Building muscle mass is going to require you to take in a surplus of calories because, well, let’s face it, you can’t build muscle out of nothing (unless of course you have some chemical help going on).

Losing fat mass on the other hand is going to require you to be in a negative calorie balance because that is what will get your body burning off additional body fat as fuel for its tissues.

Striving to accomplish both goals at the same time is rarely a good approach because more than likely you will just end up spinning your wheels and getting nowhere.

Most weight lifters will have to accept some fat gain when they are looking to gain weight, however how much fat gain they need to add is question. It is this variable that we are hoping to influence.

Can you really gain weight without getting fat?

When adding muscle mass there are two approaches you can take.

Some take the approach of just eating as much food as they can possible cram into themselves. Their life suddenly becomes one long 24-hour buffet in their quest for muscle mass as they are under the thinking that the more food that goes in, the more muscle synthesis that will go on.

This thinking is heavily flawed. The body can only assimilate so much muscle tissue at once and after it has done so, any remaining calories are simply going to be stored as body fat. Plain and simple. You my friend, are no exception to the rule.

For those guys who are out there taking in five thousand or more calories per day, this is obviously going to be way more than they need and will result in a considerable amount of unwanted fat weight over a period of three to six months (how long most people will ‘bulk’ for).

The second option is to adopt a more moderate approach and only eat so many additional calories to support this muscle growth and that’s it. This will allow you to hopefully get as much lean tissue gained as possible without the accumulation of a monstrous rise in body fat.

So that leads us to the next question you’re probably wondering. How much muscle can you build? How many calories over maintenance should you be eating?

You’ve probably already heard of the guy who claims he’s added 20 pounds of muscle in the short timeframe of six weeks.  While this may be a very rare occurrence among an individual who is brand new to weight lifting, has insanely good genetics and utilized an excellent training and nutritional program, the fact of the matter is that most guys are simply not going to be able to come even close to adding this much muscle tissue.

A natural trained individual can hope to achieve about half a pound to one pound of muscle per week – if he’s doing everything correctly.  If he doesn’t have the greatest genetics or isn’t feeding himself optimally, this will decrease even further.  So as you can see, at a measly two to four pounds of muscle growth per month, you aren’t going to be needed to eat insanely high calorie intakes.

The higher your intake is, the more you risk putting on additional body fat.  As a general rule, keep it to about 250 to 500 calories above maintenance in hopes of putting on mostly muscle without too much body fat.  Keep track of your current body fat levels and appearance and if you see that too much of your weight gain is coming on as fat mass, reduce your calorie intake slightly.

It is always best to go by REAL WORLD results since you are in the real world after all. You can read as much as you like as to how many calories you should be eating, but this does not mean that’s going to be the exact number that will produce results.  Different people have different metabolisms that will respond to an increase in calories in various ways. So as you go about your bulk, adjust according to the results you are getting.

Remember that the more patient you are with your muscle gains and the slower you go, the more time you can spend adding muscle mass and the less time you have to spend dieting off the additional fat you gained – which as I’m sure many of you already know, is not a pleasant experience.

So next time you decide you are going to do a ‘bulking’ phase, take a slower approach. Not only are you much more likely to maintain a favourable appearance this way but your mind will thank you as well.  Nothing kills confidence levels faster than seeing all muscle definition go out the window in a matter of weeks, so keep the weight gain under control so you don’t have to deal with this.

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About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.com

Keep in mind that if a traditional gym isn’t for you, you can definitely set up a home gym where you can get complete workouts all in the privacy of where you live. There are a number of home gym systems out there that include all the equipment you need to perform all the key lifts that should be included in any workout program.

1. Location

Who really wants to spend twice as long driving to and from their gym as it takes them to do their workout? After a long day of work you are not going to want to spend a good hour fighting traffic, another hour working out, and then another half an hour driving home. Think about either choosing a gym that is located close to your house or else on the drive to or from work. This is a great option since if you have to pass by it every day, you’ll be reminded of the fact that you should be working out if you choose to skip it.

