Probably one of the most interesting things about bodybuilding is the fact that it can be approached from so many different angles. This is true about training philosophy, and also about individual exercises. Angles are, quite literally, everything. However, oftentimes, when we’ve come to know an activity, we know it in a way that is very singular. That is to say, we know the inroads toward achievement in one particular way. After awhile, we become so accustomed to that one way that we often begin to believe that it’s the only way. In fact, for a great many reasons, we’re eager to keep it familiar. It’s easier to have a customary method for doing things. But as with anything, there’s always more than one way to skin a cat. And sometimes, considering other alternatives and approaches is exactly what’s needed to move forward.

Many people enter the world of bodybuilding and training without direction. They join a gym and just begin working out. There’s something to be said for this kind of approach initially.

However, once some experience is gained, it’s a difficult way to find any kind of appreciable gains or success. The question is, how does one go about finding the modality that will deliver them toward real gains and eventual success on the bodybuilding stage - or deliver at least enough personal achievement to have made bodybuilding a worthwhile endeavor?

Trial and error is one way, and it isn’t a bad one. That is, of course, what everyone begins to do the day that they step into a gym and find the exercises that they like best, the ones that feel natural and right, and the ones that eventually give them the results they want. It’s how we learn that we love training legs and hate training biceps, for instance. But it really also serves as a method by which we can develop a good instinct for finding the best way, overall, to build our bodies and reach our goals.

By far the best way to find success in bodybuilding is to be open to an occasional shift in your perspective that includes additional methods by which you can achive your goals. This shift in perspective has to be something you would be willing to do because you believe it will actually work for you. It must be invited in to your daily routine and life as you would invite a new friend. But oftentimes, the problem with trying something new is that you don’t have enough faith in its ability to take you from Point A to Point B. This is only because of it being an “unknown”, and because you lack familiarity with that method. That, coupled with the fact that you’ve seen gains with your current method, makes change difficult.

Naturally, the prospect of leaping into faith can be scary. But think about this: Why was the unknown so exciting and exhilarating to you on the day you walked into the gym for the first time? You had no track record, no success or failure rate, and no knowledge of where all of it would take you. So what qualities made the unknown so appealing back then, and why, now, do you find the same prospect of change and the unknown so frightening?

It’s a valid question everyone needs to answer. And, of course, the most logical answer is this: You’ve probably spent a few years coming to know bodybuilding and strength training in a particular way. The prospect of knowing it in any way that doesn’t fit your current picture is unsettling. The fact is you’re resistant to looking at it in a way that is unfamiliar because it means that it challenges all you’ve defined as truth.

That’s where bodybuilding by body-type comes in to play…

It isn’t about starting a new routine, or incorporating some new combination of exercises; nor does it talk of increased weight or repetitions, or suggest that you stand on your head in between sets. This is about the context and overall total focus of how to apply everything you currently know about your individual body-type… it’s about taking a different approach toward the same destination.

Bodybuilding by Body-Type

Body-Type

We’ve likely all heard about the three different body-types out there at some point in our education:

3 Basic Body-Types:

Endomorph - heavy set body-type (possibly obese); easy gainer/ hard loser

Mesomorph - athletic, ideal body-type, evenly proportioned. Easy gainer/ hard loser (muscle); Hard gainer/ easy loser (fat). This is the type everyone wants to be.

Ectomorph - difficulty putting on either muscle or fat; Easy loser (fat)/ hard gainer (muscle).

These are the three basic body-types. Each of us can find ourselves, with a few exceptions, within these three types. There are possibly 2 other subgroups, including Endo/Meso and Ecto/Meso - people who skirt the outer edges of two body-types and become a combination of two - that also merit mentioning:

Combination Sub-Group Body-Types

Endo/Meso -These are people who are not obese, and probably haven’t had a weight problem for a lifetime, but have gained weight and changed their chemical make-up as a result. Still, they can shed body fat with diligence and consistency, whereas a true endomorph may struggle for years trying to maintain a lower scale weight.

Ecto/Meso -These are people who are not unable to put weight on, but find it slightly more difficult. Or, they may just have a hard time putting muscle on and remain very lean effortlessly.

Whether you talk about endo-, meso-, or ecto- body-types, or whether you discuss what to eat and how to move based on the machinations of your individual metabolic type, all theories agree and the message is clear:

Not everyone responds to a particular approach to diet and exercise in exactly the same way!

And believe us, that’s true! But rather than making things complex and confusing for no good reason, we believe that the best way to look at body and metabolic types is to focus on the three types listed at first: Endomorphic, Mesomorphic, and Ectomorphic. Within each of these three types lies a lot of wisdom and direction about how to train and diet to achieve your goals.

Probably the saddest thing anyone can see in a gym is someone beating their head against a brick wall, doing what they’ve always done, and getting no results at all. This is someone who hasn’t yet figured out that continuing to do what they’ve always done means that they will continue to keep getting what they’ve always gotten! Or, as a wise old sage once told me, “That kind of person is always going to the hardware store looking for an elusive loaf of bread that just doesn’t exist in the nuts and bolts aisle!”

Sad, yes, but does it merit sympathy? No way! When you continue on a path and you never arrive at your desired destination, you only have yourself to blame for not getting there. If you keep traveling down dead end roads, you’ll never get there. Time to change.

To assess your body-type, you must first find some common ground in the earlier descriptions of Endomorph, Mesomorph and Ectomorph. If you find that you are a combinative type, always go with the extreme end of the spectrum when looking at how to work out or diet. Endo/Meso combinations most often respond well to Endomorphic diets and training regimes, with slight alterations.

Training and Dieting by Body-Type

Training and dieting your body based on body-type requires a little insight into the various types and how each burns energy for fuel. One might assume that a thinner person would have a better shot at getting into shape, but the truth is, they have the hardest time. Remember, a person who is an Endomorph or a combination Endo/Meso type is an easy gainer of both fat and muscle! That means that while they may have a disadvantage in the diet department and their struggles will be many more than the other two types, they kick ass in the gym!

A Mesomorph obviously has the best chance of achieving that classic muscular, sporty, well-proportioned physique, no matter what they do, because they will add muscle appropriately and remain lean. With both diet and training in the gym, the results are achieved easily and are maintained almost effortlessly, whereas the Ectomorph struggles to add even 2 pounds in a 4-6 month period.

The best types of exercises, routines, and training methods are listed below by body-type. Find your type, and you’ll find the best kind of training for your body structure and make up.

Endomorph –

An endomorph is the kind of physique that will pack on the most muscular size over the course of a year. Muscle bellies are full in the endomorph because this type holds glycogen in greater quantities within the muscle, along with water, which lends a full appearance. Round muscular shapes earmark this type, and especially developed attachments come from constantly carrying around excess weight. Ever seen a guy with huge, deeply attached calf muscles? Chances are, he’s probably been heavier at one point in his life (or he may be a Mesomorph).

Diet

Losing body fat is a different story for these folks, and that bears a great deal on the way an Endomorph must train and diet. First and foremost, an endomorph must accept that he or she is just not like other people and will likely not turn into a Mesomorph in this lifetime. That means that consistency with diet is really crucial to this group. Food is less forgiving to their metabolic rate and needs to be of a certain type. That’s not to say that these folks cannot repair their metabolic rate and recover from the ravages of going up and down in weight - they can! However, it does mean that they cannot eat like other people even when it appears that they are out of danger and have achieved a normal weight. Rebel against this basic tenet of Endomorphs and it’s back on the rollercoaster.

ENDO DIET

Proteins: Red meat, chicken, fish, turkey, salmon, shellfish, cottage cheese, eggs, whey protein

Carbohydrates: Low glycemic carbs, such as oatmeal, all green vegetables, salad lettuce, cabbage, berries, low carb products

Fats: Flax oil, olive oil, canola oil, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, nut butters (no sugar added), cheese, whole cream

Endomorphs also need to eat more often than ectomorphs and mesomorphs. Because their metabolic rate is inferior to the other body-types, continually stoking the body’s furnace is important in order to get it working optimally. However, these meals must be smaller and more nutrient dense meals that contain at least:

Women: 25 grams of protein (4 oz of chicken or tuna), 15 grams of carbohydrates (like a vegetable) and about 5 grams of fat (flax oil, nuts).

Men: 30 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbohydrates (low glycemic, mostly vegetable and non-starchy foods such as oatmeal and squash), and 10-12 grams of fat daily.

In case you’re thrown by the addition of fat to the diet of an endomorph, don’t be! Endos can’t eat a lot of starch or a lot of carbohydrates period, so it’s essential to replace with energy that is more efficient for their type. Fat fits the bill here. (Try to make sure it’s pretty clean mono-unsaturated fat most of the time). This is why Atkins’ diet is so popular among Endomorphs - it works for them. However, modifying it to incorporate some carbs (starchy vegetables, rather than pasta, rice, bread, etc) after the metabolic rate has improved, is important. This is how they will find balance and something that will carry them through the years.

Note: Remaining totally low carb after 6 months of hard work just sets them up for future spills and a life of packing on new fat each time they gain weight back. It’s better to lose a little ground, incorporating carbs back into the diet after the initial period of restriction, in order to stay sane and feel human, than to fall off the wagon and spiral back out of control.

Incidentally, the endomorphic physique needs to eat at least 6-7 mini meals daily. That may seem like a lot of eating, and it is, but it’s necessary in order to stimulate the metabolism and burn body fat.

ENDO TRAINING

Endomorphic training is a little more demanding than some of the other body-types as well, but not because muscular rewards fail to come quickly - they actually come more quickly for the endomorph than for any of the other types. This is gratifying, as it’s always great to see hard work turn into palpable results; particularly when you’ve gotten the short end of the metabolic stick for so long.

Training must be intense, however, because of the proclivity of the endomorph to hold on to glycogen and water. This means that what would be considered overtraining to a Mesomorph or, certainly, an Ectomorph, is just status quo for the Endomorph. Sets should number much higher with this type - particularly in the larger muscle group workouts, such as back, legs and chest - and repetitions can be higher as well.

This is the workhorse type body, the one that can withstand the pain and the suffering better than all others because the Endomorphic body doesn’t really ever run out of gas with strength training. Training through lactic acid burns, pushing past failure and using super sets and giant sets on a regular basis are all possible with this body-type more than any other. This type should be pushing themselves into a kind of aerobic weight training zone at least 1-2 times weekly, in addition to their aerobic work on the treadmill or stepper.

Whereas the Ectomorph should stop after a few productive, heavy sets, the Endomorph should just be getting going with those sets. 25 sets for back workouts and 30+ sets for legs are not out of the ordinary for this body-type if they’re training correctly and honoring their physique type.

