Best Way To Build Muscle Without Those Dreaded Plateaus

Have you wondered what the Best Way to  Build Muscle without hitting those dreaded plateaus is? Check out my video on this subject and learn how I've managed to maintain my growth rate.

3 Reasons Why You Aren't Building Muscle

You have probably heard this before…

Doing 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps with 60 to 180 seconds rest between sets is THE BEST way to build muscle.

If fact, this is why the vast majority of beginners fail to build muscle. Sure it may work for them early in their weight lifting career. Pretty much anything you do – with a decent effort – will get you at least some results early on. But here lies the problem.

That same beginner will eventually hit the dreaded plateau. Their previously rapid muscle buildinggains dwindle until they are barely maintaining their muscles. So what do they end up doing? Going from one workout style to the next in an attempt to continue with their growth – TRX, kettlebells, crossfit, circuit training, super high reps, super low reps, then back to their original workout routine, and so on.

But eventually that beginner will completely lose motivation and stop working out altogether. Does this sound like somebody you know?

The Perfect Muscle Building Workout Does Not Exist

First of all, I think I need to be absolutely clear about something. There is no such thing as the perfect muscle-building workout, and the worst thing you can do is believe the myth that there is a magic workout that you should do year in and year out to stay on a vertical path for your muscle building gains. If such a workout existed, we would all look as if we were carved out of stone.

You will often hear of forums littered with die-hard fans of one style of training or the other who believe that the theory of training they are following is the absolute best way to build muscle and strength. Usually these theories are on extreme opposite ends of the scale…high reps, low reps, high volume, low volume, and the list goes on and on.

As I mentioned previously, there is NO such thing as a PERFECT muscle-building workout. There is however an optimal way to train for a specific period of time, or phase, but the most thought-out workout and best periodization in the world won’t make any difference if you make the most common muscle-building mistakes.

#1 – You aren’t using a program based on your body type

Forget what you are most comfortable with. It is often the workouts that we are comfortable with that give us the least muscle-building gains. Remember, your body will create a training adaptation to anything you throw at it. The longer you use a particular style of training, the more likely you will hit a plateau.

You need to train according to your BODY TYPE, not what you are most comfortable with.

A) ECTOMORPHS

For example, pure ectomorphs are more comfortable with a routine of 10 to 15 repetitions because they “feel it” more. However, if they shift their focus for a while to a lower repetition range of 6 to 8 with fewer sets but more frequent workouts, they will respond better.

B) MESOMORPHS

Mesomorphic body types respond in the range of 8 to 12 repetitions, training each body part once a week. As well, mesomorphs will use more sets but need less frequent workouts.

C) ENDOMORPHS

Endomorphs typically respond best to repetitions in the range of 10 to 15 since they tend to have more strength, but not much in the way of muscle endurance. Endomorphs respond best to higher volume workouts with greater frequency.

#2 – You don’t record and PLAN your workouts

This is a trap I see SO MANY people fall into. They go to the gym, aimlessly go from machine to machine, then choose an arbitrary time to pack it in and go home.

That’s like trying to save millions of dollars without ever taking a look at your bank statement or using a financial planner. It is a HUGE waste of time and effort.

How do you fix that? First off, buy or create your own PERIODIZED muscle-building workout program with proper PHASES. Each phase should be roughly one month, with four days off between phases.

Then you need to RECORD your workouts. Do not be the guy (or girl) who uses 50 pound dumbbells one week, 70 pounds the next, and 45 pounds the week after that. You need to work on a steady progression of improvements. If you don't record what you did last time there is no way you will remember what you need to do when you next hit that body part.

#3 - You don’t know the FUCTION of the muscle and how to apply TENSION

If you don’t know how the muscle is supposed to move, then how do you know you are working that muscle?

You have probably seen that guy (or girl) in the gym doing barbell curls but only moving his HIPS. There is no TENSION in the working muscle. Like I often say, it doesn’t matter how many reps you do if they all SUCK!

Or maybe you have seen that guy that may take 10 seconds to do 10 repetitions. He would be just as well off doing 1 rep using a 5 second concentric (contraction) and 5 second eccentric (lowering). At least that would actually reduce momentum and apply tension to the working muscle.

If he understood the premise of a biceps curl is full elbow extension and flexion, his muscle-building gains would improve astronomically.

It is imperative that you EDUCATE yourself to get better results and prevent injury. Through education you will achieve your goals faster while maintaining a healthier – and injury resistant - body.

Conclusion

Again, everything I have written is not carved in stone but the basic underlying principle remains. You need to plan, plan, and plan some more based on your individual needs, goals, and time frame. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

The theories above will give you a great starting place to optimize your muscle-building program and help you achieve EPIC results.

5 Daily Nutritional Habits To Maximize Your Muscle-to-Fat Ratio

Has this ever happened to you? You are on a beach and it seems that at every turn, freakishly ripped people surround you. The guys look like they would be a good candidate for the next World Fitness Model Champion, and you swear you have seen a few of the gals on previous covers of Oxygen Magazine.

You think to yourself, “What the hell are these people doing that I am not?!”

Easy, they follow five “simple” rules. I say “simple” in quotations because if they were really that simple, everybody would have perfect physiques with the ideal muscle-to-fat ratio.

If you are TRULY motivated and dedicated to MAXIMIZE your muscle-to-fat ratio, listen up. The five daily nutritional habits below will help you build a jaw dropping physique. Next time you are at the beach, you will have the other guys (and gals) wondering, “What the hell is he doing that I am not?!”

