Skinny Guy’s Guide To Protein Powder

So what do you really need to know about protein powder? After all, 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 is not meant for you if you want to learn the science behind the ion-exchanged, cross-mutaed, isotopically labeled protein tracers blah blah blah. In this , 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, that you should limit yourself to a maximum of three per day or 40 % of your meals. To some this might sound like 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 everyday. I just showed how it 'works' as a supplement to help you hit your supplemental protein mark but you are probably still wandering, '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 build and maintain healthy muscles when combined with diet and exercise.

Protein also:

Support red blood cell production

Boost your immune system

Keep 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 companies 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 digestion 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 a workout 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 the pre-workout 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 very 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 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 starring 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.

Steve English
http://firmermuscle.com/

Weight Lifting Rules For Skinny Runts

Read the full story at http://firmermuscle.com/


You wake up in the morning and look in the mirror.

Pleased with your appearance?

If you more resemble the appearance of a long distance marathon runner than a world class sprinter, don’t worry, you aren't alone. You just need to start following these weight lifting rules.
There are quite a few guys who simply have trouble packing on the lean muscle mass.

Whether their hormonal environment isn't quite as favourable or genetics was just out to get them at birth, one thing is for sure and that's that they need to follow a slightly different set of weight lifting methods than those who seem to grow muscle overnight.

Luckily for you, you're taking the time to do your research about weight lifting so you won't be destined to a life where it seems like a strong wind might knock you over.

First, one of the key factors that skinny guys need to remember is that they must avoid volume work at all costs.


Rule #1:

Get in the gym and get out! That should be your motto from this day forward. Repeat it. Breathe it. Live it. Weight lifting is a calorie expensive activity and you need all the calories you can get at this point. If you are burning it up in the gym every single day, how do you expect to grow?

You won't.

You grow when you are resting and generally, the skinnier you are, the more rest you are going to need.

Now, that doesn't mean you should park it on the couch for a few days in between your workouts. It simply means that each weight lifting should not consist of set after set after set. Followed by a rest break to talk to that hot receptionist and then back to another twenty sets.
No, you're workouts need to consist of ten-twelve or fewer sets where you are pushing yourself to the MAX. There is no room for sissy, light-weight work in your weight lifting program.


Which brings us to

Rule #2:

Ditch the isolated exercises. Who needs them? You certainly don't.

If your workouts normally include bicep curls, followed by tricep kickbacks, followed by leg extensions, followed by chest flys, followed by… you get the picture, you've got to change this pronto. Remember, you've only got so much time you are allowed to be in the gym for. Don't you want to get the biggest bang for your buck? Likely you do, so that means focusing on compound lifts only.

This includes weight lifting exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, rows and military presses.

Become friends with those exercises and you will have new muscles in the picture soon enough. Toss the five day split program, get yourself on a good upper/lower or full body workout program and you have found the key to unleashing new muscle mass.

Now onto the next significant point. Cardio.


Rule # 3.

I know, I know, you want to be big, but you don’t want to be fat. Let's not worry about that at this point, because you and I both know you are a long ways from fat.

Gaining fat weight is going to be more a concept of diet than anything else so as long as you are being smart in the kitchen, you don't need to perform hours of cardio to remain lean. Cardio is just going to further burn off precious calories that could have gone towards building you new muscle mass.

For you, calories are a hot commodity and should not be spent on the treadmill.
If you want to keep up some cardio for general health sake, fine, but limit this to two or three twenty minute sessions per week - TOPS. And make it low to moderate intensity as well.

The only place you are to be intense is in the weight room.


This leads to

rule #4.

REST!

You've put in your effort at the gym, fed your body with some good food and now what? Plans to go out partying all night with your buddies? You might want to rethink that. While you definitely want to maintain your social life while trying to gain weight - and you should - it should not come at the sacrifice of sleep.

Sleep is primetime when it comes to your body repairing itself and growing stronger so short-circuit sleep and you are short-circuiting your results. Just don't do it. Period.

