Your Guide to Bodybuilding and Healty Life

Jay Cutler Workout Routine

2012-10-08T04:24:00.002-07:00

Monday:

Delts

Delts Dumbbell Side Laterals     3 sets x 12 reps
Dumbbell Press                           3 sets x 8-12 reps
Side Lateral Cable                       3 sets x 8-12 reps
Front Raise with Olympic Bar    2 sets x 10 reps
Bent Over Dumbbell Laterals     3 sets x 10 reps

Triceps

Triceps Cable Extension              4 sets x 15 reps
Single Arm Extensions                3 sets x 15 reps
Close-Grip Bench Press               3 sets x 8 reps
Superset: French Press                 3 sets x 8 reps
Dumbbell Kickbacks                   3 sets x 12 reps
       Dips                                                3 sets of 15 reps

Traps

Traps Shrugs                                  4 sets x 12 reps
Abs

Abs Crunches                                 3 sets x 20 reps
Rope Crunch                                  3 sets x 20 reps
Hanging Leg Raise                        3 sets x 12 reps
Leg Lifts                                        3 sets x 10 reps

Tuesday:

Back:

Back Wide-Grip Pulldowns         3 sets x 10 reps
Dumbbell Rows                           3 sets x 10 reps
Bent Over Barbell Rows              4 sets x 10 reps
Deadlifts                                       3 sets x 12 reps
Close-Grip T-bar Row                 3 sets x 10 reps
Behind-the-Neck Pulldowns        3 sets x 10 reps
Seated Rows                                 3 sets x 10 reps
Hyperextensions                           3 sets x 10 reps

Wednesday: Off

Thursday:

Chest

Chest Incline Barbell Press 5 sets x 10-12 reps
Flat Dumbbell Press              3 sets x 8-10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Flye           3 sets x 10 reps
Cable Crossovers                   3 sets x 12 reps
Decline Bench Press             3 sets x 8 reps

Biceps

Biceps Straight Bar Curl         5 sets x 15 reps
Single Arm Dumbbell Curl     3 sets x 12 reps
Single Arm Preacher Curl     3 sets x 10 reps
Hammer Curl                            2 sets x 12-15 reps

Forearms

Forearms Reverse Curls 6 sets x 15 reps

Abs

Abs Crunches 3 sets x 20 reps

Rope Crunch 3 sets x 20 reps

Hanging Leg Raise 3 sets x 12 reps

Leg Lifts 3 sets x 10 reps

Friday:

Quads

Leg Extensions 3 sets x 20 reps

Leg Press 4 sets x 12 reps

Squats 4 sets x 6-10 reps

Lunges 3 sets x 8 steps per leg

Leg Extensions (heavy) 4 sets x 10 reps

Saturday:

Hamstrings

Hamstrings Lying Leg Curl 6 sets x 12 reps

Romanian Deadlift 3 sets x 10 reps

Single Leg Hamstring Curl 3 sets x 12 reps

Leg Press (feet high and wide) 3 sets x 12 reps

Calves

Calves Standing Calf Raise 4 sets x 10 reps

Donkey Calf Raise 2 sets x 10 reps

Seated Calf Raise 3 sets x 10 reps

Abs

Abs Crunches 3 sets x 20 reps

Rope Crunch 3 sets x 20 reps

Hanging Leg Raise 3 sets x 12 reps

Leg Lifts 3 sets x 10 reps

Sunday: Off

Top 10 Bodybuilding Myths

2012-10-06T03:48:00.003-07:00

Myth #10: Don't Eat Late At Night

False
Spread out your calories evenly throughout the day. Just stick with lean sources of protein and lower glycemic carbs in the evenings.

Myth #9: Train It To Failure

False
Training to failure is important every once and a while. Always training to failure could lead to overtraining.

Myth #8: Sugar Is Bad

False
Sugar can be very beneficial post workout. The insulin release will allow protein and carbs to transport to muscles.

Myth #7: You Can Only Digest 30 Grams Of Protein Per Sitting

False
Protein requirements vary from person to person. Focus on how many calories from protein you get throughout the day.

Myth #6: You Can't Gain Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time

False
Healthy nutrition and training will aid in gaining muscle and losing body fat.

Myth #5: Do Cardio After Weight Training

False
The best time to perform cardio is first thing in the morning.

Myth #4: Fats Are Bad

False
Your body needs good healthy fats from sources like:

Myth #3: Always Stretch Before Training

False
You will gain more benefits from stretching post workout. Post workout stretching will reduce muscle fatigue and soreness.

Myth #2: Always Train Heavy

False
To avoid overtraining mix up your routine. Train heavy and train high volume.

Myth #1: Never Train When You Are Sore

False
Rest days are just as important as your training days but you're always going to be sore somewhere on your body.

Beginner Workout Programs

2012-10-06T03:42:00.002-07:00

Bodybuilding Mistakes How To Avoid Them!

2012-10-06T03:39:00.003-07:00

Bodybuilders worldwide tend to make similar mistakes. I've done my share of both American and European gyms, and for some reason people seem to be falling into the same traps regardless of geographic position. Why? One reason is ego. Ego can be a good thing, if used to spur yourself beyond previous achievements, but it should never be allowed to set common sense aside. Joint pain while warming up? You know you should back off, but your ego urges you not to "lose face" in front of your buddies. Result: You go heavy anyway, and get a torn pectoral muscle that'll take months to heal.

Another reason is plain misinformation. Anyone reading the mags knows that the "experts" all say different things. "Avoid upright rows!" "Upright rows are great!" "Never squat below 90 degrees!" "Go all the way down when squatting!" "Keep upper arms fixed while doing french presses" "Bring'em all the way down over your head to get maximum stretch" ... And so on. The confusion is total, and somewhere in the mess a lot of people injure themselves.
Yet another culprit is believing the myths, such as that cardio is superior to weight training when it comes to getting in shape, the pros are clean and that fat is the root of all evil. Right - and I spotted Elvis during his squat-routine today at the gym. The big and the small myths are always circulating, and of course some have a core of truth hidden deep inside while others don't, like it usually is with myths. However, I thought I'd point out a few common mistakes I've noticed during my active years.

Judging By The Scale

The guy with love handles hanging out over his pants, happily proclaiming: "Hey guys, I've gained another three pounds since last week!" is easy to spot. He's made the classic diet mistake of judging himself by the scale instead of the mirror. People on a diet usually get horrified when discovering how much they're losing, but as long it's fat and not muscle, it's all right. And of course, the opposite holds true with the weight gainer. Gaining three pounds of muscle is great, while gaining 2.8 pounds of fat and 0.2 pounds of muscle is not. Remember: A caliper and the mirror is your judge, not the scale!

Focusing On Weight Only

On a good day, a person might bench press, say, 300 pounds for 8 strict reps. He feels great, rightfully so, but the next time he goes into the gym to do the same he hasn't had enough sleep and haven't been eating properly, and in addition his boss kicked his ass at the office earlier, so he's quite far from focused on the job at hand.
This time, he panics as he realize that he's not going to make eight, but will hit the wall at four or five! So, he arches his back, bounces the bar off his chest and uses momentum to get the load up. OK - he made it to eight by cheating badly, but the next time he trains he cheats again and gets a nice 10 reps instead! Great - he's made terrific gains! Or has he?
Now that he starts loading on even more plates he's left the slim path of strict form, but the question remains: Do his MUSCLES work any harder? It's muscle stimulation that causes growth, not the weight itself. The weight is only a means to an end - which is stimulating growth. Your MUSCLES couldn't care less about how much weight is moving around you, all it cares about is how much of that weight it has to lift. Else you'd make terrific gains by sticking around construction sites where several tonnes are lifted all around you all day long.

Not Resting Enough

I discussed this in another article, so I won't go too deeply into it. You grow while you rest, not while working out. If you train before fully recuperated, you've never given the body any chance for growth. Ergo: training a lagging body part twice as often is only making sure it lags even MORE behind!

Never Changing The Program

The muscles grow because they accustom themselves to the demand being put onto them. If you never change the way they're trained - the DEMAND - they won't have a reason to keep improving - growth. Make it your goal to shock your muscles at least every other workout, by altering the number of reps, sets, exercises, rep speed and such.

Skipping Meals Before Training

When you're going to train your weights, your main source of fuel is carbs. Simple logic suggests that eating lots of carbs during the day before the workout is a good idea. And that's exactly what you should do, Sherlock! Make sure it's complex carbs, such as pasta, rice or potatoes, and you're peaked when entering the gym. Save the simple carbs for immediately after the workout, when your body needs it for quick energy (raisins, rice cakes, bananas etc).