2. Membership Cost

Gym memberships can really vary in costs so it’s a good idea to shop around before making that final commitment. Also consider how long you are signing the contract for as this can vary too. Many gyms like to rope you in for years and if you aren’t quite sure it’s going to be a long-term arrangement, you’re better off finding something that is more short-term.

Additionally, if you can wait until around late summer or New Year to sign up, you will find that often many gyms will have special promotions going on at this time.

3. Membership Demographic

Another factor to consider is the membership demographic that goes to the gym. Some women will prefer going to an all-ladies gym as it increases their comfort factor. For others, a mixed gym is the perfect solution because half of the reason they go there is to socialize and perhaps even find a date.

Whatever your needs, make sure you enquire about this and take it into consideration.

4. Additional Benefits

You will want to ask if the gym offers any additional services or benefits along with your basic membership and if there is a fee for these. Such examples would be daycare services, physiotherapy, massage therapy, nutritional counselling, and fitness testing.

5. Operating Hours

Always be sure to check the hours of operation of the gym. If you are an early morning exerciser you will want to be sure they are able to cater to this preference. Additionally ask about their holiday policies. Many people enjoy working out on the holidays because it is a relaxed day for them when they can really get in a good workout. If you are looking forward to this and then go and find out the gym is closed, you are going to be more than disappointed. Similarly there are some people who prefer working out late at night so you need to be sure that if this is the case you will be able to do that.

6. Personal Training Services

Having some good, qualified personal trainers on hand is critical to helping you realize your full fitness potential. Even if you are fine with your program right now, consider that in a year down the road you might be plateauing and in need of a ‘check-up’ so to speak on your current regime.

Having the option available of knowledge staff cannot be stressed enough. Unfortunately many gyms hire almost anyone who has a basic interest in fitness, so be sure to enquire about the actual certifications these trainers hold.

7. Group Fitness Classes

Be sure to ask about all the various group fitness classes that are offered at the gym you are considering. Often, when boredom kicks in on your workout plan, this is just the thing to get you going again.

These days there are currently thousands of different fitness class styles available, so there is sure to be something that suites your interest.

When checking up on this, again inquire if there are any additional fees associated with it so you are prepared for when you go to sign up.

8. Cleanliness

One very important factor you want to look for is the cleanliness of the gym. You do not want to be working out on equipment that is not clean as gyms are a place where germs can be in high concentration. Also make sure they have towels and spray bottles in various places around the gym to clean up after workouts, and have a look at the bathrooms and change rooms to make sure they are up to your standards.

9. Type/Quality Of Equipment

Looking at the type and quality of the equipment offered in the gym is another thing you must factor in. If you prefer free weights, make sure there is a large number of dumbbells present because during rush hours, these could be hard to come by.

Likewise, if you prefer doing your weight training on guided machines, you’ll want to be sure they have enough variety that you can work all the necessary muscles on your body. If you find yourself doing a lot of cardio training as part of your workouts you will want to be sure there are ample machines available.

Nothing is more frustrating than getting to the gym after work to find out that there is not a single machine in sight available for you to use. Ask if they offer a sign-up list where you can write your name and time down to reserve a machine. This is a great solution that many gyms have now come up with to make sure their members can get their workouts in.

10. Cancellation Policy

Finally take a look at the gym’s cancellation policy. If you sign up for a 3 year membership and then end up moving after a year due to work, are you going to be partially refunded? It will be a bad situation if they offer no refund or transfer membership.

Some gyms are good about this and some are not so you will have to weigh the likelihood of your cancelling among other things that are discussed above when making your decision.

So, be sure you are considering all of these essential factors when choosing gym. Overlooking just one could lead you to being less than happy with your workout facility and this could end up being the reason why you do not stick with your program.

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About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.com

He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.

Yes, it’s true, about 80% of the results you see, from muscle building to dropping excess fat and flab, will be determined by your nutritional program. This includes not just how many calories you eat, but the kind of nutrients that you take in, and how you manage that throughout the day and with your entire lifestyle.

