Bodybuilding Exercise

Bodybuilding Exercise
Do a Proper Warm Up before starting a Bodybuilding Program
It is important to warm up before beginning your bodybuilding program for two main reasons:

It reduces the chances of injury.
It will improve your performance.
Here are a few quick reminders of why you should do this.

Muscles respond better to exercise if they are properly prepared for the coming work­load. Warming up increases blood flow to the muscles and lubricates the joints because the fluid surrounding them becomes less viscous so the joint can move more smoothly and efficiently. At rest, muscles receive only about 15% of your total blood supply, but during exercise the requirement for fuel and oxygen sharply increases and they may need up to 80% of the total blood flow to meet the demand. Obviously, it takes time to re-route the blood, and this cannot be achieved efficiently if you omit the warm-up and start exercising vigorously.

Warming up also improves the elasticity of the muscles, enabling them to work harder, more efficiently and for longer before they fatigue, as well as allowing nerve impulses to be transmitted faster.

Finally, warming up also prepares you mentally for the work ahead; it increases your arousal level and motivation. Performing one or two warm-up sets with light weights acts as a mental rehearsal and means that you can perform your subsequent heavier sets more effectively.

Warm-up components
The time taken on this part of your workout depends to a large extent on the temperature of your surroundings – the cooler the environment, the longer it will take to raise your body temperature. Your warm-up should include the following three components.

An aerobic activity that raises your body temperature and leaves you mildly sweating. This should be performed for 5-10 minutes and be continuous and rhythmic in nature – for example, stationary cycling, treadmill walking, gentle jogging, stepping or rowing.
Mobilization of the major joints. This could include movements such as arm circles, knee bends and shoulder circles which take the joints through their full range of movement. These are not stretching exercises as they are continuous and do not increase the range of movement.
Warm-up sets with light weights and high repetitions. Never embark on your working sets straightaway because your muscles won’t be properly warmed up and you there are chances of injury. Start with 1-2 sets using very light weights (around 40-50% one-rep max), for 15-20 repetitions to warm up the target muscles, ligaments and joints, and to rehearse the action to be performed.

Bodybuilding Exercises
Here are different exercises for almost all the parts of your body.

Exercise for Legs, Hips and glutes.

Exercise for Back.

Exercise for Chest.

Exercise for Shoulders.

Exercise for Arms.

Exercise for Abdominals.

Stretching for Strength Training.

Top 10 Tips to Well Define Triceps.

1.Legs, Hips and Glutes
Strong, powerful legs give your body good symmetry, balancing the development of the upper body, and facilitating good performance in other sports.
Building a good foundation of strength in the lower body is important in all sports that require running, jumping, lifting, kicking and pushing. Hip and leg extension play a major role in:

Running – as seen in athletics, football and rugby.
Jumping – as seen in volleyball and netball.
Kicking – as seen in football and the martial arts.
Intense leg training not only helps build strong muscular thighs but also stimulates faster muscle growth in the upper body. In other words, the more intense the leg training, the greater the development of the chest, back, shoulders and arms. This is because intense leg training (with weights equivalent to 1 Rep Max) stimulates the release of anabolic hormones – namely testosterone and growth hormone – which in turn improve whole­body muscle growth.

Training legs with high intensity will also elevate your heart rate and this, together with the resulting muscle mass increase, will allow you to burn fat more efficiently.

Exercises for your Legs, Hips and Glutes Workouts.
Barbell Squat.

Dead Lift.

Leg Press.

Leg Extention.

Front Lunge (dumbbell or barbell).

Reverse Lunge.

Lying Leg Curl.

Straight-leg Dead Lift.

Standing Calf Raise.

One-leg Dumbbell Calf Raise.

Leg Press Machine Calf Press.

2.Back
Training your back will change the proportions of your entire body. Well developed latissimus dorsi muscles (lats) create that classic V-shape, making your waist appear smaller and, for women, balancing the curves of the lower body.

Strong back muscles are important in sports that involve pulling actions, such as rowing. These actions are used in rugby tackling, judo, boxing, gymnastics and swimming, especially butterfly and front crawl. A strong back will also help you develop other major muscle groups, as your back assists in key exercises such as squatting, shoulder presses and standing biceps curls; while having a strong back helps in everyday activities, such as lifting and carrying, and prevents back injuries.

Exercises for your Back Workouts.
Lat Pull-down.

Chins(pull-ups).

One-arm Row.

Seated Cable Row.

Bent-over Barbell Row.

Straight-arm Pull-downs.

Dumbbell Shrug.

