Usefull Bodybuilding Information & Tips

Want to reduce your recovery time?

2012-06-07T12:37:00.001+01:00

Hard day in the gym? Speed up your recovery with blueberries, suggests new research in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. In a small study, people drank blueberry smoothies before and after strenuous exercise on one leg that created exercise-induced muscle damage.

Researchers then drew blood to measure the participants’ oxidative stress, antioxidant levels, and inflammation. After a few weeks, the test was repeated on the other leg, but blueberries were removed from the smoothies. The results: People recovered about three times more quickly in the first 24 hours with blueberries, although total recovery was the same after 48 hours.

Blueberries are packed with antioxidants that fight off your body’s disease-causing free radicals, says lead researcher Steve Stannard, Ph.D., associate professor at Massey University’s School of Sport and Exercise in New Zealand. People who drank the blueberry smoothies showed increased antioxidant activity and less free radicals in their blood.

Your move: Try adding berries to a smoothie with a 2-to-1 carb-to-protein ratio. Carbs will replenish depleted energy, and protein will build and repair your muscle fibers after an intense cardio workout. Whip up the smoothie below

• 20 grams of vanilla whey protein
• 1 cup of blackberries
• 1 cup of raspberries
• ½ cup of blueberries
• ½ cup of pineapple
• 8 oz 2% milk

Drink up and enjoy the results!

ECA Stacks

2012-06-06T18:28:00.001+01:00

Everyone in the gym is probably talking about the ever-famous fat loss stack of Ephedrine, Caffeine, and Aspirin. The only thing is that if you were to ask them a question about it, other than, "Does it work?", they would probably be dumbfounded. Like most supplements these days, those who take them are uneducated about the mechanism of action, possible side-effects, etc. As I tried to do with my article on Creatine, I hope this article clears up any misconceptions about the ECA stack you may have. Ephedrine and caffeine, when combined, have the ability to reduce your body fat and retain your muscle mass while you are dieting. Until ECA came along, this was unheard of. Body-builders would have to eat huge quantities of food while bulking up, and then cut down on fat. Over the years, many studies have backed up this claim. ECA is also given credence by many well respected sports-medicine authorities. The first thing you should know about ECA is how it works. What is the science behind this wonder-drug? Ephedrine and caffeine act in a synergistic manner. They work together. Ephedrine stimulates your nervous system in many ways. The two we are most concerned with are the release of nor-epinephrine, and the stimulation of beta-2-androgenic receptors. Just in case you were wondering, it is banned by many sports governing bodies, including the NCAA and the IOC. Taking these two drugs together actually mimic the effects of amphetamines, which are powerful stimulants. The only real difference is the effects aren't as strong, and there are no side effects of amphetamines associated with EC. Ephedrine is actually sold as "herbal ecstasy." If you are looking to improve your looks, you are more concerned with the ability to increase the body's production of heat, or thermogenesis. Aspirin was first added to the stack about 11 years ago by two scientists at the department of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Until this day this addition has been very controversial. It was added to supposedly increase thermogenesis. On paper, it all seems to work out, but this still has surprisingly never been proven to work in scientific studies. Some scientists even caution against adding aspirin to the stack because of serious complications associated with long-term use. Most people are unaware that aspirin is a double-edged sword. Some of its side-effects worth noting include dizziness, dimness of vision, acute reversible hepatotoxicity, thinning of blood, skin rash, gastrointestinal upset, and decreased plasma iron concentration. So how does caffeine make its way into this stack? Ephedrine increases the release of norepinephrine, and caffeine and aspirin act to keep norepinephrine levels from declining. Other benefits can also be reaped from this stack. Ephedrine and caffeine have great appetite-suppression actions, and can also increase aerobic capacity. Safety concerns with the ECA stack. Ephedrine should not be used if you have high blood pressure, heart problems, prostate enlargement, depression, thyroid disease or diabetes, or if you are currently taking medication for asthma. Be sure to ask your doctor if the ECA stack is right for you. For most people, moderate use of ephedrine (25-50 mg daily for 6-8 weeks) is considered safe, but smaller people should stick to half of the recommended value. Do not drink alcohol while taking ephedrine! Ephedrine is a drug, and it's not for everyone. It is definitely not recommended for use by those under 18. Do not exceed the label recommendations, as a little goes a long way. Ephedrine has a very small window of safety, and people who take it can develop a tolerance. If this happens, and you decide to up the dose, it cam become toxic and deadly. While some may say that up to 100mg daily is fine, take no more than 50mg daily (unless you enjoy nervousness, irritability, insomnia, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, stomach cramps, peptic ulcers, and prostate irritation). To avoid the side effects (and addiction), cycle ECA. Be careful not to get too much caffeine by accidentally doubling up from other sources, such as coffee, tea, or soda. To close, ECA effectively supercharges your nervous system, but it can be harmful if not used carefully.

Meal Plan - 1800kcal For Cutting

2012-06-04T21:48:00.001+01:00

Meal 1

Egg Whites

3 Eggs

Calories:58

Fats:0 Grams Protein: 11Grams Carbs: 0 Grams

Whole Egg

1 Egg

Calories: 92Fats: 7 Grams Protein: 7 Grams Carbs: 0 Grams

Oats

1/2 Cup Uncooked

Calories: 156Fats: 3 Grams Protein: 6 Grams Carbs: 27 Grams

Meal 2

Natural Peanut/Almond Butter

1 Tbsp

Calories: 105Fats: 8 Grams Protein: 4 Grams Carbs: 4 Grams

100% Whole Wheat Bread

2 Slices:

Calories:138Fats: 2 Grams Protein: 7 Grams Carbs: 23 Grams

Strawberries

8-10 Berries

Calories:40Fats:0 Grams Protein: 0 Grams Carbs: 10 Grams

Meal 3

Sweet Potato

6 Oz

Calories:154Fats:0 Grams Protein:3 Grams Carbs:35 Grams

Chicken Breast

5 Oz

Calories:234Fats:5 Grams Protein: 44 Grams Carbs: 0 Grams

Broccoli

1 Cup

Calories:35Fats: 0 Grams Protein: 3 Grams Carbs:6 Grams

Olive Oil

1.5 Tsp

Calories: 59Fats:7 Grams Protein: 0 Grams Carbs:0 Grams

Meal 4

Chicken Breast

5 Oz

Calories:234Fats:5 Grams Protein: 44 Grams Carbs: 0 Grams

Brown Rice

1 Cup Cooked

Calories:218Fats:0 Grams Protein: 4 Grams Carb: 45 Grams

Spinach

3 Cups

Calories:21Fats:0 Grams Protein:3 Grams Carbs: 3 Grams

Meal 5

Protein Shake

1 Serving

Calories:130Fats:2 Grams Protein: 25 Grams Carbs:4 Grams

Meal 6

Protein Shake

1 Serving

Calories:130Fats: 2 Grams Protein:25 Grams Carbs: 4 Grams

Totals:

Calories: 1804

Fats: 36 Grams Protein: 186 Grams Carbs: 2184 Grams

My Current Cutting Phase Now!

2012-06-04T14:14:00.001+01:00

Cutting Phase 1

This phase plan is only to work around my working and gym life, including meal frequency and supplement timing. I will be aiming for a 1lb weight loss a week to keep from loosing too much muscle during the cut.

I will be using this plan until I reach about 8-9% BF.

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Height : 5ft 10in – 70inch – 177cm

Weight: 155lbs – 70kg

Activity Level: Light Exercise 1-3hrs

Supplements:

Multi Vitamin
Whey
Testosterone
Fat Burner
BCAA'S
Pro HMB
ZMA

Possibly going to change my supplements to Universal Animal Pak & Universal Cuts to change things up. In this case supplement timing will be changed.

Supplement Timing:

Multi Vitamin with Meal 1
Whey With Meal 3
Testosterone With
Fat Burner With Meal 1 & Meal 2
BCAA'S X 3 With Meal 1 & Meal 3
Pro HMB With Meal 2 and Meal 4
ZMA With Meal 5

Macro's

1600kcal Daily
40:40:20 Ratio
5 meals daily

Calories Per Meal: 392kcal

Protein: 39g – 157kcal

Carbohydrates: 39g – 157kcal

Fat's: 8g – 78kcal

Meal Frequency:

Meal 1 – Breakfast :7.00am

Meal 2 – Lunch :12.00pm

Meal 3 – Snack : 3.30pm

Meal 4 – Dinner : 7.00pm

Meal 5 – Snack : 10.00pm

Gym Routine

Workouts Will Look Like This.

A-B-A-B

Training Days:

Monday - A
Wednesday -B
Friday -A
Sunday -B

Rest Days:

Tuesday
Thursday
Saturday

Workout A – Cardiovascular, Legs & Abs

5 minutes warm-up with 20 Minutes of HIIT followed by 5 minutes cool down.

Legs:

Leg Press X 3 (Plus 1 warm-up set of 10-12) Reps will be 10-12 of lighter weights.

Hamstring Curls X 3 (Plus 1 warm-up set of 10-12) Reps will be 10-12 of lighter weights.

Leg Extensions X 3 (Plus 1 warm-up set of 10-12) Reps will be 10-12 of lighter weights.

Squats X 3 (Plus 1 warm-up set of 10-12) Reps will be 10-12 of lighter weights.

Abs:

Crunches X 4 (25 Crunches Per Set)

Planks X 3 ( 1 Min Per Plank)

Bicycles X 3 ( 1 Min Per Set)

Workout B – Cardiovascular, Back And Arms

5 minutes warm-up with 20 Minutes of HIIT followed by 5 minutes cool down.

Alternate Hammer Curl X 3 (Plus 1 warm-up set of 10-12) Reps will be 10-12 of lighter weights.

Concentration Curls X 3 (Plus 1 warm-up set of 10-12) Reps will be 10-12 of lighter weights.

Overhead Triceps Extension X3 (Plus 1 warm-up set of 10-12) Reps will be 10-12 of lighter weights.

Dips X 4 ( Each Set Will Go To Failure)

Bent Over Dumbbell Rows X3 (Plus 1 warm-up set of 10-12) Reps will be 10-12 of lighter weights.

Shrugs X 3 (Plus 1 warm-up set of 10-12) Reps will be 10-12 of lighter weights.

Kick Your Unwanted Fat Goodbye!

2012-06-03T19:37:00.001+01:00

KICK YOUR FAT GOODBYE

Getting bored on that treadmill? Recent research from the University of Copenhagen’s Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre (Denmark) shows that you can get an even more effective cardio workout by playing recreational soccer than by running! The Danish researchers had 36 men follow a 12-week cardio program, with some subjects playing recreational soccer (consisting of soccer drills) or running for one hour two or three times per week, and other subjects following no exercise plan.

