If you are new to lifting or muscle building you are probably hear the term lean muscle a lot. If you are wonder what that means it is muscle built without gaining fat. There is a fine line when trying to gain a lot of muscle because you will most often gain some fat in the process. We will show you how to build lean muscle so you will gain only muscle and not fat.

Fat is such a dreaded thing. We as lifters think of fat as the devil. We want muscle growth without the fat. We have some tips for how to build lean muscle that if you follow will help you in your quest.

1. Whole Wheat and Lean Meat- Eating is incredibly important when it comes to lean muscle building. You want to eat enough calories to support growth, but not gain fat. The easiest way is to eat all natural foods like whole wheat breads and boneless skinless chicken breast. You body will process these best and leave you with less fat.

2. Cardio- Make sure you hit the cardiovascular exercises two days a week for 30 minutes so that you get rid of any extra stored calories

3. No Carbohydrates Past 7pm- This little trick keeps your body from storing fat while you sleep. Make sure that all food after 7pm is either lean meats or protein shakes.

4. Exercise- Of course you are already exercising, but we put this in here because some people think you can build muscle without lifting. Make sure you are hitting each body part one time per week and do not leave out the small muscles like forearms.

These are the best tips for how to build lean muscle that you can find. Just make sure you do them consistently. Consistency is the key to success in everything in life especially gaining muscle. If you keep using these tips you are going to be on the right track.

Copyright © Phillip M. Hixxen

It may sound surprising but it is possible to build your body naturally. You could be doing any type of work but you will actually develop some muscles while doing it. Natural bodybuilding has become a sport. In the process of natural development of the body there is no use of any artificial substances. You have to remain free of drugs for 5 years and prove it.

There are many substances that are banned from people to use who take part in natural weightlifting competitions. You must understand the different kinds of drugs and foods and the reason for them being banned. They can be found in various forms like:

* Different supplements
* Foods
* Anabolic agents
* Narcotics
* Stimulants
* Narcotic analgesics
* Diuretics
* Many peptide hormones

For taking part in natural weightlifting you have to be careful about a few things like:

* You can’t use any artificial means to increase muscle mass
* Staying totally drug-free for five years
* Taking blood, urine, other tests

Natural way of developing muscle mass is a great way to improve your health, fitness as well as life. For most competitions you must stay away from banned substances for more than a year, and you must be careful as they have strict rules if you test positive. You may be banned for competing for life. In fact you will see that it is more fun to develop your body without using any artificial means. These competitions are also good for people who don’t want to use banned substances.

People of all ages, women as well as children can take part in natural bodybuilding and weight lifting. You need to keep free from products that have been banned to take part in any natural competition.

Copyright © Mike Parkinson

Many who pursue muscle growth are in need of convenient and portable methods of calorie consumption, and liquid carbohydrate and protein sources are therefore a common option for weight lifters who are attempting to ingest a consistent stream of nutrients for muscle recuperation and growth. Most bodybuilders are aware of the fact that using smaller, more frequent meals aids in enhancing metabolism, which in turn accelerates muscle gain and fat loss results, but such a meal structure requires more time, and for most bodybuilders, liquid meals become the popular choice. Some, realizing that liquid meals digest quicker than solid food, aim to consume most of their daily meals in liquid form, and this idea is frequently adopted by those who endure very busy schedules.

Therefore, some weight lifters consume most of their calories from liquid sources and feel as if there is no downside towards either muscle growth or fat burning when doing so, and, with the time savings that liquid meals provide, many quickly adopt such a technique without trepidation. Yet, often the nutrients that are used in constructing liquid meals are either potentially harmful (additives and artificial sweeteners in most protein powders, as an example), or focus upon simple carbohydrate foods, which are perfectly acceptable as part of meals that occur before or after a weight training workout, but can cause blood sugar levels to either prevent body fat loss in those who are overweight, or encourage stored fat increase in weight lifters who are pursuing muscle gains.

This potentially negative impact on body fat levels can be eliminated by focusing on liquid sources during weight training meals (those that surround a weight lifting workout session), while attempting to consume mostly solid foods using complex carbohydrate sources at other times. Some may have busy schedules that do not allow for solid meals more than two times per day, and in such a scenario, using three liquid meals is acceptable when focusing upon egg based protein powders that are free from artificial sweetening or additives (to avoid negative health ramifications of such ingredients), and organizing the liquid meals properly, which, ideally, involves one of those liquid meals before your weight training workout session, and another following your weight lifting session, with the third occurring in the earlier hours of the day (as although using simple carbohydrates at times other than before or after a weight training workout session is not the perfect scenario, when the need arises, such a meal should preferably occur before the evening hours to reduce adverse impact upon body fat levels).