It's that simple.

Get ready for

rule #5.

Technique.

Ever seen that guy in the gym who is hoisting so much weight on his barbell for barbell curls that it looks like he's got more momentum going on than the Gravitron at the fair? He's pretty much working every muscle in his body except his biceps. Not so beneficial. Not only that, but give him two weeks and a hundred bucks says he's out with back pain.

You must maintain proper form throughout your weight lifting, not only to prevent injuries but also to see the muscular gains you are looking for. If you cheat form, you are only cheating yourself. If you don't know what proper form is yet, book a session with a trainer or find yourself a spotter who can help you.

And now, bonus

rule #6

Find a mentor.

You want someone who's been there, done that. They used to be a skinny bastard just like you and they've managed to overcome the curse and now tip the scales and dominate the weight room. This guy will do wonders for your motivational levels. Don't feel like lifting? Have a good look at his body. You'll want to pick that weight up after that.

Furthermore, he can let you in on some of his tried-and-true secrets that just might be key for you as well.

So to sum up your new approach to your weight lifting sessions - get in, train hard and with proper technique, get out, eat and rest. Repeat this process over a few months without getting distracted or becoming too much of a party animal and you will make this the year you change your dreaded skinny image.

Steve English
Read the full story at http://firmermuscle.com/

The best muscle building resource of 2008

If 2008 is the year you desire more *lean muscle mass*, without getting fat, then you only have 24 hours to check out the most efficient and effective muscle building course.

For the next 24 hours, you also get a hard copy DVD of the program sent right to your door step...With out the conflicting bodybuilding information, this is one of the very few sources I trust personally.

Vince's (the author and creator) No Nonsense Muscle Building course is the best information that balances science and real world experience that you can use to make the best use of your time.

I could write a ten page review of his complete and comprehensive course but he already has nine of the top industry experts recommending his program and giving it the "thumbs up."Instead, I'll sum up his course in a matter of words:


-- science based

-- real world based

-- written by a "natural" trainee and physique champion

-- proven to work with hundreds of success stories

-- endorsed by nine of the top fitness experts in the industry

-- INSANE VALUE Especially for the next *24 HOURS ONLY*

Look hear now http://firmermuscle.com/

Vince's new 2008 version already includes some incredible bonus gifts but what he is giving away for the next 24 hours is just an "insane" value. As a business owner myself, I know when something is "under priced" and Vince is guilty big time!

I *strongly* suggest you take a look at the entire course today before he increases the price of the program at midnight tonight (by $30) and before he takes away your LAST chance to own a hard copy DVD of his program and the two other bonus gifts.

Visit Vince's website to see everything described in more detail, but here's what the system includes in a nutshell:

* 201 page ebook (literally EVERYTHING you need to know)

* 29 week Beginner-Intermediate Workout

* 29 week Advanced Workout

* Upside Down Training (specialized workouts)

* Five 84 Day Healthy Calorie Meal Plans

* Three 84 Day Veggie Mass Meal Plans

* Three 84 Day Cheap Mass Meal Plans

* A Virtual Trainer (exercise database)

* The Supplement Files

* 24-7 Email Coach* MP3's of entire course

* 8 Week Money Back Guarantee I told you it was a crazy value!!!

And that's what he offers all year round!

For his "New Years Promo" that will finishup tonight at MIDNIGHT...... you also get the following:

Bonus #1 - No Nonsense Muscle Building DVD - 60 minutes of Vince - super ripped, huge and strong teaching you his entire program in person. Afterwards this will be sold for $47 plus shipping and handling. Go to his website to check out the 60 second trailer!

Bonus #2 - Three Month Trial FREE to his No Nonsense Muscle Building Zone. A brand new private members site that will be launched in March. Membership will be $197 a year.

