"Power Breakfast" is usually something you hear wannabe executives at large corporations talk about. This is a breakfast intended to make them corporate tigers and able to work long and hard every day, showing just how ambitious and serious about their careers they are. Power Breakfast to a bodybuilder is different, but has the same basic principle: High-octane fuel for a demanding day. If you've ever tried having a typical "diet" breakfast of an orange and a small yogurt (like touted in a great many tabloids), know that you'll most likely croak after 5 minutes in the gym.
The Exceptions
There are exceptions to this rule, but most of us need a solid boost of energy to get up to speed in the morning. What's more, we need to get the nutrients required for optimal growth and recuperation in place. Keep in mind that when you wake up, you've probably not had any food for the past 8-12 hours. That means your blood sugar levels are way down, and you're possibly already in a catabolic state. As we know by now, the best way to get out of that miserable situation is to eat - but we have to figure out the best way to go about it, and what works best for you individually. After all, when you're getting glasses, you make sure to get a pair that is individually perfect for you, rather than pick any prescription at random and run with it.
The size of your breakfast should be decided by your body size and overall caloric needs. If you're dieting, the concept of power breakfast might feel kind of ridiculous. However, when you're bulking up and tries to add some muscle to those arms of yours, breakfast is key.
As usual, you have to get certain balance of calorie intake throughout the day (don't forget: smaller snacks 3 hours apart are better than a few big meals), but I say the BIGGEST chunk of calories ingested in the day should be the breakfast, with the SMALLEST being the last two snacks at the end of the day. In other words, exactly the opposite of the established norm of our culture.
So what's a good breakfast, anyway? Frosted flakes, a blueberry muffin, and a Classic Coke? If you intend to take a trip with the blood sugar roller coaster - sure! Hyper like a raccoon on ecstasy by the time you get to work or school, and down in the land of blood sugar blues an hour before lunch. If you prefer a smooth ride, the key word is balance. Protein, carbs, fat (!) and fiber, and plenty of fluid to keep yourself well hydrated.
The fluid also helps digestion. The reason for the fat is that some vitamins are fat soluble (requires fat to get absorbed properly), and that you NEED a certain amount of healthy fat to stay healthy. That means fish oil, flax seed oil, or olive oil or similar, NOT fried bacon.
A good balance to aim for is 25-40% protein, 50-65% carbs, and 10% fat. Fiber is good for digestion, and slows down the overall GI value of the meal. Also keep in mind that complex carbs are better than simple for GI reasons.
Now, I'm not your mother. I know nobody is perfect, and that sometimes you will deviate from the percentage ratios mentioned above, as well as the part about the smallest meals at the end of the day and so forth. Don't worry. I'm just trying to give you a general idea of where you want to be, nutrition wise. Try to get a feel for a good composition, and use the guidelines in figuring out your perfect breakfast. Who knows, perhaps you feel like tossing your cookies at the very thought of oatmeal porridge.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Bigger & Wider Chest
If you're dying for a bigger chest to boost your image of power and masculinity or if your chest has been in a rut, then this high intensity 25 minute chest workout will stack slabs of super-sized muscle all over your pecs. If your chest doesn't get bigger and wider with these four easy moves then I'll subject myself to a life of planting trees in the Jungles of Borneo. This chest workout is for intermediate bodybuilders who have lifted for at least 1-4 years.Now I am in a bulking phase so I'm not sure if this chest workout would be as effective in a cutting phase, but I wouldn't be surprised if it pulled out extra definition, especially around your inner chest.
Principals To Build A Bigger Chest
Lift With Intensity:
First, you have to make sure you are lifting with intensity. Do not hold anything back. It's those last few reps, where you're really feeling it, that are going to make all the difference in your progress, so you must be sure not to stop before you've hit them.
This is a big mistake that skinny guys make because they are concerned with having enough steam to get through the rest of their workout or pushing themselves into overtraining.
If you're feeding your body right, you're giving it the raw materials to handle the higher training stimulus and as long as your workout is structured properly without too much volume, you shouldn't have a problem making it through.
If you find that you go all out on an exercise and can't proceed - then end that workout there. You have pushed the body hard enough - given it that training stimulus to grow, and next time you're in the gym, you should be able to get further. This is the process that must take place in order for you to stronger, bigger, and wider.
