It has happened to everyone. You eat something that was not good for you, and now you feel like you are getting fatter by the hour.

The foods that are not healthy are usually those that are also very high in calories. They can easily throw us off with our calorie balance. And you know very well what follows if you eat more calories than you expend - you store the extra calories in the form of subcutaneous fat.

So, you made a mistake already by eating the “bad” food. Now, how do you correct it?

First, you have to find out how many calories there were in what you ate, that brought you over your total calories for the day. You can do that by visiting a comprehensive foods database such as CalorieKing and finding the corresponding food and portion size.

Second, you have to determine how many calories you burn for one hour, during your favorite physical activity. Here is an example of some common activities and the calories burned with them:

Stationary bicycle (light effort) - 2.5 cal/lb/hour
Running - 4.5 cal/lb/hour
Weight lifting - 2.7 cal/lb/hour

You can easily determine your energy expenditure with these sports, using the above examples. The number of calories in the result will be for one hour exercising, performing the physical activity.

If you divide the result by 60, you will get what you expend for one minute. Next, you need to divide the total calories of the food you ate by the calories for 1 minute of your favorite sports activity. That will give you how many minutes you will have to perform the corresponding activity in order to burn the same amount of calories.

If you want to see a list of common bad foods, along with the calories they contain, and more sports activities to burn these calories, you can go to www.ivannikolov.com/articles/all/how-to-burn-off-foods.html where you will find an article with this information.

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Ivan Nikolov, a top five natural bodybuilder, shares with you his secrets about his favorite foods and supplements, training routines and exercises. Visit his web site http://www.ivannikolov.com to learn more about what you need to know if you want to be a natural bodybuilder or simply look like one.
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First of all, it is important to have a goal – weight training is good for increasing strength, adding more bulk to your frame, or toning existing muscle. This article will focus on the techniques needed to build MASS. In order to build mass, it is essential to damage existing muscle in order for it to be repaired. Given the right stimulus, the body is incredibly efficient at repairing itself, new tissue is often stronger and healthier.
Here are some essential tips for piling on the muscle:

1) Feed your muscles
Muscle needs protein order to grow; a high protein diet will ensure that you get maximum growth from your muscles. Lean red meats are a good source of protein and also contain other nutrients essential for muscle growth. It is better to eat little and often as opposed to larger meals less frequently, it is also a good idea to have meals prepared prior to your workout, or to have a protein shake handy – this will prevent snacking. Your diet should also include quality calories, vitamins, good fats, minerals and lots of water.

2) Stick to a plan
Firstly, identify your goal – getting “bigger” is simply not specific enough, how big do you want to be? Why not identify a target weight, or chest measurement? Making your goal specific will ensure that you have something to aim for, something against which you can measure your performance. Once you have decided on a goal, you need to then formulate a plan which will enable you to achieve it. Most gyms will be able to help you with a routine which will help you achieve your goals, but unless you can afford a personal trainer, it is up to you to follow it. It is easy to deviate from your plans, doing so can lead to setbacks and also cause you to lose motivation altogether. Firstly, you will need to give your plan time to work; you will not see results overnight, building muscle takes time. Some muscle building magazines will tell you the latest “killer abs” exercises, or “how to build massive biceps” but hopping from system to system will not get you anywhere. This is why it is important to stick to your plan.

3) Core muscle building exercises
It makes sense to target the stronger, larger muscles when aiming to increase your muscle mass. It is possible to build a lot of muscle using only the following exercises: Squat, bench press and wide grip pull up. Using these methods will help you build strength and muscle mass in primary and secondary muscle groups. Squats target quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, the bench press will target your entire chest (pectorals,) triceps and front shoulders (deltoids.) The wide chin grip pull up focuses on lats, but also targets the entire upper back, biceps and forearms. These exercises should be the foundation of your weight training routine, they target a wide range of muscle groups and you will see results much faster.

4) Master the techniques
Before you add an extra 20kg to the bar, are you at risk of injuring yourself? To get the most out of your session you must ensure you are lifting correctly. Your muscles learn correct movement through repetition; this is why it is advisable for new gym members’ not to begin with heavy weights. Bad habits lead to bad technique which can lead to injury. If you are not sure whether you are lifting a weight correctly or it does not feel right, you should seek advice from someone more experienced. For example, you often see people arching their back struggling to bench a massive weight – this is a bad technique that must be unlearned in order to progress. If you perform your lifts correctly, your muscles will learn the correct techniques and you will benefit more from your training.

5) Train hard
Building muscle is not a walk in the park; it is going to be hard work. You must train with intensity in order to gain the maximum benefit from your training.

6) Use free weights
Most gyms have a combination of free weights and resistance machines, it is essential to use free weights wherever possible. Free weights require a greater range of motion than most resistance machines; therefore, using them makes better use of primary and secondary muscle groups. This, in turn, will build compound mass because it increases the number of muscles used in training.

7) Identify your weaknesses
Under developed muscle groups often show growth quicker than those which are more developed. With experience, you will be able to identify your weaker areas and target them with specific exercises.

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1.Standing Stabilizer: This forces your core muscles to keep your body balanced as your centre of gravity shifts.

A.Stand with your feet parallel,hip-width apart.Place hands on hips.Inhale as you raise right knee in front;stop at hip level.Pull belly button in an hold.Use a wall or chair for stability if necessary.


B.Holding abdomen tight,extend leg to straight and make a quarter-circle with toe to bring leg out to side.Lower;repeat 10 times.Switch legs.Do two to three sets.

2.Foot Push: Since legs and hips are heavier and harder to lift than your upper body,this move is more challenging than a crunch.

>>Lie on back,hands at sides,holding legs in the air straight out from hips.

>>Exhale and contract abdomen by pulling belly button toward spine while pushing feet to the ceiling.Hips will tilt forward slightly and legs will lift up a few inches.Hold;then inhale as you lower and repeat 15 times.Do one to two more sets of 15.

3.Reverse Rotation: A variation on the elbow-to-knee crunch,this move works the obliques(the muscles that cover your ribs and sides) and back muscles.

>>Lie on stomach with elbows out to the sides and chin resting on both hands.

>>Keeping abdomen tight,exhale as you raise chest a few inches off the floor and rotate chest to the right;hold.Rotate back to centre and then to the left;hold.Inhale as you lower;repeat 10 times on each side.Then do one to two more sets of 10.
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