52 Muscle Building Tips · I hope you enjoy your copy of 52 Muscle Building Tips. Please feel free to email this e-book to any of your friends, family, or co-workers that you think

52 Muscle Building Tips

By Tony Schwartz

Professional Strength Coach

Founder of AthleticMuscleBuilding.com

http://www.athleticmusclebuilding.com/

Table of Contents

Introduction

Explosive Training For Fast-Twitch Muscles……………………………………………… 1

Gain Muscle After 40………………………………………………………………………… 3

Preventing Rotator Cuff Injuries…………………………………………………………… 4

Gain Muscle and Save Money………………………………………………………………...6

Selecting The Best Muscle Building Program……………………………………………….7

The Forgotten Lift…………………………………………………………………………….9

Three Phases of Strength……………………………………………………………………..11

The Classic Weight Lifting Exercise…………………………………………………………13

Optimizing Hormone Levels………………………………………………………………….14

Muscle Building Questions…………………………………………………………………...15

Increasing Muscle Volume……………………………………………………………………16

Snacks to Gain Weight Quick………………………………………………………………...17

The Best Exercises for Building Muscle……………………………………………………...18

The Importance of Slow-Twitch Muscles……………………………………………………19

Is 3 Sets of 10 the Best Way? ………………………………………………………………...20

Daily Workouts………………………………………………………………………………..21

Cryotherapy…………………………………………………………………………………...22

How to Increase Your Bench…………………………………………………………………23

3 Common Low Carb Diet Mistakes………………………………………………………....24

Protein Powder Misconceptions……………………………………………………………...25

Epsom Salt Baths for Recovery………………………………………………………………26

Military Training for Muscle Growth……………………………………………………….27

6 Quick Muscle Building Tips………………………………………………………………..28

Choosing a Multi-Vitamin…………………………………………………………………....30

The Importance of Fat………………………………………………………………………..32

5x5 Workout Program………………………………………………………………………..34

Chiropractors for Optimal Performance…………………………………………………....35

Muscle Building Tips For the Hard Gainer………………………………………………....36

A 3-Tiered Approach to Supplementation………………………………………………….37

How Much Protein Do You Need? ………………………………………………………….39

How Useful Are Machines? ………………………………………………………………….40

4 Muscle Building Secrets…………………………………………………………………....41

The Benefits of Fish Oil For Health and Muscle Growth………………………………….43

The Truth About High Protein Diets………………………………………………………..45

How to Achieve Your Muscle Building Goals………………………………………………46

How to Make the Bench Press Great For Chest Building………………………………….47

How to Get in Shape Without Working Out………………………………………………..49

How to Make Any Workout Great…………………………………………………………...50

Glutamine Overview…………………………………………………………………………..52

3 Foods for Muscle Building………………………………………………………………….53

Creatine Overview…………………………………………………………………………….55

3 Exercises for Six-Pack Abs………………………………………………………………....57

Is Your Mind Holding Back Your Progress? ………………………………………………59

Contrast Showers……………………………………………………………………………..60

The Importance of Carbohydrates…………………………………………………………..61

H.I.T. Overview………………………………………………………………………………..62

3 Muscle Building Myths Exposed…………………………………………………………...63

Building Big Biceps……………………………………………………………………………65

How to Be a Better Athlete…………………………………………………………………....66

The Importance of Cheat Meals……………………………………………………………...68

How to Get Stronger…………………………………………………………………………..69

Muscle Building Program Science……………………………………………………………70

I hope you enjoy your copy of 52 Muscle Building Tips. Please feel free to email this e-book to any of your friends, family, or co-workers that you think would enjoy this information. They will surely be glad that you shared this information with them!

This E-book will provide you with a great collection of tips on training, nutrition, and supplements for building muscle. After you read this E-book, if you want to really take your gains to the next level and discover the entire muscle building system that I’ve used with everyone from professional athletes to regular guys, check out the Athletic Muscle Building Program. This program is fully comprehensive with everything you need to know if you’re serious about increasing your muscle mass. Athletic Muscle Building isn’t just a collection of tips like this e-book, it’s about combining synergistic training, nutrition, and supplementation programs to increase your strength and muscle mass as fast as possible. And best of all, it’s guaranteed to work. . On another note, if you haven’t signed up yet for my FREE Muscle Building Secrets Newsletter, what are you waiting for? I’ll send you tips and tricks every so often that you can go out and use right away to achieve the muscular body you’re looking for. Sign up now if you’re not already a member.

Before we get into the program, let me give you a little background about myself. My name is Tony Schwartz and I’m a professional strength coach. That means that on a daily basis I work with athletes and regular people of all levels to help them improve their bodies. I have a B.Sc. in Exercise Science from Indiana University, where I was a research assistant in the areas of biomechanics and exercise physiology. I’ve authored, edited, and contributed to many books and articles in the field of exercise science. I am probably best known for my book “Athletic Muscle,” as well as my contributions to Christian Thibaudeau’s book “Theory and Methodology of Modern Strength and Power Methods.” I’ve presented to strength coaches across the country on a variety of topics including general and specific training, block periodization, and plyometrics. In addition, I am a recognized “Platinum Expert Author” by Ezinearticles.com and I’ve had my articles published on well over 1,000 fitness websites around the world.

Just so you know that I’m a real person, here’s a photo of me performing one of my favorite at home exercises… Door Pull-ups.




1 52 Muscle Building Tips

Explosive Training For Fast-Twitch Muscles

If you look at the physiques of explosive athletes you will notice huge amounts of muscle mass. This holds true for weightlifters, sprinters, throwers, wrestlers, etc.

While heavy strength training plays a big role in the development of these athletes' muscles, it is not the only type of training they do. They also perform a lot of explosive training. This is also sometimes referred to as speed-strength, power, or plyometric training.

Whatever you call it, this type of training really hits the fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers have the highest potential for strength and muscle growth so it is important that they are stimulated adequately.

Here are 3 groups of exercises you can use to shock those fast-twitch muscle fibers into new growth!

Jumps

There are wide varieties of jumps you can use. Starting with the basic vertical and long jumps and then progressing to jumps over hurdles or up stadium steps. You can even add extra loading to jumps in the form of a bar on your back or weights in your hands. All of these variations have their own intricacies and will develop power in different ways. But if you are just looking to shock the muscles with something new then just pick any exercise and try a few sets. Don't forget things like clap push-ups as an upper body "jump" variation!

Sprints

Sprinting is a great whole body exercise and I believe that anyone who dares to call themselves an athlete should be able to sprint well. Every athlete I work with, including swimmers and hockey players, will sprint at some point during the year. This exercise not only taxes your lower body, but also the abs, lower back, and even the shoulder girdle! Just look at the shoulder and trapezius development on an Olympic sprinter.

If you haven't sprinted in awhile then it is important to ease into it. Don't go right into an all-out sprint or you will put your body at unnecessary risk of injury. Start with short distances (less than 20 yards) and go at 60% speed the first week, 75% the second week, and 90% on the third week. If you're feeling good after that then you can try an all-out sprint, but only after an extensive warm-up.

Throws

Throws can be done with a variety of implements. I find medicine balls are one of the most versatile objects, but you can use an old plate or dumbbell, or even a make your own medicine ball by stuffing an old basketball with sand. Try a mix of throws to stimulate the upper and lower body. Chest passes, soccer throws, shot puts, and backwards tosses are great basic throws to get you started.

2 Athletic Muscle Building

Give one or more of these explosive exercises a try at your next workout. Not only will you activate those fast-twitch muscle fibers, but you'll also get some variety in your routine and have a chance to workout outside.

Explosive training is one the crucial steps to growing muscle that not only looks good, but performs at a high-level. Remember, if you want to look like an athlete then you need to train like one!


Gain Muscle After 40

When guys that are 40 or older approach me for workout advice they are often skeptical whether the advice is useful for them. After all, I primarily train athletes, and what does some 25 year old pro athlete have to do with a 45 year old business man?

Well, to tell you the truth, there really isn't that much of a difference between the training for these two guys, especially if the focus is on gaining muscle and strength. There are typically only three things that need to be factored in when you pass 40:

Hormones

Somewhere between the ages of 35 and 40 testosterone levels begin to fall. This drop in levels has been termed "andropause." This has huge consequences for building muscle, as anabolic hormones are the signal for our body to repair and rebuild. With less of these hormones you cannot repair your muscles as quickly as a 20 year old. This fact should be kept in mind when designing the training program. Options for increasing hormone levels should also be considered.

Injuries

Over time everyone begins to accumulate injuries. Even if it's nothing big those nagging aches and pains can prevent you from training as hard or as often as you would like. Because of this a good physical therapist and/or chiropractor are a definite must. If you are serious about gaining muscle then you need to be serious about training hard. And you need to be serious about taking the steps necessary to able to train hard consistently.

Mindset

Call it wisdom gained through experience, or cautiousness due to age, either way it is often difficult to get people with long standing habits to try something new. I have talked to more than one guy in his 40s who was still doing the workout he got from his high school football coach! Look, if you are serious about changing your body then you need to be ready to change the way you train and eat. Embrace new training programs and diets. What you've been doing isn't working, so try something new. Remember, the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing and expecting different results!

Keep in mind that I am highlighting the differences here. The basics of a good scientific training and nutrition plan still hold true no matter your age. Anyone at any age can make fantastic improvements in their physique. Keep this in mind the next time someone tells you (or you think to yourself) that you're too old to be training hard!


Preventing Rotator Cuff Injuries

One of the most often injured areas in bodybuilders is the rotator cuff. This is primarily due to a high volume of pressing (bench press, incline press, overhead press, etc.) and a low volume of work for the antagonistic muscles of the upper back. The best fix for this is obviously to begin to balance the training of your upper body. For every set of pressing you should do a set of rowing to balance the muscles of the shoulder girdle.

This strategy not only prevents injuries, but also prevents the dreaded "caveman posture" (rounded upper back). Proper posture is not only an issue of appearance though, it also improves your performance since the joints are stabilized and in correct alignment.

Balancing pressing with rows is a great start, but if you have been training in an unbalanced manner for awhile then you may also need to do some concentrated work for the rotator cuffs. Please notice that this is to be done in addition to a balanced training program. There is nothing I hate more than seeing some guy do set after set of heavy bench presses and then do a few sets of a rotator cuff exercise with 5 pounds in an effort to prevent injury.

Always remember that proper program design is your first line of defense against injuries! If you don’t know how to properly design a training program (hint: there is more to it than just balancing rows and presses) then find someone who does. Your muscle gains will be faster and your injuries will be fewer.

With that said, let’s look at two simple rotator cuff exercises you can use:

Prone 90/90 Rotations Start lying face down on a bench. Grab a light dumbbell or plate in each hand. Raise the dumbbells off the floor by bending your elbows to 90 degrees and having your upper arm at 90 degrees to your body. This is your starting position. From this position you are going to keep your elbows in the same position and rotate at the shoulder until the dumbbells are out to the side of your head. Then return to the starting position and repeat.

Side-lying 0/90 Rotations Start lying on your left side with a dumbbell or plate in your right hand. Put your elbow on your hip with a 90 degree bend in your elbow. Your forearm should be lying across your stomach. This is the start position. From this position rotate from the shoulder while keeping the elbow at your hip. Rotate as far as your flexibility will allow and then return to the starting position.

These two direct rotator cuff movements are a great addition to an already sound muscle gaining program. There are many more rotator cuff exercises, but the basics will serve you well for while. Don't be surprised if you cannot use more than 2 or 3 pounds on these movements to begin with. If you have been ignoring your rotator cuffs and upper back for awhile then they are bound to be weak. Give it some time and you will begin to see progress.

If you stick to a well-designed training program you will prevent injuries and gain muscle mass. Always keep in mind that a great training program comes before everything else. If your workout


program is poorly designed then don’t ever expect to see consistent muscle gains no matter how hard you work in the gym or what supplements you take.


Gain Muscle and Save Money

It seems that you can’t pick up a paper or turn on the TV without hearing something about the current worldwide economic issues. While the effects of this crisis are far-reaching, for those of us interested in muscle growth and getting stronger it is even more pronounced. I doubt many will argue that the pursuit of more muscle mass and strength is a pursuit of excess.

To accomplish your goals you need more weight, more sleep, and of course, more food. But with everyone tightening-up their budgets and with food prices already soaring well in advance of this latest economic crisis, we need to see what we can do to make our goals compatible with our paychecks.

First and foremost is to cut-out the unnecessary. Here are three places where you can trim some costs without sacrificing your gains.

Supplements Sure, you may like that NO supplement or the high priced energy drinks, but wouldn’t a cup of coffee give you at least 90% of the benefit at a fraction of the cost? Or how about choosing regular old creatine monohydrate instead of creatine ethyl ester? In fact, you could probably get rid of pretty much every supplement you’re using, except for maybe a good protein powder and multi-vitamin, and not notice any measurable change in your progress.

Food I know that eating organic is popular among those looking to gain muscle and be healthy, but you should be aware of what is important to buy organic and what is not. To make it simple, I would advise that most of your fruits and vegetables be organic, but things like grains and animal products are less important to buy organic. For animal products it is much more important to look for grass-fed sources of beef and dairy products then it is to look for organic sources. It is also a good idea to look for cheaper sources of protein since these are typically the most expensive items. Use the links below to find an article on this topic.

Gym I am always amazed to find how many people have multiple gym memberships. In most cases this is completely unnecessary. In fact, if you have some basic equipment in your basement you might not need a gym membership at all! If you do need to keep your gym membership, consider opting for a longer contract that will give you a lower monthly rate or volunteering some of your time working at the front desk or cleaning the equipment in order to save on your membership costs. Not only will this help you save money, but it will force you to get to the gym more often!