Important: Variety, Intensity, Multiple sets, Brief rest times, Complex sets (super sets), and high rep/ moderate to heavy weight

MESO DIET

This is a pretty forgiving body-type and, therefore, needs to include a wide variety of foods representing all three macronutient groups. This group has such a strong metabolism that they don’t need to worry about packing on fat with insulin producing foods like the endomorph might.

Proteins: Beef (lean and fatty), poultry (chicken, turkey/ light and dark meat), tuna, salmon, eggs (yolks and whites), whey protein (with or without carbs), cottage cheese (2-4% milk fat)

Carbohydrates: Brown rice, yams, Russet potatoes, pasta (occasionally), vegetables (starchy and non-starchy)

Fats: Flax seed oil, olive oil, egg yolk, nuts, nut butters, cheese

A good Mesomorphic diet contains things from all food groups and in good balance. These are the true 40-30-30 people, but can also succeed being 33-33-33, or anything in between. The point is, this group needs to get a lot of protein, and enough carbohydrates and fats to ensure that their energy levels remain constant and that they are kept in perfect balance throughout the day.

This group also benefits from at least 5 meals daily so that they can continue to get the calories they need to keep all the muscle they have. The more muscle a frame carries, the more fuel it needs just to maintain it. Whereas an Endomorph may only take in 1300 to 1600 calories daily, this body-type needs at least 1800 to 2000 calories as a baseline. It goes up from there, based on how much mass the person carries in muscle.

In each meal, the Mesomorph should consume the following as a guideline:

40 grams of protein (8 oz chicken or turkey, or 6 oz beef), 25 grams of starchy carbohydrates (3/4 cup of brown rice), plus a non-starch carbohydrate of about 10 grams, and a fat addition of approximately 15 grams of fat.

MESO TRAINING

Training for the Meso should be just as moderate and balanced as their diet. The following is a good guideline for the Meso training regime, by size of body part:

Large Body parts (Back/ Legs):

2-4 warm up sets (on first exercise), gradually increasing the weight in the warm up. Then, doing at least 4-5 different exercises consisting of 4-5 sets each, with a moderate rep scheme of about 8-10 repetitions. Weight used should gradually increase over the course of each successive set within each exercise. The object is to get at least one 90% max heavy set per exercise.

Medium Body parts (Chest/ Shoulders):

2 warm up sets (on first exercise), 4 exercises consisting of 4 sets per exercise using, again, a moderate rep scheme of about 8-10 repetitions. Weight is important for the chest, but not as important for shoulders. Workouts for medium body parts should begin to incorporate refinements for size and shape.

Small Body parts (Arms, Calves):

No warm up sets, just working into feeling the muscle. The connection between mind and muscle is never underrated in the smaller body parts. This is where the Mesomorph can really refine what is easily put on in the way of size.

ECTO DIET

Ectomorphic body-types need to eat much differently than the other two types. In fact, an abundance of meals may work well for the Endomorphic type, and even the Mesomorph, but is detrimental to the Ectomorph’s progress.

Ever watch sumo wrestling? If you have, you know that they’re the largest men on the face of the earth. And while they’re heavy and thick with body fat, they’re also thick with muscle. Did they start out with a genetic predisposition to obesity? Not likely. As a race, the Japanese are typically not fat. In order to pack on that size, one way those normally slight framed Japanese sumo candidates get big is by skipping meals. When they do eat, they take in a tremendous amount of calories at one sitting. Grazing would just make their metabolic rate much more rapid.

Ectomorphs should eat a maximum of 3-4 times daily, with an emphasis on afternoon and evening meals. A final weight gainer shake can be taken in as an extra meal in the evening, just before bed. The caloric count within one meal should be at least 700-900 calories in order to pack on any appreciable size. Since they aren’t predisposed to storing fat, that weight will be solid if they are working out.

In each meal, an Ectomorph should take in the following number of grams per macronutrient group:

10-12 oz of meat protein, which could include poultry (dark and white) as well as steak (ribeye or fattier cut), sauces are okay for the Ectomorph to get in some extra calories during a meal. Approximately 100-125 grams of carbohydrates per meal is essential for the Ectomorph. And he should also include about 30-40 grams of fat per meal. You can still do that healthfully, but it’s likely that the Ectomorph should focus more on fat calories than total health of fat calories. Cream, some fast food, desserts a few days per week, are all okay for the Ectomorph. In fact, I once knew an Ectomorph who used to fill a blender with vanilla ice cream, protein powder and a can of very rinsed tunafish and blend it up for protein shakes. It worked well for him, though the palatability of a concoction such as that is rather questionable.

ECTO DIET

An Ectomorph needs to watch burning up too many calories. Powerlifting, is therefore the best kind of workout for a true Ectomorph, provided he does it safely, with initial instruction and a watchful spotter. Conserving energy by sticking with the most basic of movements is essential to this person’s development. Go heavy and go for just a few reps. This will be very taxing on this kind of physique at first, because the strength pool of an Ectomorphic physique is fairly dry to begin with. This will change, provided there is diligence with diet and NO overtraining.

The Ectomorph should also get a great deal of rest in between workouts and lots of sleep. Sleep = Recovery and that is essential for the growth potential of this body-type. Supplements are also more important to this group than to any other body-type. That’s because the metabolic rate that burns food, calories, fat, etc., also utilizes nutrients much more rapidly as well. Extra stress vitamins, B and C are essential, as well as appropriate doses of A and E. If you’re this body-type, choose a good quality protein powder packed with carbohydrates, fats and Glutamine. It is a great tool for the Ectomorph to get more bang for the buck with protein supplementation and get the caliber of calories and nutrition he needs.

A typical Ectomorphic workout should focus first on a powerlifting type of workout, doing just bench press, squat, dead lift, within the first few months. When strength and size become more abundant (keep eating!) then a few more compound movements can be added, such as an incline bench press, a hack squat and some good mornings or 45 degree back rowing. Keep it simple for this body-type, and don’t overdo sets and reps. The average leg workout should initially include 4-6 sets of squats for legs, going for as much weight as possible with good form, each time. For chest, a session of bench press (supervised) employing impeccable powerlifting form to get the maximum number of pounds overhead. Focusing just on back, legs and chest, there should be 2 days between each body part workout. That’s a full 7 day cycle, and gives enough rest in between so that recovery and growth can occur.

A Word on Cardio Training for Each Body-Type-

Cardiovascular training is important for everyone, because it is crucial to heart health. But remember, most people say ‘cardio’ and do ‘aerobic’ work. Ideally, you should incorporate both, depending upon your type.

Endomorph - Should do mostly aerobic type movement, for a minimum of 30 minutes per session, at least 4-5 days per week in the beginning. Don’t drop calories and increase aerobic work, as that will only shut down your metabolic rate. Keep increasing cardio as you lose weight, but keep calories steady. Then, whenever you want to back off the cardio, adjust your calories accordingly. As you lose body fat, you’ll be able to eat more while doing the same cardio. Resign yourself to having to do cardio on a regular basis for maintenance. Also include one day per week of actual cardio training. Do sprints, treadmill exercises, or anything that gets your heart rate up between 180 and 200. Make sure you’re fit enough to do this, by checking with a doctor first!

Ratio of aerobic/ cardio work: 80% aerobic/ 20% cardio

Mesomorph - This is the type that should do an equal balance of both aerobic and cardiovascular training. 2 days per week, this could mean sprints, and 2 days on the treadmill or elliptical trainer. Four days per week is about the maximum a Mesomorph needs to do to remain fit. Much more than that (unless he’s preparing for a competition at that moment) and he could eat into his muscle stores.

Ratio of aerobic/ cardio work: 50% aerobic/ 50% cardio

Ectomorph - This type should focus mostly on cardio, not aerobic work. It’s crucial to put yourself into a heart training zone, as rapidly as possible, in order to avoid burning up weight. This type only needs to do cardio work about 2-3 days per week, maximum, to get benefit. A strong heart also helps aid you in strength training/ powerlifting sessions.

A wise man once told me that when a person won’t do something, it’s for one of 3 reasons. 1. They either don’t know how to do it, 2. Don’t know why they should do it, or 3. They simply just don’t care. I’m going to assume that you don’t know how, or you would already be ripped to shreds. Be it to get the chicks, personal satisfaction, a reunion… everyone has their own reason why. But if your reason is the last one, you should just stop reading this right now. Because if you simply don’t care enough, you aren’t going to get anywhere. And there’s nothing I, or anyone else for that matter, can do to help!

I’m going to tell you how to Get Shredded Fast and explain why these 5 steps work! What you are about to read may or may not be news to you… I don’t know. But I do know this, if you follow these 5 steps… you won’t be disappointed!

1) Diet for metabolism!

I put this first on the list for a reason. It is the absolute most important part of any successfully shredded man or woman’s lifestyle. Your diet directly affects your metabolism and through it alone, you can totally change your physical appearance! But, whether you are a bodybuilder, a swimmer, a football player, or an every day average overweight American, keeping a consistently clean diet is as hard as it gets… and I’m sure we all can attest to that.

Eat 5-6 Meals per day:
It’s funny… I have this friend who swears this 5 or 6 meal-a-day rule is the “Catch” that all the diet companies are throwing out there. He says that no one can consistently eat 5 small meals a day and the nutrition companies know this - so they put this rule out there as a fail-safe to ensure that, if their diet program doesn’t work, they can blame its failure on the customer! The ironic thing about it is if the customer had followed the rules of their diet program, they would have succeeded! And the reason they would have succeeded is because the “eat 5 small meals a day” rule works… just probably not in the way you think. You see, it’s not really the 5 meals that does it… it’s the fact that you aren’t relying on 2 or 3 meals to fuel your body for a full 24-hour period. Think about it; your body uses a fairly steady stream of energy all day, so when you feed it in spurts, your body adjusts and begins to store energy instead of using it. Eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day ultimately conditions your body to use the energy you provide it - and use it now - because it knows that more is coming soon. There is no need to store the energy (fat) for later… make sense?

