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Muscle powders have been around for years and the ads are no longer in just muscle mags. the ads can now be seen during sports shows, namely televised body building competitions.

They are so convincing that it’s hard to believe they do not help build muscle any faster — but they don’t.

Although extra calories are needed whenever you markedly increase your exercise routine, the increase does not need to come from only protein, which is what a lot of the labels on the muscle powders imply.

The actual need for protein only goes up about 10 to 15 grams per day (and that is for a serious five to six day split routine!).

The calories should actually come from complex carbohydrates, such as beans, potatoes, and whole grains. Do not forget, the calories that you do not use will be converted and stored as fat.

Despite what all the late night infomercials tell us, fat and muscle are two distinctly different tissues and one can’t be turned into the other.

Muscle will always be muscle and fat will always be fat. As to the second thought you mentioned, one pound of either is exactly that – one pound.

It is truly a myth that fat cells can change into muscle. You can burn fat and build muscle, but a fat cell will never turn into a muscle cell.

Body fat is a storage place where our body puts additional energy when we consume more calories per day than we burn.

When someone continues to consume more calories than the person needs, the size of their existing fat cells increases.

When we “burn fat” we’re actually shrinking the size of our fat cells by using the energy that has been stored there.

There are also have a fixed number of muscle cells so when we’re building muscle the individual muscle cells are increasing in size (bulking up).

Over time, you can gain muscle mass through a variety of activities including weight training and other forms of weight training.

When your main goal is to bulk up, you’re likely increase your muscle mass which can increase your overall weight. Remember that your weight also depends on what you eat and when you’re doing other kinds of exercise.

For  instance, if you are doing lots of cardio, then you may ultimately lose fat and decrease your weight.

Instead of stepping on a scale, you could want to consider measuring your body composition.

Methods to assess body composition (lean body mass vs. fat body mass) can help give you a more valid idea of what comprises your body.

You can always talk with a Dietetics Professional or a personal trainer to help determine the weight and exercise plan that’s best for you.

Glycogen is a carbohydrate stored in the muscles and liver and is critical for sustaining exercise over long periods of time.

When levels of glycogen are low, you are able to feel sluggish, weak and tired. During exercise, muscle glycogen is used as a source of energy for the specific muscle in which it is stored.

The rate at which muscle glycogen is depleted is dependent upon the type of exercise (higher intensity workouts depleting glycogen stores faster than lower intensity sessions) and the frequency of workouts. Consuming complex carbohydrates before and after your workouts will increase the amount of glycogen stored, enhancing future workouts.

It could also be beneficial to add some protein to your post-workout snack, as emerging evidence suggests that protein and carbohydrates combined might actually help with glycogen replacement.

A snack after a workout will provide some of the carbohydrate necessary for glycogen replenishment. Different people may have different preferences on what’s satisfying.

What kind of food or beverage will your body tolerate after a workout?

Do you want a solid snack, a protein smoothie, or a couple pieces of fruit? Would you prefer a sports drink with electrolytes?

Whatever your choice, it’s always good idea to replace the energy you have expended with a healthy snack while also maintaining a balanced diet throughout the day.

It may be helpful for you to spend some time with a nutritionist to determine your specific needs. An individual trainer can help you understand your entire workout from warm-up to recovery.

Recuperation of muscle fibers after an intense workout goes beyond replenishing glycogen stores. In addition to proper nutrition, a resting period in between workouts helps decrease the risk of injuries.

Muscle soreness can happen to any of us at any time. It ordinarily always happens to people who are just beginning an workout program, but can also happen to trained exercise enthusiasts who overload excessively, or who change from one activity to another, or work the same set of muscles in a new and different way.

You might want to be sure you are providing ample time for your muscles to recover from lifting – generally forty-eight hours. This means that your strength workouts must be every second or third day.

If you’ve to lift every day, don’t work the same muscle groups, or work opposing groups and secondary muscles. For  instance, work chest and triceps one day, back and biceps the next.

Although at one time lactic acid was believed to be involved in muscle soreness, exercise physiologists no longer believe this is so. Lactic acid is long gone from the muscles before soreness occurs.

Soreness might be caused by a few factors, including small tears in the muscle fibers or connective tissue, muscle spasms, and perhaps over stretching.

