When we think of Tai Chi we think of an old Chinese man practicing alone in the park. We don’t really think that it could be of any benefit to us. However, Tai Chi is a powerful tool for improving your health. It is even useful for bodybuilders!

What exactly is Tai Chi

Tai Chi is actually an ancient Chinese martial art. It focusses on slow external movements with the aim of increasing the internal strength, power and health of one’s body and energies.

Despite its slow movements, Tai Chi is a powerful martial art and can be used in combat. This, however, can only happen after years of training. The primary goal of Tai Chi is health, wellbeing and internal strength.

How does Tai Chi work?

Tai chi uses slow movements (forms) in order to manipulate the internal energies of the human body. According to Chinese medicine the body is made up of small energy channels through which our internal energy flows. By applying pressure to certain points on the body we can manipulate that energy as is seen in acupuncture. However, one can also use movement and the breath to control these energies and this is how Tai Chi works.

What health problems does Tai Chi help?

By performing Tai Chi on a regular basis one will be able to clear blockages in these channels as well as strengthen the energy itself. It will help heal small health problems such as muscle injuries and any sickness related to a blocked channel. Some illnesses that are often cured by Tai Chi include:

• Hayfever
• Migraines
• Digestive problems
• Sexual function problems
• Neck and back pain
• Arthritis
• Stress and anxiety

It is also now being used as part of a wider range of treatments for more serious illnesses such as cancer. Although Tai Chi does not profess to cure such illnesses, it has been known to make other treatments more effective.

So how does Tai Chi help muscle growth?

One major benefit of Tai Chi is that it helps your muscles recover quicker. When you can learn to manipulate your internal chi or when you improve your chi strength you find that your muscles recover faster after a workout. This is a big bonus.

As we know, muscles break down when you lift weights and the muscle growth happens when the repairing starts to occur. If we can repair the muscles faster we can hit the gym again in order to start the process all over again.

Tai Chi also helps muscle growth by teaching us to be in better control of our body. When we can isolate our muscles and tense them mentally we can get a better contraction each time we lift weights and this will assist us in our gains.

There are some foods that you really should never eat. They have a negative effect on your body and can lead to health problems, weight gain or even disease.

The question is: how many have you eaten this week?

1. French Fries
These deep fried treats are the favorite of many. They taste damn good but are one of the worst things you can put in your body. They have too much salt, saturated fat and many times trans fat. Too many of these and you will make yourself sick.

2. Meat
This is going to cause some debate, I can see it now. However, there is evidence to show that too much meat has a bad effect on the body. It has also been shown that if you eat meat everyday you are more likely to get cancer than if you lived on a vegetarian diet. Meat now-a-days has a lot of added hormones and chemicals that are used to make the animal grow faster so production can increase. It is not good for you at all.

The world has such a dependance on meat and it has become unhealthy. Many people eat meat three times a day and this is too much for the human body.

3. Coke
Coke is, for a lot of people, like water. However, it is high in sugar, sodium and is very bad for you. It causes a massive sugar rush and as such your body’s insulin levels get screwed around.

4. Doughnuts
Have you ever thought about how a doughnut is made? It is basically sugar mixed with flour, fried in saturated fats and then sprinked with mroe sugar! Far out. This is one food that really shouldn’t even be eaten as a treat and yet we see people (especially in the USA) eating them on a daily basis.

5. Deli meat
While I am not big on any meat the meats that you buy at the deli are particularly bad. They have been sitting in that cooled cabinet for a long time and are laced with preservatives and other additives. I always laugh when bodybuilders tell me they get their lunchtime protein by having a sandwhich with some compound turkey. That stuff is sugary and very bad for your health.

6. Chinese food
I love Chinese food. It is my favorite. However, you have to find that right place to eat it. Usually it is full of MSG and other dodgey substances. Usually the places that cook it in five minutes and pack it into a little box are pretty bad. Try to find a traditional place that is run by a small family. Generally they cook according to the family custom and this is much better for you.

7. KFC
If you made a promise to pick one fast food joint to never visit again it should be KFC. The chicken is terribly bad for your body. They chickens are given hormones and raised in terrible conditions. Most of the food is fried in fat and served with salt and other spices we don’t know the origin of. After all, they are secret! Don’t get me started on the mashed “potatoe”.

8. Beer
How many beers do you have per week? Beer is basically empty calories with carbs. Not good for weight control. However, the process that your body uses to get rid of the beer also can cause some problems.

If you are into fitness, bodybuilding and exercise then there is not doubt you have heard about overtraining. In this post I want to look at what causes overtraining and five ways you can tell if you are overtraining.

What is overtraining

Overtraining is experienced by all types of athletes and it is when you are working out your muscles so much that they have no time to recover. For example, if you are a bodybuilder it means that you are working out your muscles because they get a time to rebuild after your last workout.

From this simple definition it is clear that more of us are overtraining than we think.

5 sure signs you are overtraining

There are many signs of overtraining and often they are misdiagnosed as something else. Here are the main ones I teach people to look out for:

1. Fatigue
If you are always tired and always need sleep then there is a chance you are overtraining. This one is hard to pin point, however, as it can be caused by so many other things in your busy life. However, if you are working out five times per week and restricting your diet then chances are you are fatigued from overtraining.

2. Long term sore muscles
When we lift weights we get sore muscles. That is normal. But how long do they stay sore? If you are finding that your muscles are getting sorer for longer then perhaps you are doing too much and not giving them enough of a chance to rest.

3. Erection problems
This might sound strange but many males report that they have trouble getting sexually aroused when they are overtraining. This ties in with fatigue but can be a sure fire sign if you have never had this type of problem before.

4. Anger
Getting angry and irritated is another common symptom of overtraining. I always thought the people in my gym were jerks but it turns out they have an excuse! In all seriousness, if you are more angry than you used to be it might be your body’s way of coping with the lack of time it has to repair and rebuild.

5. Getting sick
If you are the type of person who gets the common cold every couple of weeks then you might be overtraining. I have a friend like this; train hard all the time and never give their body a rest. As a result they are sick and coughing all the time.

How to easily prevent overtraining

If you feel like you might be experiencing some of these problems then take a week off. Do no physical exercise at all except maybe a few light walks. It is important for extreme athletes to take a few weeks off every year. We often forget this. Professional footballers have two months off at the end of every year so why should we be any different?

You also need to make sure you are eating right and sleeping enough. Most overtraining problems can be traced back to these two categories.

Conclusion on overtraining

Overtraining is not really something to be proud of. It means you are working hard but you are not working smart. It is not good for muscle growth and it will lead to increased levels of injury and an overall lack of wellbeing. Give your body a rest.