When trying to build muscle, there is one meal that can make or break your progress. Not only is it critical that you don’t skip this meal, but it is also very important that you blend the right nutrients for best results. There are a number of things your post workout meal SHOULD do for your body. However, unless you are using the right foods for the right reasons, you are not taking advantage of all of the benefits of proper post workout nutrition.

In this post I am going to explain how you can take full advantage of your post workout meal. I will also include a simple formula that will allow you to build your own post workout meal and tailor it to your bodyweight.

The Post Workout Monster
Contrary to popular belief, muscle is not created in the gym. In fact, muscle is actually broken down in the gym. It is our job to consume the proper nutrients and get the proper rest if we want our body to recover and rebuild new, larger muscle.

Our body is most catabolic immediately following an intense workout session. This is so due to the exhaustion of glucose and glycogen. When both are usable energy and stored energy is exhausted, our body uses our protein and/or muscle tissue to create more energy. Obviously, this is something we want to avoid as much as possible. To do so, we must find a way to put our body back into an anabolic state where we are growing.

Best Pre Workout Meal:

Protein:Protein is the main building block for the muscle, so it is crucial that we get protein into our blood stream and into the muscle, quickly. This is why we should consume a fast absorbing protein source such as fish or whey. The amount of protein you need immediately following your workout can be calculated very easily.

How Much Protein Should I Consume Post Workout?
Your Bodyweight x 0.25 = Protein in grams
For example: 175 lbs
175 x 0.25 = 43.75 grams of protein (feel free to round up or down)

Carbohydrates
Simple carbs: This is the one time of the day when it is not only o.k. to consume simple sugars, but it is recommended. Because our energy levels are exhausted and our body is wanting to use our protein/muscle for energy, it is very important that we consume a simply carb in order to provide that instant source of energy to avoid the catabolic effects. The simple carbs will also spike our insulin levels and keep us in an anabolic state so that we can build muscle as oppose to wasting it.

Simple Carbohydrate Sources:
Banana
Honey
Dextrose
Gummy Bears

Complex Carbs: The complex carbohydrates should be present in order to regulate blood sugar levels. They will also provide a steady stream of energy to continue to fight the catabolic effects from happening.

Complex Carbohydrate Sources:
Oats
Wheat Bread
Brown Rice

How Much Carbohydrates Should I Consume Post Workout?
Your Bodyweight x 0.3 = Carbohydrates in grams
For example: 175 lbs
175 x 0.3 = 52.5 grams of carbs(feel free to round up or down)
Note: Distribute an even amount of complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates for best results.

Fats: Fats should NEVER be present in your post workout meal/shake. During this window of opportunity, we MUST get these nutrients into the bloodstream as fast as possible. Fats will only slow down the absorption of the nutrients. Not only that, but fat should never be present during an insulin spike. Insulin is a storage hormone and having fats in the blood stream along with insulin can cause unwanted fat storage.

Greens: Following a strenuous workout, our body tends to become acidic. This is similar to catabolism in the sense that we cannot maximize our progress in this state. This is why we must add an extra ingredient that will help us avoid acidity and instead be put into an alkaline state. This can be done with a cup of green vegetables.

Greens Sources:
Spinach
Broccoli
Kale

Here is a video demonstration of my post workout nutrition:

There you have it folks, my take on proper post workout nutrition for hardgainers/ectomorphs who find it hard to build quality mass. If you learned anything about post workout today, please click the “like” button below and share it with all of your friends to spread the word.

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As most of you may be aware, for the last 14 weeks I was prepping for my first fitness show. My journey started off at a hard-to-believe 19% body fat and ended at a stage-shredded 5.2%. I managed to burn over 21 pounds of fat and not only maintain my lean mass, but add 3 solid pounds as well. And although I did not win the show, I could not be happier with my efforts and results. The best part of it all was that I did it all without starving myself, taking any illegal supplements, or going to any dangerous extremes.

The reason I am writing this post is simple. You guys have been hearing about as well as seeing my transformation unfold. So I posted a status update on my Facebook Fan Page allowing you all to post your questions about my show prep. Now, I am going to answer all of your questions and give you a better idea of how this all came to be.

Michael Garcia: What did you learn about yourself during the entire transformation/prepping for the show?

I learned a lot about myself. I learned that when it comes to achieving a goal with a deadline, I am capable of pushing myself above and beyond to assure that I accomplish it. I learned that it is not motivation I needed, but simply a commitment to myself. And lastly, I learned that I have an undeniable love for pizza

Jason Valdivia: What chest and triceps workouts did you really emphasize on during this time?

Well, because my chest was already pretty well developed, I stuck to the basics. Bench press, inclined and decline press, dumbbell presses, and cable crossovers. As I got closer to show time, I integrated a lot of drop sets as well as super sets. So for example, at the end of my cable cross overs, I would perform 3-4 drop sets to finish it off. Sometimes I supersetted my bench press with dumbbell flyes or pushups.