Don't Let Yourself Get Distracted:
Another mistake that beginner bodybuilders make in the gym is allowing themselves to get distracted.
Whether they're staring at the Sports Center highlights on the TV, watching the big dude squat 5 plates a side, checking out the new girl on the stair master, or picking your nose, all of these things will impact your progress (especially picking your nose).When you are in the gym realize that you are there to do one thing - work out. If you want to socialize, you can do that once the workout is done, but if you want to see results, you've got to zero in with laser-targeted focus and really feel those muscles contracting. When you let your mind wander off to other things, you're immediately putting less into that workout and the results will show because of it.
Don't Stick To One Rep Range:
Finally, as you'll see in this chest workout, you mix up the rep ranges. For best results, aim to alter the rep ranges throughout the workout so you can hit the muscle fibers with a variable stress and prevent a plateau.
The bigger and wider pec workout below is going to wake up any untapped muscle fiber that's been dormant the past few months by recruiting the deepest muscle fibers that be required to finish this workout.
Principals To Build A Bigger Chest
Lift With Intensity:
First, you have to make sure you are lifting with intensity. Do not hold anything back. It's those last few reps, where you're really feeling it, that are going to make all the difference in your progress, so you must be sure not to stop before you've hit them.
This is a big mistake that skinny guys make because they are concerned with having enough steam to get through the rest of their workout or pushing themselves into overtraining.
If you're feeding your body right, you're giving it the raw materials to handle the higher training stimulus and as long as your workout is structured properly without too much volume, you shouldn't have a problem making it through.
If you find that you go all out on an exercise and can't proceed - then end that workout there. You have pushed the body hard enough - given it that training stimulus to grow, and next time you're in the gym, you should be able to get further. This is the process that must take place in order for you to stronger, bigger, and wider.
Don't Let Yourself Get Distracted:
Another mistake that beginner bodybuilders make in the gym is allowing themselves to get distracted.
Whether they're staring at the Sports Center highlights on the TV, watching the big dude squat 5 plates a side, checking out the new girl on the stair master, or picking your nose, all of these things will impact your progress (especially picking your nose).When you are in the gym realize that you are there to do one thing - work out. If you want to socialize, you can do that once the workout is done, but if you want to see results, you've got to zero in with laser-targeted focus and really feel those muscles contracting. When you let your mind wander off to other things, you're immediately putting less into that workout and the results will show because of it.
Don't Stick To One Rep Range:
Finally, as you'll see in this chest workout, you mix up the rep ranges. For best results, aim to alter the rep ranges throughout the workout so you can hit the muscle fibers with a variable stress and prevent a plateau.
The bigger and wider pec workout below is going to wake up any untapped muscle fiber that's been dormant the past few months by recruiting the deepest muscle fibers that be required to finish this workout.
Monday, December 7, 2009
4 Best Bodybuilding Supplement
In fact, the majority of bodybuilders are in the "sucky-genetics" category - which is exactly why you got involved in bodybuilding in the first place.
You're tired of being scrawny and getting blank stares from people when you tell them you workout. You don't blame them because you find it hard to believe that you bust your butt in the gym 5 days a week and have little to show.
Supplement companies exploit and take advantage of your desires by over promising huge gains, "better than steroids" promises and dramatic feats of strength - but you're starting to believe it's just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
Or Is It?
Yes and no. Supplements are not the key to winning your first bodybuilding show or shocking your friends when you rip your shirt off but they can make a 10% difference assuming you have your diet, training and lifestyle dialed to the right station.
The secret is that there is no best bodybuilding supplement for everyone. You have to analyze why you're a hardgainer and then use the bodybuilding supplements that solve your hardgainer problems, rather than using every glitzy supplement in the yard.
But before we address which bodybuilding supplements you need, let me be brutally blunt:
1. Don't ask me what the best protein supplement is if you're not eating protein every three hours.
2. Don't even think of asking me about pre-workout and post-workout protein drinks to buy if you're not even eating enough calories.
3. Don't you dare ask me what NO2 product to take if you're not sleeping 8 hours a night.
4. Don't even think about asking me what test booster to take if you're boozing until four in the morning on weekends.
5. Don't embarrass yourself and ask what multivitamin to take if you're not eating at least 10 serving of fruits and veggies a day.
