| How to Get Dog Urine Smell out of Carpets Posted: 11 Feb 2020 04:00 PM PST If you have dogs or puppies, it's likely that they'll have accidents inside. While it may be easy to clean up, you may still smell the dog urine if it soaked into your carpet. When there's a lingering smell that you want to get rid of, you can easily deodorize your carpet with vinegar and baking soda, a hydrogen peroxide paste, club soda, or an enzymatic cleaner. No matter what method you choose, your carpet will smell like new once you're finished! [Edit]Cleaning with Vinegar and Baking Soda - Mix together water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Combine of distilled white vinegar with of warm water in a spray bottle. Shake the solution to mix it thoroughly and dilute the vinegar. Make sure the spray bottle works by spraying the solution in the sink before using it on your carpet.[1]
- You can buy a spray bottle or you can use an empty one from an old cleaning solution.
- If you use a spray bottle that had something else in it previously, make sure to wash it out thoroughly before adding the new mixture. You don't want to stain or contaminate your carpet with any unknown chemicals.
- Spray the mixture on the urine stain and let it sit for 15 minutes. Hold the spray bottle over your carpet and pull the trigger to apply the solution. Coat the entire stain with the solution so your carpet is completely saturated, and then let it soak in for 15 minutes.[2]
- Vinegar works great on dry or wet urine stains.
- Don't pat the vinegar dry immediately since it needs to soak into the pad underneath the carpet to fully eliminate the odor.
- Dab the carpet to lift up excess vinegar. Use an old cleaning cloth or sponge and press onto the vinegar to soak up the liquid. Work across the entire stain so the carpet isn't soaking wet. When you're finished, immediately wash the cloth or throw it away.[3]
- Wear cleaning gloves if you don't want to get any vinegar or urine on your hands while you're working.
- Cover the vinegar solution with baking soda to deodorize your carpet. Coat the entire surface of the stain with a thin layer of baking soda and press it into the fabric with a cloth. Once the baking soda is applied, let it sit to pull out the moisture and odor from deep in your carpet. The baking soda will work back up toward the surface and form a thin crust on your carpet.[4]
- If you're worried about the vinegar and baking soda changing the color of your carpet, test the mixture in a small, inconspicuous area before covering the stain.
- For an extra odor-fighting boost, mix a few drops of your favorite essential oil with the baking soda before sprinkling it on. Tea tree, lavender, or lemongrass oil are all good options.
- Vacuum the baking soda once it's dry. When the baking soda is completely dry, run your vacuum over the area to lift it out of your carpet. Go over the spot multiple times to get any baking soda that's deep in the carpet. When you're finished, smell the area that was stained to see if there's still a urine scent.[5]
- If you still smell urine, you can apply the solution again or try another cleaning method.
[Edit]Applying a Hydrogen Peroxide Paste - Mix hydrogen peroxide, dishwashing detergent, and baking soda. Combine of hydrogen peroxide, of liquid dish soap, and 2 tablespoons (28 g) of baking soda in a plastic bowl and stir it together. The mixture will form a thick paste and start bubbling as they react with one another. Keep stirring the mixture until it's thoroughly mixed.[6]
- Hydrogen peroxide works best on light-colored carpets. If you want to use it to clean dark carpets, test a small amount on your carpet to see if it affects the color.
- You can use hydrogen peroxide on fresh or dry urine stains.
- Apply the paste to the urine stain with a spoon and leave it for up to 1 hour. Use a spoon to scoop and spread the paste onto the urine stain. Press down on the paste to work it into the carpet so it can lift the odor from the pad underneath. Once you've spread the paste on the whole stain, leave it alone for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.[7]
- The baking soda and hydrogen peroxide react with one another and will trap the urine odor so your carpet doesn't smell.
- The odor is more likely to go away if you leave the peroxide for longer.