As for the triceps, these needed a little more help. I focused a lot on weighted dips, skull crushers, and close grip bench press. These are all big compound lifts that work great for stimulating and activating the triceps. Like my chest training, I also included drop sets, super sets, and even giant sets as the competition came closer.

Steven Ponte: Knowing that you did not win, what was going thru your head? Will you compete again? If so, what will you do different next time around? And what is your ultimate goal with all of this?

When I didn’t get called up to place, I was naturally a little upset. However, I was very proud of myself for coming as far as I did. Regardless of whether I won or lost, I knew that I had given my best efforts and achieving my best physique was enough for me.

Prior to this experience I told everyone close to me that I would not. But yes, after thinking about it for a few days I have decided that I will compete again. This time around I will give myself a little more time to prep as well as change up a few last minute details that did not allow me to appear as full on stage. I also plan on prioritizing my legs, calves, and arms to come in larger overall.

My ultimate goal is simple, it is to continue to inspire people and show them that the only limits are the ones we set for ourselves.

Rob Torres: You seem to be good with motivational words and quotes. What’s a good one for us to identify you with as far as fitness is concerned?

I love this question, mainly because I am a huge fan of quotes. Here are a few I can share and I’ll explain why they identify with me.

“We sweat in battle so that we don’t bleed in war”
This one is perfect for my show prep. I busted my ass in the gym in preparation for this contest. When show time came, I was ready with my best body. Win or lose, I took away the ultimate prize of a great accomplishment.

“Just do it”
A lot of people are constantly looking for answers as to what is the “best” way to build muscle, lose fat, etc. There are hundreds of people out there who give out free information. These people all have transformed their bodies using different techniques. They all work! Stop asking questions, stop searching for answers. Just find a program and do it! I promise you that this is the best advice anyone can take when it comes to building muscle or losing fat.

“Nothing worth accomplishing comes easy.”
“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”

Jeaninne Velez: How many times a day did you train? How long were your workouts? How many times a week did you train? Did you take any supplements?

I trained anywhere from 1 to 3 times per day. Training sessions lasted anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. I trained 5-7 days per week depending on the week.

As for supplements, I just took the basics.

BCAA (branched chain amino acids): This was to help me preserve my muscle mass during cardio sessions. These are not supplements I take while “bulking” but when training in a deficit it is crucial that you take BCAA to keep your body in an anabolic state.
Fish oils: Everyone whether cutting, bulking, or neither should be taking their fish oils. These decrease inflammation and improve nervous function. They also support muscle gain and healthy hart function.
Glutamine: This I probably could have gone without but when you are training as much as I was, any help with recovery is a plus.
L-carnitine: This helps shuttle fat into the mitochondria to be burned as fuel.

No fat burners, no steroids or pro hormones, no hormone enhancers, and no miracle pills or powders. All you need is a goal with a deadline, a commitment, and consistent hard work.

Jon Vel: What was the best/worst part of your show prep?

The best part of the prep was watching my body change on a weekly and even daily basis. Showing people what I was able to accomplish and inspire them as well.

The worst part may have been the few days of carb depletion about a week prior to the show.

Jan Rafaj: In the last pre-contest month, did you workout with the same level of intensity as in your previous training?

Although I may have had to decrease the amount of weight I was using during certain exercises, I think the intensity was much higher. I added more super sets, giant sets, and drop sets toward the end.

Jan Rafaj: What about pre/port workout meals and anabolic windows – did you still respect those?

I simply removed the simple carbs from both pre and post workout nutrition and kept them complex.

Jan Rafaj: Did you use some additional fat-burning helpers?

I guess if you want to call L-carnitine a “fat-burning helper”, yes. No “fat burning pills, no caffeine pills, no green tea, etc)

Jan Rafaj: In the last pre-contest month, how many days per week, how many minutes per day, and what kind of cardio did you perform?

Week 1: 2 HIIT sessions (20 Minutes Each)
Week 2: 2 HIIT sessions + 1 Metabolic Overload Training Session (20 Minutes Each + 12 Minutes MOT)
Week3: 3 HIIT sessions (20-25 Minutes Each)
Week4: 5 Empty Stomach Cardio Sessions (60 Minutes Each)

Stephen Gouws: What did your peak week look like? How low did you drop your carbs in the last week? How much did you load up with the day/night before as well as the day of the show? What was your strategy for water manipulation to dry out? And what type of training did you do the last week?

My peak week was actually very basic. I loaded with water for about 5 days, depleted my carbs for about 5 days, and then cut my water and carb loaded. I dropped my carbs down to about 0.2 (x) bodyweight in grams for depletion and I loaded with about 0.6 (x) bodyweight in grams the day before the show. The morning of the show I consumed 1 meal that consisted of 0.4 (x) bodyweight in grams of carbs and 0.2 (x) bodyweight in grams of protein.

As far as training, I added a lot of empty stomach cardio as well as just general weight training sessions in the evenings.

