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We all want to achieve the fastest bodybuilding gains.  Sometimes bodybuilders focus their attention on the latest and greatest supplements on the market in hopes to accelerate gains.  However, do you want a tip that will really maximize your gains?  Check your exercise form and lift the weights properly.

As obvious as this may sound, in practice what you see over and over again in gyms all across the world is a lot of heavy lifting with very poor exercise form.  Keep in mind that bodybuilding is not just about lifting a weight from point A to point B.  The goal is to use the weights as a tool to make the muscles contract and stimulate them to grow.  So what is the proper way for bodybuilders to lift the weight?

You need to feel the muscle contract as you execute the movement and then you need to feel it elongate during the stretch position.  If you are just getting started, I suggest that you take 2 seconds to lift the weight (the positive portion of the exercise) and 3-4 seconds to lower it (the negative portion of the exercise).  Make sure that you go through the full range of motion and avoid swinging motions or using momentum to get the weight lifted.  Become an expert at creating a mind to muscle connection that will activate as many muscle fibers as possible when you lift the weight.

Think of bodybuilding exercise as posing but with weights.  So for example, if you do a biceps curl, focus on the squeeze of the biceps and then on the stretch as you take the weight back to the starting position.  The upper arms should remain stationary and only the forearms should move as you focus on making the biceps stretch and then contract as hard as possible.  The better you become at creating a mind to muscle connection by concentrating on lifting properly the better your bodybuilding gains will be.  You may need to back off a bit on the weight lifted at first but I guarantee you that the results will be well worth it!

Exercise Form and Lifting The Weights Properly Are The Keys for the Fastest Bodybuilding Gains originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Saturday, November 19th, 2011 at 21:39:03.

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As someone who has played around with many bodybuilding tactics over the last two decades, I can tell you that the strategy of eating like a pig in order to gain muscle will leave you, unfortunately, looking like one. With the exception of hardgainers who have a super fast metabolism, most of us need to focus on consuming quality calories in order to gain muscle. Furthermore, we cannot consume calories indiscriminately as again, doing so will invariable result in too much fat gain.

Because I have gotten a lot of emails lately on this subject, here is an article that I put together that will clear up the confusion: Bodybuilding Tips for Bulking Up Without Gaining Fat

Bodybuilding Tips for Bulking Up Without the Fat originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 16:44:10.

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If you are worried that the Holidays will derail you from achieving your bodybuilding goals, there is no need to fear.  There are some things that you can do in order to take advantage of the increased food availability.  If you play your cards right you may get away with having your cake and eating it too so to speak.  In other words, if you train and diet intelligently throughout this period you will gain muscle while at the worst case, maintaining your same body fat levels.  Sounds interesting?  If so, then take a look at my 10 Bodybuilding Strategies for Staying Fit Throughout the Holidays and watch the muscle pile up as you still get to enjoy the Holiday season.  Try these strategies out and let me know how they work for you.

Holiday Bodybuilding Survival Guide originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Thursday, November 24th, 2011 at 03:45:40.

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