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.

I was recently introduced to what may have been the most inspiring fitness documentary I have seen to date (and believe me I have seen them all). This documentary is titled “I want to look like that guy”. This film follows an “average Joe” on his journey to discover what it really takes to look like the guys on the fitness magazine covers.

What better way to look like a fitness model than to train like a fitness model right? This is why he hired IFBB pro Jeff Willet to help him with his transformation. What Stuart (MacDonald) discovers on his journey to a ripped six pack is shocking. And even more shocking than his discovery is his physical transformation. Over 40 years of age with a close to 30% body fat, Stuart manages to build a noticeable amount of drug free muscle mass while cutting down to a razor sharp 6% body fat with a simple diet and even simpler exercise plan… oh and did I mention this all happened in about 6 months?

I was so inspired by Stuart’s story that I had to share it with you guys. Before I just wrote a quick post about the film in hopes that you guys would check it out, I decided to reach out to Stuart and see if he would be interested in doing an interview. To my surprise, I was able to contact him and he was nice enough to let me conduct an interview. So without further adieu, let’s find out how this “average Joe” managed to transform his physique and look like the guys in the muscle mags without steroids or any dangerous drugs.

“I want to look like that guy” – Stuart Macdonald Interview

Stuart, can you tell me a little about yourself and what really pushed you to want to get a body like “the guy” in the fitness magazines?

 Stuart: I’m a filmmaker and have been for the past 13 years. I’ve made about 300 commercials and corporate videos plus a short movie drama. I’m also into fitness. When the idea for the documentary struck I was struggling with my weight and thought about making a movie about my progress.  The concept for the movie came out of pure curiosity. I did see the movie “Supersize Me” and thought it was great. That documentary was followed by others of the same kind of topic but no one was attempting something extraordinarily hard. That being said, I started a quest to explore what it takes to achieve the ideal body we are all sold when buying fitness products. The best part about my research showed me was that everyone has been affected by unrealistic expectations found in nearly every marketing piece I came across. The magazines with the guy or woman with chiseled abs on the cover or the perfect looking fitness model on TV telling you that “this product got me this incredible body in just 4-6 weeks!” The marketing these products use to back their products is like a perpetual money motion machine. They don’t work so the customer tries the next new “thing” and the cycle starts over. It’s basically an industry that’s selling snake oil on a scale so huge nothing can stop it. The only “out” these fitness and diet products have is the legal ease found deep in the fine print. “Results may vary, best if combined with diet and exercise.” The bold and large print on the label tells the consumer that the product will make you lose more weight in less time or cause your muscles to grow faster than any other method. To me, that’s fraud. People struggling with weight problems need an easy plan based on science and physiology NOT gimmicks. I also found the worst violations are the photos of the bodybuilders on steroids in photographs for supplements telling consumers that the product they use will give you HUGE gains, more power and lift heavier. The perceived result is that you’ll look like that guy in the photo, but you can’t unless you take steroids and trim down to 3 or 4% body fat, a very risky level that’s incredibly hard to maintain. The last sentence is really the thrust of the movie. The photo of fitness models is usually taken after months of dieting or in the case of bodybuilder’s right before or after a competition. No one is telling the world the reality of what it takes to look like that, until now. 

For the readers who have not watched the movie yet, could you give a brief breakdown of what your workout week looked like?