- Dab the paste off your carpet with a wet cloth. Wet a cleaning cloth with the warmest water you can handle and wring it out so it isn't dripping wet. Push the cloth firmly onto the paste to lift it out of your carpet. Rewet the cleaning cloth if it dries out, and keep dabbing the stain until you remove as much of the paste as you can.[8]
- Dry your carpet with paper towels. Once you remove the paste, place a layer of paper towels over the wet spot and press down to absorb any leftover liquid. Avoid wiping the paper towel from side to side so you don't work it back into the carpet.[9]
- You can also use a cleaning cloth instead of paper towels if you want.
[Edit]Using Club Soda - Pour club soda over the entire stain. Use a small amount at a time so your carpet doesn't get soaking wet. Slowly pour the club soda over the entire stain so it bubbles and soaks into your carpet. Once the stain is covered with club soda, let it sit for about 10-15 minutes so it can penetrate the pad underneath.[10]
- You can buy club soda from any grocery store.
- Club soda works best for fresh urine stains.
- Blot the stain with a cleaning cloth or sponge. After 10-15 minutes has passed, set a cleaning rag on top of the stain and press firmly onto it to lift out the soda. If the cloth gets too wet, wring it out or use another to lift the odor out. Work your way over the entire stain until most of the soda is lifted up.[11]
- Don't wipe back and forth over the stain or else the urine smell will work back into the carpet.
- Dry the area with paper towels. Cover the stain with 2 layers of paper towels and pat it dry. Push down hard with your hand to absorb any club soda that's deep within the carpet pad. Keep pressing down across the entirety of the stain until you can't pull up any more liquid.[12]
- Spray an air freshener on your carpet to get a refreshing odor. Using club soda will remove the odor, but you may have a stronger smell when you first remove it. Pick your favorite scent of air freshener or essential oil and spray it on your carpet to cover up any residual odor that the soda brought up. Spritz enough to mask the smell and then check your carpet in a few hours to see if you can still smell the urine.[13]
- Look for air fresheners that eliminate odors rather than cover them up since they kill odor-causing bacteria.
- If you still smell urine, you may need to try a stronger cleaning method.
[Edit]Spraying an Enzymatic Cleaner - Dry as much of the urine as you can with paper towels. Set a layer of paper towels over the stain, and firmly press the paper towel onto the carpet. Don't scrub the carpet since it could work the urine deeper into the pad underneath. Keep dabbing the carpet until it's as dry as you can get it.[14]
- Enzymatic cleaners work best on fresh stains.
- Step on the paper towel to apply more pressure and absorb more liquid.
- Spray the enzymatic cleaner directly on the stain. Get a bottle of commercial enzymatic cleaner from your local supermarket. Hold the bottle from the stain and spray it until the carpet is saturated completely.[15]
- Many pet stores carry enzymatic cleaners specifically made for dog urine.
- Let the cleaner soak into your carpet and dry on its own. Look on the bottle to see how long the enzymatic cleaner takes to work, which is usually up to 24 hours. Let the cleaner soak and absorb into the carpet so it can eliminate the odor completely. Once the time listed on the packaging passes, sniff your carpet to see if still smells.[16]
[Edit]Warnings - Hydrogen peroxide can change the color of your carpet. Test the solution on a small inconspicuous area of your carpet to see if the color changes.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Cleaning with Vinegar and Baking Soda - Distilled white vinegar
- Water
- Spray bottle
- Cleaning cloth
- Baking soda
- Vacuum
[Edit]Applying a Hydrogen Peroxide Paste - Mixing bowl
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Liquid dish detergent
- Baking soda
- Spoon
- Cleaning cloth
- Paper towel
[Edit]Using Club Soda - Club soda
- Cleaning cloth
- Paper towel
- Air freshener
[Edit]Spraying an Enzymatic Cleaner - Paper towels
- Enzymatic cleaner
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Plan a Documentary Posted: 11 Feb 2020 08:00 AM PST Documentary films cover a wide variety of real-life subjects that are often overlooked or misunderstood. While creating a documentary takes a lot of time and effort, planning ahead will make the filming and post-production processes much easier. To plan your documentary, you'll first need to select your topic and make sure that it's viable for filming. Then, you can start planning what the content will be, and preparing for filming and production so you'll have less stress and surprises once you begin. [Edit]Selecting Your Topic - Decide on the type of documentary you want to make. To select your topic and plan your documentary, it's helpful to first decide whether you want to make a poetic or performative, expository, observational, or participatory documentary.[1] Each of these different types of documentaries has a different focus and aim. Therefore, the way in which you'll go about planning your documentary will depend on the type you want to make.