Whatever you do, don’t let the current economic situation change your goals. If you are serious about building muscle then you will simply have to make a few more sacrifices to get there. Most importantly you need to re-evaluate what you are doing and stick with the basics, as this is what works time and time again. Figure out a budget and spend it on the things you know will make a difference: a scientific training program and high-quality food, not useless supplements. If you want to save even more money then use the food and supplement discounts provided in the Athletic Muscle Building program.



Selecting The Best Muscle Building Program

Maybe you have already come to the realization that while it's great to collect all the complimentary info on the web, the depth and quality of the info is nothing compared to what is found in most books. The old adage "You get what you pay for" definitely applies here. This holds true for just about every subject out there, and muscle building work out programs are no exception.

But even after you have decided to purchase the highest quality info, it is hard to know how to find the best muscle building work out program. I will give you some guidelines in a minute, but first I want to discuss how NOT to find the best source of info.

Most people begin their search with price. Now I understand that nearly everyone has to work within a certain budget. But it still amazes me when I see people choose inferior training programs just because they are cheaper.

This alone is not that strange, but what is strange is that these same people then go and spend hundreds of dollars on worthless supplements or pieces of exercise equipment. Or worse yet, they throw away money on something not even related to their goals. Why not spend your hard-earned cash on something with guaranteed results?

My thought-process when buying anything is to look for the best-quality product and then work backwards from there if the price is too extravagant. In this way I make sure that I only purchase one high-quality product that will give me results, not several inferior products that won't give me what I need.

It's no different than buying a car. If you purchase a high-quality car from the outset, then you'll pay less over the long-run because you won't need as many repairs and your car will last longer.

With that in mind, here are the big three criteria that should be kept in mind when evaluating work out programs:

Science

Your body operates under the laws of science, so it would be helpful to have a book that completely explains these laws on easy to understand writing. Since these laws hold true for everyone, it makes sense that a program designed with science in mind will work to at least some extent for everyone.

Results

The whole reason you purchase a work out program is for the results. There are a couple of things you should look for that indicate the quality of the results. The first is a money-back guarantee. No matter how good you think the program is you always want the option of getting your money back. The second is the experience of the author. Is it someone who has actually trained other people? Or is it simply a self-proclaimed expert?


Usability

The most common reason that people stop working out is that it becomes too difficult to get the results they want. So naturally, you want a training program that is easy to get results with. To insure this it is important that there is a good support system set-up. Before buying, test out the customer service. Is it quick? Is someone qualified answering your questions or are your technical questions outsourced to a clueless customer service rep?

Use these criteria and don't get bogged-down in the marketing hype of muscle building workout programs. The hype won't give you results, a good program will.

Also, keep in mind that simply looking over these programs won't give you results. You actually need to try a program for a few weeks or so to evaluate it. Don't suffer from "paralysis by analysis" whereby you make no decision at all because you are too caught up in comparing programs. Take action today if you are serious about achieving your goals.


The Forgotten Lift

In a quest to be innovative, personal trainers have devised several new exercises using various equipment. These include things like Bosu ball squats and stability ball bench presses. The problem is that nearly all of these exercises are useless if you are training to build strength and gain muscle size. Time and time again the old-school exercises defeat the new exercises. There are various reasons for this, which I won't get into right now, but if you need evidence then simply observe the physiques of those who train with these exercises.

The point is that even though these new exercises are ineffective, they have caught-on in some circles simply because they are new. This is not so terrible in itself, but many of these new exercises seem to have pushed the classic exercises from the gym entirely. One such classic exercise is the overhead press. Now, the overhead press has always been somewhat of an endangered animal due to the huge popularity of the bench press, but now it is nearly extinct in most gyms. So it is time for a reintroduction to this classic mass builder.

As mentioned, the bench press is by far the most popular variation of the press, likely due to its activation of the pectorals. However, if you have become too bench press obsessed in your programming you have likely seen stagnation in your strength and size gains. One of the best ways to get your bench press moving again is to increase your strength in the overhead press. By focusing on the overhead press the deltoids, triceps, and traps will all get stronger and bigger, which will translate to a bigger bench press. I highly recommend that most trainees forego the bench press altogether for at least 2 months out of the year to focus on the overhead press. Don't worry about your bench press strength; it will be much better when you return to it.

There are a variety of ways that overhead presses can be done. The first obvious choice is whether to use dumbbells or a barbell. You can then choose to be seated or standing. For now we are going to focus on the standing barbell variations as these will usually give you the best results.

Standing Front Overhead Press

This is the classic version of the overhead press, with the bar in front of the head at the collarbones. The bar is pressed overhead until the arms are straight. The end position is with the bar directly over the head, even with the ears.

Standing Behind-the-Neck Overhead Press

This variation is the same as the Front Overhead Press, except that the bar starts resting on the traps, just as you would for a high-bar back squat. From this position the bar is pressed overhead and then returned to the traps.

Standing Bradford Press

The Bradford Press is a combination of the Front and Behind-the-Neck Presses. The starting position is the same as the Front Press. From this position the bar is pressed to a position just


higher than the head and then brought down onto the traps. From the upper back the bar is pressed as in the Behind-the-Neck Press, but only to a level slightly above the head and then brought back to the front of the body. This is one rep.

Push Press

The Push Press is a variation on the Front and Behind-the-Neck Presses, although it is most often performed with the bar in front of the head as in the Front Press. From this position the motion of the arms is the same as in the Front Press. The only difference is that the movement is initiated with a slight bend in the knees followed by an explosive extension of the knees. This brings the leg muscles into play which will allow you to use more weight.

Use one or more of these overhead pressing variations in your training program instead of the bench press. If you do I know you will be ecstatic with the strength and muscle gains you experience.


Three Phases of Strength

If you have any strength training experience at all in an effort to gain muscle or strength, you know that the goal is usually to lift very heavy weights. While this goal is certainly good for those looking to add strength and mass, it should be noted that the actual lifting of heavy weights is not the main stimulus for muscle building. Instead, building muscle seems to be induced primarily by the lowering of weights.

You see, most exercises include three distinct phases:

Concentric

This is the actual lifting portion of the exercise. This is when you curl the bar up during a biceps curl or push yourself up during a push-up.

Eccentric (Negative)

This is the lowering portion of the exercise. When you lower yourself after completing a pull-up or lower the bar to the chest in a bench press you are performing an eccentric, or negative, muscle action.

Isometric

This is the portion of the lift where the weight is not moving at all. For most traditional weight training exercises this portion of the movement only lasts for a very short time.

The interesting thing is that exercise scientists have determined that most muscle damage occurs during the lowering (eccentric) portion of the movement. Since we know that muscle damage is what stimulates muscle gain, this has led many to focus on the eccentric phase in their muscle building efforts.

Whether or not this is a good strategy is still open to debate, but the vast majority of scientific evidence and personal trial and error has led most to believe that emphasizing the eccentric portion of an exercise, while still performing the other two phases, may lead to better muscle gains.

There are several strategies for doing this. The most popular and easiest (no coincidence there) is to simply slow down the eccentric portion of a movement. It is usually recommended that the eccentric phase take anywhere from 2-8 seconds. The exact duration will depend on your specific goals and the movement you are using.

Another option for prioritizing the eccentric portion of the lift is to use eccentric-only reps. For instance, in the bench press you would simply lower the weight to your chest and then have a partner assist in lifting the weight (concentric phase). Another useful fact is that you are stronger eccentrically than you are concentrically. What this means is that you can use more weight for an eccentric-only lift than you can for a traditional lift which includes all phases. The upsides to this


method are huge, but so are the downsides. Eccentric-only lifts can lead to rapid strength and size gains, but the potential for injury is huge since you are using such heavy weights. For this reason I seldom recommend eccentric-only lifts with more than you can safely lift on your own, unless it is included in a properly designed training program under the guidance of a professional strength coach.

There are many other ways to incorporate eccentrics into your training program, but I think you get the idea. Just remember, if you are struggling with how to gain muscle it’s not just how much you lift, it’s also how much you lower.


The Classic Weight Lifting Exercise

The back squat is known as the classic muscle building exercise. No other exercise works as many muscle fibers as completely as the back squat. With just this one weight lifting exercise you work your quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, lower back, upper back, and abs.

The use of all these muscle groups elicits a positive hormonal response that can cause the rest of your body to grow as well. For these reasons the back squat rightfully deserves the title as king of the mass builders.

But sometimes we need some variety in our training. Whether it's because we're bored, want to target a specific area, or need to work around an injury, sometimes back squats are just out of the question. For those situations here are some good alternatives to the classic weight lifting exercise:

Front Squat

The front squat is the closest relative of the back squat. Its execution is very similar to the back squat, except that the bar is in front of the head instead of behind it. Make sure the bar rests on the front of the shoulders and that the weight is not simply supported by the hands. There are a couple of variations for hand placement, but as long as the weight is stable and relatively comfortable it doesn't really matter. The advantage of the front squat is that the body is forced to maintain an upright posture in order to avoid dropping the weight. This means you'll be able to use less weight than with a back squat, but you'll also put more targeted stress on the quads.

Zercher Squat

This is one of the least often used, but one of the most effective squat variations. To perform this variation, begin standing with your arms at your sides and your elbows bent to 90-degrees (like the mid-point of a biceps curl). From this position put the bar in the crooks of your elbows and clasp your hands together in front of you. If the bar is hurting your elbows (and it will if the weight is heavy enough) then you can place a thick towel between the bar and your skin. From this position you simply squat down until the bar touches your quads and then stand back up. This is a tremendous weight lifting exercise for the lower and upper back, as well as the legs.

Split Squat

This variation is very similar to a lunge, and is even often referred to as a Static Lunge. Whatever you call it, it's a tremendous weight lifting exercise for the legs. Simply set-up with one foot 2-3 feet in front of the other. From this position, squat down until the knee of the rear leg touches the floor and then stand back up. This can be done with a bar on your back or dumbbells held at your side. Don't switch legs or bring the feet back together until you have completed the set, otherwise you'll be doing a lunge. The leg in front will bear a lot of the weight, but the rear leg also gets a good workout. Because of this, make sure to rest adequately before switching legs. Use these variations in conjunction with a comprehensive training and nutrition plan and you will see new muscle growth in no time!


Optimizing Hormone Levels

Hormone levels are an often forgotten element when it comes to building muscle. Two people can follow the exact same diet and training program yet get different results. Likewise, there are some people who can eat horribly and never exercise, yet still have low body fat and good muscle tone. There are many factors at play here, but one of the main factors is hormone levels.

There are 4 major hormones that impact your muscle gaining efforts:

Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone that is released during periods of stress such as high-intensity exercise. Cortisol leads to muscle breakdown, which is obviously bad for those looking to build muscle, especially if cortisol levels get too high.

Estrogen

Estrogen is the female sex hormone. While small amounts of this hormone are beneficial for men, it's a good idea to keep levels of estrogen fairly low for muscle building and health reasons. Unfortunately, many of the chemicals present in modern society lead to higher levels of estrogen, which is harmful for both men and women.

Testosterone

This is the big daddy of them all. Testosterone is the male sex hormone and one of its most notable effects is the building of muscle mass. This is the reason men can gain more muscle than women, and it's also why steroids are so popular. Flat out, more testosterone means more muscle!

Insulin

Insulin is one of the hormones we have the most control over. It is released in response to eating, especially when eating foods high in carbohydrates. Insulin has beneficial effects on muscle building such as lowering cortisol and shuttling vital nutrients to your muscles. However, chronically high insulin levels lead to excess body fat and health problems.

As you can see hormone levels are a balancing act. You don't want to completely eliminate any hormone. Likewise, excessively high levels of one hormone can be very detrimental to health and muscle building. For this reason it is important to have a good understanding of hormones before attempting any intervention which artificially changes your hormone levels. Even endocrinologists (doctors who specialize in the hormonal system) don't have a complete understanding of how hormones work. This is why I never recommend taking steroids or pro-hormones simply to gain muscle. For safe ways to optimize your hormones click on the link below.


Muscle Building Questions

The basic question of how to get muscles is actually a fairly simply one in theory. It comes down to two factors.

The stimulus for growth The stimulus for growth is muscle breakdown. When muscles are broken down the body sees this as a signal to start building muscle. Muscle breakdown is typically a result of lifting weights or some other form of strength training.

Proper recovery Once the muscle has been broken down and the body has been signaled to start building muscle, we need to give the body everything it needs to properly repair the muscle so that it is stronger and bigger.

Of course, this is a simplified answer for how to get muscles. There are lots of details that go into each of the two factors. For example:

- How much muscle breakdown is appropriate? - What is the best program to breakdown muscle to elicit growth? - How many calories and when should I eat to properly repair muscle? - How many grams of protein, carbs, and fats do I need? - What supplements accelerate and aid the recovery process? - What role do hormones play in the muscle building process and how can they be optimized? - What other recovery methods can I use to increase muscle mass?

My intention is not to leave you with a bunch of unanswered questions, but rather to show you how complex the "simple" process of muscle building really is. Of course, anyone can get mediocre results without knowing the answers to these questions, but to optimize your gains you have to have the answers to these questions and more.

If you can answer these questions conclusively then you are well on your way to finding the optimal system for you. If however, you are not familiar with the science behind muscle building, then I highly recommend seeking-out someone who is. When you see the gains you get from a scientifically-designed training program you will happy you did.


Increasing Muscle Volume

People don't often realize it, but muscle is composed of two distinct areas. The first is the portion of the muscle where the actual muscle contraction takes place. This is where the proteins that make-up the muscle fibers are located. This is the area that gets the most focus from those looking to build mass muscle. This makes sense to a degree, as this is where force is actually produced, but this area only makes up about 20% of the volume of the muscle.

However, the other area (composed of several components) is just as important, especially if you are trying to build mass muscle. This area is composed primarily of water (along with electrolytes) and muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrates). If your goal is to look as muscular as possible then the volume of this area needs to be maximized.