Stuart: It was a 5 day program and varied from time to time. The best part is that it was incredibly simple. Monday: Back and traps, Tuesday: shoulders, Wednesday: chest and abs, Thursday: legs, Friday: biceps, triceps and forearms. The MaxOT style is maximum overload training. The idea is to lift as heavy as you can for 4-6 reps for 3 times(sets). Once you hit 6 reps easily you bump up 2.5 lbs. The cardio followed every workout and lasted only 16 minutes max. Any longer and you start to eat away muscle. The longer you do cardio the more you risk your gains. Think of it this way. Runners are thinner because they train for long periods aerobically. Why carry more meat than your need right? When I see guys on the juice talking about their 45 – 60 minute cardio I have to laugh. That kind of training won’t fly without help from a pharmacy. That’s another lie uncovered and again perpetuates the long struggle to achieve a look that is unattainable by the means these ads are selling. Sorry I was on a stump there. The MaxOT workout is really simple. You are encouraged not to use machines only free weights. The movements are simple and not complex. You’ll never do a preacher curl here or leg extensions. The idea is to use your skeletal frame to maximize its design to carry a load. Yes the workouts do get boring because it never varies but it’s so simple you can commit it to memory after the first workout. The other advantage is time. My entire workout including cardio lasted at the most 45 minutes or less but here is the kicker, it’s a grueling workout. Lifting as much as you can is incredibly draining. When you do this workout right it will build muscle.  

You were training cardio about 5 days per week following your weight lifting. What type of cardio were you performing? 

Stuart: I ran on a treadmill or stationary bike. I forgot to add one thing about the 16 minutes of cardio. You must push yourself to go farther every time within the 16 minutes. Trust me you will hit a max distance that will be hard to beat but you have to keep trying to beat your best distance every time. That’s hard to do but the only way to burn calories on a huge scale.

You mentioned that you tried all sorts of things to “look like that guy”…can you name a few of the supplements and/ or gadgets you found no success with?

 Stuart: I have a crusher bar, thigh master, a sit up seat, a rubber tube gym in a bag and push up discs. I’ve even done aerobic videos and tried a few fad diets. Nothing stuck for long. The shine wears off fast with these products and they all seemed to end up in a box in the back of the closet or in a rummage sale.

You mentioned that you took some supplements, could you tell me exactly what your supplementation consisted of?

 Stuart: I used AST products. Creatine, Glutamine and Whey Protien. I also had a meal supplement that’s no longer available. Just about any meal replacement will do as long as it’s about 25 grams of protein. I did try a fat burning pill but stopped using it because it made my heart race. It’s not in the film and I think they can be dangerous in hot weather or not taken properly.

During your journey to competing, you broke your toe, got sick twice, and injured your bicep. However, you still managed to push through and successfully “look like that guy”. When anyone would have made these reasonable excuses to veer off, you didn’t…what was your mindset like to overcome these obstacles and keep pushing forward?

Stuart: I had the documentary to motivate me. If I didn’t achieve the goal I had nothing. What spurred me on was the dramatic weight loss I was seeing in my still photos. I knew if I continued the path I would have the look I was shooting for. Pushing through every barrier was ungodly hard.

What do you think were the key components to getting abs that popped like yours during the show?

Stuart: Diet. Ask anyone who has competed and they will tell you the same thing, it’s all diet. I didn’t do crunches to “isolate the muscle” like those ads will tell you. Diet is the only way you will get a washboard look. That diet is the key component. The other key is caloric timing. As the day wears on you need to cut your carbs down as the day progresses. Most of your carbs center on your workout times. You also have to eat every 3 hours to keep the machine running. That’s 6 meals a day at the same time every day.

On a scale from 1-10, 10 being the best…how close to the diet and exercise routine did you stay during phase 2?

Stuart: 8 is what I would say. The exercise routine I stayed 100%. The diet, well I veered off a few times. The famous burrito scene in the film is what fans talk the most about. I had one burrito because I was going crazy with the diet. I needed some relief and paid a price for it. I watched my abs fill in with fluid over the course of the day. I felt great physically and mentally after the meal but the guilt over powered me. I thought I had ruined my chances to see it through. Actually looking back I think it helped to a degree. Lucky for me it wasn’t too close to the competition that would have been a huge fail.

At what point, if any, did you feel a decrease in strength? And how drastic was the decrease?

Stuart: Actually I didn’t see much strength go away. What did go was stamina. The last 2 months the calories were incredibly low but my output was incredibly high. The bad part about this scenario is that you have no energy reserves. The fat is nearly gone and you are eating fewer calories. I think at one point I was burning nearly 10K calories a day and eating only 1300 calories. Talk about fat burning and low energy.

