BODYBUILDING SERIES: Building the Chest Muscles

Your chest muscles, the pectoralis muscle, is a broad flat, fan-shaped muscle that covers your upper rib cage.

Note:  Fit4everyoung.com is starting several new series on building up and toning the body. These series will appear frequently on our site. We will be starting with the first series, focusing on the Upper Body and throughout the next several weeks, we will focus on the Lower Body as well as the additional aspects of all-over body building.

The chest muscles starts from the attachments along your collarbone, breast bone, and ribs and it attaches to each side of your body by a large tendon through your shoulder joint, into your upper arm bone. In order to build up your chest, you need to properly exercise the pectoralis muscle. Remember that any exercise you do must be done correctly. Not only can you severely injure yourself with improper exercise techniques, you also do not benefit from the exercise as much as you should.

Here is a basic overview of the various exercises that you can do to build up your upper body and chest area. This is not a complete list but will help get you started on working out the chest area.
Read more

BODYBUILDING SERIES: Building the Arm Muscles

The anatomy of the arm is made up of different sets of muscles. The muscles in the front of the arm are known as the biceps, the triceps are located in the back of the upper arm, the brachialis muscle that covers the elbow, and the brachioradialis, which is the muscle that covers the forearm. In building strength in the body, the arms are a very significant area that influences other strength-building routines. The arms also are a highly visible region of the body so toning and definition are important aspects in addition to strength. For the bodybuilder, large and well-defined biceps and triceps are a general characteristic.

The function of the biceps is to lift your arm, perform the curling motion, and to twist the wrist downward. The biceps brachii is a two-headed muscle which starts under the deltoid and ends just beneath the elbow.  The tricep muscles comprise about two-thirds of the overall arm mass. The function of the tricep muscle is to work opposite of the biceps in order to straighten the arm and twist the wrist upward. The tricep muscle stretches along the back of the upper arm. There are three heads to the muscle, called the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. The long head is attached to the inner part of your scapula, the lateral and medial heads are attached to the main upper arm bone, known as the humerus.

Read more

BODYBUILDING SERIES: Building Up Your Abs

Ripped abdominal muscles or ripped abs are one of the focal points of any bodybuilder. Even those who are not pursing competitive abs would love to develop their own set of washboard abs because it is a visula center of every human body.

To develop our mid-section to the max, you need to develop each muscle group in proportion to the other muscle groups, notably the legs, back and pectoral muscles. The muscles of the mid-section include the rectus abdominus, intercostals and the external obliques. The muscles can be developed into the kind of body you are looking for through a variety of high-intensity exercises. If you are developing your abs specifically for competition, every striation, contour, and angle must be enhanced and brought out.
Read more

BODYBUILDING SERIES: Building Your Shoulder Muscles

Building Your Shoulder Muscles is the main topic; however, we will focus on the Lower Body as well as the additional aspects of all-over body building.

The shoulder muscle, also called the deltoid, is a difficult muscle to build but a well-defined deltoid can really enhance the overall look of the body. Developing the shoulder muscle does require correct movement and training in order to provide optimum results. You need to work in the proper order and use the correct form at all time.

The deltoid is made up of three heads: posterior, anterior, and lateral. There are several exercises that can be done to increase strength and mass development which we will discover here.

Read more

BODYBUILDING SERIES: Building Buff Legs

Building nice, shapely, buff legs is an integral part of any exercise or bodybuilder regimen. It will give your lower body a muscular, curvier appearance and enhance the overall look of your body. You want to add definition and tone to your legs plus build strength.

There are five basic exercises you can perform regularly to build great legs. The results of these exercises will be rather quick if done consistently. Here are the five basics to include in your workout to focus on your legs:

Walking Uphill
This exercise is great for cardio training, while at the same time toning the legs and glutes at the same time. As you move uphill, you are working out the leg muscles, making them stronger and more shapely. It is highly recommended that you perfomr the proper amount of stretching before and after this exercise, as keeping legs in motion for more than 30 minutes can cause cramping, stiffness, and pain, especially if you are just starting out.
Read more

BODYBUILDING SERIES: Shaping the Butt and Thighs

One of the more difficult areas of the body to shape and tone is the butt (buttocks) and the thighs. Women in particular find it difficult to keep away to fat that deposits in these areas but it is not an impossible task. There are several simple exercises that will help tone and shape your glutes and upper thighs.

Read more

BODYBUILDING SERIES: A Bodybuilder’s First Aid Preparedness

Before we begin the start of bodybuilding, we must take getting the necessary steps in preparing for such a wonderful activity.

Over the last several weeks, we have provided exercise and training tips and today, as the final wrap up to the series, we will cover some additional tips for your bodybuilding work out. Thanks for sticking with us and we hope to bring you additional series in the near future.

When you are working to train and strengthen your body doing any kind of routine or exercise, there is always the possibility that injury can occur, especially if you are just getting started. There are many first aid kits of all varieties available for sale in the sporting good stores and other retail locations but there is also nothing stopping you from putting something together yourself.

Here is list of basic items you can add to your kit in order to be prepared for any incident or accident:

Instant Ice Packs/Heat Packs
In the event you sprain or bruise a muscle, you can use an instant ice pack to keep the swelling down. It is best to have more than one instant ice pack on hand and keep some other ice packs stored in your freezer for continued use. Also keep on hand some instant heat packs for the same reason.

Bandages
It’s always good to have a supply of different sized bandages in case you get s scrape or cut. It will help to keep it from getting infected or bleeding further. You should also keep on hand some wrapping bandages in case of a sprain or a twist. Waterproof tape can also be handy to have on hand.

Read more

A Review: Bodybuilding.com

Bodybuilding.com’s mission is “To help our visitors reach their health, fitness and appearance goals through information, motivation and supplementation.”  That’s a big goal, does the site live up to it’s mission?

From the homepage, a web visitor is presented with four main options for accessing information: the store, the SuperSite, the BodySpace and the Forums.

In the store, you have access to over 8,500 different products designed for your health and fitness needs – supplements, clothing and accessories.  When reading comments about Bodybuilding.com on Amazon – many customers who have made purchases from the store complained that they receive the wrong items.  Almost all said they received their orders fast, and that when the orders were wrong they were corrected immediately.  The prices of the products are just average – you can probably find the same products for cheaper at other stores and online fitness websites.
Read more

Hybrid Workout

Athletes often use hybrid workouts into their training regimens because they can improve the level of conditioning as well as increase individual strength. Also known as complexes, hybrid exercises are essentially a sets of different exercises performed together in one set. These exercises can be performed using dumbbells, barbells, or weight plates. As a bodybuilder, hybrid workouts are just as effective as for athletes. They are great to use during times when you are short on time for a workout.

Types of Hybrid Exercises

Uptight Row
While you remain standing, grasp the bar a bit wider than your shoulder width with an overhand grip. Pull the bar to the top of your chest, keeping the elbows above the bar. Keep your chest forward and your shoulders back, being careful not to lean forward with your body.
Read more