The scientists found that the men playing soccer had an average exercise heart rate similar to those running (a little over 80% of their max heart rate), but the guys playing soccer had a bigger increase in their VO2 max (an aerobic capacity measure), a greater decrease in bodyfat (almost two times more), and a greater increase in the number of capillaries per muscle fiber (this can help to increase muscle growth by getting more blood to muscles, along with more of the oxygen, nutrients and anabolic hormones it carries).

The soccer group actually gained muscle mass (almost 5 pounds) and decreased their LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. Don’t worry if you can’t work a soccer ball to save your life — the point of this study is that soccer-drill training, which is a lot of stop-and-go training (similar to high-intensity interval training) is better than steady running. So, if soccer is not an option for you, do some HIIT and try to total two to three hours per week

All You Need To Know About Bodyduilding!

2012-05-31T19:09:00.001+01:00

Part I - Macronutrients

What are macronutrients?

It's actually very simple. All foods fit into these three categories: Protein, Carbohydrates, or Fats. As a bodybuilder (or anyone trying to get fit or get bigger), you need to know this and you must know what each one does in your body.

Protein

Literally, protein is the essential building block of muscle. Without this, you cannot and will not grow, even if you are on a boatload of drugs! As a matter of fact, without sufficient protein you will lose muscle. Strive for a bare minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each and every day. Most bodybuilders keep protein intake at 2 grams per pound or more. All protein has roughly 4 calories per gram. Remember that the body will use protein as a source of energy instead of using it to build muscle if you aren't getting sufficient calories from carbohydrates and dietary fats. This will rob your muscles of this essential building block, so you must take in sufficient quality carbs and fats as well, but more on that later.

Protein sources include:

· All meats - including beef, poultry, and fish.

· Protein powders - Adding this to your diet is probably the only way you will get 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis unless you have nothing to do all day except eat, train, and sleep.

· Nuts, legumes (includes peanuts, soy beans, etc.) - Not the best choices, but remember not to worry so much about what kind of protein you get as much as you should worry about how much protein you're getting every day. Adding nuts to your diet is a good way to add protein and healthy fats.

Carbohydrates

The body's preferred source of energy. Carbohydrates also provide your brain with energy, which is why you will be somewhat "out of it" when you first start a low carb diet. Most bodybuilders will strive to get 2-3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight when bulking. (i.e. A 200lb. bodybuilder would strive for 400-600 grams per day). All carbohydrates have roughly 4 calories per gram. In my opinion, it's very important to eat some carbs before training to provide you with energy that you will need.

Too many calories from carbohydrates at one time will be stored as fat. Carbohydrates that are digested fast (called sugars, simple carbs, or simple sugars) will be more likely to be stored as fat because the body doesn't get enough time to burn the calories. Foods that include simple carbs and sugars are fruits, fruit juice, sweets and junk food containing sugar (including candy, cookies, cakes, soda, etc.) Obviously, you will want to limit the amount of simple carbs that you take in. The only time it is advantageous to take in simple carbs is immediately after training, when your body's glycogen stores are low. Taking in simple sugars at this time will allow your body to replenish glycogen stores more quickly (in short, this means faster recovery, which translates to quicker growth).

Carbohydrates that are digested by the body more slowly (referred to as complex carbohydrates) are less likely to be stored as fat and tend to be high in dietary fiber. These are the bodybuilder's preferred source of carbohydrates.

These slow burning carbohydrate sources include:

· Oatmeal

· Whole Grain Bread (nothing with the word "enriched" in the list of ingredients)

· Grains

· Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes (Yams)

· Vegetables - These will be mainly used as a source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals, and not as a source of energy

· Pasta

· Rice - Brown rice tends to burn slower and because of that, it is a better choice than white rice.

Not all complex carbs burn as slowly as others, for instance whole wheat bread (not enriched) burns much slower than white bread, white rice burns faster than brown rice, also note that pastas burn faster than most other complex carbs.

Faster burning carbohydrate sources include:

· Candy

· Soda

· Cakes, Pies

· Sugar of any type

· Fruit Juice - Not as good as fruit, but a better choice than the above mentioned foods.

· Fruits - Still a very good source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals.

Carbohydrates also affect blood sugar, muscle glycogen levels and insulin production. But for the purpose of keeping this article "beginner friendly", I won't get into all of that. Just remember that when you take in simple carbs (sweets/sugars) your blood sugar spikes relatively fast and then drops that much faster (unless they are taken in after training), which will leave you feeling tired, sleepy, and even a craving for more sugar or carbs. This is another reason why slow burning carbs are preferred.

Fats

Some dietary fats are good for your fitness goals and other dietary fats are very bad for your fitness and your health. Fats, like carbohydrates can either be burnt as energy or stored as body fat. Fats generally burn faster than carbs, therefore they are more readily stored as body fat. Dietary fats have roughly 9 calories per gram, as opposed to 4 calories per gram for protein and carbs. Along with being used as energy, healthy fats provide a host of other benefits, including maintaining overall health and even making your skin and hair look better. Unhealthy fats (saturated fats) can do just the opposite, especially to your skin.

Sources of "good" or "healthy" fats include but are not limited to:

· Fish Oil (basically fats found in fish)

· Nuts (good source of protein and healthy fats)

· Olive Oil

· Flaxseed Oil - can be found in most nutrition stores like GNC

· Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) - also can be found nutrition stores

Sources of "bad fats" include, but are not limited to:

· Anything that it deep fried (french fries, fried chicken)

· Fat from animal sources, such as the saturated fats found in beef and pork and the saturated fat found in milk.

Part II - Diet Types

What kind of diet should I be on?

This depends on what you want to accomplish. We'll look at two categories of diets, "bulking" and "cutting".

Bulking

This is the term we use to describe diets where you are ultimately trying to add muscle. The only way this can be done is to take in more calories than your body uses. Most bodybuilders will tell you that it's easier to add muscle when a small amount of fat is added along with it. That being said, if your body fat is over 20%, you should probably consider cutting down to around 12-15% before you think about bulking or you will end up looking like an fat person rather than a bodybuilder.

To build muscle, you need to take in adequate protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and even some sugars (Candy bars aren't really what I mean). As you already know, protein is what builds muscle. But, without sufficient calories coming from complex carbs and healthy fats, your body will use that protein as a source of energy, which will in turn rob your muscles of this very important building block.

*To find out how many calories you need to build muscle and what form they should be in (Protein/Carbs/Fats), you will want to multiply your bodyweight by 15-17 for starters (use a higher number if you don't see desired results).

· 200 lbs x 15-17 = 3000-3400 calories. So, a 200 lb bodybuilder will need 3000-3400 calories per day.

Chris Aceto, a popular nutritionist used by many pro bodybuilders recommends a protein/carbs/fats ratio of 35/55/15, which means 35% of calories come from protein, 55% come from carbs, and 15% come from dietary fats.

We'll use that 200 lb bodybuilder at 17 calories per pound as an example.

· 3400 calories x 0.55 = 1870 calories from carbs (1870 divided by 4 calories per gram = 467.5 grams of carbs per day)

· 3400 calories x 0.35 = 1190 calories from protein (1190 divided by 4 calories per gram = 297.5 grams of protein per day)

· 3400 calories x 0.15 = 510 calories from dietary fats (510 divided by 9 calories per gram = 56.67 grams of fat per day)

*Click on Nutritional Calculator for help with calculating this.

Cutting

This is the term we use to describe diets where the reason is to reduce bodyfat. There are many different approaches to doing this, in terms of diet. You will most likely need to experiment to find out which one is for you and which type of cutting diet your body responds to best. On any cutting diet you choose, you need to take in less calories than your body uses. Without turning this into a training article, cardio is another very important factor here. The basic idea when cutting (in my opinion) is to eat a little less, and move a lot more (cardio). Cardio should be performed anywhere from 3 times per week to twice per day.

One thing to consider while cutting is muscle loss. If you restrict your maintenance calories by more than 500-750 per day, you will likely lose some muscle. That being said, try to allow yourself 1 week for every 2 lbs of fat you want to lose. If you are losing much more than 2 lbs per week, it's safe to say that you are probably losing muscle mass.

Here are a couple of types of cutting diets. All of these diet types will need to be considerably high in protein.

· Low carb - The basic idea here is to reduce calories by restricting carbohydrates considerably, while allowing more dietary fats. After you have used up the small amount of calories that comes from carbs, the body will be using mostly dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it's primary source of fuel. Sugars are basically eliminated on this diet.

· Ketogenic - Also known as the Cyclic Ketogenic Diet (CKD) The idea here is similar to the low carb diet, except carbs are virtually eliminated from the diet completely which makes the body go into ketosis (produce ketones which are reported to be anabolic while promoting fat loss at the same time...For simplicity's sake, we won't get into all of that here.) As with a low carb diet, the body will be using mostly dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it's main source of fuel. Carbs are generally kept at around 15-20 grams per day.

· Low fat - The way this type of diet reduces calories is by virtually eliminating dietary fats, while keeping carbohydrate intake relatively high compared to the above two diet types. The body uses carbs as it's main source of fuel. While on this diet, you will still want to get around 20 grams of healthy or "good" fats per day.

*To find out how many calories you need to reduce body fat, you will want to multiply your body weight by 12-14 to start (use a higher number if you are losing more than 2.5 lbs per week).

· 200 lbs x 12-14 = 2400-2800 calories. So, a 200 lb bodybuilder will need 2400-2800 calories per day. As he loses weight he will want to recalculate this every 4 weeks or so.

Although a 55/35/15 carb/protein/fat ratio used above would probably work, the ratio will be different depending on what type of cutting diet you choose, which can get a little confusing. For further detail, I suggest getting a book focusing on one of these diet types and reading the nutrition articles in the magazines.

Part III - Timing

One thing you will learn with body building, is that timing truly is everything.

Eat at least 5 times per day!

Your body needs nutrients provided in a steady stream throughout the day, meaning you need to eat 5-8 times per day. If you don't eat for an extended period of time (over 3-4 hours), your body will go into a catabolic state, meaning it will literally feed off of muscle. Not eating for extended periods also causes your metabolism to slow down and hold on to stored body fat that you already have and even store more body fat when you do get to eat. This is because your body has determined that you are out of food and may not get any food in the near future. This is the body's defence against famine...good for survival, bad for bodybuilding/fitness goals.

Another benefit of eating every few hours, is the thermo genic effect of food. When your body digests food, your body temperature rises slightly, burning calories along the way. Make sure that there is always some protein in there every time you eat (before training excluded).

That being said, you should try to eat every 3 hours or so.

Don't skip breakfast!