Stephen Gouws: What exactly kept you motivated throughout your prep?

Well as I always say, “results yield motivation”. Seeing my body change every week was a driving force to make sure I continued to make changes the next week. However, making the commitment to do this show was more than enough for me to stick to the game plan.

Jose Hernandez: What did you miss the most that you had to give up for training?

The extra time training I would have rather spent with my wife and children. So I guess the biggest thing I had to give up was quality time with my family and friends.

Closing Words

If you have any questions concerning my show prep, feel free to leave them in to comments section below. Don’t forget to click the “like” button below if you learned anything useful.

As a naturally scrawny guy who had struggled with the inability to put on size for the majority of my life, I know how painful it can be to train your ass off and eat like the worlds food supply is going to disappear only to step on the scale, week after week, and realize that you have not grown at all. There have been times in my life where I thought it was virtually impossible for me to put on any weight (fat or muscle) no matter how accurate I was with my training and/or diet. I had soon realized that the things I THOUGHT I was doing correctly were actually the exact reasons I was stuck in the same, pathetic, 115 lbs soak and wet bony body.

So what is my point here?
My point is this…I know your pain and I know your struggle. I know how hurtful it is to be too embarrassed to wear tank tops. I know how embarrassing it can be to weigh the same amount as your girlfriend. And I certainly know how disappointing it is to bust your ass, day in and day out, only to step on the scale or look in the mirror and realize that nothing is working.

With that being said, I want to share 3 muscle building mistakes that were keeping me skinny. These are common mistakes that most of you are probably making right now. These are some of the same mistakes that I made before I packed on 27 lbs of lean, rock hard muscle, in just 12 short weeks.

#1 Reason you’re Still Skinny – “Too many chefs in the kitchen”
After being frustrated for so long, I started to do lots of research on how to build muscle for skinny guys. I soon came to realize that a million different people were saying a million different things. And as if that weren’t bad enough, these million different opinions all contradicted the next. The crazy part was that everyone who was giving the information was in great shape so they must know what they’re talking about, right?

That‘s right! Problem is, every time we read something more appealing to us than the previous trend, we want to try it.

How you’re going to grow #1
What we must know is this…each and every workout you read about (for the more part) all work and produce amazing results. However, if we continue to question everyone’s theories based off of what we learned last week, we will never give any program an honest shot. Instead, we will continue to mix and match theories and continue to follow programs based on 10 different approaches. The only way you are going to get the results you want is to PICK A DAMN PROGRAM and stick to it. Don’t question it, don’t tweak it, and don’t mix logic, just do it!

It is also very important that you base your program on your current goals. Most programs are NOT “1 size fits all”. Find a program that was created for your specific body type and/or for your specific goals.

Building Muscle for Skinny Guys <== Click here

#2 Reason you’re Still Skinny – Train More, Grow More
If you have been training 5 days per week for the last 4 weeks and have not seen any results, common sense would say that you aren’t training hard or long enough. This leads to you spend more time in the gym and training 6 days a week instead of 5. However, if you haven’t already found out the hard way, this can easily become a recipe for destruction. Not only will you NOT grow, but you may even end up smaller than you started.

Most guys assume that muscle is created inside the gym while were lifting heavy weights. Problem is, muscle is actually created in the time that we are at home resting, eating, and sleeping. So although common sense would drive us to want to spend more time in the gym, science proves otherwise.

How you’re going to grow #2
If you are currently training 5-6 days a week, drop it down to 3-4 days instead. This will allow your body to get an adequate amount of rest in order to recover and build new muscle. Train every other day instead of back to back and concentrate on big compound lifts that target more than one muscle group at a time. This will help take advantage of anabolic hormones that are essential to building muscle mass quickly.

Hardgainer Workout Week: Example
Monday: Chest & Biceps
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Back & Triceps
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Shoulders & Hamstrings
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Quads & Abs
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Chest & Biceps
And so on and so forth…

#3 Reason you’re Still Skinny – Not Having a Clear Goal
Another huge mistake I constantly made was not having a clear goal. If anyone asked me what my goal was, I’d say “I want to put on size”. Not only did this create unrealistic expectations, but there was absolutely no deadline to hold me accountable for making progress.

How you’re going to grow #3
When I finally packed on 27 lbs of muscle in 12 weeks, it was because I said “I want to build 21 lbs of lean mass by March 21st”. Having a clear goal allowed me to stick to a program because I knew I had a deadline. I also shared my goal with my close friends to make sure they held me accountable. Knowing that every week or so I was going to get questioned about my progress made me that much more motivated to stay on track.

From Skinny to Muscular – Begin the Journey
As they say “ain’t nothing to it but to do it”.

1. Pick an approach or a strategy that fits you and stick to it. For the given amount of time, simply pretend that this is the only information or strategy that exists.
2. Less is more…Without rest we cannot grow, period.
3. Set a realistic goal with a specific deadline. Make sure to tell people about it in order to create some accountability for yourself.