Bonus #3 - Digital CD's and transcripts to Vince's 2008 Bodybuilding Teleseminar Series: Uncensored Interrogations Of The World's Biggest Experts On Building Muscle.In a few weeks Vince will be interviewing Chad Waterbury, Jon Benson, Charles Staley, Mike Mahler, John Berardi, Jeff Anderson, Eric Cressey, Bill Hartman, Mike Robertson, Hugo Rivera, Eric Carlson, Nick Nillson, Christoper Guerriero and more.

This product will be $97 to own once it's recorded in February but you can reserve your own copy right now. Total Value of these extra bonuses is $341 (real world value)!!! INSANE value but the clock is ticking... these three bonus gifts disappear tonight Wednesday January 16th at midnight... FOREVER.

Take a look before it's to late http://firmermuscle.com/

Uncensored interview with a muscle building expert.

I know how hard it is to gain *LEAN* muscle... especially when you are training naturally and don't have "bodybuilder" genetics. That's why I decided to show you some of an interview with a guy by the name of Vince DelMonte. I am sure you have heard of him?

He writes for Men's Fitness magazine, his transformation story has been featured in Maximum Fitness, he's won the National Fitness Model championships and he's mainly known for his No Nonsense Muscle Building program found at http://firmermuscle.com/.

He's also just released a brand new hard copy DVD to accompany his muscle building system that he's giving away for FREE for the next 48 hours... (Plus two other incredible bonuses I'll mention after the interview)

Enjoy the interview:

Q: Vince, like me, you were a skinny kid growing up and a stereotypical hard gainer. How much trial and error did you have to go through to come up with a formula that works for guys like us?

VD: To be honest, I lucked out and found myself a 'saviour." I met this natural level bodybuilder (at my church of all places) who basically took me under his wing and became my coach right before I decided to transform my body. This guy was a tank! 225 and 5% body fat all year round and I believe he was in his late 40's.
He started giving me these "old school" workout tips and techniques and programs and before I knew it, I gained 41 lbs of lean muscle in six months.

Over the past 5 years, I've finessed the program by working in the trenches as a trainer - with sometimes 40-50 clients at a time and found how to tailor the program to virtually anybody - teenagers, young gals, beginners, older fellows, moms... anybody.
Building muscle is really not that complicated. There are only a few universal principles that need to be applied consistently, over time, for muscle growth. As long as these "ingredients" are in place, there is no reason anyone should spend years going through trial and error.
Don't get me wrong, some individuals have unique situations that require some tweaking but for the most part, building muscle is very simple in theory but difficult in "doing!"

Q: What do you think made the biggest difference? Are there a few things that you discovered that really made a huge impact on your training?

VD: Four things for now:

1. Truly "high intense" workouts. The first time I learned how this principle works, I ended up in the bathroom puking worse than a first year keg party. Most guys are just not giving their muscles a reason to change. The workouts are too easy for their bodies so the body laughs back at them and says, "Nice try..."

2. Infrequent workouts. If you are training more intensely, will it take longer or shorter to recover? Longer! So the key is to find the optimal number of days in between workouts to allow for recovery and adaptation to occur.

3. Progression. When I started to make a conscious effort to "out do" my previous workouts performance with either an extra pound or extra rep. The best way to measure your bodybuilding progress is by using the standard of strength.

4. Consistency. It's critical you stay dedicated and consistent all year round to maintain motivation and see results.

Q: As you know, I'm a fan of keeping things to the basics, so howdo you keep your workouts simple?

VD: The workout is 'simple' in the sense that you have only one mission and goal with each workout: To fully exhaust the muscle by recruiting the greatest amount of muscle fibres possible with the least amount of sets. In other words, your goal is to "out do" your previous workout with load, not fatigue. Once you do that, you are ready to move on to the next muscle group. There is zero need to continue hammering the same muscle group for over an hour - that only results in muscular fatigue not muscular overload (which is the foundation of muscle growth).

P.S. Now check this out... http://firmermuscle.com/

Vince put together the ultimate No Nonsense Muscle Building package with the following three bonuses but it’s ONLY available for the next 48 hours:

Bonus #1 - No Nonsense Muscle Building DVD (hard copy) - 60 minutes of Vince - super ripped, huge and strong teaching you his entire program in person and shipped right to your door step. This will be sold for $47 plus shipping and handling if you do not order it by Wednesday midnight EST. Go to his website to check out the 60 second trailer!