Not only is it shocking that 80% of your results are determined with nutrition, but also shocking is that it’s something that about 97% of people out there don’t do! It’s time to give yourself the edge you need to finally get the body of your dreams, and that’s what Anabolic Cooking is designed to do. Use this review to learn more about the system, what it’s all about and what it offers to see if it’s right for you.

Benefits and Principles of Anabolic Cooking

Anabolic Cooking is designed to capitalize on proper nutrition, scientifically proven and backed by research. It’s something that very few people dedicate themselves too, even those who seem like they are always in the gym. When you don’t eat right, simply put, you’re wasting your time in the gym, with weights or on the treadmill, or anything else. But with the right nutrition by your side, any fitness goal is within reach, and anyone can achieve their goals and get the body they have always craved.

It’s not just about cutting down on calories or eating less either. That can actually end up sabotaging your results. So in truth, what you need to do is eat the right things, and fuel your body the right way. That means getting the right amount of protein for your body, weight and goals, and getting all of those other important nutrients like vitamins and minerals, and keeping your carbs and fat intake at the right level and in the right fashion.

All of this will help you to maximize your metabolism, while also ensuring proper muscle gain, recovery and growth. You’ll also see more benefits, like improved overall health, more energy throughout the day, and on down the line. Eating right can really make you a whole new and improved version of you, and you’ll never want to go back to the old you again.

The problem with nutrition and eating the right way is that most of us don’t know the first thing about how to get started. We don’t know how to cook, or we don’t know how to put together healthy recipes day in and day out. It seems confusing, daunting, time consuming, and even expensive. That’s a whole lot of obstacles standing in the way of you doing something, so it’s no wonder that nobody pursues it like they should.

However, Anabolic Cooking makes everything really easy for you to handle and, no pun intended, digest, so that anybody can succeed right from the start. They provide hundreds of different recipes encompassing all of the different meals of the day, designed to really produce results and get your body revved up the way that it should be.

Perhaps best of all, all of their recipes are delicious and tempting. Eating right doesn’t mean starving yourself, and it doesn’t mean eating bad, unappetizing food. You can eat the right things while enjoying fantastic restaurant-quality meals which are tasty and satisfying in every way. The system even provides great recipes for desserts and snacks, so everything is covered.

Besides laying out all of these recipes for you, Anabolic Cooking also gives you recipes which are easy to work with, so you won’t spend your day slaving away in the kitchen. Recipes are easy to follow and quick to prepare, and you’ll learn more strategies for how you can save time and prepare a week’s worth of food in a short amount of time. You’ll also learn how to save money at the grocery store to get maximum value, and you’ll gain the confidence you need to prepare healthy meals right from home, all on your own.

What Anabolic Cooking Includes

Here’s a complete rundown of everything that the Anabolic Cooking product has to offer, and what you’ll get when you make a purchase.

• Anabolic Cooking Cookbook: The cookbook includes more than 200 recipes which are designed to be delicious, easy to follow and make for anyone, and produce results.
• Nutrition and Cooking Quickstart Guide: In this guide you’ll learn about some of the basic principles behind the system, you’ll learn what is really in the food you’re eating, and more. You’ll find tips for how to prepare meals quickly and easily, how to shop affordably, how to follow recipes and even how to manage cheat meals.
• Anabolic Cooking Meal Plans: This is a great collection of numerous different meal plans based around different caloric levels, and different results. You’ll find multiple and unique plans for both gaining muscle and losing weight, across all calorie ranges, perfect for anyone’s body type, size, weight and goals.
• Advanced Calorie Calculator: This is an advanced program for figuring out precisely how many calories you need to eat, and what kinds of nutritional components you should be taking in, in what quantities.
• Post Workout Shakes: A bonus guide including post-workout shakes that will help you enhance your results with quick and easy, delicious shakes.
• Truth About Supplements: Find out the ugly truth about supplements and why most of them are bogus, and a waste of your money. But also find out which supplements are actually worth the cash.
• Training and Food Log: Keep track of how you train, what you eat, and how you are progressing and utilizing your system with this easy logging system.
• Unlimited updates: All of this and you’ll always get free updates to the system if new components are added, if changes are made, if new recipes are included, and more.

