Hello Everyone. As regular readers will know I have not posted for over two weeks now. This is for a variety of reasons. Mainly because I had exams the week before last and then I started a new job last week so it has all been quite hectic and I have struggled to find the time to post.

Anyway, this weekend I knew I had some free time so I thought I would dedicate it to getting a few quality posts added to the blog. At the same time I was also working on an idea I had for a new blog page. The page would contain full details of my entire workout with full text instructions and video demonstrations. I thought to create this page it would take a day at the most. However, I seriously underestimated the task and have spent almost the entire weekend getting this page ready.

Thankfully, it is now finally ready and to be honest I think it actually was worth the wait. The page contains a day by day account of my entire workout. All the weights I lift are here for you to see with full video instructions. Every rep, every set and every exercise has been documented in over 10,000 words and over 30 videos. I think it is one of the most detailed workout pages on the Internet and I hope you agree. You can view the page using the link below.

Click Here to view My Workout Routine

I really hope you enjoy this page and if you have any feedback at all please leave me a comment. Comments were up until recently not working on this blog - due to an unforseen problem. That problem has now been fixed and comments are fully functional.

Hi Everyone. Today I have another free ebook for you - The Original Turbulence Training Bodyweight Workout from Craig Bannatyne. With this workout you can burn fat and build muscle using just your own bodyweight. In the ebook Craig discusses good and bad food choices, turbulence training guidelines and provides you with a wide range of sample exercises.

Click Here to Download The Original Turbulence Training Bodyweight Workout!!

The neck consists of at least nine muscles, each of which play different roles in the movement of the neck. It is one of the most versatile muscles in the body with some of the muscles allowing the head and neck to rotate, yaw and demonstrate roll and pitch. This is known as the “three degrees of freedom”. In this article I discuss the benefits of training your neck muscles and outline a number of ways that you can build your neck muscles.

Many people are unaware of how to build their neck muscles and often neglect it in their weight training routines. Even some professional athletes fail to train their neck muscles. Indeed, neck injuries are common in high contact sports and the level of neck injuries could be reduced if the athletes involved were taught how to build their neck muscles properly. Neglecting the neck muscles can also lead to an imbalance being formed around your shoulder and back area sometimes giving you a hunched look. Therefore, it makes sense to make your neck muscles part of your overall weight training routine.

Apart from reduced injury, building your neck muscles can also improve your overall performance in sports and give your body a better overall look. Below I have outlined some top tips to help build your neck muscles:

1) WARM UP:- Before starting to work your neck muscles it is very important to warm up properly. The neck is one muscle you do not want to injure. To begin your warm up lightly rotate the neck from side to side. Do not make full revolutions as this is not good for the neck.

2) LIGHT HAND RESISTANCE:- When you begin the actual workout, light resistance against the hand is a good idea. Using heavy resistance to train your neck is not a good idea as the neck contains many nerves that you do not want to get pinched. It is also unnecessary because the neck can benefit from just a few, simple, light workouts.

3) NECK HARNESS:- A neck harness is another useful way to build your neck muscles. They can be purchased for a reasonable price online.

4) SPECIALISED GYM EQUIPMENT:- This equipment is quite difficult to find because it is primarily used by physiotherapists to help those recovering from neck and back injuries. However, if you are lucky enough to find a gym which has such equipment it is useful way to diversify your neck training routine.

I hope this article has outlined the importance of building your neck muscles. This training does not have to be intensive. A light workout using your hands as resistance will do just fine. When training be aware that the neck can be easily injured so you should consult a qualified instructor before you begin. However, whatever you do make sure that you do not neglect the neck.

To gain muscle mass you will need to make changes to both your diet and exercise routine. You will need to consume a high protein diet and stick diligently to a specific training routine. It will take a lot of hours in the gym and a lot of the right foods but if you persist you will gain muscle mass. In this article I discuss a six distinct factors which will affect your muscle building efforts:

1) FREE WEIGHTS VS MACHINES:- Free weights and weight machines can both be used to train almost every muscle in your body. However, free weights are much more effective because they bring secondary muscles into action meaning you train additional muscles by using them. For example, if you use the shoulder press machine it is completely controlled when it goes up and down so you isolate very specific muscles when using it. However, if you do a shoulder press with the dumbells your range of motion is not restricted. You have to use additional muscles to balance the weights as you perform the exercise and new muscles are used because your range of motion is greater than that of a machine.

2) EXERCISE ROUTINE:- Most gyms have standardised exercise routines that you can follow. However, for weight gain a more individual training program is required. You should get a trainer at the gym and consult with them to assess your body type. With most people one area of the body will require additional attention. For example, if you have small biceps, you should do more weight training on your biceps compared with your triceps. This will allow your body to grow proportionately as you gain muscle mass.

Also, different people react differently to certain exercises. You might find that you gain lots of chest muscle from doing the chest press but struggle to pack weight on your biceps. Your friend might be exactly the opposite and build their biceps quickly whilst struggling to bulk up their chest. You will need to experiment under the supervision of your trainer until you find what suits you best and yields the best results. Once you have discovered the areas best exercises for you and the areas of your body that require extra attention, write them down and create your very own, personal exercise routine.

3) REPETITIONS AND SETS:- To gain muscle mass you have to follow very specific guidelines when performing exercise repetitions. The general rule is; very low reps (i.e. just 1 or 2) build strength, low reps help you gain muscle mass and high repetitions help you tone your muscles. Different people have different opinions on how many repetitions are the best for building muscle but I have found between 8-12 repetitions for each exercise to be effective. You should look to perform 3-4 sets of each exercise, so for example a typical chest day might look like:

- Dumbell Chest Press (4 sets with each set consisting of 8 repetitions).

