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Getting-stronger
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NEW IRONSTRUCK BOOK
Ironman Canada 2008

Getting-stronger

Getting-stronger is always possible because our bodies are amazing and are created to respond to the demands we place on them. That is reflected in the physical appearance of the ordinary person. If we make few physical demands on our bodies, it is the natural order of things that it will respond in kind. Ask little of our bodies and that's what we'll get.

Little.
For instance, if a person chooses an existence that revolves around a sedentary lifestyle, or in more blunt terms, chooses to be a couch-potato, their body will gladly respond by doing little to strengthen unused muscles, increase blood flow, or configure itself to meet the physical challenges the owner(and boss)or "you" demand. That sort of lifestyle makes getting-stronger pretty difficult. Your body will assume that you are consuming the tacos, beer, and chocolates for a very good reason and will do its best to store away the fat for you until further notice. It's the order you are sending down the pipeline and well, you are the boss. You are leaving your body no other option. It will not sense the need to generate new muscle tissue so you can get stronger and as a result will do nothing. With no attention being given to them, your muscles will begin to soften. They will either turn to fat or in some cases simply disappear.

For example, if a person is an amazing athlete with strong, toned muscles and suddenly through some twist of fate is relegated to a wheelchair for the rest of his life he will begin to send a whole new set of signals to every single fiber of his body. Almost instantly his body will recognize the inactivity in his legs. The muscles will begin to shrink. His once strong legs with big muscles will eventually become a mere shadow of themselves. Over time his legs might even become a third as big as they were and it's all for one simple reason. There is no signal being received to encourage them to grow. They are not being used so they are ignored. In this situation the muscle mass simply disappears.

Yet something else just as remarkable happens. Over the weeks and months that same person relies heavily on their hands, arms, shoulders, and back to propel their wheelchair. Now a signal is being sent and the response is quick and almost immediately new and stronger muscles begin to grow on the upper body. People in wheelchairs are capable of developing amazing upper body strength and are getting-stronger simply because their body is responding to this new demand it senses.

If you expect your body to get stronger and your muscles to grow, then you darn well better do something to send a message that stimulates your remarkable physical form into action.

Let me put it even more simply. If you sit down with a five pound weight in your hand and begin to do bicep curls you can actually watch your bicep working and expanding every time you curl that five pound weight upward. If you do that same exercise for a steady 20 minutes a day for the next year you will be sending that particular muscle a message that it can't possibly misunderstand. It realizes that it better get used to lifting that five pounds and it will grow enough to accomplish the task.

And then stop growing.

However, if you do that same five pound exercise for 20 minutes a day for two weeks and it becomes easy for you, there is only one simple thing you have to do to gain more muscle.

Simply increase the weight. Now you are curling 10 pounds for 20 minutes and you have to really strain. Instantly your body charges into action. It senses the demand and encourages new and stronger muscle to grow in place of the old muscle. It's out with the old, smaller muscle and in with the new stronger muscle.

That's why weight lifting shows best results if you rest muscles you just worked for one day before challenging them again. You are giving your body time to do it's work and begin rebuilding to conform to these new demands. Getting stronger is possible for pretty well anyone who makes an attempt to challenge their bodies to do more just a little at a time.

Your body will draw the resources it needs to create those new, stronger muscles from the nutrients you supply every time you eat. In order to give your body the best possible tools to work with to rebuild new, powerful muscles, make the effort to eat the proper balance of complex carbohydrates, good fats, and protein.

An exercise program that continually puts some "gentle stress" on your muscles combined with a sound, well thought out diet will ensure that you will gain muscle in the most efficient way possible. Getting-stronger is within your reach. Visit the home-pag.e for some other tips