This is done through optimal hydration techniques and well-constructed carbohydrate consumption, as well the use of specific supplements such as creatine. All of these strategies help to increase the size of the muscle without actually increasing the size of the contractile proteins.

But this is not just for cosmetic purposes. The increased muscle volume has some performance enhancing effects as well. The increased muscle mass creates more favorable leverage for force production and it is well-known that a properly hydrated muscle cell is more anabolic than a dehydrated one.

The focus of training should still be on increasing the size and strength of the contractile proteins, but the "storage area" of the muscle should not be neglected. This area makes the muscle look larger over the short term, and contributes to positive results over the long-term.


Snacks to Gain Weight Quick

Gaining weight comes down to two things, training and nutrition. Of the two, nutrition is the most important. Unfortunately, skinny guys typically have trouble consuming enough calories per day to pack on mass as fast as they want to. If this is the problem you're having then use these quick snacks to load up on quality calories.

Trail mix

Trail mix can be made with a variety of ingredients, but typically it is a mix of nuts and dried fruits. Nuts provide most of the calories here with a good dose of healthy fat and a small amount of protein. The dried fruits provide some extra calories, in addition to the antioxidants in things like raisins and dried cranberries.

Nut butters

Peanut butter is the staple, but you can also try almond butter, cashew butter, and macadamia butter. All of these provide a huge calorie boost with lots of healthy fat, along with some protein and fiber. Just make sure to get the "natural" versions which don't contain any added sugar or fat.

Milk

Whether it's whole, 2%, skim, or chocolate, milk is great way to not only increase your calories, but also your protein. Milk protein is about 80% whey protein and 20% casein protein, the same mix you see in many expensive protein powders. But in addition to the protein you also get plenty of carbs and fat. Wash down your next meal with a big glass of milk to help you pack-in the calories.

Please note that these snacks are for those of you who are having trouble gaining weight. But even those who are in this situation need to carefully monitor their body fat percentage. The goal is always to gain muscle while minimizing fat. Don't use gaining weight as an excuse to get fat!


The Best Exercises for Building Muscle

If you're looking for info on how to build muscles then one of the best tips you will ever get is to focus your efforts on compound exercises. Compound exercises are those movements which use more than one joint. For example, the bench press is a compound exercise because both the shoulder and elbow joints move. A bicep curl on the other hand, is not a compound exercise since only the elbow joints move.

Compound exercises allow for the use of heavy weights and they stimulate a large amount of muscle. Because of these factors the use of compound exercises in your training program allows for fast and efficient muscle building.

If your goal is to build muscle as fast as possible, then I highly recommend basing your program around compound exercises. Some good ones to start with are squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, and bench presses. With these 4 exercises alone you will have stimulated most of the muscles in the body.

If you feel the need you can throw-in some curls, triceps extensions, calf raises, ab work, etc. But the base of your program should include a heavy emphasis on compound exercises. This is especially true for beginners.

Compound exercises alone are all most people really need, especially early-on in your training career. You can build an impressive pair of arms just by increasing your bench press and chin-up. And, as a bonus, you will also have increased the size of your delts, lats, and pecs. This is the efficiency of compound exercises at work. Improvements in compound exercises will give you more bang for your buck than improvements in isolation exercises.

As always, any training program must be combined with a solid nutrition program to get the best results. If you are unfamiliar with the science behind successful training and nutrition programs then it is always best to consult a professional, especially if you are struggling to put on muscle as quickly as you want.


The Importance of Slow-Twitch Muscles

Fast-twitch muscle fibers seem to get all the attention from those looking to build fast muscle. This is understandable to an extent. After all, fast-twitch muscle fibers produce greater force and have a higher potential for growth than slow-twitch fibers. But there is more to building muscle then simply stimulating the fast-twitch fibers.

If your goal is really to build fast muscle, then it is necessary to stimulate all types of muscle fibers to grow. After all, just because fast-twitch muscle fibers have the highest growth potential doesn't mean that we don't want the slow-twitch fibers to grow as well. By focusing on only the fast-twitch fibers you are cutting your gains short.

In addition, the type of exercise that is typical of any bodybuilding routine relies heavily on the slow-twitch fibers. Most fast-twitch fibers don't have the endurance for more than 10-20 seconds of work. However, it is not uncommon for sets of 8-15 reps to last 40-60 seconds or longer. This is where slow-twitch muscle fibers come in. Without strong slow-twitch fibers these sets would not be possible.

Additionally, you are stronger if you can use all of your muscle fibers together. If you are only using your fast-twitch fibers then you are not producing as much force as you could with the slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers combined. As you should know, there is a strong correlation between muscle strength and size, so increasing your strength by using all of your available muscle fibers is a must.

Please note that I am not suggesting that anyone has to ability to only recruit their fast-twitch fibers during a set, but from some of the discussions I have heard this does seem to be a goal for some people. I am here to tell you that not only is this not possible, but it's also not desirable if your goal is to build muscle fast.


Is 3 Sets of 10 the Best Way?

Likely the most often used loading parameters for an exercise are 3 sets of 10. This protocol has become the default setting for many weight training programs. So why is 3 sets of 10 so prevalent? Is it the best choice for your specific goals?

Sets of 10 reps result in a mix of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. This makes 10 rep sets an excellent protocol for muscle gain, but only moderately useful as a strength builder. Like any parameter, if you use 3x10 for too long it will be rendered ineffective. But if your main goal is to gain muscle then 10 rep sets can be an excellent addition to your weight training program.

Three sets may or may not be enough volume to cause significant muscle growth. It depends mainly on how the sets are performed. For example, if all the sets are done to failure then 3 sets will probably be enough for most people to gain muscle. However, if the first two sets are treated as an extended warm-up, and not performed anywhere close to failure, then it is likely that 3 sets will not be a sufficient stimulus to gain muscle.

Other factors to consider when selecting the number of sets for an exercise are the volume of the other exercises in the workout, the overall volume of the training program, and your individual recovery capacity.

We can’t generalize too much if we want to be accurate, but for most people in most situations 3x10 performed with a 10-15 rep max (the most weight you could lift for 10-15 reps for one set) will yield significant results until your body has adapted to this program.

Always remember that any protocol can work for a short period of time. Designing weight training programs that give long-term consistent results is the trick. The 3x10 protocol is no exception.

So if you're looking for a good protocol to gain muscle then 3x10 may be the answer. But if you have already been using it for a few weeks or more then it may be time for something new.


Daily Workouts

Making exercise a habit is one of the most difficult obstacles every new trainee faces. I believe the main reason for this is that most weight training programs typically only recommended training for 3-5 days per week. It can be pretty hard to build a habit if you're taking every other day off.

For this reason I like to incorporate some type of daily strength training with many new trainees. This could be something as simple as a few push-ups or pull-ups every day, or it could get as advanced as the Extreme Strength Boost training program. Either way, the purpose is to build the habit of strength training while bringing you closer to your goal.

For example, if you are trying to build upper body mass, why not knockout 10 pull-ups and 20 push-ups every morning? For most people this won’t be very difficult, won’t interfere with your normal weight training program, and won’t cause overtraining. But the repetitive nature of the task will help you gain mass over the long haul.

Or, if you are struggling with fat loss, try this quick circuit every morning:

Jumping Jacks for 30 seconds

Squats for 30 seconds

Push-ups for 30 seconds

Run in place for 30 seconds

Repeat as necessary

This will burn a ton of additional calories every day and will help get that metabolic furnace pumping as soon as you get up.

With these daily workouts don't focus on pushing yourself too hard or going to failure. These workouts are simply designed to help you get some more work in without negatively affecting your usual weight training program.

There are tons of ways that daily workouts can be incorporated into weight lifting programs to meet your individualized goals. I have only mentioned a few of the options here.

Drop me a line at my site if you've got some innovative ways that you use quick and simple daily workouts to put you on the path to success.



Cryotherapy

If you are serious about building muscle then you also need to be serious about your recovery. There are a lot of workout tips out there, but enhancing your recovery is one of the best muscle building secrets.

If you have been training hard then it is likely that you have experienced muscle soreness following exercise. If you have been exercising consistently for several years it is also likely that you have some chronic muscle related pain that was caused by years of using the same muscles over and over again.

Luckily, there is a simple solution that works very well for enhancing recovery, relieving soreness, and alleviating chronic muscle pains. This solution is ice massage also known as cryo-massage.

This is simply a massaging of the muscle with a piece of ice. To perform ice massage the simplest way is to fill a small Dixie cup with water and freeze it. You can then peel-away the cup to expose the ice. Hold the unpeeled end in your hand and massage the desired area. There are also special plastic cups created just for this purpose if you don't mind a small investment.

It is best to use long, deep strokes over the entire length of the muscle. Make sure not to simply rub the ice on the surface of your skin, but to apply some downward pressure as you go over the length of the muscle.

Ice massage is best used immediately post-exercise. A duration of 10-15 minutes is usually sufficient.

The ice will reduce inflammation and increase blood flow to the massaged area, which often times completely prevents any muscle soreness. In addition, the massaging action helps to breakdown muscle adhesions which may be causing chronic muscle pain or tightness.

I find that ice massage is one of the most powerful recovery tools available. Because of this you may be tempted to use ice massage after every workout. But like any recovery method, if you use ice massage too often it will begin to lose its effectiveness.

For this reason I recommend reserving ice massage for only your toughest workouts. This means that it should be used once per week at most.

Give ice massage a try after your next workout. I think you will find that it significantly reduces your recovery time between workouts and may help you deal with some of the chronic muscle pains you experience.

Please remember that although ice massage is one of the best muscle building secrets, without a properly designed training and nutrition program you will find that the results are minimal.


How to Increase Your Bench

The bench press is seemingly everyone's favorite lift. Go to a gym on a Monday and you are lucky to find an open bench. Everyone wants a big bench press, so they prioritize it by doing it first in the workout and first in the week.

This prioritization works for a short period of time, but eventually leads to stagnation. So if you've been prioritizing your bench press for the last few months with no substantial increases in strength or size it is obviously time to change your approach, as your current method is not working.

So what should your new priority be? Well, I have found that bench press obsessed lifters are generally deficient in overhead pressing strength. For these lifters improving their overhead press will cause their bench press poundages to skyrocket, because this is a limiting factor in their strength. That's right, one of the best chest muscle building tips is prioritize shoulder exercises!

Try it out for a few weeks and see what you think. Put an overhead pressing exercise first in your workout and first in the week. Attack it with the same dedication that you give to your bench press.

And speaking of the bench press, refrain from using it during this overhead pressing specialization cycle. Instead focus on things like dumbbell bench press, incline bench, flyes, and other chest exercises you haven't used in awhile.

After 4-8 weeks of an overhead pressing focused program I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you return to prioritizing the bench press. Keep in mind that you probably won't be stronger when you first return to the bench press, but within a few weeks you will be smashing your old records and you will see why I think overhead pressing is one of the best chest muscle building tips!


3 Common Low Carb Diet Mistakes

Low carb diets are very popular for both weight loss and muscle gain. However, I often see people making some big mistakes when attempting to follow a low-carb diet. Here are the 3 biggest mistakes I have found:

What is a carb?

It is amazing to me how many people go on "low-carb" nutrition plans, yet seemingly have no idea which foods are full of carbohydrates and which aren't. One of the most common misconceptions is dairy products. I have had several people tell me how they drink milk and eat yogurt on their low-carb plans. Unfortunately, both of these foods are very high in lactose, a simple sugar. The lesson here is that you need to be educated on what you are eating if you expect to reap the full benefits of a low-carb approach to dieting.

Keep it healthy

The second most common mistake I have found is that people use a low-carb diet as an excuse to eat foods that are horrible for their bodies. People make the carbohydrate levels of a food the only determining factor for whether they can eat it. Bacon, pork rinds, cheese, etc. These are all low-carb foods, but it doesn't mean they are healthy for you. Don't use low-carbs as an excuse to eat foods that are high in saturated fats and preservatives. Remember that just about every low-carb diet calls for ample amounts of vegetables, lean protein sources, and healthy fats.

Exercise, exercise, exercise

Any diet works much better when combined with exercise, and low-carb diets are no exception. A combination of resistance training and aerobic work will produce the best fat loss results. And yes, women need to do resistance training too!

Hopefully this has shed some light on the common problems with low-carb diets. Following the guidelines above will greatly enhance your results and your health.


Protein Powder Misconceptions

Every week in my e-mail box I get several e-mails like this: "Hello, I have been struggling to build muscle. It seems like no matter what I do I can't gain muscle. I think I need to start taking protein shakes. I've heard they are one of the best supplements for muscle building. Will they help me? Sincerely, Protein Ponderer"

This seems like a fairly basic and harmless question right? But it drives me nuts because it shows a lack of basic understanding about the function of protein supplements. Now understand that I'm not upset at the person sending in the question, but rather the supplement companies that have perpetrated this crime on the consumer.

You see, protein powders really aren't that special. Sure, they have cool labels that talk about their "proprietary blend" or how they contain special additives that make one brand better than another. But I'm telling you right now that none of these protein powders are that special.

The basic ingredient in all these protein powders is the same: protein. Sure, it comes from different sources (whey, casein, egg, soy, rice, etc.), and some sources may be marginally better than others, but the basic fact remains that these are "protein" powders.

And what is protein? Well, for those of us looking to build muscle it is the building block which repairs the muscle fibers we damage during training. Ample amounts of protein are essential to muscle growth, but protein is certainly not magical.

Just as chicken breasts, steak, eggs, cottage cheese, and other foods are rich sources of protein, so too are protein powders. But you should also know that protein powders don't have any magical muscle building effects. They are no different than consuming any of the previously named protein sources. In fact, if anything, the whole food protein sources above are better for muscle building than protein powder because they contain a variety of other nutrients in addition to protein.