Now, there was a lot of accountability because you were creating a documentary for a specific purpose. With that being said, how much of a roll do you think the camera played on your success?

Stuart: I think the camera played a huge role. I was making a film about a process so I had to stick to it. I was on a path of discovery for the viewer and myself. I was truly showing the world what it takes to look like the guy in the ad and as it turned out it was incredibly hard, way harder than any ad will tell you. Advice I tell people who are trying to loose weight is this; take an unflattering photo of yourself. Date it and do the same every week and compare the photos. Once you see progress you’ll be energized, excited and most of all motivated to see it through.

What advice would you give someone who didn’t think it was possible for them to ever achieve a body like the guy in the fitness magazines?

 Stuart: I would say this; anything is possible. The reality is that what you are looking at is the result of an extreme lifestyle. Meaning this; your life revolves around eating and training, plain and simple. If you can’t live with that then you won’t get the look. Everyone wants a great body fast and easy to maintain. Sorry to burst that bubble but it’s not easy by any means. Others may argue the point but in general I think it’s true. If you were to peer into the personal life of these fitness gurus, bodybuilders and fitness models you will be hard pressed to find a way to make their lifestyle fit into yours. What people need to do is realize a goal that’s achievable based on their lifestyle. I’m talking about your job and family life. Example; if you are a roofer and think bodybuilding is right for you I’d think again. Your job is already physically demanding. What price is worth the reward for a trophy? Do you think you can do your job effectively and safely while training and eating as hard as I did? Probably not. If you are raising a family, you will also run into problems. Training and eating is incredibly self centered. If you have a 2 year old, your wife will be a very busy woman while you are taking care of your needs first. Training to an extreme level is full of isolation; you can’t party, socialize or eat anything that’s off diet. Anyone that tells you that you can have it all is selling you snake oil. Unless your partner is also a bodybuilder you’ll be hard pressed to find someone willing to live up to your expectations year after year. Remember it’s an extreme lifestyle on every level.

Did you ever think you would do as well as you did in your bodybuilding show?

Stuart: Yes! Well not in the beginning but prior to the show, I’d say 2 weeks out I was really excited. I was posing well and had very little fat if any showing. Jeff was instrumental in getting me prepared and without his guidance I wouldn’t have had the confidence to “see” myself as a winner.

How big of a roll does fitness play in your life today?

Stuart:  I train everyday but I have no expectations to get anywhere near what I as in the foreseeable future. Right now I’m training for a ½ marathon and very excited about it.

You know I have to ask…did Jeff ever reveal his “secret formula” to you?

 Stuart: In this version of the film Jeff adds an orange flavoring to my whey protein shake that makes it taste like a push-up bar. All I can say is that it’s orange syrup, nothing more.

Sneek Peek at “I want to look like that guy”

Points by Stuart MacDonald

 Points I’d like to make:

1. If you are planning on doing a contest I would highly recommend you get a trainer or a reliable training partner. Jeff Willet is a great coach and does consultations on his website www.jeffwillet.com
2. New releases. The film has gone through another phase thanks to fans. I created a director’s cut that’s 4 hours long. The movie is 2 hours with 2 more hours of special features. This is about as close to living the film as you can get. My talks with Jeff are unedited and some private rants were put back into the film for a complete emersion into my quest.
3. The “I want to look like that guy System.” This is our answer to those other fitness systems. It’s a 7 DVD set complete with workouts and training programs by Jeff Willet. Yes it also includes the documentary and a DVD on posing for competition. If you are a bodybuilder or are thinking about entering a competition this is the perfect companion for you.
4. Steroids. Yes even I have been accused of steroid use by the message boards. No I haven’t used, didn’t use and was tested at the show for steroids and was found not to have taken any. If I had used them and trained like I did I don’t think I would have dropped down to 154 lbs. Others say Jeff has taken them too. Use the same barometer and I did on myself; he was only 195 lbs in competition after training as hard as he did. Was he pushing heavy weights? Not really when you compare to the steroid guys. That’s a huge clue. Jeff is a compact guy, under 5 feet 8 inches so his muscles aren’t “stretched” over a taller frame, genetics! On stage he looks towering but he’s not, it’s part of the illusion of bodybuilding. Jeff is a super athlete who trained for only one purpose, to achieve the most dramatic muscular physique possible without the use of steroids or any other pharmaceutical. Once he did that the natural crowd thought he was taking them and the roid crowd thought he was too. Even being tested constantly through his carrier he was trapped in no man’s land. I can tell you that Jeff is without a doubt not on any steroids and looks completely normal. Yes, he’s bigger than most guys his size but he’s TRAINED and worked very hard to get that look. He also lived an extreme lifestyle for 15 years. So on behalf of Jeff I’m telling the world he’s clean and so am I. His story is remarkable.
5. Where to buy the DVD, learn about Jeff and his products: www.jeffwillet.com
6. Where to find more information about the movie: www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com