Bonus #2 - Three Months FREE to his No Nonsense Muscle Building Zone. A brand new private members site. It will be launched in March. Membership will be $197 a year.

Bonus #3 - Digital CD's and transcripts to my 2008 Bodybuilding Teleseminar Series: Uncensored Interrogations of The World's Biggest Experts on Building Muscle. In a few weeks Vince will be interviewing Chad Waterbury, Jon Benson, Charles Staley, Mike Mahler, John Berardi, Jeff Anderson, Eric Cressey, Bill Hartman, Mike Robertson, Hugo Rivera, Eric Carlson, Nick Nillson, Christoper Guerriero and more. This product will be $97 to own once it's recorded in February. Total Value of these extra bonuses is $341 (real world value)!!!

Check it out at http://firmermuscle.com/

But remember: These 3 bonuses will ONLY be offered until Wednesday January 16th 2008, 11:59 PM

Steve English

have you watched the video yet?

41 lbs of muscle in six months?

I know that subject line may sound impossible... and to skinny guys or galsit may sound like a dream that requires drugs... I know that New Years is typically the time of year that everyone goes crazyabout losing fat but I also know they're A LOT of you who would benefit from gaining *lean muscle mass*!

This is for you

I'm always hesitant and skeptical reviewing muscle building programs because most of them come from bodybuilders who are *genetic freaks* and are using *drugs* and I'm guessing you don't fall into either of those categories?

How could I recommend a program that does not relate to your situation? Muscle building author, Vince DelMonte says, "Taking advice from a bodybuilder with crazy genetics or who is taking drugs is the equivalent of taking money advice from someone who inherited a fortune or like taking money advice from a guy who won the lottery!"

I have to agree fully! Would you agree that you would benefit *more* from muscle building advice taken from someone who actually overcame "muscle unfriendly genes," does not use steroids and will tell you that most supplements are not even worth feeding to your grass!?

To my knowledge, there is only a VERY small handful of guys in the world who will teach you how to build muscle naturally - without drugs, without supplements and in less time.

If you want to learn some serious strategies for building muscle from aguy that designed a system that packed 41 lbs of muscle onto his frame in 6 months,

then you need to check out http://firmermuscle.com/

Here's what the system includes in a nutshell:

* 201 page e-book (literally EVERYTHING you need to know about muscle)
* 29 week Beginner-Intermediate Workout Plan
* 29 week Advanced Workout Plan
* Upside Down Training (specialized workouts)
* Five 84 Day Healthy Calorie Meal Plans
* Three 84 Day Veggie Mass Meal Plans
* Three 84 Day Cheap Mass Meal Plans
* A Virtual Trainer (exercise database)
* The Supplement Files
* 24-7 Email Coach MP3's of entire course
* 8 Week Guarantee

I was very skeptical when I read about this program but after checking out the entire package, I can honestly say that this is, by far,the best muscle building resource I've seen in along time and is very different than the 24 set body part programs bodybuilding magazines promote.

He has one of the most effective and efficient ways of building muscle withoutspending hours in the gym using a lot of "old school" and clever techniques.

You should also know, that for the next 72 hours, he's running a New Years promo which includes three AMAZING bonus gifts (that will be removed Wednesday January 16 th 2008 at midnight)

Bonus #1 - The brand new No Nonsense Muscle Building DVD shipped right to your door step - 60 minutes of Vince - super ripped, huge and strong teaching you his entire program in person. This will be sold for $47 (plus shipping and handling) after the promo. Go to the website to check out the 60 second trailer!

Bonus #2 - Three Months FREE to his No Nonsense Muscle Building Zone. A brand new private members site that will be launched in March. Membership will be $197 a year if you don't reserve your seat before the promo ends.