More Common Problems With Easy Solutions

Problem: My wrists hurt when I do barbell bicep-curls.
Solution: Try using dumbbells or a Z-bar. This doesn't force the wrist to bend to an extreme position.
Problem: I need to lose weight, but I always get incredibly hungry at night.
Solution: Have a protein drink, preferably something creamy that will fill you up without adding calories. Met-Rx gives you about 20-25 grams of carbs with the protein, but if you take it an hour or so before going to bed you should be OK. I don't know what they do to their stuff, but it gets really, really filling in spite of the low calories.
Problem: My calves won't grow. What's wrong with them?
Solution: How original! Well, try training them first instead of last in your workout, and make sure to use full range of motion. Squeeze for a second in the max-contraction position.
Problem: My lower back hurts after I've done deadlifts.
Solution: Have someone check your form. You might not bend your knees enough, and make up for it by rounding your back a little. Get a good belt that gives you plenty of support around your midsection. Also make sure to keep your abdominals in shape, and flex them to the max throughout the range of motion. Strive for balance, and make sure to never go so heavy that you can't do more than 4-5 reps.
Problem: My girlfriend is threatening to leave me if I keep spending 3 hours a day in the gym.
Solution: Get a life, bozo!
Problem: My lats won't grow, no matter what I do.
Solution: Lats are hard to train, as it's so very, very easy to cheat and start involving other muscles. Your best bet is to cut the weight 25%-50%, and go really high-rep for a few workouts. Put your mind into the lats, and re-discover the feeling of the lats actually working. Once you've got that feeling of how it should be, you will find it much easier to maintain that feel as you start piling on the plates again.
Problem: I've tried all kinds of diets and supplements, but I still can't lose any fat.
Solution: Forget the fads and stick with the basics. Establish your BMR and make sure to stay - 500 calories per day on the average (keep a log!). Use cardio sensibly, and don't neglect the weight training. Keep the protein high, and keep eating SOME fat (at least 10%). Keep in mind that it's a long-term project, and that consistency will win where short, heroic efforts will fail. Stay focused.
Problem: I feel unstable when I do squats.
Solution: It could be that your hamstrings are shortened, causing you to compensate with your upper body. It could also be that you're simply not built for squats (6-foot-6 basketball players seldom like squats, while a 5-foot-8 wrestler probably swears by it). Or it could be that your form just plain sucks, which is a rather likely scenario. Have an experienced friend, or better yet, a Personal Trainer, have a look at your form. If form isn't the problem, say hello to your new friend Mr. Legpress.
Problem: My forearms are way out of proportion to my upper-arms
Solution: This can be somewhat genetic, but that's no excuse not to try to improve the situation.
Step #1: Do NOT ditch the straps, like everybody will tell you to do. Why would it make sense to compromise your back training because of your forearms?
Step #2: Dedicate a part of your Bicep-day solely to forearms. Above all, do barbell-rolls behind your back (that means rolling the barbell to your fingertips, and all the way up until your fists are entirely clinched & the palm facing upwards), and, if available, some kind of machine with a squeezing-action (Nautilus has a really great one, though hardly ever used). Hammer curls with dumbbells are great too, hitting the entire area along with the Brachialis. To really target the upper part of your forearm, try twisting your hand a little (palm toward the floor).
Problem: I'm skinny, but I can't seem to eat enough to grow! I get full too fast!
Solution: That is why God (or whoever it was. Let's give the Big Guy credit for now!) Invented the gainers drink. These darlings can pack a whopping 800 calories with ease, and since they're all fluid they're relatively easy to digest and assimilate. Try adding 2 of these drinks between meals for a month or two, and I can assure you that you'll see results. Don't forget the "real" food though.
Problem: I'd like start going to a gym, but I find the atmosphere to be rather intimidating.
Solution: Carry a shotgun and act as you were extremely unstable. I'm sure no one will bug you, even if you'd be using the 1-pound dumbbells.
All jest aside, this is something you should talk to the gym owner about. If it's the layout and looks of the gym that is the problem, rest assured he'll listen to you. If it's the clientele, well, that's worse. Keep in mind that most big guys are really nice though, so don't jump to conclusions just because they look insane when they're doing 500-pound deadlifts. Either way, as a paying member you have as much right to your space as anyone else, so if they have any issues with that they can discuss it with the gym owner. That is what he's there for. Last but not least, if you're uneasy about the training itself, I'll just recite my mantra: Get a Personal Trainer. He or she will give you a flying start, ensuring that you'll get the most out of your efforts - quickly, efficiently, and without injuries!
Problem: My neck is so thin it makes me look like a chicken. What can I do?
Solution: Train it, but make sure to go easy. You don't want to injure yourself by being too enthusiastic in the beginning. Make sure to get at least one exercise for the front and one for the back, preferably with one "twisting" kind of exercise as well. (For detailed exercises, look up the two articles labeled "Bull-headed?" under previously published articles.
Problem: I train 7 days per week, but I don't grow.
Solution: Take a break, rest a week, and start again with a 4-days-a-week schedule for the weight training. Make sure to rest each muscle group at least a full week before hitting it again.
Problem: I have 21-inch arms, but still can't get any women. What's up with that?
Solution: Hey Johnny Bravo, try developing your personality along with your biceps. No woman except for my wife falls for amazing looks alone. (Hey, stop that laughing!)
Seriously though, keep in mind that while training and being physically fit is good, you're nothing but a pathetic decoration if you don't take the time to lead a normal life with friends and family. Help dispel the myth of the muscle-head by developing yourself equally in all areas of life. Achieve balance in your life, and soon enough you'll strike luck. Pulling your shirt off and hitting a "most muscular"-pose rarely works with any woman though, balanced life or not.
Problem: I can't afford all the cool supplements being advertised!
Solution: Despair not, oh ye fellow poor soul! Most of the supplements being advertised work all right, but the question is if they are worth the price? Creatine works bigtime, for example, but is it really worth 10 times more money to try some new, hyped up herb that is rumored to make Japanese sumo wrestlers strong enough to rip trees up by the roots?
The truth is probably that it might have a slight effect, but surely not worth the money. Hype is only that: hype. The basics are surprisingly cheap, if you search the web for good prices and isn't afraid to buy in bulk. The necessities for a normal bodybuilder would be, say whey protein, creatine, and multivitamin/mineral capsules.
That's usually less than $30 a month, total. If something from the new things actually sticks for a couple of years, like L-Glutamine and Thermogenic Enhancers, it might be worth looking into.
Thanks,

HIT Workout Programs

2012-10-06T03:29:00.000-07:00

Female Workout Programs

2012-10-06T03:26:00.003-07:00

Ronnie Coleman Workout Routine

2012-10-06T03:18:00.001-07:00

Ronnie Dean "Big Ron" Coleman is an American professional bodybuilder who holds the record of eight straight wins as Mr. Olympia, a record career total that he shares with Lee Haney.^[1] Alongside his eight Mr. Olympia wins as a professional bodybuilder, Coleman holds the record for most wins as an IFBB professional with 26. He broke the previous record (held by Vince Taylor at 22 wins) in Moscow on November 5, 2004.

This is Ronnie's Workout Routine

Monday

Back

Deadlifts, 4 sets – 6-12 reps
Barbell rows, 3 sets – 10-12 reps
T-bar rows, 3 sets – 10 – 12 reps
One-arm dumbbell rows, 3 sets 10-12 reps

Biceps

Barbell curls, 4 sets -12 reps
Seated alternating dumbbell curls, 12 reps
Preacher curls, 12 reps
Cable curls, 12 reps

Shoulders

Military presses, 4 sets – 10-12 reps
Seated dumbbell press, 4 sets – 12 reps
(superset with)
Front dumbbell press, 4 sets – 12 reps

Tuesday

Legs

Squats, 5-6 sets – 2-12 reps
Leg presses, 4 sets – 12 reps
Lunges, 2 sets – 100 yards
Stiff-leg deadlifts, 3 sets – 12 reps
Seated hamstring curls, 3 sets – 12 reps

Wednesday

Chest
Bench press, 5 sets – 12 reps
Incline barbell press, 3 sets – 12 reps
Flat bench dumbbell press, 3 sets – 12 reps
Flat bench flyes, 4 sets – 12 reps

Triceps

Seated cambered-bar extensions, 3 sets – 12 reps
Seated dumbbell extensions, 4 sets – 12 reps
Close-grip bench press, 4 sets – 12 reps

Thursday

Back

Barbell rows, 5 sets – 10 – 12 reps
Low Pulley Rows, 4 sets – 10 – 12 reps
Lat machine pulldowns, 3 sets – 10 – 12 reps
Front lat pulldowns, 3 sets – 10 – 12 reps

Biceps

Incline alternating dumbbell curls, 4 sets – 12 reps
Machine curls, 3 sets – 12 reps
(superset with)
Standing cable curls, 4 sets – 12 reps

Shoulders

Seated dumbbell press, 4 sets – 12 reps
Front lateral dumbbell raises, 3 sets – 8 – 25 reps
Machine raises, 3 sets – 8 – 25 reps

Friday

Legs

Leg extensions, 4 sets – 30 reps
Front squats, 4 sets – 12 – 15 reps
Hack squats, 3 sets – 12 reps
Standing leg curls, 3 sets – 12 – 15 reps
Lying leg curls, 4 sets – 12 reps

Saturday
Chest

Incline dumbbell press, 4 sets – 12 reps
Decline barbell press, 3 sets – 12 reps
Incline dumbbell flyes, 3 sets – 12 reps
Decline dumbbell press, 3 sets – 12 reps
Triceps

Skullcrushers, 4 sets – 12 reps
(superset with)
Machine pressdown dips, 4 sets – 12 reps
(superset with)
Seated tricep extensions, 4 sets – 12 reps
Calves

Donkey raises, 4 sets – 12 reps
Seated raises, 4 sets – 12 reps
Crunches, 3 sets – failure
Sunday
Rest

Getting Ripped Without Cardio

2012-10-05T14:25:00.001-07:00

"This is Article from muscleandstrength.com written by Russell Branjord"

Get shredded the easy way! Russell Branjord shows you how to rely on nightly carb feedings to lose fat and get that six pack.

Getting ripped without cardio is a great title for my article because that was my goal this summer. Actually it was more than just a goal, it was also my challenge. I am the Spike Diet guy. I have lost over 100lbs with a combination of low calorie days and one amazing “spike day” a week to indulge with a surplus of calories to spike metabolism. The Spike Diet is my dream lifestyle, one where I can have fun and eat the way I want, and still be in great shape.

This summer, I decided I wasn’t satisfied with my physique and I wanted to have a single digit body fat percentage and a real six-pack. So the first thing I did was talk to my bodybuilding friends. Since I wanted to look like a bodybuilder, I thought they would be the ones to talk to.

I was given the same answer by all of them, do lots and lots of cardio! This was just not an acceptable answer for me. I hate cardio...no, I loathe doing cardio. I also knew that if I had to do cardio to get my six-pack, I wouldn’t maintain it, and as soon as I quit doing cardio, I’d lose it. This summer I had a theory of how I could increase fat burning without adding cardio or starving myself.

I feel like metabolism is the key to fat burning. The Spike Diet keeps my metabolism strong while I am losing weight. Another important factor for fat burning is carbohydrates. I love carbs but I also hate them, because while they are beneficial for muscle building, they are also a hindrance for fat burning.

During times when we are not active our body burns both carbohydrates and body fat for basic energy needs. When we exercise our body mainly burns carbohydrates and glycogen for energy. So my idea was if I limited my carbohydrates during the daytime hours, my body would be forced to burn more body fat for energy while my metabolism was at its peak, kind of like doing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. Then with extra carbohydrates at night I would be able to re-store my glycogen for my exercise the following day, and provide my body with glucose while I fasted for several hours sleeping.

I have been known to go against “mainstream thinking”, but then again the mainstream is nearly 70% overweight in America, so maybe it’s a good thing to try something different. Instead of stopping my carbohydrate consumption at night I did the opposite and had 90% of my daily carbs after 5pm.
During the day hours, which I called my “Fat Burning Window” I snacked on protein snacks like; beef jerky, string cheese, low-carb shakes, and chicken. Then at night I had the majority of my calories and carbohydrates for dinner and a late night snack. I loved it! I was able to enjoy a “normal” dinner with my family while dieting, and it was fantastic.

The results were even better, when I combined this diet plan with my “Failure and Burn” workouts I lost 20lbs over 12 weeks. I hit my goal when I got down to 201lbs and my body fat was down to 9%. I maintained my strength, because my glycogen provided great energy for my workouts and I ate plenty of protein to stay anabolic and promote recovery.
This plan works, I know it’s not the only plan that works but this is a great option for both men and women that don’t want to spend hours a day doing intense cardio DVD’s and for those that love to eat.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Workout

2012-10-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

After all of the box-office successes (and failures), all of the State of the State speeches and ballot initiatives, all of the fame and fortune, it's easy to forget that at his very core Arnold Schwarzenegger is, first and foremost, a gym rat.
Long before he ever uttered a one-liner or sparred with a hostile legislature, the five-time Mr. Universe and seven-time Mr. Olympia spent untold hours toiling away in shoebox-size gyms across the globe, pushing, pulling, and pumping iron. The aim of his efforts was to become the best bodybuilder on the planet, and it was a goal he achieved year after competitive year throughout the 1960s and '70s.

Ever the student, Arnold continually honed his skills, applying the same rigorous discipline to his gym work as he later would to his film and political careers. Just as important, he was fearless (another common Schwarzenegger theme) in his training. While many of his bodybuilding peers were content to follow the staid dictums that had been laid out decades earlier with blind obedience, Arnold always looked for ways to up the intensity.

During the early to mid-1960s, at the start of his competitive career, he followed a rudimentary training plan that had been designed for him by the elder bodybuilders at the gym in Austria where he first trained. The routine was basic and sound enough, but not the kind that would turn a small-town Austrian kid into a world-class success. As his own development surpassed that of his mentors, Arnold realized that without finding ways to increase the intensity of his workouts he'd probably end his career being known only for having won the Mr. Europe title.