- Poetic and performative documentaries focus on sharing and eliciting feelings and emotional responses rather than expose a perceived truth.
- Expository documentaries aim to both inform and persuade the audience to adopt a particular point of view on the subject at hand.
- Observational documentaries simply observe one or more aspects of the world.
- Participatory documentaries include the filmmaker as a major part of the film. In some cases, your documentary may be both poetic, performative, or expository and participatory.
- Choose a subject that you're passionate about. The most important and difficult decision you'll make while planning your documentary is what you want it to be about. While there may be several subjects you're interested in learning more about, it's important that you choose a subject that you're genuinely passionate about. Planning and creating a documentary takes a lot of time, energy, and, in many cases, money, so it's crucial that you really care about your subject so you don't get burnt out.[2]
- To help you choose a subject, consider what questions you have about the world that, as far as you know, remain unanswered or largely unaddressed.[3]
- If you're passionate about helping animals and you've always wanted to know how dog food is made and whether all brands are actually in compliance with pet health standards, chances are other people have wondered this as well.
- Conduct preliminary research to determine if your subject is viable. In addition to being passionate about your subject, it's also important that you determine if creating a documentary about your chosen subject is even possible. While you may initially have grand ideas for your documentary, upon researching a bit, you may find that not enough interviewees are alive, the necessary filming locations are unavailable or off-limits, or that the topic has already been covered extensively.[4]
- In most cases, a simple Google search on your chosen subject will help you find the information you need to determine if your subject is viable.
- Reading books and talking to professionals and experts in related fields can also help you decide if making your documentary is feasible.
- Contacting potential interviewees to see if they're willing and able to participate will also help you assess if your project is viable.[5]
- Talk to others to assess if your subject is interesting and entertaining. Before moving forward with your topic, you may want to take a bit of time to talk to your friends, family, co-workers, or other documentary filmmakers to help you determine if your subject will be emotionally stimulating, intellectually interesting, and visually entertaining.[6] While you may be passionate about your chosen subject, it's also important that other people are as well.
- If too few people express an interest in your topic, it's possible that your potential audience pool will be too small for your documentary to gain any attention or traction.
[Edit]Planning the Content - Finalize your list of interviewees. If you plan to feature any human beings in your documentary, it's likely that the content will largely be determined by the people you interview. Therefore, before planning any of the content of your documentary, contact all your potential interviewees to determine who is officially on board with the project.[7]
- When contacting your interviewees, it could be helpful to conduct a brief pre-interview to help you get an idea about what they plan to say. This will help you when you're writing your script and creating your storyboard.
- You may also want to ask your interviewees about their availability during filming so you can try to accommodate their schedules as much as possible.
- Obtain signed consent forms from all interviewees. Once you've confirmed who you are going to interview, get each of the interviewees to sign a consent form and return it to you via email, mail, or in person so you'll know their participation is almost guaranteed.[8] You can create your own consent forms for interviewees to sign, or choose one of the thousands available online to download and print.
- A simple Google search on "documentary consent form" will produce thousands of templates you can choose from.
- If you make your own release form, make sure that you clearly indicate that you plan to include the footage in a film documentary. This will help you avoid any potential legal issues involving interviewees.
- Choose your images, music, and existing video clips. In addition to creating new content once you start filming, you may also choose to include existing images, music, audio, and video files. To do this, consider what messages, feelings, and emotions you want each scene to convey, and search for images, music, and video clips that will help you achieve this. Deciding on these elements ahead of time will help you write your script, create your storyboard, and plan your budget.[9]
- Relevant music, news clips, clips from existing interviews, and photos of your subject, location, or interviewees, for example, can go a long way in helping you convey the messages you want in your documentary.