Take home message before buying any supplements: Always ask yourself, "What am I trying to get this supplement to do that my diet cannot do?"
Bodybuilders knew this before supplements were even invented and relied on the most anabolic hormone available - whole food. Let that sink in for a moment.
I understand that it's impractical to get bodybuilding amino acids and nutrition into your system in three hour intervals from solid meals every time.
I know that you may in fact be at a 90% threshold in your training, diet and lifestyle which means you're maximizing every element that you can control naturally.
Now it's time to bring on board the best bodybuilding supplements that will appeal to the majority. Remember, you need to create your supplement program based on your individual needs but for 90% of the hardgainers reading this, 90% of the time, the bodybuilding supplements below will be a solid foundation to invest in. Here they are:
1. Creatine
Many guys think that if they take creatine, they're going to grow. These individuals are extremely misled so it's vital that you get a better understanding of what creatine will and will not do for you.
What creatine essentially will help you with is putting in the hard work at the gym. It does this by replenishing the high energy compound called creatine phosphate, which the muscles need if they are going to keep contracting with intensity - and you're going to keep lifting weight.
Once your creatine stores run out, you're going to feel like you've hit a wall with your workout - no matter how much you will yourself to push more weight, it isn't going to happen.
Some guys will have diets naturally high in creatine (those who eat a high amount of red meat for instance), but on average, most people who are involved with heavy lifting fall short.
Creatine bridges this gap and makes sure that lack of creatine phosphate in your system doesn't become a problem.
When used properly, it can help you work harder so you can see better results - but it is not going to do the work for you.
2. Protein Powder
Another supplement that I do recommend to most people is protein powder. When you're working hard in the gym, your protein needs are going to go up and if you struggle to get enough with food, you could risk not seeing maximum muscle gains.
Protein powder is convenient, it's cost effective, and it's great for before, during, and after your workouts.
Just don't go start replacing all your should-be solid food meals with protein powder. That I would not recommend.
3. Glutamine
The third supplement you could consider adding to your muscle-building program for skinny guys is glutamine. Each and every time you do a squat, biceps curl, row, or even just walk up the stairs to get into the gym, you are placing a stress on your body.
Over time, all this stress will add up and when it becomes too much for the body to handle, you're going to stop showing progress.
Glutamine is a natural substance in the body that comes from the diet and helps deal with all the daily stress you experience. Because of the fact that you're lifting very heavy in the gym a number of times a week though, the normal amount of glutamine you have circulating in the body may not be enough.
That's where supplementation comes in handy. If you add an outside source of glutamine to your daily intake, you're going to be able to handle these stressors that much better, meaning you recover from each workout session faster.
Since you cannot go back into the gym for a second workout before you've recovered from the first, it's quite easy to see why glutamine is a smart supplement to use.
4. A Greens Product
Finally, the last skinny guy supplement that you should be taking is some form of greens product. When you're shooting to gain the types of muscle mass you're looking to do, you're going to be eating a very high volume of food - so much that at times you're going to really struggle to get it in.
This means that you must focus on as calorie dense foods as possible. Unfortunately, that means most whole vegetables are not going to have much of a place in your diet. They will simply fill you up too fast and prevent you from getting the calories in.
But vegetables are extremely important for a healthy body from a vitamin and micronutrient standpoint, and this is where the greens product comes in.
When you take this, you'll get the nutritional assurance you need while freeing yourself up to focus on those calorie dense food sources that will help you build the lean muscle mass.
Conclusion
So stop questioning supplements. Get your diet together and then use the above smart supplements and focus on doing this consistently. The more distraction you have going on, the farther away you're going to get from realizing success.
You're tired of being scrawny and getting blank stares from people when you tell them you workout. You don't blame them because you find it hard to believe that you bust your butt in the gym 5 days a week and have little to show.
Supplement companies exploit and take advantage of your desires by over promising huge gains, "better than steroids" promises and dramatic feats of strength - but you're starting to believe it's just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
Or Is It?
Yes and no. Supplements are not the key to winning your first bodybuilding show or shocking your friends when you rip your shirt off but they can make a 10% difference assuming you have your diet, training and lifestyle dialed to the right station.
The secret is that there is no best bodybuilding supplement for everyone. You have to analyze why you're a hardgainer and then use the bodybuilding supplements that solve your hardgainer problems, rather than using every glitzy supplement in the yard.