Your mom isn't pulling your chain. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (or a tie with the meal following your workout). I can't stress this enough. If you don't eat within an hour of when you get up, you are cheating yourself to put it mildly. If you are getting the 8-9 hours of sleep that you should be, then you haven't eaten for 8-9 hours...this is not good for bodybuilding. Some bodybuilders even wake up in the middle of the night and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when trying to bulk, so don't think you can get away without eating breakfast because you can't.

Late night snacks

Carbs and Fats are important, but if it's late at night and you are trying to lose bodyfat, a protein shake may be all you need. If you're having trouble gaining muscle, eat protein, carbs, and fats before bed.

If you are cutting and you get hungry when you go to bed, try eating a teaspoon of natural peanut butter. This is low in carbs and high in healthy fats and protein and should stop cravings for food long enough to let you get to sleep.

Eat before and after you train!

I like to have some carbs before I train in order to provide me with fuel for my workout. I usually try to take in 40-50 grams of carbs about 30-45 minutes before I train. I tend to get sick if I eat a significant amount of protein or fat this close to when I train, so it's mainly just carbs at this time.

The worst mistake you can make is to not eat after your workout. When you train, you are breaking muscle down. If you do not provide your body with sufficient nutrients within 45 minutes of training, you are robbing yourself of recovery and muscle growth. Unless you are cutting carbs, you should try to consume some simple carbs (fruits or fruit juice, not cookies and junk food) after you train. This will allow your body to replenish it's glycogen stores more quickly...allowing for quicker recovery. You should also consume protein after you workout.

Part IV - Convenience

The easiest way to make sure you stick with your diet is to make it convenient. It's not going to taste all that good, so you might as well make this as easy as possible on yourself. Needless to say, it's pretty challenging to go out of your way 5 or 6 times per day to find clean food when Taco Bell and Burger King is right across the street. Don't do this to yourself, it's not fun.

If for some reason you have to eat fast food, at least go out of the way to find a Subway or similar sandwich shop and order a sub. If you're cutting, order a 6 inch sub on wheat bread to keep the carbs low, with double meat to keep protein high. Cheese and Mayo should be avoided, but mustard is a good topping when you're dieting.

Prepare ahead of time.

Take your meals with you when you aren't going to be home for an extended period of time. You don't want to be forced to choose between Taco Bell and not eating when you are on a cutting diet.

When you're bulking, there's no better way to get fat than by eating the wrong kind of carbs and fats. Even though you don't have to be as strict as you do when you're cutting, you still need to eat quality calories. Even when bulking, try to prepare your meals at home and take them with you.

I prepare all of my food for the week on Sundays, put each meal in a plastic container and freeze them until the day I plan to eat them. Then all you need to do is pack a grocery bag with 2-3 meals out of the freezer and a 32 oz. Rubbermaid container full of protein or MRPs and take it to work (or wherever) the next morning. People at work will think you're a little different when your "lunch" sack is usually a full grocery bag. If you aren't going to have access to a refrigerator, buy a cooler and an ice pack.

Don't forget Protein Powders and MRPs (Meal Replacement Powders).

The difference between a meal replacement powder (MRPs) and protein powder is that MRPs have carbs included in them, so they tend to taste a little better. The carbs in MRP's aren't really slow burning like oatmeal, etc. but they are decent calories for bulking. I don't recommend MRPs for cutting purposes.

If you try to get all of your protein from solid food, it can get very expensive and is just hard to do. Meal replacement and protein powders are a great way to get extra calories and protein. When dieting down, I prepare about 120 grams of protein powder and water in a 32 oz. container to take with me to work the next morning. I leave it in the refrigerator and drink about 1/3 of it at 3 different times during the day (in between meals). I do the same thing when bulking, but with a couple of MRP's and some protein powder instead of just protein powder.

For those who don't put on fat easily, another variety of MRPs is the so-called "Mass" drinks. These come pre-bottled or the do-it-yourself powder form. They are usually full of carbs (including a lot of sugar) with a nice amount of protein, and some fat. If you put on fat easily, "Mass" type drinks are probably not for you. These can be a very useful tool for bulking, but can also make you fat, so I generally only recommend these to people that don't put on fat very easily (no matter what they eat).

Part V - Water

Drink plenty of water!!

This is an easy concept. Water is the most overlooked part of nutrition. Drink 1-3 gallons (depending on your size) every day whether bulking or cutting. If you aren't getting enough water, you won't grow muscle as quickly and you won't lose fat as quickly. Enough said.

Useful Information On Steroids

2012-05-30T19:47:00.000+01:00

Anabolic-androgenic steroids, or anabolic steroids as they are commonly known, were developed in the 1930s to promote growth of skeletal muscle and to develop male sexual characteristics. The drugs were seen as offering great potential for their protein-building properties, but their use by doctors has, in fact, been quite limited. Anabolic steroid use is more commonly associated with bodybuilders, weightlifters, and other male and female athletes.

Who uses Anabolic Steroids?
Anabolic steroids are associated with:
Sport, Bodybuilding & Body Shaping
Anabolic steroids are used because of their ability to improve performance by increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat, so their use depends on the type of sport undertaken. It is believed that anabolic steroid use is widespread in competitive bodybuilding. Steroid use in sport is illegal and international athletes are tested to prevent some gaining an unfair advantage. Anabolic steroids are also used, especially by men, to change their body shape towards more muscular physique.
Medical Usage of Anabolic Steroids
Steroids are used for treating delayed puberty; some types of impotence; wasting of the body due to such conditions as HIV; some types of anemia; osteoporosis (brittle bones in menopausal women) and for itching caused by a liver condition called primary bilary obstruction.

How are Anabolic Steroids Used and Abused?
Anabolic steroids can be taken orally, by injection or in creams or gels. Dosages prescribed by doctors will depend on the medical condition, its severity and age of the patient.
In the illegal use of this group of steroids dosages are highly variable and can be 10 to 40, sometimes a 100 times higher than the recommended dose.
Two or more oral and injectable types of anabolic steroids are often used. This is called 'stacking'. There is a belief that two or more interacting steroids produced an improved result.
So called 'pyramid' doses of anabolic steroids are also used in 6 to 12 week cycles where the 'stacked' steroids begin with smaller doses that slowly increase, reach a peak then slowly decrease and stop. There is a drug free period after this before the cycle starts again.
It is believed by arranging the doses and drugs in this way that the body is allowed time to adjust and avoid the well documented side effects so the body can return to normal production of hormones. This belief has not been scientifically verified so relies on the illegal users ability to report accurately on their experiences. We do know that steroid abuse can effect that ability.

Side Effects and Complications of Anabolic Steroid Use
The side effects of anabolic steroids are serious and not uncommon. In general oral anabolic steroids have more side effects and those containing 17-alky have potentially more adverse side effects. Some side effects are reversible but some can cause permanent damage.

Anabolic Steroids and Liver Damage
Research especially those studying hospitalized patients, show the liver can suffer serious effects from the use of anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids reduce the livers excretory function. This is particularly so with the steroids containing 17-alky. The liver can suffer from a bleeding cystic condition that is potentially fatal. Use of steroids has also been linked to liver cancer, although this is very rare.

Anabolic Steroids and the Cardiovascular System
Although no long term studies have been conducted into the effects of anabolic steroids on the heart and the vascular system there is evidence from studies and investigations that they can cause or are risk factors for cardiovascular system damage, problems with blood pressure and lipoproteins such as cholesterol. There is some evidence that anabolic steroids can cause structural changes to the heart and that heart disease and strokes are possible with anabolic steroids especially oral types of the drug.

Anabolic Steroids and the Male Reproductive System
As anabolic steroids are so strongly associated with male traits such as strength and muscles it seems tragic that the side effects of the drug are:

Increased erectile dysfunction, and impotence, even though sexual desire is increased.

gynecomastia (growth of the breasts) a condition that is generally irreversible and plastic surgery is required to remove the breasts.

Atrophy or shrinkage of the testicles can occur and is reported usually with high dose use of anabolic steroids

Want Healthy Clean Recipies To Boost Your Gains From The Gym?

2012-05-30T19:29:00.000+01:00

As I am celebrating getting below 5% body fat which I have been trying to do for months and not succeeded until now, here is an eBook which I purchased. It has some good recipes that will help you reach towards your protein intake and has Low fat foods, so you don’t put on any fat on that hard earned appearance you have worked at the gym for. It has a great range of foods here, my favourite being the chocolate protein bar. It’s gorgeous!

I normally charge for this eBook, but as I am celebrating and in a very GOOD mood I am going to chuck it out there for all you to read and download of my achievement! If you want the eBook for free please email me with the reference of (5%Bodyfatblog) at bloggingfromsteven@gmail.com

Hope you all get some useful recipes out of it!

Feel Free to comment on what you’re favourite recipes are.

Here are some other recipes I like to use.

Ready to cook, boneless, skinless chicken are a main stay of muscle building diets as they are low in fat and high in protein, and also simple to prepare. Chicken is also very versatile and can be prepared in a variety of ways without being boring. The chicken can take on a very smooth texture when marinated and grilled in this spicy yoghurt.

With its relatively small preparation and cooking time, this recipe is good for dinner or lunch situations.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

o 1 cup plain yoghurt

o 1 tbsp. chilli powder

o 1 tbsp. curry powder

o 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger root

o 1 tsp. ground cumin

o 1 tsp. salt

o 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preparation:

1. Pierce chicken breasts several times with the tines of a fork and set aside.

2. In large bowl combine yogurt and all of the spices and mix well.

3. Add the chicken to the mixture and turn so all the chicken pieces are coated. Cover and chill for at least one hour, or overnight.

4. When ready to cook, prepare and preheat grill.

5. Remove chicken from marinade and cook on grill for about 15 minutes until thoroughly cooked, turning once during cooking time. You can also cook the chicken on a dual contact indoor grill, for 5-7 minutes until thoroughly cooked.

6. If you want to bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

7. Place the chicken on a foil-lined jelly roll pan (you need the sides to catch the juice) and bake for 30-35 minutes until chicken registers 160 degrees F.

8. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

Nutrition (per serving):

o Kcal: 370

o Protein: 32g

o Carbs: 35g

o Fat: 1g

Serves: 3

You can serve with rice or corn, if preferred. Make a salad to top it off, or steam some vegetables to make this dish the perfectly balanced meal.

Teriyaki Chicken

There’s no getting away from it, chicken is probably the #1 source of protein for bodybuilders. It’s versatile, relatively cheap and with a little imagination & effort, you can use chicken in just about any recipe.

So here’s another classic chicken recipe, packed with protein & carbs. You can probably tell I’m bulking at the moment so the last 3-4 recipes have all been loaded with carbs. I’ll be back cutting soon so I’ll be posting lower carb recipes.

In the meantime, enjoy this delicious loaded chicken recipe!