Always keep in mind that a well-designed training and nutrition program is the foundation for muscle and strength gains. By adding in protein shakes you shouldn't expect to suddenly start packing on muscle. Although they are one of the best supplements for muscle building, protein powders are simply a solid addition to an already great nutrition program.


Epsom Salt Baths for Recovery

If muscle building is your goal then you need to pay attention to your recovery. After all, this is where muscle is built. A great training program will put you on the right path, but if you don't take measures for optimal recovery then don't expect to be stronger or bigger at your next training session.

Of course, the main factors involved in good recovery are proper nutrition, sleep, and supplementation. But there are some other things that can be done to speed up the recovery process and allow you to build muscle and strength at a faster rate.

One of the best muscle building secrets I have found is the use of Epsom salt baths for muscle soreness relief and faster recovery. The special thing about Epsom salt is that it contains high concentrations of magnesium.

Magnesium is typically deficient in most hard training athletes. This can be corrected through traditional magnesium supplementation, but Epsom salt baths have some unique benefits that can't be achieved with oral magnesium supplementation.

The first is that the magnesium is absorbed through the skin. This has two benefits that go above and beyond oral magnesium supplementation. The first is that the magnesium bypasses the stomach and liver which means that it is easier to increase blood levels of magnesium with Epsom salt baths. The second is that since the magnesium is absorbed through the skin there is no stomach discomfort to contend with, which is a frequent complaint of those taking oral magnesium supplements.

Epsom salt baths are also very calming to the body. The magnesium helps the nervous system to relax, while the heat from the bath relaxes the muscles, not to mention the calming affect that a relaxing bath has on the mind. When these factors are combined you get a powerful recovery-promoting effect.

The one caveat to Epsom salt baths is that they can't be done too frequently or too soon after a workout. Either one of these situations will negate the beneficial effects and may even make the recovery situation worse. It is highly recommend that you seek the advice of a professional if you want to successfully incorporate Epsom salt baths or any other recovery procedure into your training program.

If you are struggling to get stronger from one workout to the next, or are having trouble gaining muscle quickly, then you may need to look at your recovery between sessions. Remember that just because you are not sore doesn't mean that you're recovered. There are a variety of other indicators to look for and many additional recovery modalities to use, all of which are outlined in Athletic Muscle Building.



Military Training for Muscle Growth

There seems to be some misconceptions on the effects of a military-style training program. I have had numerous young men tell me that they intend to undergo a military-style workout via muscle building program DVDs in order to build large amounts of muscle and gain strength quickly. Unfortunately, this is a misguided application of the typical military fitness program.

You see, a boot camp program typically consists of 3 primary factors:

Lots of endurance training.

Long marches and runs, often with heavy backpacks are very common. These are done daily, and often more than once per day.

Lots of calisthenics.

Push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, squat thrusts, and just about anything else that you can do with your body weight. These are done throughout the day for hundreds of reps.

A restricted diet.

Don't expect to be eating any gourmet food or your favorite dessert. Everyone eats the same thing and you don't get to go back for a second-helping.

When you look at the three factors above I think you can begin to understand why boot camp programs are not ideal for those looking to build muscle or strength. Instead, the above three factors make boot camp style training a well-oiled fat-burning machine. Unfortunately, for those of us with some additional muscle mass, you will also find that boot camp training will burn up a good amount of muscle as well.

Keep these factors in mind the next time you see a muscle building program DVD touting the benefits of a boot camp-style training program. It's great for getting into basic shape, but not for building huge muscles or extreme levels of strength.

In order to build strength and muscle at the fastest rate you need a training and nutrition program that is designed specifically for your goals. If you are unsure how to design the optimal program for you, I highly suggest checking out the Athletic Muscle Building program.



6 Quick Muscle Building Tips

If you are struggling to put on muscle as quickly as you desire, then here are some helpful muscle building tips that will have you packing on muscle and strength in no time.

1. Focus on compound movements

This is a muscle building tip you have probably heard many times before, but it is so important that I couldn't neglect to mention it here. Compound movements use more muscles than isolation movements, so they have a greater potential for packing on weight than isolation movements. Not to mention the hormonal benefits, training economy, and functional strength. If you increase your squat by 100 pounds I guarantee you will be much bigger, but if you increase your leg extension by 100 pounds it's not as likely you will have developed any appreciable amount of muscle mass.

2. Nutrition is your full-time job

You can only lift weights for so many hours per week. But your job is not finished when the workout is over. You should be eating something with protein in it every 2-3 hours if you are serious about packing on muscle. Lifting weights is a great start, but if you don't supply your body with ample amounts of the building blocks of muscle (protein, carbs, and fats) you will only get stronger and not much bigger. Simply put, you've got to eat big to be big.

3. Don't neglect your weaknesses

Whether it's only performing your favorite lift or only working a few select muscle groups, you are setting yourself up for poor gains and a lifetime of injury. Simply working the "beach muscles" (chest and biceps) or only doing bench presses leads to muscular imbalances that can take months to correct and may lead to some serious injuries down the road. Not to mention the fact that your body has protective mechanisms that prevent you from getting one muscle group much stronger than another. So if your bench press hasn't been increasing like it used to, you may need to incorporate more back work in order to balance your muscles so that your chest can continue to grow.

4. Liquid calories

By far the biggest complaint I hear from guys trying to pack on muscle fast is that they have trouble eating every 2-3 hours. If that's the case for you then liquid calories are the secret to getting in more calories every day. You can start with a simple protein shake between meals and if you need more calories you can add a variety of things to the shake such as natural peanut butter, fruit, heavy whipping cream, ice cream, olive oil, etc. You can easily make a 1,000 calorie shake if that is what you need. This is cheaper than buying a pre-packaged weight gainer and you won't be full when it's time for your next meal. This is one of the most powerful muscle building tips you will ever hear.

5. Focus on your strengths


This may seem in opposition to muscle building tip number 3, and while you need to pay attention to your weaknesses you also need to make your strengths even stronger. For example, if you can pretty easily increase the weight on your bench press every week then go ahead and milk it for all it's worth! You will want to make sure to also get some work in for your weaknesses as well, but the focus should be on your strengths.

6. Supplements

I get hundreds of questions every month from my website visitors, and probably 70% of them are about supplements. Look, I love supplements as much as the next guy. It's cool to think that something as simple as taking a pill or powder will give you an edge. But the problem is that I know for a fact that most of the guys who ask supplement questions have no rhyme or reason to their training and nutrition program. The bottom line is that I've never seen a supplement put more than 5 pounds on anyone in a 12 week period, but my trainees routinely put on 20 or more pounds of muscle in that same time. People neglect the importance of a proper training and nutrition program because it's not as easy as taking a pill, but it's much cheaper and much more effective. So the next time you're about to shell-out your hard-earned cash for the latest supplement, just think for a moment if you wouldn't be better served using that money for a training and nutrition program designed by a professional that has guaranteed results.


Choosing a Multi-Vitamin

By now you have probably heard about the benefits of taking a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement. If not, the basic reasoning is that a multi will prevent and treat any nutrient deficiencies you may have. These deficiencies are a result of a less than optimal diet as well as some factors outside of our control (lower mineral levels in soil, higher stress levels of modern life, etc.).

While I wholeheartedly agree with the premise behind recommending a multi-vitamin/mineral as one of the top muscle building supplements, I believe that simply recommending that you take a multi isn't enough.

This is because the recommendation of a daily multi simply leads most people to go the drug store and pick-up the cheapest brand they can find. You may be thinking, "Aren't all multi-vitamins the same since most contain about 100% of the daily value of most nutrients?"

Unfortunately this is not the case. We have all heard the saying, "You are what you eat." Unfortunately this isn't the truth with multi-vitamins. A more fitting saying for multi-vitamins is, "You are what you absorb."

You see, there are three reasons why cheap, drug-store multis are inferior to higher-quality multi-vitamins, and all of them have to do with absorption of nutrients:

Compression

The typical drug store vitamins are usually made so that you only have to take one pill per day. To fit all of the nutrients into one pill there is some serious and heating and compression that takes place during the manufacturing process. This not only damages some of the fragile vitamins and minerals, but it also creates a pill that is so hard and dense that your body can't break it down and absorb it.

Mineral Forms

If you look at the label of a multi-vitamin you will see various nutrients listed. For example, if you look at magnesium you will see that next to the word "magnesium" there are the specific forms of magnesium listed in parentheses. The problem is that not all forms of minerals are absorbed the same. In fact, the commonly used oxide form has the lowest absorption rate! Remember, it doesn't matter if you are taking 100% of the recommended daily value if you're only absorbing a fraction of that!

Vitamin Overload

This is another problem with those one pill multis. Sure, they have 100% of the daily value of some nutrients, but you are getting all of these nutrients at one time! Remember that this is the DAILY value. This means that it should be taken throughout the day, not in one big dose. These


big once-a-day mega-doses are ineffective for absorption and keeping nutrient levels high throughout the day.

The Solution

There are many good brands of multi-vitamins available. However, you are not likely to find them in the drug store. Instead, check with your medical practitioner. There are brands which sell their products only through medical professionals and these tend to be of a higher quality. If you can't obtain one of these brands, simply look for a multi-vitamin that requires you take more than 1 pill per day (usually 4-8 is the norm). This is a good sign that the vitamin is of higher quality.

Most of all, you should feel a big difference within the first week of taking a high-quality multi-vitamin. If you don't notice an increase in energy and well-being then you made need to switch.

If you take these steps then you will see why multi-vitamins/minerals are one of the top muscle building supplements.

For specific recommendations of which brands to use please refer to the No B.S. Supplement Guide from Athletic Muscle Building.



The Importance of Fat

Dietary fat got a bad rap during the 80s and early 90s. Just about everyone who was health conscious was following a low-fat diet. Not only were people depriving themselves of fat, but they were replacing the fat with carbohydrates. This carbohydrate binging led to expanding waistlines and set us up for the low-carbohydrate craze that is only beginning to die-down now.

As you may have guessed, demonizing one macronutrient (proteins, carbs, and fats) in favor of another is not a good strategy for health, fat loss, or muscle building. Each macronutrient has its own beneficial functions in the body. If we want to have a diet that is optimal for health and fitness then we need a combination of all three macronutrients, but we need to know how and when these macronutrients should be eaten.

In a previous article I covered how carbs have place in everyone's diet, and especially for those whose primary goal is muscle gain. Now, let's take a look at the role fats play especially in a hardgainer muscle building nutrition plan.

There are three broad types of dietary fat:

Polyunsaturated

Three are two main types of polyunsaturated fats, omega-3s and omega-6s. The typical diet tends to be high in omega-6s (from vegetable oils and other sources) and low in omega-3s. In fact, the typical diet has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of around 20:1. The problem with this is that we evolved eating a diet with a ratio of around 3:1 or even 1:1, so this is what our genetics are designed for. The modern change in the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio can lead to a variety of health problems, and is one of the reasons fish oil (omega-3) is so beneficial.

Monounsaturated

Found in high concentrations in olives, avocadoes, and nuts, monounsaturated fats are the basis of the popular "Mediterranean Diet." These fats are very healthy for you, and may actually improve many cardiovascular conditions when eaten in moderation.

Saturated

These fats are typically thought of as the worst fats for health. They are found in things like meats and dairy products, as well as some plant sources like coconut oil. While these fats are typically thought of as artery-cloggers, some saturated fats are necessary for optimal health and a good physique.

So how much of each type of fat should you be consuming? The fact is that no one really knows.

I've found that an equal division between polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fats works well. For the polyunsaturated fats I like to keep a ratio of 1:1.


The minimum amount of fat that I recommend consuming is ¼ of your bodyweight, assuming you are relatively lean. For a 200 pound man this would be 50 grams of fat per day. This is the bare minimum in my book.

The exact amount of each will depend on the structure of the rest of your diet and your goals. But whatever your specific situation, shoot for at least the bare minimum.


5x5 Workout Program

The 5 sets of 5 reps program is one of the classic muscle building workout programs. It was popularized by the legendary strength coach Bill Starr in the 1970s, but still enjoys popularity in many gyms around the world.

You may think that a program as simple as 5x5 needs no explanation. That is true to a certain extent, as I could tell you to do 5x5 and you would immediately know what to do. However, the program can be (and has been) interpreted in a variety of ways. So let's take a look at the three main variations of the 5x5 muscle building workout program.

Straight sets

This is the classic interpretation of the program. Simply pick an exercise and a weight and stick with it for 5 sets, attempting to complete 5 reps each set. If you end up choosing too heavy of a weight to complete all 5 sets of 5 reps, then stick with that weight when you do the exercise next time. For example: 225x5, 225x5, 225x5, 225x4, 225x3. You are to use the same weight until you can complete 5 sets of 5 reps, and only then increase the weight.

Work Up

This variation allows you start with a lighter weight and work up over the 5 sets to your 5 rep maximum for the day. This means that the 5th set is your heaviest. Here is how this might look: 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5. The next week you would come back and try to increase the weight on every set, but pay particular attention to increasing the weight on the 5th and final set.

Work Up and Down

This variation is similar to the previous, except that you work up in weight more quickly so that your heaviest set is your 3rd set. Once you hit your heavy third set, you decrease the weight for the 4th and 5th sets. For example: 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 245x5, 225x5. The next week you would try to increase the weight on every set, but especially on sets 3, 4, and 5.

The 5x5 program is one of those classic muscle building workout programs that will never go out of style. There are endless variations of this program and each will have its own specific effects on strength and hypertrophy.

Always remember that any training program will only work for a short period of time, and 5x5 is no exception. For long-term, consistent results you need to know the science behind how to change your program over time and how to combine it with a complementary nutrition and recovery program to enhance your strength and muscle mass.


Chiropractors for Optimal Performance

If you've been lifting weights for any significant amount of time then you undoubtedly have a few aches and pains. You should know that a lot of these are avoidable with a well-designed training program and proper exercise technique. But some wear-and-tear on your joints from lifting heavy weights on a consistent basis is inevitable.

