The Best Exercise You Can Do for your Butt

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There are many myths and misconceptions about exercise and most of them center around weight training. One of the most popular myths is that doing certain exercises will help you get rid of trouble spots. Despite evidence that spot training does not work, you might see people frantically doing crunches to get rid of a tummy pooch, or doing leg lifts to get rid of saddle bags.

While it is true that these exercises will strengthen and tone muscles, they don't do much about the overlying layer of fat. The body draws energy from everywhere, not just the muscle you're working at the moment, so the the only way to get rid of fat is to burn more calories than you take in. If you want to tone up your backside, you'll need strength training, cardio and a healthy diet, but there are great exercises for working the glutes, hips and thighs. Ask any fitness expert and they'll probably agree that the squat is the best exercise you can do for your butt. The reason squats are so effective is because it's a compound exercise that works more than one muscle group. The muscles involved in a movement, the more calories you burn and the more weight you can use. Using heavier weight is how you build lean body tissue. The more lean body tissue you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you burn on a regular basis. In addition, you're targeting every major muscle in your upper leg, up to and including your quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh), and gluteal muscles (the muscles in your rear). Below you'll find more great exercises for your butt:

1- The Squat :

Form Pointers:

1- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding weights at the shoulders or at your sides if desired.

2- Slowly lower your body as though you are 'sitting' in a chair until your thighs are parallel with the ground.

3- Keeping the weight in your heels, push yourself up slowly until you're back where you started.

Key points:

•Don't allow your knees to extend over your toes Keep your abs contracted and the torso upright

•Do this exercise 2-3 times a week for 1-3 sets of 8-16 reps.

2- The Lunge:

Next to squats, lunges are the next best thing for your butt and thighs. This is also a compound movement so, like squats, when you do them you get more bang for your buck.

Form Pointers:

1- Stand in a split stance with one leg forward and one leg back, holding weights if desire.

2- Slowly bend the knees, lowering into a lunge while keeping the front knee and back knee at

90 degree angles.

3- Keeping the weight in your heels, push back up to starting position.

Key points:

• Avoid locking the knees at the top of the movementKeep your front knee behind the toe as you lunge (you should be able to look down and see your toe)

•Keep your abs engaged and the torso upright

•Do this exercise 2-3 times per week for 1-3 sets of 8-16 reps.

3- Deadlifts:

Deadlifts are great for your back, hamstrings and the glutes.

In a deadlift, you are tipping forward from your hips and keeping your legs straight or a little bent rather than squatting. This puts pressure on your back, which is why keeping your back flat is critical for this exercise to work without causing pain or injury. At the bottom of the movement you should tighten your butt and hamstrings as you pull your torso back to starting position.

Form Pointers:

1- Stand with feet wide or together, weights in front of the thighs.

2- Keeping back straight the entire time, tip forward from the hips and lower your torso until the

weight reaches mid-shin.

3- Squeezing your butt and hamstrings, raise your

torso back to start.

Key Points:

•Keep the weight close to your legs through the entire movement and keep your shoulders back.

•Do this exercise 2-3 times per week for 1-3 sets of 8-16 reps.

Remember, weight training alone will not get rid of body fat. A regular cardio program and a healthy, low- calorie diet are essential for losing body fat.

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Looking to bulk up Naturally? ( everything you need to know)

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1. Eat more :

If you want to gain more muscle then you need to up your calorie intake, which means eating more. If you aren’t consuming more calories than you are burning throughout the day, you won’t be able to put on any muscle. Your diet should be made up of nutritious, unprocessed foods that are rich in complex carbs, protein, healthy unsaturated fats, and important nutrients needed for muscle growth, energy production and good health. Steer away from processed, sugary and fatty foods that will only mess with your blood sugar levels and promote fat gain.

2. Increase your protein intake :

Protein is essential for providing your body with amino acids, which are vital for building and repairing muscles. Have some good quality protein with each meal and with snacks. Having protein with each meal and with snacks will help increase amino acid levels to optimize muscle growth. Choose healthy, lean protein choices such as lean meat, chicken, eggs, fish, legumes and low-fat dairy foods. Healthy protein-rich snacks include nuts and seeds, quinoa, yoghurt, muesli and protein bars and balls, and hummus with wholegrain crackers.

3. Protein powders are a great way to boost your protein intake:

There are lots of different protein powders on the market. If you find whey-based protein powders difficult to digest, and you suffer from bloating and gas when you consume them, go for a brown-rice-based protein powder instead, that is still a fantastic protein source without the tummy upset. You don’t need to go overboard with protein either as excessive amounts of protein can put you at risk of putting on fat.

4. Don’t forget to have some complex carbs with each meal:

You need carbohydrates for energy, and to fuel your muscles when you train to stimulate muscle growth. Choose complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, brown rice, wholemeal pasta, whole oats, grainy breads and root vegies like sweet potato. These types of carbs will supply you with sustained energy.

5. Eat 5-6 smaller meals:

Eating 5-6 smaller means throughout the day ensures that your body is getting a good constant supply of fuel and amino acids to build and repair muscles. Having a protein shake (that also contains some carbohydrates) around 30 to 60 minutes after weight training will help encourage muscle development by upping the production of anabolic hormones. Protein fruit smoothies are another healthy post-workout snack, made with healthy ingredients like low-fat milk, banana, berries, LSA, chia seeds, yoghurt and protein powder.

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6 Shocking Foods That Destroy Belly Fat Fast

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Belly fat affects your physical appearance and poses harmful health risks. Visceral belly fat, the type that lies deep within your abdominal cavity, increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, according to “Harvard Women’s Health Watch.” Moderate physical activity and a diet low in calories, saturated fats and refined carbohydrates can help combat belly fat. Consuming certain foods also can help fight excess abdominal fat.

