Almost any kind of exercise will increase muscle mass. But, some types are more effective than others. Weight lifting is the most effective way of achieving this. On this page I will discuss a few ways to make weight lifting more effective for weight gain.

Putting on muscle is not a simple process. The physiological adaptation requires you to stress your muscles to the point where the small fibers tear. Because of this damage to the fibers the body will adopt by rebuilding them stronger. In this process the fibers will become slightly bigger. As you repeat this process the muscles become stronger and bigger. Be aware that genetics plays a big role into how big you can make a muscle. Be aware that the human body does not have the ability to create more muscle cells. During bodybuilding the number of muscle cells remain the same, but each cell increases in size to give the 'bigger' effect.

To achieve this gain in muscle size you need to damage the muscles by stressing it, then to allow it to fully repair. The repairing process can take anywhere from 12 to 72 hours, depending on how stressful your workout are. If you do not allow enough time for the muscles to repair, before you workout that muscle group again, you will not see muscle gains and you may actually become weaker.

Bodybuilding Tips

• Make sure you do a good warm up first to reduce the risk of injury
• Use heavy weights. If you can do more than 8 reps the weights are too light. If you can't do more than 4 the weights are too heavy
• Do at least 3 sets for each muscle group. After a few weeks of training aim for 6-7 sets
• Allow for about 2-3 minutes of rest between sets
• Drink water throughout your workout. Muscles need water to function properly
• Every 3-4 weeks change the types of exercise you perform. Once muscles become accustomed to a specific movement the adaptation will decrease. So, keep them guessing. This is especially important if you hit a plateau

Bodybuilding Techniques

• Super sets: Doing 2 different exercises for the same muscle group. E.g. Arm curls then chin-ups with no rest in between, then back to arm curls, etc. Leg extension then squats. Super sets can also involve antagonist muscles. E.g. Arm curls then tricep extension, with no rest, repeated
• Slow down the movement. For example, during bench press do the movement for the count of 10 seconds. You will notice that you can only do a fraction of the reps you could normally do. This stresses the muscles at a deeper level
• Speed up the movement. You may have to decrease the weight a bit, but this is good for building power and for stimulating the muscles in a different way
• Do max one rep. This involved using as much resistance as you can lift for only one repetition. This is also a good way to monitor improvement
• You should follow a split routine. E.g. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: arms chest, back. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: abs, legs. Always have at least one day off per week
• Every muscle group has an opposite. Don't ignore a muscle group. Doing so can lead to injury. E.g. if you do bicep work do tricep work as well

Nutrition is also vital to muscle gains. You will need to increase your caloric intake, especially of protein. However, you should do this gradually, because, this is energy. And, as with any food energy if you don't burn it off you will gain fat. And what good is muscle if it's covered in fat. If you try to lose the excess fat after gaining muscle you will probably also lose hard earned muscle in the process, so it's much better to be very careful and not gain any excess fat to begin with. Refer to our nutrition section for more information.

Rest is an area so easily ignored. If you train to the point that you need to, you will also need plenty of rest. By rest I mean 2-3 days of not working that particular muscle group, and proper rest at night. Rest is the time when the body recovers and repairs itself. So, without it you're wasting your time. The more intense you workout the more rest you will need. For example, serious bodybuilders will only train a particular muscle group once a week. It is very tempting to get caught in the thinking that 'the more I workout the faster I will see result.' This is a very detrimental way of thinking which will probably lead to injury or over training. And the only way to deal with this is with rest. Watch out for these warning signs of over training:

• A drop in strength
• Feeling tired during the day
• Loss of appetite or a significant appetite increase
• Irritable and anxious for no apparent reason
• Trouble sleeping at night
• Sore joints, or muscle soreness that doesn't go away
• Increased resting heart rate throughout the day
• Increased resting breathing rate throughout the day
• Getting sick regularly, e.g. colds

More information on weight gaining tips.

The cold and dreary winter months are when many divers are motivated to pack a bag and jet off to someplace warm and sunny for that much-needed scuba vacation. After all, a little rest and relaxation and several new entries in your dive log might be just what the doctor ordered to chase away the winter blahs. But traveling during flu season can put you at risk for catching more than a glimpse of your favorite tropical fish. Traveling means coming into contact with other travelers, which exposes you to whatever cooties they might have brought from home -- including the new, much-hyped H1N1 flu. This doesn't mean you should cancel your dive travel plans and not get off the couch. It simply means you need to practice a few safety tips that will help you stay healthy and avoid succumbing to illness during flu season.

A phobia is an irrational fear of something that does not pose a serious enough threat. Some phobias have some rationale behind them, e.g. fear of snakes, while others have no rationale at all, e.g. fear of noise.

Being exposed to the fearful situation usually causes the person to have a panic attack, characterized by anxiety, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and an extreme desire to flee the situation.

At some time, almost all babies develop diaper rash, which is confined to the skin covered by a diaper. The affected area is dotted with small, pimple-like bumps that may become scaly or crusty. Sometimes the sores ooze and have an unpleasant odor.