Back Extention on the Floor.

Back Extention with Swiss Ball.

3.Chest
The desire for a bigger, better-developed chest is perhaps the greatest motivator for men to strength train. It somehow symbolizes heroism and male virility. Women, too, can benefit from chest training. Although it won’t increase the size of your breasts (they are mostly fat tissue), it will create the appearance of a fuller and more shapely chest.

Strong chest muscles are advantageous in many sports. These muscles are involved in all forward and upward-reaching actions ­e.g. in rugby tackling and grabbing an opponent- and are also used in throwing and hitting movements – e.g. during forehand drives in tennis and squash; when throwing the ball overhead in netball, basketball and volleyball; and throwing the discus, shot-put and javelin. A strong chest is also advantageous in swimming (breaststroke) and several gymnastic disciplines.

Exercises for your Chest Workouts.
Barbell Bench Press.

Dumbbell Bench Press.

Incline Barbell Bench Press.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press.

Dumbbell Flye.

Pec Dec Flye.

4.Shoulders
Shoulder training can change the proportions of your physique. Well-developed shoulders draw more attention to your upper body and create an aesthetically pleasing taper, making your waist appear smaller.
Strong shoulders are advantageous in most sports involving upper body motions. The shoulder muscles are involved in:

Overhead pushing actions – e.g. tumbling and vaulting in gymnastics, and the clean and jerk in weightlifting.
Overhead hitting actions – e.g. the tennis serve, the overhead smash in badminton and overhead hits and blocks in volleyball and basketball.
Raising the arms forwards or sideways away from the body – e.g. tennis or squash strokes, and front crawl in swimming.
You need to use a variety of exercises to train your shoulders as there is no single exercise that works the whole area. The shoulders are comprised of three heads each of which needs to be targeted if you want full and well balanced development.

If you are prone to shoulder injuries, however, pay attention to your training technique as poor technique can exacerbate any underlying problems and do proper warm ups.

Exercises for your Shoulder Workouts.
Dumbbell Press.

Lateral Raise.

5.Exercise for Arms
Arms are the classic showpieces of strength weight trainers. Like a well-developed chest, they are visible proof of the work you put in at the gym – although for women, the result will not be a bulky masculine look.

Developing your arm strength will help your performance in many sports. Elbow flexion (bending) and the muscles involved are important when playing forehand strokes in tennis and squash, shooting in hockey, playing a long shot in golf, pulling the body upwards in climbing, grabbing an opponent in rugby and the martial arts, and pushing movements in gymnastics.
The triceps are also involved in numerous upper-body actions, including:

Overhead hitting and throwing movements – e.g. the tennis serve, volleyball spike and basketball shot
Pushing actions – e.g. the shot-put, the chest pass in netball and basketball throwing a punch in boxing and in the martial arts.
One common mistake is to train only the biceps, thinking this will produce stronger and bigger arms. However, the triceps make up the largest part of the arm muscles so it is important to devote equal time and effort to triceps training. Many men also use weights that are too heavy in their quest for bigger arms, sacrificing good technique and gaining only minimal results.

Exercises for your Arm Workouts.
Barbell Curl.

6.Abdominals – Lower Ab Workouts
A well-toned and defined lower ab reflects lean fit body. It is the result of hard graft in the gym as well as cardio training and proper nutrition(for more information refer to our Nutrition section). Together, they all produce strong abdominals and low body-fat levels.

Well-defined abdominals are mainly the product of low body-fat levels, which explains why even untrained people can possess washboard abs. If you are after a rippling six-pack, you need to reduce your abdominal fat layer for the muscles to show through. Increasing their size alone through exercise will not be enough. For these muscles to become visible, men need below 10-12% body fat and women need below 15-18% body fat – ranges that are below those considered healthy among the general population but which, are compatible with improved sports performance.

Strong abdominals help you perform virtually every strength-training exercise and sports movement, improving core stability. Abdominal training is also important for the prevention of lower-back injuries, since these muscles help stabilize the pelvis which, in turn, helps maintain proper spine alignment.(For more information on Lower Back injuries, their occurrence, treatment, prevention…Click here).You should add a lower-back exercise such as back extensions to your abdominal routine to help balance abdominal strength.

Gadgets and machines are unnecessary ­ you can develop great abdominals from the basic exercises that require nothing more than the floor and perhaps a bench or bar. The secret to effective abdominal exercising is mental focus and technique. You should concentrate on each part of the movement, keeping it slow and controlled. That is most important. The most common error people do is to perform the movements too fast, aiming for a high number of repetitions. High repetitions will only build endurance. They will not work the important FT muscle fibres that give your abdominals visible shape, nor will they increase definition or melt away fat.

