Feed: Muscle Building Programs - AggScore: 48.7

He was a superstar, and yet tragically, he was a superstar suffering from debilitating health issues which many believe culminated in his death on the 23rd June 2009.

Indeed, the shocking death of Michael ‘M.J’ Jackson has led to the resurfacing of wide media interest in the ‘King of Pop’s’ health and fitness. Perhaps the stress of such fame, coupled with the wealth to purchase vast amounts of drugs and medicines were the ingredients to the downfall of one of the most successful and famous artists in the world.

Health and Fitness, however, are important to the well being of us all. If Michael Jackson has departed this world despite his aforementioned wealth and success, then the admonition rings true – ‘your health is your wealth’. If you have little else in this world except your health, then you are in a position can consider yourself truly rich.

The large growth of publications such as Men’s Health Magazine, as well as healthy eating lifestyle products and Inner-city fitness suites certainly reflect a phenomena of interest in personal well-being. The growth of the health and fitness market was spurred with the desire to better oneself and improve in the corporate world of 1980’s USA. However this improvement to well-being was coupled with the ostentaciousness of era. After work squash and city jogging were common practices for the aspiring individual leading to a boom that transcended social rank.

The latter half of the 90’s and our departure into the 21^st Century saw a rise in more intelligent health choice- not fueled by shallow desires. Low-GI eating became highly popular along with the establishment of health shops as a mainstay in people’s shopping trends. People are much more health and fitness savvy. The attention one can pay to the self, however, is often compromised by the pressures of finances in the current climate. This is an issue that will affect the future growth of health and fitness practices among ourselves.

Do we have time to find the right diet, however beneficial it may be? Can we afford to join a gym or fitness club? Are we able to sleep and rejuvenate ourselves properly in the uncertainty of modern life, when our primary concerns might relate, not to our bodies and minds, but our borrowings and mortgages. It is fair to say that our priorities have massively changed.

It seems, in some instances, that stress and anxiety are directly proportional to one’s health and well-being. If we consider Michael Jackson to be a prime example of someone suffering from such problems, we must remind ourselves of the saddening consequences this had for him and other’s like him.

In the Examiner, Mark Rubi writes that ‘Michael Jackson weighed a reported 112 pounds at the time of his death. According to the Santa Barbara (California) Sheriff’s Department arrest report in 2005, Jackson’s height was 5 feet and 11 inches. That would make his body mass index a skeletal 15.6 at the time of his death.’ The World Health Organization says that a BMI of 16.0 is the weight one might die of starvation. Such reports seem to strengthen the widely held belief that Michael Jackson would not have had the fitness to perform his upcoming dates in London’s O2 Arena.

There has a widespread of speculations about what caused the death of one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever seen. The truth is out: Toxicology results reveal a lethal cocktail of Xanax (used to treat anxiety) and Propofol(normally used as an anaesthetic in hospitals ) . Of this there can be no doubt. But always, the findings will come with a warning: We must value our health and fitness as the single most important assets we own.

Mark Rubi adds a poignant note to the sad M.J. events that unraveled on June 25, 2009, ‘The King of Pop did not need more pain killing drugs. He needed someone to talk to about his mental health issues like anorexia and body dysmorphia. It is this 360° feedback to support self-awareness that is required in the 21^stcentury. Squash after work may have to be shelved for extra over-time to counter the financial pressures we face, but we must not neglect key issues imperative to our well-being and survival. Greater understanding, along with a facilitative approach from clinicians to psychologists and fitness experts will enhance who we are ,and legacy we leave on this earth.

In my 9 years as a personal trainer and bodybuilder I’ve found that a lot of people are often misled by these six common muscle building program myths and often end up robbed of the proper muscle gains they desire. You must be careful and avoid falling for these pitfalls that will destroy your gains and prevent you from ever achieving the impressive muscular physique you deserve. I am going to expose and kill the top 6 muscle building program myths.

Myth1: More training means more muscle.

Essentially when you are at the gym you are damaging your muscles and they get smaller. But this is the stimulation needed for muscle growth. The muscles begin to grow and repair themselves when you are resting, sleeping and eating. A long workout session causes the catabolic hormone levels to rise. Catabolic hormones breakdown muscle tissue resulting in muscle loss. Weight training sessions should last anything between 45 to 75 minutes, nothing more.

Myth2: Muscle building programs work when you feel the burn.

The burning feeling that results from an intense workout is the result of lactic acid that is secreted inside the muscle tissue as you exercise. Lactic acid level increase will deter your muscle growth attempts. Limit lactic acid build up by training in lower repetitions of 5 to 7 instead of the traditional 10 reps.

Myth3: Muscle building programs work when you feel the pump.

The pump is the feeling you get as blood becomes trapped inside the muscle tissue when weight training. What normally happens is that your muscles will swell up and leave your body feeling tighter, bigger and stronger. This is by no means indicative of a successful workout but simply an increase in blood flow to the muscle tissue. The only way to measure the success of a workout is if you are able to lift more weights or do more reps than the previous week.

Myth4: All you need to eat is a protein shake and 3 meals a day

The bottom line is you simply need to eat more often and eat more proteins. 3 meals just won’t cut it. You should be eating about six meals per day with 2.5 hours in between meals. This way you ensure improved muscle assimilation and optimum calorie intake for maximum muscle repair and building.

Myth5: You are going to be less flexible and slower with more muscles.

Building lean muscle mass will speed you up and make you stronger. More muscles mean more force you can apply. For example having stronger and more muscular legs means increased foot speed.

Myth6: You need aerobic activity to lose fat.

Not true at all. Building muscles is the fastest way to lose fat. Precious time spent running on the treadmill is muscle building recovery time lost. How is this? You ask. If you are on a high calorie diet for building muscles then aerobic activity will not help you lose fat.