Ingredients:

o 4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts

o 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

o 1/3 cup of orange juice

o 1 teaspoon corn starch

o 1/3 teaspoon ginger

o ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

o 1 ½ cup broccoli florets

o 1 can sliced water chestnuts

o ½ cup rice

Preparation:

1. Cut chicken breasts into ¼ “ pieces and set them aside

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine teriyaki sauce, orange juice, corn starch and ginger, and set aside.

3. In a large skillet heat oil over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and stir fry until they are lightly browned, for about 4-7 minutes.

4. Using a slotted spoon (or something similar), transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl. Leave the drippings in the skillet.

5. Reduce the heat to moderate.

6. Add broccoli to the skillet and stir fry for 3-5 minutes.

7. Stir the teriyaki mixture and add to the broccoli in the skillet.

8. Cook the mixture, stirring until it thickens and is bubbly for about 2-4 minutes.

9. Add water chestnuts and the cooked chicken pieces.

10. Continue cooking until heated through.

11. Serve with cooked rice.

Nutrition (per serving):

o Kcal:636

o Proteins: 48g

o Carbs: 76g

o Fat: 13g

Serves: 3

Vegetarian Chili

This chili is good for the vegetarian body builders out there who are looking to spice up their post workout meal. The main ingredients is tofu, a light protein packed food made from coagulated soybean milk. It is fairly tasteless itself, but takes on the flavours of the foods that it is cooked with.

Tofu provides many of the essential minerals needed by the body and has been shown to improve serum cholesterol (the good kind of cholesterol) in the body.

Ingredients:

o 16 oz. tofu burger mix

o 1 cup chopped onion

o 1 cup chopped bell pepper

o ½ cup sliced carrot

o 3 minced cloves garlic

o 16 ounces can of crushed tomatoes

o 16 ounces tomato sauce

o 16 ounces canned kidney beans

o 2 tbsp. chili powder

o ¾ tsp. cumin seed

o ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

o salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Use 1 package of the vegetarian burger mix. This is enough to make four burgers

2. Cook the four burgers according to the package instructions.

3. Chop the onions, green peppers and the garlic.

4. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large pot.

5. Crumble the burgers with your fingers and add to the chili sauce.

6. Simmer for 30 minutes.

7. Serve with fresh fruit juice.

Nutrition (per serving):

o Kcal: 360

o Protein: 30g

o Carbs: 62g

o Fat: 3g

Serves: 4

6 Tips To Get Big

2012-05-30T18:41:00.001+01:00

If you want to build up muscle, there are several easy to follow tips that I can recommend. Whether you already work out regularly and want to change your routine to building some bulk or whether you are a total beginner and just want to learn how to build up muscle, these tips will be invaluable.

Tip 1 -- work each set to exhaustion. When you work a set, make sure that your last repetition, or rep, is so difficult that you cannot do another one without a small break period between sets. This will ensure that the muscle fibres are worked so hard that they will need repair. It is this repair that will build up muscle mass.

Tip 2 -- increase protein intake. Protein is the basic building block for your body to repair the muscles after a workout and build up muscle. If you don't eat a lot of protein, you will simply wither away and not increase your muscle mass whatsoever.

Tip 3 -- do eight to twelve reps per set. A good guide is to perform a minimum of eight and no more than twelve repetitions per set. Too few reps means that you are resting too much and not working out enough. Too many reps means that you are not doing a big enough workout and will not build up muscle fast. If you are hitting twenty reps easily, you need to add more weight!

Tip 4 -- cottage cheese is a wonder food. Cottage cheese is great if you are body building. Sure, it tastes a bit strange, but it is low in carbs and fats and very high in protein. You can even get flavored cottage cheese these days or incorporate it into some simple recipes.

Tip 5 -- free weights rule! You can build muscle with machine weights. If they are your only weights you can still build up muscle effectively. However, free weights are much more effective. This is for a number of reasons. For instance, free weights require greater balance and you can also perform compound movements. This is where you work several muscles at once instead of just one that you might with a machine. The body loves this type of workout!

Tip 6 -- eat more often! Yes, I am not kidding! It is better to eat smaller amounts more frequently than three bigger meals per day. To build up muscle in the most efficient and fast way, you should eat small meals roughly every three hours. One easy way is to split your lunch in two. You could eat half of it at 12pm and the other half at 3pm.

Want A Flat Stomach!

2012-05-30T16:11:00.000+01:00

A flat belly is considered an intrinsic part of human aesthetics. However, in an increasingly automated and Internet-centric world, a sedentary lifestyle has become more common, which is the flat belly’s enemy number one. The following is an original list of 5 very practical flat belly tips that can truly help anyone who is struggling with excess fat around the tummy.

Eat in Small Portions

Snacking and munching between meals is a compulsive habit with many people. It aggravates especially when they are under any kind of stress. Snacks are generally high-calorie foods that cause the maximum impact on the belly fat. It would be impractical to suggest cutting down on snacking or drinking high-calorie beverages between meals for those who are accustomed to it. But there is a smart way out from this trap. Divide meal quantities into smaller portions, and eat in piecemeal several times a day. So whenever there is a craving to eat, you can eat the remainder of your meal, instead of going for a snack. For instance, if you have a cola or a dessert along with the meal, save it for later. If you eat two sandwiches at a time, eat one, and save the second one for later. This way your aggregate food consumption for the day remains the same, and you get the opportunity to satisfy your food cravings as well.

Stock Your Refrigerator with Fruits and Salads

Substitute snacks and other high-calorie food and drinks with natural fruit and salad items at home. This ensures that there is a low fat but filling option whenever there is an urge to munch. Natural fruit and salad without dressing are healthy options. It is important to have a regular stock of these things in the fridge as substitutes to packaged foods and snacks, which are the enemies of a flat tummy. If you do not have them in ready stock, there is little motivation to go out and buy them when you facing hunger pangs. In that weak moment, you are bound to opt for unhealthy snacking. Therefore, make sure that your fridge is always loaded with fresh, low-calorie, natural foods.

Ban Snacks, Packaged Foods, and Artificial Beverages at Home

One of the best strategies to curb the urge of snacking and drinking high-calorie drinks is to not allow these things in your home. If there is no supply of these items at home, you will have no chance to succumb to the temptation of eating them. For the first few days, it may be difficult to survive without snacks, packaged foods and beverages at home. But if you can maintain this commitment for a few days with focused determination, gradually your body will be relieved of this compulsive urge. This is a surefire solution to curb the habit of snacking between meals, if you are serious about achieving a flat belly.

Choose a Physical Sport of Personal Liking

Exercise, yoga and regular visits to the gym can be boring and monotonous for many people. In fact, most people start such efforts with a big bang, but end up very quickly with a whimper. A much more effective and sustainable alternative is to play a sport that involves some amount of physical activity. It could be tennis, badminton, basketball, or anything else that involves some amount of cardio activity. Sports can be highly enjoyable and entertaining because of the inherent element of competition in it. It is far more sustainable than going for pure physical exercise regimen where there is a high resistance against monotony.

Involve Friends or Spouse into your “Flat Belly” Campaign

Morning walks, exercises, going to the gym, or eating salads and fruit can be highly monotonous if one has to do it all alone. Chances are that an isolated flat belly campaign may quickly run out of steam. However, if there is a group of friends, or simply the husband and wife who are willing to take up the challenge together as a team, the going gets much easier. The boredom factor gets reduced drastically, and there is constant motivation from each other. If one person in the team is losing spirits, the other person will be able to motivate and uplift, and the vice versa will also happen. Difficult journeys always become easier when you have companions, and it is not just a lonely expedition.

These are very real and healthy tips to attain a flat stomach, without undertaking risky crash diets or over-ambitious exercise regimens

Get Ripped With My Diet Plan, Training Plan And Suplimentation Tips

2012-05-30T00:35:00.001+01:00

So here's my plan that I am using to get shredded, it’s paying off to be honest.

I’ve tried so many times to get down past 5% body fat and it’s just never happened.

I will talk you through step by step how I managed to achieve it this time and what I used and did to achieve it.

Firstly I am going to talk about MACRO’S. Diet is very, very important when trying to transform your body, so getting the right calorie intake is vital. If you eat too many calories, you will put on excess weight and possible gain fat which isn’t the point if you are going to get ripped! But under eating calories will cause you to lose that hard earned muscle that you have worked hard for.

For your body to function also you need sufficient and correct macros. Macros stand for “Macronutrients” and they are broken down into three categories, these being

· Carbohydrate’s

· Protein’s

· Fat’s

They are all a vital part for body building, don’t get enough you won’t grow, get too many you will grow the wrong way!

I use a website that basically works out all of my macros for me (Because I Suck at Maths) but I still do know how to work it out using the formulas. I will talk you through both ways, but first you need to know how many calories you need each day. On the same website I use to get my macros from they have an instant calculator which work out how many calories you will need to gain muscle or get shredded.

Click on the link here to work out how many calories you will need to transform your body. Once you have found the amount of calories you need, quickly write it down somewhere because you will need it in a second.

You need to put you’re

Age

Gender

Height

Weight

Exercise Level

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

So you have found out you’re calorie needs. It should have given you an amount of calories either to maintain your current body weight, for fat loss and or extreme fat loss.

If you are looking to bulk up a bit add an extra 300-400 calories on top of that until you see a slow increase in weight each week of about 1lb. this should be mainly muscle and not a lot of fat which you are putting on if you are training hard!

For fat loss which you will need to get Ripped you need to use the “Fat Loss” calorie level it has given you, this means you should be losing no more than 1lb per week, otherwise if you lose any more than that per week you’re in a high chance of losing muscle like I talked about earlier.

Okay now click on this link and enter your calories that you have been given into the small white box on the page. I would recommend using the moderate fat loss diet plan in the next box, this is the most common used to get great results. All you have to do now is select how many meals you are currently eating a day and below that is you macro break down. All you have got to do now is work out some meal plans that fit around your macros, try to vary you foods or your taste buds are going to hate you in the long run as I found out by only eating chicken and broccoli for weeks upon end!

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/nutrient_calculator.htm

If you’re good at maths and want to work it out yourself here is the formula used to calculate your macros.

So to find out your BMR – Basic Metabolic Rate you need to use this equation, BMR = 370 + (21.6X Lean Body Mass in KG) X (100-body fat %) / 100

You then multiply these by an 'activity variable' to give TEE. This Activity Factor is the cost of living and it is BASED ON MORE THAN JUST YOUR TRAINING. It also includes work/lifestyle, sport & a TEF of ~15% (an average mixed diet). Average activity variables are:

1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise) + Desk Job

1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little Daily Activity And Light Exercise 1-3 Days A Week)

1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderate Active Daily Life And Moderate Exercise 3-5 Times A Week)

1.7-1.8 Very Active (Physically Demanding Lifestyle And Hard Exercise or Sports 6-7 Times A Week)

1.9-2.0 Extremely Active (Hard Daily Exercise Or Sports And A Physical Job)

This will be your daily calories then you want to split this up into your carbs, proteins and fat’s accordingly to how you are planning your diet E.G – Carbs 40: Protein 40: Fats 20 – 40:40:20.

