even seasoned bodybuilders get too enthusiastic for their own good. Crossing the line between shocking the muscle and injuring it is easy if you are not careful. When you are training the chest, watch for a twinge of pain during any lift. The...
To be an effective bodybuilder you must train hard and stick to a rigid diet to maximize your muscle growth. Success in the sport depends on discipline. However, the desire to excel can cause you to push your body too hard. If that happens, your...
Over-enthusiastic exercisers with a "more means better" mindset can fall prey to overtraining. Overtraining your muscles can cause a variety of negative effects to your body, including chronic muscle soreness, extreme fatigue, and decreases in...
Making gains in the gym means continually increasing the intensity of your workouts. Adding weight, reps or exercises to the previous workout are effective ways to force the body to adapt by gaining muscle and strength. However, there is a point...
The influence of exercise on your immune system depends on the intensity of your workout. Exercise can protect and enhance your immune system by improving antibody and natural killer responses. Low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise, such as...
The best men's vitamins for athletes are nutrients that support healthy tissue growth, repair and help your body produce energy efficiently. Your body produces and eliminates toxins known as free radicals during normal daily activity. Free radical...
Deadlifts are very effective ways to boost muscle in your upper and lower body. However, while they can help to strengthen muscles in your back, they are also likely to cause a lumbar strain, which is a lower back injury that causes damage to...
Those looking to build muscles often ignore fitness guidelines and overwork their muscles, leading to constant muscle aches and pains. Overworking your muscles actually prevents muscle growth, because your muscles do not have time to adjust to the...
Pushups are an exercise that can help you to build upper-body muscle mass using only your own body weight as resistance. It's convenient because you don't need any equipment. It is possible, however, to do too many pushups. It's generally best not...
Pushups are similar to weight training in that you build muscle through repeated lifting, though the pushup forces you to lift your own body's weight. If nothing else, this makes the pushup superior to weightlifting from a financial perspective...
Weight-training principles call for proper form, gradual increases in the amount of weight used and an appropriate period of downtime. You can see substantial gains in strength when you perform muscle-building exercises two to three times per...
Allowing yourself enough recovery between training sessions can sometimes be challenging for bodybuilders that are used to training daily. However, recuperation is the only way that your muscles will increase in size and strength. During the...
Building muscle takes time and effort and does not occur overnight, but there are certain techniques that help to effectively build muscle quickly. While building muscle begins in the weight room, it is essential to monitor what you are doing out...
The quadriceps, located in your thighs, are one of the largest and strongest muscles in the human body. You use your quadriceps for many activities and movements, including walking, running, jumping, riding a bike and swimming. The leg press is...
Bodybuilders rely on intensive training and strict diets to develop their muscles to maximum capacity. Professional bodybuilders enter competitions in which they are judged on muscle size, proportion and the appearance of their overall...
Weight-bearing exercises like running keep your bones strong, but too much of this good thing may not provide the same benefit to your muscles. When you overtrain by running too much you actually begin to decrease your muscle mass instead of...
An hour-long workout at vigorous intensity yields a minuscule amount of weight loss, but the accumulated calorie deficit you can establish with regular exercise makes your hard work worthwhile. The amount of weight you lose through exercise...
Although your body naturally develops some muscle, promoting higher levels of muscle and weight gain can be difficult. In addition to consuming the proper nutrients at the proper times, you need to perform resistance exercises and get adequate...
You don’t have to try too hard to find reasons to resistance train. From increasing muscle mass that can up your metabolism to achieving toned muscles, lifting dumbbell weights has many benefits. The only catch is that you must lift enough...
It's tempting to do as much exercise as possible to lose weight. However, working out three or more hours a day can cause your body to sense it is over-training, causing it to begin storing fat instead of burning it for energy. Additionally,...
Muscle mass is among the criteria that judges use to evaluate contestants at bodybuilding competitions. Bodybuilders increase their muscle mass with workouts that stimulate muscular growth. Bodybuilding workouts also stimulate growth to overcome...
If you spend any significant amount of time reading bodybuilding magazines and books, or perusing online forums dedicated to physique athletes, the importance of post-workout nutrition is apparent. If you want to get big, the common wisdom states...
The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your posterior; it's the strongest muscle in your body, meaning it has the ability to produce the most force. Your gluteus maximus contracts to power a variety of movements around your hip joint. Its...
On the surface, weightlifting appears easy enough --- however looks can deceive. Physical fitness participants lift weights for a variety of reasons --- most never achieve results equal to the effort they put into it. The body is complicated and...