1. One Gram of Protein Per Pound of Bodyweight

You might think habit is pretty straightforward. You eat protein, your muscle. Easy right? Well the truth might actually shock you…

Most people do not get ENOUGH protein, the protein is not from QUALITY sources or the protein sources are not being ROTATED, and it is not being combined with other macronutrients at the right time in the right or in the right quantities. 

A)     You need at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. For a 200lb guy, that would be 200 grams of protein. It sounds like a lot but if you divide it over six meals, which is just over 30 grams of protein per meal.

SIX MEALS? That’s right. Six.

You must constantly infuse your body with that much protein every three hours to stimulate protein synthesis and create an anabolic environment for the body.

B)     Your body is only as strong as its’ weakest amino acid. A diet that only includes one or two protein sources will limit your muscle-to-fat ratio. This is because the body craves a wide range of amino acids for proper function. Not only that, but consuming very few protein sources may create food allergies.

I recommend eating protein from several sources throughout the day. Ideally, never more than two of the same protein sources in a given day. If you are really ambitious, make it a different protein source at each meal. Good sources of protein could include but are not limited to: white fish, salmon, beef, eggs and egg whites, chicken, turkey, bison, turkey, and whey protein.

C)    Combining your protein sources with the correct macronutrient may be the BIGGEST mistake I see people making. This could make or break your efforts in creating a lean and muscle body!

For example, consuming protein and carbohydrates IMMEDIATELY post workout preps your body to start protein synthesis and replenish glycogen stores. In fact, a ratio of 3:1 or as high as 4:1 in terms of carbohydrates to protein has been shown to increase the rate of protein synthesis by 70%!

Not only that, but having carbohydrates post workout diminishes the effect of stress hormones like cortisol, and saves your muscle from protein breakdown.

2. Veggies with EVERY meal

I have already mentioned you should have six meals a day. With those meals you should have 1-2 cups of vegetables- preferably GREEN vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, spinach, kale, green beans, etc.

Not only are these foods extremely low in caloric value, they are jam packed with nutrients – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants.

Vegetables (especially greens) are high in nitric oxide to aid in the delivery of oxygen to working muscles to help your performance in the gym.

And if that wasn’t enough, eating vegetables with every meal has been shown to alkalize your body. By alkalizing your body, you are creating an anabolic environment for muscle growth and fat burning.

3. One “freebie” meal a day

Really? YES, REALLY!

“Cheat” or “re-feed” meals have their place in the process of maximizing muscle-to-fat ratio in the body. The goal here is to refuel the body and stimulate metabolism.

Ideally, try to make these meals ones that are high in carbohydrates and protein but low in fat. A 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein is ideal, and GO BIG or GO HOME!

By refueling your body you will be optimizing your hormone levels that tell your body you are full, helps in muscle protein synthesis and recovery, and it switches your metabolism from one of starvation to one of fat-burning.

Anybody want a heaping plate of pasta and meatballs right now?

4. Carbohydrates at the right TIME in the right QUANTITIES

The general public and fitness enthusiasts have become fanatical when it comes to the consumption of carbohydrates. More specifically, they believe that low or no carbohydrate diets are the only way to go when you want to maximize the muscle-to-fat ratio. WRONG!

I am here to tell you it is absolutely acceptable to eat carbohydrates, but you have to EARN THEM. This is another make or break habit.

I recommend one gram of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight. But timing is extremely important.

If at all possible, the following intake for your carbohydrates is idea:

A)     Three hours before a workout: This helps optimize growth hormone release AND increased serotonin levels to help you burn-fat (growth hormone), build muscle (growth hormone), and “feel good, respectively (serotonin).  As well, three hours allows for enough time for the nutrients to get into the muscles for work.

B)     Thirty minutes INTO the workout: This can be accomplished with a carbohydrate powder. The idea here is that you will spike your insulin to prevent muscle catabolism, increase protein synthesis, and blunt the effects of cortisol (a stress hormone).

C)    One and four hours after a workout: Here, use whole foods and slow-digesting carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, etc. Your body has a significantly improved ability to use nutrients during this time. Take advantage! This will ultimately help build lean muscle and shed fat.

5. Fish oils

One of the most underutilized supplements out there is fish oil. I know that is boring. You wanted to hear about the magic pill that cuts 5% of your body fat in 5 days.

Well, I am here to tell you that this “boring” supplement is a game changer when it comes to your muscle-to-fat ratio. And there are two major benefits to take fish-oils daily:

A)     Reducing inflammation. This helps with the reduction of delayed onset muscle soreness from training.

B)     Improving insulin sensitivity. In doing to, you will be using glucose in the best possible way - shuttled it into muscle for use instead of stored it in fat. This is so pivotal in the battle to gain muscle while losing fat.

You can take fish oils evenly throughout the day with your meals. An ideal fish oil intake is one gram of fish oil per gram of body fat. That means if you have 25% body fat, you will be taking 25 grams of fish oil spaced out through the day.

Conclusion

Whelp, there it is- five of the absolute best nutritional habits to maximize your muscle-to-fat ratio. What you do with this information is up to you.

You can store is as just another “one of those tips” or you can TAKE ACTION and implement these habits TODAY so next time you are on the beach, everybody is wondering what the hell you are doing to get your physique looking so damn good!

5 Less Popular Muscle Building Carbohydrate Foods You Must Try

Muscle and fitness enthusiasts can get a little crazy and overly cautious when it comes to carbohydrate consumption - and rightfully so. The type of carbohydrates you consume can make or break your physique.

