This is something that, once it was pointed out to me, I started to see everywhere. Guys with huge biceps, but flabby triceps. Guys with awesome lower back strength, but no core strength. Guys with a huge chest, but a small back.
The last ones are my favorite, you know the ones that walk around with their chests sticking out, their shoulders pulling forward and their palms turned inward as they walk because they are so imbalanced.
A lot of times people will get obsessed with a certain muscle or couple of muscles and only work those and neglect the other ones, like the guy who only does bicep curls because "it's what the girls like" or the guy who is so obsessed about his max bench press that it's all he focuses on.
These are the guys who will always look the exact same muscular-wise and will end up with a host of problems (the most common being back pain when they are older).
Here's the thing, you need to know how to keep your muscle balanced. If you are doing three quad dominant exercises like leg press, lunge and leg extension, then you better be doing three hip dominant exercises, like stiff leg dead lifts, good mornings and leg curls, to counteract an imbalance in the pelvis.
If you are doing three horizontal pushing exercises for your chest like bench press, incline bench press, and decline bench press, you better be doing three horizontal pulling exercises, like seated row, bent over row and overhand row, to counteract an imbalance in the shoulders.
Not only will this prevent injury and aching, it will allow you to make greater gains. Most people don't realize how much of their strength in certain exercises actually comes from the strength or relationship of other muscles in your body.
An example would be deadlifts. A lot of your strength from deadlifts doesn't come from your lower back or your biceps or lats, it comes from your core strength. If your core isn't strong enough to handle the load, it doesn't matter how strong your other muscles are, you're not going anywhere.
If you have not been making the gains you want in a certain area, it could mean that you need to work on another muscle first. Vince Del Monte's program, the one I am currently using, covers all of this and his workouts make sure to have proper muscular balance.
Click Here! if you want to check out the program.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Check Out New YouTube Channel
Hey guys, before I say anything I have to tell you that I have a YouTube Channel now, username is givememuscle2009. I'm gonna be posting a lot of exclusive video content on it so be sure to check it out!
Anyways, I am really starting to gain a lot of confidence in this program. It's been six weeks and I've already gained 11 pounds of muscle so I'm pretty excited.
I decided that I'm going to put up updates of my increases in strength, too, along with my progress pics and video updates, so be looking out for that.
That's about it for now, keep checking back for more info and updates and if you want to check out the muscle-building program that's giving me a lot of results you can Click Here!
Anyways, I am really starting to gain a lot of confidence in this program. It's been six weeks and I've already gained 11 pounds of muscle so I'm pretty excited.
I decided that I'm going to put up updates of my increases in strength, too, along with my progress pics and video updates, so be looking out for that.
That's about it for now, keep checking back for more info and updates and if you want to check out the muscle-building program that's giving me a lot of results you can Click Here!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Video Update - Real Results
Video I decided to make giving you the truth behind some of the outrageous claims being made by some ads and sites.
Click Here! to learn more about the program I'm using!
Click Here! to learn more about the program I'm using!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Train More, Eat More
Hey guys, I came across this pretty cool concept to help build muscle faster and decrease the amount of fat you will gain.
This is known as the G-flux concept. In a nutshell, it can be said with the phrase "Train More, Eat More". It's better to train more and eat more than train less and eat less. Here's an example.
Let's say a person burns 3000 calories a day. He would need to take in 3500 calories a day to build one pound of muscle (500 extra x 7 days a week = 3500. There's 3500 calories in a pound of muscle).
Let's take another guy who burns the same amount per day, but also burns 500 calories a day through cardio. Because of this cardio he now burns 3500 calories, so in order to keep gaining weight he ups his calories eaten a day to 4000.
Now, at first glance, it might seem that they both will make the same gain, but that's not exactly true. They will both gain a pound, but the second guy will have more of the weight gain be muscle because he exhausted his muscle in a greater variety of ways so he will gain muscle in more places.
Also, the second guy will have less fat and have more cardiovascular health (be better at cardio). This is one of the secrets of gaining huge amounts of muscle in a short amount of time while keeping your body fat from getting too high at the same time. By training more (and in different ways) and eating more, you are going to get greater gains than training less and eating less.
One thing that people worry about with this approach is over-training. Over-training is a term that gets thrown around too much. Usually when people refer to over-training in weightlifting they actually mean Central Nervous System Fatigue.
Your nervous system gets fatigued when you do to much high intensity weight training, but if you alternate between high intensity weight training, low intensity cardio and interval training you will be able to train more without fatiguing the nervous system.
The only people who get TRULY over-trained are olympic/professional athletes who train with extreme intensity for long periods of time (I'm talking 6 months - 1 year or more).
Most of the time over-trained actually means under-nourished. As long as you have the calories and nutrients to keep up with the training, you should be good.
A lot of hardgainers are given the advice of not doing any cardio or any type of extra training outside of weightlifting. This is good general advice for someone who can't get the required calories, but if you follow this belief and never do any other type of training, you will be limiting the amount of gains you make.
The secret is knowing what extra exercises to do and when to do them. This is something that Vince talks a little about in his program, which you can find out more about if you Click Here!
This is known as the G-flux concept. In a nutshell, it can be said with the phrase "Train More, Eat More". It's better to train more and eat more than train less and eat less. Here's an example.
Let's say a person burns 3000 calories a day. He would need to take in 3500 calories a day to build one pound of muscle (500 extra x 7 days a week = 3500. There's 3500 calories in a pound of muscle).
Let's take another guy who burns the same amount per day, but also burns 500 calories a day through cardio. Because of this cardio he now burns 3500 calories, so in order to keep gaining weight he ups his calories eaten a day to 4000.
Now, at first glance, it might seem that they both will make the same gain, but that's not exactly true. They will both gain a pound, but the second guy will have more of the weight gain be muscle because he exhausted his muscle in a greater variety of ways so he will gain muscle in more places.
Also, the second guy will have less fat and have more cardiovascular health (be better at cardio). This is one of the secrets of gaining huge amounts of muscle in a short amount of time while keeping your body fat from getting too high at the same time. By training more (and in different ways) and eating more, you are going to get greater gains than training less and eating less.
One thing that people worry about with this approach is over-training. Over-training is a term that gets thrown around too much. Usually when people refer to over-training in weightlifting they actually mean Central Nervous System Fatigue.
Your nervous system gets fatigued when you do to much high intensity weight training, but if you alternate between high intensity weight training, low intensity cardio and interval training you will be able to train more without fatiguing the nervous system.
The only people who get TRULY over-trained are olympic/professional athletes who train with extreme intensity for long periods of time (I'm talking 6 months - 1 year or more).
Most of the time over-trained actually means under-nourished. As long as you have the calories and nutrients to keep up with the training, you should be good.
A lot of hardgainers are given the advice of not doing any cardio or any type of extra training outside of weightlifting. This is good general advice for someone who can't get the required calories, but if you follow this belief and never do any other type of training, you will be limiting the amount of gains you make.
The secret is knowing what extra exercises to do and when to do them. This is something that Vince talks a little about in his program, which you can find out more about if you Click Here!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Additions to the Blog!
I added some new sections to the blog, you can check em out on the sidebar under Site Navigation.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Self-Proportion/Developing All Muscles Equally
Ok, so there's basically 3 main muscles that every guy wants: pecs, biceps and abs. Because this is what most people focus on, it becomes the only muscles that a lot of people work. I can't tell you how many times I see guys do a couple sets of bench press and a couple sets of curls and be done.
There is no such thing as spot-training. You can't just work certain muscles and expect just those ones to grow. Your body has a self-proportion system. It will always try it's hardest to keep it's original muscle proportions, so no matter how hard you try, if you only focus on one or two muscles your growth for that muscle will stop within a short period of time.
This is why compound and full body exercises are so important. The more muscles you work, the more your body will allow other muscles to grow. It is estimated that gaining one inch on your biceps requires you to build 10 pounds of muscle on your overall frame, so if you want those nice arms, you're going to have to start on those deadlifts and squats.