Bonus #3 - Digital CD's and transcripts to his 2008 Bodybuilding Teleseminar Series: Uncensored Interrogations Of The World's Biggest Experts On Building Muscle.

In a few weeks Vince will be interviewing Chad Waterbury, Jon Benson, Charles Staley, Mike Mahler, John Berardi, Jeff Anderson, Eric Cressey, Bill Hartman, Mike Robertson, Hugo Rivera, Eric Carlson, Nick Nillson, Christoper Guerriero and more. This product will be $97 to own once it's recorded in February but you can reserve your own copy until Wednesday at midnight.

So if building *lean muscle mass* is your goal for 2008 then don't miss out on this opportunity Vince has offered you..

Click here for all the details... http://firmermuscle.com/

Steve English

check out the video!!!

Six “Little-Known” Muscle Building Tips Part 2

Read the full story at
http://firmermuscle.com/



4. Never Train More Than 2 Days Consecqutively
But the bodybuilding magazines say to split up my program into 5 seperate days... Yes, I am more than familiar. I call these 5 day splits 'drug programs.' They treat your body simply as a 'muscular system' and neglect the other systems such as your central nervous system, hormonal system and immune system. Each of these systems have a unique part in muscle growth. Not to mention that these 'drug programs' only work if coupled with a few thousand dollars a month on drugs.

Just because you trained your chest on Monday does not mean your immune system, or hormonal system or central nervous system has FULLY recovered. What happens when you return to the gyn NOT FULLY recovered? Will you be able to lift more weight?

If you are not able to lift more weight than guess what happens to your level of fitness? It certainly will not go up because you will be depleting your energy reserves further into a deep, dark hole called 'over-training.' If you can not lift more weight or 'out-do' yourself from your previous workout than how do you expect to create any NEW muscle? It is literally impossible.

Taking a full rest day every two days will minimize the chance of overtraining and ensure your energy reserves are replenished.


5. Go Home If You Are Not Stronger Than Last Workout
Multiple choice question:

Q. You train your chest on Monday and you averaged 4 sets of 8 with 225 pounds on bench press. This workout would be considered a personal best. Your following chest workout, let's say five days later, you come to the gym with great anticipation to out-do your last workout. To your disappointment you discover that you can barely do 4 sets of 8 with 185 pounds this week. What happened?

A. Your body had not fully compensated from the previous workout and required a longer recovery period.

B. Who cares! You toughed it out and made the most of the workout.

C . Complain to the gym owner that his weight plates are messed up and you want a refund on your gym membership.

If you picked A than say hurray and pat yourself on the back. The rational decision would be to admit the recovery error, assess the factors that could of resulted from not fully recovering (did you take all your supplements, did you sleep enought, did you follow your nutrition plan etc) and plan for success next time. This is the 'trial and error' process.

The emotional and irrational trainee would take option B and slug it out. Consider what is actually happening when you take this approach to your workouts:

1. You will be using weights within your threshold so your muscles will simply laugh back at you because there is no new unaccumstomed stress on your muscles. Remember, your muscles only grow if you give them a reason to.

2. You will be training in the hole and prolong the period of time that it takes to come out of the hole and supercompensate.

3. You will have no new muscle to work with because you have not fully recovered or grown bigger so it will be literally impossible to lift more weight or more reps.

4. You will be using your precious energy reserves, that could be going towards building muscle, instead to fueling an useless workout.

5. You will lose motivation and grow frusturated and confused because of your lack of progress.
This is a very tough and mature training decision one must face. After commencing a workout, if you discover after a few sets that you are on tract for a crappy worout than I would suggest to drop the workout and go home. Plan to come back the next day. If your goals are to simply train to train, than you will probably not follow this rule. However, if your goal is to get huge muscles and pack inches of new muscle onto your frame than this is a critical training decision.
To ensure your trip to the gym does not go in complete vain – have a flexibility session to make use of the time and than try and pick up the cute receptionist phone number on your way out!