When it comes to training your back, it is important that you target the different areas. There is the upper back which consists of mainly the traps. Then there is the mid back which consists of the rhomboids. Finally there is the lower lats or latissimus dorsi. In order to perform an entire back workout, you must train with different grips or hand positions in order to attack the target area of the back muscles.

I personally am one to train the entire back on “back day” because I feel it is what works best for me. Others may train upper back and mid back one day, then lats on another day. Some may even train mid and lats and leave traps for another day. Either way you go, you will develop an awesome back as long as you know what you are training as opposed to just walking in the gym and just “doing back”.

Here is one of my personal full back and lat workouts for size and strength:

Note: I personally like to warm up with a few sets of pull ups, you can warm up as you find fit for you. Typically I recommend warming up the muscle that you are going to train.

Back Workout for Size and Strength:

1. Bent Over Rows – 4 sets for 8-10 reps
2. Straight Arm Lat Pulls – 5 Sets for 8-10 reps
3. Incline Barbell Row – 4 Sets for 8-10 reps
4. Lat Pull Downs – 5 Sets for 8-10 reps

Rest Periods: 40-60 seconds in between sets.

Rep Tempos: 2:0:1 or 3:0:2 or 4:0:1

Bonus: Another Back Workout for Mass

Back and Lat Workout Tips

• Most people find it hard to make a mind to muscle connection with their back. It is crucial that you can isolate this muscle for full contraction if you want it to grow. This is why I advise that you start your training off with an isolation workout in order to get that mind to muscle connection before you proceed to the more challenging compound lifts.
• Know what areas of the back you are coming to train. If you are simply walking in the gym and doing different back exercises because its “back day”, then you are training blindly. Each individual area is crucial when developing a massive and muscular back.
• Stop training so damn heavy and start focusing on really engaging the back. The biggest mistake people make when training their back is going heavy and ultimately using their arms for the lift. Anytime you are training your lats, rhomboids, or traps it is very important that you are engaging that muscle first during the lift to ensure a proper contraction.

What is your next back day?

Now that you have some new insight, will you be making any changes to your training? If so, leave a comment below and let me know what you have decided to do. I hope you enjoyed the info and if you learned anything today, make sure to click the “like” button below.

Most of us have probably fallen victim to holiday weight gain. This time of year is all about the four “F’s”… family, friends, fitness, and finances. It is the time of year where everyone gathers around their friends and family to enjoy amazing (not so healthy) food. For the most part, this is accompanied by financial stress from all of the holiday shopping. We all know how much stress can contribute to weight gain especially when surrounded by all of this awesome food. So today I am going to give you all a little treat. I am going to give you three simple tips you can start using today to get that holiday weight off and be on your journey to a ripped six pack.

Fat Burning Tip #1: Carbohydrate Timing
You might hear about these ridiculous diets that require you to drastically reduce your carbs and some may even have you eliminate them all together. If you have tried any of these, you can agree that they not only make you a grump and don’t allow you to work as well, but these side effects make them impossible to stay on for more than a short period of time. This is why I recommend about 40-45% of your calories come from carbohydrates (Complex carbs)…only you will time them in a way that will provide optimal fat loss without feeling like complete shit.

