Training and Sex

For men who train, it can be a pressing concern: How does training affect your sex life? Does frequent sex impact your training sessions?

One of the key hormones in the body that affects both training and sex is testosterone, which just happens to be one of the main sexual hormones. Accordingly, it's not hard to see how these two factors would go hand in hand.

How having sex will affect your strength and workout performance? Some guys are so intently focused on their training that they want to be sure that frequent sessions in the bedroom are not going to have a negative impact on their sessions in the gym.

Generally speaking, having frequent sex won't impact your weight-lifting performance. If anything, it should increase your workout performance since, once again, sex causes a release of the hormone testosterone, and the more testosterone one has circulating throughout the body, the more muscle tissue can be built.

Further examination of the connection between training and sex...
The one time it might come into play is if you have just finished having sex and then head straight to the gym. You may find your performance isn't as good, because for some men, sex can cause muscular fatigue; for others, though, it actually energizes them. This is solely dependent on the individual and his sexual aftermath.


Indirect effects of training on your sex life
Finally, the last thing to take into consideration is the indirect effect of training on your sex life.

For those of you who are trying to reach extremes and taking your body fat levels to low single digits, this can definitely impact what your sex drive levels are like. At very low levels, most men will start to find that their desire for sex drastically decreases and they lose pleasure in the act. Furthermore, those on very low-fat diets may notice a similar occurrence as well.

Overtraining, as briefly touched on above, can also play a key role in declining libido levels. When overtraining occurs, not only will you likely lose interest in many of the daily activities you used to enjoy, but you'll also lose your sex drive.

Being sure to monitor your body fat levels closely and ensure that you are getting enough rest in between training sessions is extremely critical to your general health and your sexual health.

Another indirect effect of training that can impact your sex life in a positive way is the stress reduction working out provides. Many men use weight lifting as a way to rid themselves of stress they are experiencing, and since stress is one of the biggest sex-drive killers, this will obviously have a beneficial effect.

The last factor to consider that could be affecting you is any type of supplements you are taking to improve your results at the gym. Steroids will increase sex drive drastically; however, you must be warned that they, at the same time, can have the negative side effects of increasing breast size, causing impotence and creating testicular atrophy. More often than not, the benefits of using steroids are outweighed by the adverse side effects seen. Therefore, this is not the best idea when it comes to trying to boost your sex drive.

Other supplements that can influence the sex drive in some males include yohimbe, tribulus and horny goat weed (even though that last one might sound good for your sex drive, it really isn't). Note that sometimes these supplements will be combined with others in a stack, so be sure to check the ingredient listings.

Some men fall into the trap of thinking that taking human growth hormone (HGH) will increase their sex drive, but this supplement actually isn't all that beneficial unless it's administered medically (which is both extremely costly and only given in extreme situations). Therefore, it really isn't going to have much of an impact at all on your sex drive.

Train to get down
So, next time you are debating about whether your training may be impacting your sex life, keep these factors in mind. As long as you're not going to the extreme with either, you'll likely find that regular training enhances your sex life, not only by giving you more energy and thus making you "up for it" on a more frequent basis, but also by physiologically tilting the sex hormones to work in your favor.

If you do feel like you are suffering and are having a problem, first try taking a full week off from your training program. You might find that this in itself is enough to remedy the situation. If that still doesn't work, consider speaking to your doctor about the problem because there could be larger factors at play.

Can I Start Bodybuilding in My 50's?

By the time you reach 50, your body has been losing muscle mass for at least 20 years unless you have been exercising your muscles regularly. You can arrest and even reverse the process of muscular degeneration with a regular bodybuilding routine. Although your muscles will not respond as quickly as they would have if you had begun bodybuilding in your 20s, you will almost certainly achieve results you can see in the mirror.

Health Concerns

Bodybuilding puts strain on your joints. Consequently, if you have a history of joint problems, either abandon bodybuilding or stick to weight machines instead of free weights. Holding your breath while lifting, not recommended for bodybuilders of any age, is particularly dangerous for bodybuilders with high blood pressure. To gain muscle mass, you need to eat more. However, if your calorie consumption outpaces your body's ability to build new muscle, it will store the extra calories as fat. If you are seriously overweight, concentrate on dieting first and building muscle second.