There are also quick to consume complex carbohydrate choices that can be used in lieu of simple sugars to create a very convenient meal for times when you will not be performing a weight training workout, but most who design liquid meals for themselves do not consider such options. But the best path for those who wish to avoid simple carbohydrates during non-workout meals is to transport an unsweetened egg based powder with water for protein, and focus upon fat instead of carbohydrates as an energy source, with healthy omega foods such as walnuts, hemp seeds and extra virgin olive oil, all of which are very dense in terms of their calorie content, providing a simple to consume and delicious alternative to any form of carbohydrates for any non-workout meal where portability and convenience is essential.

Lastly, using liquid meals to comprise a vast majority of daily calorie consumption can adversely impact digestive health, so to allow your organs to function at peak efficiency, make sure to schedule at least two solid feedings daily, which should not be impossible considering most have time to at least consume two of the main meals (breakfast, lunch or dinner) in a relaxed environment (at home, in a restaurant or cafeteria, or at least with ample time to complete a solid meal).

Unlike some believe, bodybuilding need not become an unreasonable chore, as there are many foods that allow bodybuilders to produce maximum muscle growth and fat loss while living a normal lifestyle, even when working a demanding job, but doing so requires properly timing simple carbohydrate meals to ensure body fat stabilization, while using healthy fats and specific complex carbohydrates as replacements for simple sources during meals where convenience is necessary so that progress remains consistent and dramatic.

Copyright © Francesco Castano.

There are thousands of articles, books, videos, and eBooks developed which are devoted to using bodyweight exercises as a way to improve overall health, athletic conditioning, and to burn fat. However, not enough is being written about bodyweight training for mass gain.

This is because not enough people understand how exactly to put on muscle mass with bodyweight training. Well, frankly speaking, you will not become the next Mr. Olympia by using bodyweight training alone. However, you can getfreakishly big and strong using very simple bodyweight training principles.

The muscle you place on your body with bodyweight exercises will be functional muscle, or muscle that actually enhance your health and daily function as opposed to countering against it. We’ve all seen bulky bodybuilders who look good on the outside, but there are a million things wrong with them on the inside.

Time Under Tension (TUT): The Forgotten Principle

Time Under Tension (TUT) refers to the amount of time that you place stress on your body with a particular movement. This training principle has been lost in popularity and abandoned for more exciting circuit type workouts which many individuals write about.

However, Circuit Training alone will not help you put on lean muscle mass throughout your body. You must use the principles of TUT if you ever want to succeed in your hypertrophy goals. It isgenerally accepted that you need to engage your muscles under stress for 30-70 seconds in order for substantial hypertrophy to occur.

Circuit Training is all about moving fast between a variety of exercises, and very rarely does an individual spend 30 seconds on a movement. Well, it’s time to give your circuit and interval workouts a rest and understand how to use TUT to increase muscle mass with bodyweight exercises.

TUT + Compound Exercises + Antagonistic Supersets = More Muscle

The first step in creating your TUT workouts is to stick to compound movements. With bodyweight training, this isn’t much of an issue, as 95% of all the movements are compound in nature. The second step is to organize your workouts into a superset fashion.

Supersets are where you perform two exercises back to back with little to no rest. The key, however, is to use antagonistic supersets. Antagonistic supersets refer to two movements that train opposing muscle groups. For example, you can perform a chest movement, followed by a back movement.

You can even alternate between an upper body and lower body movement. But make sure that you are not working the same muscle groups back to back in a row. One of the primary reasons why I love supersets is because you can condense even your mass building workouts which require greater rest for recovery.

For example, lets assume you are doing a set of pushups followed by a set of pullups. Here’s what a traditional mass building workout would look like:

Pushups, 3×10, 60 seconds rest between each set

Pullups, 3×5, 60 seconds rest between each set

If each set takes you 60 seconds to complete, then the entire workout will last approximately 12 minutes. Now, if we alternate between each exercise, we can rest for a shorter time, while still getting the same or even better results. For example, perform a set ofpushups, then rest 30 seconds.