I know, I know, I can hear all the sighs now. I hate doing leg and lower body exercises, too. It's really tiring and takes a lot out of you, but don't worry, I have some motivation for you.
Studies have shown that people who train their lower bodies have a 20% increase in muscle mass on their upper bodies. This is because the majority of the muscle on your body is in your glutes and thighs, so how well these muscles are developed has a considerable impact on how well the rest of your body will develop.
So there you go, no matter what muscle you really want to develop, the first step is to train the whole body.
There's a lot more information on this and many other topics in Vince Del Monte's No-Nonsense Guide to Muscle Building.
Click Here! to check it out!
There is no such thing as spot-training. You can't just work certain muscles and expect just those ones to grow. Your body has a self-proportion system. It will always try it's hardest to keep it's original muscle proportions, so no matter how hard you try, if you only focus on one or two muscles your growth for that muscle will stop within a short period of time.
This is why compound and full body exercises are so important. The more muscles you work, the more your body will allow other muscles to grow. It is estimated that gaining one inch on your biceps requires you to build 10 pounds of muscle on your overall frame, so if you want those nice arms, you're going to have to start on those deadlifts and squats.
I know, I know, I can hear all the sighs now. I hate doing leg and lower body exercises, too. It's really tiring and takes a lot out of you, but don't worry, I have some motivation for you.
Studies have shown that people who train their lower bodies have a 20% increase in muscle mass on their upper bodies. This is because the majority of the muscle on your body is in your glutes and thighs, so how well these muscles are developed has a considerable impact on how well the rest of your body will develop.
So there you go, no matter what muscle you really want to develop, the first step is to train the whole body.
There's a lot more information on this and many other topics in Vince Del Monte's No-Nonsense Guide to Muscle Building.
Click Here! to check it out!
Friday, October 9, 2009
1 Month Video Update!
Well, I'm finally done with my first month on the program and I am really glad with the results. As promised, below I have put my video update. Below the video I have a link to Vince's program as well as my first update pic. See you guys on Monday with another post!
Vince Del Monte's No-Nonsense Muscle Building Guide
Vince Del Monte's No-Nonsense Muscle Building Guide
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Skinny Guy's Guide To Protein Powder - By Vince Del Monte
Hey guys, here's a new article straight from Vince, hope it helps. It's a little long, but very informative.
So what do you really need to know about protein powder? As a skinny guy or beginner to the whole bodybuilding scene you simply want to know a few answers. Is protein powder necessary? Does it really work? How much do I need? What kind should I take? What is the best? And finally, will any of these answers make a difference when it comes to getting jacked and attracting the ladies?
This article is not meant for you if you want to learn the science behind the ion-exchanged, cross-mutated, isotopically labeled protein tracers - blah blah blah. In this article, I will strip away all the hype, science, and confusion that surrounds protein powder. By the time you are through this article and put it to memory, you will become the resident protein powder expert and amaze your friends the next time you visit the sport nutrition store. No more 2-hour shopping trips for protein powder because you don't really have a clue what to look for!
Is Protein Powder really necessary?
So, although protein supplements are not an absolute requirement for gaining mass, I have yet to meet any person able to get 400 grams of protein per day from cooking food. If your protein intake is greater than 200 grams per day I will suggest a protein powder - it will make your life a lot easier.
In addition, dollar for dollar, protein powders and meal replacement drinks tend to be more cost effective than whole food. Don't get me wrong, though. Protein powders are still supplements in my book. Supplement means an addition to the diet. I emphasize this because the focus of any diet should be food. Whole food is often preferable to powders because it can offer a whole spectrum of nutrients that powders cannot.
Most of your dietary protein should come from meat, fish, poultry and eggs. However getting all your protein from whole food is not always practical or convenient, especially if you have to eat 6 or more times a day to get your required intake. I will stress to you, for optimal muscle gains, you should limit yourself to a maximum of three shakes per day or 40 % of your meals. To some this might even sound like it's going 'overboard' and I would not disagree.
The bottom line is that both food and supplements are necessary to achieve a complete nutritional balance as well as the desired level of protein intake, especially if you're not a big fan of cooking. And I assume that over 95% of you reading this do not have a personal maid at home cooking all your meals while you sit around waiting for your next meal. Do not make the fatal mistake of thinking protein powders can take the place of a solid training and nutrition program.
Does protein powder really work and are they healthy?
I get this question emailed to me almost every day. I just showed how it 'works' as a supplement to help you hit your supplemental protein mark but you are probably still wondering, 'Yeah, but is protein powder going to help me get muscular or is it a scam?" A better question would be, "Does protein really work?" and the obvious answer is 'yes.' You are fully aware that protein is composed of building blocks called amino acids, which performs a variety of functions in the body such as building and maintaining healthy muscles when combined with diet and exercise. Protein also:
* Supports red blood cell production
* Boosts your immune system
* Keeps your hair, fingernails, and skin healthy
However, not all protein powder is created equal. Most protein powder contains an array of questionable ingredients such as aspartame, saccharin, fructose and artificial colors. It's interesting to note how unhealthy most of these protein powders actually are. Look for a protein powder with natural ingredients rather than products that are sweetened with chemicals and made with ingredients that are certainly not going to create an environment for muscle growth and fat burning.
Also avoid products with refined carbohydrates such as fructose, sucrose or brown rice syrup. Make sure that the product is made from a reputable company that is genuinely interested in good health. Unfortunately supplement manufacturers will continue to meet the demands of bodybuilding consumers with unknown crappy products because we buy it and it is cheaper for them to create. Do your homework by seeking out unbiased reviews, investigating the company’s history, and reputation. And then make a decision and take responsibility!
In the past one of my criteria for a healthy protein product was that it was great tasting and that it should mix easily. Most protein powders mix quite easily, even with a spoon, however I was disappointed to discover that taste will inevitably be sacrificed for a safe and healthy product. I can live with this. You see, once a product is removed of all artificial chemical sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose, and simple sugars, it is left almost tasteless and sometimes even gross.
How much protein powder do I need?
A better question would be, "How much pure protein do I need to achieve my goals?"
Protein is an extremely important macro nutrient and should be eaten frequently throughout the day. I recommend at least 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. This means that if you are 150 pounds and 10% body fat (150 x 0.10 = 15 lbs of fat leaving 135 lbs of lean mass), you will require at least 135 to approximately 205 grams of protein per day.
I recommend that protein powder be used primarily for your pre-workout, workout and post-workout shake. This is when liquid food is more advantageous over whole food since it has a faster absorption rate.
I do not recommend protein powder do be used for meal replacements for more than two meals. Here is what a typical day might look like:
Meal 1 (breakfast) - whole food
Meal 2 (mid morning) - liquid protein meal
Meal 3 (lunch) - whole food
Meal 4 (mid afternoon) whole food
Meal 5 (pre and post workout) liquid protein meal
Meal 6 (dinner) whole food
Meal 7 (before bed) whole food
What kind of protein powder should I use?
Before deciding which protein powder is necessary, here is a short protein primer to help you make sense of the thousands of different protein powders from which to choose:
WHEY PROTEIN makes up 20% of total milk protein. Whey is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, high cysteine content, rapid digestion, and interesting variety of peptides. Since it is very quickly digested the best time to consume it is before your workout, during your workout or immediately after your workout. These would be considered the phase in the day where you need energy the most and when your body is in anabolic state.
CASEIN PROTEIN makes up 80% of total milk protein. Casein is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, slow digestive nature, and interesting variety of peptides. Since casein is slowly digested into your bloodstream, don't use it during workouts or after workouts - you need a fast absorbing protein at these times. Instead, use a casein protein for all other times outside the pre and post workout window.