The only time we NEED carbohydrates are a couple of hours before our workout and for about 3 hours following our workout. Any other time and they are completely useless. You see, unless you are training first thing in the morning, your breakfast should consist of only protein and natural fats. The “meat and nuts breakfast” is not only a great way to avoid an insulin spike in the morning after a 7-9 hour fast, but it also regulates your blood sugar levels and increases energy and mental focus.

Daily Meal Example:
Meal 1: Protein and Fats
Meal 2: Protein and Carbs – Pre workout meal
Meal 3: Protein and Carbs – Post workout meal (0-15 Minutes Post Workout)
Meal 4: Protein, Carbs, and Fish Oils (45 Minutes Follow Post Workout Meal)
Meal 5: Protein, Carbs, and Fish Oils (3 Hours Following Meal 4)
Meal 6: Protein, 1 cup of veggies, fats (avocado, olive oil, mixed nuts)

Fat Burning Tip #2: After Burn Cardio
Although the typical “steady state” cardio is a great way to burn fat on the spot, there are other ways that take less time that will have your body burning fat for over 24 hours. These types of exercises are very intense and usually take some sort of physical ability to perform. What makes these exercises so effective is their “after burn effect”. This is caused by an increased metabolic rate following your workout. So, although you are done training, your body will still continue to burn calories which makes for optimal fat burn.

After Burn Cardio
1. Circuit Training Routines
Circuit training routines consist of 6 different bodyweight exercises. Each exercise should be performed for 15 seconds at about 80-90% intensity followed by a 10 second rest. These exercises are executed in a circuit (back to back) with a short rest period in between. As your physical fitness increases, you will increase the amount of circuits you can perform per session.

Circuit Training Example:
• High Knees
• Mountain Climbers
• Burpees
• Jumping Jacks
• Push ups
• Squats

2. HIIT
HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is another amazing way to burn fat and achieve the after burn effect.

HIIT Example:
1. Start off jogging for 1 minute. Once you reach the 1 minute mark, increase your pace to a run and continue for 2 minutes. Once your two minutes are up, slow back down to a jog and repeat.
2. Sprint at about 70-80% intensity for about 30 seconds. Once you have sprinted for 30 seconds, slow down to a jog or walk for 15-20 seconds. Once you have slowed down for 15-20 seconds, proceed to sprint again and repeat.

Fat Burning Tip #3: Caloric Deficit
At the end of the day, the only way to ensure fat loss is to put your body in a caloric deficit. This simply means that you are burning more calories than you are consuming. Most people consume about 15-16 times their bodyweight in calories. This is typically enough to maintain your weight. Although you may be able to burn some fat by eating this much while performing “after burn cardio” along with proper carb timing, you will plateau fairly quickly.

How many calories to burn fat
Your bodyweight (x) 14 = Daily Calories
Example: 210 lbs x 14 = 2940 calories per day
Week 1 and 2: Your bodyweight (x) 14 = Daily Calories
Week 3 and 4: Your bodyweight (x) 12 = Daily Calories
Week 5 and 6: Your bodyweight (x) 10 = Daily Calories

Depending on your target goals, you may or may not need to decrease calories under 10x your bodyweight.

Don’t Wait…Just Go!
I know the New Year is right around the corner and most of you are going to say ‘I’ll start on Monday” or “I’ll start on the 1st” …I say, fuck that! There is no reason to wait because every day you DON’T start is just another day wasted. What is so different about starting on a Tuesday and starting on a Monday? In reality, this is just another excuse to avoid taking the leap.
• Create your meal schedule
• Create your workout schedule
• Calculate Your Calories
• Get Started Today!

Click Here ==> Fastest way to a six pack, guaranteed!

Are you convinced that it is impossible for you to gain weight due to your skinny genetics?