Right now, the asking price for Anabolic Cooking is just $47. That’s incredibly low for everything that you get, and it’s also a discount for the typical full price of $77. It also comes with a complete 60 day money back guarantee.

Does Anabolic Cooking Have Any Downsides?

The downside to Anabolic Cooking is the downside to eating healthy as a whole. You need to follow what the guide says, you need to buy healthy ingredients at the store and resist going off your nutritional plan, and you need to do the cooking and food preparation yourself. That doesn’t sound appealing to a lot of people, but the great thing is that Anabolic Cooking makes it as easy and manageable to do all of these things as you could ever imagine.

All of the recipes are pretty easy to work with, and there are tips for how to prepare things and even how to shop. If you were ever going to make the commitment to eat the right way and really maximize your fitness results, then Anabolic Cooking will help you accomplish all of that.

Final Thoughts

Up to 80% of the results you see with your fitness program will be decided by nutrition and the foods that you put into your body. It’s a shocking statistic, and it holds true whether you want to build lean muscle, burn off fat, or both. Anabolic Cooking attacks that 80% problem in an easy and intuitive manner, and gives you all of the tools, tips and know-how to make major changes in your life and your nutritional intake.

The results you see with your body, even in a short amount of time, should speak for themselves. Whether you’ve tried and failed with workout programs or want to get started for the first time, don’t take another step without the nutritional power of Anabolic Cooking.

Muscle Gaining Secrets is one of the most popular and well known fitness programs or eBooks available on the market today. In fact, well over 50,000 individuals around the world have used it and have been able to produce results. Right here, you’ll get the complete rundown on the Muscle Gaining Secrets: The Hardgainer Solution workout system, and you’ll see whether or not it’s a good idea for you. You might be so impressed that you decide to give it a try immediately.

What Makes it Different and Why Should I Use It?

Muscle Gaining Secrets is a system designed for hardgainers. Hardgainers are typically skinny guys who go the gym, do a lot of lifting, but never actually pack on any muscle mass. It can be very frustrating, and it causes most people to give up. Those who don’t give up can train for years while barely noticing any visible results.

This system is designed to change all of that, and it will show you precisely how you should be training in order to maximize your muscle growth, and start packing on lean muscle mass all over your body. Most guys in the gym are making tons of mistakes, and many of them try to train like bodybuilders. But not only are these guys probably loaded up on steroids, they also have fantastic muscle-building genetics. In other words, they aren’t the typical guy, or even the typical athlete, and training like them is only going to lead you towards failure.

Instead, you have to train with a specifically tailored approach that will help you unleash all of your own muscle and muscle building potential. The system gives you all of the ins and outs about what really works and what doesn’t, and why. For example, cycling your workouts is essential, while muscle confusion won’t actually help you see any results.

The Muscle Gaining Secrets system will allow you to maximize your gains in less time than ever. In fact, you can produce two the normal muscle growth within your fibers in half the time, which is a crazy change in the results you see. Over a period of a few months, the sky will be the limit with how much muscle you pack on and how different your body looks.

Another great factor of this program is that you don’t need to buy any supplements or anything like that. In fact, this system helps to show you that 97% or more of all supplements are actually bogus, and they won’t produce any results for you while they take your money time and again.

The Muscle Gaining Secrets system is also filled with just that, secrets that most people don’t know about and never utilize, but which costs them with their gains and results all of the time. With this program, you’ll learn all of that hidden knowledge which will make the difference for you and your training.

For example, you’ll learn how to get past any muscle building plateau, so you never get stuck. You’ll learn about all 7 anabolic factors for muscle growth and start deploying them, whereas most guys might be using two or three. Learn about the right way to do cardio, hidden tweaks and changes which can explode your gains, how to target all of your muscle fibers, get rid of harmful hormones which are hindering your progress, learn the right amount of reps to use and rest to take, and much more.

There are dozens of secrets and fundamental principles which will allow you to gain a complete mastery of your body and the gym, and everything combines together to give you the phenomenal training program you need to pack on lean muscle mass and get ripped.