- In many cases, you'll need to obtain the rights to use images, music, and video clips, which can be expensive. There are, however, millions available for free that are in the public domain, provided royalty-free, or Creative Commons-licensed.
- Write the script to help you organize your plans. Unlike a film or commercial, the script for a documentary is generally more of an outline or prediction. While you won't know what will happen on film until you're in production, writing your script will help you figure out what you want to include, who you want to interview and what you want to ask them, and where you want to film.[10]
- When writing your script, it can be helpful to create 3 columns on each page: one for your narration, one for the visuals, and one for the sound you plan to use. While all these elements may change as you film, this will allow you to start getting an idea about what the narrator will be talking about while a certain image is on the screen and a certain song is playing in the background.[11]
- Writing an outline of your script will also help you assess what your budget needs are, and what type of crew members you'll need to hire to capture what you put in your script.[12]
- As you go through the planning process, it's helpful to revisit your script and update it as needed to reflect any changes you've made.
- Make a storyboard to supplement your script. A storyboard is a pictorial representation of the most important scenes from your script. To create a storyboard, use a large piece of paper or cardboard and draw vertical and horizontal lines to create your desired number of boxes on the page. Then, inside each box, draw out one major shot or scene from your script as you want them to unfold. Underneath each image, write the description of the scene that you wrote in your script.[13]
- Creating a storyboard will help you get a better understanding of what physical elements you want to include in your documentary, and how you want them to look while your filming.
- You don't need to be an artist to create a helpful storyboard. In fact, in most cases, stick figures and outlines are fine.
[Edit]Preparing for Filming and Production - Set a budget so you'll have an idea about your expenses. To help plan your documentary, it's crucial that you create a budget for your project so you can limit the costs of all the production elements as needed. Documentaries vary drastically in costs depending on the subject, locations, content, equipment, and crew size. Rather than get strapped with a bill you can't afford at the end, budgeting ahead of time will help you move into filming and production while staying within your means.[14]
- A few things to consider when you're creating your budget are equipment and studio fees, location permits, liability insurance, paying your crew, catering, props, post-production editing, copyright fees, marketing expenses, and distribution fees.
- If you have or are trying to get investors or obtain a grant, you'll likely need to present a budget in order to be considered for financing.
- Create a projected timeline to help you plan your schedule. To create a projected production timeline, write down a list of your projected dates and deadlines for filming and production, including your start date, the dates of each interview, the dates you are filming at each location, and all the projected dates for post-production editing, marketing, and distribution. While there are likely going to be timing hiccups at several points throughout the process, creating a production timeline is a helpful way to keep your documentary on track as much as possible.[15]
- Having a timeline will help you stay on track and asses when you need to book locations and arrange for travel, schedule interviews, and hire your film and production crew.
- When creating your timeline, it could be helpful to rank the elements of your documentary according to their importance and arrange your timeline around the most important ones. For example, if your documentary relies on the testimony of a crucial interviewee, arranging your timeline around the dates that work best for them makes sense.
- Hire your crew members if you plan to have a production crew. While it's possible to plan and create a documentary on your own, in most cases, you'll need to hire a production crew to help you throughout the filming, editing, marketing, and distribution process. In addition to choosing crew members that understand your vision and have experience, it's important that you refer to your budget and production timeline to make sure that each person's fees and scheduling align with your plan.[16]
- Potential production crew members include a lighting technician, cameraman, sound and audio expert, editor, and marketing and distribution agent, to name a few.
- Buy or rent all the equipment you'll need for filming. Depending on who you've hired for your production crew, you may or may not need to obtain some or all the equipment needed for filming. If you plan to do a lot of the work yourself, getting a camera, microphone, lighting equipment, and editing software ahead of time gives you time to learn and get comfortable with your equipment so you're ready to go once you start filming.[17]
- If you hired a full production crew, each crew member may have their own equipment, in which case you won't need to buy or rent any and you can skip this step.