It is also known that eccentric muscle contractions and, to some extent, isometric contractions cause more soreness than concentric ones.

As a reminder, in a concentric contraction, the muscle shortens as it overcomes the resistance, as in an upward curl with a weight.

Lowering the weight, as the muscle acts to oppose gravity, lengthens the muscle and this is an eccentric contraction. an isometric movement is one in which the object is too heavy to move, even though muscle force is being applied.

To prevent soreness, do not overload, but slowly increase the amount of weight or number of repetitions you do.

Give yourself time between sets… one to three minutes, and include warm-up and cool-down stretching exercises as well to your lifting.

Consuming a healthy snack after exercise can also be a no sweat way to help your muscles to recover and prevent soreness.

Attempt to do this from 15 minutes to an hour after your workout has ended, and select carbohydrate and protein-rich foods like peanut butter on toast, slices of turkey breast or cheese on a bagel, or some milk and a banana.

Because your muscles can only store about an hour’s worth of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen), it’s important to replenish that as soon as possible.

The protein will help to maintain and rebuild your muscle cells, and dependant upon how much you are eating, can also be used in increasing the size of your muscles.

Knees are extremelycomplex joints. They’re made up of many ligaments, tendons, and cartilage that cushion and connect bones and muscles of the upper and lower legs.

Our knees may become sore or injured from overuse, exercise, or simply thus of daily wear and tear.

Strengthening and stretching supporting structures and musculature will help but might not prevent all issues with the knees.

A number of general tips for promoting knee health and decreasing the chance of injury include

• Maintain overall flexibility and strength – strong muscles support your bones and joints.

• Be certain to check your shoes – the wrong shoes, athletic or otherwise, can exacerbate existing conditions or cause new problems. Excessive wear on one side may indicate an issue with gait and is a good indicator to seek help.

• Be certain to take it easy – your body knows when it needs to rest and your knees are no different. Tune in to what your body is telling you.

• Maintain a healthful weight – chronic knee pain is often causeed by additional weight.

• Buckle up! Protecting your knees from injury in a automobile accident is yet another reason to use your seatbelt.

You can increase the likelihood of having healthful knees by strengthening the muscles in your legs. Because some person might have knee problems, or be prone to them, it’s a great idea to consult with a certified trainer before starting a new routine.

When a personal trainer is not an option, relying on gym staff for basic instructions on equipment can also be useful.

It’s especially important to work with a physical therapist or other healthcare provider if you are rehabilitating after an injury.

Stretching the muscles that support the knees is an important component of any workout program. Stretches should include the hamstrings (back of the upper thigh) and quadriceps (front of the upper thigh).

The calf muscles and shins also need to be stretched and strengthened as they contribute to the structure of the leg.

Quadriceps stretch (lying on one side)

1. Lie on your side with your thighs side by side.

2. As you bring the ankle of your top leg back towards the buttocks, reach back with the free hand and grab hold of your ankle (keeping the leg parallel to the ground).

3. Press your hip forward and slightly extend it, then hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds and repeat for each leg

Standing quadriceps stretch

1. Make sure to use a chair or wall for support.

2. With your right hand, grab the lower part of your shin, right above your foot and bring your right leg behind your body.  

3. Push your hip forward slightly and keep your knees together. the emphasis is on pushing your hip forward a little, not pulling your leg backward (otherwise, you may injure your knee).

4. Hold for 30 seconds.

5. Repeat on the left side.

Hamstring stretch

1. Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

2. Raise one leg without lifting your hips from the floor.

3. Gently push your heal up to the ceiling – beginners may grasp their leg behind the upper thigh or use a stretching band. Movement must be slow and steady.

When you are experiencing any knee pain, rest is normally a good idea, as is seeking medical attention for any concerns. Since knees are so complex, a number of things can go wrong.

Ordinarily, if your knees hurt, avoid activities that put a heavy load on the joints. A number of examples might be squats, lunges, stair climbing, and running up and down hills.

Crosstraining with activities such as swimming and cycling reduce load yet still work the muscles of the lower body.

All lifters could probably use a few refreshers as it is easy to get into a routine without thinking about those basics. Are you giving yourself sufficient time to rest between sets?