Do a set of pullups. While you do the pullups, your chest muscles are still at rest. Rest after your pullups. Hence, your chest is getting 30 seconds of rest after the pushups. Then additional 60 seconds rest while you perform the pullups (since we said earlier that each set takes 60 seconds to perform).

Finally, your chest is getting an additional 30 seconds rest after the pullups. So, you’re getting a total of 120 seconds rest per muscle group, which means you’ll be stronger and be able to perform more difficult movements. This, of course, means you’ll pack on even more muscle mass.

Here is what a superset mass building workout would look like:

3 rounds of:

Pushups, 10 reps

Rest 30 seconds

Pullups, 5 reps

Rest 30 seconds

Go back to pushups.

The Final Piece to the Mass Puzzle: Tempo

Tempo refers to the speed at which you perform a movement. Since we’re trying to increase our TUT per movement, we will have to slow down the movements considerably. There are three areas where you can slow down a movement:

Eccentric – Lowering portion of the movement (example: lowering yourself during a pushup)

Concentric – Rising portion of the movement (example: pulling yourself during a pullup)

Isometric – Position held for time (example: holding the bottom position of a squat)

Putting it all Together

This article had a lot of brand new concepts which were introduced. But to review, what we are simply doing here is using the superset method and increasing the TUT of a bodyweight movement by decreasing the tempo of a movement. Start using some of these concepts into your current program to convert them from fat burning workouts to mass building routines.

Copyright © Parth Shah

Developing an effective workout for gain in muscle mass should not be complicated. An effective routine should have few common elements.

Balance

An effective workout for gain in muscle mass needs balance. Go the gym and you’ll see weight trainers hitting chest and arms, set after set. One needs to work the whole body to gain muscle at an optimal rate. You need to hit the legs as well as the chest and shoulders. Don’t forget the muscle you can’t see in the mirror such as the back and hamstrings.

Big Movements

Do you want to gain muscle at a fast rate? Train compound exercises that stimulate multiple body parts. Compound movements are exercises that require two or more joints to perform. Squat are a great example of a compound movement. They require movement from the hip and knee joints to be performed. Not only do squats train the hamstrings and quads, they also target the glutes, lower back, traps, and abs. That’s a lot of muscle for one movement. Other exercises that should be part of a workout for gain in muscle mass are deadlifts, bench presses, rows, and overhead presses.

Progression

An effective workout for gain in muscle mass should have progression. You need to improve upon the previous week’s effort. If you bench 225×5 in week one, you need to bench at least 230×5 or 225×6 in week two. A workout log is a great tool to remember the previous week’s performance.

Frequency

If you’re putting forth the effort, training each muscle group once per week should be plenty. I know some people train more often and have success but in my experience, the once per week rule works for most people. An example of a 4 day a week workout for gain in muscle mass would go something like this. Monday – Legs, Wednesday – Chest, Friday – Back, Saturday – Shoulders.

You can be flexible with workout design but be sure to follow these tips for an effective workout for gain in muscle mass.

Copyright © Richard Ambrose

Unless you are genetically gifted in this area, six pack abs may possibly be the hardest thing to earn when it comes to bodybuilding. Is it hard to get your six pack to show? Or are we just going about it the wrong way? Although I don’t think there is really a simple way to get a defined abdominal region, I do think that the main reason is all the misconceptions we have been bombarded with by main stream muscle magazines. If you want to get defined abs, I suggest you use this list as a guide to making sure you are going about it the right way. So without further ado, here are the top 5 reasons your abs are not showing.

1. Improper rest

Abs are just like any other muscle, they need to be rested in order to grow. Working abs 2-3 times a week is ideal when trying to get a defined six pack. Overtraining your abs will not make them look better.

2. Avoiding fatty foods

Eating fat does not always make you fat. Believe it or not, there are good fats that will help you burn the fat off of your abdominal region to reveal your six pack. Some of these good fats can be found in peanut butter, olive oil, avocados, fish, and other non saturated fats. These types of fats are essential when building great abs.

3. Focusing too much on ab workouts

Are ab workouts effective? I have read so many things about ab workouts being absolutely unnecessary. I disagree; I think ab workouts can and will be effective. The mistake most of us are making is simply focusing too much on ab workouts. What we must understand is, no matter how many crunches we do, our abs will never show unless we burn the fat off of the stomach area. Ab workouts will absolutely not reduce belly fat. Instead of working abs 5 days a week, focus more on fat burning exercises. Cardio, circuit training, and plyometrics are just a few of the fat burning workouts you can do.