- Start promoting your documentary to pique people's interest. While you likely won't have any clips filmed or fully developed promotional materials during the planning stages, it can still be helpful to start getting the word out about your upcoming project. Even if it's a bit vague at this point, promoting your upcoming documentary early on will help you start building your audience.[18]
- Posting about your project on social media is a great way to start promoting your documentary without having to increase your budget.
- Creating a blog where you can provide updates on your project's progress is also a great way to get people interested in your documentary.
[Edit]References |
| How to Build Muscle Posted: 11 Feb 2020 12:00 AM PST Building muscle can boost your confidence, but it takes time and consistency. Fortunately, you can see results if you work hard and stick with it. The key to building muscle is exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet. You can build muscles while working out at home or in a gym using the same types of exercises. [Edit]Establishing Your Exercise Routine - Build an exercise routine. Write out a workout plan for yourself so that you know what days you will work each muscle group. You can choose to work them all on the same day, or you can work them on different days. Be sure to rest your muscle groups 24-48 hours between workouts.[1]
- For instance, if you workout your arms on Monday, don't work them again until Wednesday or Thursday.
- If you're not sure where to begin, find a solid workout program online and try it out for a while. Don't immediately jump from one program to the next or you may prevent yourself from making steady progress.
- Schedule your workouts. To avoid over-training, set up a schedule that works for you and your goals. Organize your routine so that you can work two muscle groups simultaneously and save time (supersetting). Examples could be a chest and back day, bicep and tricep day, or a chest and bicep day.
- Here is an example of a split routine that gives you plenty of time to break down your muscles, and plenty of time off to let them recover:
- Day 1: Chest and biceps, followed by cardio
- Day 2: Back and triceps
- Day 3: Rest and cardio
- Day 4: Legs and abs
- Day 5: Shoulders, followed by cardio
- Day 6: Rest
- Day 7: Rest
- Another routine you can try is an upper/lower split. Here's a schedule you can use:
- Day 1: Upper-body workout, followed by cardio
- Day 2: Lower-body workout
- Day 3: Rest and cardio
- Day 4: Upper-body workout
- Day 5: Lower-body workout
- Day 6: Rest and cardio
- Day 7: Rest
- Warm up with cardio exercise before you lift weights. Before you begin any exercise routine, start with a low-intensity routine designed to warm up all the muscles you're about to work on. Not only will it help you get into the right frame of mind, it can help prevent injuries. Do 5-10 minutes of light cardio before you start lifting weights.[2]
- For instance, walk, run, or jog in place.
- Don't warm up with stretches unless you've already done at least 5 minutes of cardio. You should never stretch cold muscles, which can lead to injury.
- Work out harder for a shorter length of time to build muscle. Training with high reps is good for building endurance, but it won't help you build up either size or strength. Instead, aim for about 3-8 sets per muscle group, and 6-12 reps per set for your normal routine. Your final rep should be very hard to complete! If it's not, increase the weight you're lifting.[3]
- Cap your workout time at 60 minutes a day. Any longer and you'll be too fatigued to perform any more quality sets.
- Work your whole body over the week. You'll see the maximum benefit when your entire body is part of the routine. The more muscles you use when training, the more strength you'll gain and the more balanced your muscle development will be. You can work your whole body at 1 time or target different muscle groups on different days.[4]
- Give all muscle groups equal attention, such as five sets of rows after five sets of bench presses. This will encourage balanced training, growth, and flexibility.
- Compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, and pull-ups use a lot of different muscles. They're great for a full-body workout.
- Don't rush. Advanced lifters often base their routines around a technique called explosive repetition. In other words, they lift a tremendous amount of weight in a short (explosive) amount of time. There are significant benefits to this method, but the risk of injury in novice athletes is high. It is recommended solely for more advanced athletes.
- Include cardio training. The standard recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate cardio each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio, or an equivalent combination of the two. A good place to start would be doing 30-60 minutes of cardiovascular activity every other day or 3 times a week. Examples of cardio include running, biking, swimming, and any sport that involves constant movement.[5]
- Good cardiovascular health improves blood flow, a requirement for muscle growth. Doing cardio also improves your cardiovascular fitness, which allows you to use your muscle gains for various sports and activities.