3 Advanced Tips for Skinny Guys <== Click here

What is High Intensity Interval Training?

Here’s exactly what you need to know about High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) and what it can do for you. You’ll find out what it is and how it’s practiced, get a look at some unanticipated benefits of a HITT routine, and see how it can save you that most precious asset: time. After knowing what HITT can do for you, you’ll be better prepared to make a decision about how to both build muscle and burn fat.

What is High Intensity Interval Training?

Simply, it’s a type of training that’s designed to tax your muscles and your cardio-vascular system as much as possible in an extremely short time, mostly no longer than 20 minutes. With all durations, high intensity exercise is followed by lower intensity exercise, which is then followed by a cool down phase. Both resistance training power and cardio burst are the main thrust of high intensity interval training and you can expect to have physical benefits after your workout.

You can expect the following benefits from high intensity training:

• Longer exercise peaks at a certain point, while high intensity training is just the right amount for the right goal
• High intensity training strengthens athletic performance by taxing both your endurance and your power
• After your short high-intensity workout, your body continues to build muscle and burn fat, essentially reeling from its short but extremely powerful exertion
• The shorter the workout, the more likely you’ll stick to it in the long run

For most people who don’t have the time to pitch a tent in the gym, the greatest benefit of high intensity interval training is a massive savings in time. With full body workouts capped at 20 minutes and most workouts coming in at less than 15 minutes, this type of training is by far the most efficient way to get and stay fit and healthy, quickly.

High Intensity Interval Training Routines:

Treadmill HIIT: Alternate 60 second jogs with 30 second runs. If you want to crank it up a notch, performing these at an incline is a killer. The 2:1 ratio of intensity will vary depending on what phase of the program you are in.

Sprints: Choose a start and an end point (ideally about 30 yards apart). Start off by sprinting to the end point at about 90% intensity. Then simply walk or job back to the start point. Once you have reached the start point, immediately sprint back to the end. These can be done in cycles of 15-25.

HIIT – Just Do It!

Now that you know both what High Intensity Interval Training is and what it can do for you, you’re better prepared to make a decision about those precious workout minutes. Specifically, you’ll maintain high activity in three phases totaling no more than 20 minutes, you’ll enjoy benefits not available to longer and sometimes extraneous workout sessions, and you’ll save valuable time in your busy day. Now get busy and build and burn.

In my last post I talked about new advanced workout ideas that you could incorporate into your current routines to “spice things up a bit”. Today I want to add a few more workouts to your arsenal…only this time I am going to focus on what seems to be a more difficult muscle to reach, the lattimus dorsi. I am going to go over a few back workouts you make already be performing, however, I am going to show you how to turn these into lower lat exercises so that you can really target those wings for a wider physique.

Lattimus Dorsi Function
Before we get into these lower lat exercises, let me explain briefly the function of the lats. Both sections of the lats converge onto the same tendon that attaches to the upper arm bone and causes it to pull the arm down toward the ribs.

By knowing the function of the muscle, we now know the proper way to target it for optimal growth. So here are 4 lower lat exercises that you can start doing for a more muscular back.

Underhand Bent over Rows: This is a big heavy compound movement that most people perform to train their mid back. This is done by keeping an overhand grip on the bar and rowing it toward the mid chest. However, if you want to use the same big compound lift to target the lats, all you have to do is switch your hand placement to an underhand grip, tuck your elbows close to your body and row the bar to your lower chest. Once you are at the top of the movement, make sure to squeeze those lats for a good contraction as well as control the weight on the negative for longer time under tension.

 
Reverse Grip Lat Pull-down: Although the traditional wide grip pull -downs may be one of the best back workouts for mass, some people have a hard time engaging the target muscle. This is mainly due to 1 of 2 things. Either the person is lifting much too heavy to keep the muscle engaged without using too much of the secondary muscles or the person Is simply initiating with their biceps as oppose to their lats. Now to avoid these two common mistakes, I find the reverse grip lat pull down to be very effective for initiating with the target muscle as well as getting a better contraction. In the workout you will simply grip the bar underhand about shoulder width apart. Then simply pull the weight down (initiating with the lats) and keeping your elbows close to your body. Your goal here should be to bring your elbows down as far behind your ribs as possible.

Seated Cable Rows: Here is another great example of an exercise that is great for the lats if done correctly. Most people in the gym (maybe intentionally) stack the weight, keep their elbows flared, and rock back and forth with the weight. If you want to target the lower lats for optimal muscle fiber recruitment and size, keep your spine and legs at a 90 degree angle, tuck your elbows to your sides, and row the weight using the lats. At the top of the movement, try to squeeze your back almost as if you were trying to touch your elbows together behind you. Your back should stay in the same position the entire time without rocking back and forth.

Straight Arm Lat Pulls: This is one of the more rare exercises but it is my favorite by far. The burn that I get from sets of these are second to none. Here is a video demonstration for a better idea on how to perform this workout.