Eat Low Glycemic Carbs:
Eating 5-6 small meals per day is a great start. But (there’s always a ‘but’ isn’t there?) that’s not the only thing you have to do. Something else you’ve probably heard before but hasn’t been explained fully, is the benefit of low GI carbohydrates. Low GI carbs being carbs low on the Glycemic Index (GI). People usually confuse low GI Carbs with an ultra-low carb diet but its not! All you need to do is control the types of carbs you eat… not lose them altogether! Approximately 40% of your total calories should come from low GI carbs. A low GI carb diet will regulate the insulin levels in your body. This is important because your body uses insulin to burn the food you have for immediate energy. To explain it further, when you eat carbs, your body digests them and turns them into glucose. Then insulin is released to metabolize the glucose for energy. High GI carbs have a very fast glucose response, which tells your body to release a lot of insulin quickly. The result is, you digest your food very fast… a bad thing! You want your food to digest slowly! And you can control this by eating low GI carbs. Knowing which carbs are low and high GI is pretty easy too. As a general rule, the more processed it is, the higher it is and the more natural (unprocessed) it is, the lower it is.

There is, however, one time when you want to digest your food fast! Immediately following a workout, your body is goes into a “need food now!” state and requires a lot of nutrients to begin repairing the muscle that has been broken down. This is the perfect time to ingest 40-50 grams of high GI carbs. Actually, if you don’t, you are taking a risk that your body will go into a catabolic state and start breaking down muscle for energy instead of fat. Timing is important!

Increase Protein Intake:
The final part of the diet is to increase your protein intake. Again this is something we have all heard before… but do we really know why? First of all, we all know protein is a crucial part of muscle growth. But what we all don’t know is that protein is a good fat burner too! Protein digestion takes a lot of time and a lot of energy! You might be doing this already and if you are… don’t stop. A good rule of thumb is to consume 1 gram of protein for each pound of bodyweight. So if you are 200 pounds, you need 200 grams of protein.

2) Workout!

More cardio!
Increasing the number and intensity of your cardiovascular workouts will no doubt make a vast impact on your fat burning productivity. When it comes to burning fat, the more cardio the better. A lot of fitness trainers and other self proclaimed fitness guru’s will tell you to be careful not to over do the cardio. While there is no doubt that there is a point of diminishing returns, if you have your diet and supplementation in place, the chances of hitting cardio too hard are very low! But that’s just it… there isn’t one magic way to get shredded fast! It’s not like you can just increase your cardio from 2 days a week to 4 days a week and expect to get shredded without adjusting your diet and the rest of your workout regimen too. Of course you will burn more calories and lose more weight, but burning fat to get shredded and losing more overall weight are two different things! Where should your cardio be? I think 4 days a week at 45minutes at 75-80% max heart rate is a good start. If you have a super high metabolism, start with less, if you have a super low metabolism, start higher. Adjust from there and remember, when it comes to cardio, more is better!

Intensify Your Resistance Training
Believe it or not… weight training actually burns more fat than strict cardio work! In fact there have been numerous studies to prove it. This doesn’t mean you should just drop cardio work altogether, but that you should have a balance between cardio and weight training. Hopefully you are working out already. If you are… great! If you aren’t you really need to. Weight training is the only way to permanently raise your metabolism! You see… muscle burns fat. Not just when you are working out, but all the time - every day! One pound of muscle alone can burn up to 500 calories per week - that’s without doing anything! Lets put it this
way: Without resistance training, the best you will ever be is “skinny fat.”

3) Get more sleep!

Sleep is probably the most overlooked factor in the quest to get shredded. Everyone knows the importance of getting a good night’s sleep but not many of us go out of our way to be sure we get it. I read somewhere that the average adult gets approximately 7 hours of sleep each night! Not bad… but if you’re anything like me; 7 hours of sleep would be a blessing! And 7 hours is fine for the average adult, but if you’re an athlete you need more than normal! How much do you need? Well… that’s something you’ll have to experiment with and find out on your own. 7 hours of sleep might be enough for you - but it likely isn’t! I do know this - if you don’t get enough sleep, you are limiting your potential to build muscle. Sleep is very anabolic and you need it in order to efficiently recover from grueling workouts and stressful days! Be sure you get enough… it could be the difference maker.

4) Supplements!

Getting Ripped To Shreds is not an easy task for most people. If it was easy then everyone would be ripped don’t you think? I know for sure that, at least for me, it would be virtually impossible without the benefit of supplements. There’s no denying that genetics plays a huge role in who is shredded and who isn’t, but that’s not the only thing. If you could take a behind-the-scenes look at just about any professional athletes’ supplement regimen, I guarantee they would be taking more than you could imagine! Everyone who saw the Super Bowl got a good idea of what Bill Romanowski takes on a daily basis. He probably spends a good $2,000.00 a month on vitamins alone! And don’t forget that he almost certainly takes 2-3 MRP’s a day too! Getting ripped in 6 weeks without the benefit of great genetics is - for most - an unthinkable task. Shoot… staying motivated for 6 weeks straight can be hard as hell! Then, not only do you have to stay motivated, you have to be dedicated too! You can’t be making excuses for missing workouts and cheating on your diet… if you find yourself doing that you’re on the way down that road to the same old “before picture”.

Back to the supplements… Getting “shredded” involves keeping (or gaining) muscle mass and losing fat at the same time, two things that are best done separately! So right off the bat the odds are against you. And if you’re anything like me, you’re going to need all the help you can get! I’m going to recommend 3 separate base supplements and 3 will-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-there supplements.

Base Supplements:
1. A balanced Meal Replacement (MRP)
An MRP is important for the obvious reasons. Diet is the number one key and with the way life is now, it’s pretty difficult to get 6 good meals in a day. However, if you alternate 3 small meals and 3 MRP’s throughout the day, you’ll be indeed setting yourself up for success. The reason I say “balanced” MRP is because too much protein is a waste, too little carbs will leave you energy-less, and you need to get your vitamins somewhere. Check the label and be sure it has around 30g of protein, 20g carbs, L-Glutamine, BCAA’s, EFA’s, and an array of multi vitamins.

2. Creatine
No matter what you think about creatine, you can’t deny the facts. Creatine promotes muscle growth and muscle contraction energy. And even though it is thought of as a staple to only muscle building programs, it’s an effective addition to almost any program… no matter what the goal is! Just get some and take it as directed.

3. ZMA
ZMA is a formula of Zinc and Magnesium Aspartate that has been proven to increase muscle strength, stamina, and recovery. But the main reason I added it to the list is because it will help you relax and sleep better. Like I said before, sleep could be the difference maker. And ZMA’s a lot less damaging than taking a shot of tequila or cough medicine!

Will-Do-Whatever-It-Takes-To-Get-There Supplements:
1. An ephedrine based fat burner (ECA)
Even with all the bad things reported about using ephedrine-based products, they continue to reign in the fat loss supplement world. Why? Because they work! Believe me when I say this. No non-ephedrine based supplement will ever be able to take the fat off like a high quality ECA… ever! Not that there aren’t any effective non-ephedrine fat burners… just none that are as effective as an ECA. Another cool thing about ECA’s is that they are great pre-workout stimulants. You get up in the morning and you are feeling groggy on the way to the gym… pop an ECA and you’ll be churning out reps with ease! Just be careful to not become dependant on them. If you find yourself taking over 50mg of ephedrine before you ‘feel’ it kick in, you are taking it too often. Take some time off.

2. Anabolic Hardening Agent:
By anabolic hardening agent I mean - a pro-hormone. Pro-hormones are precursors to anabolic steroids and can be a huge benefit in more ways than one. First of all, they can be very anabolic and promote muscle growth. Second of all, they can be very androgenic and promote a harder more vascular muscle that is indicative of the word shredded! Third, they can be very anti-catabolic! This means that they help prevent the breakdown of lean muscle tissue; an important feature to anyone who is putting their body through a 6-week “Try To Get Ripped As Fast As I Can” schedule. You want to lose fat, remember… not muscle!

3. Site Specific Fat Loss:
Yes. I’m talking about fat loss creams. Say what you will, but just as creatine, pro-hormones, and ephedrine have their clinical studies, so do topical fat loss creams. The difference is the expectation. You cant rub in a dime sized drop of fat loss cream once a day and lose 10 pounds a week without doing some serious exercise and dieting! On the other hand, when used correctly, in a calculated program, fat loss creams can produce some substantial results! Call me crazy but it’s true. The reason I put them in the “Will-Do-Whatever-It-Takes-To-Get-There Supplement” section is because they can be expensive! It’s not uncommon for people to spend $200.00 a month just on an effective fat loss cream! They have their benefits though. Being able to target a specific spot for fat loss can go along way!

4. Know what not to do!
Now that I have explained all the tools you need to get ripped in 6 weeks, I feel obligated to address some of the most common mistakes people make when trying to lose fat fast! First of all you have to steer clear of the “Fab Diets” that claim you can drop 10 pounds in 48 hours. Even though these claims are true, you don’t want to do it. The weight you lose will be temporary at best! And because these diets help you lose weight, not fat, they wont get you shredded.

Fasting is another common mistake. You have to eat and eat consistently. As I pointed out before, it’s imperative that you don’t put your body in a “lets save the food for later” state. Remember, even though you are reducing your overall calories, your body will store more fat!

Oh… one more thing. No matter what else you do over the course of the next 6-weeks… even if you mess up 10 times… even if it looks like you aren’t going to make it… no matter what… DO NOT GIVE UP!!! During the first 4 weeks you might not see one single change in your body composition. But that last 2 weeks could completely change it around! I like to think of it like coming back in the 4th quarter! Never give up because all that hard work will not go to waste! Remember what I said? People don’t do things for one of three reasons… don’t let your reason be that you simply don’t care!

Low GI Carbohydrates

FRUITS:
Berries
Apples
Barley
Pears

VEGETABLES:
Asparagus
Black beans
All lettuces

GRAINS:
All bran cereals
Whole grain breads
Whole grain pastas
Wild rice

DAIRY:
Organic milk
Organic plain yogurt
Low-fat cottage cheese

BEVERAGES:
Fresh vegetable juice
Grapefruit juice
Green tea
Water

SWEETENERS:
Fructose
Stevia

Moderate GI Carbohydrates

FRUITS:
Grapes
Watermelons
Mangos
Kiwis

VEGETABLES:
Carrots
Corn (on the cob)
Lima beans
Yams

GRAINS:
Brown rice
Oatmeal
Most pastas
Popcorn
Sourdough bread

DAIRY:
Custard

BEVERAGES:
Apple juice
Orange juice

SWEETENERS:
Unrefined raw honey
Organic brown sugar
Barely malt
Organic maple syrup

High GI Carbohydrates

FRUITS:
Raisins
Bananas (ripe)

VEGETABLES:
Potato (baked)
French fries
Sweet corn

GRAINS:
White bread
Whole wheat bread
Bagels
Breakfast cereals
Hamburger and hotdog buns
White rice
Pancakes

DAIRY:
Ice cream

BEVERAGES:
Soft drinks and sport drinks
Carrot juice

SWEETENERS:
Corn syrup solids
Sucrose (table sugar)
maltodextrin
Maltose
High-fructose corn syrup

If this sounds like you, take a step back and look at the big picture. Whatever you’re doing right now is obviously not working. Instead, let’s turn a fresh page and approach the issue from a new angle. Here is a 10-week recipe for jump-starting even the most stubborn biceps.