In this article we’ll look at five less common carbohydrate foods that provide an alternative to the muscle and fitness enthusiasts’ typical staple diet of brown rice, sweet potatoes and oatmeal. Start rotating these less popular nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources into your food arsenal so you continue to increase your muscle gains with enthusiasm.

1. Black beans

Why they’ll make you grow: Just one cup of black beans (dried) yields 227 calories, less than one gram of fat, 41 grams of carbohydrates and 15 grams of protein. For skinny guys who require more calories to pack on some weight, beans give you a great bang for you buck. Beans are one of the few foods that give you a combination of high carbohydrates, proteins and calories, void of the fat, all in the same food source.

Lately I’ve been eating at Chipotle, my new favorite Mexican restaurant, and getting the chicken bowl with cooked rice, brown beans, black beans and guacamole - a powerful muscle-building meal that provides you with all the nutrients you need to get you out of those medium sized t-shirts in no time.

If black beans don’t get your taste buds juicing, then consider kidney beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, or pinto beans. Green beans are the only type of bean low in calories and better to use as a vegetable source, not a muscle-building carbohydrate source.


2. Dark Leafy Greens

Why they’ll make you grow: Whether you get your dark leafy greens from kale, Swiss chard, collard green or spinach, these are some of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world. Known for their extremely low caloric value, they are packed with an encyclopedia of vitamins and minerals and antioxidants, making it even more critical to make greens a part of every meal. 

Dark leafy greens are also excellent sources of natural nitrates, which increase levels of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide helps deliver more oxygen and nutrients to working muscle which results in all-out training sessions feeling less brutal. 

Dark leafy greens take the top of the class when it comes to Vitamin C, an antioxidant involved in the production of carnitine. Carnitine is required for fat oxidation. Strive for at least five servings of dark leafy greens every day. Once that becomes a natural routine, boost it up to 10 servings for optimal health and performance.

3. Quinoa

Why it’ll make you grow: Just one cup of cooked quinoa will give you 254 calories, four grams of fat, 47 grams of carbohydrates, and nine grams of protein. This is easily one of the most nutritionally charged types of grains and has been historically noted for being the main power food for the ancient Incan armies.

Unlike rice and pasta, quinoa contains a full complement of essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source, so if you’re a vegetarian this is a no-brainer option to meet your needs.

Quinoa is nutritionally high in manganese, folate, fat fighting fiber, iron and magnesium, a mineral that is shown to improve insulin sensitivity, which can keep fat gain at bay. Compared to refined carbohydrate sources like white rice or white pasta, quinoa digests slower, providing more sustainable energy and less chance of fat storage. 

4. Perogies

Why they’ll make you grow: A serving of four perogies contains 190 to 210 calories and the calorie count rises when you include higher-fat cheeses or meats such as bacon. I prefer the traditional Polish variety stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese. This will give you about 41 grams of carbohydrates, seven grams of protein, 4-8 grams of fat and 2-4 grams of fiber.

The best part about perogies is that they pack a lot of calories into a small meal, they taste amazing and they give your body a break from all the standard oatmeal, sweet potatoes and brown rice that become too common and boring in the quest for muscle mass. 

I’m no Italian chef so I keep my preparation strategy simple - all I do is boil them in water and then lightly fry them in a bit of olive oil. This can make an amazing post workout meal when you combine them with some cottage cheese to achieve a higher protein intake.

5. Ezekiel 4:9 Cereal

Why it’ll make you grow: This organic sprouted whole grain flourless cereal contains all organic sprouted ingredients including whole wheat, malted barley, whole millet, whole barley, almonds, whole lentils, whole soybeans, whole spelt, filtered water and sea salt. It’s so healthy, I’ve used it has a diet food as well. You can choose from three different flavors: Almond contains almonds, Golden Flax contains organic golden flax seeds and Cinnamon Raisin contains organic cinnamon and raisins. Use all three!

According to Food for Life, the creator of Ezekiel 4:9 Cereal, most grocery store breads contain whole-dry or milled grains. Food for Life takes whole grains and allows them to sprout before processing them instead. This process lets the grain release enzymes, which increase the nutritional value of the grain.

You will not find dough conditioners, artificial additives, flavors, colors, or preservatives in any of Food for Life products. Nutritionally, this is the only acceptable cereal for muscle and fitness enthusiasts because they are far superior to the processed and sugary cereals you normally find in a grocery store. 

Just one cup of Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal, Almond flavor, jams a whopping 76 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fat and 16 grams of protein. Mix your cereal with your favorite chocolate or vanilla protein powder and you have one heck of a tasty and nutritious post workout muscle building meal.

Conclusion

Expanding the size of your muscles simply requires you to expand your food options to prevent boredom and offer your body a variety of nutrients to keep your muscles growing from week to week.

Is Intermittent Fasting Right for You? Pt. 2

In Part One, we listed some of the supposed benefits credited to intermittent fasting. In Part Two, we’ll continue with more of those, and discuss some of the ways to help you decide whether IF is right for you.

Here are some more of the stumbling blocks to watch out for if you undertake IF:

      8. Don’t consider IF the best option if physique is your primary goal.

If you’re on a fast-track program to get shredded for a photo shoot, intermittent fasting isn’t the best way to go about it. You’ll be better off tapering your caloric intake down gradually, while continuing your intense workouts. Those workouts need fuel to be optimally effective, and if you don’t provide enough of that fuel, your performance will suffer. That means your physique won’t get to the point you’ve set as your goal.