There you have it, the best techniques for targeting the lower lats and training your back with purpose. Stop going into the gym on “back day” and just performing random back workouts in hopes to achieve your ideal physique. I hope you all enjoyed my post and if you learned anything new, make sure to click the “like” button below!

Are you tired of doing the same exercises?
Are you lacking variety in your workouts?

I recently came across that problem myself. I noticed that although I am familiar with a number of different exercises for each muscle group, I still revert back to the same ones much too often. Now although I am not an advocate of “muscle confusion”, I do believe that there are benefits to switching things up. Each muscle has a range of motion and most of the workouts we are training with do not target it entirely. Also, there are irrefutably BETTER ways to train certain muscle groups by using specific techniques. With that being said, I want to share a few of my buddy Vince Delmonte’s advanced lift techniques. These are the same techniques he used to transform his body once again as well as earn his WBFF pro card.

Advanced Chest Exercise: Incline
In this video Vince explains a more beneficial way to train your upper chest with less of an incline for more focus on the target muscle. He also explains proper form and reveals the number 1 biggest mistake you may be making right now!

Take away:

• 65-70 degree incline – NOT 45
• Lock down your abdominal wall
• Keep your feet planted – No dancing!
• Keep your back on the bench – No arching!
• Finish position is when the wrist are right above the shoulders

Advanced Bicep Exercise: Cable Curl Variation
Here Vince explains the FULL ROM for the biceps and explains how to train your biceps while they are at their weakest.

Take away:

• Fully lengthen your biceps by contracting your triceps
• Fully shorten your biceps by squeezing them at the top of the exercise
• Control the negative
• DO NOT move your shoulders!

Advanced Back Workout: Sternum chin up
In this last video Delmonte demonstrates a chin up variation that will allow you to maximally contract the lats by getting your wrists closer to your ribcage at the top of the movement.

Take away:

• Change your body angle as you pull up
• Get your wrists to your ribcage as you pull yourself up

How Vince got his physique:

Some of you may already be familiar with Vince Delmonte’s transformation and others maybe not so much. If you are’nt, I’ll give you a quick run down. He was a very skinny and lanky long distance runner who discovered a system that helped him gain 41 lbs of muscle without the use of any drugs. Although I was never a runner, our stories are pretty similar and I believe this is why I find it beneficial to share his information.

5 Biggest Mistakes Keeping You Skinny <== Click Here

Most guys (like myself) who where naturally skinny for most of their life and fought hard to finally put on some weight, it is safe to say that we all have a common fear. The fear of losing the muscle that we never thought we could build in the first place. We also all make the same mistake. We step on the scale every week and get excited when the needle moves a little higher. Although gaining weight is a huge accomplishment for most of us, it really is not the goal. The goal is really to build muscle mass…however, we just assume that since we are gaining weight, we are getting bigger, and this is a result of new muscle. In most cases, rapid weight gain is NOT all muscle…and had you taken regular measurements of your waistline, you would have realized that.

So if you have fallen victim to this common mistake and are afraid to “cut” because you are afraid of losing the muscle it took you so long or you trained so hard to achieve, here is the solution.

First off, let me start by saying that if your body fat percentage is over 4-6%, you have absolutely NOTHING to worry about in terms of losing muscle. The only time your body will use muscle for energy is when your body is demanding more than it can supply.

The Muscle Killer
The above statement is true to a certain extent. You see, if you are performing endless hours of running on a treadmill for miles and miles, your body will naturally want to find a way to make this easier for you. The best way the body can do this is by stripping away all of that heavy muscle that is making these long runs that much more strenuous. I mean, have you ever seen a big buff long distance runner? On the other hand, you probably have seen some pretty muscular sprinters.

Today I am going to share with you 7 techniques for burning fat without losing your muscle mass and without a single bit of “the muscle killer”.

1. Calculate Your Intake: When most people want to drop weight, they eliminate fats or they eliminate carbs. In our case, we will eliminate neither. We will continue to consume a balanced diet with healthy fats, complex carbs, and high quality proteins. The reason is simple…like my buddy Mitch said “The goal is not to lose weight, the goal is to burn fat”.

How Many Calories to Burn Fat
Your bodyweight in lbs (x) 14 = Daily Caloric Intake
For Example: 185 lbs (x) 14 = 2590 Calories Per day

These calories should be broken down into 40-45% Protein, 40-45% Carbs, and 10-20% Fats.

2. Mixing the Proper Macros: Fats and carbohydrates should never be on the same plate (unless it’s a fish oil supplement). Although there are some healthy choices you can make that contain both macronutrients, it is not optimal. You see, carbohydrates manipulate insulin levels and insulin is a storage hormone. The last thing you want in your bloodstream while your insulin has spiked is fats. Why? Well, if insulin is a storage hormone and fat is available in the bloodstream, the fat will more than likely be stored. If we are trying to reduce fat, then you obviously want to avoid this from happening.