Arnold began scouring Muscle Builder (the forebear to Muscle & Fitness) for ways to amp up his workouts and eventually discovered the Weider Principles-a compendium of techniques designed to increase workout intensity.
By the end of the '60s, he hit upon a formula to his liking-one that involved six days of training twice a day and featured several Weider Principles, including his favorite: supersets.

Ready... Superset... Go!

"One of the most important reasons why a chestback superset program works so well is the fact that most chest exercises are pushing movements, while all back exercises are pulling exercises. The chest muscles are resting during the lats exercise and the lats are resting during the chest movement. While each muscle is alternately resting and working, it stays fully flushed and pumped up.... When the chest and upper back are pumped simultaneously, there is an indescribable feeling of growth stimulation and massiveness." -Arnold Schwarzenegger

Supersetting involves the grouping of two or more exercises performed in sequence without rest. There are two ways of supersetting: one that groups exercises for the same body part, and another that pairs exercises for opposing body parts. Arnold was a fan of both variations, and he applied supersetting most faithfully to his chest-back workout.
"There are several advantages to alternating chest and back exercises," he has said on multiple occasions:

It saves time and the workout goes much faster.
You can handle heavier poundage, for more mass and power.
You get a greater pump and a continuous flushing effect of both areas for the entire workout, and you keep the pump longer.
Greater muscle-density results because you can work to the absolute limit of your physical capacity.

In his seminal training tome, The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Arnold explains in detail the benefits of chest-back supersetting.

The Routine

Nowadays, few bodybuilders perform double-split routines, believing that two workouts per day will overtax the body. It didn't seem to do Arnold any harm, though, and the double split wound up being de rigueur for most of the pros who trained at Gold's Gym in Venice, CA, during its halcyon days of the 1970s.

Morning	Evening
1. Chest, back	Thighs, calves, abs
2. Shoulders, arms	Calves, abs
3. Chest, back	Thighs, calves, abs
4. Shoulders, arms	Calves, abs
5. Chest, back	Thighs , calves, abs
6. Shoulders, arms	Calves, abs
7. Off	Off

Arnold's chest/back routine consists of nine exercises-four for chest and four for back, followed by dumbbell pullovers, which is a combination exercise that works the lats while stretching the pecs. In total it's 45 working sets done with no rest during the supersets and only a minute or so between supersets, after which he would spend a few minutes forcefully flexing the muscle groups he had just trained.

From start to finish the workout takes about 45 minutes, and by the end of it the Austrian Oak would be drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Legend has it that Gold's Gym would keep an oxygen tank on hand to assist Arnold and his training partners in making it through such physically taxing workouts.

Clearly, the effort wasn't wasted; Arnold's chest would eventually stretch the tape to an improbable 57 inches, due in large part to pecs and a back that still rank among the best in bodybuilding history.

While following Arnold's chest-back routine may not give you a jacket size greater than the average woman's height, it should prove a grueling but effective way to add quality mass to your torso.

Superset 1

Barbell Bench Press + Wide-grip Behind-the-neck Chin

The first superset of the routine would begin with a warmup of 30-45 reps on the bench with 135 pounds, followed by 15 chins. For the next five sets, Arnold would shuttle back and forth between bench presses and chins, pyramiding up in weight for the bench press while reducing reps for both the bench and chin. Typically, his rep scheme would be 15, 15, 12, 8, 6 for each exercise. It's worth noting that Arnold was diligent about his breathing and made sure to take extra deep breaths during this particular superset.

Superset #2//

Incline Barbell Press + T-bar Row

After resting the two to three minutes he needed to set up for his next exercise pairing, Arnold was good to go. T-bar rows were a favorite for their ability to add thickness and width as well as provide a great stretch in the lats.
Again, he would pyramid his weight and reps, going from an initial 15 reps to sets of 12, 12, 10, and 10.

Superset 3

Flat-bench Dumbbell Flye + Wide-grip Barbell Row

Arnold was a master of training technique, and nowhere was this more evident than in the way he performed dumbbell flyes.
Typically, you'll see guys bring the dumbbells about as low as their chests and then clank them together at the top of the movement. Arnold's form was nearly the opposite - he made it a point to bring his elbows down as far as possible, with the dumbbells around bench level. As he brought them back up in a perfect arc, he'd stop when they were about a foot apart - just at the point when tension on his pecs was lessening.
Similarly, for barbell rows he'd stand on a bench or high box-the better to get a full stretch at the bottom-and, with his torso nearly parallel to the floor, perform picture-perfect reps. No jerking the weight for him; it was all back taking the load.
Typically, he would perform sets of 15, 12, 10, 10, and 10 reps for each exercise.

Superset 4

Weighted Dip + Close-grip Chin

By this point Arnold would be sucking wind pretty good. He'd have been at it for more than a half hour, and the dual pump in his pecs and lats would be stretching his tank top.
Still, he would soldier on.
He'd strap a dumbbell weighing as much as 80 pounds around his waist and aim for 15 reps in each of the five sets of dips.
For the close-grip chins, he preferred using a V-bar attachment that he'd drape over the overhead bar. If none were to be found, he'd take a narrow, overhand grip and shoot for five sets of 12 reps.

The Finale

Stiff-Arm Pullover

Whether one can actually expand the rib cage via exercise is open to debate, but Arnold believed it and so performed pullovers throughout his bodybuilding career.

The fact is, regardless of its purported rib cage-expanding properties, the pullover is an excellent exercise for targeting both the lats and the hard-to-reach serratus, and for providing the pecs with a great stretch.

Arnold liked to lie across the bench to better sink his hips toward the floor and get an even stretch throughout the thoracic region.

"You'll not believe the ache in the sternum that this movement will produce!" Arnold said. "It literally pulls your chest apart and forces it into new growth."
Despite his state of near-total fatigue, he'd knock out five sets of 15-20 full, breathing- intensive reps to finish the workout.

Post-work out

Iso-tension Contractions

Arnold always finished up his workouts with a few minutes of flexing and posing. He liked the idea of further flooding each body part with oxygen-rich blood, and he believed this gave his muscles a harder, more defined look that would carry over to onstage success.
Finally, after 45 minutes and a few pounds of lost sweat, Arnold's morning workout was done. "As I head for the shower, I feel exhausted but exhilarated, like a boxer who has just gone 15 rounds with the heavyweight champion and beaten him with a knockout in the final round!"

Get Big, Not Fat: A Better Approach To Bulk And Build Muscle

2012-10-05T13:37:00.004-07:00

.It's time to stop packing on extra fat while bulking! Learn how to dial in your nutritional plan and make amazing gains without adding unneeded pounds of fat.

Every bodybuilder wants to get big. Unfortunately, in their zeal to get big many bodybuilders overeat and end up big alright, big and fat. Some bodybuilders seem to go from training for a bodybuilding contest to training for an eating contest once their season is over. Obviously, this is not a recipe for success. If you really want to win your next show, the time to do it is in the offseason.

You will need to add as much size as possible while keeping fat gain under control because trying to diet off 50lbs before a contest is not the best strategy. You will have to cut calories too low and for too long to get all that weight off, and will inevitably lose some of that hard-earned muscle. You will probably not even be able to get as lean as you could have because dieting as long and as hard as it takes to lose 50lbs. for a show spells disaster for your metabolism. Sometimes even those with the best intentions to stay lean during the offseason can’t seem to do it. So is it possible to add maximum size while staying lean? YES!

Let’s look at the typical offseason of a very ambitious bodybuilder. As soon as his last show is over he begins laying out the perfect diet to add size without getting too heavy. Once he has laid down the perfect plan he will tell no less than three people “By next year I’m gonna be huge, bro!” He will probably gain only about 1-2 lb. per week with his plan.
Slowly he will make great gains and after about 3 weeks he’ll be about 6lbs. heavier. Everything is going well until he finds out he has to go to his cousin's wedding. At the reception he’ll have a few drinks and enjoy himself for an evening. He hasn’t cheated in 3 weeks so he thinks it is ok. The next morning his weight has jumped 2lbs. He goes right back on the diet and gains another 3lbs. over the next two weeks.

Then it is his son’s birthday and he makes a pig of himself at the party. “It’s the offseason I should enjoy it” he thinks. Because of this he puts on another 3lbs. If you are doing the math our bodybuilder is only 5 weeks into his offseason and he has put on 13lbs. Things usually continue at this rate and before he knows it he is 50-60lbs. over contest weight. The problem with the typical offseason diet is that your mistakes on your diet become compounded by the fact that the next day you go back to eating a diet that will also make you gain weight.

There is a simple answer to this problem. Cut calories. Many competitors never cut calories during the offseason for fear that it will interrupt the “awesome gains” they have been making. The mantra of “you’ve gotta eat big to get big” is more often used as an excuse to pig out than an actual effective method of putting on size. Not all of the fears about cutting calories are wrong, because if done too drastically and for too long it impedes progress. But, keeping fat under control does involve cutting calories.

I am not talking about going into a full on contest diet but systematic and well planned increases and decreases will allow you to keep making gains uninterrupted and help keep body fat to a minimum. When on a diet the first few weeks are always the easiest. You lose fat very easily and don’t lose muscle size or strength. This is because when calories and carbs are high fat burning hormones are as well.

One of these hormones is T3. T3 is a thyroid hormone that helps regulate body temperature. It helps your cells take the carbs and calories that you eat and efficiently turn them into energy and heat. This means that when T3 levels are high, calories are less likely stored as fat and are more likely going to be used as energy. When calories are restricted for prolonged periods the body will try to conserve energy by dropping T3 levels, allowing less calories to be used as energy and heat. This is one of the reasons why people on contest diets often complain about feeling cold.

Also helping to control energy expenditure is the hormone leptin. Leptin increases thermogenesis by reacting with the sympathetic nervous system. Leptin also works with the central nervous system to control eating drive. When leptin levels are high it is a signal to your body that you do not need to consume additional calories. Having high leptin levels just may help you cut down on some of those “bonus calories” that always seem to find their way into your diet. Although leptin levels tend to be primarily raised and lowered in relation to body fat, you can cause increases and decreases by overfeeding and underfeeding.

When you drop calories your body does not react immediately to adjust your metabolism. So for the first couple of weeks your metabolism is still running at full capacity with levels of T3 and leptin remaining high. This allows you to lose plenty of fat without having to lower calories to drastically low levels. After a couple of weeks your body will adjust and losing at the same rate will be difficult.
If this were a contest diet you would continue to grind it out at a slower pace or lower calories further, but this is the offseason and fat loss is not the primary goal. Your goal is only to keep body fat in check while continuing to gain size, so you will want to bring calories back up before this shift in metabolism occurs. This way you can continue right on your way getting stronger and gaining muscle while occasionally keeping body fat levels from creeping to high.

Most bodybuilders have concerns about cutting calories in the offseason for fear that it will interrupt muscle growth and they will not be as big at their next show. Now of course staying leaner in the offseason will help you be leaner on show day but it will also allow you to step on stage with more muscle as well. When you bring calories down for only short spurts your anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone remain high.

Post Workout Nutrition: The Window Of Opportunity

2012-10-05T13:29:00.001-07:00

"This is article from muscleandstrength.com written by Chad Shaw"

Chad Shaw addresses the topic of post-workout nutrition and makes the case that pre-workout nutrition might be of more importance for muscle growth.