- Barbell Chest Press (4 sets with each set consisting of 8 repetitions).

- Incline Dumbell Chest Press (4 sets with each set consisting of 8 repetitions).

- Decline Barbell Chest Press (4 sets with each set consisting of 8 repetitions).

- Dumbell Flyes (4 sets with each set consisting of 8 repetitions).

You should be struggling to do all the repetitions for each set. If you can do more than 12 then this is a sign that you need to increase the weight you are lifting. When performing the repetitions make sure that you are slow and deliberate to ensure that you are fully working all the muscles involved. Rushing will only lead to you not doing the exercise properly and not realising the full benefits of your training.

4) OVER TRAINING:- Above I have outlined the most effective ways to train if you are trying to gain muscle mass. However, this does not mean you can just take this advice and go all out. Training too much can be detrimental to your muscle building efforts and can be very dangerous. To ensure that you do not over train split your weight lifting routine into three or four specific days. For example:

- Monday = Chest and Triceps.

- Wednesday = Back and Forearms.

- Thursday = Legs.

- Friday = Shoulders and Biceps.

On the other days you should rest. A little cardiovascular exercise is OK on your rest days but no heavy weight training. By having rest days you will avoid over training and give your muscles time to rest, repair and grow. It may also be a good idea to limit each weight training session to under 2 hours and take a whole week off from training every 6-8 weeks.

5) DIET:- To gain muscle mass you need to be eating a high protein diet. Meats are a key factor in a high protein diet because they are rich in protein and help build muscle mass. It is advisable to stick mainly to lean meats (e.g. Chicken breast, white fish) so that you do not take in too much excess fat, but a little red meat also has its benefits when trying to build muscle mass. If you feel that you cannot get enough protein through your diet then you may want to consider protein powders. These are a convenient way to get additional protein in liquid form and used by the majority of bodybuilders.

You also need to increase your overall caloric intake. This might mean that you gain fat as well as muscle but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Additional fat stores means that you will have extra energy and calories to lift heavier weights and gain muscle mass. Once you reach your desired muscle weight you can always change to a fat burning diet for a short period until you reach a happy medium.

6) NUMBER OF MEALS:- If you are eating to gain muscle it is recommended that you increase your number of daily meals to 5 or 6. By eating more regularly you can saturate your body with amino acids and glycogen (gained from carbohydrates and proteins) and ensure that your body does not enter starvation mode (whereby it would start burning muscle tissues).

I hope this article has outlined what you need to consider if you are trying to gain muscle mass. Diet and exercise will determine the amount of muscle you gain but if you do not have accurate information on these topics your muscle building efforts will be frugal. Read the article again then remember this simple sentence; Train Right - Eat Right – Gain Muscle Mass.

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If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about building muscle mass I recommend Vince DelMonte’s No Nonsense Muscle Building program. In this program Vince (a professional Fitness Coach and contributor to Men’s Fitness Magazine) outlines how to gain muscle quickly and naturally.

Bodyweight training is one of the most effective ways to burn fat and build muscle. When our weight gets to a certain level many of us decide that we need to join the gym or purchase training equipment. However, it is actually possible to train using your own bodyweight and achieve similar results. Many people neglect the potential of bodyweight training and in this article I intend to change that and make you aware of the benefits bodyweight training has to offer.

Bodyweight training can help improve your physique by starting with as little as 15-20 minutes work a day. As you get used to the training you should allocate more time which will in turn yield more impressive results. To ensure that you are getting adequate training time you need to make bodyweight training part of your daily schedule. Maybe you could get out of bed 20 minutes earlier or perhaps you could watch TV for 20 minutes less each day. As your bodyweight training progresses you should be able to come up with more creative ways to fit in your training times. If the appearance of your body is important to you then you will always be able to find the time. Stick with it, do it every day and you will begin to notice surprising results.

One of the main concerns with bodyweight training is the frequency with which you exercise. Many people think that you should exercise 3-4 times a week or every other day. This is partially true. Bodybuilders who participate in high intensity, high volume workouts require the additional rest between training and therefore should only train 3-4 times a week. However, bodyweight training is much less intensive. If you train for 15-20 minutes each day you will have a significant 1,420-1,425 minutes to recover. This is plenty of time. Plus, your overall training time for the week will be between 2-4 hours – a reduction compared with the time you would spend in 3-4 sessions at the gym.

So now that I have introduced you to bodyweight training and its benefits you are probably wondering what do I actually do? Well there are plenty of exercises you can do but I’ve outlined one of my favourites below:

THE BURPEE CHIN UP COMBO:

- To begin stand under a chin up bar (if you do not currently own one adjustable chin up bars can be purchased very cheaply on eBay or from the majority of department stores).

- Slowly squat down, bending your knees and keeping your back straight.

- Place your hands on the floor in front of you.

- Kick back with your feet so that you are in a push up position.

- Do a push up.

- Jump your feet back under your chest and stand up rapidly.

- Grab the chin up bar with your palms facing towards you.

- Do a chin up.

- Squat back down and repeat.

Try and keep this up for 15 minutes and you will quickly realise how tough bodyweight training can be. If you do this exercise every morning you will start to notice changes within the week. It will help you burn fat and build muscle in a very short space of time.

Bodyweight training has almost limitless possibilities. It does not stop at this one exercise. If you check out this Bodyweight Training Forum there are lots of great bodyweight training discussions happening which contain plenty of advice and exercises that you can use in your own routine. To progress with your bodyweight training set a feasible goal for each week. Once you achieve it set a new one for the next week. As long as you put in the effort you can burn fat and build muscle without attending the gym.