SOY PROTEIN is the most controversial of all protein types. While the soy groupies have gone to great lengths to label soy as a super food with magical effects, there is also a good amount of research that suggests soy protein may be contraindicated in many situations. BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONFUSION, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, I SUGGEST AVOIDING SOY PROTEIN ALTOGETHER AND STICKING TO THE OTHER TYPES LISTED.
Protein Blends are generally a combination of several types of protein blends such as whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, egg protein, casein protein, and soy protein.
Why would you want a blend anyway? You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein - use this kind at any time of the day but NOT before or after a workout.
Whey hydrolysates (also known as hydrolyzed whey protein, and are also called peptides), are powerful proteins that are more quickly absorbed; more so than any other form, since your body prefers peptides to whole proteins. Hydrolysates are produced through very low heat, low acid and mild enzymatic filtration processes, (those highest in the essential and the branched chain amino acids) and are potentially the most anabolic for short-term protein synthesis such as the pre and post-workout window.
Whey Protein Versus Whey Isolate:
Most whey protein powders that stock the supplement shelves are made up of whey concentrate and mixed in with a small portion of whey isolate. Comparing the two, whey protein isolate is more expensive than whey protein concentrate because it has a higher quality (more pure) and a higher BV (biological value). Whey protein isolate contains more protein and less fat and lactose per serving. Most whey protein isolates contain 90-98% protein while whey concentrates contain 70-85% protein.
Whey protein isolate is the highest yield of protein currently available that comes from milk. Because of its chemical properties it is the easiest to absorb into your system. Obviously with its high concentration, it appears that an isolate protein would be the obvious choice instead of a concentrate. However, this is an individual decision because the isolate is more expensive, and just because it is purer does not guarantee that it will help build bigger muscles. Its extra concentration may not justify its extra cost.
SO WHAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE? WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
For the Pre-workout and Post-workout phases, as long as whey hydrolysate is the first or second ingredient on the supplement label then there is probably not enough in the product to influence protein synthesis to reap the optimal benefits. As stated, whey isolates are also a extremely high quality whey and for maximal anabolism isolates should be combined with whey hydrolysates for only the pre-workout and post-workout phases of your program. The inclusion of small amounts of whey concentrates will not harm you but this should not be the first ingredient on the tub of protein powder.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE STRONGEST PROTEIN POWDER TO EXPLOIT YOUR FULL GROWTH POTENTIAL DURING THE GROWTH AND RECOVERY PHASES (ANY TIME OTHER THAN PRE AND POST WORKOUT PERIOD) THEN USE A BLEND.
You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein.
Conclusion
I hope this article familiarized you with the basics of protein powder and gave you a foundation to work from when deciding on your next order. Don't get caught up in the hype and start becoming a more educated consumer when you take your next trip to the nutrition store. Now you can tell the sales rep exactly what you are looking for instead of staring blankly at the shelves without a clue!
Oh yeah, protein powder will help you get more jacked and attract the ladies, but it's not going to do it in a 'ultra short period of time' with the simple addition to your diet.
If you want to check out Vince's Program, Click Here!
So what do you really need to know about protein powder? As a skinny guy or beginner to the whole bodybuilding scene you simply want to know a few answers. Is protein powder necessary? Does it really work? How much do I need? What kind should I take? What is the best? And finally, will any of these answers make a difference when it comes to getting jacked and attracting the ladies?
This article is not meant for you if you want to learn the science behind the ion-exchanged, cross-mutated, isotopically labeled protein tracers - blah blah blah. In this article, I will strip away all the hype, science, and confusion that surrounds protein powder. By the time you are through this article and put it to memory, you will become the resident protein powder expert and amaze your friends the next time you visit the sport nutrition store. No more 2-hour shopping trips for protein powder because you don't really have a clue what to look for!
Is Protein Powder really necessary?
So, although protein supplements are not an absolute requirement for gaining mass, I have yet to meet any person able to get 400 grams of protein per day from cooking food. If your protein intake is greater than 200 grams per day I will suggest a protein powder - it will make your life a lot easier.
In addition, dollar for dollar, protein powders and meal replacement drinks tend to be more cost effective than whole food. Don't get me wrong, though. Protein powders are still supplements in my book. Supplement means an addition to the diet. I emphasize this because the focus of any diet should be food. Whole food is often preferable to powders because it can offer a whole spectrum of nutrients that powders cannot.
Most of your dietary protein should come from meat, fish, poultry and eggs. However getting all your protein from whole food is not always practical or convenient, especially if you have to eat 6 or more times a day to get your required intake. I will stress to you, for optimal muscle gains, you should limit yourself to a maximum of three shakes per day or 40 % of your meals. To some this might even sound like it's going 'overboard' and I would not disagree.
The bottom line is that both food and supplements are necessary to achieve a complete nutritional balance as well as the desired level of protein intake, especially if you're not a big fan of cooking. And I assume that over 95% of you reading this do not have a personal maid at home cooking all your meals while you sit around waiting for your next meal. Do not make the fatal mistake of thinking protein powders can take the place of a solid training and nutrition program.
Does protein powder really work and are they healthy?
I get this question emailed to me almost every day. I just showed how it 'works' as a supplement to help you hit your supplemental protein mark but you are probably still wondering, 'Yeah, but is protein powder going to help me get muscular or is it a scam?" A better question would be, "Does protein really work?" and the obvious answer is 'yes.' You are fully aware that protein is composed of building blocks called amino acids, which performs a variety of functions in the body such as building and maintaining healthy muscles when combined with diet and exercise. Protein also:
* Supports red blood cell production
* Boosts your immune system
* Keeps your hair, fingernails, and skin healthy
However, not all protein powder is created equal. Most protein powder contains an array of questionable ingredients such as aspartame, saccharin, fructose and artificial colors. It's interesting to note how unhealthy most of these protein powders actually are. Look for a protein powder with natural ingredients rather than products that are sweetened with chemicals and made with ingredients that are certainly not going to create an environment for muscle growth and fat burning.
Also avoid products with refined carbohydrates such as fructose, sucrose or brown rice syrup. Make sure that the product is made from a reputable company that is genuinely interested in good health. Unfortunately supplement manufacturers will continue to meet the demands of bodybuilding consumers with unknown crappy products because we buy it and it is cheaper for them to create. Do your homework by seeking out unbiased reviews, investigating the company’s history, and reputation. And then make a decision and take responsibility!
In the past one of my criteria for a healthy protein product was that it was great tasting and that it should mix easily. Most protein powders mix quite easily, even with a spoon, however I was disappointed to discover that taste will inevitably be sacrificed for a safe and healthy product. I can live with this. You see, once a product is removed of all artificial chemical sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose, and simple sugars, it is left almost tasteless and sometimes even gross.
How much protein powder do I need?
A better question would be, "How much pure protein do I need to achieve my goals?"
Protein is an extremely important macro nutrient and should be eaten frequently throughout the day. I recommend at least 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. This means that if you are 150 pounds and 10% body fat (150 x 0.10 = 15 lbs of fat leaving 135 lbs of lean mass), you will require at least 135 to approximately 205 grams of protein per day.
I recommend that protein powder be used primarily for your pre-workout, workout and post-workout shake. This is when liquid food is more advantageous over whole food since it has a faster absorption rate.
I do not recommend protein powder do be used for meal replacements for more than two meals. Here is what a typical day might look like:
Meal 1 (breakfast) - whole food
Meal 2 (mid morning) - liquid protein meal
Meal 3 (lunch) - whole food
Meal 4 (mid afternoon) whole food
Meal 5 (pre and post workout) liquid protein meal
Meal 6 (dinner) whole food
Meal 7 (before bed) whole food
What kind of protein powder should I use?
Before deciding which protein powder is necessary, here is a short protein primer to help you make sense of the thousands of different protein powders from which to choose:
WHEY PROTEIN makes up 20% of total milk protein. Whey is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, high cysteine content, rapid digestion, and interesting variety of peptides. Since it is very quickly digested the best time to consume it is before your workout, during your workout or immediately after your workout. These would be considered the phase in the day where you need energy the most and when your body is in anabolic state.