1- Whole Grains:

Your body digests whole grains slower than refined grains due to the higher amount of fiber contained in whole grains. This helps you feel full longer, eat less and keep your insulin levels low and steady. These benefits are believed to shrink belly fat cells, according to CBS News. A study published in "The Journal of Nutrition" in March 2009 found that increasing dietary fiber consumption helps decrease weight and fat gain. Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal and whole wheat bread, should make up at least half of your daily grain intake, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

2- Avocados:

Avocados contain high amounts of monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that has several health benefits. Like whole grains, it reduces blood sugar and insulin spikes, which normally trigger your body to store excess abdominal fat.

3- Low-fat and Non-fat Dairy:

Dairy products such as low-fat yogurt and skim milk have an optimal combination of carbohydrates and protein to stabilize insulin levels. In addition, yogurt often contains probiotics that keep your digestive system healthy and decrease stomach bloating.

4- Nuts:

Similar to avocados, nuts contain high amounts of healthy unsaturated fats that may help control blood sugar levels. Certain nuts, such as almonds, contain significant amounts of magnesium, a mineral necessary for maintaining steady blood sugar levels.

5- Citrus Fruits:

The vitamin C in citrus fruits may help you burn up to 30 percent more fat during exercise, according to CBS News, making these fruits good choices for a pre-workout snack.

6- Soy:

Soybeans contain fiber, antioxidants and protein. Snacking on soy products keeps you feeling satisfied longer while their nutrients control insulin and blood sugar levels.

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How to build a big, thick and strong back

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Nothing is more impressive then a big, thick and dense back. The size of your back is a HUGE indicator of how you train in the weight room. How many strong dudes can you think of with a small and weak back? Probably not many and that’s because a big back is an indicator of how strong you are.

Here are my top 5 back exercises to build size and strength:

1- The Deadlift:

We have all herd it before, the deadlift is the king of all exercises. There’s nothing more impressive then picking up heavy ass weight off the ground. There’s also nothing that will build a big and strong back like the deadlift. During the deadlift, your lats must stabilize to keep the bar in tight to your body. Also, your traps will get rocked and will grow like weeds! Just look at guys like Arnold and Franco Columbo who used the deadlift in their routine. Those guys had huge deadlifts to go along with their massive backs.

2- Pull-ups

Pull-ups are a great exercise to build stronger and thicker lats. In order to make your back grow with pull-ups, it’s best to use high volume. Instead of doing 4 X 8 or 3 X 10, go for a set number of reps and get it done as fast as possible. This will give you the ultimate back pump. What if you suck at doing pull-ups? If this is the case, add in very low reps in-between sets of your main exercise. This approach will help you get good at doing them.

3- Chest Supported DB Rows

Over the years, chest supported DB rows have become a staple in my training because it allows me to isolate the back muscles better then most other exercises. When you do this lift, make sure you don’t use momentum. Train this lift as a bodybuilder would. Do 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps for best results.

4- 1 Arm DB Rows

1 arm rows have been a staple in my training since day # 1. This lift will allow you to toss around some heavy weight and really help you build strength in your lats. While I prefer to do these strict most of the time, there’s nothing wrong throwing in 1 heavy set where you go heavier then normal and use some momentum to get it done.

5) Bent Over DB Rows

Bent over rows are probably the best mass builder for the back but you just have to watch for your lower back on this. If you’re doing tons of squats, deadlfts etc.. doing bent over rows can be tough. But regardless, it’s still a great lift to build serious size. Just make sure you leave your ego at the door when you do this lift – do these strict with your chest as parallel to ground as possible.

There you have it – my top 5 exercises to build a big, thick and strong back. What’s your favorite lift? Drop a comment below and share your opinion!

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The most effective ways beginners can use to build muscle

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Men who want to start building muscle should know the right steps to take to get the results they want. Building muscle takes time, and men should not resort to taking unhealthy shortcuts in an attempt to achieve faster results. Here are a few of the safest and most effective ways beginners can use to build muscle:

1- Eat More:

Men who are not eating enough will have more trouble achieving bulk. Some men may even want to increase their calorie intake by an additional 500 calories each day in order to make sure they are getting the nutrition they need to build muscle. In order to grow muscle, you need to eat more – period.

2- Eat the Right Kinds of Foods:

Filling up on sugary edibles or foods containing large amounts of saturated fats will only increase a person’s body fat percentage. This does no good in building muscle. It is best to eat foods containing higher levels of calories from healthier sources such as protein and carbohydrates. Extra levels of protein should also be incorporated into a diet so that muscles can grow. Healthy supplements like a protein shake can also be incorporated into a diet in order to help muscles grow more effectively.

3- Exercise:

Exercising is one of the main components required to develop bigger and stronger muscles. Free weights and weight machines at a gym should be used regularly as part of a strength training regimen. Some fitness experts claim that doing too much cardio will only be counterproductive in building muscle, so it is best to limit cardio workouts to shorter durations if a person feels they need to still do these types of exercises.

5-  Rest Muscles

Some people may be surprised to learn that muscle growth actually occurs while muscles are at rest. Strength training exercises actually cause small tears in the muscle tissue as each muscle group is worked. Adequately resting muscles after a workout is required in order for these tears in the tissue to heal. Muscles get bigger and stronger as these tears heal. Muscles cannot get bigger and stronger if they are overworked and are not allowed to rest properly. It is best to alternate strength training exercises on certain days in order to work certain muscle groups while others are allowed to rest.

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