Throughout the 25 years I've been bodybuilding, there is one theory regarding muscle growth that has struck fear into the hearts of bodybuilders, and anyone else who goes to the gym and puts forth lots of gut wrenching effort pumping iron in order to build muscle. This long standing theory printed in countless bodybuilding publications suggests that the moment your workout ends there is a critical 45 minute "window of opportunity" that opens up. This leaves you exactly 45 minutes to consume a hefty dose of protein to replenish the body with essential amino acids in order to produce any muscle growth from your brutal workout.

From the first time I heard of this theory I was little suspicious. Just the whole notion that the second you complete the last repetition of your workout, your body instantly begins a 45 minute count-down that you have to consume lots of protein before the porthole to muscle growth slams shut. Sort of like how Cinderella had to be home by the exact second the clock stuck midnight, or else her stage coach would turn into a pumpkin, and she would turn back into a wench. You see, two very similar fairy tales!

Looking back it makes me laugh when I think about some of the ridiculous antics guys at the gym pull so that they wouldn't be denied muscle growth in that 45 minute window of opportunity. Some guys would finish their workouts and go flying out of the gym parking lot like Flash, hop in their cars, take off, and drive frantically, running red lights, maybe running a few people off the road, just to get home to eat.

Then I would see other guys sprint to the locker room at the end of a workout and pull a can of tuna fish out of their gym bag, pop it open and start inhaling like a Tiger Shark! That always made for a pleasant smell in the locker room!
As for myself, I didn't pay much attention to this theory because it didn't make sense to me. There were some times I would get home and eat right after a workout, but other times I would have a few things to go do before I could get home eat, and sometimes 2 hours or more would elapse before I had a chance to eat. Either way, it never seemed to make much of a difference in my strength and muscle gains.
Finally I read a publication regarding this post workout window of opportunity from a respectable source that made a lot of sense to me! The author of this article was none other than Jeff Everson. For those who aren't familiar with Jeff, he was former national collegiate Olympic lifting champion, winner of 5 USA national bodybuilding titles, and also the one who trained the famous Cory Everson to help her earn 6 Ms. Olympia titles. In other words, Jeff knows a thing or two about building muscle!

In a nutshell, what Jeff explained in this article is that the meal you consume before training is more important than the meal you consume after training. Besides usable carb energy, as in other sports, he argued that the so called post training metabolic "window of opportunity" was taken out of context since proteins entering the mouth are not instantized to potential nutrients at the level of liver deanimation and transanimation, or into the flux of muscle fiber cellular metabolism.
In other words, the nutrients you consume a couple hours before your workout are actually the ones that are falling into this "window of opportunity" during and after training. It takes significant time in order for protein and complex carbohydrates to go through the whole digestive process that is necessary to replenish usable amino acids and glycogen to your muscles.

This isn't to say that taking branched chain amino acids and or creatine before and after workouts is a bad idea. These particular amino acids undergo a much more simple route of absorption so they can effectively be utilized by your muscles within minutes versus the hours it would take to digest a whole food meal.
Recovery and muscle growth is a 24-7 deal! The body will slowly break down proteins you consume into the essential amino acids that it needs to facilitate growth and repair, little by little, over a long duration of time. There is no such thing as instant muscle recovery or instant muscle growth no matter how many nutrients you take in before or after a workout. There are supplements like branched chain amino acids and creatine that I believe may help speed the process along, but all in all, building muscle naturally takes time and you need be patient.
So now you can save yourself lots of stress! All is not lost if your unable to consume a meal within 45 minutes upon the completion of your workout. Even missing a meal here or there will not hinder your efforts to gain muscle.
The body is very resourceful, so should you miss an occasional meal, your body will simply make up for it by absorbing and utilizing more of the nutrients the next time you eat. As I mentioned before, muscle recovery and growth is full-time operation your body is running 24 hours a day and 7 days per week.

Strength Workouts

2012-10-05T13:23:00.001-07:00

Fat Loss Workouts

2012-10-05T13:19:00.001-07:00

Muscle Bulding Workouts

2012-10-05T13:17:00.001-07:00

Does Drinking Alcohol Make You Fat?

2012-10-05T13:10:00.001-07:00

Does drinking increasing the size of your waist? Learn the surprising answers, and 7 suggestions to better manage your alcohol drinking and diet program.

Alcohol has been implicated as a factor that may hurt your efforts to lose body fat. Whether alcohol is "fattening" has been a very controversial subject because technically speaking, alcohol is NOT stored as fat; it is oxidized ahead of other fuels.
Whether moderate drinking is healthy has also been a subject of controversy. Many studies show that cardiovascular health benefits are associated with moderate beer or wine drinking (which has been of particular interest lately with reservatrol in the news so much), while other studies show improved insulin sensitivity. Some experts however, say that alcohol has no place in a fitness lifestyle.
A recent study published in the journal Obesity adds new findings to our knowledge about alcohol, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity. Analysis of the results as compared to other studies also gives us some insights into why some people seem to drink and get fat while others seem to drink and get thin!

The truth about the beer belly phenomenon

This new study, by Ulf Riserus and Erik Inglesson, was based on the Swedish Uppsala Longitudinal cohort. The researchers found that alcohol intake in older men did not improve insulin sensitivity, which contradicted their own hypothesis and numerous previous studies.
They also said there was a very "robust" association between alcohol intake, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio. They pointed out that a high alcohol intake, especially hard liquor, was closely associated with abdominal body fat, not just overall body mass.
Abdominal fat accumulation is not just a cosmetic problem, it can be a serious health risk. Abdominal fat, also known as "android" or "central" obesity, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, glucose intolerance and elevated insulin levels.
Many other studies have also found a link between alcohol intake and abdominal fat, but this too has been controversial. A study that was widely publicized by the BBC in 2003 dismissed the concept of the “beer belly.”
Nevertheless, it looks like there’s some scientific support to it after all (or at least a “liquor belly” according to this newer study).
Hormones may be strongly involved because high alcohol intake has been shown to decrease blood testosterone in men, and also increase cortisol levels, which can lead to visceral fat accumulation.
Why is there so much controversy? Why the discrepancy in research findings about alcohol’s influence on obesity, abdominal fat, and insulin sensitivity?

Well, here’s the real story of why some people don’t get fat when they drink:

A lot of the confusion is because epidemiological research cannot show cause and effect relationships and mistakes can easily be made when drawing associations based on limited data.
With the nature of these longitudinal studies, you have to look at the lifestyle and nature of drinkers in general (or in this study, hard liquor drinkers). Also, the Swedish study focused on older men, so age may have been a factor. You may be more likely to deposit alcohol right on your belly as you get older.
When you hear that alcohol increases belly fat, you also have to look at what else is going on in the life of the drinker, particularly what the rest of a person’s diet looks like, and how alcohol intake affects appetite and eating habits.
Research says that alcohol can mess up your body’s perception of hunger, satiety and fullness. If drinking stimulates additional eating, or adds additional calories that aren’t compensated for and which lead to positive energy balance, then you get fat. You may also get fat in the belly, no thanks to what booze does to hormones.
Another thing that confounds the reports on whether alcohol contributes to weight gain is the fact that the game changes in heavy drinkers. We know that alcohol contains 7.1 calories per gram and these calories always count as part of the energy balance equation… or do they? With chronic excessive alcohol consumption, it's possible that not all of these calories are available for energy. Due to changes in liver function and something called the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), alcoholism may be a real case of where some calories don’t count. Many alcoholics also skip meals and eat less with increasing alcohol consumption.
Alcohol metabolizing pathways notwithstanding, even if binge drinkers, daily drinkers or heavy drinkers consume most of their calories from alcohol, if they eat very little, and remain in a calorie deficit, they will not get fat. Compound this with the hormonal effects and you witness the skinny, but under-nourished, unhealthy and atrophied alcoholic (the person you'd think would be most likely to have a beer belly).

It's the calories that count

The bottom line is, the idea that alcohol just automatically turns into fat or gives you a beer belly is mistaken. It’s true that alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but mainly, alcohol adds calories into your diet, messes with your hormones and can stimulate appetite, leading to even more calories consumed. That’s where the fat gain comes from.
If you drink in moderation, if you’re aware of the calories in the alcohol, if you're aware of the calories from additional food intake consumed during or after drinking, and if you compensate for all of the above accordingly, you won’t get fat.
Now, with that said, you might be wondering: “You mean I can drink and still lose fat? I just need to keep in a calorie deficit?”
Yes, that's exactly what I mean. But before you rush off to the pub for a cold one, hold that thought for a minute while you consider this first: The empty alcohol calories displace the nutrient dense calories!
When you’re on a fat loss program you have a fairly small “calorie budget”, so you need to give some careful thought to how those calories should be “spent.” For example, if a female is on a 1500 calorie per day diet, does she really want to "spend" 500 of those calories – one third of her intake - for a few alcoholic drinks, and leave only 1000 for health-promoting food, fiber and lean muscle building protein?
I realize some people may answer “yes” to that question, but then again, if some people spent their money as frivolously as they spent their calories, they would be in deep trouble!
To summarize this into some practical, take-home advice, here are 7 of my personal tips for alcohol consumption in the fitness lifestyle:

Don’t drink on a fat loss program. Although you could certainly drink and “get away with it” if you diligently maintained your calorie deficit as noted above, it certainly does not help your fat loss cause or your nutritional status.
Drink in moderation during maintenance. For lifelong weight maintenance and a healthy lifestyle, if you drink, do so in moderation and only occasionally, such as on weekends or when you go out to dine in restaurants. Binge drinking and getting drunk has no place in a fitness lifestyle (not to mention hangovers aren’t very conducive to good workouts).
Don't drink daily. Moderate drinking, including daily drinking, has been associated with cardiovascular health benefits. However, I don’t recommend daily drinking because behaviors repeated daily become habits. Behaviors repeated multiple times daily become strong habits. Habitual drinking may lead to heavier drinking or full-blown addictions and can be hard to stop if you ever need to cut back.
Count the calories. If you decide to have a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or two (or whatever moderation is for you), be sure to account for the alcohol in your daily calorie budget.
Watch your appetite. Don’t let the “munchies” get control of you during or after you drink (Note to chicken wing and nacho-eating men: The correlation to alcohol and body fat is higher in men in almost all the studies. One possible explanation is that men tend to drink and eat, while women may tend to drink instead of eating).
Watch the fatty foods. When drinking, watch the fatty foods in particular. A study by Angelo Tremblay back in 1995 suggested that alcohol and a high fat diet are a combination that favors overfeeding.
Enjoy without guilt. If you choose to drink (moderately and sensibly), then don’t feel guilty about it or beat yourself up afterwards, just enjoy the darn stuff, will you!

High Intensity Versus Low Intensity Cardio

2012-10-05T13:06:00.004-07:00

Find out the five reason why high intensity cardio sessions are far superior and more effective for fat loss than low intensity cardio.

It is a mistaken belief that long and slow, low intensity cardio is best for fat loss because it utilizes the aerobic system and burns fat during exercise. High intensity cardio is actually far superior and more effective for fat loss than low intensity cardio for several reasons.
This article will briefly discuss the differences in high intensity and low intensity cardio, outlining the reasons why high intensity cardio is more efficient and effective for fat loss.