So what do you do about these aches and pains that decrease your intensity in the gym or keep you from training altogether?

I've seen a variety of strategies to deal with these issues, from high doses of painkillers to topical menthol creams. The problem is that nearly every popular strategy for dealing with pain is based on treating the symptoms and not the cause. While this may work in the short-term to allow you to have productive training sessions, it is not a good long-term solution. Since these remedies only numb the pain, they can actually cause the underlying issue to worsen over time.

I find that one of the best long-term solutions is chiropractic adjustments. Now, chiropractors have gotten a bad rap as voodoo doctors who don't know what they are doing. You should know that chiropractic medicine can work quite well, but like any field, many of the practitioners are not very good at what they do.

To insure that you find a good chiropractor ideally you would get a recommendation from someone you trust that has gone through the same issues. Otherwise, look for chiropractors who primarily treat athletes (especially at the professional level), as this increases the chances that your chiropractor will be familiar with your specific issues and how to treat them.

The basis of chiropractic medicine is adjustments to the spine. The theory is that when the spine is properly aligned the rest of the body will function better, since the spine is the center of our nervous system. Many chiropractors combine spinal adjustments with other therapies such as joint manipulation and deep-tissue therapy.

One of the reasons chiropractors have gotten a bad rap is that it is necessary to continue to visit a chiropractor on an on-going basis to get the best results. This is especially true if you are lifting weights consistently. Since you are constantly stressing the joints and muscles with your training, it only makes sense that your alignment will continually be thrown-off. So in order to maintain your health it is necessary to visit your chiropractor 1-2 times per week initially and then once every 1-2 weeks thereafter.

I hope I have shed some light on the benefits of chiropractic for those that maintain a rigorous training schedule. The best quick muscle building secret is to always remember that your recovery between training sessions is of paramount importance since this is the time your muscles grow stronger and larger. If your body is not in the healthiest state possible then you can't expect to recover and progress optimally. Chiropractic medicine, combined with a scientifically-designed training and nutrition program, should be a part of your recovery arsenal.


Muscle Building Tips For the Hard Gainer

I have seen books, DVDs, supplements, and even equipment all geared towards the hard gainer. The strange thing is I don't think I've ever seen a hard gainer.

I've worked with thousands of athletes of all levels, and while some have a harder time adding muscle than others, I've never had someone who couldn't gain appreciable amounts of muscle mass and strength when they followed a scientifically-designed training and nutrition program.

But there seems to be quite a few people out there who think of themselves as hardgainers. So I'm going to give you some hard gainer muscle building tips. If you think of yourself as a hard gainer please answer the following questions:

Did you eat 5-6 good meals everyday for the last month? Have you gotten at least 8 hours of sleep per night for the last month? Are you following a scientifically-designed muscle building program that allows you to progress at every workout? If you can honestly answer "Yes" to all of these questions and you still haven't gained at least 5 pounds in the past month, then you are either doing something wrong or you're a hardgainer. And I would bet good money that you're doing something wrong.

The problem is that instead of paying attention to the above three questions, so-called hard gainers ask themselves the following questions: Should I do 3 sets or 4? Should I have eaten 300 grams of protein yesterday instead of 298? Where is that miracle supplement that is going to finally answer my muscle building prayers?

These questions are a waste of time, or what has been termed "mental masturbation." Forget these questions and focus on the big, important questions. If you don't know what you are doing then get advice from someone who does (NOT a personal trainer, friend, or bodybuilding magazine).

Don't get caught-up in the mindset that focuses on minutiae and thinks that what I am writing here doesn't apply to you. It does. You are not the exception to the rule. This is the best hard gainer muscle building tip you will ever get.


A 3-Tiered Approach to Supplementation

The question I am asked more than any other is "Which muscle building supplements should I use?" I find this disconcerting because it indicates an over-reliance on supplements. You should know up front that even if you follow my supplement recommendations below to the letter, you will not see any gains in muscle or strength without a scientifically-designed training and nutrition program to complement them. I know that many of you will ignore that last sentence, but at least you can't say I didn't warn you.

The Foundation

Just as a good training and nutrition program lays the foundation for supplements to work, it is important to have a foundational level to your muscle building supplement program.

I recommend that your foundational level include a high-quality multi-vitamin/mineral (cheap drugstore brands are useless), greens powder, protein powder, and a high-quality fish oil. I consider these supplements to be almost an extension of your nutrition plan. They serve to eliminate any nutrient deficiencies you might have, which help your body function at the highest level possible to enhance your strength and muscle mass.

The Second Tier

Most people tend to skip the Foundation and move directly to the second tier. This will not give you optimal gains. Again, I know many of you will ignore that last sentence, but I had to say it anyway.

The second-tier is made-up only of muscle building supplements that have been proven to enhance strength and muscle mass. The main supplements to include at this level are a post-workout shake, creatine, and a pre-workout stimulant. All of these have been shown without a doubt to enhance your progress.

The Third Tier

If you haven't spent all of your money on supplements with the Foundation and Second Tier, you can move on to the Third Tier. This is where supplements that give smaller benefits as well as new and unproven supplements fit in. This would include things like creatine esters and nitric oxide supplements.

Unfortunately this is where most people spend all their money. I hate to see people caught-up in the supplement company marketing blitz, spending all their money on the latest supplement. These supplements should be last on your list, and should only be used if you are using the supplements in the Foundation and Second Tier. After all, why would you spend money on unproven supplements when there are supplements out there that have been proven to work?

Summary


I want to reiterate that even the scientifically-proven supplements alone won't make any difference in your strength or muscle mass levels. A whole tub of creatine won't enhance your strength or size one bit without a well-designed and training and nutrition program.

So the next time you are considering buying muscle building supplements, ask yourself if you wouldn't just be better off with a new training and nutrition program.


How Much Protein Do You Need?

If you are looking to build muscle, or lose fat, you have undoubtedly heard about the benefits of protein. It seems that nearly everyone seems to think that more protein means faster muscle gains. I am going to give you the straight truth on protein intake as it relates to your muscle building nutrition plan.

As with nearly everything, there are individual differences that come into play when determining the correct protein intake for you. First and foremost is your lean muscle mass. Please notice that I did not say your "weight."

Muscle is largely compromised of protein, while fat is not. As muscle breaks down and rebuilds it requires protein to do so. Fat does not. For this reason you need to look at your lean body mass (LBM), not your body weight, when determining your protein intake.

To determine your LBM you will need to have your body fat percentage tested. Let's say we have a 200 pound man who has a body fat percentage of 15%. This would mean that he has a LBM of 170 pounds (200 * 85%).

A good guideline for most people who are lifting weights regularly is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of LBM. Exactly where you fall in that range will be determined by a variety of factors.

The first factor is your goals. If your goal is simply to maintain your lean muscle mass then you can move towards the lower end of the range, whereas someone trying to gain muscle would move towards the higher end.

Another factor is your hormonal profile. There are many hormones that will dictate the correct protein intake for you, but one of the most important is testosterone. Testosterone dictates how much protein can be utilized by your muscles. Someone with very high testosterone levels can utilize much more protein than someone with lower levels. This is why anabolic steroids (testosterone derivatives) are so effective (albeit dangerous).

While these factors are important in determining the correct protein intake for you, the main factor is the make-up of the rest of your diet. For example, someone consuming 3000 kcal from fats and carbs will need less protein than someone consuming 1500 kcal. So if you are on a hardcore muscle building nutrition plan where you are eating everything in sight, you will actually need less protein. Conversely, if you are on a low-calorie diet your protein requirements will be higher.

These are just some of the factors that go into determining your daily protein needs. Remember that proteins are just the building blocks for muscle. Without a well-designed training program you won't be able to put these building blocks to good use.


How Useful Are Machines?

One of the debates that continues to rage-on in gyms around the globe is whether free weights or machines are more effective at building muscle. The strange thing is, the only people still debating this are those who are relatively new to lifting weights. Those who have lifted weights for years know through experience which is better.

I'll go ahead and kill the suspense here: free weights are better for building muscle than machines (if you didn't already know). The primary reason is that they force your body to work against resistance in a three-dimensional environment. Machines are typically one-dimensional or two-dimensional at best. This also makes the strength gained from free weight exercises more transferable to daily activities, since nearly everything you do requires strength in all three dimensions.

Not only that, but free weights are also better for the long-term health of your joints. Because they don't keep you locked-in to a set movement pattern you can move as your body is intended to move. This reduces the wear-and-tear on the joints.

But there are advantages to machines. Machines only make your muscles work in one or two dimensions, which decreases the activation of your stabilizer muscles. While this is typically thought of as a negative, this property of machines can actually be used to help us build more muscle.

I find that the stabilizer muscles are often the first to fatigue in a free weight movement. By incorporating machine exercises we take the fatigued stabilizers out of the movement and put all of the stress directly on the muscles we want to target.

With that said, I firmly believe that machine exercises should play a much smaller role than free weight exercises in any fast muscle building program. This is particularly true for beginning and intermediate lifters.

I often see skinny guys in the gym load up a bench press machine with 4 plates per side for a tough set. Yet they can't even do 2 plates on a free weight bench press. But if you ever see someone free weight bench press 4 plates per side (405 pounds) I can guarantee you that they are a large human-being.

This simple real-world example illustrates why the focus of your training should be free weight exercises. But keep in mind that simply throwing a bunch of free weight exercises together and calling it a fast muscle building program won't bring you consistent results. There are a lot of variables to consider when designing a training program, and exercise selection is only one of them.


4 Muscle Building Secrets

1. Believe only the facts.

So much of the information that is available to the mainstream public is based solely on tradition. Things are done a certain way because that's how it's been done for decades. Why do we do 3 sets of 10? Because that's what we learned somewhere along the way. Too bad tradition has nothing to do with results.

Believe it or not, there is actually a science to how the body responds to exercise. It's called "Exercise Science" or "Kinesiology". This is what I have a degree in. Without it there is no way I would be allowed to work with professional athletes.

99% of the information in the mainstream has no scientific basis whatsoever. This is why 99% of people get less than optimal results from their exercise program. Sure, they make excuses that it's their genetics or lack of time, but this is rarely the case.

DON'T GIVE UP! THE FACTS ARE OUT THERE.

YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW WHERE TO LOOK!

2. Stop bargain shopping.

Would you bargain shop for a surgeon? What if I told you he was really good, he just wasn't officially a "surgeon"? I hope the answer is no. And it should be same answer for anything that affects your body, including your training and nutrition program.

Look, there are a lot of cheap muscle building products out there that promise the world but don't deliver. You have probably used some of these before (I know I have), whether it was a supplement or a training program. Were you happy with the results? The point is, you get what you pay for. If you are serious about results, quit bargain shopping. Find the best source of information and do it right the first time.

3. Stop listening to self-appointed experts.

If I told you to go to an expert for exercise advice, where would you go?

The personal trainers at your gym?

An article written by a pro bodybuilder?

One of the virtual experts that is selling his latest get-rich-quick scheme?

These self-appointed experts are the reason that most people who workout never see results. It makes me sick to see them ruin this industry with pseudo-science and hyperbole.


Did you know?

Most personal training certifications require nothing more than a weekend training course. How do I know? I've designed these courses in the past, only to see my hard work go to waste. These courses exist for the sole purpose of making money, not education. A personal training certification is proof of nothing more than the willingness to spend a few hundred dollars.

Did you know?

100% of pro bodybuilders are on steroids and a variety of other drugs. This means that no matter what type of workout they do, they still gain muscle! Unless you are on steroids (and I would strongly advise against it), there is absolutely no reason why you should listen to their advice!

Did you know?

Nearly all of the muscle building programs available are created by personal trainers, steroid users, or guys who are genetic freaks. These guys learned what worked for them and then put it into a program. Will it work for you? Maybe or maybe not. These are hit-or-miss programs because they are not tailored to the individual. The concept of individualization is completely foreign to these authors.

If you want real results you can't rely on some two-bit personal trainer, self-appointed internet expert, or the biggest guy in your gym. Since they have no scientific knowledge, don't know what works for you, and use steroids, these information sources cannot help you!

4. Look at your training program.

I am amazed at how many people reason with themselves. They get little or no results from the latest supplement, but they don't hesitate to buy when the next supplement or other fast muscle building secret comes out. They will throw-away hundreds of dollars a month on supplements, but never think to look at their training program.

Most supplements don't work at all. And even the ones that do provide only marginal benefits. You can have all the supplements in the world, but if you don't have a scientifically-backed training and nutrition program your gains will be virtually non-existent. Sure, you might get lucky and put on a few pounds here or there, but can you do it over and over again? A five pound muscle gain doesn't look like much, but when you do it every month for 6 months, you've completely transformed your body.

For scientific muscle building advice that’s been proven to work check out Athletic Muscle Building.




The Benefits of Fish Oil For Health and Muscle Growth

Fish oil isn't usually what comes to mind when you think of fast muscle building supplements. But it is one of the few supplements out there that I consider a staple for just about everyone, no matter your goals. The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that it contains are beneficial for your health, physique, and performance. Let's take a closer look at the benefits of fish oil.

The Basics Fish oil is made-up of a variety of fatty-acids, but the two that have gotten the most attention are the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are thought to be responsible for most of the positive benefits of fish oil.

Now before we delve into fish oil, I know some of you may be thinking that flax oil is just as good because it is high in omega-3s. The problem with flax and other plant sources of omega-3s is that they don't contain EPA and DHA. So when you eat flax your body has to convert the shorter-chain omega-3s into EPA and DHA. Unfortunately, our bodies aren't very good at this, especially as we age. To avoid this problem it is best to use fish oil as your omega-3 supplement instead of flax oil.

