One of the main things you need to strive for whenyou are at the gym is proportionality. Many times I will see guys walking around with a chest and arms that are huge, but they wear sweat pants because they don’t want you to see how they ignore their leg workouts. Give me a break with that stuff; you need to work out so your body is a matching set.

There are questions about the best way to accomplish this goal. Nearly everyone you see has some part that is out of proportion. Even some of the top dogs in the business have aspects that are slightly out of proportion. The trick to getting your body into top shape is staying with a strategic steady schedule. It’s not really a trick, but more like common sense, but you wouldn’t think so if you look around the gym.

There are a few different ways to accomplish this goal, but I think that I have found the best way. Dividing your time between your different parts is a must. When I am talking about ‘different parts’ I am meaning one day you concentrate on chest, one day legs, etc. Rotation of exercise is also key factor to keeping your body guessing at what is coming up next. For example, if you are doing bicep exercises you don’t want to do hammer curls day after day and think that your biceps are going to have the best shape ever!

You have to mix it up in various fashions. To start with, staying with the same example, hammer curls are a compound exercise, involving many more muscles than just the bicep. So, you want to do some isolation exercises to shock the muscle; jump on the preacher curls, or crank up the weight or turn your sets upside down. There are lots of ways to get that shock to your system that is going to promote maximum growth and sculpt the muscle the way you want it to be. Of course, I go into this in much more detail in my RIPPED Weight Training book.

That sort of shock to your muscles promotes better development of the muscles, but an even bigger part of the proportionality is making sure your body parts match. Do you have one bicep bigger than the other? Do you have the toothpick legs? Be honest with yourself. If you think other people are so struck with your arms that they don’t notice your legs (or your long sweat pants in the middle of summer) you are wrong. The greatest structures on earth have the best foundations. Your legs are your foundation; you need to make them strong and solid, like the base of a pyramid.

Give yourself an honest assessment and have a friend critique you. Tell them to be brutally honest and then don’t get all defensive. At least don’t let them know you are unhappy about what they say. They are doing you a favor, so be a man about it and thank them.

The thing I am really trying to emphasize here is that you are making the best you; if you are doing the right things at the gym. If you are not doing the right things, hey, if you are satisfied with looking out of balance, maybe you should find another discipline than bodybuilding. This sport is about building the perfect body. Don’t get me wrong, all bodies aren’t going to look the same. Your perfect body won’t look exactly like anyone else’s, but it will be the right one for you, if you pay attention to your proportions and make them right.

Proportionality is one of the pillars of the ripped system because I think it is a foundation of bodybuilding. Next time you are in the gym take a look around and I am sure you will agree; the best physiques are proportional.

(c) Copyright 2007 by Steve Gwillim

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Technorati Profile

 I read the RIPPED Weight Training e-book and all I can say is WOW! I thought this was going to be another one of those “all-hype, no information” type of book, but that wasn’t the case at all. Steve’s e-book contained a lot of information I never heard before, along with a clear-cut method of applying the knowledge. Combined with the concise workout routines on the website, this makes a dynamite contribution to my quest for a R.I.P.P.E.D. physique.

        There are many books out there on the internet and in my local bookstore, but I have to say the information contained in the RIPPED Weight Training e-book has an in-your-face, here are the facts approach that is refreshing. It doesn’t try to tell you that you’re going to gain 20 pounds of muscle and cut your fat percentage to 10% overnight or anything like that; it’s the real deal.

 Steve’s take-no-prisoners attitude has me in the gym working harder probably than ever before in my life, but I am finally getting the results I’ve always wanted. There is no magic pill or supplement that can replace getting in the gym and moving iron. The secret here is making the best use of your time by having the right mind-set and the right exercises to do. RIPPED Weight Training combines that with the right diet and cardio program; it is a total package. I have to say I am totally happy with the results I am getting.Steve has a unique way of expressing himself, and the points he makes are like nothing I’ve ever read before. His no-nonsense approach combined with a touch of humor made reading the book and getting into the guts of bodybuilding a snap. The testimonials on the web site  show the results from his methods are real, and that has me hitting the gym with a new intensity. I know that I can get the body I want from using this cutting-edge information.

Thanks Steve for showing me the most effective way to fast results!

Dan Fellowes Sydney

I am 19, 5'7, 119 pounds and a girl. I am trying to gain muscle, but not gain any weight. Getting rid of some fat would be a plus too. My current gym routine involves an hour on the elliptical, 10 minutes speed walking on the treadmill, 40 minutes of weight lifting and body sculpting exercises, 10 minutes of stretching. I typically eat about 900 to 1400 calories a day. Am I on the right track to gain muscle without gaining weight?

If you are wanting to gain muscle you are going to gain weight! You cannot gain muscle and lose weight I think what you mean is you want to tone up which effectively is burning fat to reveal the muscles, remember a persons weight and a persons body fat % are two totally different things girls who are skinny are light because they have very little muscle, muscle is dense and is alot heavier than fat, where as a toned figure would still carry abit of weight due to the muscles but still be a healthier body and not to mention more attractive. Weight should never be the issue when judging a healthy body its more about your body fat percentage.