High Intensity vs. Low Intensity Cardio

Time Efficiency
High intensity cardio requires less time to perform an effective session than low intensity cardio, which makes it a much more convenient mode of cardio for those with limited time in which to train.
Substrates Used
Although high intensity cardio primarily uses carbohydrates for fuel, the higher oxygen deficit post-training causes the body to use fat for energy. High intensity cardio elicits a higher work response from the body than low intensity cardio, thus burning more overall calories throughout the day, even if not during the training session. Training the body to perform at a high intensity will also increase your body’s tolerance for work, and therefore the body will burn fat at a higher level, sparing muscle glycogen.
Because of the higher force of muscle contraction during high intensity cardio, there is a greater rate of GLUT-4 translocation within the muscles, creating a stronger nutrient repartitioning effect, which in turn enables the body more efficient and effective used of substrates.
Oxygen Utilization
High intensity cardio has a higher oxygen deficit than low intensity cardio. Training with a higher oxygen deficit actually increases the body’s maximum oxygen capacity more than low intensity cardio. The higher the body’s maximum oxygen capacity, the more efficient the body is at oxygen transportation, and thus more efficient the body is at burning fat, since fat requires oxygen to be oxidized.

Hormonal Responses
High intensity cardio elicits a similar hormonal response from the body as resistance training does, but without the stress and strain on the body and the nervous system that resistance training has. Higher insulin sensitivity, more growth hormone and IGF-1 release makes the body more effective at burning fat.
Muscle Mass
Burning fewer calories during the training session makes high intensity cardio more muscle sparing and less catabolic than low intensity cardio.
High intensity cardio uses fast oxidative (i.e. Type IIa) and fast glycolytic (i.e. Type IIb) muscle fibres. Muscle hypertrophy occurs primarily through chronic anaerobic, high-intensity exercise. The more muscle mass an individual has, the greater the ability of their body to burn fat.

Conclusion

If you want to lose fat quickly and efficiently, high intensity cardio is the best mode of cardio to incorporate into your training program. Not only does it require less time to complete, but it burns more overall calories throughout the day.
High intensity cardio makes the body more efficient at using oxygen and elicits the same hormonal response as resistance training - without the stress on the body - allowing for the same fat burning ability. High intensity exercise is also muscle sparing, due to the shorter exercise period performed and less calories burned during the session, allowing the body to be a more effective fat burning machine, since more muscle mass means a greater ability for the body to lose fat.

Step By Step Guide To Getting Shredded Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

2012-10-05T13:03:00.003-07:00

"This is article from muscleandstrength written by Matthew Wolfe"

Time to bring it! Matthew Wolfe provides you with 9 specific steps to improve your training and diet so that you can get completely shredded.

Have you ever wanted to get shredded like the bodybuilders, fitness models and athletes you see on websites or magazines? The frustrating part is that no matter what you change, fix or implement, it doesn't make a difference. Well today I am here to give you the secrets that have helped me get past my plateau and down to single digit body fat. I will also list the supplements that I have used to help me get there.
First understand I did not get shredded over night. There were times that I would sit down and try to make excuses as to why I did not look the way I wanted to look. Some days I even considered giving up. I am going to admit that it was hard getting past this mental block, but once I got passed it everything became much clearer and easier.

9 Steps to Getting Shredded

Step One: Motivation and Mindset

Motivation: Even on your worst days, the only way you can go is up, in a positive direction. The best thing that helped me was to just relax and clear my mind. Take a deep breathe and think of the things that got you into lifting, dieting and working out.
Right now at this second someone is in the same boat, but they will be progressing right past you because you are sitting in bed doing nothing. This thought triggered a feeling inside of me; it made me excited to hit the gym and train. I wanted to better myself and not let that "person" get ahead of me.
A trick that helped me to think about summer. Pretend you are going to be poolside at the beach and you want to look good. You want to stick out from the crowd and have a shredded 6 pack; all the girls will see it and the guys will be mirin'!
You work hard all year round and if you don't look your best, you are only cheating yourself. You want people to see your abs and have their jaws drop. You want them to not recognize you because of your conditioning, and you want them to be jealous because of what you have, but love you because of what you have achieved. Thinking about this possibility would get me super-hyped about training.
Losers complain, winners train.
Do you want to be a loser or a winner? The choice is yours. It's all about how hard you are willing to push yourself. People say genetics play a huge role but I was able to push myself beyond my "fat overweight" genes and become what I had always dreamed of.
It is all about YOU. You are what you train yourself to be. You also look how you train. Do you want to look soft and just okay, or do you want to look veiny, freaky and hard like you train with a passion? Like I said, the choice is yours.

Step Two: Training With a Purpose

You need to have a goal in mind so you can properly train for it. There are certain steps you need to take to achieve different goals. Don't just go into the gym without knowing what you are going to do. Have a plan and implement it. Push yourself harder each time in the gym.
If you bring the same intensity each time you go to the gym you won't progress. You need to change it up. Challenging yourself. Forget about what everyone else is doing, or what they look like. You have to compete against yourself, constantly pushing past your breaking point. That is how you see results, pushing past your normal level.

The truth:
I lost a decent amount of weight and had some nice definition, but I didn't have the abs definition that I wanted. I decided to try out new supplements, and play with my diet, trying to find the perfect combination that would help me get a nice 6 pack. This helped some, but my training was not on point and my diet was still a little out of whack.
I thought that eating less would help me look better, and that training really heavy would help me appear bigger and more defined. The truth is, I was looking at myself in a totally wrong way. I did look good, but in September, 2011, I decided to take my training and nutrition to the next level.
I set out researching how to gain the most mass without gaining much fat and keeping some good definition. I began eating very clean, consuming about 380 grams of carbs, 320 grams of protein and 100 grams of fat a day. I was going for a lean bulk, eating around 4000 calories a day, but only having a cheat meal every 3-4 days. I had ice cream as a cheat meal and Moes/Chipotle as my second cheat meal.
I got up over 205 pounds by December, 2011, with minimal fat gain while still keeping some abdominal definition. January, 2012, came, and as my New Year's resolution I decided to take my training to the next level. I wanted to get shredded and lean for the summer, along with adding some size. I was not doing any cardio at all at this point and I finally decided to add some after my workout. I would do a half hour on the treadmill, incline walking and burning a couple hundred calories.
March 2012: Training was the same along with my diet. I began taking liquid l-carnitine along with green tea to help burn some more fat. I also upped my cardio by sprinting at the highest incline on the treadmill.
April 2012: I began fixing my diet and cutting out bad carbs while lowering my fat. I also started taking Thermofuse stacked with green tea and l-carnitine.
May 2012: I began training with the right intention. I focused on feeling the tension in my muscles and not just moving the weight. Muscles do not know how much weight you are using, they only respond to the tension. I centered each workout around lowering the weight and actually feeling the muscles work. This was my turning point; I began seeing crazy results.
Summer 2012 - present: Macros, carbs 230-300 grams, protein 280-300 grams, fats 50-70 grams. I continued taking l-carnitine and green tea with Thermofuse and stuck to my diet, cheating every 3-4 days. Each month I started to notice more and more of a difference. Veins began popping out everywhere.
My calories are around 2700-3000. I am trying to stay lean and full, maintaining and slowly gaining. I do about 30 minutes of cardio after my workout, burning anywhere from 500-700 calories. I focus on my macros mostly. I try hitting them each day and that is the most important part.

Step Three: Planning

Without a plan, you will not be able to achieve what you want. You need a general idea of what you want to do with steps that will help you get there.
Start with diet first. Come up with the macros you will need to help you either gain size or lean out and maintain. In order to gain one pound, you must be in a caloric surplus of 3500 calories a week (500 calories extra a day). A common mistake happens when people just eat tons of food while trying to bulk, resulting in fat gain with little muscle. You just need a small amount more calories to help you gain.
To lose weight, you need 3500 fewer calories per week (500 a day). There is no need to starve yourself in order to lose weight, or anything drastic like that. Your body does requires proper macronutrient intake and you can't deprive yourself of that. In order to have a good workout you do need to have some carbs to supply you with energy, along with carbs to recover. In terms of lifting, you need to know that you can lean out while gaining at the same time. It sounds crazy but it has been done.
So first off get your diet in check, get your lifting on point with form and tension, then you can add in cardio at the end. A lot of people do cardio in the morning, some do cardio after their workout. I like to do it at the end so it really pushes me but it is whatever you prefer.
Remember. it is not what you do in the gym for the most part that affects you, it is what you do with your time outside of the gym. You spend roughly 10% of your time in the gym a week, while you spend the other 90% of the time outside of the gym. Sleeping, eating, work, school, driving, etc. is what you do outside the gym. That affects you directly by so much.

Step Four: Sleeping

You need sleep to help your body recover from your workouts. Without enough sleep you will not make those gains you want, and you will be left with more muscle soreness than normal. Without enough sleep you can get sick more easily and it substantially weakens your performance. You need at least 8 hours of sleep to perform well.

Step Five: Routine

Now that you have the essentials down, you can make a routine that will help you get you to your goals.
1) Lifting - What worked best for me was making a plan that I could do within a certain amount of time. It needed to fit into my schedule but also give me great benefits. My workouts last no more than 50 minutes and not less than 45 minutes. 45 minutes is the perfect time for a workout. After about 45 minutes your body begins to break down and you can't fully perform as well as you did when you started.
You want to have minimal rest periods of only about 40 seconds, with sets lasting 40 seconds. You recover enough after 40 seconds to be able to perform another set. The truth is that taking 5 minute breaks between sets is not good because your body does not like to stop and then start again. Keeping the tempo up and your pace quick will give your body the increased heart rate you need to have a beneficial and awesome workout.
2) Cardio - Perform cardio either when you first wake up, or after your workout. You do not want a slow paced, boring cardio session. I prefer sprints on the treadmill at the highest incline or the stair stepper. This keeps the heart beating along and the fat burning!
I do about 30 minutes with sprints and walking included on an incline. You must do cardio if you want to see results. I noticed the best results after I started doing cardio at the end of my workout, and the results were much better than not doing cardio at all. Cardio is great for your body and it will even give you that extra sharpness if you do it.
3) Fueling your body - In order to see results, you have to eat right. I can't stress this enough! In order to have a good workout, you need to have a pre-workout meal a couple hours before the gym so you can have that energy to use during the workout. You eat right before the gym and you will not use the energy in the food you just ate because it takes time to process. Also for pre-workouts to be more effective and get into your system, it is better to have an empty stomach to maximize absorption.
Post workout is also very important too. After your workout your body needs to refuel properly in order to recover. For my post workout, I take a quick shake while I am still at the gym (pure isolate) and when I get home I have another shake with carbs, protein and some fats. I also eat a banana because it has enzymes that help force nutrients into your muscles. I love the taste too.

Weight Lifting + Diet + Cardio = Success

This is the formula that works best. It helped me achieve my goals. A huge part of looking good is eating good. You must eat healthy and treat your body right if you expect to see results. Treat your body like a Ferrari, you would not fill your tank with the lowest grade gasoline would you? Fill your body with the best fuel you can find.

Step Six: Cheat Meals and Why?

