I am 22 years old and I have spent my life being active in the form of playing sports, lifting weights and other numerous activities. Over the years I have gained a great deal of knowledge on the subject of personal fitness from my own experiences, friends, numerous articles, books, and college classes. What I have come up with is the basics that you need to know!

You should do further research beyond what I have written below as I cannot tell you everything that you need to know to get the body that you want. It just isn’t that easy.

No matter what type of body physique you are trying to achieve, whether it is to bulk up and add muscle or to lose fat and get lean, there are three things that must be involved. These three fundamental necessities are exercise, diet, and motivation.

Exercise

Exercise is very important in achieving the perfect body and a healthy lifestyle. But before you get into the gym and start exercising there are a lot of things that you should know beforehand. One of the most important things is figuring out what type of muscle fiber that you have. There are to types of muscle fibers, slow-twitch and fast-twitch.

Slow-twitch muscle fibers are associated with endurance types of activities such as running or swimming. Fast-twitch muscle fibers on the other hand are associated with quick and powerful activities like sprinting and weight lifting. If you have slow-twitch fibers then it will be harder for you to put on muscle and bulk up than it would for someone with fast-twitch fibers and vice versa. You can slowly evolve your muscle fiber overtime so don’t get discouraged.

It is important that you find a workout program that works best for you and not just copy the workout that some dude posts on the internet. If you want to put on more muscle then you need to lift heavier weights. If you want to get a more lean body then you should lift lighter weights that don’t max out your muscles.

Cardio is something that everyone should do, even if you’re trying to bulk up. It is very good for your heart and is also great at burning away fat. Cardio makes you feel healthy because it helps you to increase the amount of oxygen that your body can uptake and deliver it to the cells more efficiently. Therefore, even if you are just trying to add muscle by lifting, cardio helps to improve oxygen circulation to your muscles to help you lift more and longer. You should try to find some type of balance between weight lifting and cardio depending upon your specific goals, but neither should be neglected.

Diet

A proper diet is just as important as exercise is. Another thing that you should take into consideration when formulating a diet is to figure out what type of metabolism that you have. Many people cannot eat the same as others because their metabolisms are different. Your diet should be configured to your own metabolism.

One thing that you should always do is drink plenty of water. Water helps to speed up the metabolism slightly and helps excrete toxins from the body. Not having enough water when performing any type of physical activity has been linked to decreased results. If working out for a long time, make sure to drink water while you work out.

I can’t go into detail too much on specific diets, but the basic rule is to have lower fats with leaner foods and to have a balanced amount of carbohydrates and proteins. Carbohydrates are not bad for you. Having too many are though, especially in the form of sugars because what you don’t burn turns to fat. Protein is very important for muscle repair. Not only is protein recommended after weight lifting, but it has also been recommended after cardio. After a work out, you should aim for the general 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein.

If you are adding muscle remember to occasionally alter your diet to take into account that every pound of muscle that you add burns 35 more calories per day. Be sure to keep in mind that when deciding on the ratio of fats, carbs, and protein, the number of calories is just as important. Be sure to do some research on the types of foods that you need to eat to fit your diet.

Supplements can also be considered part of the diet group. I have found supplements can be beneficial if you know what you are taking and are taking them the right way. I have seen many people get discouraged because they buy supplements and think that they will act like steroids. Often times they don’t even know what they are taking. You should do some research on supplements you are thinking about taking and do not listen to what the guy at GNC says.

Ignite The Inner Fire

Exercise and diet are important physically but motivation is very important mentally. If you do not have motivation, then you are not going to do well working out and will never get the body you want. You must set some goals and have something inside that is making you do what you do. It may be to be healthier, to feel better about yourself, because someone made fun of you, or a number of other reasons. But, each individual must find something that lights a fire under them that keeps them running that extra mile or lifting that extra rep.

Just remember, at the end of the day, it is you and the decisions you make that will either get you in the gym and bring you closer to your fitness goals, or find yourself falling away from them. Don't let the latter happen to you!

I hope this article has motivated or inspired you to get in the gym and start getting that body you want. If you would like give some feedback or ask me any questions, click here and go to the post by ProteinMan313.

Beverly International Super Pak!

"Ensure Your Body Has All It Needs To Achieve Your Conditioning Goals!"

Learn More!