4. Eating too little

Some people do understand that the abs will not show up until the fat is burned. Those people may actually be working out properly. The mistake is made in the diet, they figure if they eat less, they loose fat. Wrong! If you are eating too little, your metabolism slows down. As your metabolism slows down, your body will naturally store calories as fat much quicker. The key is to eat more meals in smaller portions to speed up the metabolism.

5. Relying on fancy equipment

Research shows that most of those ab machines you find in your gym are actually dangerous for your lower back. You can perform safer and more effective abdominal workouts from home with no equipment. Research has also shown that expensive ab workout products like the “ab circle pro” that sells for $199.99 is less effective than a basic ab wheel that sells for $10.

Conclusion

Whether your six pack remains unnoticeable due to all 5 reasons or just 1, making that small change can make a huge difference. So start resting more, consume the proper fats, focus more on fat burning workouts, eat better, and stick to the basics by avoiding fancy equipment. If you are making any of these mistakes, use this list as a guide to getting those washboard abs you have always dreamed about.

Copyright © Alain Gonzalez

We have all read the traditional workout strategy for years now: Warm up, lift your weights, finish up with twenty to thirty minutes of cardiovascular training, or do conditioning the following day after weights. Programs are traditionally designed to either improve strength through weight training or improve conditioning through cardiovascular training (running, bike, elliptical, etc). It is time to break the mold. Try a few workouts where you combine cardiovascular and weight training to get a great overall workout. Here are a couple of examples.

Elliptical/Kettlebell Workout
1. Elliptical machine – hard level for .25 miles
2. Kettlebell swings – 20 repetitions
3. Kettlebell upright rows – 15 repetitions
4. Kettlebell bentover (lunge position) – 10 repetitions per arm
*Complete 4 rounds of the entire circuit – as quickly as possible*

Sprints/Body Weight Workout (outside workout)
1. Sprint 50 yards – each way (there and back)
2. Push-ups – 10 repetitions
3. Sit-ups – 15 repetitions
4. Body weight squats – 20 repetitions
*Complete 8 rounds of the circuit – as quick as possible*

Stair Stepper/Dumbbell Workout
1. Stair stepper machine – 10 flights of stairs at medium/hard level
2. Dumbbell forward/backward lunges – 10 repetitions forward (5each)/10 backward (5each)
3. Dumbbell shoulder press – same weight as above for 12 repetitions
4. Dumbbell alternating bent over rows – same weight as above for 12 repetitions per arm
*Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes*

These circuits are great if you are in a time crunch but still want to get an excellent workout. With all three of these workouts you can record your score (total time or repetitions to complete the circuit) and try to beat that score the next time you attempt the same workout. Push yourself through each workout to improve strength and cardiovascular fitness at the same time.

Copyright: Matt Hank

We spend a great deal of time practicing training and nutritional strategies that we think will help us best achieve our goals. Rarely do we take the time to step back and analyze the full scheme of exactly what we are doing and why. Most of the people I see at the gym are there to complete a ritual. By ritual, I mean the act of showing up at the gym every day and practicing what ever the individuals workout plan calls for them to do on that particular day.

For example, some people will tell me they train chest on Monday, arms on Tuesday, legs on Wednesday, back on Thursday, and shoulders on Friday and then take the weekends off. Not to mention, they will perform about 25 sets to failure on each body part they train. That’s about 23 more sets to failure then what I do for each muscle group that I train.

I notice these same individuals always going through the motions, week after week, month after month, lifting the same weights or even lighter weights then what they could before and their physiques staying mostly the same; if not less muscular, then what they were before.

As time goes on, I notice the intensity levels of these individuals diminishing to the point where they appear to be going through their training regimens like spaced out zombies moping from exercise to exercise, grunting and groaning, trying to tap into energy that isn’t there. It kind of reminds me of the movie “The Night Of the Living Dead.” The zombies in that movie were very persistent trying to get a hold of their victims, but then suddenly, someone hits them once and they drop like Brett Michaels did when he was clothes-lined by a drop-down door on stage at the 2009 Tony Awards! This is what can happen when the stress of over training comes to a head.