The abdominals are the same as any other muscle and should be trained in the same fashion: no more than every other day and no more than 12-15 repetitions per set. So slow down, visualize your abdominals working and focus on feeling the contraction through the full range of motion. When it starts to hurt (not to be confused with actual pain), take a short rest; then complete the exercise or move on to the next.

The drawback with many exercise programmes is that they isolate muscles, training them in ways that are not related to sports or everyday activities. For example, abdominal training is typically performed lying face-up on the floor with the knees bent. But no sport or activity requires you to be in this position. Similarly, using an arm curl machine in the gym trains your biceps independently of all the other muscles you would use to stabilize, and control your arm in everyday life. But the power needed, say, when sprinting for the ball in a football match is actually generated in the core of the body and transferred out to the pumping arms.

Back strain?
Weak abdominals are often associated with back problems. This is because slack abdominal muscles can become overstretched which, when combined with tight hip flexors (connecting the thigh bone to the lower vertebrae), cause the pelvis tilt forwards (lordosis) creating an excessive arch in lower back and potential back pain. Strong abdominals support and stabilize the pelvis and lower back. Strengthening these muscles (and stretching the hip flexors) will eliminate excessive arching in the lower back, give good posture and minimize potential back problems.
Core Stability
‘Core stability’ describes the ability to control and link the upper- and lower-body movements and postures. It involves exercises that’ mimic your sport or activity and training movements. Pilates is one of the best-known stability programmes and tends not to use much equipment. Others involve exercising from an unstable base such as a wobble board or Swiss ball, which place a higher demand on the deep muscles in the core – or trunk – as well as on your motor control system because you constantly have to stabilize yourself as the ball or board rolls around. It also changes, the way your neuromuscular system coordinates movement as you’re using your legs to hold you up and your abdominals and back to keep your whole body stable. Doing, abdominal exercises on a ball therefore works the muscles more effectively and more emphasis is placed on the obliques and transverse abdominis.

Repetitions
Training for muscle growth involves performing 8-12 reps.

What Are Good Abdominal Exercises?
The upper abdominal exercises and lower abdominal muscles are not really separate muscles and as such cannot truly be isolated by a single abdominal exercise, exercises stress the whole abdominal region. However, some exercises will tend towards developing upper abdominal muscles and some towards developing lower abdominal muscles. Good Abdominal exercises are those exercises which give the results fast (i.e. give shape to your abdominals fast) and are easy to do. Some of these good abdominal exercises are listed below.

What’s the best way to build Abdominal Muscles?
This is the most frequently asked question I get.

Abdominal muscles are the most wanted muscles by any male or female.

Usually, abdominal questions are followed by a comment such as, “I do 100 sit-ups a day and I’m not seeing any results.” This article will outline the information you will need to improve your abdominal muscles.

The abdominal region musculature is made up of many different muscles and groups. To target the entire abdominal region we must concentrate on each of these muscle and groups and prescribe exercises for each of them, which correspond to improving not only shape of the body but also their working.

Exercises are extremely important. They are not only important for keeping the abdominals in good shape but are otherwise also important to keep the body fit and fine. Everyone has abdominal muscles, however, most of the population never sees them due to their fat stomachs. The solution for viewing their abdominal muscles is simply a good abdominal region conditioning program coupled with a fat loss tips (For more information and fat loss tips refer to our fat loss tips section) and nutritional tips (For more information and nutritional tips refer to our nutrition section). If you want to see your abdominal region the fat has to be decreased.

By making a couple of adjustments to your current diet and cutting calories you can have those abdominal muscles which you wanted from years back. In addition to this you have to follow a well planned exercise program. You will be getting all these just in couple of weeks or months if you follow the program sincerely.

Now these are some of the abdominal exercises which will enhance your exercise program of building up abdominal muscles.

Exercises for your Abdominal Workouts
Crunch.

Swiss Ball Crunch.

Reverse Crunch.

Oblique Crunch.

Side Crunch.

Hanging Leg Raise.

7.Bodybuilding Stretching Exercises for Strength Training
Most people imagine strength trainers to be muscle-bound, lacking in mobility and grace­ful posture. Indeed, many strength trainers who neglect to stretch do fit that image. Stretching is highly beneficial for anyone involved in strength training. Not only does it provide numerous health benefits but it can also enhance your muscle size and shape. This chapter gives you a thorough checklist on safe and effective stretching and explains exactly what happens in your muscles when you stretch. Finally, it gives you a step-by-step guide to the essential stretches that will benefit your workouts.