CASEIN PROTEIN makes up 80% of total milk protein. Casein is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, slow digestive nature, and interesting variety of peptides. Since casein is slowly digested into your bloodstream, don't use it during workouts or after workouts - you need a fast absorbing protein at these times. Instead, use a casein protein for all other times outside the pre and post workout window.
SOY PROTEIN is the most controversial of all protein types. While the soy groupies have gone to great lengths to label soy as a super food with magical effects, there is also a good amount of research that suggests soy protein may be contraindicated in many situations. BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONFUSION, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, I SUGGEST AVOIDING SOY PROTEIN ALTOGETHER AND STICKING TO THE OTHER TYPES LISTED.
Protein Blends are generally a combination of several types of protein blends such as whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, egg protein, casein protein, and soy protein.
Why would you want a blend anyway? You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein - use this kind at any time of the day but NOT before or after a workout.
Whey hydrolysates (also known as hydrolyzed whey protein, and are also called peptides), are powerful proteins that are more quickly absorbed; more so than any other form, since your body prefers peptides to whole proteins. Hydrolysates are produced through very low heat, low acid and mild enzymatic filtration processes, (those highest in the essential and the branched chain amino acids) and are potentially the most anabolic for short-term protein synthesis such as the pre and post-workout window.
Whey Protein Versus Whey Isolate:
Most whey protein powders that stock the supplement shelves are made up of whey concentrate and mixed in with a small portion of whey isolate. Comparing the two, whey protein isolate is more expensive than whey protein concentrate because it has a higher quality (more pure) and a higher BV (biological value). Whey protein isolate contains more protein and less fat and lactose per serving. Most whey protein isolates contain 90-98% protein while whey concentrates contain 70-85% protein.
Whey protein isolate is the highest yield of protein currently available that comes from milk. Because of its chemical properties it is the easiest to absorb into your system. Obviously with its high concentration, it appears that an isolate protein would be the obvious choice instead of a concentrate. However, this is an individual decision because the isolate is more expensive, and just because it is purer does not guarantee that it will help build bigger muscles. Its extra concentration may not justify its extra cost.
SO WHAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE? WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
For the Pre-workout and Post-workout phases, as long as whey hydrolysate is the first or second ingredient on the supplement label then there is probably not enough in the product to influence protein synthesis to reap the optimal benefits. As stated, whey isolates are also a extremely high quality whey and for maximal anabolism isolates should be combined with whey hydrolysates for only the pre-workout and post-workout phases of your program. The inclusion of small amounts of whey concentrates will not harm you but this should not be the first ingredient on the tub of protein powder.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE STRONGEST PROTEIN POWDER TO EXPLOIT YOUR FULL GROWTH POTENTIAL DURING THE GROWTH AND RECOVERY PHASES (ANY TIME OTHER THAN PRE AND POST WORKOUT PERIOD) THEN USE A BLEND.
You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein.
Conclusion
I hope this article familiarized you with the basics of protein powder and gave you a foundation to work from when deciding on your next order. Don't get caught up in the hype and start becoming a more educated consumer when you take your next trip to the nutrition store. Now you can tell the sales rep exactly what you are looking for instead of staring blankly at the shelves without a clue!
Oh yeah, protein powder will help you get more jacked and attract the ladies, but it's not going to do it in a 'ultra short period of time' with the simple addition to your diet.
If you want to check out Vince's Program, Click Here!
Monday, September 28, 2009
The "Lazy Shake"
I'm going to touch on the subject of calories again because it's something that I hear come up with every other hardgainer I talk to.
I get a lot of questions about ways to get all the requisite calories for the day so I'm going to share with you something I do to help me get those extra calories in.
I have what I call "Lazy Food". These are just food items that I always have with me just in case I don't have time to make a full meal and I need some calories.
But more specifically, what I want to talk about is something that I make on a regular basis which is called the "Lazy Shake". It's basically just some things I throw into the blender real quick if I have somewhere to be or am just lazy and don't want to cook and need calories.
The Lazy Shake consists of the following items: 2 Cups milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana, 3/4 cup yogurt, 1 cup oatmeal and 2 scoops protein powder.
Now all together this shake has about 1300 calories, 85g of protein and crap load of basically everything else. It's a great way of getting almost 2 meals worth of calories in almost no time.
The Lazy Shake is a really good way to push you over the edge on your daily calorie intake, comment below and share what you put in your Lazy Shake.
You can follow me on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook by clicking on the sidebar to the left for exclusive content and updates. Also, make sure to bookmark this page and check back daily for updates.
I get a lot of questions about ways to get all the requisite calories for the day so I'm going to share with you something I do to help me get those extra calories in.
I have what I call "Lazy Food". These are just food items that I always have with me just in case I don't have time to make a full meal and I need some calories.
But more specifically, what I want to talk about is something that I make on a regular basis which is called the "Lazy Shake". It's basically just some things I throw into the blender real quick if I have somewhere to be or am just lazy and don't want to cook and need calories.
The Lazy Shake consists of the following items: 2 Cups milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana, 3/4 cup yogurt, 1 cup oatmeal and 2 scoops protein powder.
Now all together this shake has about 1300 calories, 85g of protein and crap load of basically everything else. It's a great way of getting almost 2 meals worth of calories in almost no time.
The Lazy Shake is a really good way to push you over the edge on your daily calorie intake, comment below and share what you put in your Lazy Shake.
You can follow me on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook by clicking on the sidebar to the left for exclusive content and updates. Also, make sure to bookmark this page and check back daily for updates.
Fiber...Yeah, It's That Important
Constipation!!!...Yeah, everyone goes through it at some point, bodybuilders more so than most people and I have to admit I'm a little backed up right now.
I went to the bathroom and pulled a little maneuver called the "I'm moving to Hollywood". This is where you waste a lot of time and put in a lot of effort and nothing comes out of it. *swish* I totally landed that joke.
But anyway, I've been focusing so much on protein lately I've forgotten about the other essentials, mainly fiber. It's so important to have a healthy digestive system, especially when you're trying to gain weight.
A lot of people don't know how much fiber they need in a day. Well, here's a little rule of thumb. You need about 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories you consume. So I eat a little over 4000 calories a day which means I need about 60 grams of fiber a day.
Looking back on my diet, I have not been getting near that much. So now I am forced to take a laxative pill. Oh well, this is my lesson to get my required fiber I guess.
Oh also, if you don't get enough fiber already, don't suddenly jump to having a lot of fiber, gradually increase every week until you're at your goal. If you do it too fast, you'll get digestive problems.
I put up a new post in the "Articles and Tidbits" section with more info on fiber. You can view it Here.
I'm on Facebook and Twitter now, so you can become a fan of my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter for exclusive content and updates.
I went to the bathroom and pulled a little maneuver called the "I'm moving to Hollywood". This is where you waste a lot of time and put in a lot of effort and nothing comes out of it. *swish* I totally landed that joke.
But anyway, I've been focusing so much on protein lately I've forgotten about the other essentials, mainly fiber. It's so important to have a healthy digestive system, especially when you're trying to gain weight.
A lot of people don't know how much fiber they need in a day. Well, here's a little rule of thumb. You need about 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories you consume. So I eat a little over 4000 calories a day which means I need about 60 grams of fiber a day.
Looking back on my diet, I have not been getting near that much. So now I am forced to take a laxative pill. Oh well, this is my lesson to get my required fiber I guess.
Oh also, if you don't get enough fiber already, don't suddenly jump to having a lot of fiber, gradually increase every week until you're at your goal. If you do it too fast, you'll get digestive problems.
I put up a new post in the "Articles and Tidbits" section with more info on fiber. You can view it Here.
I'm on Facebook and Twitter now, so you can become a fan of my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter for exclusive content and updates.