Hypochondria is a preoccupation with symptoms of an illness when there is no physical evidence of disease. In some people, it is a chronic state but with others, it is sporadic, occurring mostly during periods of depression, anxiety, or stress. Hypochondria is thought to be slightly more common in men than women. The condition affects all age groups, with the peak of incidence in men during their thirties, and in women during their forties.

A hernia develops when an organ or tissue pushes through a weakness in supporting muscles, encroaching on other organs or body structures. There are dozens of different hernias, but those involving the small intestine are the most common. These include:

• Abdominal, in which a portion of small intestine pushes through the abdominal muscle wall.
• Femoral and inguinal, in which the small intestine protrudes into the musculature of the groin, the scrotum in men, or the vagina or other parts of the genitalia in women.
• Rectal, in which the small intestine protrudes into the wall of the rectum.

Other common hernia types include:

• Diaphragmatic, in which the stomach or some other abdominal organ pushes through the diaphragm into the chest.
• Incisional, which develops at the site of an old surgical wound. Umbilical, a swelling near or within the navel, usually in a baby.

Not all hernias are obvious, but those protruding through the abdominal wall usually produce a visible swelling. Mild pain at the site of swelling is common. Men with inguinal hernias may also have swelling in the scrotum.
Most hernias are not serious. But one can be life threatening if a protruding portion of intestine becomes trapped or strangulated and the blood supply is cut off, thus leading to tissue death.

Hernias are more prevalent in premature infants, the elderly, the obese, and people with chronic coughs. A person with bulimia may develop a hernia from repeated vomiting.

Diagnostic Studies and Procedures

A hernia can usually be detected by physical examination. A doctor will press it to determine whether it can be manipulated back to its normal position. X-rays and an ultrasound examination may be ordered to rule out other causes of swelling.

Medical Treatments

Even if a hernia is not producing significant symptoms, doctors generally recommend surgical repair to avoid its enlargement and serious complications. The exception is an umbilical hernia, which almost always disappears on its own by the age of four. Hernia surgery involves removing the hernia's sac and repairing and strengthening the weakened muscle wall. In certain cases, the muscle will be knit together with permanent non-absorbable stitches. Some hernia surgeries can be performed on an outpatient basis. Sometimes, however, a short hospital stay is necessary.

Alternative Therapies

Alternative therapies are of little value in treating hernias involving the small intestine. If obesity is a factor, a weight-loss diet combined with an exercise program may have a preventive effect.

Physical Therapy. Once recovery from surgery is complete, a physical therapist or sports medicine specialist can design an exercise routine to strengthen abdominal muscles, which will help prevent recurrence. These practitioners also teach posture and lifting techniques to avoid straining the abdominal and back muscles.

Self-Treatment

Do not wear a hernia truss unless instructed to do so by a doctor. If your hernia protrudes while you await surgery, gently push it back into place. This is best done when lying down. Avoid heavy lifting, straining, and sudden movements. Try to suppress sneezing and coughing; if that is impossible, tightly hug a firm pillow or a rolled-up piece of clothing to your abdomen until the coughing or sneezing spell passes.

Other Causes of Hernia Symptoms

Severe abdominal pain and swelling may be due to an intestinal obstruction. Abdominal pain and swelling in a woman could be caused by an ovarian cyst. Both conditions are potential medical emergencies.

Meditation is a mental discipline that is aimed at achieving complete relaxation. It is often promoted as an alternative to tranquilizers and painkillers in the management of emotional stress and physical pain.

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are medical emergencies brought on by exposure to more heat and humidity than the body can adapt to. Although the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they are distinctly different conditions.

Heat exhaustion is caused by dehydration, usually the result of sweating heavily and not consuming adequate replacement fluids. Warning signs include increasing fatigue, weakness, and feelings of anxiety, along with a drenching sweat. As the condition worsens, blood pressure drops, the pulse slows, and the skin becomes pale and clammy. The person could be confused and might faint.

A virus, depending on the type, can make you ill for a few hours, or can cause death within a few days. Although most of us use the term very loosely, few of us know exactly what a virus is. As you read on, you might be amazed at its structure. Unlike other pathogens (e.g. bacteria), a virus is made of of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), or RNA (Ribonucleic acid).

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness in which a very highly concentrated state of attention is focused on a specific idea or memory. The patient (or subject) is fully awake but responds only to the therapist's suggestions. There is abundant empirical evidence that hypnotherapy produces desired results for many people. Some, however, are incapable of achieving a deep trance state. Others can reach only a light hypnotic state because they are unable or unconsciously unwilling to achieve this form of total concentration.

Multiple sclerosis, a chronic, slowly progressive disease of the central nervous system, is characterized by patchy destruction and scarring (sclerosis) of myelin, the fatty sheath surrounding nerves in the spinal cord and brain. In time, the sclerosis interferes with transmission of nerve signals, producing a wide range of symptoms that vary from person to person. These commonly include numbness, weakness, tremor, poor coordination, an abnormal gait, loss of bladder and bowel control, and impotence in men. Vision and hearing may be impaired and there might be memory loss, confusion, and speech problems. Symptoms lessen or disappear during periods of remission, but relapses occur in which old problems worsen and new ones develop.