The Complete Offer

Muscle Gaining Secrets Complete System

So what actually comes with the Muscle Gaining Secrets when you make a purchase? You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck, and all-told, it’s a 9 component system.

• The Training Manual: This is the meat and potatoes of the system, with all of the exercise principles and fundamentals you need to easily figure out how to pack on muscle mass. There are also three fully detailed workout programs included for people of different experience levels.

• Workout Log Sheets: Keep track of your workouts and follow along with what they recommend, while unleashing the secret number of repetitions and the correct weight to help you explode your growth.

• Exercise Database: Complete detailed descriptions as well as photographs of every exercise you’ll ever need to get ripped and target every muscle group in your body effectively.

• Nutrition Guide & Meal Plan: Figure out how to fuel your body the right way in order to build more muscle mass and lose more fat. It’s all made quick and simple, and you don’t have to starve yourself or walk around with a calculator to figure it out. Includes print and go meal plans and much more.

• Supplement Report: Learn the truth about supplements and which ones are wastes of money, and which ones will actually help you see better results.

• 10 Minute Recipe Guide: A collection of simple, easy and quick recipes that will produce tasty meals for you packed with protein power and the rest of the nutrition you need to gain muscle.

• Growth Tracker 5000 Software: This comprehensive software program will allow you to track your progress and make use of a number of charts, graphs, print outs and more to keep you motivated and note how your hard work is paying off for you.

• The Uncensored Audio Interrogation: A 60-minute CD with Ferruggia breaking down everything you need to know about his training program which will help you get started immediately with his principles.

• One Month Membership Free: Purchasing Muscle Gaining Secrets will also allow you to get one month of free private membership to the Muscle Gaining Secrets coaching program and private site, where you can directly ask questions and get feedback, learn from others and more.

The entire system with the above 9 components is valued at over $600. But you can purchase it for an amazingly low price. It’s actually being offered right now for only $77, which is a massive discount, and something you can’t pass up on.

Not only that, but it comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. That means that you can try it out for two months and if you haven’t produced some fantastic, life changing results, than you can return and get a 100% refund on the purchase price. It’s a great deal and it’s a great program, and you get a lot of value for a small upfront cost.

About Jason Feruggia

Jason Ferruggia

Jason Feruggia is the main behind Muscle Gaining Secrets, and he calls himself “the weakest, skinniest kid around” before he unlocked the secrets to building muscle for hardgainers. He has a monthly “Hardgainer” column in Men’s Fitness magazine, and has appeared in numerous other magazines and television stations.

In addition to his columns and his book, his system is used by thousands of athletes in all disciplines across the country, as well as by other normal guys who have had problems gaining muscle mass in the past. The system he teaches is the one he used himself, and after years of never producing results, he gained over 20 lbs in one month, and continued packing on lean muscle and added strength until he went from a skinny 155 lbs to a jacked 231 lbs.

He doesn’t waste his money on his supplements, he has never used or recommended steroids, and he doesn’t spend dozens of hours in the gym. Instead, he sticks by the tried and true, innovative system he has developed, and it is what has gotten him so much respect and credibility in the industry.

Any Downsides?

Of course, everyone also wants to know if a particular program comes with any downsides. Well, the truth of the matter is that there is always going to be something that makes a program better or worse than others out there. Muscle Gaining Secrets isn’t for everyone, and if you want to produce real results with the system, then you’re going to have to hit the gym hard and follow the principles. There’s no coasting by and expecting gains, you have to push yourself and put in the effort, the sweat and the commitment.

Also, this is a guide specifically designed for “hardgainers”. If you can pack on extra weight in no time at all, but you can’t burn off any fat, you’ll find that this system isn’t tailored to your true needs. Can you still be successful with the program? Yes, of course, and most satisfied users of Muscle Gaining Secrets gain lots of muscle while burning off lots of excess fat at the same time. Still, if you are the opposite of a hardgainer, you may prefer something more specifically geared for you and your body type.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Muscle Gaining Secrets is one of the best and most highly regarded training systems out there. You can pack on lean muscle mass like you never have before, and you can do it all with an easy to follow, comprehensive, 9-component system for a very low price, and with no risk. There’s nothing to lose, but there’s a lot to gain, and you’ll start seeing the dividends of your work immediately. Muscle Gaining Secrets is more than worth a try, and you won’t be disappointed.

