The Infonian

You might presume Rest Pause Training is the way a few guys at the gym take long rests in between their sets of bicep curls, talking with their buddies way more than they should. The reality of rest pause training is far from using your resting time to catch up on the latest bodybuilding gossip. In fact, the Weider’s Principle of Rest Pause Training entails tricking the target muscle into going way beyond failure with a weight that you would generally be able to lift for only a few reps.

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This trickery is a result of both chemical and psychological reactions. The brief rest periods encourage the muscles rapidly recover by permitting them to refill their stock of phosphocreatine, the same molecule that’s excited when you supplement with creatine. Using this additional shot of energy, the muscle can contract with added power, making bigger force and additional reps. Using this strategy, you WILL get increases in strength and size, along with a bigger ego.

Weider’s Principle of Rest Pause Training is generally used in two ways.

You could train for size by repping to failure, resting for 10-15 seconds, then repeating this until repping to failure once again. Doing this 2-3 times per set causes the muscles to contract overtime and forces the chemical alterations within muscle cells that produce growth.

You can also train for strength by using a weight which allows you to accomplish 3-5 reps, then doing one rep, rack the weight and wait 15 seconds, then do another rep. Repeat this until you complete 4-6 reps overall. This is one rest-pause set for strength.

Instead of keeping the spotlight on either size or strength, we have created for you an alternating rest pause training routine that modifies the two workouts to give you the chance to train for both hypertrophy and strength gains. To simplify this for you, lets look at one-arm and one-leg weightlifting exercises.

Utilizing the dumbbell curl as an instance: Pick a weight that your able to use to finish 6-8 reps. Then complete 3 reps with your right arm, do the same with your left arm. Switch arms again for another 3 reps. Endure in this style, doing 3 rest-pause sets for 3 reps, then two rest-pause sets for 2 reps, finishing off with one rest-pause set for one rep.

After completion, you will have endured 14 reps on each arm with a weight that you could generally complete only 6-8 reps. This method forces not only the target muscle/s to grow but also encourages their pure strength. Studies show that when executing unilateral exercises, your able to lift more than 50% what you could lift with both limbs! If these numbers don’t tell you to incorporate Rest Pause Training into your workout routine, then you might as well be the guy in the intro of this article.

As an athlete, you should always be looking for ways to increase energy, strength and performance. Do you know that through the proper nutrition you can increase all of the above?

But what foods should you eat in order to make sure you stay performing at the top of your game?

We’ll take a look at these top 5 tips to ensure your body is given the proper nutrition for athletic enhancement and performance.

1. Eat 5 to 6 Small Meals a Day

This is by far the #1 tip when it comes to proper nutrition for athletes. Imagine your body like a race car. In order for a race car to function properly you need to give it the best gasoline, oil and tires to run the way it is supposed to. Likewise, without proper nutrition, you will not reach your full athletic potential. By eating 5 to 6 small meals a day, you will be able to recover at a faster rate and increase your energy levels!

2. Consume The Right Ratio of Macronutrients

A topic not discussed very often with regards to proper nutrition for athletes is macronutrients. They consist of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Without them you will not be able to survive. If you consume the correct amount of macronutrients at the right time, you will be well on your way to achieving your set goals, regardless of the sport you are in.

Definitely make sure that you emphasize complex carbs throughout the day and also include some simple carbs before and after the workouts. Finally, lean protein sources in every meal and some fats that are high in Omega 3s should be the sort of foods that make up your diet.

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3. Drink Plenty of Clean Water

The ideal amount of water to consume is your body weight multiplied by .66. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, you will require 132 ounces (200 multiplied by .66) of water. If you are not properly hydrated, your athletic performance will be hindered.

Water also helps to cleanse your body and acts as a detox to any harmful substances that may linger around. It keeps you hydrated and cools you off when you are sweating. In addition, water is required for important processes such as fat burning and muscle production.

4. Consume a Post-Workout Recovery Meal

Post-workout meals are important as they help you replenish your glycogen levels. Glycogen (stored carbs) is needed for energy and gets burned up after a workout as they are your main source of energy. As a result, after working out you should consume a meal that is high in protein and carbohydrates (both simple and complex). By doing this, you will allow your body to recover faster and will allow you to be that much better the next time you exercise or perform any physical activity.

5. Take Your Multi Vitamin and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals allow your body to process chemical reactions at an accelerated rate. B-complex vitamins provide a great health benefit as they help to further break down carbohydrates which in terms will give you energy. While you do obtain vitamins and minerals from certain foods you eat, they usually are not enough for those who are involved in physical activities such as exercising and sports.

I’m a strongman. I’ll Love the sport ’til I die! Although there are many different fitness topics in this blog, Strongman is the sport I’m most inclined to discuss. Anyone wishing to post their fitness routines/diets/workouts on Infonian.com is more than welcome to! Just send me your workout to workouts@infonian.com and I will be MORE than happy to evaluate it, post it on the homepage, and give you valuable feedback…FOR FREE!!!

