Gain More Muscle By Training Less Often

Photo: Pexels

The more work you put into something, the better results you will achieve. This has always been a widely accepted truth that applies to many areas of life. The harder you study, the better grades you will achieve. The more time you spend fine-tuning your athletic skills, the better athlete you will become. The longer you spend learning to play an instrument, the better musician you will become. Therefore, it only makes sense that the more time you spend in the gym, the stronger and more muscular your physique will become, correct? Contrary to what you might think, the answer to this question is a gigantic, definite, absolute no! It is in this area of bodybuilding that conventional wisdom goes straight out the window, down the street and around the corner. 

I know what you might be asking yourself… 

“What? Spending less time in the gym will actually make me bigger and stronger?” 

Yes! It really will, and when we examine the muscle-growth process from its most basic roots, it becomes quite clear why this is the case. 

Every single process that occurs within the human body is centered around keeping you alive and healthy. Through thousands of years of evolution, the human body has become quite a fine-tuned organism that can adapt well to the specific conditions that are placed upon it. We become uncomfortable when we are hungry or thirsty, we acquire a suntan when high amounts of UV rays are present, we build calluses to protect our skin, etc. So what happens when we break down muscle tissue in the gym? If you answered something to the effect of "the muscles get bigger and stronger", then congratulations! You are absolutely correct. By battling against resistance beyond the muscle's present capacity we have posed a threat to the musculature. The body recognizes this as potentially harmful and as a natural adaptive response, the muscles will hypertrophy (increase in size) to protect the body against this threat. As we consistently increase the resistance from week to week the body will continue to adapt and grow. 

Sound simple? Ultimately it is, but the most important thing to realize in relation to all of this is that the muscles can only grow bigger and stronger if they are provided with sufficient recovery time. Without the proper recovery time, the muscle growth process simply cannot take place. 

Your goal in the gym should be to train with the minimum amount of volume needed to yield an adaptive response. Once you have pushed your muscles beyond their present capacity and have triggered your thousand-year-old evolutionary alarm system, you have done your job. Any further stress to the body will simply increase your recovery time, weaken the immune system and send your body into catabolic overdrive. 

Most people train way too often and with far more sets than they really need to. High-intensity weight training is much more stressful to the body than most people think. The majority of people structure their workout programs in a manner that actually hinders their gains and prevents them from making the progress that they deserve. Here are 3 basic guidelines that you should follow if you want to achieve maximum gains: 

1) Train no more than 3 days per week.
2) Do not let your workouts last for longer than 1 hour.
3) Perform 5-8 sets for large muscle groups (chest, back, thighs) and 2-4 sets for smaller muscle groups (shoulders, biceps, triceps, calves, abs). 

Take all sets to the point of muscular failure and focus on progressing in either weight or reps each week. If you truly train hard and are consistent, training more often or any longer than this will be counterproductive to your gains!

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The Seaplane and its History

Seaplane - Photo: Pixabay

As soon as the first plane was invented, it became the founding stone for the seaplane which took of for the first time in 1910.  The first seaplane the “Le Canard” flew for 800 meters in its first flight.  During the achievements of its era, it was considered monumental. Although the first flight of the Seaplane occurred in France, United States would soon follow after with the invention and production of its first seaplane in 19911 by Glenn Curtiss.  It was a monumental event for the United States as it signaled a beginning of an era that would mar a huge race in Aeronautics between Europe and the United States.

The word Seaplane was meant to symbolize two types of planes associated with the sea.  The type that is still used today is the floating plane or the hydroplane that we still see and use today.  In this type of a seaplane, the fuselage or the main body of the aircraft never touches the water but rather the landing gear touches the water.  Although this wasn’t common at the beginning, it soon became a worked out and accepted a model that can be still seen in service in smaller planes that needs to land on the water today.  The design of the hydroplane was also used to design aircraft that could land easily on aircraft carriers (which consequently made the United States the most powerful country in the world with the success of its aircraft carriers)

The second type of a Seaplane that was very popular in the 1920’s and 1930’s was the Flying Boat.  As the name suggests, it was a design that allowed the plane's fuselage to act as a boat when it landed on the sea or a body of water.  Hence, it was termed the Flying Boat due to its ability to land and take off from the water.  When a flying boat landed on the water, its main fuselage would sink by 15% into the water for a smooth landing and hence it would not use any landing gears.  This model of a seaplane termed the Flying Boat was very popular in the 20’s and 30’s and it was even used in the World War I very extensively.