Great, we have covered the most important part of the plan now it’s time to start talking about training.

The training routine I use looks like this,

o Monday – Training Day – Arm’s & Abs

o Tuesday – Rest Day

o Wednesday – Training Day - Legs

o Thursday – Rest Day

o Friday – Training Day – Shoulder & Back

o Saturday – Rest Day

o Sunday – Training Day - Chest & Abs

So my Monday’s workout is this, if you are un-aware of any of the exercise’s here’s a website that has over 300 exercises on it. http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/ just type in the search bar underneath the diagram of the body’s.

Cardio 10-15 min’s to get the blood pumping around the body and getting the muscles warmed up.

Concentration Curls – 1 warm up, 4 sets (forced reps)

Barbell Curls – 3 sets (cheat)

Hammer Curls – 3 sets (last set is a drop set)

Rope Press downs – 1 warm up, 4 sets (last set is a drop set)

EZ Bar Skull crushers – 3 sets

Parallel Dips – 3 sets (drop sets)

Decline Leg Raise – 3 sets

Machine Crunches – 3 sets

Seated Tucks – 3 sets

Tuesday is a rest day for me, time to recover and make some food for the next couple of days.

Wednesday’s workout is like this

Cardio 10-15 min’s to get the blood pumping around the body and getting the muscles warmed up.

Squats – 1 warm up, 4 sets

Straight Leg Deadlifts – 1 warm up, 4 sets

Lunges – 3 sets

Leg Extensions – 4 sets (last set is a drop set)

Lying Leg Curls – 4 sets (last set is a drop set)

Thursday is another rest day.

Friday’s workout is this

Cardio 10-15 min’s to get the blood pumping around the body and getting the muscles warmed up.

Smith Machine Military Press – 1 warm up, 4 sets (last set is a drop set)

Dumbbell Side Laterals – 3 sets (flush sets, which means, after you’re done with normal reps, you hold the weight up in position as long as possible)

Front Dumbbell Raises – 3 sets (flush sets)

Underhand Barbell Rows – 1 warm up, 4 sets (last set is a drop set)

Deadlifts – 1 warm, 4 sets

Superset: Behind-the-neck lat pull downs, lat pull downs – 3 sets

Seated Cable Rows – 3 sets (last set is a drop set)

Saturday is another rest day!

Sunday’s workout is this

Cardio 10-15 min’s to get the blood pumping around the body and getting the muscles warmed up.

Flay Dumbbell Fly’s – 2 sets

Superset: Incline Bench Press, Incline Dumbbell Fly’s – 1 warm up, 4 sets

Dumbbell Pullovers – 3 sets

Parallel Dips – 3 sets (all sets are drop sets)

Push Ups – 3 sets

Cable Crunches – 3 sets

Vertical Bench Leg Raise – 3 sets

Decline Crunches – 3 sets

So we have gone through the macro breakdown and why you need to know about it and we have also worked yours out for you. You have hopefully workout out some meal plans revolving around your macros you have been given from the websites I provided. And we have now been through the workout I use, what next?

Supplementation, yes the one you have been waiting for I guess. Okay I am not going to ramble on about supplementation (Sup’s) because you don’t need to get all of these heavily advertised, high priced supplements, but you will need the basic sups obviously.

So what are the basics? I have mentioned these also in another post on my blog but if you haven’t seen that here are the basics,

· Whey and/or Casein

· Multi- vitamin

· BCAA’s

· Creatine

You should already have most of the above if you have started Bodybuilding but if you haven’t and you can’t hit you’re macros or need something in aid of faster/better recovery you should invest in them.

If you need that extra boost or push towards losing them last pounds here are a couple things to maybe look at if you are serious about all of the above.

A good fat burner, I have used a couple since doing this and I found that a brand called “Warrior” do an amazing fat burner. But be warned, it’s not for the light hearted. It is very strong and will also suppress your appetite for hours upon end, in the case where I had to set alarms to remind me to eat because n didn’t feel hungry so forgot to eat. The actual product is called “Warrior Blaze” and you can buy it from most supplement stores, if you can’t find it drop me a PM and I can give you a few links for the product.

Finally and lastly, i will remind you that you need to REST to achieve results. I would say to get roughly eight hours sleep daily for maximum results. This will not only let your body recover, but you will feel great after a long deserved sleep.

If you need and help of have any questions about anything above please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or PM me at bloggingfromsteven@gmail.com .

Good luck with your journey, and remember achievements are made in the kitchen 80% Diet 20% Training.

Regards Steven.

Start making money with PTC websites

2012-05-27T15:46:00.000+01:00

Over the last couple of weeks I have been doing some research on PTC websites.

PTC (Paid To Click) is a website that lets you view other peoples ads for 3 seconds and they pay you for doing so.

It’s not a GET RICH OVERNIGHT program, but it can give you a nice bit of extra cash at the end of each month to spend on things.

I have had quite a lot of success with the websites over the last 3 weeks, what I will say is to make it more beneficial for yourself to earn more money is to get signed up for a couple of the websites and start viewing some ads.

I signed up to 4 different PTC websites and have earned £62.46 this month. I started them about 3 weeks ago and waiting for the pay-out dates which are 26^th, 28^th, 30^th and 6^th. So by the 6^th of June I would have already banked roughly £80-£90 just by viewing ads.

I was surprised by the reasonable pay-outs they give you for viewing ads. Some are as low as 0.10 and some can be up to £6.

I MUST SAY AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A GET RICH OVERNIGHT PROGRAM BUT YOU WILL EARN A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA CASH EACH MONTH.

The best site I am using at the moment is called ClickSense.

Minimum pay-out of £5.00 and average pay per click is 0.10. you get about 20-30 ads daily to view and if you do this for 10-20 mins each night before you go to bed or when you wake up you will soon see the money adding up.

The website link for clicksense is http://www.clixsense.com/?4218821

Feel free to leave any comments below and I will be sure to help out with any questions.

Learn How To Get Killer Ab Muscles.

2012-05-27T15:14:00.002+01:00

You may never do another crunch once you finish this article.

Straight To The Core

Before we cut to the core, here is a quick primer. There are three planes of movement:

The sagittal plane, for front-to-back movements
The frontal plane, for side-to-side movements
The transverse plane, for rotational movements

Now that we're caught up on the planes of movement, let's examine the relevant muscles. If you learned basic anatomy in college, like I did -- or even if you learned it reading muscle mags -- chances are the core muscles and their functions went something like this:

Functions

Rectus Abdominus — Trunk flexion
Internal Obliques — Trunk flexion, ipsilateral rotation
External Obliques — Trunk flexion, contralateral rotation
Quadratus Lumborum — Side-bending
Spinal Erectors — Trunk extension

What you don't learn about are stabilizers like the diaphragm, pelvic floor, multifidi, etc., or why they're important. Instead, the basis of the lecture (and the magazines) revolved around the showy 6-pack-type muscles -- or at the very least, the ones we could train in the gym!

To give you a practical example, here's what my core training programs looked liked in the early 2000s:

Exercise Examples

Trunk Flexion — Sit-up variations, crunch variations, hanging leg raises
Trunk Extension — Back extensions, reverse hyperextensions, Superman
Trunk Lateral Flexion — Side bends, Saxon side bends, side bends off bench
Trunk Rotation — Medicine ball twists and throws, contact twists

Re-Defining the "Core"

Now, 12 years later, I would describe the core differently -- as a box with 6 sides.

On the top is your diaphragm.
On the bottom is your pelvic floor.
In the front are your rectus and transverse abdominus.
In the back are your multifidus and spinal erectors.
Last but not least, on the sides are your internal and external obliques, along with your quadratus lumborum.

The thing about defining the core is that it gets tricky fast. I could argue that just about any muscle from your neck down could play a role in core stability. But for today's purposes, we're going to focus on these basic muscles and their respective functions.

As I started learning more and more functional anatomy (and learning from people far smarter than myself), I started to put the pieces together.

I learned that the lumbar spine (i.e. lower back) isn't built for rotation. In fact, you only have 0-2 degrees of rotation at each segment of your lumbar spine!

Even top to bottom, you only have about 15 degrees of rotation through your lumbar spine. I know a handful of you are going to be clamoring for references here. I'd suggest picking up books by Shirley Sahrmann, Stuart McGill, or Nikolai Bogduk if you want "proof."

Upon leaving my master's program I worked in a chiropractic rehab facility where I dealt with crowds of lower-back pain patients. As a result, I read the works of the aforementioned McGill, the foremost spinal biomechanist in the world. He focuses on trying to minimize repetitive flexion and extension through the lumbar spine; this is the exact pattern that produces disc herniations!

I know what you're wondering: What does all of this have to do with me and the 6-pack I don't yet have, but desperately want? What it means is that it's time to stop the sit-ups and crunches and find exercises that develop the core while maintaining the health of our lower backs!

If we re-created our list from above, it may look something like this:

Function

Diaphragm — Respiration, increase in Intra-abdominal pressure
Pelvic Floor — Increase intra-abdominal pressure
Rectus Abdominus — Prevention of lumbar/core extension
Internal Obliques — Prevention of lumbar/core extension and rotation
External Obliques — Prevention of lumbar/core extension and rotation
Transverse Abdominus — Increase intra-abdominal pressure
Quadratus Lumborum — Prevention of lumbar side-bending
Multifidus — Segmental stabilization
Spinal Erectors — Prevention of lumbar flexion

Taking what I already knew about the planes of motion and combining them with this knowledge, I totally revamped how I approached core training. My new school approach looks something like this:

Let's break down each component and give you practical examples for the next time you're in the gym!

1/ Anti-Flexion

Anti-flexion is probably the easiest component of core training to understand. Every time you squat or deadlift, you are essentially training anti-flexion! The goal of anti-flexion exercises is to resist flexion, or bending, through the lumbar spine.

While you can get plenty of development from big-bang exercises like squats and deads, more isolative exercises like back extensions or reverse hypers can also help. The key when performing these movements, however, is to keep your low back neutral and squeeze your glutes at the midpoint of the movement.

2/ Anti-Extension

The goal of anti-extension exercises is to resist extension through the lumbar spine. But anti-extension is one of, if not the most, poorly-executed elements of core training. Most would benefit from properly executing basic exercises such as front planks and push-ups, while using a PVC pipe to get into a neutral alignment.