That’s it. No catch. I’m not going to ask for payment in anyway anyhow. I just take pride in learning how athletes, like you, do what they love and helping them out however I can. If I see any drawbacks in your fitness plan, I’ll discuss in a review I’ll write. And of course you should expect to get “two thumbs up” for submitting your workout. Besides just getting feedback from a fellow athlete, you will be adding to the mass amount of articles on this site. Now that’s what I call killing two birds with one stone!

Anabolic (an-ah-BOL-ik) This term refers to the process of building up. Steroids are called anabolic because they build up your muscles.

It is a fact that today’s bodybuilding arena is influenced by the use of anabolic steroids. The trend has become more and more apparent over the years. The use and abuse has become so wide spread that we can no longer afford to ignore the topic. Whether you feel strongly for or against the use of steroids is your own decision. However before making any decision it is your responsibility to fully educate yourself with the facts. Here is an analogy. A parent may not feel comfortable talking to their kids about sex for the first time but they can’t continue to avoid the topic. Simply because a parent talks to their children about sex doesn’t mean that they want them to go out and have sex. Instead they are hoping that with the proper information they will be able to make an educated decision.

Until you can put yourself in someone else’s position it is tough to know why they make the decisions they do. For example, if you are pro athlete and you have the opportunity to extend your career, or compete for a starting position perhaps you may be more likely to consider the alternative. You may call this an unfair advantage or cheating but where do we draw the line. People that use bodybuilding supplements have an unfair advantage over those that chose not to use them. Does that mean they are cheating as well? It is a very gray area and there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut right or wrong answers to many of the questions we ask ourselves. In some countries it is legal to take steroids. Does that mean it’s ethically okay to use steroids in certain countries and not others? One could argue yes to that question. In the United States Steroids are illegal therefore it would be wrong to take them here. The debate could go on and on and I’m sure it will for many years to come.

One thing you can do is educate yourself about the possible dangers of steroid use. Most of the benefits are commonly known so this article will discuss the other side of the coin.

Dangers of Steroids

When prescribed and used correctly, steroids can be very beneficial for many people. Steroids are often used to control asthma or to improve the health of people with auto-immune disorders. When used without the supervision of a physician, steroids can be very dangerous substances that cause many mental and physical health problems. Understanding the risks involved with using steroids can be helpful in deciding whether or not to proceed with this dangerous habit.

There are two major types of steroids that can be taken by people looking to increase their muscle mass and enhance their athletic performance. Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones that are very close to the real hormones produced by the body. The most powerful one is testosterone. There are also steroidal supplements that contain DHEA and androstenedione. These steroids and supplements have become popular because they can help increase muscle mass by affecting the body the way that natural testosterone affects the body.

Steroids can cause mild or serious side effects. Some of the minor effects associated with steroid use are usually problems that can occur without the use of steroids and are associated with abnormal hormone levels. These minor side effects can include an increase in facial or body acne, hair loss, irritability, and dizziness. Steroid and supplement use can also cause very serious side effects that can be harmful in the short term and may even cause long-term side effects. Some of the side effects that can affect both men and women when taking steroids can be associated with several systems of the body. Some hormonal problems that can occur include premature balding and stunting of growth. Using steroids can cause cardiac issues such as rapid heartbeat and hypertension that causes permanent damage to the body’s blood vessels. The urinary system can also be affected by steroids and difficulty urinating can be a result.

The risk of developing heart disease, strokes, and some types of cancer is also increased when steroids are used when not needed to manage medical conditions. Digestive problems such as nausea and vomiting can start when the body is subjected to the use of steroids or steroidal supplements. Other medical problems that can result from the use of steroids are sleeplessness, trembling, achy joints, a greater risk of injury to muscles and tendons, liver damage, and skin jaundice. Some of the most startling problems associated with the use of steroids are the psychological problems that are created. Steroid use can cause paranoia, seeing things that don’t exist, severe mood swings, anger, and depression.

There are also gender-specific side effects of using steroids or steroidal supplements. Men can experience painful urination, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, sterility, and the development of breasts and other female characteristics. Women can also experience side effects from using steroids and supplements. These side effects include changes in the menstrual cycle, shrinking of the breasts, deepening of the voice, and increased facial hair growth. While taking steroids and steroidal supplements can have a positive short-term effect on muscle mass and athletic performance, the dangerous side effects make steroids a poor choice for gaining strength. A good diet and exercise program would be a much better way to increase performance and would also improve health.

In closing I’d like to share a Critical Bench Web site poll from 2003. 509 votes were tallied and the results were as followed.

We asked how you felt anabolic steroids and received the following results.

1. Best thing since sliced bread 10%

2. Worth a try 20%

3. Impartial 19%

4. They are for losers 51%

Mike Westerdal is the owner of www.criticalbench.com . Visit his site to receive two free PDF reports entitled, “31 Days To Bigger Arms” and “Boosting Testosterone Levels for Big Muscle Gains.”

Author: Mike Westerdal