One common denominator that I’ve noticed among gym members, who follow these training rituals day after day, is that none of them keep a training journal to record anything that they are doing. I can’t stress this point enough! You should always bring a journal or notebook with you to the gym and be sure to record everything you do in your workout routines. Write down your exercises, the amount of weight you use, and also the repetitions you were able to perform with each particular weight. When you go to the doctor for medical check ups or physicals your doctor keeps a chart on you that lists all your vitals and blood values. Each time you return to the doctor he or she will look up your medical records and check to see if there has been any changes in your vitals or blood values from the last time you were into the doctor. Keeping these types of records will help a doctor determine if your health is improving or regressing. The same holds true for keeping a training journal. Charting is an important way to measure progress.

You should write down everything you do during your workout, so any time you go to repeat any given workout, you can refer back to what you did last time and compare to what your currently doing and see if you gained strength, lost strength, of just stayed the same as last time. Hopefully you gain strength each and every time. When your goal is to build more muscle you should be lifting more weight, or doing the same weight for more repetitions on each and every exercise compared to the last time you did that particular workout. If you’re seeing that you’re not gaining strength each time you repeat any given workout, then you haven’t gained more muscle

You don’t gain muscle without gaining strength. You don’t increase muscle mass by getting weaker. It just doesn’t work that way. There is a very direct relationship between muscular size and strength. If you should go to repeat any given workout and find that your strength hasn’t increased, then that means that your muscles haven’t had sufficient recovery time for overcompensation, or muscle growth to occur. The remedy for this problem is to begin incorporating at least 2 more recovery days between all of your lifting workouts from that point forward.

This is where you stop making your training a routine a ritual and you start making it a science to produce more muscle growth. Never repeat a workout just because it’s part of a ritual. You should only repeat a workout when you know that your muscles have had sufficient time to recover and produce growth. As I’ve mentioned in past articles, as you become stronger and more intense, you lift heavier weights, which creates a deeper inroad into the muscles recovery ability. To compensate for this you must reduce both the volume and frequency of your training to ensure that your body has enough to time to replenish it’s very limited resources to recover so that your muscles can over compensate and become larger. When you go back and start tearing on your muscles again too soon, then you short circuit the recovery ability of your body and dig an even deeper road into the muscles recovery ability and place yourself that much further away from obtaining muscle growth.

I know many people will shutter at the notion that you should add in an extra 2 days of recovery time between all lifting workouts when you reach a sticking point. When you look at things realistically, if it takes 7-14 days for a muscle to recover and then over compensate or grow, then how could a muscle decompensate or shrink from an additional 2 days of recovery time? That cant happen. By increasing your recovery time by a couple days, what you have to lose is nothing, but what you have to gain is the reassurance that the next time you go into the gym to lift that your muscles are fully recovered and your coming back stronger then you were the last time. Should you come back too soon, however, you run the risk of cheating yourself out of any strength or muscle gain at all by digging an even deeper inroad into the muscles recovery ability before it has had the chance to grow. It’s that more is better mentality that has been branded in the back of all our minds as a result of decades of misinformation being fed to us by various publications.

I understand from experience that it’s hard to change your way of thinking about a certain subject when you’ve been lead to believe that this one certain path is the only path that will lead you to success because so many have said so. It’s tough to instantly change your way of thinking. It’s kind of like when your parents finally had to tell you there’s not really a Santa Claus or an Easter Bunny. I just found out last year and I’m still totally furious! All joking aside, I know how tough it can be to break routines that have been engraved in your mind for so long. I wasted a good 5 years by practicing a training ritual that wasn’t getting me anywhere before I decided it was time for a different approach. I’m not sure what I was thinking. If my routine hadn’t produced any meaningful results for weeks or months let alone years, why would it just magically start working out of the blue? This was the turning point where I decided I needed to make my workout routine less of a ritual and more of a science.

By making this change, I was able to bring my physique to whole new level that I had previously deemed impossible. If you feel that have also been following a workout routine as more of ritual then go out and buy a little notebook to toss in your gym bag, and start treating your training a more of a science and begin charting your workouts to ensure that your progressing and not regressing. Become a scientist with your own body and study the evidence in your training journal. You may find evidence that shows your making good progress or you may find evidence that tells you that you aren’t giving your body enough recovery time in which case you need to make the necessary adjustments to begin making progress again.

By: Chad Shaw

Ingredients:

1 cup Fat-free half and half
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Pepper and garlic to taste

Directions:

Heat all ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and sauce thickens.

Add more garlic and pepper to taste, if desired.

Pour 1/4 cup over your favorite whole wheat pasta. Add grilled veggies if you like.