Week 1:

Setting the Agenda

If your biceps are not growing, chances are it is because you use pretty much the same old routine every workout. Other factors include training too much and/or too often, not varying the weight and reps, and simply having lost that inner spark to take on the insane weights once in a while.

Well, no more. The sample workouts for these 10 weeks consist of a bunch of common and less common exercises. If you spot an exercise that you know you have done almost every bicep workout for the past few months, you may want to replace it. The goal here is to bring in some fresh material and let the old favorites rest a little.

As for the number of sets, let’s keep it in the 8-10 range. Why so few? The Biceps are a pretty small muscle that tire quickly. Legs, for example, are made for working all day long and can handle more sets. Biceps are more suitable for short and intense bursts of activity. The goal is to hit the biceps hard and then move on to the next muscle group you’re training.

This brings us to the next point: For the next 10 weeks, you will train biceps FIRST in the workout, to make sure you’re at your strongest. You will also restrict your bicep training to once a week, thus ensuring they have time to fully recover. Remember, the whole point of going to the gym is to trigger growth, nothing more. If you do your job, 8-10 sets should be plenty, and taking a whole week to rest guarantees you reap the full benefit of your hard work.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Seated alternating hammer curls	2	6-8
Barbell curls w. EZ-bar	2	6-8
One-arm cable curls	2	8-10
Reverse barbell preacher curls	3	8-10

Week 2:

Going Basic

Going back to the bodybuilding roots can be refreshing for a change. Skip the fancy machines and cables this week. Instead, set your sight on good old free weights. It is true you get more uneven resistance curve and yada-yada, but it is also harder to get all fired-up over a cable machine. Try adding a few of the classic you-go, I-go sets of straight barbell curls with a buddy at the end of your workout and tell me you’re not psyched!

You can also try adding some controlled cheating for extra intensity. This particular intensity booster is easier to do with free weights than machines or cable. However, cheating doesn’t mean swaying all over the place from the first rep, it merely means using momentum to get past the sticking point in order to squeeze out a few more reps at the end of your set.

The trick is to keep your elbows stationary at your waist and only cheat barely enough to complete the extra reps. Your biceps should still do most of the work. Remember to keep your abs tense in order to keep your back safe.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell curls w. straight bar	2	6-8*
Incline dumbbell curls	2	6-8
Standing concentration curls	2	8-10
Standing reverse barbell curls	3	6-8

* For extra intensity, try to add 3-4 extra reps through controlled cheating.

Week 3:

Loading on the Plates

Ok, time to get serious. This week we’re hitting the heavy weights, so expect the reps to go down a bit. As a rule, you should never use weights heavier than those you can do 4 strict reps with. However, this time we want to get as close to this limit as possible. It’s time to wake those biceps up from their slumber!

The seated concentration curls are great for getting 100% focus on the biceps. You can also use your other hand to give the dumbbell a little extra nudge past the sticking point. To reap extra benefit, resist through the negative phase where you slowly let the dumbbell sink back down to the starting position.

Most gyms have at least one machine you can use for hammer curls. My personal favorite is a banged-up old Nautilus monster that lets you train each arm separately (iso-lateral), but use whatever you’re most comfortable with. This week is a bit of an exception from what I said about trying new stuff - you’re lifting heavy, so go with what works best for you.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Standing alternating dumbbell curls	2	4-6
Two-hand cable curls w. straight bar	2	6-8
Hammer curl machine of choice	2	6-8
Seated concentration curls	2	4-6*
Standing reverse barbell curls	2	4-6

* Use the other hand to wring out 2-3 extra reps on top of the 4-6 reps.

Week 4:

Superset Mania

Supersets are one of those old-school techniques you don’t see too often in the gym anymore. That’s a pity, since it’s a really nice (and quick!) way to blast your muscles into the next level. If you are unfamiliar with supersets, the basic idea is to go two sets in a row without taking a break in-between. This pumps up the intensity in a major way.

There are two variations on this: Either you do two exercises for the SAME muscle group, such as two-hand cable curls immediately followed by concentration curls, or you work two DIFFERENT muscle groups, such as two-hand cable curls immediately followed by tricep pressdowns.

The first approach, hitting the same muscle group twice in a row, will give you the burn from hell. The downside is that you can only use half (or less) of your normal weight for your second set since you’re pre-exhausted. The second approach, mixing biceps/triceps, doesn’t give as much burn, but brings an overall arm pump you wouldn’t believe.

In the sample workout below, I have used the biceps/triceps superset strategy. If you decide to hit biceps with both sets, you may want to consider making the second exercises one where you can employ controlled cheating.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Arm Blaster curls / skullcrushers	2/2	6-8 / 6-8
Preacher cable curls / tricep pressdowns	2/2	6-8 / 4-6
Seated hammer curls / standing tricep presses	2/2	6-8 / 8-10
Reverse barbell preacher curls / weighted dips	3/3	6-8 / 8-10

Week 5:

A Low-intensity

Breather

You’ve heard the clichés about keeping your muscles guessing before, but here’s a new one for you. After pounding your biceps with intense workouts for a month, you will now throw in a higher-rep, lower-weight workout. Counterintuitive as it may seem, it just may be what you need to keep your muscles from recognizing (and adjusting to) your pattern of heavy workouts.

To keep things from getting boring, keep the rest between sets short (less than a minute) and go for the burn. Lactic acid tolerance is good to have, but remember, finish with a set or two of ultra light curls to flush out the lactic acid.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell preacher curls	3	10-12
Bicep machine of choice	2	12-15
One-arm cable curls	2	10-12
One-arm cable reverse curls	3	12-15

Week 6:

Forced Rep Agony

Recess is over, Biceps 101 at the School of Pain is back in session. Forced Reps is the intensity boosting technique of having your workout partner give you an extra lift to help you keep going. This should be done in moderation, so that you get just enough help to get past the sticking point.

In some cases, such as seated concentration curls and other one-handed exercises, you can simply use your other hand to provide that extra nudge. Two-hand exercises are trickier, however. If you don’t have a workout partner and aren’t comfortable asking someone at random, you can try the rest-pause technique as a backup solution.

When doing rest-pauses, you do your set to failure as you normally would, but instead of racking the weights you simply wait for a few seconds. Take a few deep breaths, feel the blood revitalize the muscle and try to hammer out an extra rep or two. It’s not as good as having a reliable workout partner, but it’s better than nothing.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell curls w/ straight bar	2	6-8
Hammer curl machine of choice	2	6-8
One-arm cable curls	2	4-6
Reverse barbell preacher curls	2	8-10

Week 7:

Back to Basics

This week we go back to the free weight training for another dose of old-school intensity. As before, controlled cheating is an option, especially for the standing alternating dumbbell curls. You can also pick a heavier weight for the concentration curls and repeat the trick of using the other hand to grind out a few extra reps.

For an extra kick, this may be a good time to challenge your workout partner to a good ol’ Arm Blaster Duel. At the end of the workout, pick a barbell about 20-25% lighter than you normally use, face each other and start repping out. The first one to throw in the towel buys the other one a protein drink in the sports bar.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Arm Blaster curls	2	6-8
Standing alternating dumbbell curls	2	6-8
Seated concentration curls	2	4-6*
Standing reverse barbell curls	2	6-8

* Use the other hand to do 2-3 extra reps on top of the 4-6 reps.

Week 8:

Cable Guy

As mentioned earlier, cables have the biomechanical advantage of providing even resistance throughout the full rep range. Put this to use and dedicate this week to fine-tuning your cable technique.

If you happen to be at a well-equipped gym, you can try alternating this all-cable day with using bicep machines you rarely use. As a rule, iso-lateral machines (handles moving independently of each other) provide the best types of resistance. For the fixed-handle machines, keep in mind that most machines can be used for one-handed exercises. Just let go with one hand, and a mediocre machine can turn into a great one.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Two-hand cable curls w/ straight bar	2	8-10
Rope hammer curls	2	8-10
Cable concentration curls	2	6-8
Reverse cable preacher curls	2	8-10

Week 9:

Heavy Hammering

Hammer curls, where your thumbs point straight up rather than out to the sides, are a great exercise for adding arm mass. What makes it stand apart is that it not only hits biceps, but also targets the underlying brachialis muscle. This relatively small muscle is a helper to the biceps, working solely by flexing the elbow joint.

This muscle is interesting because it is strategically located under the biceps. In other words, it helps push out the biceps thus making it appear larger than it really is. To capture this effect, we will put some special attention on hammering this week.

This is another time when controlled cheating comes in handy. Except for the hammer curl machine, you can safely cheat in any of these exercises by simply bending your knees a little and use momentum to get past the sticking point.

Another option is to do what you may call “concentration hammer curls”, same as regular concentration curls, except your thumb is pointing up through the entire movement. Since you’re only using one hand, you can use the other to give yourself a little extra help.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Seated alternating hammer curls	3	6-8
Hammer curl machine of choice	2	6-8
Rope hammer curls	2	6-8
One-arm cable reverse curls	2	8-10

Week 10:

Negative Nightmare

Finally, you’ve reached the end of the 10-week program, and your reward is … more pain. Negative training is very effective, but it takes a heavy toll on your entire system so use caution. If you have joint problems or previous injuries you may want to skip this one. For the rest of you, you have two choices: Plain negatives or forced negatives.

Plain negatives means that you load on more weight than you could normally handle (for example, 140 lbs instead of 110 lbs.) Then have your partner help you curl it up, while you very carefully resist for 2-4 seconds on the way down. Don’t relax your biceps at the bottom – your partner should be there the second you’re all the way down and help you back up to the starting position. Repeat until you reach total muscle failure.

Forced negatives are more flexible. With this method you use the same weight as usual, but your partner presses down on the weight during the negative phase. The flexibility is that your partner can adjust the pressure as you crank out the reps, but it takes a steady hand – unsteady resistance can be annoying. This method works better with plate-loaded equipment.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Arm Blaster curls	2	6-8
Rope hammer curls	2	6-8
Two-hand cable curls w. straight bar	2	6-8
Standing reverse barbell curls	3	6-8

Week 11…

and beyond

At this point you should see visual improvement. You will notice that I have not discussed any “special tricks” for bringing out the peaks, or how to create those cool splits some of the pros have. This is because a lot of it is genetic. However, as a rule, the larger you grow your biceps and the less body fat you have, the more detail will become visible.

