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Introduction to Deadlifts, Part 2 |
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Typically what happens is that as you attempt to drive the weight off the floor using mainly your legs, the fact that your hips are displaced so far behind the bar makes it difficult to extend them optimally given the load. The quads, on the other hand, since they're easier for most people to recruit and are in a better position to develop force, end up extending the knee, which causes the hips to rise while still somewhat displaced behind the rest of the body. This "hip kick," as it's known, further increases shearing force on the lower back region. Instead, what you want is a simultaneous extension of the hips, knees, and spine as you lift the weight off the floor.
With the squat, inadequate flexibility created challenges for proper form. The same is true for the deadlift. Tight hamstrings, for instance, will cause the lower back to round (because it disallows the necessary lordoctic arch and forward tilt of the pelvis, for you anatomy buffs). Likewise, tight calf and hip musculature can exacerbate what is already a pretty pronounced forward lean, subjecting you to the risk of kicking up your hips. Obviously then, at the risk of starting to |
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Caloric Consumption |
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The type of calories you consume are extremely important when it comes to putting on muscle size. If you were just aiming at putting on body size you could eat anything and get big. But since the goal is muscle girth, not stomach width, you have to be specific in what and when you eat. The critical point is in obtaining calories from quality protein and complex carbohydrate sources and avoiding sugars, most fats, and highly processed refined foods.
In gaining weight it is necessary to "push the envelope," or go to the edge, in the area of caloric intake. This should be done with the focus on protein and complex carbohydrates. The body does store excess protein and carbohydrates as bodyfat, but only after taking what it needs for growth first. This is the best manner in which to work with your caloric intake. Fats and excess sugars quickly add onto the body as fat, whereas protein and complex carbohydrates are first used for building muscle and energy maintenance. When you "take it to the edge" with caloric intake, as required for extra body size, you are ensuring that the body will first use the food for building larger muscles. |
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Complex Carbohydrates |
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As mentioned, complex carbohydrates are the ideal source for energy. They digest slowly and are absorbed slowly. The calories they contain are burned in an even, prolonged manner, which provides for a consistent release of the critical anabolic hormone insulin. Complex carbohydrates are ideal for the person who is trying to gain muscle mass.
The correct intake of simple sugars should be less than 20 to 30 percent of all carbohydrates and less than 10 percent of the total diet. The fuel source for building massive muscles should be complex carbohydrates.
What are the best sources of complex carbohydrates? The potato is one excellent source. The regular potato is great, and so is the sweet potato. (Make certain, though, that you are eating your sweet potato in a natural manner instead of from a can which is full of added sugar syrup.) Rice is another excellent source of complex carbohydrates. Cereals are excellent provided they are not the type with the added sugar. Oats are great, so is Cream of Wheat and Malt-O-Meal. Another excellent pair of cereals are Grape nuts and Shredded Wheat (biscuits or the bite-size version). Other fantastic sources of complex carbohydrates include the many varieties of beans, and |
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Carbohydrates |
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Protein is the key for direct muscle growth. Carbohydrates are an indirect key for gaining muscle mass. Carbohydrates provide the fuel for the workouts that build the muscle. They are also essential for providing enough substance to prevent the body from having to use muscle as fuel. There are three types of carbohydrates - complex, fibrous, and simple. As noted earlier, protein can be used to provide energy if there is a shortage of the other energy nutrients. If your body runs out of glycogen (the carbohydrate fuel in its basic form), in an anaerobic state, it will use protein and muscle tissue as a source of energy. This is exactly what you want to avoid if you are trying to pack on muscle mass. And you can avoid this condition if you take the right carbohydrates in the right fashion.
Complex carbohydrates ordinarily are the ideal energy source. They are slowly digested and absorbed and their calories are burned in a prolonged, even way, which provides a steady release of the critical anabolic hormone insulin. Fiber-rich carbs ensure good elimination, too. The amount of carbs needed each day varies widely depending upon biochemical individuality and on training intensity and duration. |
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Cardio |
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Okay, we'll admit it; we're a couple of muscle heads. We much prefer the feeling of nailing a new personal best, or getting an incredible pump to the one we get from running a 5-K or doing half an hour on the elliptical machine. Call us crazy, but we never cared much for the whole runner's high, preferring instead to create our endorphin release as the result of moving heavy objects repeatedly. After all, what good is it to have all those purty muscles if you need to stop for oxygen just running down the block?
When you're an ectomorph, it's important to find a balance between relaxing, saving up your energy for your weight-training workouts, and working the old ticker. To hear some experts tell it, guys who have a tough time building muscle have no business doing cardiovascular exercise. Citing the fact that cardiovascular/aerobic work expends too much energy, they argue that doing cardio will have a negative impact on one's ability to build muscle. And to a certain extent, they're right.
Too much cardio will, without question, hamper your ability to add muscle. Resistance training and traditional cardiovascular (a.k.a. aerobic) exercise are at opposite ends of the spectrum in |
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