Training Routine

Take your age into account when planning your training routine. Always warm up with about 10 minutes of light calisthenics before working out. Select a weight that you can lift eight to 12 times without stopping ; if you can complete 13 repetitions, it's time to increase your weight. Perform your first set of any exercise with half your workout weight to get blood circulating through the targeted muscles. Then perform one or two more sets of the same exercise at your normal workout weight.

Rest

After 50, your body needs more time to recuperate than it did when you were younger. Even younger bodybuilders should not work out two days in a row until they reach an intermediate level of muscular development. Over-50 bodybuilders should avoid working out a particular body part more than once a week, advises "Iron Man Magazine." Get eight hours of sleep every night, and reduce your workout intensity or take a week off if you start feeling sore more than 24 hours after working out a particular body part.
Benefits

Weight training increases muscle mass, which causes your body to work harder to supply your new muscles with nutrients, according to MayoClinic.com. Your body will burn more calories 24 hours a day, even when you are at rest. Bodybuilding also reverses the loss of bone density that typically occurs with age, making it less likely that you will break a bone in a fall. Former Mr. Universe Dave Draper asserts that weight training can improve skin quality by improving blood circulation. buy bodybuilding supplies online at www.halfpricegear.com

Bodybuilding for Men at 60 Years

Loss of muscle mass, known as sarcopenia, accelerated by lack of weight-bearing exercise, begins in your forties and quickens after you hit 75. This is accompanied by diminished levels of testosterone and growth hormones (HGH). Bodybuilding can slow the process and help you gain significant muscle mass. But at 60, health factors and your body's reduced ability to handle heavy weights plays a significant role in designing a suitable bodybuilding program.
Taking Precautions

The American College of Sports Medicine notes that older adults have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and joint problems, and emphasizes the importance of seeking the advice of your doctor before starting your bodybuilding program. The questions should query various aspects of your health. For example, whether you have any history of heart problems or high blood pressure or whether you feel chest pain when doing physical activities - and if you ever feel faint or dizzy, have an orthopedic condition, or if you are diabetic.

Start your bodybuilding routine with a warm-up comprising a 15- to 20-minute cardiovascular routine to exercise your heart and lungs, and dynamic stretches to loosen up your joints and muscles in preparation for the strenuous activity of building muscle. Cardio also helps to keep your body fat levels low, making your muscles more visible. For your cardio routine, walk briskly on an inclined treadmill or use the stationary bike or elliptical machine. For dynamic stretches, do side bends and hip circles to loosen up your lower back, and shoulder circles to loosen up your shoulders.

Choosing Free Weights or Machines

Writing for Critical Bench, personal trainer Shawn Lebrun notes that free weights stimulate more muscle growth. This is because you engage more muscle fibers to stabilize the weights as you move them through the required range of motion. This is in contrast to resistance machines that balance the weight for you. Progress to free weights as you get stronger.
Building Muscle

To build muscle, focus your efforts primarily on compound multi-joint exercises that work the major muscle groups of your chest, shoulders, back, legs and glutes. Exercises that target these muscles also have a secondary effect on your minor muscles. For example, you engage your triceps when performing pushing exercises for your chest and shoulders, and your biceps kick in when you perform pulling exercises for your upper back.
Weights, Sets and Reps

Building muscle involves progressively overloading your muscles with heavy weights. However, older adults may experience joint and muscle discomfort after a heavy workout. Use a comfortable weight that allows you to do two sets of eight to 12 repetitions. As you get stronger and your exercise tolerance increases, do three sets per exercise, and gradually increase your weight. Rest about two minutes between sets.
Short, Sharp Workouts

Work out two or three days a week on non-consecutive days. This allows you adequate rest days, when muscle growth actually occurs. Use a full-body program. Do the seated chest press for your chest, the shoulder press for your shoulders, seated rows or lat pulldowns for your upper back, barbell curls for your biceps, the leg press for your quadriceps and the seated calf raise for your calves. Gradually introduce more free weights and isolation exercises into your routine. For example, the barbell bench press or dumbbell press for your chest, supplemented with the isolation movement of pec dec flys. Do dumbbell shoulder presses for your shoulders, supplemented by bent-over laterals for your rear deltoids. Introduce single arm dumbbell rows for your upper back, skull crushers for your triceps, and the isolation movement of leg curls for your hamstrings. Do two sets of isolation exercises. Your entire workout, including your warm-up should last 45 minutes to one hour.