All our movement, thoughts, sensations, and bodily functions are controlled by the brain and nervous system, the most highly evolved among all living creatures and the least understood. Neuroscientists are only beginning to unravel the myriad mysteries of the human brain, and many predict we will never fully understand so many of the things we take for granted: memory, language, and creativity.

The body's excretory system is made up of a pair of kidneys and ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra. Kidneys do most of the work; the other structures just transport and store urine.

Chiropractic is a system of treatment based on the belief that the foundation of good health is the unhampered flow of nerve impulses that originate in the brain and spinal cord and then travel to all parts of the body. Therapy begins with analyzing the patient's spinal column for abnormal alignments of the vertebrae. When such misalignments, called subluxations, are located, they are corrected by manipulation to restore the normal flow of nerve impulses. Many chiropractors also make recommendations about nutrition and exercise, but they do not prescribe drugs or do surgery.

(Decubitus Ulcers, Pressure Sores, Trophic Ulcers)

These painful ulcers are a potentially serious problem for anyone who is bedridden, confined to a wheelchair, or lacks sensation because of paralysis or some other condition. If a person does not change position every few hours, either independently or with help, blood flow is reduced wherever there is unrelieved pressure. The result is cell death, skin deterioration, and eventually, the development of pressure sores. Places where bone is close to the skin, such as the heels, hips, and base of the spine, are particularly vulnerable.

Diagnostic Studies and Procedures

A bedsore is usually diagnosed by observation. The first warning sign is an area of redness over a pressure point. The skin there gradually thickens and swells, leading to blisters and open sores. Finally, skin ulcerations develop, sometimes becoming progressively deeper until the bone is exposed. At this stage, osteomyelitis, a serious bone inflammation, is likely to develop.

Medical Treatments

If the source of pressure is identified and corrected at an early stage, bedsores can be treated with special gels, creams, and antibiotics.

More advanced bedsores require debridement to remove the dead tissue. Special gels or 1.5 percent hydrogen peroxide may be applied to speed sloughing, so that the diseased tissue can be lifted away with forceps. Deeper sores require surgical removal of damaged tissue and bone. Skin grafts may be needed to cover large areas.

Alternative Therapies

Severe bedsores always require medical treatment. For milder cases, certain homemade remedies can be used, but special care must be taken to avoid infecting open wounds.

Herbal Medicine. Many herbalists recommend myrrh for bedsores i because of its astringent and antiseptic properties. Before use, however, it should be tested on a small area of skin to make sure that it does not cause further irritation, and it should never be applied to an open sore.

Hydrotherapy. Wet dressings and special whirlpool baths promote the sloughing of dead tissue. Whirlpool baths also facilitate healing by increasing blood flow to the skin.

Naturopathy. Poultices of certain natural substances are recommended for the treatment of weeping sores, but if a wound is deep or infected, a health professional should be consulted. A poultice made of raw, unprocessed honey is said to promote healing. So too is a dressing of papaya pulp or a poultice of grated raw or mashed cooked carrots placed on the sore and changed every two to three hours.

Self-Treatment

To prevent bedsores from developing or from progressing past the initial stages, self-care is fundamental.
If you are the patient, shift positions frequently and be alert to any red or sore spots. If feasible, exercise in bed to maintain muscle tone and good circulation. This helps to prevent not only bedsores but also the formation of clots that can lead to phlebitis, a pulmonary embolism, or other serious complications.

Periodically lift each foot, one at a time, move it in a circle, and flex it I up and down. Then lift each leg in turn, without bending your knee, and hold it up for a count of 10 seconds. As strength increases, hold the legs up for longer periods.

Knee bends can also be performed while lying in bed, by lifting each leg in turn and flexing and straightening the j knee joint. Try to do all of the above exercises four or five times a day, gradually increasing the number of repetitions during each session.

In a wheelchair, use a foam rubber cushion covered with sheepskin and raise your buttocks off the seat periodically. Do not sit for extended periods in the same position.

If you are caring for someone who is unable to move himself, shift the patient every few hours. Keep the skin, clean and dry by washing it thoroughly at least once a day, or more often if the patient is incontinent. Avoid rubbing harshly; gentle sponging with a small amount of soap is best. Pat the skin dry with a soft towel and apply talcum powder where needed. Use a moisturizing lotion to prevent dryness.

Change sheets every day or two, or whenever they are soiled or damp. If the patient eats in bed, make sure that all crumbs and food particles are carefully removed after each meal.

An egg-carton-type of foam rubber pad under the bottom sheet can help relieve pressure. A water bed also can help distribute the body's weight more evenly. Consider using a bed cradle that will keep the covers away from the knees, toes, and heels. For extra protection, sheepskin pads can be used to cushion the heels and elbows, and a larger sheepskin mat can be placed under the buttocks to cushion the hip.

Other Causes of Skin Ulcers

Bacterial infections can lead to skin ulcers, as can varicose veins and other circulatory problems in the legs.