Get Muscle Gaining Secrets here

The first and most important rule is that you should ditch all of those isolation exercises, in other words, regular, plain old biceps curls. Your biceps are actually one of the smaller muscles in your upper body, but yet, it seems like that they get more attention from most people than anything else. You can get bigger, stronger arms much more easily and effectively by using compound exercises which target multiple muscle groups, major muscles, and your biceps at the same time.

Power Cleans

Power cleans are one of the ultimate strength and mass building exercises out there, and they are great to be included in arm workouts for men. You’ll be targeting your back and core muscles, your legs and your shoulders, but also your forearms and biceps too. You’ll feel it all over and you’ll produce great results in this exercise.

Consider opening up your arm workouts for men with this exercise. You’ll tire out your whole body and really force yourself to work hard and press forward with the exercises that you use afterwards. There are few exercises for any kind of workout which produce better results than this. For variations, consider trying the hanging clean, or the clean and press.

Include Pull-Ups and Chin-Ups in Arm Workouts for Men

Pull-ups and chin-ups are great compound exercises which target the major muscle groups in your back, your core muscles, and also your arms. Chin ups will go after the biceps, and pull-ups will incorporate more of your forearms and triceps. Together, you’ll really torch your back and your arms at the same time. Best of all, these exercises can be done from just about anywhere without lots of expensive equipment.

All Kinds of Rows

There is a huge range of different rowing exercises that you can perform at the gym or at home. Most commonly, these are associated with your back. However, they can also target your biceps and forearms in conjunction with your back muscles.

Exercises like bent over rows, one arm rows and more will target those arm muscles secondarily while hitting larger muscle groups in your back and shoulders. The result will be effective muscle building across your entire upper body, and lots more strength and mass.

So the next time you see people completing arm workouts for men with nothing but biceps curls, don’t follow their lead. Instead, start incorporating the above compound exercises which will hit your arms really effective while also hitting other larger and more important muscle groups as well.

Factors to Consider with the Best Whey Protein Powder

As you begin your search for the best whey protein powder, one of the first things to consider will be what kinds of ingredients are used. Is this just a protein powder, or is it a supplement with many different ingredients? Does it use 100% whey, or is there “filler” material that lowers the quality?

Protein powder, or whey protein powder, can be much more different from one brand to the next than you might realize. The best whey protein powder will include a hefty dose of BCAAs, or branch chain amino acids, as well as whey protein isolates, both of which will ensure the best possible results and highest quality of usable ingredients for your muscles.

Of course, you should also be considering overall brand reputation. Some brands are very well known for their high quality products, and you should feel comfortable turning to them and depending on what they are offering.

A great way to see this is to simply look at consumer reviews and opinions. Many so-called miracle products and supplements get panned by consumers and nobody actually sees results, despite the commercials. Other products though receive near unanimous approval from everyday people just like yourself who are seeking to produce muscle building results.

Of course, the taste of the protein powder will be important, as you want to be able to use it regularly and enjoy it while you do. It should also be readily mixable into beverages, smoothies and more.

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Natural Whey

One product that meets all of the above recommendations is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Natural Whey. This product uses only the highest quality of ingredients, and it includes the essential amino acids you need for effective muscle growth.

Not only that, but this product also comes in variety of flavors and flavor combinations. This means that no matter how you like to use or take your protein, you’ll find a good match with the standard flavors such as chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. Plus, you can always find a good price on Optimum Nutrition, as there are frequent sales and discounts allowing you to stock up at a low cost.

Remember, there might not be one single product which is the best whey protein powder for everyone. Different tastes, different usages and different preferences will all play a role, but it will be hard to go wrong with something like the Optimum Nutrition whey protein powder line which includes high quality ingredients for the best results.