Over time, you can progress to more challenging variations like ball or ab wheel rollouts, or even unstable progressions such as blast strap and TRX fallouts, flutters, and Miyagis, etc. The key here is simple: You must keep the spine in neutral, and not allow your lumbar spine to hyperextend!

3/ Anti-Lateral Flexion

I used to love dumbbell side bends back in the day. This was one of those exercises you could just feel for days after your workout. It really felt like you were getting some work accomplished! But the goal of anti-lateral flexion actually is to resist lateral flexion, or side bending, through the lumbar spine.

So if we ditch the side bends, what do we replace them with? We can take the same principles, but tweak them for a great training effect. Instead of side bending, hold a dumbbell in one hand for an extended period of time without allowing side bending.

If that's too easy, progress to an offset farmer's walk or waiter's carry, holding the weight in one hand while extended overhead. If you're a true soldier, consider suitcase deadlifts.

Remember, a lot of these moves may shock to your system! The goal isn't to load the weights up and stumble around like a drunken sailor in a typhoon. Lock your spine into place and don't let it move!

4/ Anti-Rotation

This was the hardest component of core training to give up. I really loved doing rotational med ball work.

Now, I do anti-rotation work instead. The goal is to resist rotation through the core and lumbar spine. My favorite exercises for training the anti-rotation component of the core are Pallof Press variations. At IFAST we do them in tall-kneeling, half-kneeling, standing-up, and even standing combined with a side step.

The key here is to lock the core down and not allow any rotation through the core and lumbar spine. You'll be surprised at how difficult these are!

5/ Hip Flexion with Neutral Spine

Last but definitely not least, we have hip flexion with a neutral spine. One of the most challenging components of lifting is getting set-up in the starting position of a deadlift, or squatting as deep as possible, without rounding the lower back.

This exercise sequence will help you get there. The goal of this progression is to keep your core and low back in a neutral position, while simultaneously flexing your hips. Exercise examples here would include prone jackknifes on a ball, band resisted jackknifes, alternating band-resisted jackknifes, and even hanging leg raises. The key is keeping the low back neutral and moving only through the hips!

Your Most Pressing Question Answered!

Once again, I know what you're thinking: "But Mike - how can I get a 6-pack from these exercises?"

I hope you already know that getting a 6-pack is dictated far more by your nutrition and overall training program than it is by your selection of core exercises.

But I can also tell you this: If you dial-in the exercise and nutrition component, even when using only core stability exercises like the ones I've outlined above, you can absolutely get ripped up. Just check out the two ladies I trained below for proof!

Bringing it All Together

So you're sold on swapping out the crunches, sit-ups and side bends for core stability work. Good for you!

If you want to build it into a program, I think the best way to train the core is via small doses throughout the week. No need for an all out core-blasting session; breaking it up into bite-sized chunks works and feels better.

Ask me any training related questions and i will answer them for you

2012-05-24T21:43:00.003+01:00

Come at me with some questions

post a comment and i will reply with a answer to your question.

Up your bench by 30lbs in 30 days

2012-05-24T21:28:00.003+01:00

Your reaction upon reading the title of this guide was one of disbelief and curiosity, wasn’t it? I understand. There are a lot of people making a lot of promises out there and very few of them pan out. Your personal gym experience also influences your reaction to the title.

You have not experienced such fantastic progress and follow all of the advice you have gathered from the net and in print. Undoubtedly, you have heretofore come to the conclusion that such progress is only possible with anabolic steroids and inhuman heredity. Please read the following VERY carefully:

I am here to tell you it can and has been done, drug-free, and that includes experienced trainees. With the right combination of proper training, diet, rest, and supplementation you can do it! If you’re game, read on…

The Four Factors

The four most important factors ranked in order of importance are:

Proper training

Proper diet

Proper supplementation

Proper rest

Rest

Wait a second! You have read so many times how important sleep is, right? How did it get ranked least important?

The idea that strength training progress is nigh impossible without 8 or more hours of sleep seems to be all pervasive in iron game culture. Sleep is important, but a lot can be done with less than optimal amounts. In my own training, I have made excellent progress while working with significantly less than 8 hours of sleep per night. As both the great Paul Anderson and Doug Hepburn knew (modern superman Chad Aichs knows it too!), so long as you have sufficient nutrients to fuel recovery, you can get what is considered to be less than optimal amounts of sleep and still build prodigious size and strength.

Joey Smith - AtLarge Nutrition big bencher!

Mike Wolfe - getting his Z’s!

As long as you have sufficient nutrients to fuel recovery, you can get less than optimal sleep and still build Brobdingnagian size and power!

With that said; in order to make the most progress in the shortest period of time you need to optimize each of the 4 Factors. You should shoot for 8 or more hours of sleep per night. If this is not possible, naps can be a powerful tool to augment your nightly sleep. Power naps of 20 minutes to 1 hour taken when possible will benefit your overall recovery.

Sleep is not the only form of rest that must be considered. Intense physical exercise outside of the gym should also be greatly curtailed during this 30 day program if you are to optimize your results. Skip your weekly pickup game of basketball and save the majority of your energy for the gym and recovery.

Remember, this program only lasts 30 days. Make it a priority during that time and be sure to make time for the rest you need to optimize your results.

Training

Your training routine is the single most important factor in how much weight you can bench. You can do everything else perfectly, and may have, but if you don’t train properly you won’t realize the kind of results you are capable of.

The purpose of this guide is to increase your unequipped bench (without a special bench shirt) by 30 or more pounds in 30 days. As such, the training routine must be one of specialization for the bench. You know the saying, “Jack of all trades; master of none.” The gist of those words is that specialization is king when you want to maximize results. This is no more true anywhere than with the human body. The very nature of human physiology mandates that we specialize our training for optimal results. Strength is extremely specific.

This concept is embodied in the S.A.I.D. (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand) principle. This principle states that the human body will respond with a very specific adaptation to any physical stressor placed on it.

Remember that specialization is king when you want to maximize results!

Mike Wolfe the living embodiment of the S.A.I.D. principle!

My first exposure to the concept of training specificity was from the writings of Ellington Darden, PhD. Dr. Darden is one of the driving forces behind the H.I.T. (High Intensity Training) bodybuilding phenomena (he coined the term). He is also a prolific author of the genre.

One of many things that differentiate Dr. Darden from the rest of the bodybuilding pack is his considerable expertise in the area of motor learning. Motor learning is the concept of skill acquisition relative to physical movement and how those skills may or may not transfer to other movements.

It was on his old website, the name of which escapes me, that I first read about a series of studies which examined athletic endeavors and how skill in one specific event translated (or not) to another. The studies found that there was little skill correlation between very similar athletic movements.

For instance, the fastest runner in a straight line was usually not the fastest when running in a circle. Another example was hitting with a tennis racket vs. a badminton racket. The best at hitting the tennis ball was not the best at hitting the badminton bird. Why? Specificity of motor movements! Just because two movements are similar does not mean that the motor skill required to perform one translates well to the other.

You can read more about his thoughts on the topic in his latest book The New Bodybuilding for Old-School Results which is available through his new website www.DrDarden.com (a cool website to visit).

A young Dr Darden on the left

Specifity and the Bench

If the desired training adaptation is a big bench press you have to perform the movement with high frequency in order to build your motor skill. As per the concept of training specificity, demonstrable strength is highly reliant on the optimization of your nervous system relative to a specific movement.

A Different Perspective

Another titan of the iron game, Louie Simmons, preaches something which might seem to fly in the face of the S.A.I.D. principle and the idea that frequent practice of a given exercise is required to optimize results. Louie espouses the virtues of the conjugate method. This method dictates that the lifter frequently alternate exercises by body part on their maximum effort (M.E.) days (M.E. days are practiced once per week and see the lifter typically work up to a 1 rep maximum lift). Louie normally has his Westside lifters alternate their primary M.E. day exercise every 1-3 weeks.

Louie knows that training with heavy loads for 1-3 repetitions taken to, or near the limit of one’s momentary ability (otherwise known as failure) is what produces the greatest increases in 1-rep maximum (1RM) demonstrable strength.

Heavy loads taken near to, or to failure frequently can also quickly lead to neural stagnation and overtraining. The variety (in neural stimulus) provided for by the conjugate method allows the lifter to effectively avoid this pitfall. It works, and Louie has a stable of the strongest men and women in the world to prove it.

Louie Simmons (center) and some of his Westside Barbell crew

Clarification

Before you get totally confused, let’s make it all fit together. You must practice a specific movement frequently to optimize your motor skill at performing the movement and thus your demonstrable strength. You must also train to, or near to, your limit with very low repetitions and high loads if you are going to maximize your 1RM in any given movement. Finally, if the frequency of low rep, high intensity sets for a given exercise is excessive, overtraining will quickly occur (with conjugate variation being the cure).

Training Points:

Specificity

Frequent training to build skill

Conjugate variety

So, how do you optimize your results over a 30 day period? How do you perform the bench press frequently with heavy loads and not overtrain? The solution lies in using high frequency with a “conjugate style” variation of load.

The conjugate method works because even small variations in a movement incur a very different stress on the nervous system thus taxing it in a different manner. This precludes neural stagnation (and thus overtraining). For our 30 day purpose, the variation in neural stress provided by the conjugate method is desirable, but we still need the “practice” afforded by frequent benching.

The solution lies in variation of the loads used. Load is another factor which affects or stresses the nervous system and is something that can be varied easily. Varying the loads used each training day for the bench press will prevent overtraining during the program and allow for frequent benching in order to optimize neural acclimation to the movement.

For the 30 days of this program you will be benching three times per week. Each session will use a percentage of your beginning 1RM (with the loads being graduated from week 2 on). The balance of your training will be performed in a more traditional fashion.

The Program

Each of the sets listed is a “working” set. These are post warm-up sets which should be preceded by 2-3 progressive warm-up sets (unless the specified body part is already warmed-up, the choice is then yours). The bench press working sets should follow the rep formula exactly as outlined. The balance of working sets should be stopped 1-2 reps short of failure unless otherwise noted.

Training Point - Precede each working set with 2-3 progressive warm-up sets.