IN time, seaplanes also became commercially feasible.  The world’s biggest airline PAN AM used seaplanes as its main carriers for a long time until Boeing Aircraft became popular.  Especially in the 20s and 30s, airports and airstrips were not very common due to lack of commercial investment.  Thus, seaplanes were the perfect aircraft so that they could be used to land in a body of water especially near coastlines.    

A special big sea/airfield was designed in Hawaii to accommodate transoceanic flights that would carry passengers by means of flying boats from Hawaii to Mainland.  By the advent of 1940’s the era of airplanes really began and the flying boats as a commercial plane were discontinued.  By the 1950’s with the advent of Boeing Aircraft, seaplanes had just become a part of a long forgotten legacy.  

So with the WWII, ended the era of the flying boat airline and mainly invented since airlines did not have long runways that could handle large planes. Aids to help in navigation were minimum, weather and other problem created problems for planes and the flying boat seemed to counter them quite effectively.

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The Japanese Chess Shogi

Shogi - Photo: Pxhere

In Japan, the most popular variant of chess is the Shogi. The game was transmitted from India to Korea and China before arriving in Japan. There are two distinguishing characteristics of Shogi, such as: the captured pieces can be utilized by the captor and played as the part of the captor’s forces and pawned can capture pieces normally, which is one square straight ahead.

History of the Game

It is believed that Shogi is derived from Chaturanga, which was played in Ancient India and eventually spread throughout Eurasia. It is still not clear when

Shogi was brought to Japan.

Several theories regarding the spread of Shogi showed that the game probably became popular during the 6th century. Back then, the pieces were not the current five-sided pieces but rather three-dimensional similar to the Chaturanga pieces.

One of the oldest documents specifying the existence of Shogi is the Kirinsho, which is a seven-volume work that contains descriptions of how to write characters for the pieces used in Shogi games. During the Heian period, the Shogi pieces used to consist of the king, silver general, gold general, lance, knight and pawn.

The Rules of Shogi

Technically, Shogi is won when the king is captured but there are also circumstances where the defeat is conceded when the mate becomes inevitable. As for the equipment of the game, the two players play on a board, which is composed of squares in a grid containing nine ranks by nine files. The squares are also not undifferentiated by color or marking.

The players have a set of twenty pieces, slightly different in sizes. The pieces include a rook, bishop, king, two pieces of gold generals, two silver generals, two lances, two knights and nine pieces of pawns.

The several names are chosen to correspond to their rough equivalents in international chess. Each of the pieces has its name written on its surface in the form of Japanese characters, called kanji. On the other side of the piece are one or two characters that when turned face up indicate promotion. The pieces controlled by the two players also do not differ in color; instead, they face forward, toward the opposing side.

For English-speaking players, the promoted bishops are referred to like horses, while promoted rooks as dragons. The characters on the other side of the pieces may also be in red ink, usually written in a cursive manner.

There are also rankings used in Shogi. These rankings are also used in karate, calligraphy and other arts in Japan.

For the placement of the pieces, the king is placed in the center file. The gold generals are adjacent to the king, while the silver ones are placed adjacent to the gold generals. The knights are located beside the two silver generals and the lances are situated in the corners. As for the second rank, the bishops are at the same file as the left knight, while the rook is in the same file as the knight located on the right.

Like other chess games, each player takes turns in moving pieces. The player who first captures the opponent’s king wins the game. However, this rarely happens in practice since most players will concede defeat when the loss is inevitable. More so, in amateur and professional games, any player who makes an illegal move loses automatically.