3 Best Exercises for Gaining Muscle
There's basically two types of exercises, compound and isolation. Isolation exercises are ones like individual bicep curls or chest flys. Isolation exercises have their place, but when it comes to building the most muscle, compound exercises are where it's at.
Compound exercises use multiple muscles at once, which builds muscle in multiple areas, not just one, and because you're using multiple muscle you can lift a much heavier which means greater gains, this is one of the things that Vince teaches in his program.
There are 3 exercises in particular that are the mother of all muscle builders. Those exercises are deadlifts, squats and bench press.
Before this program I didn't really focus on deadlifts or squats because they were just really hard and I didn't like doing them, I figured bench press and bicep curls were enough (how wrong I was), but now I am so glad I do them because they have helped me make really good gains in a short amount of time.
Deadlifts are basically the holy grail of muscle building exercises, using pretty much every muscle in your body for the movement. Squats are a close second and bench press is third, but specifically for upper body exercises bench press is king.
Because these exercises fire so many muscle at once, you will make gains in pretty much every other muscle just by doing these. Implement these exercises into your routine and you will make much better gains.
You can follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook by clicking the links on the right.
Also, Click Here! to check out the program I'm using.
Compound exercises use multiple muscles at once, which builds muscle in multiple areas, not just one, and because you're using multiple muscle you can lift a much heavier which means greater gains, this is one of the things that Vince teaches in his program.
There are 3 exercises in particular that are the mother of all muscle builders. Those exercises are deadlifts, squats and bench press.
Before this program I didn't really focus on deadlifts or squats because they were just really hard and I didn't like doing them, I figured bench press and bicep curls were enough (how wrong I was), but now I am so glad I do them because they have helped me make really good gains in a short amount of time.
Deadlifts are basically the holy grail of muscle building exercises, using pretty much every muscle in your body for the movement. Squats are a close second and bench press is third, but specifically for upper body exercises bench press is king.
Because these exercises fire so many muscle at once, you will make gains in pretty much every other muscle just by doing these. Implement these exercises into your routine and you will make much better gains.
You can follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook by clicking the links on the right.
Also, Click Here! to check out the program I'm using.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Spotters
I think I might be going crazy. I keep seeing the same thing every time I see a guy spotting someone. The person will be benching and start to struggle and the spotter basically deadlifts the weight while saying "its all you, bro!"
I got one of these guys when I asked for a spotter today and, quite frankly, it's annoying. I was only half-way through my set and he starts pulling up the weight for the rest of my reps.
When you spot someone, you don't pick up the weight as soon as the person starts to slow down, you wait until they are unable to move the weight up anymore.
A good rule of thumb is if they are pushing the weight and haven't moved it for more than three seconds then it's safe to help. But don't just pull the weight up right away, take off just enough weight so that he still has to push to get it up.
I just needed to get that off my chest(wow, unintentional pun). Be a good spotter, people will thank you for it.
I got one of these guys when I asked for a spotter today and, quite frankly, it's annoying. I was only half-way through my set and he starts pulling up the weight for the rest of my reps.
When you spot someone, you don't pick up the weight as soon as the person starts to slow down, you wait until they are unable to move the weight up anymore.
A good rule of thumb is if they are pushing the weight and haven't moved it for more than three seconds then it's safe to help. But don't just pull the weight up right away, take off just enough weight so that he still has to push to get it up.
I just needed to get that off my chest(wow, unintentional pun). Be a good spotter, people will thank you for it.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Meals: Size, Space and Timing
Well, I'm trucking along, almost done with the first three week interval of the program. I'm making some good gains already and can't wait to do my first update pic.
For me, one of the hardest parts of trying to gain weight is having to eat so much. That's why I'm really glad I found this great product that lets me eat without the hassle!
Human Feedbags!
Haha, just kidding. But seriously, eating massive amounts of calories and knowing when and what to eat is hard for most people to figure out. I mean, most people know the basics; eat every 2 hours, have a gram of protein for each pound you weigh etc., but there's so many more little details that I've found out that get overlooked.
So, I decided that I would put all the necessary info you need to know about meals into one place. This is going to be a pretty long post because I will be giving explanations for each
Tip #1 - Always eat your first meal within 30 minutes of waking up. It's been about 8 hours (assuming you're getting enough sleep) since your last meal so your body will be screaming for some calories and start to break down muscle for energy very quickly.
Make sure you have designated "wake-up" food items that you can eat right when you wake up so you don't have to wait until your first meal is done. "Wake-up" foods are food items that you can eat that have a decent amount of calories, a lot of carbs, don't need to be prepared and can be consumed right away. Bananas, yogurt or granola bars are good examples.
Tip #2 - Your first meal should always be your biggest. Make it at least 200 calories more than your other meals for the day. You haven't had any calories all night and you body needs a lot of calories to catch up.
Tip #3 - Your pre- and post-workout shakes should have at least double as many grams of carbs as grams of protein. This is so your body only uses the carbs for energy and not the protein. Putting some type of pure sugar in your shake is usually the best way to get the required carbs, this also helps replace the glycogen in your muscles quicker.
Tip #4 - Have your last meal no less than two hours before going to bed. If your meal is not digested by the time you go to bed, your body will have to use extra energy to digest while you sleep instead of using that energy to build muscle. Also, it's harder to fall asleep while your body is digesting.
Tip #5 - You need a lot of calories to gain weight, but don't use this as an excuse to just pig out, you want to gain muscle, not fat. Higher fat levels are associated with higher estrogen levels and lower hgh production, both of which will kill gains. Try not to go too far above 500-1000 calories extra a day when trying to gain weight.
You can probably see how knowing these little facts that most people aren't aware of can really help with your gains. I'll post tomorrow with an update of how my workout is going.
Click Here! to check out the program I am using, Vince Del Monte's No-Nonsense Muscle Building.
For me, one of the hardest parts of trying to gain weight is having to eat so much. That's why I'm really glad I found this great product that lets me eat without the hassle!
Human Feedbags!
Haha, just kidding. But seriously, eating massive amounts of calories and knowing when and what to eat is hard for most people to figure out. I mean, most people know the basics; eat every 2 hours, have a gram of protein for each pound you weigh etc., but there's so many more little details that I've found out that get overlooked.
So, I decided that I would put all the necessary info you need to know about meals into one place. This is going to be a pretty long post because I will be giving explanations for each
Tip #1 - Always eat your first meal within 30 minutes of waking up. It's been about 8 hours (assuming you're getting enough sleep) since your last meal so your body will be screaming for some calories and start to break down muscle for energy very quickly.
Make sure you have designated "wake-up" food items that you can eat right when you wake up so you don't have to wait until your first meal is done. "Wake-up" foods are food items that you can eat that have a decent amount of calories, a lot of carbs, don't need to be prepared and can be consumed right away. Bananas, yogurt or granola bars are good examples.
Tip #2 - Your first meal should always be your biggest. Make it at least 200 calories more than your other meals for the day. You haven't had any calories all night and you body needs a lot of calories to catch up.
Tip #3 - Your pre- and post-workout shakes should have at least double as many grams of carbs as grams of protein. This is so your body only uses the carbs for energy and not the protein. Putting some type of pure sugar in your shake is usually the best way to get the required carbs, this also helps replace the glycogen in your muscles quicker.
Tip #4 - Have your last meal no less than two hours before going to bed. If your meal is not digested by the time you go to bed, your body will have to use extra energy to digest while you sleep instead of using that energy to build muscle. Also, it's harder to fall asleep while your body is digesting.
Tip #5 - You need a lot of calories to gain weight, but don't use this as an excuse to just pig out, you want to gain muscle, not fat. Higher fat levels are associated with higher estrogen levels and lower hgh production, both of which will kill gains. Try not to go too far above 500-1000 calories extra a day when trying to gain weight.
You can probably see how knowing these little facts that most people aren't aware of can really help with your gains. I'll post tomorrow with an update of how my workout is going.