Key:

3 x 65% x 3 reps = 3 working sets with 65% of your starting 1RM for 3 reps per set

1×10 = 1 working set of 10 reps

Monday

Bench Press - 3 x 65% x 3 reps

Skull Crushers - 2 x 10

Triceps Pushdowns – 1 x 10

Squat – 2 x 5

Lat Pulldown (curl grip) – 2 x 10

Calf Raise – 2 x 10, to failure

Machine Ab-Crunch – 2 x 10, to failure

Wednesday

Bench Press – 2 x 75% x 3 reps

Triceps Pushdown – 1 x 10

Deadlift - 2 x 3

Ab-Crunch – 2 x 10, to failure

Friday

Bench Press – 2 x 85% x 2 reps

Dumbbell Bench Press - 1 x 30 (or more reps, to failure)

Skull Crushers – 2 x 8

Triceps Pushdowns – 1 x 10

Leg Press – 2 x 6

Lat Pulldown (curl grip) – 2 x 10

Calf Raise – 2 x 10, to failure

Ab-Crunch – 2 x 10, to failure

Training points - For everything other than the bench work, try to progress by performing 1 more rep, or the same number of reps with a small increase in the resistance each session. Again, stop 1-2 reps short of failure unless otherwise noted.

Follow this schedule exactly for week 1. Then, for weeks 2 and on, you should increase the loads used for benching by 5 lbs per set (per day) if you’re starting 1RM is 150 lbs or less. If your starting 1RM is 155 – 295 lbs, use 10 lbs per set. For 300 – 395 lbs increase the loads by 10 lbs per set for the Monday and Wednesday sessions, and 15 lbs for the Friday sessions.

Finally, if you’re starting 1RM is 400 lbs or more, use a 15 lbs increase for the Monday and Wednesday workouts, and 20 lbs for Fridays.

Training points:

1RM < 150 lbs = increase loads by 5 lbs per set 1RM 155 – 295 lbs = increase loads by 10 lbs per set 1RM 300 – 395 lbs = increase loads by 10 lbs on Mon & Wed, and by 15 lbs on Fri 1RM > 400 lbs = increase loads by 15 lbs on Mon & Wed, and by 20 lbs on Fri

Mike Wolfe getting ready to hit his triceps

Samples of Bench Progression

Beginning Bench Press = 200 lbs

Week 1

Monday – 200 x 65% = 130 lbs

Wednesday – 200 x 75% = 150lbs

Friday – 200 x 85% = 170 lbs

Week 2

Monday – 130 + 10 = 140 lbs

Wednesday – 150 + 10 = 160 lbs

Friday – 170 + 10 = 180 lbs

Week 3

Monday – 140 + 10 = 150 lbs

Wednesday – 160 + 10 = 170lbs

Friday – 180 + 10 = 190 lbs

Week 4

Monday – 150 + 10 = 160 lbs

Wednesday – 170 + 10 = 180 lbs

Friday – 190 + 10 = 200 lbs

Beginning Bench Press = 330 lbs

Week 1

Monday – 330 x 65% = 215 lbs (round to the nearest 5 lbs)

Wednesday – 330 x 75% = 250lbs

Friday – 330 x 85% = 280 lbs

Week 2

Monday – 215 + 10 = 225 lbs

Wednesday – 250 + 10 = 260 lbs

Friday – 280 + 15 = 295 lbs

Week 3

Monday – 225 + 10 = 235 lbs

Wednesday – 260 + 10 = 270 lbs

Friday – 295 + 15 = 310 lbs

Week 4

Monday – 235 + 10 = 245 lbs

Wednesday – 270 + 10 = 280 lbs

Friday – 310 + 15 = 325 lbs

A Cautionary Tale

Nearly everyone that tries the program, and you will most likely be no exception, feel that they are not performing enough work, especially in the beginning. You will want to do additional work for your pecs, shoulders, and everything else. The compulsion will be strong. It must be resisted! Remember, you are most likely trying this program because you are unhappy with your current bench press progress or 1RM. This program was not put together haphazardly and has been proven in practice. As the loads are increased weekly the intensity of effort will climb and you will “see the light” as your bench and other lifts begin to soar.

Training point - Follow the program exactly as prescribed!

Westside Barbell Powerlifter - Travis Bell

Supplementation

I rank supplementation 3rd in importance among the 4 Most Important Factors to strength training success. Proper training and diet are more important, but that fact does not minimize the benefits that the right supplements can provide. If you want to optimize your results, and that is what this program is all about, you need to augment your regimen with the right supplements.

If you are active on the net and read bodybuilding or powerlifting publications you are literally bombarded with ads and advice that recommend a myriad of supplements. The reason only 4 products are mentioned on the following pages is because short of true anabolic tissue building drugs (even those that are sold as “supplements” due to loopholes in the law) they are part of a very select list of supplements that actually provide an ergogenic benefit.

AtLarge Nutrition’s Maximum Mass Stack groups 4 proven muscle building and recovery products together at a discounted price to help you to optimize your results.

The “everything but the kitchen sink” approach to supplementation is truly a waste of your hard earned money. Don’t be fooled by flashy advertising and made–up pseudo-scientific terminology. Stick with real science that you can actually reference at places like Pubmed.

On the following pages I describe the right supplements to help you in your quest to optimize your training results. They are proven to help you safely achieve your goals. I firmly believe AtLarge Nutrition products to be the best products of their kind on the market. You can, of course, with the exception of ETS (Extreme Training Support) which is unique to AtLarge Nutrition’s lineup, substitute similar products.

Supplementation points:

The “everything but the kitchen sink” approach is a waste of your hard earned money! Choose quality supplements that are proven effective.

MAXIMUS - WEIGHT GAINER

Perhaps the most unique weight gainer supplement available. It has a highly effective protein blend of whey, casein, milk protein isolates, glutamine, and egg albumin providing over 60g of protein per serving! In addition, it provides over 70g of energy-fueling, recovery-stimulating carbohydrates.

What truly sets MAXIMUS™ apart from its competition is its inclusion of Microlactin® at a proven dose of 2g per serving. Microlactin® improves general recovery, reduces delayed onset muscular soreness (DOMS), and can help to reduce minor joint pain. Finally, the addition of inulin helps to promote the superior nutrient absorption required by the growing strength trainee.

ETS - IMPROVE RECOVERY

AtLarge Nutrition’s unique recovery promoting product. ETS™’ proprietary blend of Microlactin®, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins C and E allows you to train harder, more often. Optimal recovery is of prime importance in any strength training program. No other supplement on the market will do more for recovery than ETS™.

In addition, ETS™ can help with minor joint pain and tendonitis. Finally, it provides a direct strength enhancing effect.

RESULTS - INCREASE MUSCLE MASS AND STRENGTH

RESULTS™ consists of 4 individual ingredients: dextrose, Creapure™ creatine monohydrate, ß-Alanine, and HMB.

Each ingredient is included at a scientifically proven effective dose. RESULTS™ will help you to lose body fat, significantly increase lean muscle mass and strength, enhance your muscular endurance, and promote blistering intensity in the gym!

CREATINE 500 - CREATINE MONOHYDRATE

AtLarge Nutrition’s Creatine 500™ is Creapure™ creatine monohydrate.

It is one of the purest monohydrate products available. Creatine monohydrate is the most scientifically studied and proven (proven to be both effective and safe) strength and lean muscle tissue building non-hormonal supplement in the world. Its inclusion is a must if you want to be as big and strong as possible.

OPTICEN - MEAL REPLACEMENT/POST WORKOUT SHAKE

Using Opticen™ immediately after an intense session in the gym (post workout - PWO) will help to maximize your results. A 60g serving (the recommended PWO serving size) provides roughly 35g of its proprietary protein matrix (whey concentrate, casein, milk protein isolate, whey isolates, glutamine peptides, and egg albumin), 17g of carbohydrates, 1g of fat, and a myriad of vitamins and minerals.

These nutrients combined with its liquid state (which provides accelerated absorption) will quickly place your body into PWO anabolic overdrive!

Supplement Wrap

Including these products in your regimen will make a significant improvement in the results you achieve. MAXIMUS™ is particularly important because it makes the high calorie intake required by the program much easier to consume. Just 2 MAXIMUS™ shakes made with milk will add upwards of 2,400 quality calories to your daily intake.

Diet

If you truly want to get the most out of this program, and are someone who normally has trouble putting on muscular body weight, you need to consume a minimum of 25 calories per pound of body weight. If you are a naturally heavy-set individual, or are over 40 years of age, such high caloric intake is not recommended and you should focus on a healthy diet and the other factors in this guide.

Diet is truly one of the most important factors to your strength training success, but possibly not in the manner you expect. Most people who have a cursory knowledge of strength training are convinced that the stereotypical bodybuilding diet is what one must follow in order to see progress in the gym. They are certain that boiled chicken breasts, tuna, and plain rice must be the staples of their dietary regimen. For those seeking to gain a maximum amount of size and strength in a minimum amount of time nothing could be further from the truth!

Donnie Thompson, one of the world’s strongest men, knows that training for strength requires eating for strength!

If you want to increase your bench press 30 lbs in 30 days you need high calorie foods to fuel your training and provide the calories needed to not only recover, but to supercompensate from said training. Solid foods should be the core of your diet, but consuming the requisite number of calories can get tiresome and prove to be nearly impossible for some. Liquid meals are easier to consume and more readily digested. A full serving of MAXIMUS™ mixed in 4 cups of whole milk provides 1,200+ quality, growth-promoting calories. As mentioned in the supplementation section, 2 of these shakes per day can make all the difference in terms of allowing you to hit your daily caloric intake goal while on the program.

Here is a brief list of strength training super foods:

Whole milk

All meats

Cheeses

Nuts

Peanut butter

Pasta w/sauce

Eggs

Oils and butter

For those who struggle to gain quality weight and are forever proclaiming that they eat a “ton” of food and could not possibly eat more, I say, “Balderdash!”

The reason certain trainees feel that way is because they have not conditioned their stomachs for maximum mass. Just like you need to train your body to make it huge, you need to train your stomach by expanding it sufficiently such that you are able to consume the necessary calories to fuel growth. The only way to stretch your stomach is to consciously over-eat. You obviously do not want to gluttonize to the point that you feel ill, but you must get close in order to spur the desired stomach expansion adaptation in relatively short order.

Total caloric intake is more important than the macronutrient breakdown of the foods you consume over this 30 day period. You will find that when consuming the calorie dense foods required by this program, your macro breakdown is roughly equally distributed between protein, carbohydrates and fats. You may have read or heard in the past that protein ingestion should constitute 40% or more of total caloric intake for strength trainees. Don’t confuse the resistance trained individual’s increased need for quality protein with protein as a percentage of total caloric intake. When you are consuming a high calorie diet like the one recommended here, you will consume a lot of protein (300+ grams daily), but by virtue of the fact that your overall caloric intake is so high, protein will only end up constituting about 33% of the total.

Important - Remember to consume at least 25 calories per pound of body weight!

The bottom line is that you need to eat a lot of relatively unrefined, calorie-dense, high-protein foods in order to get as big and strong as possible in 30 days.