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What You Must Know about Electric RC Cars

Photo: Flickr

If you are an amateur in the RC racing world, you might complain that it is pretty hard to choose the most suitable electric powered RC car that can serve as a worthy rival to other cars of the same type. Truly, you need some vital information before you push your purchase button.

Electric RC cars run on electric batteries that are made into battery packs. They are sold in two options – the 'ready to run' (rtr) and the built it yourself. If you know nothing about RC cars, it is best for you to choose the former. With it, you just have to turn it on and off it will go.

RC cars, which are fueled by battery packs are easy to purchase and maintain compared to the popular nitro RC cars. They are specially designed for beginners. Nonetheless, there are experienced RC car fanatics that use said cars for comparison and variety purposes.

One advantage of an electric RC car other than its user-friendly character is that it is inexpensive. The difference in price between a gasoline powered and an electric powered RC car may amount to a hundred dollars. Hence, if you are after practicality, and easily-operated and maintained RC's, go for a fast electric RC car.

How to Choose an Electric RC Car?

In choosing electric RC cars, you have to consider a lot of things – budget, capability, maintenance and condition of the RC car. Electric RC cars come at different prices. Choose the one that will not be heavy on your finances. 

There are electric RC car kits for both on-road and off-road performance. They come in varying sizes, styles, and colors. Manufacturers offer different electric RC car features. Better choose a car that suits your budget, needs, capabilities and desires. 

Also, 'ready to run' kits are ideal for amateurs. They are built with everything in it. No need to worry about the assembly and other parts. Servo, receiver, radio, motor, and the electronic speed control – it's all there in the package – no worries.

However, if building RC cars are your thing, you can purchase the build it yourself kit. You can make sure that the parts are in your kit or you can buy them separately.

Where to purchase?

Beginners can bank on reputable RC car shops. Seek advice from expert RC racers. For sure, they know the right track. If you want to buy online, be sure that you are transacting with a trustworthy pro. Online prices are usually lower. In addition, in online purchasing, you can choose from a wide variety of cars and parts. 

In buying, you must compare price and quality. Aside from that, you can also take advantage of discounts to reduce your expenses.

Tuning and Racing

Tuning is essential to achieve more speed or power. Moreover, it should be coupled with a proper break in to yield the best performance. The proper way of a break-in produces less heat and reduces premature wear and tear. To break-in, just run the motor with the wheels off the ground. Then, draw the radio control by ¼ of the way. This should be done for about five minutes. If you change the brushes, you also need to do the break-in. It is also necessary to replace the motor after 5 or more substitutions of brushes.

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A Quick Guide To The Greek Islands

Andros - Photo: Pixabay

Scattered between the coast of mainland Greece and the tip of Northern Africa, the Greek Islands have been popular holiday destinations for a wide range of holidaymakers.

Where are they?

The Greek Islands are dotted throughout the Aegean Sea, mainly off the south-east of mainland Greece. They come in many shapes, sizes and geographical varieties and the people that visit them are as varied as the islands themselves. Whilst you can move between the islands, most people choose to stay on just one for the duration of their holiday. The islands are traditionally divided into seven groups: Cyclades, Aegean, Dodecanese, Sporades, Ionian, Argosaronic Gulf and Crete which, as a single island, is the largest in the group.

Where can I stay?

Try a Greek Island holiday with a difference by choosing a boutique hotel. You can’t beat the individuality of these small, intimate hotels where detail is a primary consideration and the needs of the guest always come first. Try Elounda Gulf Villas and Suites on Crete, Katikies on Santorini and Ostraco Suites on Mykonos. These are all unique places to stay, offering the ultimate in quiet understated luxury.

What can I see?

For most people, the attraction of the Greek Islands is the beaches. The quality and size of the beaches vary from island to island, as does the level of development in the main resorts. The sheer number of islands means that you can usually find exactly what you’re looking for; whether it’s 24-hour entertainment or a quiet relaxing break. For those that want to explore the islands’ culture, there are plenty of historical buildings, traditional villages and museums to visit.