Are you lifting a challenging, but manageable amount of weight? These may be important factors in assisting keep your lifting sessions balanced.

You mention that you take care not to eat an hour before training. That could be working against you and it’s possible that you could be experiencing hypoglycemia.

Working muscles need fuel and exercising leads to increased levels of insulin that transport blood glucose to the muscles, possibly creating a hypoglycemic condition that can make you feel nauseous.

It may actually be useful to have a small snack 20 to 30 minutes before you lift.

Consider an apple with some peanut butter, a granola or protein bar, or another balanced snack to help sustain you through your workout.

Beyond a snack, make sure that your normal diet is high in complex carbohydrates and minimal in any refined simple sugars.

Complex carbohydrates, as they are stored in the body and then used as fuel, enter the blood stream at a more constant rate and will help alleviate the quick insulin response followed by the low that often comes with consuming simple sugars.

It may make sense to experiment with the time between your sets, number of repetitions, and the amount of weight you are lifting.

Don’t forget, the science of exercise has moved away from the “no pain, no gain” philosophy. Less repetition with lower weights can still have tremendous benefits.

A well trained personal trainer, exercise physiologist, or sports medicine specialist may be able to provide some insight and helpful tips.

If you do not experience relief from changes to your workout and diet, it may make sense to visit with a provider.

Some small changes in your before workout snacks and some minor adjustments to your regimen may let you get on with getting pumped.

Protein isn’t necessarily the most important food source for muscle building. Actually, when bodybuilding, your main consideration ought to be taking in adequate energy, or enough calories.

Research shows that eating an additional 2270 to 3630 calories a week (approximately 500 additional calories a day), along with appropriate weight training, will result in one pound of muscle gain.

Muscles rely on glycogen (the energy they use for fuel) to perform work. When bodybuilders replace carbohydrate with protein in their diet, they’ve lower muscle stores of glycogen.

For that reason, a high protein/low carbohydrate diet cannot provide enough glycogen for our muscles, so they might feel weak, tired, and fatigue rapidly.

In addition, our bodies need to convert any excess protein we eat in order to burn it as energy or to store it as fat.

Protein conversion assists us get rid of the nitrogen contained in amino acids (the building blocks of protein), which we eliminate through urination; nevertheless, it can also contribute to dehydration, muscle cramping, and excess stress on liver and kidneys.

As a result, it’s important for a bodybuilder to take in enough carbohydrates. Carbs are used to fuel the muscles you’ll use to help build lean body mass.

Lots of additional protein by itself will not add muscular bulk – carbohydrates actually spare protein so that it can be used to repair muscle tissue, which is how we build muscular strength and size.

How much protein do bodybuilders need? First figure out how many calories you need. If you are not taking in enough calories, you can’t build muscle tissue efficiently.

That’s because your body will be burning most of your calories, not using them to repair muscle tissue. For example, take a 180 pound guy – if he’s moderately active, he probably needs about 2700 calories a day (plus or minus a few) to maintain his weight.

Besides his moderate daily activity level, he might burn about 500 calories during an hour of heavy weightlifting.

When he wants to add one pound of muscle weight per week, he needs approximately 500 extra calories per day plus about 500 more to make up for the energy deficit from intense weightlifting. This makes his grand sum to be around 3700 calories a day.

So how can we translate this number to his protein needs? the RDA for protein has been established at 0.8 grams/kg of body weight for adults. This isn’t enough to build muscle mass for intense athletes.

Although it is challenging to pinpoint a specific number because you have to take into account contingent upon  variables, research has determined an acceptable range – even at the very high end, the top protein intake needs to be 1.5 to 2.0 g/kg of body weight. For our 180 lb. (divided by 2.2 = 82 kg) lifter, this would be 122 to 164 grams of protein per day.

Since protein has 4 calories per gram, then this amount of protein would comprise 13 to 18% of his daily caloric intake of 3700 calories; the usual recommendation is about 12 to 15%. As you can see, a huge excess of protein isn’t needed.

It is easy to get enough protein from food – and quite easy for numerous individuals to overdo it. When too much high-fat protein is taken in, and not used, gains could be seen in fat tissue rather than in muscle tissue.

