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.
Monday, September 28, 2009
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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