Click Here! to check out the program I am using, Vince Del Monte's No-Nonsense Muscle Building.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tempo and Consistency
Ok, so I was doing my workout today and I made a realization. A realization of a mistake I had been making this whole time and not noticed it until just now.
I was cheating reps. On some of my sets if I wasn't going to make it to my target number of reps, I would either do my last couple reps faster or arch my back or use momentum to get the last ones in.
I would be proud of myself that I accomplished my goal, but thinking back on it, it really did nothing. Because now when I do my workouts, I'm not sure exactly how good my gains are because I have to take into account the cheated reps and debate whether they count or not.
If I decide they don't count, then I have to totally disregard a lot of my last reps and totally recalculate my weight and reps. And if I decide they do count, then what about when I do a workout when I don't cheat at all, then I won't know how much I gained from last workout because they last workout's results were "tainted" by the cheating reps.
One of the cardinal rules of bodybuilding is technique and consistency. If you don't ALWAYS take the same amount of time going up and down on a rep and don't ALWAYS use the right technique then you will really skew your results and hurt your gains in the long run.
So lesson for today, make sure you stay consistent and try your hardest to not cheat. Don't worry if you do it here and there, everyone does it sometimes, just don't make it a habit.
On another note, only two more weeks until I post my first update pic. I have a really good feeling about this. Also, I'm going to do a video review of the program. The things I like about it, the things I don't like and my personal results.
As always, Click Here! to check out Vince's No-Nonsense Muscle Building Program.
I was cheating reps. On some of my sets if I wasn't going to make it to my target number of reps, I would either do my last couple reps faster or arch my back or use momentum to get the last ones in.
I would be proud of myself that I accomplished my goal, but thinking back on it, it really did nothing. Because now when I do my workouts, I'm not sure exactly how good my gains are because I have to take into account the cheated reps and debate whether they count or not.
If I decide they don't count, then I have to totally disregard a lot of my last reps and totally recalculate my weight and reps. And if I decide they do count, then what about when I do a workout when I don't cheat at all, then I won't know how much I gained from last workout because they last workout's results were "tainted" by the cheating reps.
One of the cardinal rules of bodybuilding is technique and consistency. If you don't ALWAYS take the same amount of time going up and down on a rep and don't ALWAYS use the right technique then you will really skew your results and hurt your gains in the long run.
So lesson for today, make sure you stay consistent and try your hardest to not cheat. Don't worry if you do it here and there, everyone does it sometimes, just don't make it a habit.
On another note, only two more weeks until I post my first update pic. I have a really good feeling about this. Also, I'm going to do a video review of the program. The things I like about it, the things I don't like and my personal results.
As always, Click Here! to check out Vince's No-Nonsense Muscle Building Program.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Importance of Sleep
So, I broke one of the cardinal rules of gaining muscle, getting enough sleep. I worked out on Friday and then later went to a 1040pm show and ended up not getting to bed until 4 in the morning. Then I had to get up at 8am yesterday and go to my niece's birthday party and needless to say I felt like crap.
Then after the party I went out to a bar with my friends and had a couple drinks and ended up not getting to bed until 2am. Now it's 940 in the morning and I'm tired, sore and my muscles feel like mush.
Me, trying to write this post->->->
I decided to take this opportunity to talk about the role that your social life plays in muscle gain. Of course, you still need to have a social life, but if you know that going out with friends or staying up late or drinking or any activity for that matter is going to affect your muscle gains, you should reconsider it.
Now, I could say that me not getting good sleep for those two days and then drinking won't really affect my results all that much, and that would be true for the most part. I probably didn't hamper my progress too much with just that one incident.
But, it's when you have multiple "little" incidents that it adds up. If I keep doing this every 3 or 4 weeks, then eventually after 6 months or a year, it will add up and it could be the difference between gaining 20 pounds of muscle and 25 or 30 pounds of muscle.
Luckily, today is an off day so I can just rest today and get ready for tomorrow's workout. I got off the horse for a bit, but tomorrow I'm gonna tackle the workout with as much intensity as I can muster.
Then after the party I went out to a bar with my friends and had a couple drinks and ended up not getting to bed until 2am. Now it's 940 in the morning and I'm tired, sore and my muscles feel like mush.
Me, trying to write this post->->->
I decided to take this opportunity to talk about the role that your social life plays in muscle gain. Of course, you still need to have a social life, but if you know that going out with friends or staying up late or drinking or any activity for that matter is going to affect your muscle gains, you should reconsider it.
Now, I could say that me not getting good sleep for those two days and then drinking won't really affect my results all that much, and that would be true for the most part. I probably didn't hamper my progress too much with just that one incident.
But, it's when you have multiple "little" incidents that it adds up. If I keep doing this every 3 or 4 weeks, then eventually after 6 months or a year, it will add up and it could be the difference between gaining 20 pounds of muscle and 25 or 30 pounds of muscle.
Luckily, today is an off day so I can just rest today and get ready for tomorrow's workout. I got off the horse for a bit, but tomorrow I'm gonna tackle the workout with as much intensity as I can muster.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Last Three Rules
Ok, last post I gave you the first three rules you should follow if you want to get really good muscle gains, here's the last three that Vince uses in his program.
Rule #4 - You need to get rest. You only repair and gain muscle when you are resting, particularly while you are asleep, so sleep should be a big priority. You definitely want to maintain your social life, but not at the expense of sleep.
Get enough sleep, it's that simple.
Rule #5 - Technique. You've probably all seen a guy at the gym who is lifting a gargantuan amount of weight, but is swinging and flailing and using momentum all over the place just to get it up.
Don't do this. It's better to work the muscle correctly with less weight than to not work it at all by having improper form. If you don't know proper technique, ask someone. Most people will be more than happy to show you.
Rule #6 - Get a mentor. Someone who was exactly where you are. Someone who maybe had a hard time gaining weight, but now has a muscular body. He can be inspiration and motivation for you to achieve your goals and maybe give you some tips that worked for him.
Well, those are pretty much the basic rules for gaining a lot of muscle if you have trouble. Make sure to check back regularly for updates and as usual you can click the link below to take a look at Vince's program.
Click Here! to check out Vince Del Monte's program.
Rule #4 - You need to get rest. You only repair and gain muscle when you are resting, particularly while you are asleep, so sleep should be a big priority. You definitely want to maintain your social life, but not at the expense of sleep.
Get enough sleep, it's that simple.
Rule #5 - Technique. You've probably all seen a guy at the gym who is lifting a gargantuan amount of weight, but is swinging and flailing and using momentum all over the place just to get it up.
Don't do this. It's better to work the muscle correctly with less weight than to not work it at all by having improper form. If you don't know proper technique, ask someone. Most people will be more than happy to show you.
Rule #6 - Get a mentor. Someone who was exactly where you are. Someone who maybe had a hard time gaining weight, but now has a muscular body. He can be inspiration and motivation for you to achieve your goals and maybe give you some tips that worked for him.
Well, those are pretty much the basic rules for gaining a lot of muscle if you have trouble. Make sure to check back regularly for updates and as usual you can click the link below to take a look at Vince's program.
Click Here! to check out Vince Del Monte's program.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Rules for Insane Muscle Gains
Ok, it's time for a little sneak peak into Vince's program. There are 6 basic rules that you need to follow if you want to get serious muscle gain. Today I will give you three of the rules and tomorrow I will give you the last three, I don't want to give you all of them today cuz it would just be too long of a read and I know you're busy.
Rule #1 - Get in the gym and get out. You don't need to be spending more than an hour in the gym. One of the tenants of weightlifting is intensity, if your sets are spread out over an hour or more and you're talking and watching tv in between sets, you are not accomplishing anything.
Your workouts need to consist of 10-12 or fewer sets where you are pushing yourself to the MAX. You don't need to be wasting your time on a bunch of light weight exercises. This brings us to the next rule.