Another thing to consider is that the arm consists of more than the biceps. Triceps actually make up a larger part of the overall arm mass, so don’t forget to pour the same amount of enthusiasm into your triceps training.

Last but not least, the forearm extensors get plenty of exercise from hammer and reverse curls. But to achieve balanced arm development, you need to do a few sets for the forearm flexors each week. This is accomplished through simple exercises such as barbell wrist curls and behind-the-back wrist curls. Good luck!

]]> http://www.bodybuildingtoday.com/bodybuilding/10-weeks-to-bigger-biceps/feed/ http://www.bodybuildingtoday.com/bodybuilding/finding-that-special-mrp-2/ http://www.bodybuildingtoday.com/bodybuilding/finding-that-special-mrp-2/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:43:01 +0000 Admin http://www.bodybuildingtoday.com/bodybuilding/?p=6058 You’d think by now we’ve all heard the theory about eating 5-6 small balanced meals a day. If this is news to you, you need to get out more! This ‘theory’ has been proven in many clinical studies and, more notably, in real life, as the best way to raise your metabolism and put your body in an efficient fat burning state at all times. But who really has time for 6 meals a day? Seriously? even if they are small, 6 meals a day is much easier said than done. So… what can you do if you can’t nail a 6-meal-a-day regimen? Take an MRP … or 2 or 3!

I knew this kid in high school who desperately wanted to be a soldier in the Army. He was one of those kids that everyone made fun of behind his back because he wore fatigues on a daily basis. But I really respected him because he was in the weight room with me every morning at 7am. Somehow, this kid was always one step ahead of me. The difference between he and I wasn’t our workout regimen or our dedication to the weights, it was our diet. While I was eating like crap, he was eating clean and taking everything he could afford to help himself get better … not much when you’re in high school! Every day this kid ate 2 military “MRE” rations - one between the morning classes and one between the afternoon classes and I think he was taking creatine too. Back then, my dumb ass thought taking creatine was cheating! OOPS! My point is? I was working just as hard as he was but I was being left in the dust! Every one of his lifts was better than mine and while I was struggling to barely get my abs to show, he was worrying about getting more separation in his quads! Anyway, he was kicking my ass mainly because he was eating better than I was. By better I mean more often. Military MREs are good meals but they aren’t designed for bodybuilders and athletes like MRPs are. It wasn’t like he was taking these super anabolic muscle pills. It was simply that he was eating often enough to put his body in an anabolic state. His body was being an efficient fat-burning machine! Just imagine if he was taking an MRP instead!

What is an MRP? MRP stands for Meal Replacement Powder and they aren’t the 10-pound bags of weight gain formulas or the no-carb protein mixes that most people think of. They aren’t the colon cleansers or creatine loaded energy drinks either. They are totally sound meals that contain all the aspects of a completely healthy, bodybuilder-inspired diet, including carbs. They are perfectly balanced food supplements! MRPs have completely revolutionized bodybuilding in a way that no other product ever has before or ever will again. There will always be improvements done to the ingredients in them, but nothing will ever replace the MRP. They are a healthy, effective, convenient, dare I say? essential part of every athlete’s diet! And if you find the right one, they even taste good too!

In the quest to find the right MRP, there are many factors. Unfortunately, most people only consider 2 things - protein and carbs. Which type of protein is in it? How few carbs does it have? But like I said before, MRPs are complete Meal Replacements, not no-carb protein mixes. An MRP should have a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. And it should also be equipped with a good vitamin array, L-Glutamine, and Essential Fatty Acids. To pick the right MRP, you need to understand what exactly to look for in each of these items.

The Protein
Essentially, a good high quality MRP should contain between 30-40 grams of protein. Much more than that, I would consider a protein powder, not an MRP. Protein is made up of amino acids (the building blocks of muscle) and is absolutely essential for muscle growth. Choosing the right type of protein should be the biggest determining factor when looking for the right MRP. But when you look at the facts, the choice is an easy one to make. Right now there are 4 main choices available on the protein market, whey, soy, egg, and casein. All of which have slightly different structure and functionalities. Let’s look at the different proteins individually.

Whey Protein Isolate is the top choice among all athletes. The fact is, whey protein is the single best protein for building and repairing muscle, it is the richest in branch chain amino acids (BCAA), and it is easiest and fastest for your body to digest. You really can’t go wrong with whey! Something else to note: You’ll sometimes see whey protein concentrate (instead of isolate). Isolate is the most pure form of whey protein.

Soy Protein comes from vegetables. One of the biggest benefits of soy protein is that is has a complete array of all the essential amino acids. But it also helps reduce heart related disease by lowering LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) while it doesn’t seem to have a negative effect on HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Actually the FDA approved soy containing dietary supplements to claim - diets that have at least 25 grams of soy protein per day are “Heart Healthy”!

Egg protein. Remember when Rocky cracked some raw eggs into that cup and just downed ‘em like it was nothin’? I swear, that movie put egg protein on the map! I still to this day haven’t summoned up enough guts to down a single raw egg! Egg protein has been coined “the World’s most perfect protein” because it has the most complete total amino acid profile of all the different forms of protein.

Casein and whey are both derived from milk protein. The difference is that casein takes much longer to digest. This proves to be a very beneficial addition to an MRP because things that take longer to digest burn more calories. Not only does it burn more calories, it kind of acts like a timed or extended release protein so you get the benefits of protein in your system for a longer period of time.

When you look at the benefits of each protein it is easy to see why whey is the protein of choice for pure protein supplements for athletes. It’s what I’d recommend and what I choose myself when I take one. However, whey protein by itself is not a great choice for a true MRP. Again, MRPs are Meal Replacements, not strict protein supplements! And because each type of protein is important to your body, your MRP should have a combination of them all! In fact, many studies show that nitrogen retention is actually increased through a staggered protein release - something you get when you take a combination of fast and slow digested proteins.

The Carbs
A good MRP will have between 15 and 30 grams of carbohydrates. The bad thing is, to make an MRP taste good, you have to add sugar and other carbs, particularly ones that have a higher impact on blood sugar levels - a bad thing. Fortunately some companies have taken the extra step in their labeling process to inform the consumer of how many “net” carbs their MRP has. If they don’t tell you how many are in there, you should just assume that all of their carb content is high on the glycemic index. Let me clarify this to you so you have a better understanding of how this works.

When you eat carbohydrates your body breaks them down into glucose (sugar). This glucose is our body’s main source of energy. In order to use the sugar however, your body releases insulin. Insulin is what carries the glucose into the body’s cells. Glucose and insulin are essential to the development and functionality of brain cells and for the production of red blood cells. We need carbs! So what’s the problem with carbs? Well the carbs really aren’t the problem. How your body responds to the glucose build up is the problem. Some carbs (simple carbs) are digested quickly and the result is a fast glucose buildup. This can be bad. If your body isn’t primed to use this quick energy buildup, it will store the glucose instead (as fat). Other carbs (complex carbs) are digested slowly. This is what you want most of your carbohydrate intake to be. The slow digestion brings on a slow glucose release and in response, a slow and steady insulin release. Eating complex carbs will make your body work to utilize that energy! And because of the slow release it won’t feel overwhelmed and start storing all the extra energy as fat. The fitness industry has coined the term “net carbs” and applied it to all the carbs that have a higher glucose response.

The Fats
The best MRPs on the market will have some fat in them. And they should, because just as protein and carbohydrates are important, so are fats! Again, your body needs fats! But just as there are different forms of protein and carbs, there are different forms of fats too. I don’t want to spend a lot of time telling you the difference between all the good and bad fats. I’m just going to reiterate stuff you probably already know. Stay away from saturated fats. Saturated fats are mainly found in meat, butter, and cheese. No more than 10% of your fat intake should come from saturated fats. The fats that are important to supplement are called Essential Fatty Acids or EFAs. They are called essential fatty acids because your body doesn’t produce them naturally so it is essential that you get them from your food or supplements. EFAs are an important addition to MRPs because they promote optimal hormone production, muscle tissue repair and recovery, insulin metabolism, and fat burning potential!

Support Ingredients
It’s funny when you see everyone comparing MRPs because all they do is compare protein and carbohydrate content. There’s no doubt that those are the two most important factors, but what makes an MRP stand out from the pack isn’t that it has more protein or fewer carbs, it’s the support ingredients! Think about race cars for instance. I don’t pretend to be Mario Andretti’s mechanic or anything but I know that just because a car has more horsepower and wider tires, doesn’t mean it’s faster around the track. What about the shocks? Gear ratios? Aerodynamics? The driver? These are the “support ingredients” that make champion racecar teams champions! And the same goes for MRPs! The support ingredients are what separate the men from the boys!

Branch Chain Amino Acids are the main building blocks for muscle production. Whey protein is considered “DA SHIZNIT” because it has the highest concentration of BCAAs at about 25% of its total content. So if you are taking whey protein, do you need BCAAs? No, if you are taking over 150 grams of pure whey protein per day you probably don’t. But if you are, then you are probably taking a pure whey protein supplement… not an MRP. A good high quality MRP will be fortified with extra BCAAs because it will not contain only whey protein.

L-Glutamine is a key addition to MRPs that some companies keep out so they can sell you another individual supplement. The coolest thing about glutamine is that it is both anabolic and anti-catabolic, in other words, not only does it promote muscle production; it will help prevent muscle tissue breakdown! This makes it a great supplement for bulking up or cutting down.

Every MRP using bodybuilder will tell you the benefits of taking fiber. Or you could just go ask your grandma! Think Metamucil. Fiber plays a key role in keeping you regular. And when you are taking over 150 grams of protein a day this is something that will not go unnoticed, trust me! High protein diets are notorious for this so be sure your MRP has some fiber in it.

Potassium is another thing to look for in the support ingredients. Most MRPs contain enough potassium for your average bodybuilder but I wanted to throw this in because I think it’s very important. Potassium helps prevent dehydration and cramping in your muscles and believe it or not, most people don’t get enough potassium in their regular diet. It’s one of those supplements that seems to get overlooked. If you are a bodybuilder, the last thing you want is to get dehydrated and start cramping up!

A good vitamin/mineral array is something you’d think would never go unnoticed when a company makes an MRP, but it does! It’s almost so obvious that no one thinks of it! All the top-notch companies will have at least a 30% array. They figure you’ll be taking the MRP three times a day, so that would give you 90% of the US RDA. Good enough because you’ll be getting the rest from your other 3 meals right?