6. Find a mentor
What does this have to do with muscle building? Everything – finding a mentor can make all the difference in how much muscle you build! If you plan on becoming successful in the gym than surround yourself with someone who has already walked the path. Would you agree that the quickets way to achieve success is to find somone who has gone before you and done what you want to do – and model them.

So why do millions of fitness enthusiasts wander aimlessly following generic advice in text books, magazines or websites? Although these methods of learning can provide a theoretical perspective, they are absent in accountablity, a formal system, time and financial comittment and assessment of performance.

A wise mentor will guide you step-by-step of the way with a formal system that includes a higher level of comittment and accountablity on your part. You will be required to fulfill tasks, change habits, meet deadlines and perform at a higher level than you would without a mentor.
The premise of having a mentor is that he has been there and done that. He has walked in your shoes and will give you the appropriate advice in a timely fashion. If you do not perform and follow the advice than you are wasting the mentor's time and he will 'fire' you! If you do perform and follow his advice than you will be successful and build the muscle you deserve in less time!

Serioulsly consider hiring a fitness coach, a personal trainer or anybody who has done what you wish to do and be prepared to elate the same results!
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About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://firmermuscle.com/

Six “Little-Known” Muscle Building Tips Part 1

Read the full story at http://firmermuscle.com/

So you think you know everything about building muscle? If you have read everything, tried everything and heard everything about muscle building but still resemble the silouette of a Calvin Klien model instead of a buff fitness model than I promise these three 'little-known' muscle building tips will accelerate your muscle gains immediately!

1. Body Weight Training
This was once a popular muscle building technique but is very commonly ignored.

Why?

Perhaps because most body weight training is simply hard and can put a dent in your precious ego! As far as I am concerned, if you can not work with your own body weight than you have no freaken business using external loading such as barbells and dumbbells.

It’s incredible how many attempt to use heavy weights with a microscopic range of motion but can’t do a set of push ups, a squat to the floor or even one chin up. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a place for external loading with heavy weights but not until you have the ability to master the following bench marks:

Males should aim for 1 set of 80 push ups, 1 set of 20 chin ups, 1 set of 20 1-leg squats, 1 set of 40 dips and 1 set of 20 pull ups.

Females should aim for 1 set of 40 push ups, 1 set of 5-10 chin ups, 1 set of 10 1-leg squats, 1 set of 10-15 dips and 1 set of 3-5 pull ups.

These standards will ensure a solid foundation of general fitness and muscular endurance and lead to building muscle mass more easily in the following stages of your weight training program.

2. Flip Your Program Upside Down Every 3 Weeks
This is an extremely powerful tip to building muscle mass, not to mention one of the easiest tricks to ensure your body side-steps plateaus forever. Consider that you have been training your chest shoulders and triceps every Monday. In you next phase, three weeks later, you should do the complete opposite. You will train your triceps, shoulders than chest on Friday.

This will prevent plateaus because each muscle group will have an opportunity to train completely fresh.

Let's say you are training your back, biceps, forearms and abs on Friday. Than you will train your abs, forearms, biceps, and back on Monday (in the opposite sequence). You will literally switch everything upside down. Again, this will ensure that these muscles receive an opportunity to train first in the week when your body is the most fresh.

You will curse my name when you blow the heck out of the smaller muscles first and than train the larger muscle groups last. Yes, I know this months issue of Bodybuilders Digest said to never train the smaller muscle groups before your larger muscle groups. I have heard it before so stop analyzing, trust me and give it a try. You be the judge and don't be surprised if you see new levels of muscle mass and strength after this one technique.

3. Spend More Time At The Grocery Store
If you are serious about building muscle, accept the fact that you will need to spend more time than you do right now in the grocery store.

Have you ever opened the fridge for something to eat and all you found was Aunt Wilma's Thanksgiving turkey leftovers with mold on it? Ever gone into the cub boards and discover only a few leftover bags of potato chips from last weeks Super Bowl party?