You need not worry about excess body fat accumulation with a program such as this due to its brevity and the fact that it is a “shock” to your system. The massive caloric intake combined with heavy resistance training called for in this program will result in the addition of a large amount of lean muscle mass and a modest deposition of body fat during the 30 day period.

Tip - Use this program sparingly (once or twice per year) and you can continuously reap its benefits.

Getting the Job Done

There is an old story about a former Mr. America bodybuilder training his protégé that very vividly illustrates the level of commitment required to be the biggest and strongest you can be. As the story goes, the master and his apprentice were at the beach one day. Both were wading in the water when suddenly the former Mr. America grabbed his pupil by the head and pushed him beneath the waves. The pupil was literally forced to struggle for his life. When he finally made it up for air, the master simply said to his liege that only when he wants to be a great bodybuilder as much as he wanted to breathe moments before would he finally achieve his goals.

Stupid? Yes, but highly effective in making the point that the mind, the will, are the keys to extraordinary results. The vast majority of trainees simply do not possess the single-minded determination required to achieve the results they claim to desire. How do you engender such dogged determination in yourself? For me, it simply boiled down to my competitive nature and making a decision and then having the will to follow through with it irrespective of other influences. When I decided that I wanted to become as physically big and strong as I could (without tissue-building drugs), that goal became the sole focus of my life virtually to the exclusion of everything else.

In Closing

Ok, you now have all of the tools you need. The rest is up to you.

Give this program the kind of laser focus described above for just 30 days and you will be absolutely AMAZED at what you will achieve!!!

Nutrition

2012-05-24T21:25:00.001+01:00

Okay so here's some basic nutritional info that will help you out in the long run. If your trying to bulk up and get some mass on you, the first thing you need to do is get your diet in check. You are looking for a high protein, high carb and medium fat diet.

I would suggest finding out how many calories you are needing to eat in order to put some weight on. I like to use the 17-20 calorie per pound of body weight calculation. If you are putting weight on too quick, lower your calories maybe by 100-150. Carbohydrates are very important in your diet as well as they fuel your muscles. Carbohydrates will refuel the glycogen levels which will give you energy.

I would aim to have rouglhly 45-50% of your calories in your diet to be from carbohydrates. Good foods for carbohydrates can be from the following Wholewheat pasta's Wholewheat Breads Potatoes Sweet potatoes Moving on to protein, I would try and aim for about 1.2grams per pound of body weight. Well that's what I use anyway and it works a treat for me.

Protein is essential for building muscle and is a must have in your diet. Try getting about 30-35% of your diet to be protein. So you have 45% of your diet and 35% protein, that only leaves fats now. You have 20% of your diet left, that's going to be fats. Now when I say that 20% of your diet is going to be fats, I don't mean going down to the nearest McDonalds and ordering your full days fat intake in one go. You want good fats in your diet, things like nuts, cheeses, milk ect... Now we have the summary of your diet, let's try working one out just so you get the hang on things.

Let's say a 150lbs male wants to bulk up and gain 20lbs. So the first thing we will do is work out how many calories he needs overall. (weight in lbs) X (17-20). 150 X 20 = 3000kcals So now we add 500cals to your maintaining weight of 3000 which becomes 3500. From this we need to work out how much carbs, fat and protein we need to intake. 1g of Carbs = 4kcal 1g of protein = 4kcal 1g of fat = 9kcal Okay so 45% (carbs) of 3500 = 157g 35% (protein) of 3353 = Now the rest will be fats.

So we have talked about your eating needs, now lets move onto the water intake. I would suggest to intake about 10-12 glasses a day.
Drinking plenty of water will keep you hydrated,feeling fuller all day and also flush out the toxins in your body. It can also help with weight loss too.

Try to eat every 3-3.5 hours, this will make you feel fuller and you wont want to binge out on "Crap foods".

To conclude with the bits of nutritonal info i have given you i would say that all you need to do to sucessfully gain some serious mass is get your diet in check ASAP.
Work out your daily macro need's and stick to it. Dont worry if you overeat on carbs or protein one day, this can be a good thing if your trying to bulk up. If your trying to bulk up never under eat on your macros.

Remember to always drink enough water each day also as this will keep you hydrated whilst training.

Everything About BCAA's For Body Builders

2012-05-23T22:19:00.001+01:00

BCAA's

Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle protein. For those Exercising, getting enough of the Amino acids can be quite difficult. Exercise burns Amino Acids quickly. If you don’t get those replenished, it can cause people who work out vigorously to make little or no progress.

Amino acids are best used as free form and branched chain. These Amino Acids do not require digestion and go straight into the blood stream for immediate use by muscle cells. BCAA’s also provides 70% of the body's Nitrogen requirement so it is crucial we get them into our diets.

Here is the difference between essential and non-essential amino acids

Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body. You must get them from complete protein foods or combinations of incomplete vegetable foods. These are found in chicken and other foods high in protein.

There are 9 essential amino acids: Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Iysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan, and Valine. Your body can make non-essential amino acids by itself from vitamins and other amino acids.

The term "non-essential" can be misleading since all amino acids are essential for proper metabolism and certain non-essential amino acids, such as glutamine, become very essential during illness and trauma.

The 13 non-essential amino acids are Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cysteine, Glutamic acid, Glutamine, Glycine, Hydroxyproline, Proline, Serine, and Tyrosine.

The essential branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) are importance for athletes because they are metabolized in the muscle, rather than in the liver. It’s quite confusing but in simple it works like this. After digestion once protein is broken down into individual amino acids these aminos can either be used to build new proteins or be burned as fuel to produce energy.

Bodybuilders and BCAA’s

Bodybuilders want to avoid the reduced muscle size and strength consequent of reduced muscle protein synthesis and breakdown. Keep in mind an adequate level of free BCAA won't turn you into superman (although higher targeted dosages may come close), but will enable you to avoid some of the negative effects of BCAA depletion including inadequate recovery and training stagnation.

If you already have an adequate level provided by your diet, you'll really be able to see the benefits. In addition to consuming enough protein, make sure you consume enough quality calories on a daily basis and get plenty of rest and recovery. By consuming adequate calories and carbohydrates you'll help spare the BCAA’s.

The greater your glycogen storage the more likely your BCAA pool will be used for muscle growth and the less likely it will be oxidized as energy. Rest and recovery will further help direct your BCAA pool towards muscle growth. Following these steps will go a long way in enhancing your gains-and we haven't even covered the real supplemental benefits yet!

Benefits of BCAA’s

Science has shown us that BCAA supplementation can have rather far-reaching positive effects in the body. Among These effects include:

Increased Recovery – This means you can achieve your goals quicker.
Endurance – Brilliant if you’re on a low carb diet and don’t have much energy to spare.
Stimulate Protein Synthesis
Stimulate Fat Loss– best if carbohydrate consumption during the 2 hour window before your workout is very limited
Boosting Immune Function
Anti-Catabolic Effects- BCAA supplementation was found to induce anabolism and nitrogen sparing so the subjects burned body fat instead of lean muscle mass, thus sparing muscle protein.

So I have read all this but you haven’t told me where I can find BCAA’s.

Okay, dairy products and red meat contain the greatest amounts of BCAAs, although they are present in all protein-containing foods Whey protein and egg protein supplements are other sources of BCAAs.

What amount of BCAA should I take?

Most diets provide an adequate amount of BCAA for most people, which is about 25–65 mg per pound of body weight. 28 29 Athletes involved in intense training often take 5 grams of Leucine, 4 grams of Valine, and 2 grams of isoleucine per day to prevent muscle loss and increase muscle gain, though most research does not support this use of BCAAs.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment below or send me a email on bloggingfromsteven@gmail.com.

How To Gain Muscle Fast!

2012-05-23T21:21:00.000+01:00

How To Gain Muscle Fast

Okay so I hear all the time, man I train real hard and I don’t see much improvement in my physic, what am I doing wrong?

Well I can place a fairly high bet, that these people forget about a proper diet and think that they are going to get big by just eating a bit of chicken a day and training there behind off.

Sure thing, they will put on muscle, but not as quick. If I asked 100 people who “Body build” what part of their program makes them muscle, I bet more than half would say “My split routine man, come on I train 5 days a week”.

This obviously is partly how they are “gaining muscle” but more than half of them won’t even realise that to become big, and gain muscle its 20% training and 80% diet.

So now we have established that most of our gains are going to be made from out kitchen not our gym, I’d like to lead on with the next bit I was going to say.

EGO, this is a big mistake a lot of new lifters make. They stroll into a gym with a big ego where there are men that have been lifting for years and they want to look good. So they start trying to lift weights that are way too big for them. Doing this can cause massive injury to the muscles as they are not use to lifting and this wastes time as well are causing injury to themselves. Whilst they are recovering from muscle strains ect, they could be training, getting them bigger and quicker. Going in with a big ego and lifting heavier weights than they should be also causes improper form. That’s not good, this can again, cause injury and also if they get into a habit of lifting like that it makes things dangerous when they advance and start lifting heavy.

Another big mistake is overtraining. They think the more they train the bigger they get. Wrong, it can work completely the opposite. Overtraining means your muscles are exhausted and need time to recover. I’m not going to lie. This was one I did when I first started lifting. Over trained and didn’t give my muscles enough time to recover, that was one of the worst things I done. It meant that I was aching for a long time, my muscle growth was basically at minimum level and my muscles where still tired for my next session meaning I couldn’t do any new Personal Best’s and basically was lagging on the second set.

I personally now tell people it’s better to let your muscles rest more than they should rather than less than they should. It gives you a nice fresh feeling when you’re next at the gym ready to train and also means that you should have got maximum muscle growth.

You want to be adding weight each time you go to the gym on each exercise, I don’t mean a massive amount just by adding an extra 2lb-5lb will give you maximum muscle growth. If you have been hitting the same weight on let’s say a bench press and you physically can’t add on that extra weight id imagine you would have hit something called “Plateau”. Basically they have reached the maximum amount they can lift and the body won’t let them lift anything heavier so they can’t progress. Breaking through a plateau should be easy if you follow this. Use a weight to go to failure in the 4 - 6 rep range one week, the next use a lighter weight and go to failure in the 10 - 12 rep range. The next week use a weight to go to failure in the 6 - 8 rep range. This way you are not letting your muscles become accustomed to what they will be lifting and should have you bursting out of that plateau in no time.

Remember once you have stopped growing your body will be lazy and won’t keep growing, so were not going to get big. So change your reps and routine every so often so you don’t plateau, keep eating wisely whilst keeping your diet in check and watch your growth rocket up. Applying these principles will help you to gain muscle fast.

If you have any other questions feel free to leave a comment or email me at bloggingfromsteven@gmail.com

Here are a couple of photos just for inspiration and to get you motivated, I’m sure you will appreciate it in the long run when you are HUGE!