Meal Schedule Example:
Meal 1: Fats and Protein
Meal 2: Protein and Carbs
Meal 3: Protein and Carbs
Meal 4: Protein and Carbs
Meal 5: Protein and Carbs
Meal 6: Fats and Protein

3. Train with Weights: Weight lifting is not only a crucial step to keeping your muscle and possibly building more while in a caloric deficit, but it is also the best way to trigger muscle building hormones that promote fat loss.

If you’ve seen the documentary by Stuart McDonald called “I want to look like that guy”, you’ll know that lifting weights while keeping a mindful eye on your diet will yield fat burn.

Now although weight lifting is an anaerobic activity, it is one of the best ways in speed up your metabolism for maximum fat loss.

4. Short Rest Periods: Keeping short rest periods in between sets (40 seconds) is a great way to intensify your workout for maximum fat burn. The short rest periods will not only intensify the training but they will also increase the production of GH (growth hormone) which allows your body to literally burn fat in your sleep.

Other training methods for short rest periods
• Super sets
• Drop sets
• Giant sets

5. Afterburn Training: Afterburn training refers to methods and techniques that cause your body to burn fat AFTER the training for hours and even sometimes days.

Afterburn Techniques
• Weight lifting with short rest periods
• HIIT
• Circuit training Routines

6. Meat & Nuts Breakfast: This style of breakfast was introduced to me by the author of “No Nonsense Muscle Building” Vince Delmonte and was introduced to him by IFBB pro and creator of “MI-40” Benjamin Pakulski. It’s simple, every morning you will avoid carbs and will consume only meat and nuts. The meats and the nuts will both be rotated regularly. One day you may have turkey burgers and the next you may have steak. One day you may have almonds, the next day you may have cashews.

Benefits of the Meat and Nuts Breakfast
• Increased mental focus
• Less craving
• More focused energy
• And decreased body fat

7. Carb Timing: Believe it or not, the only time your body NEEDS carbs is surrounding your workouts. Any other time they are practically useless. This is why you should surround your carb intake around your workout on training days. Carbs in your pre workout will aid with a steady stream of energy while training. Carbs in your post workout will aid with keeping your body in an anabolic state and avoiding muscle wastage. Lastly, carbs in the 2 meals following your post workout shake/meal for optimal recovery.

Look at the meal example above.
Meal 2 = Pre workout
Meal 3 = Post workout
Meal 4 = Recovery meal 1
Meal 5 = Recovery meal 2

7 Techniques for Fat Burn without Muscle Killers
Notice one thing…every technique has its own unique way of promoting fat burn…but they also all play a huge roll in increasing your metabolism. A speedy metabolism is essentially the best and ONLY way to get abs that pop out from under your shirt while keeping muscle.

If you stick to these simple techniques, you will literally burn fat in your sleep while maintaining 100% of your hard earned muscle mass. If you are looking for a solid program to help guide your fat burn while maintaining your muscle, check out the Rapid Ripped Abs system. This is a tried and proven system that is guaranteed to get you a visible six pack while gaining or keeping your muscle, period.

==> Fastest way to burn fat & build muscle, guaranteed!

Most of you may be aware that I have been prepping for my first fitness show for the last few weeks. The one thing I was noticing is that “eating healthy” to get as ripped as possible was horribly boring. I found myself eating the same 4-5 meals in somewhat of a rotation. This is probably the biggest cause for people cheating on their diet and going back to their old eating habits.

That was only until I came across Anabolic Cooking by Dave Ruel aka “the musclecook”.  Best investment I could have made at this point in time to be completely honest.  This book is filled with over 200 different recipes. Not to mention, these recipes are created specifically to promote muscle gains while keeping the fat off of your frame. But that isn’t the best part…the best part was how incredibly easy these recipes were.

These recipes are so awesome that I figured I would share 4 of my favorites (so far) and let you give them a try.

Make sure to leave comments in the comment section about how they worked out for you!

4 Muscle Building Recipes for Anabolic Results

High Protein Pancakes  

Makes 1 Serving (6 pancakes)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup oatmeal
•  6 egg whites
• 1 tbsp ground flax
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon of Splenda

Directions

1. First heat a frying pan until hot and then reduce to medium temperature.

2. After mixing together all the ingredients in a blender, spray some pam (or other cooking spray), drop by spoonful onto the plan, flipping when bubbles start to form.

3. Make about 6 pancakes.

Nutritional Facts

(Per Serving)

• Calories: 259
• Protein: 30g
• Carbohydrates: 26g
• Fat: 4g

Chicken Quesadillas – Protein 29g

Makes 2 Servings

 Ingredients

• 8oz Chicken Breast, cooked, cut in cubes
• 1 Cup of Shredded Lettuce
• 1/3 cup of Salsa
• 1 Tbsp of Fat-Free Sour Cream
• 2 big Whole Wheat Tortillas
• 1/3 cup of Low-fat Cheddar, shredded

 Directions

1. In a bowl, combined the chicken (cooked), salsa and lettuce

2. Spread the sour cream on one tortilla, then top with the chicken mixture

3. Sprinkle with cheddar and top with the remaining tortilla

4. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, over low heat, cook the quesadilla until light brown.