To ensure a optimal environment for building muscle and fat loss you must ensure your cub boards and fridge are constantly stocked. This will mean more frequent trips to the grocery store. Chuck the crap that is in your kitchen right now and replace it with good stuff and keep on replacing it. Don't ever let that supply of good food run low.
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About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://firmermuscle.com/

Can You Gain Muscle Weight Without Getting Fat?

Can You Gain Muscle Weight Without Getting Fat?
By Vince DelMonte
http://firmermuscle.com/


There are two common fitness goals - to gain muscle mass and to lose body fat. Unfortunately, for the most part, the two goals are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Building muscle mass is going to require you to take in a surplus of calories because, well, let's face it, you can't build muscle out of nothing (unless of course you have some chemical help going on).

Losing fat mass on the other hand is going to require you to be in a negative calorie balance because that is what will get your body burning off additional body fat as fuel for its tissues.

Striving to accomplish both goals at the same time is rarely a good approach because more than likely you will just end up spinning your wheels and getting nowhere.

Most weight lifters will have to accept some fat gain when they are looking to gain weight, however how much fat gain they need to add is question. It is this variable that we are hoping to influence.

Can you really gain weight without getting fat?

When adding muscle mass there are two approaches you can take.

Some take the approach of just eating as much food as they can possible cram into themselves. Their life suddenly becomes one long 24-hour buffet in their quest for muscle mass as they are under the thinking that the more food that goes in, the more muscle synthesis that will go on.

This thinking is heavily flawed. The body can only assimilate so much muscle tissue at once and after it has done so, any remaining calories are simply going to be stored as body fat. Plain and simple. You my friend, are no exception to the rule.

For those guys who are out there taking in five thousand or more calories per day, this is obviously going to be way more than they need and will result in a considerable amount of unwanted fat weight over a period of three to six months (how long most people will 'bulk' for).

The second option is to adopt a more moderate approach and only eat so many additional calories to support this muscle growth and that's it. This will allow you to hopefully get as much lean tissue gained as possible without the accumulation of a monstrous rise in body fat.

So that leads us to the next question you're probably wondering. How much muscle can you build? How many calories over maintenance should you be eating?

You've probably already heard of the guy who claims he's added 20 pounds of muscle in the short timeframe of six weeks. While this may be a very rare occurrence among an individual who is brand new to weight lifting, has insanely good genetics and utilized an excellent training and nutritional program, the fact of the matter is that most guys are simply not going to be able to come even close to adding this much muscle tissue.

A natural trained individual can hope to achieve about half a pound to one pound of muscle per week - if he's doing everything correctly. If he doesn't have the greatest genetics or isn't feeding himself optimally, this will decrease even further. So as you can see, at a measly two to four pounds of muscle growth per month, you aren't going to be needed to eat insanely high calorie intakes.

The higher your intake is, the more you risk putting on additional body fat.

As a general rule, keep it to about 250 to 500 calories above maintenance in hopes of putting on mostly muscle without too much body fat. Keep track of your current body fat levels and appearance and if you see that too much of your weight gain is coming on as fat mass, reduce your calorie intake slightly.

It is always best to go by REAL WORLD results since you are in the real world after all. You can read as much as you like as to how many calories you should be eating, but this does not mean that's going to be the exact number that will produce results. Different people have different metabolisms that will respond to an increase in calories in various ways. So as you go about your bulk, adjust according to the results you are getting.

Remember that the more patient you are with your muscle gains and the slower you go, the more time you can spend adding muscle mass and the less time you have to spend dieting off the additional fat you gained - which as I'm sure many of you already know, is not a pleasant experience.

So next time you decide you are going to do a 'bulking' phase, take a slower approach. Not only are you much more likely to maintain a favourable appearance this way but your mind will thank you as well. Nothing kills confidence levels faster than seeing all muscle definition go out the window in a matter of weeks, so keep the weight gain under control so you don't have to deal with this.
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About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building : Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://firmermuscle.com/


He teaches skinny guys how to get big muscles, without supplements, drugs and training less than before.