- Cardio burns calories quickly, so overdoing it can limit the energy available to build your muscles. If you increase the amount of cardio exercise you do, be sure to increase your calorie intake as well.
- Get your rest. Your body needs time to recover, and to repair (build) your muscles, and to do that you will need at least 8 hours of quality sleep a night. Additionally, don't overdo your training regimen. You can reach a point known as "over-training," in which you'll lose the ability to "pump" your muscles, which can lead to muscle wasting. Here are some symptoms to be aware of if you think you may be falling into the over-training zone:[6]
- Chronic fatigue
- Strength loss
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Lowered sex drive
- Chronic soreness
- Prone to injury
- Lower your stress levels. Whether your stress comes from your job, home, or just the way you're wired, do what you can to reduce or eliminate it. It's not just good for you in general, but stress also increases the production of the hormone cortisol, which encourages your body to store fat and burn muscle tissue. Here are some ways to reduce stress:[7]
- Take a walk.
- Talk to a friend.
- Journal.
- Color in an adult coloring book.
- Play with your pet.
- Soak in a bathtub.
- Smell essential oils.
- Practice explosive lifts to build strength. "Exploding" upward while lifting trains your muscles for quick, explosive strength. However, this increases the risk of injury if you do not use the correct technique. If you want to add these to your squats or other range of motion exercises, practice first with a lighter weight and a low-intensity set up:[8]
- Work up to the explosive part of the move gradually by starting with a smaller range of motion, and increase it with time and practice.
- Move slowly on the eccentric (the lowering phase). This is the part of motion which causes the most tearing, so don't try to "explode" downward.
- "Load the muscle" at the low point of the exercise. This means holding the muscle contraction before beginning the movement.
- Explode upward quickly, but avoid full extension at the peak range of motion. For example, knees should stay slightly bent for leg exercises, and elbows slightly bent for upper body exercises.
[Edit]Working Your Muscles - Do pull ups to work your back muscles. Grip a horizontal bar that is comfortably taller than you. Place your hands shoulder-width apart. Then, lift your legs back so that you are hanging from the bar. Pull yourself up, lifting your chin up to the bar using only your arms. Then, lower yourself down to your starting position.[9]
- You can use either an overhanded or underhanded grip.
- Do 3 sets of 10 pull ups.
- This exercise will work your lats, traps, and rhomboids.
- Perform bent over rows to build your back. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, about 6 to 10 inches (15–25 cm) behind a barbell or 2 dumbbells. Bend slightly at your knees but keep your shins vertical. Bend forward at the waist with your spine and head straight. Lift the weight with an overhand grip up to your lower chest or upper abdomen. Lower slowly until your arms are nearly extended, without touching the ground.[10]
- Do bench presses to build your chest and pecs. Start with a weight that you can lift comfortably. If you are a beginner, try lifting the bar along with on each side. Position your arms at shoulder-width apart, then grab onto the bar. Slowly lower the bar until it's at nipple level, then push up until your arms are fully extended upwards.[11]
- Do 3 sets of 8–10 repetitions. If you can, add additional weight each set.
- Once you have a few months of practice, slowly increase the weight and go down to 6–8 reps per set. Try to reach muscle failure at the end of the third set.
- Do push-ups to work your upper body. Get into a plank position with your arms positioned shoulder-width apart. Then, lower yourself down slowly until your chin reaches the floor. Slowly push yourself up to a starting position.[12]
- Do 3 sets of 10 push ups.
- The closer your hands are to one another, the more you'll work your triceps.
- Push-ups are an exercise you can do anywhere.
- Do deadlifts to work your thighs, glutes, and calves. Place a heavy barbell or 2 dumbbells on the ground in front of you. Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, slowly bend at your knees. Grasp the weight, then rise from the ground, keeping the weight close to your body. Then, slowly lower the weight back down to the floor.[13]
- Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Choose a weight that feels very heavy for you.