So which one is it?
I’ve talked a lot about what to look for in a good high quality MRP. But you should also really know what not to look for in an MRP. You should not get an MRP that has weight loss products in it. An MRP is something you’re going to take all year around - three times a day - no matter what your goal is. You don’t want to be taking 3 doses of an ECA or something like that during your bulking stages! Another thing to steer clear of is pro-hormones in your MRP. Again, these are something you should cycle, not take year round. Creatine is taken in loading and maintenance phases; it shouldn’t be added to your MRP. Oh, and high fructose corn syrup is something to avoid too.

When you consider that there are literally hundreds of MRPs on the market, each with its own good and bad points, it is really hard to find the one that meets all my criteria and tastes good too. You would think that the top names would come through as the best, but you may be surprised! Most companies try so hard to get the formula right, they forget about the most important part… the taste!

Ok… there you have it. When it comes to choosing your MRP, you have to consider everything in it, take my word for it! Actually, strike that. Don’t take my word for it. I implore you to research the information yourself. Be an educated consumer and make the best choice for you - that’s how all your decisions should be made!

Something is drawing you back to that sweaty, smelly dungeon you call a gym. We know it isn’t the juice bar that catches your fancy, because there isn’t one unless you count the spit on the floor. It’s not the gleaming chrome equipment either, because you can’t admire your reflection in standard issue black iron. So what is it? Somewhere in that psyche of yours is a guy who still gets starry-eyed every time he sees rippling mounds of muscle flexed into eye-popping, striated, rocky-ass-quarries of solid stone!

You might be too embarrassed to admit it in front of that macho group of friends you’ve worked so hard to hand pick, but lurking in that still-too-newbie body is a guy who’ll put the gym before a job, a leg day before a season finale of “The Sopranos” AND a grueling back workout before any thought of group sex with the Swedish Lawn Bowling Team! (Now we KNOW you’re sick!) BADA BING!

Whether it’s the packaged balance of Chris Cormier, the impressive density of Jay Cutler, or the sheer volume of Ronnie Coleman, the point is, you’re not a pro but you secretly wish you could look like one - even for a day. And that’s precisely how you train.

Why not? After all, that’s the advice that you’ve been reading, eating, breathing, and sleeping… since you picked up your first “Muscle-Book.” What writer doesn’t tell you to train like your favorite superhero friends? Truth is, you’ve practically been forced into it! There’s Dexter over here, telling you to train arms using his routine, Orville pleading with you to train legs until you puke, Paul screaming at you like a workout partner from the pages of some magazine, telling you that big chests only come to those who finish all their sets to failure. What else can you do, after all?

Well, mimicry may be the sincerest form of flattery, but in this case, following a pro’s workout when you’re still developing a base is thwarting your potential as a bodybuilder, and creating a mistake that you may not be able to easily correct in the future.

If you’re using an advanced routine within the first few years of your bodybuilding training career, then you’re definitely not building the right foundation, and may not be building much else. What’s more, you’re opening yourself up to injuries that can and will crop up eventually as a result of the structural vulnerabilities that you are creating today.

The first few years of your time in the gym need to be spent focusing on different aspects of training than what someone like Schlierkamp or Fux may focus on when they train. Remember, you never saw them when they first started out. If you ask them, they’d probably confirm for you that the workouts they currently use are in no way recognizable in relation to the ones they first used.

Okay, sure, mistakes are inevitable, and they are an invaluable part of finding your way around in the gym. Anyone who doesn’t advocate making mistakes hasn’t really achieved anything in their life. It’s through mistakes that we can see our paths more clearly. Trust me, no one is calling you a jackass for doing what, on the outside, makes sense. Taking expert advice is the most logical thing to want to do. Patterning oneself after those who are successful makes the likelihood of your success all the much greater. But when “success gurus” were busy thinking up quotable phrases, they forgot to tell you that there is a logical progression to everything.

Everyone Has A Beginning - Humble or Otherwise

The only problem with taking random expert advice is that it’s just that - random along a scale of time that no one but that person can really reference! Who knows for sure where the path may have begun for their idol? His advice can only be as meaningful in your progression as his beginnings may have been to him. Maybe your idol had a gang of muscle from other sports, and genetics to die for, before he ever crossed over to bodybuilding. Perhaps your hero was a pencil-necked geek who trained with chrome dumbbells for the first year or two of his time in the gym. You just don’t know. And since the task is to know where that beginning is, in order to make sense of pro training advice, you can see that it becomes complicated. Neither Rome, nor Ronnie Coleman, were built in a day! Remember that and you’ll never go wrong.

So STOP training like you are stepping on to an Olympia stage tomorrow, and head for the CORE.

“I SACRIFICED IT ALL FOR THE CORE”

No doubt we’ve all heard the phrases: “core exercises” and “compound movements” as well as the term “basics” all the time in bodybuilding magazines. We ignore them because those phrases and terms are for the other guys… the pathetic ones who don’t have the genetic potential that we have. Right! Well, they DO apply to all of us; particularly during those crucial first few years of training. The core is your humble beginning.

It’s frustrating to walk into a gym and see a guy with little or no muscle engaged in complex training regimes, using heavy weight and straining just to get the whole mess up. In the end, if the guy hasn’t killed himself or torn too many ligaments, he feels like he’s done something for the day, the week, the month… The only thing is, when another year ends and he looks relatively the same, he wonders what he is doing wrong. His next step is to automatically blame it on the fact that he’s “natural”, doesn’t do drugs, or that he doesn’t have the right stack, or doesn’t know the right pharmacist in town! It’s a classic progression. Let’s face it, the guy was in way over his head before he even started and needs to get back to basics before he can move forward. In short, he needs to JOIN THE CORE.

Here’s the truth: Very few people would have glaring weaknesses in their physiques today(unless a severe genetic defect were present) if they had bothered to rein themselves in by using only core movements in the beginning. What’s more, injuries would be far fewer because the foundations were made to last!

Be All That You Can Be

Whatever you want to call it, whether “basic”, “core movement” or “compound movement”, the meaning is all the same. These are movements that utilize multiple joints and work each muscle group from the standpoint of a total scope. These are the exercises that beginners, and as far as we’re concerned, intermediate, lifters should be using as a basis for all that they do. For that matter, core movements should be the mainstay of all that a beginner does in the gym for the first few years, with the exception of adding a few ancillary movements to help facilitate recovery.

Why? These are movements that require good form and technique ? things that make it impossible to cheat too often. They require conscientious execution at all times, and encourage sound training habits that will be invaluable later on. What’s more, core movements are the exercises that are able to develop an entire muscle group all on their own. If you don’t believe that, go to a powerlifting gym. They don’t do leg extensions except to get the pooled blood out of the muscle and encourage rapid recovery between sets.

Ugly Step Brothers? Or First Generation Mass Monsters?

Let’s talk about our ugly step-brothers for a second… All of us know at least one powerlifter. Powerlifters may not be aesthetically pleasing to a bodybuilder’s eye, and may be the butt of a lot of jokes by bodybuilders, but they do one thing correctly that you probably don’t do: They train using compound movements nearly all the time! And they reap the rewards in rock hard dense muscle - far greater density than most bodybuilders. Some of that has to do with lifting heavy weight, but a lot of it has to do with establishing and reinforcing muscle in areas surrounding multiple joints. They do this, using compound, basic movements, such as squats, bench press, and deadlifts.

Granted, some powerlifters are imbalanced in development, and some are the ugly step brothers we’d prefer to leave home from the family reunion, but their imbalance is usually due to favoring one type of lift over another for competition. Ignore the aesthetics of their package for a second (a result of straining with maximum weight) and focus instead on the fact that the development and foundation of major muscle groups is clearly there in many more junior rank powerlifters than in junior rank bodybuilders. Ask yourself why that may be?

How to Purposely Derail Yourself

It’s time to reassess your current path. Derail yourself NOW and join the CORE! Disconnect from your current way of thinking about training and start looking for the answers in the simplest of places: Core Exercises.

Here’s a visualization that should give you the general idea:
Think of a powerlifter. Now drop the weight he would use by 30-40%. Employ more precise form and utilize a full range of motion. Add one or two more exercises into a muscle group workout [more than he might use/ but less than YOU use], and use a slightly higher set and rep scheme. Now you have it.

How to Construct an “UN-Pro Workout”

Look at the example above and remember that you aren’t going to be simply using bench press, squats and deadlifts for your workouts ? you’ll be including a lot more, along with some secondary finishing movements that help move the blood away from the muscle group, and hence the lactic acid, once the meat of the workout is over. But that’s about it. No more packing workouts with 6 or 7 different exercises. Right now, you don’t need it and it’s lost on you. Ironically, you’re probably overtraining as a result of thinking along those lines.

You’ll be training each body part twice weekly. Here’s how to put it together:

Workout #1: (Moderate)
Select ONE “Preferred Core Movement” exercise
Select ONE or TWO “Basic Finishing” exercises

Workout #2: (More Difficult)
Select TWO “Preferred Core Movement” exercises
Select ONE “Basic Finishing” exercise

Preferred Core Movements
SETS: 4-5 REPS: 8-10

LEGS BACK CHEST
Squats Deadlift Bench Press
Leg Press Bent Over Rows Flat DB Press
Seated Row Incline Barbell Press

BICEPS TRICEPS
Standing Barbell Curl Close-grip Barbell Bench
Seated Dumbbell Curl Push Downs w/ Straight Bar
Preacher Curls French Press (EZ curl/close grip)

CALVES (Supersets okay here) ABS
Standing or Seated Calf Raises Standard Crunches

Basic Finishers
SETS: 3-4 REPS: 10-12

LEGS BACK CHEST
Leg Extensions Pull Downs Cable Crosses
Hamstring Curls One Arm DB Rows DB Flyes
(lying or standing) Hyper-Extensions
Lunges

BICEPS TRICEPS
Alternate DB Curl Flat bench Dips
Concentration Curl Overhead Rope Extensions
Kickbacks

CALVES (Supersets okay here) ABS
Donkey Calf Raises Alt. Knee to Elbow Crunches
Hanging Leg Raises
Knee-ins
(reclined slightly/end of bench)
We suggest that you train 5 days per week with two consecutive days off - usually Saturday and Sunday is a good choice.

SCHEDULE of BODY PARTS:
Monday - Legs & Back (Calves in between back sets on this day)
Tuesday - Chest & Arms
Wednesday - Calves and Abs **
Thursday - Legs & Back
Friday - Chest & Arms (Abs in between chest sets on this day)
S&S - OFF

** Increase rep ranges to: 15-20 reps for calves per set
20-50 for abs per set
(Both muscle groups require higher levels of intensity and constant tension in order to grow because of their ability to re-oxygenate rapidly).