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 whole large egg
4 large egg whites
2 tbsp cilantro (whole leaves or chopped)
2 tbsp salsa (use favorite brand or heat scale)
1/8 cup low fat shredded cheese
2 oz ham steak – diced small
8″ whole wheat or multi grain tortilla
1/4 cup fresh white muchrooms (optional)

Directions:

Beat the egg with the egg whites and heat in skillet. Remember to only use a no calorie no fat non-stick cooking spray. Add ham, mushroom, and cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from skillet and place on tortilla shell. Add cheese and salsa.

This will make more than can fit on one 8″ tortilla. I recommend just eating the rest as a side.

This burrito should work out to about 400 calories and 42 whopping grams of protein.

Number of Servings: 1

Ingredients:

10 gram whey protein powder
1/4 cup 1% cottage cheese
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup one-minute oatmeal
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Splenda

Directions:

Makes 1 large pancake or 4 small pancakes.

Mix all ingredients and blend in a food processor.

Pour batter into a heated skillet (medium-high heat) coated with non-stick cooking spray. Flip after 3-4 minutes or when batter begins to bubble and edges harden. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until both sides are browned.
Top with light margarine or sugar-free syrup (optional).

Number of Servings: 1

Ingredients:
Cooking oil (or spray) – 1 tbsp
Ground turkey breast – 1 lb
Salsa – 3 tbsp
Onion (chopped) – 1/2 cup
Green chiles (chopped) – 1
Shredded low fat cheese – 1 cup (4oz)
Garlic (minced) – 2 cloves
Water – 1/2 cup
Dried oregano – 2 tsp
Ground cumin – 2 tsp
Chili powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Flour tortillas – 6

Cooking Instructions

• Heat skillet on medium-high heat with cooking oil
• Add in onion and garlic, and cook until tender (about 3 minutes)
• Add in ground turkey breast and cook until the turkey is cooked (about 8 – 10 minutes)
• Stir well to crumble the turkey
• Add in water, salsa, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and chopped green chilies, and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat
• Warm the tortillas, and add 2 to 3 tbsp of shredded cheese on each tortilla
• Add about 1/2 cup of the ground turkey mixture to each tortilla
• Roll up and serve

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 6
Calories: 329 cals
Fat: 11.1g
Saturated Fat: 3.3g
Monounsaturated Fat: 4.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1g
Protein: 24.2g
Carbs: 32.5g
Fiber: 4.2g

It is quite normal to experience soreness when you finish your bodybuilding workouts. Soreness is the recovery process being undertaken by your body and has several degrees. When you attempt any exercise for the first time you will experience the typical mild muscle soreness. It is believed that this is caused by micro trauma on muscle fiber level with excess secretion of lactic acid. Fortunately, this is good soreness because it is of a mild nature and muscle function is not impaired. For advanced athletes, the soreness can last for a day while beginners could have it up to 3 days. Painful as it may be, this soreness is a good indicator that your workout was successful because you were able to create the trauma necessary to trigger adaptation that is muscle growth. Lack of this type of soreness indicates that you body has successfully adapted to the training program and you will need to change to achieve gains.

The second type of soreness is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This is a deep muscular soreness which is experienced two days later but not the day after the workout has been. In this case full muscular contraction of the muscles is prevented by this soreness. This is a more severe soreness caused either by suddenly embarking on an exercise program for the first time or by placing a lot of pressure on a body part more than usual. For a beginner this pain could last almost a week but for an advanced well-conditioned athlete the pain could last for only a couple of days. It is advisable not to discontinue training even though the pain could be killing you instead you could exercise the body part by doing an Active Recovery routine where all of the loads are reduced by 50% with the sets not being taken to muscular failure.

Injury-type muscle soreness is the third type of soreness which occurs when you get injured. This type of soreness differs in nature from those mentioned above because they are immobilizing in nature and the pain is very sharp. This soreness is experienced either immediately when the muscle is moved in a certain way or constantly or in other cases the day after. The best first aid to administer should this happen is to apply the RICE (Recovery, Ice, Compression and Elevation) principle. It is advisable to consult a doctor before continuing training so that the extent of injury can be verified. Some injuries could allow you to continue training while carefully working around the injury. This can be done by doing the exercises that target the injured muscle and avoid the range of motion that will trigger the pain. On the other hand if the injury is a muscle tear which is quite serious, you may have to take a complete rest but should the tear be more severe, surgery might be required. Therefore when you weight train take care to always exercise a lot of caution to avoid such injuries.

Copyright: Dane Fletcher