Cheat meals are very important and can help you burn even more fat. Our bodies contain a protein hormone called leptin that regulates energy uptake and expenditure. When we first start dieting and working out, our leptin level is high and we are able to burn a lot of fat and lose weight fast. Then we hit that plateau and can't figure out why.
This is because our leptin level has gone way down. In order for us to burn more fat, it needs to be raised back up. Typically the leptin level in our body stays in the fat burning zone for 3-4 days and then it slowly goes back down. If we want to keep our body in a fat burning mode, we need to spike that leptin level back up.
Having a "cheat meal" introduces a high amount of fat, carbs and sugar into our body. This will cause our leptin level to rise up, compensating for the increased fat into our body. This shocks our body and the resulting leptin level spike will remain high for another 3-4 days.
Cheat meals are essential for fat burning. This means basically that twice a week you can enjoy a meal that includes a bit of a junk food. Now you can't cheat all the time, but every 3-4 days will do the trick. My cheat meals include vanilla and chocolate twist with peanut butter cups topped with peanut butter sauce. This does the trick. I enjoy eating it, plus it's great knowing that it will actually make me even look better! It's hard to believe, but once you understand how the body works, it is easier to enjoy life!

Step Seven: Supplementation

You need to help your body maximize the things it needs to do well, and this is where supplements some in. Not only will they assist you in reaching your goals, but they are also good for overall health. Supplements "supplement" what you can't naturally put into your body because of diet limitations. It is always good to take a daily multivitamin, along with fish oil, Vitamin D3 and krill oil.
I will give you the stack that I used to help me safely burn off extra fat off. I also use this to maintain weight.

Wake Up: Vitamin D3 - 1200mg, fish oil - 2000 mg, Controlled Labs Orange Triad - 3 pills, CLA - 1000 mg.
Pre-workout: Liquid l-carnitine - 1100 mg, green tea - 200-400mg of EGCG, Thermofuse - two caps, Forskolin - one cap, l-leucine - 500 mg, Eat The Bear - Uncaged.
Intra-workout: Evolution X7 BCAAs, Eat The Bear BCAAs.
Post Workout: Eat The Bear Pure Isolate, RTN Bionic Edge Mass Builder, CGP creatine.
Before Bed: ALA - one cap, Detox body, CLA - 1000mg, melatonin - one cap.

What I take varies. I do not like taking pre-workouts so I cycle them on and off for a few weeks. This stack has helped me push past my plateau and burn up the extra adipose tissue.

Step Eight: Do it!

After you make a plan, fix your diet, get the right amount of sleep, make a routine and stick to it, you will start seeing the results you want and see no limits. Each week you will see changes, and in order to improve you will need to push yourself harder each day. If you can get the basics down, you are set on a path for success.

Step Nine: Take Before and After Pictures

In order to see results, take a picture of yourself every two weeks. Place them next to one another and compare your results. Enjoy!

10 Fat Loss Tips

2012-10-05T12:59:00.005-07:00

Instead of simply trying to diet and lose fat, it's time to adopt some lifestyle changes. These tips will help you to stay lean and healthy year round.

Hit a plateau with your fat loss? The following 10 tips may be just what you need.
Let's face it: fat loss isn't easy. Some studies indicate that up to 95% of people who lose weight gain it back. There's a good chance you're one of these individuals.
So what can be done to help lose fat, and keep it off? Good question. Fat loss isn't simply about eating fewer calories. It should involve lifestyle changes.
The following tips should be adopted as lifestyle changes, and just not temporary diet changes. They will help you lose fat, keep it off, and improve your health.

Fat Loss Tip 1 - Dump Processed Sugar

Let's face it - we all know sugar isn't the best thing for us to eat. Our mothers tried to push this fact into our brains - don't eat too many sweets, you'll get sick! Guess what...she was right. If you were to remove most (not all, no one is prefect) processed sugar from your weekly diet, it would be much easier to stay lean, and you would improve your overall health.
Here's a rule to live by - if a food product has added sugar, don't eat it. Simple rule, right? This includes food and drinks. Especially drinks. And while you're at it, stop adding sugar to your coffee or cereal. Limit the majority of your sugar intake to natural food sources such as fruits.

Fat Loss Tip 2 - Say Goodbye To White Flour

Processed sugar isn't the only "white poison" to be avoided. The next food ingredient you should add to your "I better stop eating this" list is processed white flour. Unfortunately, our mothers probably failed us when it came to limiting flour intake.
Processed white flour is found in so many of the foods we can't resist...cookies, cakes, bread, pasta, coatings for fried foods, etc. Just like processed sugar, processed flour fills our stomachs with nutritionally-weak, empty calories. It's not a very healthy choice.
This might come as a surprise, but if you "only" remove 80% of processed white sugar and flour from your diet, and did nothing else to improve your eating, you would have a much harder time gaining fat.

Fat Loss Tip 3 - Use The "Plate" Rule

The "plate" rule is as follows: never eat more than one plateful of food at any given meal. And no, you are not allowed to stack servings sky high. Fill your plate, eat and take a break. If you are still hungry in an hour, eat a healthy snack. If you're really hungry in another hour, have another moderate, but reasonable meal.
Many of us have a tendency to overeat. We push away from the table feeling so stuffed that we can barely move. Yet despite this horrible habit, we repeat it over and over again, night in and night out.
By forcing yourself to stick to the plate rule, you will walk away from meals feeling mentally and emotionally strong. There will be no more post-binge depression, which usually leads to more overeating later in the day.

Fat Loss Tip 4 - Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting usually involves eating only during a 4 to 8 hour window each day. It is an amazing lifestyle choice for those of us who like to eat big meals each night, or if you are likely to sit around and snack while relaxing each evening. To keep it simple, focus on only eating after you get home from work each day.
At first glimpse this eating style may seem impossible. Who can only eat at night, right? Fear not - it only takes a few days for your body to adapt to this style of eating. After that point you will most likely find that you have more energy and awareness during the day, as your stomach and digestive system is not being bogged down trying to process a big lunch.

Fat Loss Tip 5 - Understand Your Weaknesses

To lose fat and keep it off you must understand your temptations and weaknesses, and make a plan to counter them. What good is a fat loss plan or lifestyle if it isn't structured in a manner that is working with you, rather than working against you?
If you are a big night eater, then save the majority of your calories for the night. No sense forcing yourself to eating smaller, more frequent meals. If you have a sweet tooth, put together a lift of 5 low calorie food choices that will satisfy these cravings.
For example...have a weakness for ice cream? Try a huge bowl of sugar-free pudding made with skim milk. It's low in calories and creamy, making it a very satisfying choice.

Fat Loss Tip 6 - Plan Your Meals

Takes some time on Sunday and plan your weekly meals. When possible, you might want to even prepare some of these meals in advance.
If you have a plan, you will be much more motivated to stick to that plan. If you have prepared meals in advance, you will be much more likely to eat what you've already prepared. On the other hand, if you come home from work feeling tired, starving and unmotivated, it will be much easier for you to eat something high calorie and unhealthy.

Fat Loss Tip 7 - Get Some Sleep!

Lack of sleep creates stress. Believe it or not, stress plays a roll in the drive for us to eat - and possibly overeat. A major source of stress for any animal species, including humans, is derived from lack of food.
One of the ways we are wired to react to stress is to seek out food. We all know food can be very comforting. This is a primary reason so many of us turn to food instead of alcohol as an addiction.
You're heard it said a thousand times before, but it needs to be said again...get more sleep. Turn off the TV and head to bed. Take naps on the weekend too, if you can squeeze them in. Sleep will work to reduce your stress levels, and help to curb your desire to overeat.

Fat Loss Tip 8 - Stop Obsessing About Cardio

Must do cardio to lose fat! Must do cardio to lose fat! Guess what? Without a well thought out eating plan, it's highly unlikely you will lose much weight at all by exercise alone. Unless, of course, you are exercising over 3-4 hours per day.
Stop feeling compelled to perform 2 hours of cardio each day. It's simply not needed for fat loss. Several sessions per week is great for overall health, but with a proper eating lifestyle you won't need to live on a treadmill.
Did you know that a one mile walk only burns 100 calories? To burn off an average candy bar you will need to walk 2.25 to 2.5 miles, or over 30+ minutes of walking. Imagine what it would take to burn off an extra plate of pasta or Chinese food...

Fat Loss Tip 9 - Bland Food Is Bland

Eating healthy and clean does not have to mean eating bland meal after bland meal. It doesn't take much effort to spice up a boring plate of food. Listen, this is the Internet era. You have no excuse to eat bland food. Hit Google or Youtube, and within seconds you will find 25 ways to spice up any boring meal.
Take some time to research healthy recipes. There are literally more tasty and healthy recipe variations in cyberspace than you will ever be able to read in a single lifetime.
So go...take some initiative and learn how to use spices, veggies and seasonings. They are generally low calorie and inexpensive.

Fat Loss Tip 10 - Cheat And Celebrate

It's ok to cheat. Be realistic, do you really think you're capable of saying no to ice cream, donuts and chips every day for the rest of your life? Certainly not.
Allow yourself a cheat meal or cheat hour each week. Instead of planning these cheat meals or cheat hours for specific days each week, allow some flexibility so you can use them at any point during a given week. This way if you attend a birthday party on a Wednesday night, go out to eat on a Thursday night, or someone brings donuts into work, you can have a small unplanned indulgence without feeling guilty or breaking your diet.

Losing Fat Without Losing Muscle

2012-10-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

The art of cutting, losing body fat without losing muscle mass. Learn how you should eat and train if you want to keep your lean muscle mass and lose that excess fat!

Planning

In order to lose body fat we have to have a reason as to why we want to achieve this goal, is it (a) Make you look good (b) Health benefits (reduce heart disease, lower cholesterol etc) (c) Holiday/Vacation (c) Competition (d) or just to see if you can.
There are many reasons why people choose to get to a low body fat percentage, but to achieve your goal in a half-hearted fashion will not work. Remember that the body likes to be at a set point of body fat and will try everything it can to maintain this set point, the main way that the body achieves this is by slowing the metabolism down, or by holding body fat and using muscle tissue, the body is clever and it has evolved over thousands of years, so were not going to trick it into change over night.
You have to plan your life around wanting to change, your aim must be clear and precise as to why you want to do it, you must set a date to start, tell your friends/family that you are going to do it, and that you are going to start on a certain date, you will need the support from the other people whilst you are embarking on this new regime. It is not easy to achieve a low body fat percentage and you must be 100% committed to your aim.

Setting Goals

Write down the reasons as to why you want to achieve this aim, i.e., “I want my body fat to be ...X...” But be realistic, you wont achieve a 15% reduction in a few weeks.
By writing down your aims you have made a statement and setting yourself a goal, and get rid of any thoughts of “I wish I was…….etc. Your statement now is I will loose “X” amount of pounds in “Y” amount of time. Set goals that are ambitious yet achievable. You might not know how far you can go in losing fat, so find an example like in fitness magazines, you might of seen the before and after pictures of people who have been losing fat for a while, and pin it on your wall for inspiration.
Now you have written your goals down make copies and hang them everywhere you see them regularly, i.e. bathroom mirror, refrigerator door, inside the car, just to reinforce what you are about to achieve, Remember that there will be set backs, but you will be able to get back on track because remember “you are going to achieve this”.

Nutrition

Restricting calories does not work, your body has safety mechanisms which will work the other way and store fat, an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase is the enemy in trying to lose fat, it slows the metabolism and makes you store fat as a last resort for energy, and on top of that the body then gives up our muscle tissue for energy, you will lose weight but the wrong weight, Muscle is 70% water so on the scales you think you are doing well but it is muscle and water that has gone and considering that muscle burns calories this then further reduces your metabolism, when you come off the diet you will gain back every ounce of the fat you had and some more for “insurance” in case you do this again, so now you can eat less and still get fat.