3 minutes each side. Turn carefully with a wide spatula.

 Salmon Burgers – 39g

Makes 2 Servings

 Ingredients

• 1 can canned Salmon
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped Onion
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice

Directions

1. Drain liquid from salmon

2. In a bowl, mix egg, onion, bread crumbs, mustard, lemon juice and salmon together

3. Make into 2 patties

4. In a frying pan, heat olive oil. Place patties in pan. Brown on each side, turning gently. Drain on paper towels and serve.

 High Protein Fudge Bars

 Here is a video demonstration for this recipe:

Makes 5 Bars

Ingredients

• 8 scoops chocolate protein powder
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 3 tbsp crushed peanuts

Directions

1. Mix together the protein powder, oatmeal, peanut butter, honey and milk.

2. Form into 5 bars and then roll in the crushed peanuts to finish.

3. Place in the fridge for about 30 mins

Nutritional Facts

(Per Serving – 1 Bar)

• Calories: 452
• Protein: 50g
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Fat: 12g

Anabolic Cooking by Dave Ruel the Muscle Cook

If you enjoyed these recipes, do yourself the favor and pick up Anabolic Cooking by the Muscle Cook and make your dieting healthier and more enjoyable.

Serious about Building Muscle?

If you are serious about building muscle, you probably know that nutrition is the most important part of your system. If the diet is not in order, you will NEVER build muscle, period.

Click Here == > Anabolic Cooking w/ Discount

I am very excited to announce that I am currently getting ready for my first fitness competition and it is just a little over 3 months away. I know that there is plenty of time ahead of me, but I am going to take the safe approach (for once) and start leaning out now. My main focus will be to burn fat around the clock while maintaining and even building new muscle mass. Now, as a former skinny guy who found it almost impossible to build muscle, I have always been a little afraid of “cutting”. I always had that fear that I might end up back where I started…however I have come to terms with the fact that this is not likely to happen…at all.

 
Today I wanted to go ahead and share an example of what my daily meals and supplements look like at the moment. This diet and supplementation regimen is allowing me to burn fat without sacrificing muscle AND without having to do ANY steady state cardio. That is right, I plan to get ripped without cardio! I am doing two days of 15-20 minutes HIIT and THAT’S IT! Not to mention, despite being in a calorie deficit, my energy levels are much higher and stress levels have even decreased drastically.

Calculating YOUR Simple Six Pack Diet
The calculation for calories is very simple. Take your bodyweight and multiply it by 14. The number you get will be the amount of calories you will consume on a daily basis. Pick one day out of the week and make that your “weigh in day”. On that day (weigh in day) you will take your weight and recalculate your calorie intake.

For example:
183 pounds x 14 = 2,562 calories per day
Divide your daily caloric intake into 6 meals.
2,562 calories per day = 427 Calories per meal

40-45% of the calories should come from complex carbohydrate sources
40-45% should come from high quality protein
10-20% will come from natural fats

My Simple Six Pack Shredded Diet
7:30 Am – Take my BCAA first thing in the morning.
8 AM – Meat and Nuts Breakfast (No Carbs)
1 Chicken Breast
1 cup Broccoli
2oz Mixed Nuts

10 AM – Pre Workout Meal (No Fats)
6-8oz Tilapia
1 cup Mixed Veggies
½ cup Brown Rice

11 AM – 1 Tbs Carnitine
11:30 AM – Gym Session
15-20 Minutes before I am done training – BCAA + Glutamine

12:45 PM/15 Minutes Pre Workout – Shake (No Fats)
1 Scoop Whey Protein
1 Banana
¼ cup Raw Oats
1 cup Frozen Spinach

1: 45 PM – Meal 4
1 cup Ground Turkey
2 oz Wheat Pasta
1 cup Spinach
Fish Oils

4:30 PM – Meal 5
6-8 oz Chicken Breast or Fish
½ cup Brown Rice
1 cup Mixed Veggies
Fish Oils

7:30 PM – Meal 6 (No Carbs Unless from Veggies)
6-8 oz Steak
1 cup Broccoli
½ Avocado

My Simple Six Pack Diet Conclusion
This is just a sample layout of what my daily meal schedule looks like. One thing that is very important is that you alternate your protein sources throughout the day. The carbohydrate sources are not as important when it comes to changing them up regularly. Also, I highly recommend having about 1 cup of vegetables per meal in order to help keep your body in an alkaline state. This will become a huge aid in fat burn as well as avoiding any catabolic states.

Click here ==> Fastest way to shredded abs, guaranteed!