History Lesson There are many sources of EPA and DHA besides supplementary fish oil. EPA and DHA are both found in high amounts in animal products like wild salmon, grass-fed beef, eggs, and grass-fed dairy products. The problem is that these sources aren't consumed regularly by most people. Thousands of years ago when human beings began evolving into what we are today these sources of long-chain omega-3s were plentiful. Since all fish was wild and all wild game was grass-fed, our predecessors didn't have to worry about taking fish oil. It's thought that the evolutionary development of our brains owes a great deal to this diet high in long-chain omega-3s, since the brain is made up largely of DHA.

Health Benefits The fact that omega-3 fats once played such a prominent role in our diets, yet now are virtually excluded, may explain why fish oil has been shown to have positive benefits for nearly every disease out there. Indeed, if there was ever a cure-all, it seems that fish oil is it.

Specifically, EPA has been shown to get incorporated into the cell walls of nearly every cell in your body. Greater amounts of EPA in the cell wall make exchange of nutrients and wastes easier, which keeps our cells healthier. EPA is also noted for its anti-inflammatory properties. This plays a huge role in joint and cardiovascular health.

DHA is known for its effects on the nervous system. Studies have shown that lower DHA levels correspond to Alzheimer's disease.

Additionally, fish oil has been shown to play a role in treating and/or preventing the following conditions: heart disease, stroke, arthritis, diabetes, Parkinson's, depression, ADHD, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and schizophrenia.


Physique Benefits Fish oil is known to stabilize blood sugar levels, which is helpful for anyone looking to lose fat. It has also been shown to increase your metabolism. I have found with many of my clients that a high daily dose of fish oil often results in the loss of 1-3 pounds of fat in one week, with no other dietary changes. This may be due to stabilizing blood sugar levels, increased metabolism, or possibly the incorporation of EPA into the cell walls which allows fatty acids to be released more readily into the bloodstream for energy. Whatever the cause, the bottom-line is that it works! In addition to its fat loss benefits, fish oil is well-known for its anti-inflammatory benefits. This translates into fewer nagging injuries and faster recovery from heavy training sessions, which means more productive training sessions. This is what makes fish oil a great fast muscle building supplement.

Summary As you can see, fish oil has a wealth of benefits. There are very few people who shouldn't be using fish oil daily. Check with your doctor to make sure that fish oil is right for you. By adding fish oil to a sound training, nutrition, and supplement regimen you will soon see a healthier and better-looking body.


The Truth About High Protein Diets

High protein diets have become popular for weight loss in the past decade or so. What many people fail to realize is that bodybuilders and recreational weight lifters have been touting their benefits for years.

High protein diets typically call for about 30% of your daily caloric intake from protein. Depending on the diet the other 70% of your calories may come from primarily carbohydrates, fats, or a combination of the two.

There are three main benefits to having a high protein intake:

Supplies the amino acids your body needs to build muscle. Since muscle is made up largely of protein, it makes sense that you need protein to build additional muscle. As the muscle fibers tear during weight lifting or other exercise, the body must repair these torn fibers with the amino acids which make-up protein. By repairing these muscle fibers you not only build bigger and stronger muscle, but also increase your metabolic rate, which helps to keep off fat.

The calories in protein replace calories from other sources. A meal high in protein tends to make you feel full faster and for longer after the meal than a meal of primarily carbohydrates. This prevents you from eating as many calories as you normally would if you were consuming a lower protein diet without feeling hungry.

Protein takes more energy to digest and convert to energy than carbs or fats. Converting 1 gram of protein to energy that your body can use requires a lot of energy in itself. This is known as the "Thermic Effect." The Thermic Effect is much higher for protein than it is for either fat or carbs. So when we consume 100 calories from protein the net result is actually much less than that.

Summary

High protein diets are safe for nearly everyone, except those with kidney or liver problems, or those with gout. If you are unsure of the safety of high protein diets for your particular situation, check with your doctor before making any dietary changes.

Keep in mind that high-protein diets are not magical, but they do offer some distinct benefits over low-protein diets. High protein diets typically call for around 30% of your caloric intake from protein. Going beyond this number will likely not help you to gain more muscle, but it may help to accelerate your fat loss slightly. It is important to remember that there are other nutrients that are crucial to consume. Things like vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and essential fatty acids need to be consumed daily. Make sure not to take your protein intake so high that you are not taking-in ample amounts of these and other nutrients.


How to Achieve Your Muscle Building Goals

If you ask most people in the gym why they are there you will find that their responses typically get lumped into 2 categories. The first is that they simple don't have a real reason for being there. They just like to workout or enjoy checking-out the girls in the aerobics class.

In the second category are the guys that tell you they want to gain muscle, lose fat, increase, their bench press, increase their vertical jump, etc. Basically they want to do everything under the sun. While this is admirable, it's a completely unfocused way of accomplishing things.

I find the best strategy is to have one goal at a time. For most people this will either be to gain muscle or to lose fat. If you need to do both, focus on losing fat first.

Picking one of these two options is not a goal though. To be considered a true goal it needs to be measurable. After all, if my goal is to gain muscle then after gaining ½ a pound the first week I can call it quits. A better goal is to say I want to gain 10 pounds of muscle.

Once you have made your goal measurable you need to give yourself a timeline. This can be an arbitrary date that you want to achieve your goal by, but I find it works much better if you have a date that you can't change such as an event like a vacation.

Let's say my goal is to gain 10 pounds of muscle in the next 10 weeks. I can then break this down into smaller goals of gaining 1 pound every week.

Once I have that goal set I need to determine what behaviors will get me there. I know that the two main factors in gaining muscle are nutrition and training. So I identify a couple behaviors associated with each.

For nutrition I decide that I must eat something every 3 hours and that I must take in 4,000 kcal per day. For training I decide that I must train with weights for 3 days per week and I must increase my squat by 5 pounds each week.

Now these may or may not be the correct behaviors for my goal, and there may be some more behaviors that I need to focus on, but if I've chosen the correct behaviors and I execute them throughout the week I will find that by the end of the week I have gained my one pound of muscle.

This is a very simple and effective strategy for goal-setting. It is one of the best quick muscle building tips you will ever hear. If you follow it your training sessions will be much more productive since you have a goal that you're working towards.

Again, you must choose the correct behaviors to make this work. To do this I recommend getting professional advice on your training and nutrition programs.


How to Make the Bench Press Great For Chest Building

When people think of building their pecs the first exercise that comes to mind is the bench press. Now, I love the bench press as much as the next guy, but the bottom-line is that the bench press is not really the best choice for your chest muscle building program. At least not the way most people perform it.

If you are serious about building your chest, here are some tips to turn the bench press into a pec-building beast:

Use a wide grip

For shorter guys, put your pinkies on the rings, or thereabouts. For taller guys you may go as wide as index fingers on the rings. Widening of the grip increases the stretch on the pecs which increases their involvement in the lift. If you typically use a fairly close grip then you will be probably be weaker with a wide grip. Because of this, make sure to warm-up and work-up in weight slowly. Don't just jump to your usual weight or you'll be asking for an injury.

Squeeze the bar together

By pushing your hands together throughout the movement you increase the recruitment of the pectoral muscle fibers. Please note that your hands don't actually move during the movement because you are gripping the bar tightly. But by isometrically pushing your hands toward each other you will get a similar effect to doing flyes.

Bring to nipple line or higher

Make sure to touch the bar on your chest at the nipple line or even higher. This increases the activation of the chest muscles and limits triceps involvement to a degree. You can even go as high as the collarbone, but the weight you use will have to be much lighter than usual.

Summary

All of these tips run counter to what most people do with the bench press. This is because people get caught-up in how much weight they can move. These tips will definitely decrease your strength in the bench press, but they will also increase the stress on your pecs so that they can grow. This turns the bench press into a great exercise for your chest muscle building program.

Please note that all of these tips put the shoulder in a slightly more compromised position than a traditional bench press. If you have any shoulder problems at all you should not use these variations. Even if your shoulders are healthy make sure to perform these variations with lighter weight and higher reps than you would for a normal bench press. You should also incorporate some exercises for your rotator cuff into your program. This will allow you to get the most benefit from the exercise without fear of injury.


Keep in mind that while changing one exercise may moderately improve your progress over the short-term, long-term success and huge increases in muscle and strength require you to follow a synergistic training and nutrition program.


How to Get in Shape Without Working Out

One of the most powerful safe muscle building secrets is visualization. In fact, some studies have reported that subjects who visualize exercising a muscle everyday increase their strength about half as much as the subjects who actually performed exercise every day. Not too bad for sitting around thinking about exercise.

Properly performed visualization training requires that you focus on your five senses. For weight lifting or other exercise the two senses you will want to focus on the most are touch and sight. Close your eyes and imagine the feel of the equipment in your hands. Imagine what you see when you are performing a particular exercise. Think about how your muscles feel as you perform your exercise.

You will also focus on hearing to a lesser degree, and possibly even smell. Imagine the sounds and smell of the gym. Hopefully you don't eat the exercise equipment, so taste shouldn't be much of a factor in your visualization.

There are two basic types of visualization, first-person and third-person. First-person visualization tends to be the most effective form. Picture yourself in your own body, not outside of your body watching yourself. Imagine the inputs from all of your senses as you go through an exercise. Imagine using more weight or doing more reps than you ever have before. Imagine being successful.

You will find that the more you perform visualization training the better you will become at it. You will also find that you don't have the same mental roadblocks to performance that you once had now that you have successfully performed an exercise so many times in your head.

This is not as cool as trying the latest supplement or piece of exercise equipment, but it's cheaper and one of the best safe muscle building secrets. The reason that more people don't use it is that it takes some time and effort to do properly. However, if you are really serious about achieving your goals I don't think you'll mind the extra time and effort once you see the results.

Remember that visualization is not a substitute for actually exercising, but it is a great way to augment a properly designed training and nutrition program.


How to Make Any Workout Great

Walk into any gym and will notice that 90% of the people are struggling to make even modest gains in muscle and strength. You will also notice that 90% of the people train by themselves. The interesting thing is the people who train alone are also the people who are struggling for gains!

This is not a coincidence. The big guys at your gym are the ones who train with a partner or group and usually know just about everyone at the gym. This is because having a training partner or group benefits your efforts in several ways.

Accountability.

This is one of the main benefits of having a training partner, especially if you struggle with getting to the gym consistently. Knowing that someone else is there counting-on you will make a huge difference.

Motivation.

While just getting to the gym can be tough, I know a lot of guys who just don't give 110% every time they're in the gym. Did you give a 110% during your last workout? Would someone encouraging you to get that last rep or add some more weight have helped?

Objective advice.

We all find it difficult to look at ourselves objectively. Some of us are overly critical, while others can't see their true faults. Having an objective person that goes through every set of the workout with you is a huge benefit. Sure, you may think you need to focus on hitting bench more frequently, but when your training partner points out that your legs look like twigs you might change your mind.

Competition.

In my mind this is the best benefit of all. Competition between you and your training partner can turn a terrible workout into a great one. Sometimes you walk into the gym tired from work and you've already resigned yourself to simply doing the same weights you did at the previous workout. But when your training partner slaps on an extra 10 pounds you know it's time to step it up.

So those are the main reasons why having a training partner will help you. So why don't you have one?

I have found the most common excuse is, "I don't know anyone with my goals." The simple solution to this is to post an ad with your lifting stats, goals, and phone number at the gym. Or ask the guy who you always get to spot you on bench press. This takes some balls to ask, but the benefits are worth it. Besides, are you really that scared of being rejected by a guy?


I find the best training partner is someone who is slightly stronger than you. This will increase your motivation and competitive drive. However some people are worried that someone stronger won't want to train with them. If that's the case you can always pick the weakest guy in the gym. It's not optimal, but it's better than training alone.

Combine the power of a training partner with a scientifically-designed training and nutrition program and no one will be able to stop you!


Glutamine Overview

Glutamine, also referred to as l-glutamine, is a conditionally-essential amino acid. This means that while glutamine is not considered an essential amino acid, under conditions of extreme stress such as a traumatic injury to the body, glutamine becomes essential.

Glutamine seems to be particularly important in the digestive, immune, and muscular systems. In fact, it is the most abundant amino acid in human muscle tissue. For this reason supplement companies have focused on offering glutamine pills and powders to supplement users.

The thought is that if glutamine is so prevalent in human muscle tissue that more glutamine will help us to build more muscle. To do this most supplement companies recommend a dose of 5-10 grams of glutamine.

It has also been hypothesized that glutamine will increase growth hormone levels. Although never sufficiently proven, supplement companies recommend a dose of 2-5 grams of glutamine before bed for this purpose.

From my work with athletes I have found a few interesting things with glutamine. The first is that it does seem to have a positive effect on the immune system. If an athlete is going through a stressful time (big competitions or an especially rigorous training cycle) it is very common for the athlete to get sick due to a weakened immune system. By adding in supplemental glutamine I have found that the athlete is much less likely to get sick.

This immune system boost is not as cool-sounding as increasing growth hormones levels, but just think of what getting sick does to your training. You will easily lose at least a few days of productive training, if not more. If supplemental glutamine gives you the ability to train hard for a few extra days then it makes it one of the best muscle building supplements in my book.

In addition to the immune system boosting properties, I have found that glutamine is one of the best muscle building supplements for speeding recovery after intense weight training. The trick is that the dose has to be high enough. I suggest at least 20 grams in your post-workout shake, and as high as 40 grams depending on your individual needs.

The problem is that most combination products only contain a few grams of glutamine along with a few grams of some other substances. What you end up with is a supplement that looks good because it has 100 different compounds in it. But the problem is that none of these compounds are at the correct dosage.

To avoid this I recommend purchasing a stand-alone glutamine powder. That way you are only paying for the important ingredient and you know you are getting the correct dosage.

As always, please remember that glutamine is just a supplement. Adding in 20 grams after your workout won't add pounds of muscle instantly. It must be combined with a properly designed training and nutrition program in order to work to its fullest potential.