Why stretch?
The benefits of a good stretching programme include:

Reduced risk of muscle strain, joint injuries and back problems.
Reduced post-exercise muscle soreness.
Speedier recovery.
Increased range of motion and co-ordination.
Greater strength gains due to greater range of motion. improved body awareness.
Better physical and mental relaxation.
How can stretching help enhance muscle size and shape?
Incorporating key stretches into your strength­training programme will result in greater muscle growth and the enhancement of muscle shape. Failing to stretch will not only, limit your range of motion but also your growth rate.

Stretching elongates the fascia, a strong protective sheath of connective tissue covering all muscles and their cells, allowing the muscle underneath room in which to grow. Fascia tissue can become thick and tough if the muscles are not stretched and are subjected to a limited range of motion. The best time to stretch the fascia is when the muscles are very’ warm and ‘pumped’ (i.e. full of blood). This occurs during and after a workout, so stretch between and after sets, and at the end of your training session.

Stretching increases flexibility, giving the muscles and joints a greater range of motion. It can1 prevent muscle soreness and promote faster recovery between workouts, helping to release1 lactic acid from the muscle cells into the bloodstream so that it does not hinder further: muscle contraction. Therefore, stretching! during your workout may enable you to train! harder and longer.

Stretching improves posture as well, and gives the body a more athletic or graceful appearance instead of that clumsy awkward gait that many bodybuilders develop.

How do muscles stretch?
The muscles contain receptors called muscle I spindles, which register information about the, muscle’s length and rate of change of length.

One of their main jobs is to protect the muscles from injury. So whenever there is a rapid change in muscle length, a reflex action is set up to shorten or contract it instead.

Tendons – which attach muscles to bone ­ also contain receptors called golgi tendon organs (GTOs), registering information about the degree of tension in the tendon. When a high force is registered, the GTOs enable the muscle to relax in an attempt to reduce the tension, thus acting as a safety mechanism. If the intensity of a muscular contraction or stretch exceeds a certain critical point, an intermediate reflex occurs to inhibit the contraction or stretch. As a result, the muscle instantly relaxes and the excessive tension is removed, and with it the possibility of injury. In other words, the GTOs shut down the muscle to prevent injury. If the GTOs did not exist, it would be possible to have a stretch or contraction so powerful that the muscle or tendon would be torn from its attachments!

Bouncing, uncontrolled or forced movements cause the greatest reflex response. Thus ballistic stretching can cause the muscle to contract and so increase the chance of injury. Static stretching that is carried out slowly and in a controlled manner will lead to a reflex relaxation of the muscle.

Strength through stretching is related to your GTO threshold, which limits a contraction well short of the point at which tendons would be injured. Stretching gives the muscles the ability to contract more efficiently without shutting down in response to stretched tendons. Obviously, it is desirable to
have a high GTO reflex threshold, as this allows you to handle heavier weights and do more reps without the GTOs inhibiting muscle acton. The higher the GTO threshold, the more intensely you can train, and the greater the gains in size and strength. Stretching your muscles regularly can help raise your GTO threshold, some experts estimate, by up to 15-20%.

How to perform stretches
You should only stretch when your body is warm and the muscle is receiving an increased blood flow. Stretching a cold muscle increases the risk of injury and reduces the effectiveness of the stretch. Here are some basic guidelines:

Ideally, stretching should be done after a workout and also in-between sets.
Alternatively, stretch in-between workouts as a separate session but only after a thorough warm-up – 5-10 minutes of some light aerobic activity.
Perform static stretches and avoid bouncing. This is a far safer method of stretching a muscle than ballistic movements.
Gradually ease into position, all the time focusing on relaxing the muscle.
Stretch only as far as is comfortable and then hold that position. As the muscle relaxes, ease further into the stretch, gradually increasing the range of motion.
Never hold your breath. Exhale and relax as you go into the stretch and then breathe normally.
Never go past the point of discomfort or pain. You could pull or tear the muscle/ tendon.
Stretches performed at the end of a work­out, or during a separate session, should be held for 30 seconds or more to allow stretching in the connective tissue and muscle.
Release from the stretch slowly.