If you train when fasting, your body mass is bound to gradually decrease. Yes, there are some seriously ripped guys out there that promote 36 hours of fasting every other day. But a person has to wonder how intense their training really is for them to be able to sustain that. Intense workouts require increased calories and nutrition, or the only thing you’ll get is tired. If those guys are really working at it and are getting muscled up, then they’d be getting even more muscled up if they weren’t fasting (and they probably had a lot of body fat to begin with).

9. If you’re trying to bulk up, IF may be a good tool for you.

Skinny guys trying to bulk up can sometimes find themselves packing on more fat than muscle, at least until they’ve worked up to an intense workout level. Fasting isn’t best used as a band-aid, but fasting for one day a month might be a useful technique to help you manage such fat gain. The better option, of course, is to taper your caloric intake upward gradually, to avoid the fat gain from the beginning.

10.  Make your fasting day meaningful.

Anybody can fast for 24 hours, with just a little willpower. Fasting from 5pm Sunday until 5pm Monday is too easy. Besides, you may be prone to overdo that Monday night meal. A better option would be to fast from Sunday night until Tuesday morning. Then, when you begin eating again, you’re immediately getting into your training, rather than into bed.

11.  Schedule your fasting when it’s easiest to forget you’re hungry.

If you schedule your fast days for your busiest day of the week, you’ll get a double benefit. First of all, you’ll have an opportunity to get more accomplished, without having to spend time cooking, eating or cleaning up. Second, when you’re busy, you’ll find you get so wrapped up in what you’re doing that you forget you’re hungry. A win-win situation!

12.  Combine fast days with exercise for the best results.

If you’re out to lose a fair amount of fat – say 25 lbs or so – then this may be just what you need. If your body fat percentage is already down in the single digits, don’t bother with this, but if you’re up in the range of 10-15% or more, this could be just what the doctor ordered. Work out on your fast days two or three times, and watch that fat disappear quickly!

13.  Remember that the research is sparse on this topic.

There really has been very little research involving humans on the effects of IF. Most of what can be found involves animal testing, and that’s not reliable in predicting what will happen with humans using intermittent fasting to lose fat and build muscle.

Take what is said about IF with a grain of salt, and test it for yourself before committing in a big way. What works for one person may be a waste of time for someone else. There are a lot of variables that make each person’s situation unique, so don’t assume that you’ll get the same results as anyone else… as the saying goes, your mileage may vary.

Dr. Berardi also points out a couple of important problems with intermittent fasting that you probably won’t see mentioned on sites that promote IF:

·        First Problem – an absence of data. As mentioned above, most of the IF research that exists (and there’s not a lot to be found) deals with testing using animals. That’s a bit like testing a motorcycle and trying to apply the results to a car. There may be some similarities, but there are sure to be some major differences, too.

As with any experiment, the structure of the study is critical, if the results are to be considered reliable. Conditions must be uniform, there must be a valid control group, measurement and recording methods must be standardized and a standard deviation must be identified. In the laxness or absence of any of these factors, the reliability of the data is questionable, at best.

Once the criteria are properly established and adhered to, a large enough study group must be observed and repeatability of the results must be verified. Only then will we have reliable indications that we can use to guide us.

Because such studies take time and money, as well as willing participants, we find ourselves with more questions than answers surrounding the pros and cons of IF. Volunteers expect to be well-paid, especially if they’re being required to fast for a day or more. And finding study sponsors to fund not eating is more than a little challenging.

·        Second Problem – faulty comparison to “normal” diet. When comparing an IF case with a non-IF case for body building users, it’s critical that the users in both instances are eating not only the same food when not fasting, but also that they’re following a body building diet. If not, the results are virtually useless.

For instance, the typical North American eats more than his body burns. That eventually equates to weight gain.  But an IF user is actually eating less than he burns. So even if both participants are eating the same, if they’re consuming a typical North American diet, we’ll have effectively skewed the results in IF’s favor.

The question is raised, then, whether the apparent benefits of intermittent fasting aren’t actually benefits of fasting, but rather, simply a benefit of burning more than we eat.

Some Advice on IF

Transforming your body is part science and part art. But it’s important to master the science first, before venturing into the artistic side. Control your nutrition levels properly, establish a regular pattern of appropriate workout levels and allow your system to acclimate itself to those regimens. Only after you have a handle on those essential elements should you consider trying IF. Otherwise, any benefits that you do realize from IF will only last as long as you continue to use the technique. Stop fasting, and you’ll soon revert to your earlier state. And you’re after lasting results, right?

How to Determine Whether IF is right for you 

There are many reasons that people look to IF as a tool to achieve their goal. They may be seeking bodybuilding, longevity, disease prevention or fat loss… but everyone is simply sharing their experience and their own best guess (including me). So don’t base your decision upon what you read… base it upon what you try. Above all, remember that your results will probably differ from others’… you need to find what works for you.

Eventually, intermittent fasting will get the attention necessary to provide reliable guidance. Until that happens, start with an appropriate diet and activity level, and then, if you’re so inclined, try IF, tailoring it to get the results you seek.

Arm Building Video

If you have been looking for an arm blasting, muscle building workout, I put together this video, with my wife Falvia, to show how to build muscle for your triceps and biceps.