How do I get around?

You can get to some of the islands such as Mykonos and Santorini by air, but most of the other islands are reached by ferry from Athens. The ferries are regular and there are ticket operators at the harbors, so you can also use them to visit other islands during your stay. To get around an island, you can hire a car or a bike, or use the local bus system. There are no train services once you’re off the mainland. If you’re feeling especially adventurous, hire a sailing boat and navigate your own way around the islands.

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Build ARM MUSCLE Today

Bodybuilder and model Sagi Kalev
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Build arm muscle is one of the most common goals of aspiring bodybuilders. There is no shortage of advice, either in books or on the internet, telling you how to do this. Here in this article, we will show you how to genuinely build arm muscle.

Tip 1

Train sensibly. Many people who are trying to build arm muscle make the mistake of over training. It is easily done, as the arms are used in so many different bodybuilding disciplines. One good way of ensuring you don't over stress your arms is to leave them until the very end of your workout routine.

Tip 2

If you want to build arm muscle effectively, you will want every single rep you perform to be as effective as possible. The goal is to get as many  muscle fibers involved as you can. If you can bring as many muscle fibers as you can into play, you will not only develop stronger muscles, they will be more even and have a better tone.

Tip 3

The correct extension of the weight is critical, but control is equally important, throughout the whole of the lift. The strongest determining factor here is the weight itself, so don't defeat yourself by using a weight which is too heavy. In order to make your exercises as effective as you can, make sure the lift is executed as quickly as possible, while you still have the weight under control. As you release the weight, try to do so as slowly as comfortably possible. If you can make this downward phase take at least two seconds, you will be burning a lot more fat.

Tip 4

One point which is often overlooked by beginning arm muscle builders is that there is more than one group of muscles, and you need to work them in a balanced way to achieve optimum results. So many bodybuilders who have not taken enough time to learn the craft properly concentrate solely on biceps, which will lead to an unnatural and uneven development, and may even lead to injury. Make sure you learn how to develop your triceps in harmony with your biceps, for optimum results. Don't risk the pain of a torn ligament!

If you have been struggling to gain results from your arm muscle exercises, take the advice of this article on board, and start seeing some real benefits. Check out the links below to discover some more valuable resources.

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A Peaceful Retreat on Catalina Island, California

Catalina Island - Photo: Pixabay

When life’s stresses and strains get too much for you, head over to Catalina Island and you’ll find a peaceful retreat that’s bound to have you relaxed in no time.  The island is only approximately 22 physical miles from the mainland, but in terms of lifestyle and sheer population, it’s a lifetime away.  With only 2 ports on the island, one into the main town of Avalon, and the other into the more secluded side of the island at Two Harbors, and only two ways onto the island, via the water or helicopter, there’s very little noise from vehicles.  Relatively few cars exist on the island and most visitors either get around on foot or bicycle.  

Despite being such a small island, there are things to do here on the days when you feel like doing something a little more energetic than watching the sun move around, and when you first arrive on Catalina Island you should visit the local Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau which will give you all the information you need about what’s on, where to find it, and of course ideas of where to stay and eat if you haven’t already made reservations.  In the peak months, however, you should always at least reserve your room before venturing across to the island.  Although you may be lucky to arrive and find a room free, it’s not likely during high season because of the limited amount of accommodation available.  

Two of the most popular places to visit on Catalina Island are the Catalina Island Museum which charts the history of the island through its various stages from the more recent history through the Hollywood era (the island was one of the first main Hollywood film sets) right back to the Native Americans.   Just about 2 miles out of Avalon you’ll find the Wrigley Botanical Gardens which will delight anyone who has an interest in flora and fauna.  William Wrigley (as in the chewing gum empire) once owned the island and you could even stay in his mansion which is now converted into a bed and breakfast establishment.

Catalina Island may not sound very exciting when compared with the attractions of Los Angeles and San Francisco, but for anyone needing to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, it’s a perfect beach oasis. 

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