I'm 13 and I'd like to be ripped, but I hear that building muscle at such a young age can stunt your growth. Is this true? Thanks in advance.

I don't believe that working out at a young are will spurt your growth, i started when i was 14 an my brother did nothing and we are around the same height, but i am in better shape than he is. concentrate on doing squats, press ups and pull ups, use your body weight instead of weights to build endurance and strenght, i disagree with the comment left above mine that it can harm you, in my opinion will be of good benefit for you, just don't go lifting anything to heavy, as i said, use your own body weight

I've heard that its better to weight train before the season starts so it gives you a good base, but then how much should you continue to weight train during your competition season? And how much do you think it could improve my time? I run a 1:43 half marathon, but my training isn't that structured.

you can do weight training. But focus on high reps with low weight, otherwise you will bulk up with too much "fast twitch" muscle fibres, which will just slow you down over long distances.

My priority is to loose weight, so I am jogging. I am wroking up to 5 days of jogging at 45min-60min. I want to add serious weight training. Where could I find/what is a great 3 day work out. I'll do 4 if I have to. I'd like to skip legs if possible because I hate it and also because if I'm running so much I don't want to over do my lower body.
Some good answers so far, thanks. Can anyone tell me a website and/or a book that has good animations or pictures of weight training exercises and specific routines?
I should be clearer…when I say "fast" I mean the most efficient way. I understand things take time and there aren't shot cuts, but there are still efficient and economic (in economic I don't mean less expensive, I mean the least amount of time and work giving the most results) methods. In other words, I'm asking for a routine that gives efficient results for muscle gain while doing quite a bit of cardio.

OK there is a website I have come across that is really great.

www.bodybuilding.com

Refer to the exercise demo's section.

Just remember to only do weights 3 times per week and have a total rest day one day a week. You should never do weights consecutively as it takes your muscles 48 hours to recoup. You still burn calories from weights after 48 hours it's a great method to burn body fat as well.

Running 5 days has it's draw backs like leg injuries and the same muscle groups get used to it so you burn less calories. You need to perhaps include more increase your variety, so you won't get bored. You will probably like boxing as well. If you don't want to join a gym get a punching bag or a friend and use some focus pads.
Spin is also another great exercise as is training up stairs or sand dunes.

Good luck!

Once again, you see that there is a specific diet that is known to solve all your problems. Of course, it comes from a new state, has a new name, and works by eliminating all of those things you don’t need to stay healthy. You’ve heard it before, and you know that you will hear it again.

If you are not interested in knowing about the latest fad diet, why not turn to a program that has been used for centuries? Yoga for weight loss is a method that has been used to repair your body into a natural state and help to develop every area of your body. If you want to find a relaxing way to loose weight, as well as help with the overall health of your body, than understanding how Yoga works is a great place to begin.

When looking at Yoga as an exercise, one will be able to see that it is built for an overall increase in better body functioning. This doesn’t stop with weight loss. It also includes strength training, flexibility, balance and help with internal health. Whether you are beginning new workout routines, or are a triathlon, Yoga is a recommended form of exercise to continue to push your body to new levels of balance and health.

Several of the exercises that are used for Yoga are designed to increase blood flow. As this circulation begins to change, it also begins to affect internal organs. There are a variety of inversion moves that are used in Yoga that specifically target on increasing circulation and working with internal organs. These all cause the digestive system to relax and shift. Many who use Yoga will refer to this as a massaging of the organs. Your body will begin to respond by detoxifying, or getting rid of the extra things that are in this part of your body. Over time, you will begin to feel the difference in your energy level, and notice the difference from the size of your clothing.

Not only will the blood flow begin to change to help with a cleansing of your internal organs, but there will also be a shift in cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fat that is used for energy and is necessary for functioning. If there is too much stored in your system, it can cause weight gain. Yoga poses will allow the blood and oxygen to move around the areas in the internal system that has extra cholesterol. Over time, it will remove the extra cholesterol that you don’t need; part of the detoxification process. If you have high cholesterol and practice Yoga daily, you will begin to see the improvements.

Moving beyond these direct affects for the body and weight loss in Yoga, are the other parts of the practice that can help to change the functioning of your body. Often times, weight gain is related to stressful factors in daily functioning and emotional overhauls that occur. Yoga begins with the breath first, and most of the poses are to be done at a slow pace. While you are twisting, you will also learn to relax. Combined with the physical effects of the movements, the mental charge behind this can help to support weight loss.

If you want to find the perfect exercise routine and not become involved in another diet fad, Yoga is a perfect solution. Among all of the other benefits that come with doing Yoga is the ability for it to pose your body into the shape that you want. No matter what your size, Yoga for weight loss can become a perfect fit.

Julie Health
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/relaxing-into-your-workout-yoga-for-weight-loss-78663.html