Is Intermittent Fasting Right for You? Part 1

There is a technique called IF (intermittent fasting) that for some, may be seen as controversial. It isn’t for everyone, whether because of their individual metabolism, the sort of training they’re undergoing or a simple lack of willpower. For others, however, it can be effective, so we’re going to address some of the positives and negatives of IF in this two part article, so that each of you can make your own decision as to whether you want to try it. We’ll also outline some of the most effective ways to employ intermittent fasting if you should decide it’s the right approach for you.

A Definition of Intermittent Fasting (IF)

We all fast periodically, if you think about it. We may have our meals 4 or 5 hours apart during the day, and then fast for 12 hours or more during the night. This is the schedule we’ve become accustomed to and it suits our normal activity level. That would be considered a 12/12 fast. If you choose to eat normally for three days and then fast for one day, that would be referred to as a 72/24 fasting program. The length of the fasting period and the spacing of those periods can have a great deal to do with how effective, if at all, it is for you.

But when we’re involved in a comprehensive training program, our activity level isn’t what would be considered “normal”. We’re trying to burn fat, build muscle, maintain optimum body chemistry or any of a number of other goals that ask more of our system than what is “normal”.

For some people, IF may be an additional tool to help achieve the body you’re seeking. Each of us has to test the process to see if it will be a help or hindrance to our plans. 

Fasting, whether it’s for body building or for religious reasons, can be beneficial for our systems, when done properly. But if done improperly, it can also counteract some of the benefits of the rest of our program, so it’s important to approach the issue from an informed standpoint and use moderation in everything we do. The old adage “if a little bit’s good, then a lot must be better” is wrong more often than not, and more so where IF is concerned.

Some Supposed Benefits of IF

Let’s take a look at some of the supposed benefits of intermittent fasting and see which are accepted as fact and which ones are no more than opinions.

On his website, Dr. John Berardi offers this from his informed perspective:

“Data show that IF, when done properly, might help extend life, regulate blood glucose, control blood lipids, manage body weight, gain (or maintain) lean mass, and more.

“Rather than something we’re forced to endure – a result of poor food availability or cultural expectations – IF is becoming something that health and physique-oriented people are seeking out in order to keep their bodies in top shape.”

Dr. Berardi outlines the following possible benefits.

May reduce:

1.      blood lipids

2.      blood pressure

3.      markers of inflammation

4.      oxidative stress

5.      risk of cancer

May increase:

1.      cellular turnover and repair

2.      fat burning

3.      growth hormone release later in the fast

4.      metabolic rate later in the fast

May improve:

1.      appetite control

2.      blood sugar control

3.      cardiovascular function

4.      effectiveness of chemotherapy

5.      neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity

Dr. Berardi goes on to point out that current research shows that many of these benefits may be realized only after longer fasting periods – say, 20 to 24 hours (depending, of course, upon activity levels. More demanding activity may accelerate the process). He also stresses that with or without IF, exercise should be part of any trainee’s program, and that it’s possible that in combination, the whole may be greater than the sum of its parts.

Some Possible Stumbling Blocks to Watch out for -

1.      Don’t use fast days as an excuse to splurge.
Knowing that you’ll be fasting tomorrow may tempt you to justify an extra helping or a heavy dessert today. Don’t do it - it can become habit-forming. Once in a while won’t hurt, but repeated use of fast days as a band-aid for bad behavior will do you no good.

2.      Don’t be intimidated by a 24 hour break from eating.

When you first begin your fast days, you may feel like you’ll starve to death if you don’t eat something, ANYTHING… right NOW! You won’t. The fact is, we’re conditioned to eat a certain number of times per day at prescribed hours… most hunger is in our heads.

3.      Enjoy the additional rest your body gets.
About 70% of the energy your body expends each day is in digestion and conversion of food into energy. When you’re fasting, that energy is salvaged, and you’ll find you sleep better and will awaken earlier, fully rested and ready for the day ahead of you.

4.      Enjoy the sense of satisfaction.
There is definitely something to be said for the self-satisfaction you’ll feel after mastering your desire to eat. It makes you mentally tougher and gives you the knowledge that you have the self-control to manage your caloric intake, whether you’re talking about the right food every day or no food on fasting days. You’ll find the added self-confidence will give you a big boost in your entire training program.

5.      You’ll learn a lot about your food conditioning.
A lot of our eating habits are tied to our activities. Whether your associations are movies & popcorn, yard work & beer or workouts & protein shakes, you will find that you become conditioned to associating certain activities with certain foods. Pay attention to your automatic cravings. Once you identify them, you’ll find they’re easier to control. Then when you got to the movies, skip that giant tub of buttered popcorn and the foot-long hotdog.

6.      Use your fast days to break bad habits.

When you backslide (and we all do, now and then), use your fast days to recondition yourself. If you overdid the desserts at that family reunion, retrain yourself to control your urges and sweet-tooth and regain control of your urges. If you can do without food for 24 hours, you can certainly do without that slab of chocolate cake, right?

7.      Watch your body fat melt away.

When you eat, your body burns the sugar first, then the fat. If you’re not eating, then stored body fat is the only fuel available to burn. Of course, fasting isn’t the only way to accomplish this. The question you should ask yourself is whether you can achieve the necessary caloric deficit without fasting. Eating six days a week instead of seven is just one of the ways of accomplishing that.

In Part Two, we’ll share some more ways to make effective use of IF and discuss some of the methods you can use to determine if intermittent fasting is right for you. Until then, eat right, live right and look right!