Do you feel like no matter how much you train and how much you eat, you can’t gain size?

Well if you know my story, you know that I struggled with the same issues in my young adult life. No matter how much I worked out…no matter how much I ate…no matter how much protein shakes I consumed…I could never manage to put on any muscle.

This was until I started following the laws…the laws of building muscle for skinny guys.

1. ABC – Always Be Consuming
The best advice I could give any hardgainer is… “You have to eat more.” Building size is actually quite simple. Consume more calories than you burn and the needle on the scale will move (unless you use a digital one, then the numbers will simply increase). Problem with this advice is that most people just say “I already eat enough”. But the fact is you don’t. Most people typically consume about 15-17 times their bodyweight in calories. As someone with a naturally lightning fast metabolism who works out 4-5 days a week, this is just not enough. Someone of our body type who trains that often will need at least 20 times their bodyweight in calories CONSISTENTLY. Keeping your body in this type of a surplus will ensure that there are always sufficient nutrients available when needed. Failing to meet your caloric requirements for just one day can be a huge set back.

Follow this hardgainer diet plan

2. Train the lower body equal to the upper body
As hardgainers, we must rely more on anabolic hormones and less on “show muscles”. Not training one of the largest muscle groups on your body (legs) is sabotaging your ability to maximize overall muscle growth. “Leg day” is the biggest igniter of “the mother of all muscle building hormones” and should never be skipped for biceps and chest.

3. Focus on the workouts that count
Our objective in the gym should always be to recruit more motor units, more muscle fibers, and release more muscle building hormones. The best way to make sure we are achieving this is, start off all of your training sessions with big compound workouts. These workouts are strenuous and target more than one muscle group at a time. This will cause your body to activate more motor units and recruit extra muscle fibers to aid with the lift. Once these fibers are activated, they will remain active throughout the rest of your session.

Follow this hardgainer workout

4. Carb Up
Most weight lifters avoid too many carbs in fear that they will get fat. However, carbs are essential for hardgainers to build muscle. Carbohydrates boost the release of certain anabolic hormones that stimulate muscle growth. This macronutrient should make up about 50% of you daily calories and should come from both simple and complex sources. Simple carbohydrates that are faster acting should be consumed surrounding your workout and complex carbs should be spread throughout the day.

5. Rest at least 3 days per week
Most guys assume that if they aren’t building muscle they aren’t training hard or long enough. It is understandable that someone would feel like they should work harder to get more results but in this case, it can be extremely counterproductive. This would only work if our bodies created muscle while we were in the gym lifting heavy shit. However, this is just not the case. Our body builds muscle while we are home resting and/or sleeping. If we don’t get adequate rest, we don’t give our body the time to repair and rebuild new muscle and have us fresh and ready to go at 100% for the next session. We should rest 3 days per week and get at least 8-10 hours of sleep every night to ensure we are giving our body enough time to recoup.

6. Stop lifting so damn heavy!
Most “fitness experts” will tell you that in order to build size, you should lift heavy for low reps…That is the biggest bullshit I have ever heard in my life. Sets of 5 reps or less will only increase your strength and do absolutely nothing for size. Start off performing 8-10 reps to get a steady increase in both size and strength.

Find out how many reps to build muscle

7. Pump up the volume!
Muscle is created when we perform strenuous activity and our body feels the need to build bigger and stronger muscles in order to perform the said activity again. If we fail to increase the volume/workload, our body will never feel the need to become bigger or stronger. If you want to continue to grow, you have to continue to put strain on your muscles. With that being said, it is crucial that you know where you are every time you step foot in the gym. Your goal every session is simply to do more than your last session by either increasing the weight without sacrificing sets or reps, increasing the reps without sacrificing sets or weight, or increasing sets without sacrificing reps or weight.