But before we address which bodybuilding supplements you need, let me be brutally blunt:
1. Don't ask me what the best protein supplement is if you're not eating protein every three hours.
2. Don't even think of asking me about pre-workout and post-workout protein drinks to buy if you're not even eating enough calories.
3. Don't you dare ask me what NO2 product to take if you're not sleeping 8 hours a night.
4. Don't even think about asking me what test booster to take if you're boozing until four in the morning on weekends.
5. Don't embarrass yourself and ask what multivitamin to take if you're not eating at least 10 serving of fruits and veggies a day.
Take home message before buying any supplements: Always ask yourself, "What am I trying to get this supplement to do that my diet cannot do?"
Bodybuilders knew this before supplements were even invented and relied on the most anabolic hormone available - whole food. Let that sink in for a moment.
I understand that it's impractical to get bodybuilding amino acids and nutrition into your system in three hour intervals from solid meals every time.
I know that you may in fact be at a 90% threshold in your training, diet and lifestyle which means you're maximizing every element that you can control naturally.
Now it's time to bring on board the best bodybuilding supplements that will appeal to the majority. Remember, you need to create your supplement program based on your individual needs but for 90% of the hardgainers reading this, 90% of the time, the bodybuilding supplements below will be a solid foundation to invest in. Here they are:
1. Creatine
Many guys think that if they take creatine, they're going to grow. These individuals are extremely misled so it's vital that you get a better understanding of what creatine will and will not do for you.
What creatine essentially will help you with is putting in the hard work at the gym. It does this by replenishing the high energy compound called creatine phosphate, which the muscles need if they are going to keep contracting with intensity - and you're going to keep lifting weight.
Once your creatine stores run out, you're going to feel like you've hit a wall with your workout - no matter how much you will yourself to push more weight, it isn't going to happen.
Some guys will have diets naturally high in creatine (those who eat a high amount of red meat for instance), but on average, most people who are involved with heavy lifting fall short.
Creatine bridges this gap and makes sure that lack of creatine phosphate in your system doesn't become a problem.
When used properly, it can help you work harder so you can see better results - but it is not going to do the work for you.
2. Protein Powder
Another supplement that I do recommend to most people is protein powder. When you're working hard in the gym, your protein needs are going to go up and if you struggle to get enough with food, you could risk not seeing maximum muscle gains.
Protein powder is convenient, it's cost effective, and it's great for before, during, and after your workouts.
Just don't go start replacing all your should-be solid food meals with protein powder. That I would not recommend.
3. Glutamine
The third supplement you could consider adding to your muscle-building program for skinny guys is glutamine. Each and every time you do a squat, biceps curl, row, or even just walk up the stairs to get into the gym, you are placing a stress on your body.
Over time, all this stress will add up and when it becomes too much for the body to handle, you're going to stop showing progress.
Glutamine is a natural substance in the body that comes from the diet and helps deal with all the daily stress you experience. Because of the fact that you're lifting very heavy in the gym a number of times a week though, the normal amount of glutamine you have circulating in the body may not be enough.
That's where supplementation comes in handy. If you add an outside source of glutamine to your daily intake, you're going to be able to handle these stressors that much better, meaning you recover from each workout session faster.
Since you cannot go back into the gym for a second workout before you've recovered from the first, it's quite easy to see why glutamine is a smart supplement to use.
4. A Greens Product
Finally, the last skinny guy supplement that you should be taking is some form of greens product. When you're shooting to gain the types of muscle mass you're looking to do, you're going to be eating a very high volume of food - so much that at times you're going to really struggle to get it in.
This means that you must focus on as calorie dense foods as possible. Unfortunately, that means most whole vegetables are not going to have much of a place in your diet. They will simply fill you up too fast and prevent you from getting the calories in.
But vegetables are extremely important for a healthy body from a vitamin and micronutrient standpoint, and this is where the greens product comes in.
When you take this, you'll get the nutritional assurance you need while freeing yourself up to focus on those calorie dense food sources that will help you build the lean muscle mass.
Conclusion
So stop questioning supplements. Get your diet together and then use the above smart supplements and focus on doing this consistently. The more distraction you have going on, the farther away you're going to get from realizing success.
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