Meal Frequency

You must eat regularly which means never go more than three hours without eating food, which means that you will be having six or seven meals a day. You won’t be eating any more calories than you need but all you have done is spread the calories evenly over the day, this in turn increases the metabolism, stops craving, and stops the highs and lows of blood sugar. You will have more energy and less hunger pangs, the food will be more easily digested and you will create a metabolic environment that supports healthy fat loss and muscle gains.

Meals

When trying to lose body fat we have to eat less then our body requires in the day to create a “negative balance”. Instead of counting every single calorie that you eat, we go about this differently we count portions, and a portion is the size of the palm of your hand, or the size of a clenched fist. This is a basic easy way to eat your food. Without the right foods you will not see results, food and training is the key.

Food Groups

Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3 and Omega 6)

The quality of health reflects in large measure the quality of the food we eat. Research has identified 45 essential ingredients. "Essential" means; we absolutely have to have them to live and be healthy. Our bodies cannot make them from other substances. We must therefore obtain them in their natural state from the foods we eat (or from food supplements). Deficiency of any of the essential nutrients has to result in deterioration of health. Large scale nutritional surveys have shown that over 60% of the population are deficient in one or more essential nutrients.
Of the hundreds of fatty acids found in nature, about 20 are common to human food, and two are essential to human health - the essential fatty acids - EFAs. It is a fact that many of the classic degenerative conditions (cardiovascular disease, some cancers, diabetes, MS, arthritis, PMS, osteoporosis, sterility and miscarriage, schizophrenia, depression) are fat-based and have a proven link with nutritional deficiency.
The Omega 3s are known to play a key role in maintaining a healthy immune system and protecting against everyday pollutants. Harmful processed oils and margarines block the activity of EPA and DHA in the body and are directly linked to the upsurge in many of today’s major diseases.
Omegas 3s in particular are required for normal brain development. In the adult, Omega 3s are required for visual, brain and nerve, adrenal and testis function. Clinical studies indicate that Omega 3s bring a sense of calmness because they interfere with the production of chemicals that the body makes in response to stress. They seem to improve the condition of those suffering from schizophrenia and the behavior of juvenile delinquents resistant to counseling.
EFAs stimulate metabolism, increase metabolic rate, increase oxygen uptake, and increase energy production. They also stimulate the process of oxidation because they attract and somehow reversibly react with or activate oxygen. People who begin to take EFAs when they have been deficient feel an increase in energy levels. Athletes and others appreciate finding that their muscles recover more rapidly from exercise fatigue.
The Omega 3 essential fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
The richest food source of ALA is flax seed (linseed oil). EPA and DHA are found in fish oils such as cod liver oil.
The Omega 6 essential fatty acid itself is called linoleic acid (LA) and it is found in most seed oils. The body converts this to gamma-linoleic acid (GLA). GLA is ultimately responsible for the production of two other prostaglandin series - PG1 and PG2 which are essential in the production of reproductive hormones, maintenance of healthy skin and regulation of blood pressure.
Essential Fat also has the following health benefits:

Improved delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and other tissues because of reduced blood viscosity
Improved aerobic metabolism because of enhanced delivery of oxygen to the cells
Improved release of growth hormone in response to normal stimuli, such as exercise, sleep, and hunger, which may have an anabolic effect to improve the post exercise recovery time
Reduction of inflammation caused by muscular fatigue and overexertion, which may improve post exercise recovery time
Possible prevention of tissue inflammation

Protein

Bodybuilders strive for a high level of muscle mass, a goal that mandates a higher need for energy, Most strength trainers are under the illusion of “the more protein the better” which is not true, ideally bodybuilders should consume between 1.5 and 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, assuming that adequate energy is consumed from carbohydrates. Any excess protein that we take in is simply burned as fuel or could be stored as fat. (Bodybuilders normally have a total intake of 25 to 30 percent of total calorie intake).
Consumed proteins are digested into amino acids, and these amino acids join other amino acids produced by the body to constitute the amino acid pool. The tissues take the amino acids from this pool to synthesise the specific proteins the body needs (muscle, hair, nails, hormones, enzymes, and so on). This amino acid pool is also available for use as energy via a deamination process to be burned if other fuels (carbohydrates and fat) cannot satisfy energy needs. Protein plays a very important role in the body, i.e., protein based enzymes, optimising blood pH, forming antibodies, are components of body tissue including heart, liver, pancreas etc, and muscles and bones, transporter of substances in the blood to the correct receptor sites, controlling fluid volume and osmolarity in the blood and body tissues.
The main nutrients provided by this group of foods are iron, protein, B vitamins (especially vitamin B12), zinc and magnesium. Iron is needed for the formation of haemoglobin and Myoglobin in blood. It is also a component of many enzymes.
Protein must be provided in the diet for growth and repair of the body, any excess is used to provide energy. B vitamins are principally involved in energy metabolism. Vitamin B12 is needed for the formation of blood cells and nerve fibres. Zinc is needed for growth of tissues, immune function, and wound healing. Magnesium is needed for bone development and nerve and muscle function. It is also necessary for the function of some enzymes involved in energy utilization.
Protein foods Choices: All beans and pulses, All fish, All lean meats, All nuts, All poultry without skin, All shellfish, Sushi (raw fish component) and Textured vegetable protein. (E.g. Soya)
Practical advice (protein)

Eat moderate amounts of foods from this group, and choose lower fat versions where possible.
Choose lean meats and remove visible fat.
Take the skin off poultry.
Avoid poultry and fish cooked in batter or breadcrumb coatings. Cook these foods without adding fat.
Aim to eat at least two to three portions of fish per week, of which should be oil-rich (fresh tuna counts, but canned tuna does not).

Carbohydrates

There are different types of carbohydrate, and each type is treated differently by our bodies. For instance, glucose and bran are both carbohydrates, but they are on different ends of the energy spectrum. Glucose enters the blood stream quickly and initiates a fast and high insulin response, while the energy in bran never makes it into the blood stream because of its indigestibility, and tends to mediate the insulin response by slowing the rate at which other energy sources enter the blood stream. So we should carefully consider the type of carbohydrate that might be best under different circumstances. Glucose is the main source of fuel for muscular activity and the higher the muscular intensity, the greater the reliance on glucose for fuel. Understanding how to keep glucose from becoming depleted should become a major focus of any person’s nutrition practice. Sustaining carbohydrates sufficiency is problematic because, unlike either protein or fat, humans have a limited storage capacity for carbohydrate; some is stored in the muscle and some in the liver as glycogen.

Carbohydrates give you energy - They have starches and sugar!
Can aid in proper digestion - Go for fibre-rich food choices each day!
Provide many vitamins and minerals, fruit and veg; for example, contain vitamin A (beta-carotene), several B-vitamins (including folate), vitamin C, iron and potassium.
Help you manage the amount of fat and calories in your overall diet because they tend to be low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.

Carbohydrates groups:
Starches: (complex carbohydrates) Cereal, potatoes, pasta, macaroni, rice, bread
Dietary fibre: Whole grain cereals and breads, dried beans and peas, fruits and vegetables
Sugars: (simple carbohydrates) Fruit juices, fruits, milk, sweetened cereals and baked goods, jam and syrup

Food Groups And Food For This Plan

Protein	Carbohydrates	Vegetables
Chicken Breast	Baked Potatoes	Broccoli
Turkey Breast	Sweet Potato’s	Asparagus
Lean Minced Turkey	Yam	Lettuce
Swordfish	Squash	Carrots
Haddock	Pumpkin	Cauliflower
Salmon	Brown Rice	Green Beans
Tuna	Pasta	Green Peppers
Crab	Oatmeal	Mushroom
Lobster	Whole grain cereals	Spinach
Shrimp	Beans	Tomato’s
Fillet Steak	Corn	Peas
Sirloin Steak	Strawberries	Bean sprouts
Lean Minced Beef	Melon	Artichoke
Lean Ham	Apple	Cabbage
Egg Whites	Orange	Celery
Low fat Cottage Cheese	Whole-wheat Bread	Cucumber
Protein Drinks	Yogurts	Onion

Remember that each meal should contain a portion of protein and carbohydrates and at least two meals should also contain a selection of vegetables
Protein drinks containing complex carbohydrates (not sugar) can also be used for a meal, but be aware that our bodies also require fibre which comes from Vegetables, Fruit, Oats, Sweet potatoes, Rice, Wheat.
Remember that a portion of each food is the size of a clenched fist or the palm of the hand, and the number of meals per day is 6.
On day 7 (Sun) of the week, this is a cheat day when you can eat anything in this day that you want, literally anything….

Fluid Intake

Muscle is comprised of approx 70% water, and fluid is an essential transport mechanism for a number of nutrients, carbohydrates, and is also has an important role in all cellular activity. If your water intake is low then the ability to transport nutrients is compromised, you will lose strength and feel sluggish because of a build up of waste products like ammonia, urea, uric acid. Drink a glass of water before, during and after a meal, this way you will be hydrated sufficiently throughout the day, make sure you also have fluids whilst you train and even more if the weather is hot.

The Plan

So to achieve this plan all we have to do is exercise and eat right, “Oh if it was this simple”.
We see constantly advertisements for pills, potions, exercise gadgets, which all say “take this and do that”, and that’s all you have to do. Forget them all they don’t work – Period.

Training

To transform you body you must lift weight. Aerobics by themselves won’t achieve your goal; the best form of exercise to shape the body is weight training for both Male and Females. By resistance training you increase your metabolic rate, which is the rate at which the body burns fat. By increasing muscle mass the body requires more energy to maintain the new mass; fat does not require energy it just sits there annoying us all. So weight training is superior to aerobics as it increases the rate at what the body uses energy, by doing only aerobics you may lose weight but won’t alter your body in the way that weight training does.
Weight training is not just for young people, I have people training who are over 60yrs old, and are in good shape, as our bodies get older we tend to store fat because we tend to slow down and become more inactive, and because we slow down and become inactive we also lose muscle mass and strength. So the end result is someone who is old, fragile, weak, and has physical disabilities. But this trend is reversible, weight training reverses the frailty, muscle weakness, posture, well being.
Don’t think that you need to exercise every day to achieve your goals, you don’t, and we still stick to a routine of exercise. Our routine needs to be brief and intense to be effective. The routine needs to have stimulation to trigger an adaptation response by the body. Remember that the phase “More is not better” High intensity for long periods of training have been shown to be counterproductive.
Some people work out a lot for a long time and have not achieved their aim, but would not think about cutting back on their training so they think “maybe I am not doing enough” and end up doing even more, which further compounds the lack of results.
In weight/resistance training we cause trauma to the working muscle, once that occurs the body responds by repairing the damage we have caused by training, this causes the body to use energy to repair itself and we need nutrients such as protein, carbs, essential fats, vitamins, minerals, creatine to achieve this. But more importantly we need to rest to allow the body to repair itself and it will not do this whilst you are in the gym, it is between sessions that our body repairs the damage and along with all the essential nutrients we can grown bigger, stronger and leaner.
Weight training involves two movements of a weight, (a) the concentric (lifting) and (b) eccentric (lowering). So when we lift the weight, we shorten the muscle and when we lower the weight we lengthen the muscle, both portions of lifting, concentric and eccentric movement are equally important. You have to concentrate on both phases of the movement, lifting and lowering, if you just lower the weight by gravity your wasting this part of the exercise.
In resistance and weight training you have to push your self, don’t just think than you just have to do a number of reps and then put the weight down it’s like everything in life “you get out of it - what you put in”. I see many people doing their training and pushing the reps out as fast as the can, just to get to their required amount of reps, but the exercise is being lost when you do this, slow the reps down and you overload the muscles for a longer period of time.