- Keep all of your muscles engaged as you do your deadlifts. Use your lower body to help you lift the weights.
- Do squats with a weighted bar. Add weights to a barbell, then put it on a rack so that it's a little lower than shoulder height. Duck under the bar and stand up so that the bar rests comfortably just below your neck. Keep your knees slightly bent and your legs slightly wider than shoulder width. Lift the bar up off the rack and move backwards 1 step so that the weight rests on your back. Then, slowly lower yourself down into a squat. Exhale deeply and use your legs and hips to lift out of the squat.[14]
- Do 3 sets of 8 squats.
- The weight should be heavy enough that doing a squat is difficult, but not impossible. If you're a beginner, this may mean using a bar without any weight to start with.
- As you do your squats, keep your chest, knees, and feet aligned vertically with your hips back.
- A 90-degree bend at the knees is the safest option, and make sure your knee doesn't go past your toes.
- Do Bulgarian squats with a dumbbell to work your legs. Hold a dumbbell in front of your chest using both hands. Standing in front of a bench, lift your right leg back so that it's parallel to the floor and resting comfortably on the bench. Bend into a squat using your left leg, so that the right knee almost hits the floor. Slowly rise back to your starting position. Repeat on the other side.[15]
- Do 3 sets of 8 reps.
- Bulgarian squats are also called single leg squats.
- Do individual bicep curls with dumbbells to work your arms. Sit down on a bench and pick up a dumbbell. Hold your hand in between your thighs. With your elbow resting on your thigh, lift the dumbbell all the way to your upper chest by curling your arm upward. Switch to the opposite hand and repeat.[16]
- Target your triceps with dips. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on a bench, with your body and feet stretched out in front of the bench. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body down so that your butt nearly touches the floor. Use your arms to lift yourself back to your starting position.[17]
- Do 3 sets of 8 reps.
- If this isn't a high-intensity set for you, increase the resistance by lifting 1 foot off the floor.
- Dips are probably the most effective way to work your triceps, which is the muscle beneath your biceps. You'll need to have strong triceps to bench-press large amounts of weight.
- Do skull crushers to work your arms. Lay down flat on a bench with a bar resting on the rack. Lift the bar over you, then bend your elbows so that the bar is close to your forehead. Slowly push the bar up until your arms are fully extended. Then, bring the weight back down. Keep your elbows close together as you lift and lower the bar.[18]
- Repeat for 3 sets of 8 reps.
- Do an overhead press to build your shoulders. Hold a barbell or 2 dumbbells at chest or shoulder height, with your palms facing forward. Lift the weight above your head until your arms are fully extended. Keep your elbow slightly bent to prevent hyperextension. Then, slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.[19]
- Do crunches to work your abs and core muscles. Lie down on a mat and position both arms behind your head without locking your hands. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the ground. Push the small of your back into the ground and slowly roll your shoulders off the ground slightly. Then, slowly return to the floor.[20]
- Repeat for 3 sets of 20 reps.
- Keep your movements slow and steady.
- Do planks to work your abs and core. Lie face-down on the floor. Place your hands under your shoulders. Then, lift yourself up so that your body is still parallel to the floor. Keep your body straight and hold your position for as long as possible.[21]
- Try to hold your plank for 2 minutes. If you can't, rest for 1-2 minutes, then do a plank again. Do as many planks as it takes to reach 2 minutes.
- If you can't support yourself on your arms, you can modify this exercise by resting on your forearms instead.
[Edit]Eating a Healthy Diet - Increase your calorie consumption by 10%. Keep a log of the number of calories you eat, and use the average of those numbers to estimate your daily caloric needs. Then, multiply that number by 1.1. Make sure your calories are coming from a variety of healthy, minimally processed foods to provide quality nutrients for muscle-building.[22]
- Get enough protein to support muscle growth. Aim for about 0.8 grams to 1 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (1.6g to 2g per kg). For example, if you weigh 180 lb, take in 144-180 g of protein every day. If you're overweight, use your lean body mass as your bodyweight instead of your current weight.[23]
- One ounce (28 grams) of cooked meat contains roughly 7 grams of protein.[24] You could meet a 120-gram daily goal with three 6-oz. steaks, assuming no other protein sources.