Rule #2 - Get rid of isolation exercises. Bicep curls, tricep kickbackss, chest flys...they're all pretty much useless if you want to gain pounds of muscle. Working out is about intensity and getting the most bang for your buck out of every exercise, so you want to focus on compound lifts like deadlifts, bench press, squats and cleans.
Rule #3 - Cardio. Stop it. Ok, maybe not stop it, but cut back. Cardio burns precious calories, calories that you need to build muscle. If you feel you must do cardio, do no more than two twenty-minute sessions per week.
Ok, tomorrow is another workout and also the last three rules, I'm tired and can't really type anymore so I'll see you tomorrow.
Click Here! to check out No-Nonsense Muscle Building.
Rule #1 - Get in the gym and get out. You don't need to be spending more than an hour in the gym. One of the tenants of weightlifting is intensity, if your sets are spread out over an hour or more and you're talking and watching tv in between sets, you are not accomplishing anything.
Your workouts need to consist of 10-12 or fewer sets where you are pushing yourself to the MAX. You don't need to be wasting your time on a bunch of light weight exercises. This brings us to the next rule.
Rule #2 - Get rid of isolation exercises. Bicep curls, tricep kickbackss, chest flys...they're all pretty much useless if you want to gain pounds of muscle. Working out is about intensity and getting the most bang for your buck out of every exercise, so you want to focus on compound lifts like deadlifts, bench press, squats and cleans.
Rule #3 - Cardio. Stop it. Ok, maybe not stop it, but cut back. Cardio burns precious calories, calories that you need to build muscle. If you feel you must do cardio, do no more than two twenty-minute sessions per week.
Ok, tomorrow is another workout and also the last three rules, I'm tired and can't really type anymore so I'll see you tomorrow.
Click Here! to check out No-Nonsense Muscle Building.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Second Week
Wow, this second week's first workout went by a hell of a lot faster than last week's now that I'm getting a feel for how much weight I can do and starting to learn the order of the exercises. I finished almost 15 mins faster than last week.
But it wasn't all good, I had kind of an embarrassing moment while doing deadlifts. At my gym, the deadlift machine is in a corner and there a bench right behind it. Well, I was on about my 7th rep and I let out a fart.
And it wasn't one of those little odorless ones that just escapes sometimes, it was raunchy. And of course like three seconds later someone sits down on the bench behind me. I knew he would smell it so I went to the drinking fountain for a minute.
When I got back he was still doing sets so it was kind of an awkward moment, but I only had one set left so it wasn't too bad.
Also, I just put this song Invincible from Adelita's Way on my Zune and it's badass. If you haven't heard it you should check it out, it really gets you pumped up.
I'm starting to really feel good about this program, three more weeks and I'm gonna take my first update pic, can't wait to see the gains I make between now and then.
If you wanna check out the program I'm using, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, Click Here!
But it wasn't all good, I had kind of an embarrassing moment while doing deadlifts. At my gym, the deadlift machine is in a corner and there a bench right behind it. Well, I was on about my 7th rep and I let out a fart.
And it wasn't one of those little odorless ones that just escapes sometimes, it was raunchy. And of course like three seconds later someone sits down on the bench behind me. I knew he would smell it so I went to the drinking fountain for a minute.
When I got back he was still doing sets so it was kind of an awkward moment, but I only had one set left so it wasn't too bad.
Also, I just put this song Invincible from Adelita's Way on my Zune and it's badass. If you haven't heard it you should check it out, it really gets you pumped up.
I'm starting to really feel good about this program, three more weeks and I'm gonna take my first update pic, can't wait to see the gains I make between now and then.
If you wanna check out the program I'm using, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, Click Here!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Warming Up
Well, I'm finally done with the last workout for the week and holy crap I'm definitely ready to relax this weekend. During my workout today I was a little pressed for time because I had to help my brother move, so I had to rush through my workout a bit.
That's where I made my mistake. I figured to save on time so I would get through my whole workout I would just skip the warm-up. BIG MISTAKE! Within the first couple sets I was doing noticeably less weight. The reps and weight I did for all my sets was completely messed up and when I was done my pump wasn't as good.
I've heard it from Vince in his program, I've heard it from many other people, but I never really realized how big a role warming up plays until today. If you have to cut out something from the workout, cut out a couple sets, don't cut short the warm-up.
Also, whenever I warm up, I just do some cardio and warm-up sets, but stretching is something that a lot of people (including myself) overlook as part of the warming-up process. I got a video from Vince that has a really good stretching routine to do before your workout. You can check out Vince's full program using the link below the video where it says Click Here!
Click Here! to check out the program.
That's where I made my mistake. I figured to save on time so I would get through my whole workout I would just skip the warm-up. BIG MISTAKE! Within the first couple sets I was doing noticeably less weight. The reps and weight I did for all my sets was completely messed up and when I was done my pump wasn't as good.
I've heard it from Vince in his program, I've heard it from many other people, but I never really realized how big a role warming up plays until today. If you have to cut out something from the workout, cut out a couple sets, don't cut short the warm-up.
Also, whenever I warm up, I just do some cardio and warm-up sets, but stretching is something that a lot of people (including myself) overlook as part of the warming-up process. I got a video from Vince that has a really good stretching routine to do before your workout. You can check out Vince's full program using the link below the video where it says Click Here!
Click Here! to check out the program.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Meal Schedule
So, here's the meal schedule I followed today.
9am: 1 Banana
3 Eggs
1 Cup Oatmeal with 1.5 Cups Milk
1 Scoop Protein Shake (25g protein)
Calories: 1050
Protein: 67g
11:45am: 2 Tuna Fish Sandwiches
I Cup Orange Juice
Calories: 800
Protein: 38g
3pm: 1 Peanut Butter and Jelly
1 Banana
1 Scoop Protein Shake (25g Protein)
Calories: 790
Protein: 47g
6:15pm: 1 Banana
1 Cup Oatmeal
1 Cup Yogurt
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1.5 Cups Milk
2 Scoops Protein Shake (50g Protein)
(Mix all these in a blender to make shake)
Calories: 1160
Protein: 85g
9pm: 1 Serving Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Calories: 510
Protein: 32g
I had a 6-hour shift at work so I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a banana and a protein shake for my break at work. I also didn't have much to do today, so I actually had time to make all the meals.
This is an ideal day for me, I hardly ever have this much time to actually get this many full meals. But, I hope you see just how much I eat on this program.
To check out the meal plans and workout program I'm following, Click Here!
9am: 1 Banana
3 Eggs
1 Cup Oatmeal with 1.5 Cups Milk
1 Scoop Protein Shake (25g protein)
Calories: 1050
Protein: 67g
11:45am: 2 Tuna Fish Sandwiches
I Cup Orange Juice
Calories: 800
Protein: 38g
3pm: 1 Peanut Butter and Jelly
1 Banana
1 Scoop Protein Shake (25g Protein)
Calories: 790
Protein: 47g
6:15pm: 1 Banana
1 Cup Oatmeal
1 Cup Yogurt
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1.5 Cups Milk
2 Scoops Protein Shake (50g Protein)
(Mix all these in a blender to make shake)
Calories: 1160
Protein: 85g
9pm: 1 Serving Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Calories: 510
Protein: 32g
I had a 6-hour shift at work so I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a banana and a protein shake for my break at work. I also didn't have much to do today, so I actually had time to make all the meals.
This is an ideal day for me, I hardly ever have this much time to actually get this many full meals. But, I hope you see just how much I eat on this program.
To check out the meal plans and workout program I'm following, Click Here!
Squeezing Those Extra Calories In
Ok, a couple days ago I was saying how difficult it is for me to keep up with calories so I was thinking of some ways to squeeze in extra calories throughout the day. I was looking up high calories foods and found that peanuts are some of the most calorie dense foods around (most of you should already know that, though).
Just 1/4 cup of peanuts has 150 calories in it. That's literally less than a handful of peanuts that will give you a free 150 calories (not to mention 7 grams of protein).