Bench Press from All Angles

Everyone knows that the bench press is one of the most effective exercises for the chest. However, many people stick to the flat bench press and don’t expand beyond that. It’s important to realize that there are multiple variations of the bench press you can perform which will really explode the effectiveness of your training.

You should be utilizing the bench press from all angles, meaning the standard flat bench press, the decline bench press, and the incline bench press. Each of these targets your pectorals in a different way and includes different secondary muscles and supporting muscle groups. By using all three, you’ll be unlocking one of the best chest workouts for mass, guaranteed.

You can take many different approaches to your workout on the bench in terms of the weights you use and how heavy you go. For packing on mass, consider using heavy weights that you can only perform about four to six repetitions of. As soon as you can do more than that, increase your weight and continually force yourself to be moving forward instead of staying stagnant.

Alternating Dumbbells

While the bench press might still be the king of the chest exercises, using dumbbells in its place is a great strategy as well. Specifically, you can perform alternating dumbbell presses, where one arm is locked straight overhead as the other arm lowers a dumbbell and raises it back up. That arm then stays in place as you perform the motion with the other arm. It really isolates the pectoral muscle and makes it work hard, and you’ll pack on muscle mass and get through plateaus.

Flat and Incline Flies

The dumbbell fly is another great exercise to use in one of your chest workouts for mass. Perform these at the end of your session when your pecs have already been tired out. Then be sure to lower the weights slowly and to a complete, wide extension of your arms to really stretch out the pecs. You can perform these on a flat bench or on an incline, and both will be great for packing on muscle.

As you can see, there are many different exercises you can be using and incorporating with your chest workouts for mass. The classic bench press is great, but don’t forget to include incline and decline variations, as well as alternating dumbbell presses and incline or flat bench flies. By combining all of these and pushing yourself, you’ll get a rock solid chest that is the envy of your friends, and the attention grabber for the opposite sex.

That’s why using tried and true, tasty recipes is so great. You’ll be enjoying something really delicious, which has been perfectly proportioned to get you everything you need, have the perfect consistency, and be ideal for your body and muscles.

Plus, when you make your own from scratch, it’s easy to forget a few key ingredients which can make a big difference with the nutritional value of your shake, and its tastiness. Follow the recipes below and you’ll really love the end result, and you’ll have everything you need for instant nutrition and more lean muscle mass.

Which Protein to Use for Protein Shake Recipes

There are many different protein powders on the market, so what should you be using for the perfect shake or smoothie? Everyone might have their own preference, but you want to look for a few basic things. You want a brand with a strong reputation, so you know you’re getting your money’s worth and receiving high quality protein.

You also want a protein powder which consists of natural ingredients, and is easy for the body to digest. Having a wide range of essential amino acids is also key. For all of these reasons, Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Natural Whey is generally one of the most recommended products. Buying either chocolate or vanilla, or both, will be a versatile solution and will allow you to make just about any variety of protein shake.

Two Tasty Protein Shake Recipes

Here are two of my favorite protein shake recipes from AnabolicCooking.com. One will satisfy your chocolate craving and the other will be a berry delight, and both pack a potent punch of muscle building power, with protein and many other healthy nutrients.

Ultimate Chocolate Lovers

- 2 scoops Chocolate Whey Protein
- 1 Tablespoon of Pure Cocoa Powder
- 2 Tablespoons of Low-fat Sour Cream
- 1 Teaspoon of Flaxseed Oil
- 350ml of Water
- 40g of Dextrose
- 10g of Creatine + 10g of Glutamine

Calories: 481 calories
Protein: 52g
Carbs: 48g
Fat: 9g

Muscleberry Blast Shake

- 2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein
- 1.5 Cup of Frozen Berries Mix (Strawberries. Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries…)
- 4 Tablespoons of fat-Free Yogurt
- 200ml of Water
- 25g of Dextrose
- 10g of Creatine + 10g of Glutamine

Calories: 380 calories
Protein: 54g
Carbs: 51g
Fat: 0g

Put these protein shake recipes to good use and you’ll be giving yourself the edge you need to gain more muscle mass and live a healthier lifestyle. When eating healthy is this tasty, and this easy, then there’s really no excuse for not doing it and getting involved on your own.