Resistance training, resistance training, and resistance training all relate to the use of free weights and/or weight machines to increase muscular strength and muscular endurance.

Weight and power lifting involve the use of free weights (usually heavier than those used in weight training).

Some of the major lifts engaged in during weight and power lifting could cause  injury, particularly when the athlete is not physically mature enough to handle the movement and/or weight.

Proper technique is also very important for injury prevention and for maximum results – whatever the age of the lifter is.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that

• kids be well supervised by certified adults.

• any weight-exercise program be appropriate to the child’s stage of maturation and evaluated objectively by medical personnel. (Proper bone development is among the key factors to assess.)

• children avoid strength training, power lifting, bodybuilding, and the use of maximal amounts of weight until they’ve met certain developmental criteria.

See the American Academy of Pediatrics position paper for more specific details on the above points.

Here is another question – Where’s your son planning to lift? Supervision by a coach or athletic trainer with an academic degree in exercise physiology or a closely related field may make the activity a lot safer and much more effective.

Experience working with preteens and teens, and certification from a nationally recognized organization, such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association, wouldn’t hurt either.

Now that physical education in a number of schools has lastly shifted to accommodate students’ total health and interests, weight-training programs are more commonly available as a curriculum option.

Health clubs are also providing more fitness plans designed for kids.

For sure, strength is only one component of fitness – cardiovascular endurance and flexibility are the others.

Make certain to encourage your child to experience “life” sports – those that can last him a lifetime and that he can participate in with others or alone – e.g., swimming, cycling, skating, walking, etc.

Team sports are also great for kids because they foster camaraderie, teamwork, and the art of graceful losing, in addition to winning.

Weight training is an important component of fitness. As in any exercise program, rest is an essential factor. It’s important to leave a day between exercising a specific body part or muscle to reap the benefits of your hard work.

That’s because weightlifting could cause micro-tears in the muscle fiber(s) that temporarily reduce strength. These tears are thought to cause some soreness you feel after a new exercise or tough workout.

During this vital rest time, your muscles are building protein and getting stronger. It takes about two days to heal the muscle fibers torn by weightlifting.

If you want to lift weights every day (remember to take at least 1 day each week off for rest), focus on different muscle groups in three-day cycles, leaving two days in between the same group. For  instance

• Day one – back and biceps

• Day two – chest and triceps

• Day three – legs and abs

• Day four – repeat day one

Other tips to consider for safer weightlifting

• to help prevent injury, begin with some light cardiovascular activity to warm up your muscles.

• Avoid rushing through your weightlifting workout – slow and steady is the way to go.

• Limit your weightlifting motions while making sure you are keeping correct form. When you are not certain that you are weightlifting properly, ask a trainer for some assistance.

• Don’t forget to inhale and exhale normally while you lift.

• Rest muscle groups adequately between workout sessions (as mentioned above).

The most important thing to consider is that there’s been a shift in mentality on exercise. the days of “no pain, no gain” are long past.

Any type of activity that causes pain shouldn’t be continued; fortunately there are a number of methods for exercising your thighs – peruse on.

The exercises that you describe – lunges and squats – employ the gluteus muscles (muscles in the rear end) more than the quadriceps (muscles in the front part of the thigh).

Because of the movement required in these exercises, you could experience added strain on the joints of the hips, knees, ankles, and feet.

You could also find that running and high impact activities cause similar strain or pain.

It is possible to do exercises to tone your thighs without standing. One idea you could consider, is to spend a little time with an individual trainer.

Spending a little one on one time with a fitness expert may have lasting benefits for your training and your comfort.

You might also want to talk with your main care provider to determine if you should be referred to an orthopedic physician or physical therapist who may recommend orthotics.

Specific exercises that might be better suited for you’re varied. an appointment or two with a fitness trainer will help find those that best meet your specific needs.

Your trainer may recommend

• Leg extensions and leg curls using a machine weights or other types of resistance

• Make certain to use of a physioball to reduce the pressure on your joints

• Be sure to use of resistance bands or other tools best suited to your range of motion

Your frustration is understandable, but may be overcome by consulting with the right individuals to help you.

A number of guidance from a trainer or therapist can provide you with the skills necessary to keep up your workout, without the pain.