A Few Closing Comments About Intensity

Intensity comes in many different forms. Most associate the greatest rewards of intensity with heavy weight, but that’s just one of the ways intensity can express itself in a workout. One can increase intensity in at least 5 different ways: weight, pace, rep range, rest time between, type of set (superset, drop set, etc).

Once you agree to drop the 6 or 7 different exercises you do per body part and finally simplify your workouts, it’s logical to fear a lack of intensity and benefits. However, less can often be much, much more. Experimenting with various types of intensity in each set can provide yet another way to infuse your workouts with complexity. Where before it was just littered with random exercises added for no specific purpose and only appeared to be complex, now it actually is. Yet, ironically, you’ve kept everything simple in the ways that are important to a beginner trying to build a solid foundation.

“I Want To Lose Weight”

When a person says, “I want to lose weight,” they are misleading themselves. Losing weight alone does not necessarily mean that one is losing fat. One must learn to differentiate between the two. When starting a new weight loss program, the average person will lose a significant amount of weight in the short term, usually the first two weeks. During this time their body is adapting to the new lifestyle change and will usually lose a lot of water. This is especially true if that person is new to exercising. They will think that they are losing massive amounts of fat, when in reality they are losing mostly water weight. Shortly thereafter, once their body has started adapting, their weight loss will slow down dramatically. They will still be losing the same levels of bodyfat; however the addition of muscle will negate any loss of actual weight. This frustrates many who simply use the scale to determine success or failure. Often they will then try crash dieting, or quit altogether. That is why when thinking about fitness goals; don’t think that you want to lose weight. Rather, think about wanting to lose bodyfat. It is not uncommon for someone to shed their excess bodyfat, go down in pants/dress sizes, and lose little to no body weight. Some people actually GAIN weight when all is said and done.

“I Only Need To Do Cardio In Order To Get Cut”

The staple to any body restructuring comes from weight training. Cardio burns calories; however it alone does not change one’s metabolism. On the other hand, the more lean muscle mass one has, the greater number of calories they will burn naturally. Adding muscle will help increase your metabolism. Without weight training, the muscles will gradually decrease in size. This will cause decreases in bodyfat to be less visible. Loss of muscle will also cause a drop in metabolism, which is defeating the whole purpose.

“To Gain Size, I Should Eat 10,000 Calories A Day”

This statement in and of itself is true. However, the size gained may not be the type of size one is looking for. When going through a “mass building” cycle, many weightlifters will gain significant amounts of bodyfat along with their hard-earned muscle. This is due to an obsession many have with taking in as many calories a day as possible during this time. They then feel the need to do a “cutting” phase in order to shed the excess bodyfat gained. This creates an endless and unnecessary cycle. The way to correct this is to balance out the right amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates that will allow one to gain muscle size, without putting on unneeded bodyfat.

“I Can’t Get Fit Because Of My Genetics”

It is true that genetics play a huge role in how we look. Everyone knows someone who naturally looks like the epitome of fitness, yet they drink, smoke, eat like a pig, and couldn’t tell you what the inside of a gym looks like. This can be very frustrating. Genetics cannot be changed, however they can be maximized. This means that people of every body type have a certain potential that they can achieve. One has to be realistic when it comes to expectations. The best thing to do is to look for people of a similar height and body type before deciding goals. Example: Someone around 5’8” and thickly set will struggle with losing bodyfat, however they have an overall advantage when it comes to getting big, and displaying a “powerful” physique. By the same token, those who are over 6’ tall and skinny will struggle more with putting on muscle, however they have an overall advantage in obtaining the “tall, dark and handsome” look. It is good to find role models when it comes to finding what you want to look like. Keep it realistic, though.

Now that we’ve dispelled some myths and misconceptions, let’s look at how exactly we can balance out our physical fitness regimes.

Balancing Weight Training

When utilizing a balanced approach, you want to vary the weight and number of repetitions you do. However you do not want to do this every single workout. It is a commonly accepted rule of thumb to change your workouts every four to six weeks. When changing the exercises one does each workout, one needs to change the weight and number of reps performed as well. This will ensure that all the different types of muscle fibers are utilized over time and not neglected. Doing this will also “shock” the muscles, which is a key to promoting new growth. Example of cycle changes for a chest workout:

1st Cycle
Exercise Weight Repetitions
Bench Press 275 Pounds 4-6
Incline Dumbbell Press 80 Pound Dumbbells 4-6
2nd Cycle
Exercise Weight Repetitions
Dumbbell Bench Press 70 Pound Dumbbells 12-15
Incline Bench Press 135 Pounds 12-15
Decline Bench Press 135 Pounds 12-15
Cable Fly 30 Pounds 12-15
3rd Cycle
Exercise Weight Repetitions
Bench Press 225 Pounds 8-10
Incline Bench Press 185 Pounds 8-10
Dips Bodyweight 8-10
Dumbbell Fly 35 Pounds 10-12

This is an example of how to shock your muscles and stimulate new growth, as well as incorporating all the different muscle fibers that control strength, speed and endurance.

Balancing Cardiovascular Training

Cardio is vital to losing the bodyfat we have already accumulated. While weight training will help increase metabolism, cardiovascular exercise will speed up how quickly the body loses fat. This is because when performing cardio, energy is attained from free fatty acids, which come from the bodyfat stores. A common mistake is the tendency to overdue it. Just as in weight lifting, one can over-train on cardio. Too much cardio will tear the muscles down, slowing recovery. Three to four times a week is sufficient. First thing one needs to do is to forget about all those confusing “optimal heart rate” formulas you see on cardio equipment. There are in fact benefits of performing cardio at various levels of intensity, for various time frames. Low intensity for a long duration will burn more fat on the spot, however high intensity for short duration will burn more calories, plus the body will still continue to burn calories throughout the day afterwards. Using a moderate degree of difficulty will work somewhere in between. All degrees of difficulty actually complement one another. Low Intensity/Long Duration will get the body used to working for longer periods of time, while High Intensity/Short Duration will work the lungs harder, and help improve the body’s ability to “go the extra mile.” The best way to balance out cardio is to vary the intensity and duration throughout each week. Example:

• Day One ? Stair Stepper, High degree of difficulty, 20 minutes (High Intensity/Short Duration)
• Day Two ? Ski Machine, Moderate degree of difficulty, 35 minutes (Moderate Intensity/Medium Duration)
• Day Three ? Exercise Bike, Moderate degree of difficulty, 45 minutes (Moderate Intensity/Medium Duration)
• Day Four ? Bicycling, Low degree of difficulty, 1-2 hours (Low Intensity/Long Duration)

Balancing Diet

The hardest part of any fitness routine, regardless of goals, is usually diet. The word “diet” is an ugly word in and of itself, because it conjures up images of starvation. Plus most people think of “diet” in the short term. It is better to think about a permanent eating strategy that will allow one to attain and maintain their fitness goals. Those looking to gain muscle are convinced that they need an ungodly number of calories each day, while those looking to lose bodyfat feel that they need to cut out absolutely everything and starve themselves. An eating plan cannot make one feel miserable, otherwise it will be too difficult to stick with. To balance everything out, one needs to keep several things in mind:

1) ALWAYS consult a doctor before trying any “diet.” No two bodies are exactly alike, and while significantly cutting carbohydrates may be beneficial to one person, the same concept could have dire medical consequences to another. Your physician will be able to do tests to see what type of eating plan will work best for you.

2) Never cut out carbohydrates or fat completely. Both are needed to maintain normal, healthy bodily functions.

3) Regardless of your goals, the body needs extra protein when you are physically active. When looking at gaining muscle and losing fat, you should intake between .5 and 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Protein shakes will to keep protein levels high, without the extra calories that come from carbohydrates and fat.

4) Whether you like them or not, maintain a healthy intake of fruits and vegetables. They provide much needed vitamins and minerals.

5) Avoid sugary foods and carbonated drinks. The body will work to process the sugars first, and will not utilize stored bodyfat while simple sugars are in the system. Simple sugars also quickly convert to fat, if not utilized.

6) Stay hydrated! Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. Staying hydrated is critical when working out. It will help to prevent muscle cramps, as well as helping the body to flush out toxins and waste.

When looking to lose bodyfat and gain muscle, it is critical to keep the overall calories low enough that the body is burning more than it is taking in. At the same time, it is necessary to keep protein levels high enough that muscles will be allowed to gain size and not atrophy.

Alcohol

Something that deserves it’s own paragraph, but still falls under Diet, is alcohol. If you are serious about staying physically fit, alcohol can stop you in your tracks. All of us have heard the arguments about switching from beer to liquor, and about how drinking is not “that bad” for you. Truth is drinking alcohol on the weekends is worse for you than eating a bucket of ice cream. The main reason for this is that while consuming alcohol, your body goes into overdrive to try and purge it from your system. In other words, your body stops burning fat while you’re intoxicated! No matter how much you may sweat from dancing at the club, you are NOT burning any bodyfat while there is alcohol in your system. This does not mean that you can never have a beer or shot of whiskey again, just use some common sense. Also think about what your priorities are. If it is more important to drink up and party, feel free. Just don’t complain when you see that after six months of trying to work out and party, you have done little more than spin your wheels. If truly staying physically fit is more important to you, do yourself a favor and cut out the booze!

Supplements

Ah yes, the “magic thin pills,” or “muscles in a bottle,” etc. At least that’s how some people look at supplements. Let’s face it, in spite of all the hype heard on infomercials, there is no wonder drug that will make you magically thin. Nor is there any special formula that will give you big muscles overnight. Supplements are exactly that, they “supplement” diet and nutrition. They are not the solution in and of themselves. Each type of supplement has its own place in the world of physical fitness. But are they all necessary? Let’s look at supplements that one should take, as well as ones that are optional. This is especially important for those on a limited budget.

Necessary Supplements

Protein

Protein molecules are the “building blocks” of the body. The advantage to using a protein supplement is that you can quickly ingest much needed protein, without a lot of preparation or hassle. Plus it is also very cost effective. When it comes to protein supplements, the differences between brand names are minimal at best. When choosing a protein supplement, the best thing to look for is what gives you the most protein per serving at the lowest cost. Also look at the protein to carbohydrate to fat ratios. You want to be able to get the most protein per serving, with the lowest amount of carbohydrates and fat.