3 Foods for Muscle Building

There are a lot of supplements out there claiming to help you lose weight or gain muscle. The problem is that most of these are completely ineffective, unsafe, or just cost too much money. So let's look at some alternatives to these over-hyped supplements.

Even if your goal is simply to lose weight, you should focus on building some muscle because this will increase your metabolism, making your fat loss even easier and more rapid. The three foods below are great for fast muscle building nutrition.

Food #1: Green Tea

Green tea has several interesting compounds called catechins. The most interesting is epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. This compound is a strong antioxidant that has been shown in many scientific studies to have anti-cancer benefits.

In addition, EGCG has been shown to help you lose weight by increasing your metabolism. The interesting thing is that EGCG is not a stimulant like caffeine or ephedrine. It increases your metabolism through an alternate mechanism.

To get this fat burning effect you can drink green tea or take a green tea extract supplement. You are looking for 200-400mg of EGCG per day. This is the equivalent of 1-2 cups of caffeinated green tea. If you prefer to drink decaf you should be aware that the processing of the decaffeinated version destroys most of the EGCG, so you will need 3-6 cups to get in your 200-400mg.

Food #2: Grass-fed Beef

Beef has gotten a bad rap in the press for being high in saturated fat and cholesterol. While this is certainly true of most beef, the beef from grass-fed cattle is a great source of fast muscle building nutrition

You see, cows were made to eat grass. Unfortunately, most of the beef out there is from cattle that were fed grains. This fattens them up faster and makes the farmers more profit, but it's at the expense of your health. When grass-fed and grain-fed beef are compared there are huge differences in the health properties of each.

Here are the three main reasons grass-fed beef burns more fat and builds more muscle than grain-fed beef:

1. Grain-fed beef has more saturated fat than grass-fed beef. Saturated fat is more likely to be stored as fat, and has many negative consequences for your health. 2. Grain-fed beef has less omega-3 fatty acids than grass-fed beef. Omega-3 fatty acids are very important for optimal health, and they also help you to lose fat. This is good news for grass-fed beef, because it has omega-3 levels that rival salmon! 3. Grain-fed beef has less CLA than grass-fed beef. CLA is a fatty acid that has been shown to


help you burn fat and gain muscle more efficiently. Grain-fed beef has almost no CLA, while grass-fed beef is full of it.

Food #3: Green vegetables

We've all heard the "eat your vegetables" speech a hundred times. We know that vegetables are good for our health, but did you know that vegetables, green vegetables in particular, will help you lose fat and gain muscle much faster?

There are three ways that green vegetables help you build muscle and lose fat:

1. Fiber. The fiber in green vegetables slows down the digestion of your food. This causes nutrients to be released into the blood stream at slower rate which makes them less likely to be stored as fat. 2. Alkalinity. Your body likes to maintain a very specific pH balance. The problem is that most of the foods in a typical diet are very acidic and tend to throw-off your pH. Green vegetables, especially spinach, help to restore a balanced pH, which helps prevent muscle and bone loss. 3. Phytochemicals. Sure, there are a ton of vitamins and minerals and green vegetables, but the real power is in the phytochemicals. These compounds have health-promoting and fat-loss benefits that we are still discovering. This is why a multi-vitamin will never replace a solid diet of good foods.

Summary

So there you have it, 3 foods for fast muscle building nutrition. Try to incorporate each of these foods into your diet at least 2-3 times per week, if not more. Combine this with a well-designed training program and you will be on your way to more muscle and less fat in no time!


Creatine Overview

Creatine was introduced to the bodybuilding industry in the early 1990s. Since then, literally thousands of other supplements have come and gone. So why is creatine still around?

The reason is that it flat-out works. Let's take a look at what it does in our bodies so that we can have a better understanding of why it works so well.

Your muscles (and all the cells in your body) use a substance called ATP for energy. ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate. This is a molecule called adenosine with three phosphate groups attached. In order to create energy one of the phosphate groups is broken-off, which releases energy to the muscle cells for muscle contraction.

This is where creatine comes in. There is creatine phosphate (CP) in your muscles. When a molecule of ATP loses a phosphate, CP can come and give the broken ATP molecule its phosphate. This regenerates the ATP molecule so that we can break-off that phosphate once again for more energy!

This cycle of CP donating a phosphate to the broken ATP molecule is only one way of regenerating the ATP molecule. Specifically, this is how ATP is regenerated during intense, short duration activities, especially those of 10 seconds or less.

This fits right in with training for muscle growth. Let's say you do a set of 5 reps on the bench press and each rep takes you 2 seconds to complete. That's 10 seconds of total work. During that 10 seconds CP is constantly being used to replenish your ATP stores so that you have more energy.

This is allows your muscles to do more work than they would be able to without CP. If you are following a proper nutrition and recovery program doing more work will lead to more muscle growth.

The first type of creatine to hit the market was creatine monohydrate (CM). This is the creatine that nearly all of the research has been done with. CM has been shown in study after study to make you stronger and help with muscle growth. It is also the cheapest form available.

The typical recommended dosage of CM is 3-10 grams per day, depending on body weight. At one time a higher dosage was recommended for the first week of use (know as a "loading phase"), but most studies have shown this isn't necessary.

Since the introduction of CM, there have been a variety of variations introduced to the market: liquids, effervescents, ethyl esters, and many more. Despite the high cost for some of these variations, none of them has ever been proven to work more effectively for muscle growth than CM.


So how much will it improve muscle growth? You can expect a 2-3 pound increase in muscle mass in the first few weeks of using it. You should also expect to be able to get one or two more reps on your heaviest sets.

These are great gains, but remember that they are short-term increases. To keep increasing you muscle mass and strength you will need to follow a properly designed training and nutrition program for muscle growth.

Always remember that supplements are just the icing on the cake!


3 Exercises for Six-Pack Abs

Before we get into the exercises, let's get one thing straight. If you have a layer of fat around your midsection then you'll never see your abs. You could have the best six-pack in the world, but no one will ever know it if it's obscured by fat. If this is the situation you're in, you need to first focus on losing fat by cleaning-up your nutrition and getting on a solid muscle building program.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let's get to some ab-ripping exercises!

Exercise #1: V-ups

Lie on your back on a semi-soft surface. A thin mat on a hard floor works well. Straighten your legs and raise your arms overhead. With your knees straight, raise your feet a few inches off the floor. This is your starting position.

From this position you are going to simultaneously raise your legs up and sit up with your upper body. This is basically a combination of a leg raise and a crunch. In the top position you should touch your toes with your fingertips, or at least come very close.

From this position you reverse the motion and go back to the starting position. Remember that in the starting position your feet are off the floor. This keeps constant tension on the muscles, making this exercise even more effective.

Exercise #2: Hanging Knee Raises

You'll need a chin-up bar or other object you can hold on to without your feet touching the floor. Your starting position is simply hanging from the bar with your arms straight.

From this position, bend the knees and bring them up towards your chest. You want to bring your knees as high as possible. In fact, if you are strong enough you should curl up into a ball by leaning back slightly and bringing the knees up as high as possible.

Don't make the mistake I see most people in the gym making. Most people bring the knees up and then stop when the thighs are parallel to the floor. If you do it this way you only get about 10% of the benefit from the exercise!

When you get really advanced you can do these with the knees straight. From the starting position you raise your feet up all the way until they touch the chin-up bar. You should see the looks you get at the gym when you do these!

Exercise #3: Ab Wheel Rollouts

Remember those "ab rollers" that used to be on all the late-night infomercials? Well, these were just knock-offs of the old school ab wheel you can buy for $10 at any fitness store. If you haven't


seen this before it just looks like a small wheel with a stick through it. If you can't find one of these, you can simply use a bar with a plate on each side.

Kneel on the floor with the ab wheel in front of you. Hold on to the handles and put the wheel on the floor directly in front you. From here you simply roll the wheel out as far away from you as possible.

The key here is to make sure you don't roll-out so far that your back arches. If your abs aren't very strong then you won't be able to roll-out very far without this occurring. This puts all the stress on your lower back and off of your abs. This is dangerous and ineffective. Only go as far as your current abilities will allow you to maintain the proper position.

When this becomes easy, you can move on to the super-advanced version. For this version you stand on your feet and bend-over to hold the handles of the ab wheel. From this position you roll-out as far as possible. This is much more difficult from the kneeling version.

Summary

These exercises should be complimented by a well-designed muscle building program for the entire body. Remember that one exercise isn't the answer to achieving your goals. A complimentary training and nutrition program must be designed with your goals in mind.


Is Your Mind Holding Back Your Progress?

Inside of all of our minds there is a constant dialogue going on.

"Should I do this?"

"Why did I forget that?"

We constantly talk to ourselves all day long. So what are you telling yourself?

This concept is known as self-talk. I can tell you without a doubt that what you say to yourself every day will strongly impact the belief you have in your own capabilities as it relates to lifting weights or any other challenging endeavor.

People tend to underplay the importance of this concept. However, imagine if you were around another person who would constantly tell you that you were incapable of accomplishing your goals (hopefully you have not had to experience this in real life). Don't you think that constantly being reminded of your shortcomings would have an effect on you?

While you can't change what other people say, with some hard work you can change your internal dialogue.

The first step to this is repeating your desired action over and over again in your head. I work with athletes, so when we are training I tell them to tell themselves (in their head) something like, "I will do 10 perfect reps."

Of course, this is not magic. You must actually have the physical capabilities to accomplish something. But I think you will find more often than not, it is the mind which holds us back, not the body.

The second stop is to say the same thing out loud. This is a very powerful tool. Hearing something out loud is similar to hearing someone else say something about us. It helps you to internalize it and to believe it. I have worked with many athletes who get themselves pumped-up for a hard set by saying something like, "Come on! I got this!"

Keep in mind that all of this positive self-talk takes a lot of repetition if you are currently someone who has a lot of negative self-talk. It is hard to break that habit. It may take months or years before you begin to unconsciously think this way, but I can guarantee you that it's worth the effort.

With athletes a change in mindset like this can mean the difference between playing high school sports and professional sports. But even if you aren't an athlete, positive self-talk can make a huge difference in your life.

When combined with a well-designed training and nutrition program, I think you will find that positive self-talk will only enhance your progress.


Contrast Showers

Whether it's from lifting weights, running, or playing a game of tennis, muscle soreness can result from making your muscles work in ways they are not used to. This is an unfortunate side effect, as it can limit your future physical activity.

The cause of muscle soreness is not entirely understood yet, but we know it is a result of damage to your muscles. It is not the damage itself that makes you sore though. Muscle soreness is a side effect of the inflammation response in your body that is used to repair the damaged muscles. This is why you don't usually get sore until 12-36 after your workout. This is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).

Ok, enough about why you feel sore. So how do you get rid of it?

Of course, the best method is to simply rest and let the muscles repair themselves. But this takes time and is not always the most comfortable while you are waiting, especially if you have additional activities planned.

Fortunately, there are some ways to accelerate the natural healing process without resorting to harmful painkillers. Today we are going to look at one such method known as a contrast shower.

You may have already guessed from the name that contrast showers are simply alternating hot and cold water on your sore muscles. This alternation of hot and cold causes a pumping effect in your muscles that promotes blood flow which helps to flush-out the soreness.

To properly perform a contrast shower you want to do 30 seconds of hot water followed by 30 seconds of cold water. Continue this for a total of 5-10 minutes. To get the greatest effect you need to make sure that the water is as hot and as cold as possible (without burning or freezing yourself). This creates a much stronger pumping action in the muscle.

Keep in mind that contrast showers aren't the most pleasant experience, but as a side benefit you will feel very invigorated afterwards!

As an alternative, you can also use contrast baths. This requires two bathtubs close by each other, something that most of us don't have the luxury of. But if you can make this work you will find it to be even more effective for muscle soreness relief.

Remember that contrast showers and baths only help to accelerate the natural recovery process, so they will not get rid of your soreness entirely. You should also remember that there is no substitute for a properly designed training and nutrition program to increase your progress and manage muscle soreness.


The Importance of Carbohydrates

Over the past few years carbohydrates have come under attack in the media. It seems that everyone is going on a low-carbohydrate diet or at least "watching their carbs."

While this focus on lowering carbohydrates may be warranted for those looking to lose weight, how does it fit-in to the nutritional strategy of someone looking to gain weight and build muscle?

In short, it is very difficult to build large amounts of muscle without eating carbohydrates. Let's look at some of the reasons why carbs are so important if you are trying to gain weight.

1. During intense strength training exercise the primary fuel source for your body is muscle glycogen, which is stored carbohydrate.

2. Simple carbohydrates (sugars) cause a huge release of the hormone insulin, which stops muscle breakdown and shuttles nutrients to damaged muscles.

3. Carbohydrates draw water into muscle cells, a process called cell volumization, which causes weight gain and makes your muscles appear larger.

As you can see, carbohydrates have some great benefits for those of us who want to build muscle. However, excess carbohydrates can cause fat gain. While we do want to gain weight, we want this weight to be muscle, not fat.

To optimize muscle gain and limit fat gain we need to pay attention to what type of carbohydrates we are eating and when we are eating them.

Most of our carbohydrates should come from complex carbs. These can be found in whole grains like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and rice. These carb sources will refill muscle glycogen and enhance cell volumization without causing a huge release of the hormone insulin, which can cause fat gain.

These carbohydrates should primarily be consumed in the first half of the day. As it gets later in the day our bodies process carbohydrates less efficiently, and this can lead to fat gain. For this reason we want to focus on a getting a good amount of complex carbs at breakfast and lunch, and then limit our carbs at dinner.

As mentioned before, we want to select complex carbs because they don't cause as big of a release of insulin as simple carbs (sugars) do. However, there is actually one time of day when we want to consume simple carbohydrates. This time is immediately following a workout. The huge release of insulin that we get during this time is actually a good thing because it stops muscle breakdown and shuttles nutrients to our starving muscles. This is the only time of day that you should consume simple carbs (fruit juice, carb powders, Gatorade, white bread, cereals, etc.).