An Under-Appreciated Muscle Building Supplement

If you’re serious about your muscle building program, you probably already know that having the right muscle building supplement in your diet is just as important as the physical training aspect. Obviously, your diet is always critical, but not just as a matter of controlling your caloric intake.

Perhaps even more important is achieving and maintaining the proper chemistry in your system, to counteract the natural acidity created by your physical training. Read on for an explanation of how to take best advantage of dietary supplements to get buff.

What is this magic muscle building supplement?

There are a number of supplements that are well-suited for various training programs, many of which are great additions and have their place in a muscle building program. But the best all-around supplement is so simple and so effective that if you’re not making good use of it, you’re really missing the boat!

Greens. That’s right… plain old, unglamorous greens! They may not sport flashy names like creatine, beta-alanine, arginine or glutamine, but greens are tough to beat when it comes to effectiveness in helping you keep an ideal muscle building balance in your system.

What’s the big deal with greens in my diet?

There are several reasons why greens need to be a part of your dietary regimen if you’re on a muscle building campaign. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and in some cases, Omega-3 fats. That alone is enough reason to ensure your diet includes hefty portions of greens each day, even if you’re not engaged in rigorous training.

But if you’re on an aggressive muscle building program, there are other even more important reasons to “eat your greens”. When you work out, your body undergoes catabolic changes, which leaves your system in an acidic state. This contributes to aggravated inflammation, so neutralizing that acidity is very important. In fact, just neutralizing it isn’t enough… you need to force your system into an alkaline state in order to maximize the benefits of your workout.

That’s why it’s always a great idea to follow a strenuous training session with a big green salad. Your body is at its most acidic right after your workout, and inflammation is already taking hold. Pushing your system into an alkaline state is important to help build muscle and burn fat, and the antioxidants present in many greens will help combat that inflammation.

The vitamin-rich nature of many greens makes them a very effective supplement for other reasons, too. Greens contain very little carbohydrate, and what little is there digests very slowly. That equates to very little impact on your blood glucose level, so the carbohydrate count can be considered negligible.

Many greens are also loaded with vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin that helps regulate blood clotting, may be a key regulator of inflammation (including chronic inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis), reduces calcium in arterial plaques, may help prevent diabetes and helps protect bones from osteoporosis.
The phytonutrients present in many greens make a number of contributions, too. They act as anti-inflammatory agents, antioxidants, anti-virals, anti-bacterials and aid in the repair of cellular damage.
In short, they’re nature’s own wonder-drug for those of us that are working to burn fat and build muscle.

So how should I get my greens intake?

You can get these benefits by making yourself a big fresh salad of greens, by cooking them or via various supplement powders. Cooking is fine, as long as you make good use of the nutrients that are shed during the cooking process. The water used to boil greens will be flooded with vitamins and minerals, so don’t just pour that down the drain!

Powders, of course, are convenient, especially when you’re pressed for time. And they can be added to protein drinks or flavored to meet your tastes. But a fresh salad is pretty quick to mix up, too, and can be might tasty. And greens drinks needn’t be muddy, greenish concoctions with little to offer the palate. In fact, there are several greens drinks on the market that are pleasant and flavorful, while giving you a superdose of probiotics (those are the good bacteria that we all need to have in our systems).

One of the ways that antioxidants play such an important role is that they help stabilize free radicals in our systems. Free radicals can overload our immune system, making us more vulnerable to illness and slowing our tissues’ recovery from our workouts.

Antioxidants can donate an electron to the free radical molecules, stabilizing them and neutralizing their negative impact on our system, including inflammation caused by our workout and aggravated by the free radicals.

Are there any risks to supplementing greens in my diet?

While natural greens have a lot to offer, it isn’t always a simple matter of stopping by the local market to stock up. The produce in most large markets comes from large commercial producers. If the soil in which they were grown isn’t badly depleted, then it will often have been augmented by artificial means.

That means chemicals may be present in the produce you buy, and in many instances, the plants may be genetically engineered for a higher yield. What the effects of those unnatural additives could be on your body is anyone’s guess. But it’s certainly safe to assume they’re not nearly as healthy for you as they are for the plants.

Most areas have at least one decent organic market, which is often the best way to know that you’re not buying veggies pumped full of chemicals. Failing that, you can try a local farmer’s market. Those greens may or may not be organic, though, so just ask… the smaller operations often will be organic.

If you purchase powder supplements, this usually isn’t an issue, as most supplement manufacturers use organic produce in their products. Either way, though, you’re better off knowing what you’re putting into your system.

How can I make my own greens shake?

If you’re not a big fan of salads and don’t want to buy powdered greens supplement, you can make some very tasty shakes and get much of the same benefit. For instance, here’s a simple base recipe:

• 2 cups organic chopped fresh greens such as spinach or kale, thick stems removed
• 1 mango, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup original or unsweetened rice-milk
• 1 banana
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons organic soy protein powder
• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Of course, you can get inventive and experiment with other fruits for different flavors. Berries are always a good choice and you can get a wide variety of tastes with them. Finely ground nuts make a tasty addition, as well.

The important thing is, however you decide to take them, don’t forget how important your greens are to your muscle building training. Neither your physical training nor your diet can get you where you want to be, without the other.

Training To Please The Camera

Have you ever found yourself wondering how actors like Mike Wahlberg, Jason Momoa, Terry Lautner or Chris Evans manage to get so buff, so fast, for their powerhouse roles on the big screen?