About Casein Protein Powder

Whey protein gets most of the buzz and attention, so what is casein protein powder, and why should you consider using it instead? Casein protein actually comes from milk, and 80% of the protein in milk is casein, while only 20% is whey. That’s why while both come from the same source, casein is known as the milk protein.

When compared to one another, casein proteins are much slower to digest, and take a longer time to move through your system. This means that it has some great applications for your muscle building needs.

For one thing, it’s the perfect choice for something to help keep you full throughout the day. That protein will take its time moving through your system, and will keep your cravings at bay. Plus, most of your muscle recovery is done at night, while you’re asleep. Having some casein protein powder before you go to sleep is a great way to stock yourself up before you rest, and you’ll be getting nutrients all through the night.

ON 100% Casein Protein Powder

Optimum Nutrition is one of the most well known supplement brands on the market, and all of their products come highly recommended by consumers. Optimum Nutrition 100% Casein Protein Powder is certainly no different, and most individuals have nothing but glowing things to say about the product.

It is easily digestible, has no filler, and is completely natural. The casein itself is high quality and pure, and you’ll notice real results when you add this to your intake.

Plus, Optimum Nutrition makes a huge range of flavors, which means you’ll be able to make any kind of shake that you want, or you can use the powder for any other kind of recipe or food to suit your own tastes. A few favorites are cookies and cream, raspberry smoothie, banana and French vanilla, but you can never go wrong with good old chocolate or vanilla when it comes to taste and versatility.

When choosing which protein powder to use, you’ll certainly find no shortage of options. Casein protein powder is an excellent option for you, because of its high quality, its source and its unique properties which allows your body to benefit for up to 8 hours after you ingest it. If that’s what you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong with Optimum Nutrition 100% Casein Protein, it’s a brand and product that real individuals looking for real results all across the globe trust.

What is Protein Powder?

Protein powder is a supplement that can be used in shakes or added to a variety of foods or beverages. Its main purpose is simple, to help get you enough protein each and every day, and to do so in a quick and convenient way. Not everyone uses it, and not everyone needs to. You should neither feel obligated to use it, nor should you feel like you must avoid it all costs.

When you need to find a way to get more protein into your diet, then using this kind of supplement is ideal. It’s cost effective, convenient in a number of ways, and will help you build muscle by supplying your body with the nutrients you need. It won’t do anything automatically, and it’s not an instant fix. Instead, it’s a means of helping you to maximize your gains when you’re lifting weights and working to build lean muscle mass.

Is Protein Powder Safe?

Many people are concerned about taking any supplement or doing anything besides eating typical food. But protein powder is completely safe, and there’s nothing to worry about when taking it.

The main thing to concern yourself with is finding a healthy balance between the rest of the food you eat and protein powder. This should literally be a supplement – an additional component – to the rest of your nutritional intake, and should not be the main component or the only thing you ingest.

Is All Protein Powder Created Equally?

Not all protein powder is created equally. The quality and source of the protein, the ease in which it is digested and utilized by the body, the variety of amino acids found in the protein, and more, can all vary from one powder to the next.

You’ll want to buy from a trusted brand name which has a strong reputation. Luckily, many of the biggest and best brands often have deals on big tubs of one flavor or another, which means you don’t have to wreck your budget either.

Protein powder can also be sourced from whey, casein or soy. Whey protein is the most popular and whey protein isolate is generally the highest quality and can be used in any situation, with any goal in mind, but some people prefer casein.

Hopefully you’ve learned a little bit about protein powder and what you should consider. It’s safe, it’s convenient, and it will help you build muscle. It’s not a magic bullet though, and you’ll still hit the gym hard. Be sure to work it into the rest of your healthy nutritional intake, buy a well known and respected brand and you’ll be all set. Learn which are the best high protein foods for muscle building by checking out our article here.