If you are trying to gain weight fast, remember that carbs aren't the enemy, they are actually your friend. If you eat the right types of carbs at the right times you can build muscle and limit fat gain.


H.I.T. Overview

High Intensity Training, also referred to as HIT, is the brainchild of Arthur Jones, the inventor of Nautilus training equipment. Its popularity grew due to the bodybuilding success of Mike Mentzer, one of Jones' pupils.

The primary principle behind HIT is that training should be low volume. Forget doing 10 sets of an exercise, or even 3 sets for that matter. HIT proponents believe that only one set is sufficient for you to gain muscle.

This one set is typically done to complete failure and sometimes beyond. This means that you do as many reps as possible with the weight, and then use some special technique to help push you to keep going. This could be a training partner assisting on a few more reps, partial reps, or eccentric reps.

The idea is that with these techniques you can push your body out of its normal comfort zone and hit every muscle fiber with just one very difficult set. Because of the intense nature of the program it is recommend that you only train each body part once per week. This means that you are only doing one set per body part per week!

This efficient and time-saving structure is one of the main reasons for the popularity of HIT. With this system just about anyone has the time to get in a productive training session.

But like any training program, your body will eventually adapt to it and your gains will begin to stagnate. Because of this I recommend using HIT for 4-6 weeks at a time, especially after completing a higher volume program such as 10 x 10.

Remember that one training program is not the answer to building muscle. Muscle growth is a long-term process that requires progression for months, not weeks. Because of this you need a well-designed training system that allows you to continually progress and make great muscle gains along the way.


3 Muscle Building Myths Exposed

As a professional strength coach I sometimes get asked some pretty strange questions on training. It's become pretty clear to me that the general public is misinformed on a lot of issues that relate to muscle building and training for muscle growth.

Whether this poor information gets passed on through bodybuilding magazines, friends, or supplement companies is anyone's guess. All I know is that these myths about training for muscle gain are harmful to your progress.

I am going to dispel some of the more common myths here. If you currently believe in any of these myths then it's time to change!

Myth #1: More is better

Whether it's more protein, more creatine, or more workouts, it seems that people have a tendency to take a good thing and overuse it. This is a symptom of our culture of excess, which is especially present in the bodybuilding community where everyone wants to build as much muscle as possible.

Unfortunately life doesn't work like this. Just because eating 200 grams of protein a day gives you good results doesn't mean that 500 grams will give you great results. In the case of protein, there is a definite limit to what your body can utilize to build more muscle. If you aren't on steroids there is no way that you need 500 grams per day.

I hear the same type of thing with creatine. Five grams of creatine everyday will give you good results, but increasing the dose to 15 or more grams per day won't give you any additional benefit since there is a limit to how much creatine can be stored in your body.

The same goes for your workout schedule. If you're working out 3 days per week and getting good results, this doesn't mean that 6 days per week will bring you twice the results. Keep in mind that muscle growth occurs while you are resting. For most people training 6 days per week will not allow for enough recovery time between sessions. This leads to a plateau in strength and muscle gains.

Myth #2: Supplements are the answer

No one ever comes right out and says they believe supplements are the answer, but based on the number of questions I get about which supplement to use I know this is the case for many people.

The fact of the matter is that your training and nutrition programs are going to bring you 95% of your results. That's a hard pill to swallow for a lot of people (pun intended). Properly executing a solid training and nutrition program will never be as easy or cool as taking the latest miracle supplement, but the results are always better.


If building muscle were really as easy finding the right supplements don't you think everyone would be huge and muscular already?

Listen, if 95% of your results come from your training and nutrition program, don't you think you should invest some money in a good one? Here's an idea, give up your supplements for a month and spend that money on a professional training and nutrition program. This investment will give you a much better return on your money than any supplement, but it will never be as cool or sexy.

Myth #3: Your genetics are to blame

I get this all the time from the skinny guys. They tell me that it's impossible for them to gain weight no matter what they do. They tell me how they eat thousands of calories and train hard, yet they don't gain an ounce. They may as well resign themselves to being skinny because they don't have the genetics to build muscle.

This is not true! Sure, some people are more genetically gifted in the muscle building area than others, but we all still have the same basic physiology.

When I look at these guys' training and nutrition programs I can usually spot at least 10 huge mistakes that are holding back their gains. They think it's genetics, but really it's the actions they are taking.

These guys need to stop using genetics as an excuse. What they need is an objective observer to put together a training and nutrition program that is suited specifically to their needs.

As one of my trainees once told me, "The better I eat and harder I train, the better my genetics get."


Building Big Biceps

Huge biceps are one of the most desired body parts of bodybuilders and recreational exercisers, and with good reason. While 6 pack abs and big pecs are nice, the arms are one of the most easily displayed muscle groups, whether in a tank top or short-sleeve shirt, the arms are visible to everyone.

If someone tells you to "make a muscle," what do you do? Instinctively you roll-up your sleeve and flex your bicep.

So without further delay, let's look at how we can increase the size of your arms.

Compound exercises

Compound exercises are those that use more than one joint at time. This allows for heavy weights to be used and activates a lot of muscle fibers. These 2 factors mean big growth for your arms. Some of my favorite exercises are pull-up and chin-up variations as they put tremendous stress on the biceps.

Add muscle

You're simply not going to have 20 inch arms if you weigh 150 pounds. Your body does not like to get out of balance, so even if you are striving strictly for big arms, you will want to train the rest of your body as well. Some have even stated that it is necessary to add 15-20 pounds of muscle in order to gain 1 inch on your arms. Suffice it to say, you need to follow a training program that works every muscle in your body and you need a complementary nutrition and supplement plan as well.

Get lean

Big arms are great, but I would bet that what you really want is arms that are big AND defined. In order to for this to happen you need to be relatively lean. Otherwise your arms will just look big and fat, no matter how much muscle you have. Bodyfat percentage is mostly a function of diet, so you need to make sure that while you are eating to increase your weight you aren't putting on too much fat in the process.

Remember that the arms are muscles just like any other. So you don't need to constantly do sets of curls to get them to grow. Muscles grow while you are resting. So make sure to train hard and then rest hard (eat big and sleep enough). And don't forget to work your triceps as well. While not the show muscles that the biceps are, they do make up roughly 2/3 of your upper arm mass, so neglecting them is not a good strategy if big arms are what you're after.


How to Be a Better Athlete

If you have been training to gain muscle mass for awhile you may find yourself getting bored with the monotony of lifting weights. The basic fact is that training in a gym with heavy iron all the time can take its toll on your mental state.

To prevent this issue it is important to get back to the root of why so many of us began training in the first place: to enhance your athleticism. Sure you've always wanted to look great, but performing great is also a part of the equation.

So if you have been stuck in a rut with a one-dimensional focus on building muscle mass it may be time to incorporate some workouts for athleticism into your plan. Combining the pursuit of muscle mass and the pursuit of athleticism is what is known as athletic bodybuilding. Not only is it fun, it may also help you to gain more muscle mass in the long run.

Learn basic motor patterns

One of the keys to enjoying sports is knowing how to play them, at least at a decent level. For this reason it is important that you be proficient in a few basic sports skills. Namely, throwing, hitting, kicking, and catching.

Even if you happen to be good at one sport, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are good at another. So if you already know how to hit a baseball then why not try golf or tennis to expand your skills? Or if you know how to throw a baseball then why not try throwing a football or shooting a basketball?

If you haven't had much practice with these skills in the past then they may be difficult in the beginning, but nothing improves your athleticism like learning a new skill.

Incorporate tumbling

Similar to the above, tumbling is a great skill to learn if you don't know how to do it already. It builds kinesthetic awareness and explosiveness that transfer over to sports and to the weight room. I have found that gymnasts are often the fastest learners in the weight room because they understand how to move their bodies due to their tumbling experience.

Begin with simple moves like somersaults and cartwheels before progressing to more advanced moves like handsprings and flips. If you really want to improve your skills it is highly suggested that you seek the services of a qualified gymnastics coach.

And I know you may be saying, "I'm a grown man, there is no way I'm doing this." But that is exactly the close-minded mentality that makes training monotonous and leads to plateaus in your progress.

Building your aerobic base


If you have been weight training for any prolonged period of time then there is a decent chance that you are already sufficiently strong enough to perform most sports skills on an intermediate level. But if you have been neglecting endurance work in pursuit of more muscle mass then you might be limited in your sporting capacity.

There are many scientific training plans that can greatly enhance your sport-specific endurance, but the easiest solution is simply to undertake a basic cardiovascular training program and to play your sport on a regular basis. This will gradually allow you to develop at least a basic level of endurance.

Remember that training doesn't have to be monotonous. Being athletic and muscular is much better than just looking like an athlete. Use these tips and you will be on your way to building a more athletic physique, and that is what athletic bodybuilding is all about.


The Importance of Cheat Meals

One of the best benefits of being on a strict nutrition plan is having a cheat meal. There is nothing better than leaving the stress of counting calories and carbs behind while you just eat for pleasure at one meal.

Cheat meals are as much about the psychological benefits as they are about the physical. So your choice of cheat meals should mostly be determined by what it is that you have been wanting. This will allow you to make it another week or more on a strict meal plan without losing your mind.

With that said, I find that some cheat meals tend to be better than others for improving fat loss and muscle growth. These meals are high in calories, as all cheat meals should be, but they are also high in sodium and protein, which helps to benefit your physique in the long run. They also are deficient in trans fats, which should never be consumed in large quantities, even at a cheat meal.

Pizza

Pizza is a great choice because it is a high in fat, high in protein, and high in sodium. These 3 factors make it very anabolic, which means it will help you to gain muscle mass. The large caloric load will also up-regulate your metabolism, leading to more fat loss when you resume your diet.

Mexican

Just as with pizza the high fat, protein, and sodium content of most Mexican food makes it very anabolic. Couple this with the high cholesterol content, which is great for testosterone levels, and you have a cheat meal that will jump start your muscle growth. You also have a great opportunity to get some fiber in as well, in the form of refried or black beans.

Sushi

Complex carbs in the form of white rice along with a quality protein source from fresh fish make sushi an ideal cheat meal. Couple this with the healthy fats found in fish like salmon and the high iodine levels in the seaweed and you have a great meal for promoting health and fat loss.

These are just some examples of good cheat meal choices. Remember that first and foremost you want to use cheat meals as a psychological break from strict dieting. With that said, I typically recommend you choose something relatively high in protein. You want to stay away from things like ice cream and other sweets, unless they are combined with a quality source of protein.

Keep in mind that we are just talking about cheat meals here. Just because pizza and Mexican food have some beneficial nutrients does not mean they have a place in your everyday muscle growth meal plan.


How to Get Stronger

If you have been lifting weights for awhile then you have probably realized that there is a great correlation between getting stronger and getting bigger. Just take a glance at weightlifters, powerlifters, and strongmen to see some convincing examples of this phenomenon.

This leads us to the obvious conclusion that even if our only goal is to look better we need to get stronger to do that. So if you have been following a traditional bodybuilding program for awhile it may be time to switch to a more strength-oriented training plan.

The basic tenets of designing a program to gain strength are as follows:

Lower reps

Low reps allow for heavy weights, and heavy weights are what builds strength fast. You want to stay below 6 reps here. 1-3 reps is the pure strength zone, while 4-6 reps will allow you to gain some mass with your strength.

More sets

To make up for the relatively lower volume of your low rep sets, it is necessary to increase the number of sets you do. There is no special number. Anywhere from 5-12 sets of an exercise is the norm. The exact number will depend on the number of reps you're doing, your goals, and your current work capacity.

Longer rest periods

In contrast to bodybuilding, we want to avoid being tired as much as possible when training for pure strength. This means we want close to complete recovery between sets. The exact amount of time will depend on the exercise, but anywhere from 3-6 minutes is typical. Some powerlifters are known to take up to 15 minutes between heavy squats or deadlifts!

Greater frequency

The more often you do something the better you get at it. For professional strength athletes it is common to train 6 days per week, 2-3 sessions per day! While this isn't practical for most of us, it gives us a hint as to how to increase strength quickly. The more often you can train (without sacrificing recovery) the better.

These are just a few guidelines to help you to get stronger. The key to fast strength and muscle gains is hard work combined with professionally designed training programs and sound diet and supplement plans.

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Muscle Building Program Science

Gaining muscle can be a difficult task for anybody, but if you try to do it without a well designed nutrition and exercise program you are just asking for poor gains. I am certain this is something you have heard before, and it is really pretty obvious when you think about it.

But what exactly is a good program?

Well, to begin with, a program should be designed with science as the foundation. Everything in the program should be justifiable. Whoever wrote your program should be able to answer questions like:

Why three sets instead of two or 4?

Why ten repetitions instead of five?

Why 2 days off instead of 1?

Why 2 minutes between sets?

Unfortunately most training programs are simply thrown together. This goes for the programs designed by "professionals" as well. The reason for this is that most people, and even coaches, do not comprehend how to optimally train the body in accordance with science. Because of this they cannot accurately answer any of the above questions.

Factors such a workout's effects on hormones, the CNS, and immune system are simply not something that most programs take into consideration. This is a very complex and time-consuming process if you do it correctly, and it requires some advanced knowledge, so it is somewhat understandable why most training programs don't adhere to science and therefore won't produce results for 95% of the people who use them.

The problem is compounded by the fact that generic programs will never work for everyone, or even most people. You have to know how to adapt and change a program to work with your specific physiology. This means you must have an easy way to test your body to see what type of training will be most productive for you. Again, this process can be complex, but it is well worth the results.

So the next time you are choosing a new training program make sure it is one based on science and that it allows for some individualization of the training process. Otherwise you will find that gaining muscle is harder than it should be.

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