It’s important to note that these folks are trying to achieve a specific appearance, as opposed to ability. In other words, Manu Bennett needed to look like a gladiator in his role… not necessarily have the strength and endurance of one.

There are techniques one can use to develop the most visible characteristics associated with such roles. These techniques focus on the superficial aspects, with little attention to building core strength. They primarily consist of the sort of activity involved with the character’s role, so as to develop the expected appearance.

These actors and others like them may employ professional trainers to manage their preparation over a few months in order to prepare themselves for filming. This may be more costly than you’re willing to accept, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it for yourself. Like any physical training program, it’s simply a matter of focusing your training activities on the results you seek.

Achieving the appearance you want

Studying the workouts these guys used to build up for their roles as “Irish” Micky Ward, Conan, Jason Black or Captain America, you won’t spot any spectacular training protocol or earth-shaking nutrition regimen. Basically, they all employed frequent, brief, high-intensity workouts, in various styles.

While there isn’t much information available on their diets, it’s safe to assume that every meal was based on protein and vegetable intake, with plenty of complex carbohydrates thrown in to suit their individual goals and metabolism. And if they weren’t targeting a large gain in muscle weight, they probably added a little healthy fat, such as nuts and nut butters. Looking primarily at their physical training itself, there are some takeaways that can apply to most of us, to improve the effectiveness:

Takeaway #1: Motivation- You can bet that these guys and others like them are motivated by current and future multi-million-dollar movie deals. You need to be motivated, too, whether it’s for your general health, the admiration of your life partner or just achieving a personal goal. Find that motivation and nurture it! Put something at stake. Reward yourself for success or deny yourself for failure. Make a bet with a buddy, pledge a donation to some group you don’t particularly like if you fail, promise to buy yourself that new car after you succeed… you get the idea. Put some blood in the game.

Takeaway #2: Set a deadline- “Goals without deadlines are dreams!” Set a concrete deadline for yourself and be inflexible. You were down with the flu for a week? Too bad! Suck it up and make it up! The tougher you are with yourself in this regard, the greater success you’ll enjoy.

Takeaway #3: Work around stress- We all have certain times of the year that are more stressful, whether it’s a busy season at work, getting caught up after the holidays or just being cooped up inside by blizzards. Schedule your most aggressive programs during the least stressful times. You’ll be more focused and less distracted by outside factors.

Takeaway #4: Judge your success by YOU, not by others- If you’re new to the muscle building campaign, here’s great news for you: you’ll see substantially faster progress than the established pros, in the same timeframe. That’s because our muscles will grow faster when they’re forced to adapt. By the same token, if you’ve been at it a while, don’t be discouraged when you see that skinny kid that’s only been at it a few weeks getting buff, while you’re seeing little gain yourself. His muscles are being forced to adapt… your muscles may already be past that point.

Takeaway #5: Don’t rush things- Those actors mentioned above will usually have three to four months to accomplish their transformation. A comprehensive performance-oriented training program can take much longer, but in four months, it’s not difficult to create the illusion of a gain of 20 pounds or so of muscle, if done right. There are no silver bullets, friends! Transformation still takes dedication, work and time. Give yourself plenty of all three. If you rush it, you may not be satisfied with the results.

Takeaway #6: Illusion has its place… optimize that- When appearance, versus performance, is your goal, there are some “tricks” to styling your transformation to optimize that. Focusing on the muscle groups that are most visible, such as the upper chest, shoulders, traps, biceps, abs and upper back all give the illusion of a more powerful build. Perspective comes into play here - often, that illusion is partly accented by a tiny waist.

Takeaway #7: Find your real leanness target- When your goal is to give the appearance of being lean, don’t overdo it. When a man gets his body fat down to anywhere within the 13-18% range, his appearance will be essentially the same. Below the Lean Threshold of 10%, he’ll be very lean (as opposed to ripped at 6 – 9% or shredded at 5% or less). Over 18%, he may appear to be soft or fat. To really make your physique noteworthy, try to achieve 10% body fat (about 15% for a woman) and maintain it. You’ll find that once you reach 10% body fat, it’s not that difficult to maintain that level.

Takeaway #8: Achieve specific goals- Your workout regimen should be designed to develop the appearance that you’re looking for, so it should involve the specific type of training involved with that activity. If you want to look like a professional boxer, you probably don’t want to focus on bicycle training to develop your calves & thighs, while ignoring your upper body. Before beginning, take time to identify the precise effects you want to project, and design your workouts accordingly.

Bringing it all together to achieve your goals

Actors know precisely what look they need to achieve, and their training is designed to bring them that look. Your training should be similarly focused, in order to achieve the quickest and most effective results. Don’t let yourself be sidetracked into training that doesn’t contribute directly to your goals. In this sort of program, more isn’t necessarily better.

It should be obvious that the repeated use of “appearance” and “look” imply just that. You may have those six-pack abs you want to show off on the beach, but that doesn’t imply you have the core strength to take a couple of rounds of belly punches from Evander Holyfield.

While this sort of training certainly contributes to your health, it’s important to remember that the results are somewhat superficial. Just because you may think you look like you can snatch 500 lbs of free weight doesn’t mean you can. This sort of training won’t prepare you for highly strenuous activity, but it can make you look like you do it every day. Recognize the performance limitations of this type of training and avoid injuring yourself.