2011 was a phenomenal year for expanding my muscle building knowledge. The things I’ve learned in 2011 have made me realize that when it comes to fitness, I have only scratched the surface. Just the techniques and knowledge I acquired in the last 4 months are mind blowing and could help ANYONE transform their bodies. The best thing about it all is that I have come to find that I have so much more to learn and so much more to share. So without further adieu, let’s get to the sharing part.

10 Muscle Building Techniques I Learned in 2011

1. Train with intention
This is one technique I learned from IFBB pro and creator of one of the best selling muscle building programs online titled “MI-40”, Benjamin Pakulski. Most people walk in the gym to train “legs” (for example) and don’t stop to think about what part of the leg, what workouts target those areas, and the ROM that is best to get the results they want. Instead, they have an idea of what workouts they feel like doing that day, focus only on training heavier, and put no emphasis on how to actually target that muscle for optimal growth.

2. NEVER have fats post workout
I was never big on fats after my workout, but I never really had a legitimate reason aside from “fats slow down the process of absorption”. If you want to take full advantage of the most important anabolic window of the day, it is crucial that you have the right meal following your workout. Putting fast acting carbohydrates in your body along with enough protein is crucial for increasing insulin when energy is low. However, insulin is a storage hormone and I am assuming you can guess what happens if you throw fats in your post workout shake/meal. Yep! You guessed right! The fat will only slow down the absorption of the protein to the muscle and the insulin will cause you to store the fat.

Click here ==> best post workout meal

3. It is possible to build muscle in a calorie deficit
Although being in a caloric surplus is ideal for building muscle quickly, you can too gain muscle while in a deficit…but…if and only if your diet, training, supplementation, recovery, and execution are 100% on point. Think this is bullshit? Check out Vince Delmonte’s incredible results while preparing for one of his 2011 fitness model shows.

4. Cheat days work best right before training a large muscle group
If you are going to include a “cheat day” into your program, I highly recommend making that day the one right before “leg day”. This is the largest muscle group in the body and if trained correctly, those junk calories will be shuttled to the right places and any excess will be burned for sure.

5. STOP worrying about losing muscle!
Being naturally skinny my whole life, I have always been afraid of dieting too much, cardio, and even missing a meal. There was one reason and one reason only that these things freaked me out…I thought I would lose my muscle and end up back where I started after all of my hard work. If you feel the same as I did, well here is a breath of fresh air. Unless you are 4-6% body fat, you have nothing to worry about. The only time your body will use muscle for energy is when your body is demanding more than it can supply.

6. Train your muscles at their weakest
Most people are training at a ROM where their target muscle is at its strongest. Over time, this will equal less strain and less growth. If you start training your muscles at their weakest point, they will have no choice but to grow in order to become stronger in that ROM. If you want to find out where the weakest point is for each muscle group, check out MI-40 by “The Pacman”.

7. Eating healthy is killing your muscle gains
Now before you go crazy and tell me to f*@& myself, give me a second to explain. I am not saying that you should have 3 fast food meals per day w/ a milk shake and remain in a caloric surplus to watch the muscle pile up. What I mean is simply that in order to build muscle quickly, it’s easiest in at a caloric surplus. For ectomorphs/hardgainers this can become very difficult if we have the “I eat healthy” mind set.

Why Eating Healthy is Keeping You Skinny <==Click here

8. HIIT is the best fat killer…period
Although the standard “steady state” cardio is a good way to burn fat, there are other techniques that can be done in half the time and will have you burning fat around the clock. HIIT is not for everyone but if you have the physical ability to do it, stop spending countless hours on the treadmill. What makes HIIT so effective is it’s “after burn effect”. This is caused by an increased metabolic rate after your training session. So, although you are done training, your body will continue to burn calories.

Simple HIIT for fat burn:
Jog 30 seconds – run 30 seconds – repeat. Do this for 10-25 minutes and focus on pushing yourself further every session.

Advanced HIIT:
Sprint “x” yards at 80% intensity – jog or walk back to the beginning point – repeat. Do this 10-15 times.

9. Being in an alkaline state is CRUCIAL
Being in an alkaline state is extremely important because it creates the best environment for burning fat and building muscle. Not to mention, if you are not in an alkaline state, then you are acidic. Being acidic puts your body in a catabolic state. The body is most acidic immediately following a workout so it is crucial that we have some sort of greens product or a high amount of greens following our workout. I recommend a serving of vegetables with every meal to ensure alkaline over acid.

10. Weightlifting and Bodybuilding are two different worlds
Those who train specifically to achieve a certain look are “bodybuilders”. Those who focus on getting in the gym and lifting as much as they can (in hopes to build their body) are just weight lifters. Now, I probably won’t start calling myself a bodybuilder and might refer to myself as a weightlifter from time to time in efforts to avoid sounding like a douche bag, but in my head I can understand the difference.

Conclusion
These are the top 10 things I learned in 2011 and I hope some of the items on my list can become part of your list for 2012. I wish you all a happy New Year and looking forward to seeing you all achieve your fitness, personal, and business goals this year.