Wednesdays are my "busy" days at school where I have classes pretty much the whole day so I don't have time to just sit down and cook and eat for most of the day. So I went out and bought a huge jar of honey roasted (just cuz they're my favorite) peanuts (which cost like 12$, nuts are expensive, but it will last for a long time) and put about 2 cups in a little sandwich bag and carried it around with me.
Throughout the day I just casually snacked on them and I ended up finishing the bag at like 4pm. Ok, so if just 1/4 cup is 150 calories then 2 cups is 1200 calories (that's also more than 50 extra grams of protein). Yeah, just little bites here and there throughout the day got me an extra 1200 calories and an extra 50 grams of protein.
Of course, this is just one of the many things you can do to get those extra calories in during the day, think of things you can do that cater to your life that can help you acheive your daily calories. Peanuts, fruit juices, protein bars and shakes, quick sandwiches, there's a lot of foods that are high in calories that are easy to carry around.
Put some of your calorie tricks in the comments below. At the end of the day today I'm going to give you my eating schedule for the day just to show you how I plan out my day and when I make my meals.
Be sure to bookmark this page so you can check back for updates.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Calories
Well, I woke up this morning and my whole body was sore. I have never done a workout quite like this and it really kicked my ass. I feel even now as I'm typing this like I just have a layer of muscle added on to my whole body, it's like a constant pump.
But enough about that, I wanna talk a little about calories. If you guys thought that you ate a lot of food before, you are in for a big surprise. I only weigh 150 and I have to eat over 4000 calories a day according to Vince's calorie calculator he has in his program.
With going to school full-time, it's hard to find the time to eat every 3 hours and get enough calories to gain muscle, especially since I'm trying to eat relatively clean. I could get 4000 cals if I went to mcdonalds every day, but then I would just gain fat. I need to eat 4000 clean calories.
I'm sure most of the people reading this blog either work or go to school full-time, so finding ways to easily fit some extra calories in during the day would really help a lot, so over the next few days I'm going to be giving tips on things you can do to fit all those calories into your day.
Check back tomorrow for the first tip and to see how my second workout goes. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back for a new post every day.
Click Here! to check out Vince Del Monte's bodybuilding program!
But enough about that, I wanna talk a little about calories. If you guys thought that you ate a lot of food before, you are in for a big surprise. I only weigh 150 and I have to eat over 4000 calories a day according to Vince's calorie calculator he has in his program.
With going to school full-time, it's hard to find the time to eat every 3 hours and get enough calories to gain muscle, especially since I'm trying to eat relatively clean. I could get 4000 cals if I went to mcdonalds every day, but then I would just gain fat. I need to eat 4000 clean calories.
I'm sure most of the people reading this blog either work or go to school full-time, so finding ways to easily fit some extra calories in during the day would really help a lot, so over the next few days I'm going to be giving tips on things you can do to fit all those calories into your day.
Check back tomorrow for the first tip and to see how my second workout goes. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back for a new post every day.
Click Here! to check out Vince Del Monte's bodybuilding program!
First Workout
Hey guys, for some reason my post yesterday didn't register, so here is yesterday's post.
I just got done with my workout about an hour ago and holy crap, you guys, it was intense. For the first month of the program you only get 30 seconds rest in between your sets and the thirty seconds came and went like that.
I had about enough time to sip on my drink and catch my breath and I'm on to the next set. I don't think I've ever felt so great about feeling so tired, I had an awesome pump afterwards.
Of course, I've felt like this before with other workouts, getting a good pump doesn't necessarily mean I will build muscle. It's way too early to tell if this program will do anything, it's only been one day after all, but when you do this program, be ready for a hard workout.
Also, I got the upgrade for the program so I have access to exclusive articles and interviews with top fitness and bodybuilding experts. Over the course of this blog, I'll be giving you insights into the weekly interviews and articles with the tips they discuss.
I'll check back in tomorrow, see you guys then. Be sure to bookmark this page to keep up with my updates.
Click Here! to take a look at Vince Del Monte's program.
I just got done with my workout about an hour ago and holy crap, you guys, it was intense. For the first month of the program you only get 30 seconds rest in between your sets and the thirty seconds came and went like that.
I had about enough time to sip on my drink and catch my breath and I'm on to the next set. I don't think I've ever felt so great about feeling so tired, I had an awesome pump afterwards.
Of course, I've felt like this before with other workouts, getting a good pump doesn't necessarily mean I will build muscle. It's way too early to tell if this program will do anything, it's only been one day after all, but when you do this program, be ready for a hard workout.
Also, I got the upgrade for the program so I have access to exclusive articles and interviews with top fitness and bodybuilding experts. Over the course of this blog, I'll be giving you insights into the weekly interviews and articles with the tips they discuss.
I'll check back in tomorrow, see you guys then. Be sure to bookmark this page to keep up with my updates.
Click Here! to take a look at Vince Del Monte's program.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
My Journey Begins
Hey Guys, I'm making this blog because for the past 5 years (from the time I was 16) I have been trying to gain muscle and have, well, completely and utterly failed at it basically.
Before I begin I want to tell you a little bit about myself. Please note I'm not a professional writer so don't expect a literary masterpiece here.
I've done the workouts they have in the muscle mags, I've done routines from my big friends that work for them, I've tried experimenting with my own workouts, I've taken every protein shake, supplement and pill under the sun and nothing has worked. I've busted my ass to try and get big and nothing has worked.
My senior year of high school I weighed 135. Right now, three years later, I weigh 149. Yeah, three years of busting my ass in the gym and all I got was 14 pounds. That's less than 5 pounds a year, there are a lot of people who can make that in a month. And most of what I got wasn't even muscle, I was still going through puberty (I was a late bloomer).
After all these years I have finally decided I am fed up with it. I am going to do something about it. I started looking up workout programs on the internet and came across one from Vince Del Monte Fitness. It says that it's the number one selling muscle program out there and that when nothing else works, this will.
So I got it and now I am going to see if it can back up it's claims. I am going to be chronicalling my journey to (hopefully) getting big. I'll be updating daily, giving tips that I have found out along the way on things I am doing to make the process easier, posting a picture every 4 weeks so you can see my progress and giving you a little bit of insight into what the program and meal plans are like. It's Sunday right now, I start the program tomorrow so check back tomorrow to see what my first workout on this program is like.
Be sure to bookmark this page so you can check up on my updates.
Wish me luck,
Troy.
Click Here! to check out the program I'm using.
Before I begin I want to tell you a little bit about myself. Please note I'm not a professional writer so don't expect a literary masterpiece here.
I've done the workouts they have in the muscle mags, I've done routines from my big friends that work for them, I've tried experimenting with my own workouts, I've taken every protein shake, supplement and pill under the sun and nothing has worked. I've busted my ass to try and get big and nothing has worked.
My senior year of high school I weighed 135. Right now, three years later, I weigh 149. Yeah, three years of busting my ass in the gym and all I got was 14 pounds. That's less than 5 pounds a year, there are a lot of people who can make that in a month. And most of what I got wasn't even muscle, I was still going through puberty (I was a late bloomer).
After all these years I have finally decided I am fed up with it. I am going to do something about it. I started looking up workout programs on the internet and came across one from Vince Del Monte Fitness. It says that it's the number one selling muscle program out there and that when nothing else works, this will.
So I got it and now I am going to see if it can back up it's claims. I am going to be chronicalling my journey to (hopefully) getting big. I'll be updating daily, giving tips that I have found out along the way on things I am doing to make the process easier, posting a picture every 4 weeks so you can see my progress and giving you a little bit of insight into what the program and meal plans are like. It's Sunday right now, I start the program tomorrow so check back tomorrow to see what my first workout on this program is like.
Be sure to bookmark this page so you can check up on my updates.
Wish me luck,
Troy.
Click Here! to check out the program I'm using.
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