Training Routines

Intensity
Monitoring your rating of perceived exertion (RPE) by the Borg Scale. The RPE is a means of determining how hard you are exerting yourself, including physiological (how hard you are breathing, how fast your heart is beating) and muscular strain (how much you feel the exertion in your muscles). The scale measures your answer to the question: "How hard do you feel the exercise is?" The scale goes from 1 to 10.
Rating of Perceived Exertion

Rating of Perceived Exertion
Grade	Perceived Exertion
0	Nothing
0.5	Very, very weak
1	Very weak
2	Weak
3	Moderate
4	Somewhat hard
5	Hard
6
7	Very Hard
8
9
10	Very, very Hard
	Maximal

Aerobic Training

Remember to warm up, stretch, do your aerobics, and then cool down.
The scale above is a reference as to how hard you are working out, if you are unfit then to reach level 10 would be a lot easier to reach than if you were fit, for example, level 1 on the scale would be sitting on the settee watching TV. Level 3 might be carrying shopping bags to the car; level 5 might be carrying the shopping up a few flights of stairs. The scale continues right up to level 10 this is all out “balls to the wall” maximum effort, at this level you just cant do any more or go any faster. And this is the way we are going to do our Aerobic training and weight training, People say that the best way to lose body fat is low intensity – long duration aerobic exercise, but using this method is not the best for getting rid of body fat. Research indicates that not only does high-intensity training burn fat more effectively than low-intensity exercise (up to 50% more efficiently) it also speeds up your metabolism and keeps it raised for quite a while after your workout, provided that you don’t eat after your workout for one hour. The best time to do your aerobic training is first thing in the morning, this can be done at home on an exercise bike, or on the streets running, etc. Scientific studies have found that by exercising first thing in the morning burns fat much faster (up to 300% percent faster) than doing the same exercise in the afternoon. The workout we are going to do is only 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week, no more, and definitely no less. You have to make each and every workout the most effective fat burning, health enhancing 20 minutes you can. And to do that we use the Borg Scale.
We select an exercise, like rowing, cycling, jogging, treadmill, etc. You can vary your sessions on different pieces of equipment if you want every session, or every week, your choice; it is you that’s doing the work. We start with 2 minutes at about level five intensity on the scale, after two minutes we up the intensity to level 6 for one minute, then up to level 7 for one minute, then up to level 8 for one minute, then up to level 9 for one minute, after the minute we then go back down to level 6 (a moderate intensity level) We repeat the this pattern 3 times but on the last cycle after we have gone from level six up to level nine we continue up to level 10 this is where you are going faster than you thought you could ever do, it is maximal effort, you cant do it any faster, then after one minute at level 10, we drop back down to level 5 for one minute, this training method is called Interval training is an excellent way of dropping body fat. But not easy!!

Minute	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21
Level	4	4	6	6	7	8	9	6	7	8	9	6	7	8	9	6	7	8	9	10	4

Stick to the intensity for the given minute of exercise. Do not try and burn yourself out, that would be counter productive, when you first start you may find that level 10 might just be walking at a fast pace, that is ok as that is your pace, but you have to aim for improvement, you must try to achieve a higher and higher level of improvement.
When you apply the same intensity principles to both your aerobic and weight training you will constantly be moving to higher and higher levels and you’ll continually be stimulating your muscles while losing fat. You will become more metabolically efficient. Your body will burn fat at an elevated rate throughout the day, during your daily activities, and even whilst sleeping.

Weight Training

The weight training element of this fat loss programme upper/lower body based type of training in which we divide the body up into sessions where we do 1st day is upper body, 2nd day is aerobics, 3rd day is lower body, 4th day is aerobics, 5th day is upper body, 6th day is aerobics, 7th day is a day off!!. Then the second week we start with 1st day lower body etc. The routine continues for at least 12 weeks.

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
Week 1	Upper Body	Aerobic Day	Lower Body	Aerobic Day	Upper Body	Aerobic Day	OFF
Week 2	Lower Body	Aerobic Day	Upper Body	Aerobic Day	Lower Body	Aerobic Day	OFF
Week 3	Upper Body	Aerobic Day	Lower Body	Aerobic Day	Upper Body	Aerobic Day	OFF

The above routine continues for as many weeks as is necessary for you to achieve your goal of body fat percentage.

Weight Training Exercises

For guides on how to do these exercises, visit the exercise videos section.

Weight training routine

Remember to warm up all body parts being worked, then stretches, exercises, stretch, and finally complete a cool down.
Pick two exercises per body part. You will perform 4 sets on one of the exercises, with reps and intensity of 12 reps (intensity level 5), 10 reps (intensity level 6), 8 reps (intensity level 7), 6 reps (with intensity level 8) with one minute rest between sets; speed of reps is 2 – 1 – 2 seconds (example, bench press. Lower weight for 2 sec, 1 sec hold at bottom, 2 sec press). Then the last set is a superset where we do two exercises together with no rest, first exercise is the one that you started with, a rep range of 12, (Intensity level 9), then immediately with no rest do the second exercise in the superset for 12 reps (at an intensity level of 10).
Example of one body part and the superset, (we do the same on every body part).

Upper Body Day	Exercise	Reps	Minutes between sets	Intensity Level
CHEST	Dumbbell bench press	12	1	5
	Dumbbell bench press	10	1	6
	Dumbbell bench press	8	1	7
	Dumbbell bench press	6	1	8
* Super Set	Dumbbell bench press Dumbbell Flys	12 12	0 2	9 10

* Superset means both exercises are done back to back with no rest in between exercises
The rest of the exercises of upper body is continued after chest and is completed in the same way, two minutes rest between body parts then the next body part exercises are completed.
Upper body exercises: Chest, Shoulders, Back, Triceps, Biceps.
Lower body exercises: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Abs.

Monitoring lean body mass and body fat

In order to make sure that our calorie intake is adequate we need to monitor our lean body mass, this is done by having our body fat percentage done on a weekly basis, body fat percentage can be done by two means, (1) By callipers, any gym should have callipers and someone experienced enough to use them and monitor the results, with this type of testing it is important to have the same person doing the testing, that way the results would be more accurate. The principle behind this method is that the amount of subcutaneous fat is proportional to the total amount of body fat. However, the exact proportion of subcutaneous to total fat varies with gender, age, (2) By Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, (BIA) this method is easy to administer, non-invasive and a safe method. BIA involves passing a small electric current through the body and measuring the impedance or opposition to the current flow. Fat free tissue and water is a good conductor of electrical current, whereas fat is not. The resistance to the current flow is related to fat free mass and total body water, both can be predicated by this analysis. This type of testing is either done by a hand held device or a four lead test, in which four leads are attached to the client whilst they are lying on an examination table.
If using the BIA method you should remember the following points:

Abstain from eating and drinking within 3 hours of the assessment.
Avoid moderate or vigorous physical exercise within 12 hours of the test.
Do not drink alcohol within 48hrs of the test ?
Do not use any diuretic agents (including caffeine) prior to the test

Once you know your body fat percentage, you can calculate your lean body mass by multiplying body weight by the percentage of body fat, this will give you total fat mass, then to work out the fat free mass all we do is subtract the total fat mass from the body weight and you have your total fat free mass.
IF YOU FIND THAT THE FAT FREE MASS (MUSCLE) IS GOING DOWN, THEN YOU WILL NEED TO INCREASE THE INTAKE OF CALORIES. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT; It is muscle that burns calories; if calorie intake is to low then the body will release an enzyme that will make you store fat as an emergency store for energy.
Other easier methods of monitoring fat % are:

Changes in body composition viewed in the mirror
Waist measurements
Waist to Hip measurements
Weight
BMI, although people who weight train would have a higher level of muscle and this would make the results inaccurate.

If you have any questions for Doug about stripping fat, cutting, diets or muscle building you can catch him over on our muscle building forum. His forum name is "Doug". You can register free here.

Top 10 Foods That Burn Fat

2012-10-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

This is a list of the best foods for losing fat and getting ripped

My 10 top natural starchy carbs and whole grains:

Oatmeal (old fashioned)
Yams
Brown rice (a favorite is basmati, a long grain aromatic rice)
Sweet potatoes (almost same as yams)
Multi grain hot cereal (mix or barley, oats, rye. titricale and a few others)
White potatoes
100% whole wheat bread
100% whole wheat pasta
Beans (great for healthy chili recipes)
Cream of rice hot cereal

My Top 10 top vegetables:

Broccoli
Asparagus
Spinach
Salad greens
Tomatoes
Peppers (green, red or yellow)
Onions
Mushrooms
Cucumbers
Zucchini

My top 10 lean proteins:

Egg whites (whole eggs in limited quantities)
Whey or Casein protein (protein powder supplements)
Chicken Breast
Salmon (wild Alaskan)
Turkey Breast
Top round steak (grass fed beef)
Flank Steak (grass fed beef)
Lean Ground Turkey
Bison/Buffalo
Trout

My top 10 fruits:

Grapefruit
Apples
Blueberries
Canteloupe
Oranges
Bananas
Peaches
Grapes
Strawberries
Pineapple

Note: I DO include healthy fats as well, such as walnuts, almonds, extra virgin olive oil, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil (supplement - not to cook with), avocado and a few others.
Also, I do eat dairy products and have nothing against them, nor am I lactose intolerant. I simply don’t eat as much dairy as the rest of the stuff on my lists. When I eat dairy, its usually skim milk, low or non fat cottage cheese, low or non fat yogurt and low or non fat cheese (great for omelettes).
Last but not least, I usually follow a compliance rate of about 95%, which means I take two or three meals per week of whatever I want (stuff that is NOT on these lists - like pizza, sushi, big fatty restaurant steaks, etc)
I hope you found this helpful and interesting. Keep in mind, this is MY food list, and although you probably couldn’t go wrong to emulate it, you need to choose natural foods you enjoy in order to develop habits you can stick with long term. In the fruits and vegetables categories alone, there are hundreds of other choices out there, so enjoy them all!

The Purpose of This Blog

2012-09-29T13:49:00.004-07:00

I created this blog as a complete guide to bodybuilding and leading a healthy life here you can find everything you need from cutting edge suplements and nutrition to the workout plans used by professional bodybuilders including: Ronnie Coleman , Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many more. So you can get the results and body you want so less trash talking and start working

Chest	Dumbbell Bench press Dumbbell flys Incline dumbbell press Flat barbell bench press
Shoulders	Seated dumbbell press Side raises Standing barbell press Bent over raises
Back	Wide grip pulldowns Reverse grip pulldowns One-arm dumbbell rows Dumbbell pullovers
Triceps	Barbell extensions Bench dips Close grip pushdowns Lying dumbell extensions
Biceps	Incline dumbbell curls Standing barbell curls Seated dumbell curls Hammer curls
Quadriceps	Leg extensions Barbell squats Leg press Dumbell squats
Hamstrings	Dumbbell lunges Lying leg curls Stiff leg deadlifts Standing leg curls
Calves	Seated calf raises One-leg raises Standing calf raises Angled calf raises
Abdominals	Floor crunches Decline sit-ups Twisting crunches Leg raises