Multivitamin

In today’s society getting enough vitamins and minerals is difficult. This is compounded when one is exercising. Physical training depletes the body of vitamins more quickly than sedentary activities. Taking a multivitamin can offset this. Though there are brands specifically designed for bodybuilders, a generic brand that you can buy at the grocery store will still be more beneficial than nothing.

Glutamine

Glutamine is a naturally occurring amino acid that your body becomes depleted of while working out. As a supplement, it is extremely cost effective and is quickly gaining popularity. Though research on it is far from complete, glutamine has been found to be beneficial to people of any lifestyle. Many doctors are giving it to cancer patients to help improve their health. When it comes to physical fitness, glutamine helps minimize muscle fiber breakdown, as well as assisting in speeding recovery.

Optional Supplements

Thermogenics

Reality check, there are no magic pills that will give you washboard abs in a week or two. There are however, some high quality thermogenics that act as a catalyst in helping one to reduce bodyfat. One thing to keep in mind when searching for the right thermogenic is to take all the advertising hype with a grain of salt. This is particularly true when it comes to timelines. In almost every advertisement you will see people who claim to have lost tremendous amounts of bodyfat in a short time, sometimes within a month or less. Read the fine print at the bottom of each advertisement. It will usually say, “Results Not Typical.” Nevertheless, thermogenics will help speed up your fat loss. A realistic example is that during a given period, utilizing proper diet and exercise, you were to lose 4% bodyfat. During the same timeframe, you would probably lose around 6% bodyfat if you were to diet, exercise and use thermogenics. This is not an exact formula, rather just an example of what realistic results you can expect. If you have high blood pressure and cannot take products with ephedra, there are stimulant-free thermogenics. Caution: Read the warning labels completely before using. If you have any type of thyroid problems, you cannot take thermogenics.

Creatine

Creatine is naturally found in red meats, and as a supplement, it has been proven time and again to work in helping one to gain muscle mass. There are also no major side effects to using creatine. However, it is by no means mandatory to take creatine, especially if one is on a budget. There is much debate as to whether or not it is more effective to take creatine with some type of sugary beverage, like grape juice. Actual scientific data is inconclusive. Bottom line, if it fits into your budget, creatine will definately help you gain muscle size. If it is not within your budget, there is no need to panic, or to feel that your goals are unattainable without it.

Summary

As with anything else dealing with bodybuilding, there is no one right or wrong answer. The techniques and guidelines given here are exactly that. They are to guide you and to give you an idea of what strategies might work for you. They are not by any means set in stone. The important basics to remember are:

1) Weight train to increase muscle mass and metabolism.
2) Use cardio to help eliminate accumulated bodyfat.
3) Use common sense when developing an eating strategy, and DO NOT use crash diets.
4) Pick good supplements that work for you.
5) Stay hydrated, and drink plenty of water.
6) Be realistic with goals, and don’t get discouraged if you fall short some days. Just start up fresh the next day, and don’t beat yourself up.

Above all, be PATIENT when it comes to results. You may not get that elusive six-pack and 20” guns in 30 days or less, like the people in the advertisements claim. However, if you continue to pursue your dreams with strict determination, they will become reality!

First off, the body can only assimilate 30 to 40 grams of protein per meal. This means Bodybuilder #1 can only absorb a maximum of 120 grams of protein per day, and Bodybuilder #2 can absorb 240 grams per day. However, the fun doesn’t stop there. Each day, your metabolism ramps up and down repeatedly based upon your meal times. When you haven’t eaten in 3 or 4 or 5 hours, your body naturally begins preserving body fat as a defense mechanism. If you are one of those folks like Bodybuilder #1 who often waits 5 or 6 hours between meals, you are exposing your body to a series of mini-starvation periods. This cause the metabolic rate to slump, which means you’ll be burning fewer calories each hour, even when sitting idle. Cortisol levels rise in this catabolic state, which ends up costing you valuable muscle as your body chooses to burn muscle to keep the fat safe. This is a scenario that no bodybuilder desires.

Eating 6 times per day is an excellent idea – but eating eight times is even better! The more meals you consume each day, the higher your metabolism will be, and the more conductive your internal environment will become for effective muscle building. You don’t have to consume a single calorie more with eight meals than you would with three meals. You’ll simply be dividing the calories between more meals.

Now, let’s talk about food volume. Eating in this manner is also easier on your digestive system and for overall bodybuilding appearance. We’ve seen plenty of bodybuilders who have grown larger over the years on their arms and legs by an inch or two – all while adding 5 or 6 inches to their waistline. Very often, the amount of food consumption required in order to add the inch to the arms or legs results in an irreversible stretching of the midsection. To that same end, your digestive system will function much better with smaller quantities of food to handle at a time. On a side note, chewing your food more also makes digestion easier.

Every meal doesn’t have to be the same size. You certainly want small meals to start and end the day. Your meals following your workout will be the largest of the day, and the meal directly before your workout should be small and easily digestible. Consider planning your daily feedings with the same level of dedication that you use on your training protocols. You’ll see new growth – with no change to the total calories and macronutrient levels!

Keep your feet on the floor
Everybody has seen that floundering fool on the flat bench, arching his rear end up in the air in an effort to push the weight off of his body using leverage, and not the muscles of the chest. Avoid becoming that spectacle, or anything less than a perfect lifter, by keeping your feet planted flat on the floor while bench pressing. This will force your body to cling to the bench, which in turn removes leverage and many of the support muscles. At this point, your pectorals have to complete more of the work – and will grow more as a result!

Check your grip
A very high profile college football player was nearly killed recently when his use of a thumbless or “suicide grip” on the bench press resulting in his larynx being crushed. Secure your hand on the barbell with a standard overhand grip, keeping your thumbs on the side of the bar opposing your fingers. Measure the distance from your hands to the locater rings to ensure you have a balanced bar. Squeeze the bar just a bit, and keep your hands locked the entire time. If sweating and slipping of the bar is a problem, wear groves. Your spotter should always check your hand position as well to ensure you never overlook this very important factor in benching. Keep the wrists completely locked for the duration of the bench press as well.

Don’t breathe
On most movements, you are supposed to exhale during the positive element of the repetition. Bench press, however, is one exception to this rule. The lungs, packed with air, provide a base of support for the pectoral muscles as you propel the bar upward. Don’t limit your foundation of muscle – or worse, vary how much of an impact it has on the body – by creating a variable amount of air underneath the pectoral muscles when you bench press. Keeping your lungs full of air, then exhaling and taking a deep breath at the extended stopping point, is the best route to take.

Bottom out – then stop!
Whether you are a bodybuilder or a powerlifter, you will want to stop at the bottom of each repetition and pause for one full second. For powerlifters, this allows you to complete a legal lift, and become accustomed to doing so. When you lift in a meet, there are no half-repetitions. Every meet repetition must possess a one-second pause at the bottom for the rep to be legal. If you’re a bodybuilder, the use of a pause will take all of the momentum out of the movement, and transfer the workload to the muscles actually being trained. If you want to grow your muscles the most, or lift legally for competition, a one-second pause on every repetition is essential!

High Volume Training
Enter the gym. Choose a muscle group, such as back, arms, shoulders, chest, or legs. Complete 20 or 25 intense sets for this body part. Go home, eat, rest, and sleep. You will grow! This type of training leaves you at the gym a good 6 to 10 hours per week, and requires disciplined behavior outside of the gym to ensure recovery is optimal. Is high volume training the best muscle building workout? That’s hard to say. The best bodybuilders in the world tend to gravitate to this training methodology, so your guess is as good as mine!

High-Intensity Training
This method of is also known as low-volume training. It involves the use of a very small number of painful, excruciating sets during each workout. Instead of training with 16 to 22 sets of very good training, you will be limited to 4 or 6 total sets of all-out intensity and effort. This sort of training is very effective for some bodybuilders and powerlifters who have developed that ability to ascertain and capitalize upon the mind-muscle connection. Those without such awareness will lose size and strength very quickly on such a training protocol.

Full-Body Training
This training method isn’t that complex. Enter the gym, and hit every body part in a single 60 or 90 minute training session. Wait 2 to 3 days, and do it again! You will want to stick with the compound movements such as deadlifts, bench press, and squats in order to assure maximum muscle growth, but you’ll want to do so with a small number of sets. Devoting 12 heavy sets to back on a Monday almost assures you won’t be ready for more back movements on Wednesday or Thursday. Keep it moderate with this kind of training!

The best muscle building workout is the one that keeps delivering results. And since the human body is a remarkably adaptable organism which tends to adapt and adjust to any workload we can throw at it, then it make sense to believe that no workout will work forever. Even the top professional bodybuilders who made their marks in the sport using high volume training will often resort to a summer of powerlifting or low-volume training in order to stimulate some slow-twitch muscle fiber growth. The bottom line is that the best muscle building workout is the one that works for you – and keeps working. Now, it’s time for you to get to the gym and start employing some of the techniques listed above!

There is a specific weight training meant for bodybuilding. It is not much different from the other forms though it has some discrepancies. Bodybuilding is mainly about inducing the growth of muscles, a process known as muscle hypertrophy. A body building workout is usually strategically set to include isolation as well as compound exercises, all meant to involve the muscles and assert a level of stress relevant for the respective muscle development. These exercises have different targets, for the compound exercises, it is all about many muscle group involvement and for the isolation exercises it is a target of a specific muscle group. The most repetitions performed per set, ranges between seven to fifteen workouts in each set. The sets are done in a cyclical nature in a way that isolation exercises could be used by an individual to catch up on a lagging muscle and later on move back to compound exercises.

There is also weight training performed for endurance. This is a more complicated formula of approach. Muscular endurance is targeted properly when one uses a higher repetition range of sets. This is usually more than fifteen repetitions per set. However determining the muscle endurance level is much an individual phenomenon depending on the personal goals set for long term. It is therefore left for an individual to structure his weight training for endurance exercises.

There is weight training especially for sports. This depends specifically on the type of spot being targeted. The weight training comes in to ensure that the muscles are well strengthened and their power is drastically increased. The training is not biased though it may target specific groups of muscles all depending on the muscle relevant for the sport. There are situations where the athletes have a weakness and this is the main target of weight training for sports and the reason why it is deemed as more specific. All the choices depend on the individual and the sport being involved in because of the target. It could be for strength, agility, power or even endurance which is an individual business.

Remember that, any form of weight training should always be performed using the best form to avoid possible injuries and load the muscles effectively. In instances where one must overload the muscles, it would be wise to know the specific target and base the exercises on goals set. Also, rest is very important in a way that, it will give you ample time to refresh both physically and mentally in readiness for more exercising. Stick to the principles of every weight training type and the process will never disappoint you in any way.