Bodybuilding Streching Exercises for Strength Training
The Stretches
Quadriceps
Hold on to a sturdy support.
Bend one leg behind you and hold the ankle.
Keep your thighs level, knees close, and push your hips forwards until you feel a good stretch.
Repeat on the other side.
Adductors
Sit on the floor and place the soles of your feet together.
Hold on to your ankles and press your thighs down using your elbows. Keep your back straight.
Hamstrings
Sit on the floor with one leg extended and the other leg bent.
Keeping your back straight and flat, bend forwards from the hips. Reach down towards your foot.
Flexing your foot will increase the stretch on the calf.
Repeat on the other side.
Hip Flexors
From a kneeling position, take a large step forwards so that your knee makes a 90° angle and is directly over your foot.
Keep your body upright and press your rear hip forwards, keeping it square.
Repeat on the other side.
Hips/glutes
Sit on the floor and cross one foot over your straight leg.
Place your elbow on the outside of the bent knee and slowly look over your shoulder on the side of the bent leg.
Keep your opposite arm behind your hips for stability.
Apply pressure to the knee with your elbow.
Repeat on the other side.
Calves
From a standing position, take an exaggerated step. forwards, keeping your rear leg straight. Hold on to a wall for support if you wish.
Your front knee should be at 90° and positioned over your foot.
Lean forwards slightly so that your rear leg and body make a continuous line.
Repeat on the other side.
Neck
In a seated position, take your hand and gently pull your head towards your shoulder – i.e. your ear towards your shoulder.
Apply gentle pressure with your arm over your head.
Repeat on the other side.
Upper Back
Hold on to an upright support at waist height with your arms straight.
Bend at the hips until your torso is parallel to the floor.
Gently pull back, ensuring your back is flat.
Lower Back
Lie on your back, knees bent and arms straight out to each side.
Rotate both legs to each side, keeping your head, shoulders and arms in contact with the floor.
Shoulders
Grab one elbow with your opposite hand.
Gently pull it across your body, aiming the elbow towards the opposite shoulder.
Repeat on the other side.
Chest/Biceps
With your arm fully extended, hold on to an upright support at shoulder level.
Gently turn your body away from your arm, pressing your shoulder forwards.
Repeat on the other side.
Triceps
Place one hand between your shoulder­blades, hand pointing downwards and elbow pointing upwards.
Use your opposite hand to gently press down on your right elbow until you feel a stretch in the triceps.
Repeat on the other side.

8.Top 10 Tips To Well Defined Triceps
Body building involves workouts and exercise of several different body parts and muscles, the major of which include biceps and triceps. The triceps could be defined as the three headed muscle situated at the back of the upper arm. The most common problem with the triceps is that as the person grows older, the triceps would get becomes softer and gelatinous. There is of course the way out to bring the triceps back to its original position just by pursuing some regular training regimens. Though it is advisable to go to the gym for necessary training, but if you cannot spare time for going to the gym anyway, you can easily do it at your home simply by making good use of your furniture as gym equipments.

Some of the ideal exercises for shaping up the different body parts and muscles as suggested by the experts are mentioned below -

Press ups – This exercise is especially designed for the apprentices who have absolutely no experience regarding the strength training workout regimens. Take the standing posture facing towards the wall or just lie down on the floor and start doing press ups against the wall or the floor as the case may be. Ensure that you get the optimal area of movement at the elbow joint.

Isometric Lat pull – The shoulders are equally required to be exercised and strengthened. So again take the standing pose by allowing your shoulders keeping low and relaxed, the chest as well as the rib cage in the lifted position and the abdominal area constricted. Then raise the arms over the head line and cross your wrists holding one in the other hands making two fists with the hands. Constrict the muscles in the arms, shoulders and the upper back region and hold the constriction for a few seconds.

Dips – This exercise directs you to line up flat the exercise bench which should be at far enough distance so that when you lean on with the palms of your hands, the heels of your feet would exactly fit on the edging of the bench allowing you not to fall off. Bend your fingers around the edges of the exercise bench by holding your hands outside of the hips.

Dumbbell kickbacks – It is suggested this exercise should be initiated by holding the light weight dumbbell in your right hand with your palms facing inside towards your body direction. Keep the right foot on the ground, the left knee and the left hand should be kept resting on the bench for proper support. The upper arms should be so positioned so that the body portion from your shoulder to the elbow remains parallel to the floor levels and stationary all through out. The elbow should remain in close to the body and the back should be straight and almost parallel to the floor.

Always remember that while using the barbell the total reps should be around 40 but with the use of the dumbbells the total number of reps would be approx. 60. You should do the sets of 8 to 10 for the most part. Also for the barbell work, use the straight bar and not the EZ curl bar. Maintain the shorter rest periods between 15 to 60 seconds.