8 Steps to a Muscle-Building Diet

Everyone talks about calories. Whether the goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, everyone wants to know that magic number. The truth is that everyone’s caloric needs are different. The exact amount has to do with existing body weight and activity level. If you’re an average person, you need to consume 10 calories for every pound of body weight just to maintain your existing weight. Gradually increasing that by an additional 500-1000 calories a day will help with weight gain. In fact, an additional 7 calories per pound are required to be able to perform intense weight training exercises and cardio. So, for example, a 170 pound individual would need to consume 2,890 calories a day in order to be able to build quality muscle (170 x 17 = 2890).

The percentage of where these calories are coming from is equally important. Bodybuilders do well with a 40/30/30 ratio, 40% complete complex carbs, 30% protein and 30 % fats. This, of course, is a guideline. Listen to your body; everyone has different dietary responses. Your metabolism, body fat levels and insulin sensitivity will all factor in on how your body responds. If you are not seeing results or aren’t happy with how you feel, make adjustments until you arrive at a ratio that works for you.

Ideally, when attempting to build muscle, your overall goal should be to gain anywhere from half a pound to two pounds of muscle each week. Adding extra calories, above your normal intake, will promote faster results. There is, however, a right way and a wrong way to do this. The tips below can help you in your muscle building diet regime.

1.  Start your day off right with an organic greens supplement. Infusing your body with vitamins and minerals as well as phytonutrients, amino acids, alkaline salts and chlorophyll is a great way to wake up. Not only will you be neutralizing acid but you will be ensuring that your cells are able to thrive in a healthy environment.
2.  Create a rhythm to your meals by eating five, calorie-rich meals at regular intervals throughout the day. Be sure to include healthy, whole foods as well as one muscle-building, protein shake each day. The extra calories may initially seem excessive, but are necessary to aid muscle growth.
3. In addition to eating at regular intervals, be sure to space your carbs out throughout the day as well. In fact, consuming carbs before training, during training, 1 hour after training and 4 hours after training is ideal. The key is to only give your body carbs when needed for intense activity. 
4.  In addition, to spacing your carbs out at key points throughout the day it is equally important to vary the source of your carbs. Consuming strictly potatoes at every meal does not help your body perform at its peak and may cause food allergies. For the best results, alternate between potatoes, yams, brown rice, Ezekiel bread, oatmeal, beans and small amounts of fruit. If you are substituting a shake for a meal, the best solution would be a carb powder like Vitargo or Karbolyn, which are the top two choices on the market currently. Gatorade can substitute in a pinch. 
5.  Proteins are an important part of any muscle-building diet. They help our bodies boost both digestion and absorption. Be sure to vary your protein sources, selecting from quality options like buffalo, sirloin, poultry, salmon and eggs. If you are substituting a protein shake, hydrolyzed protein is the top powder supplement. 
6.  Don’t forget your veggies. They taste good and they’re good for you. Adding a least 1 cup of vegetables to your plate at every meal helps with digestion, absorption and controlling blood sugar levels. 
7.  Like everything else, change up the sources of your fat at every meal. Eating a variety of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats is good for you. There are many great sources to use that are healthy and taste great.  Try nuts and seeds (walnuts, pecans, cashews or almonds as well as pumpkin and sunflower seeds), nut butters, coconut oil and olive oil. 
8. Drinking a shake 30 minutes into your workout not only keeps you hydrated but also helps to reduce the effect of cortisol being released into your bloodstream and to encourage muscle growth. Be sure to include 30-50 grams of carb powder, 5-10 grams of glutamine, 5-10 grams of branch chain amino acids, and 3-5 grams of creatine for a powerful boost.

Just to give you a better understanding of what these tips mean in terms of real food, here is a sample daily meal plan for a person weighing 200 pounds who is interested in gaining muscle. Of course, you can adjust this according to your needs, personal tastes and budget.

Sample Meals:

Meal 1
8 oz of extra lean beef

3 whole eggs
1 cup of veggies

2 ounces of mixed nuts

Meal 2 (Pre-Workout)
8 oz of white fish 

2 cups pasta (preferable whole wheat)
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 cup of veggies

Meal 3/ Workout Shake (Begin Sipping During Workout)
80 grams of carb powder + Glutamine, Creatine, BCAA
15 minutes later – 40 grams of isolate protein

Meal 4 (1 Hour Post Workout)
12 oz of chicken 

12 oz of sweet potato
2 cups of veggies

Meal 5 (4 Hours Post Workout)
8 oz of turkey

2 cups of broccoli

1 cup of egg whites

2 cups of brown rice
1 slice of low-fat cheese
1 cup of veggies 

Meal 6:
10 oz steak or salmon
1 cup of veggies

2 oz avocado

The “Freebie” Meal

Everyone gets busy. It happens to the best of us. Work.Family obligations.The alarm clock. I’ve designed this diet plan to allow room for a “Freebie” meal, which is basically anything you want, even a burger and fries. The goal is to hit your calories for the day and move on. Don’t let little hurdles get in the way.

The best way that I have found to follow a diet plan like this is to keep a food log. Use a notebook; make an excel spreadsheet, whatever works for you. Keep track of your calories and break it down by how many grams of protein, carbs and fats you are ingesting. By logging your daily intake, you have a better picture of your journey, where you have been and where you are headed. If you do not feel on pace to hit your goals, you can look over your notes and easily make changes. See where you went wrong or what worked in the past. 

Building muscle is a goal that you can accomplish. The above tips can help you reach that goal. And, just for inspiration:

“An athlete who tells you the training is always easy and always fun simply hasn't been there. Goals can be elusive, which makes the difficult journey all the more rewarding.” (Alberto Salazar)