Example: (One exercises)
Bent over rows
Set 1: 135 x 10 = 1350
Set 2: 135 x 8 = 1080
Set 3: 135 x 8 = 1080
Total Workload: 3510 lbs
Your goal is to simple increase the “total workload”

8. Take advantage of your “growth windows”
There are certain times of the day where specific nutrients are absolutely crucial to whether you will build muscle, not build muscle, or even lose muscle. By far the most important window is the one immediately following your workout. It is crucial that you consume specific nutrients to make sure you are absorbing them quickly and stay away from others to avoid fat storage and/or slow absorption. After an intense gym session, both your stored and usable energy are exhausted. Once this occurs, your body then tries to create more energy by eating away at your protein or you (dun dun dun) muscle. The only way to avoid muscle wastage and remain anabolic (in a growing state) at this point is to spike your insulin with fast acting sugars. You want to provide your body with the proper amount of protein as well. The sugar will help shuttle it into the bloodstream. I also recommend including some complex carbohydrates to create a steady stream of nutrients following the big spike.

Here is a video I created that explains the perfect post workout shake:

Why you should avoid fats post workout:

9. Set some goals…with deadlines
When it comes to building muscle, I have learned that my top business rule applies as well. If we don’t have a goal with a deadline, then we have no real reason to get anything done. If you have a wedding, photoshoot, or vacation planned in 8 weeks on the other hand, you’re more likely to put more emphasis on your goals. If you have nothing coming up, set up a random beach day and make that your deadline. Tell people what you’re going to do for some accountability and get it done!

10. Stay CONSISTENT
Another one I pulled from my business life…consistency is the key. I don’t care how perfect your workout is, how perfect your diet is, if you are not consistent…it’s not perfect and YOU WILL NOT GROW. If you look at the fitness magazines and your goal is to have a similar physique to the guy on the cover, well you better be ready to make this one of your top priorities. These guys live and breathe this and you’d be a fool to think you can look like them without doing the same. Schedule out your meals, schedule your workouts and rest days, keep track of your gym progress, and STAY CONSISTENT.

Click here==> Fastest way to build muscle for skinny guys <==

Are you having trouble building bigger biceps?

Are you tired of your arms not filling in your shirt sleeves?

What if I told you that I had 2 bizarre tricks that would allow you to build bigger biceps faster than you ever thought possible?

In this short post, I am going to share 2 very simply but extremely effective tips for biceps training that are going to practically double the rate at which you build your arms. The same tricks I recently used to add over 1 inch to my arms in a matter of weeks!

 Here is a Video Presentation I have put together on the subject:

How to Build Bigger Biceps Fast

Bizarre Trick #1: Understanding the Muscle Function
The true function of the biceps is what is called “supination”. This means to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm faces up or forward. In simple terms it means, from a position of palm down, to palm up.

How to train with biceps with proper function?
1. Hold the dumbbell toward the top. (Index finger and thumb should touch the plate)
2. Start at the bottom holding the dumbbell with your palms facing you.
3. Supinate the weight as you bring it up. Palms should face the ceiling at the top.

Sounds simple huh? Well…it is!
But don’t underestimate its simplicity. Go to the gym TODAY and try it…
Then get back to me and let me know how it was

Bizarre Trick #2: FULLY Lengthen and shorten the biceps
In order to train a muscle optimally, it is crucial that you train it with a full range of motion.

“If you’re not fully shortening and lengthening your muscles through their complete range of motion, then you’re not leaving the gym having maximally stimulated the muscle and no new growth is initiated.” – Ben Pakulski

How to FULLY lengthen and shorten the biceps:
1. The biceps are fully lengthened at the bottom of the eccentric movement by flexing the antagonist muscle (the triceps).
2. The biceps are fully shortened at the top of the concentric movement by flexing. To ensure you are shortened completely; simply attempt to touch your palm to your shoulder.

Conclusion
If you want to build bigger biceps, it is crucial that you understand the function of the muscle as well as the full range of motion. Most people are “training blindly” and simply going into the gym and doing workouts they see other guys doing. If you want to build bigger biceps fast, download my “Total Arm Assault” guide and add up to 1 inch to your arms.