- If you're having difficulty meeting these protein levels, you can always use protein shakes to make up the difference.
- Drink at least of water each day. The body needs a sufficient amount of water to build muscle at an optimal rate. Aim to drink at least , but you'll likely need more to build healthy muscle. Here's a great little formula to help make sure you are getting enough:[25]
- Imperial units: Bodyweight in lbs X 0.6 = water intake in ounces.
- The same formula in metric units: Bodyweight in kg x 40 = water intake in milliliters.
- This includes all water from food and drink, not just glasses of water.
- If you are over 30, you can lower these numbers to lbs x 0.46 to 0.54, or kg x 30 to 35.
- Eat regular meals at the same time each day. Rather than having 2-3 large meals during the day, change your eating habits so that you are eating 5-7 smaller meals during the day.[26]
- To help keep your protein intake high, you may want to make 1 of your meals a protein shake. To make a basic shake, blend skimmed milk, 1 banana, peanut butter, and 2 scoops of protein powder.
- Eat healthy fats. Not only does it make food taste good, fat is also good for you, as long as you are eating the right kinds and amounts of fat! Saturated fats—the fat you'll find in a stick of butter, a bag of chips, or bacon—should be limited to about 20g or less. However, increase the amount of healthy fats that you eat, such as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.[27]
 - A good way to determine how much fat in grams you should be taking in is to multiply your calorie intake by 0.008 for maximum saturated fats and by 0.03 for the "good fats." For example, for a 2,500-calorie diet, you would limit saturated fats to 20g or less and up to 75g of mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
- Fat is necessary for the proper distribution of vitamins A, D, E, and K, helps promote better eyesight, and promotes healthy skin. Fats are also important for the synthesis of hormones, so maintaining an adequate intake of them will speed up muscle-building and recovery.
- Monounsaturated fats can be found in olive, canola, and sesame oils; avocado; and nuts such as almonds, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.
- Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn, cottonseed, and safflower oils; sunflower seeds and oils; flaxseed and flaxseed oil; soybeans and soybean oil.
- Omega-3 fats, an overall winner of a fat that is very beneficial to heart and blood health, eyesight, and for children, brain development. You'll find this fat in many omega-3-enriched foods. Another great source is fatty cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, and sardines.
- Take a multivitamin, if your doctor recommends it. In addition to a well-balanced diet, include a multivitamin supplement in your diet. It will ensure that your body is getting the full amount of vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy. There are many options, depending on your age, your sex, and your particular health and diet needs. Find the one that's right for you, and make it part of your daily routine.[28]
- Always check with your doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements.
[Edit]Exercise, Routine, and Foods to Eat and Avoid to Build Muscle - Rest is just as important as lifting, so take a minute breather between sets.
- Work different muscles on alternating days. The body takes time to repair torn tissue, so let your muscles rest for 24-72 hours after a good workout.
- Your ability to build muscle can be influenced by genetics and gender. Some people are genetically predisposed to build muscle easily. Other people may need to experiment with different eating habits and training routines to find what works for them.
- To continue building more muscle, increase the amount of weight that you're lifting over time. This is known as progressive overload.
- A good rule of thumb for bulking up is this to lift heavy weights for lower repetitions.
- Make sure you are using good form when you lift weights.
- As you gain muscle, your metabolism will regulate itself like a thermostat in an effort to sustain some sort of equilibrium in body weight. You may have to raise your calories a second time to maintain the weight gains.
[Edit]Warnings - Don't be intimidated or make assumptions when you see someone using a different amount of weight than you. They may be on a program in which they are doing fewer reps with more weight, or vice versa. Building muscle has nothing to do with how much someone else is lifting; it has to do with how much you're challenging yourself.
- If you are a beginner, start with lighter weights. Trying to lift heavier weights than you can handle can lead to injury.
- You need not visit a gym to build muscles. You can even build muscles naturally by controlling your diet and through strength exercise.
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