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Expert Fat Loss Guide: Learn To Lose Fat With
Diet & Training
The Fat Loss & Getting Shredded expert guide teaches you everything you need to know
about losing body fat while maintaining muscle mass. Use this guide for your fat loss plan!
Table of Contents:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
1. Setting Goals
2. Rate of Progress
3. Individualized Approach
4. Definition of Common Terms
5. Defining Your Body Type
6. Role of Body Type in Fat Loss
7. Calories and Macronutrients
1. 7.1. Calories
2. 7.2. Protein
3. 7.3. Fat
4. 7.4. Carbohydrates
5. 7.5. Insulin
6. 7.6. Low Carb Diets
8. 8. Food Choices in Your Diet
1. 8.1. Lean Proteins
2. 8.2. Healthy Fats
3. 8.3. Carbohydrates
4. 8.4. Fruits & Vegetables
9. 9. Essential Eating Times (Meal Planning)
1. 9.1. The Importance of Breakfast
2. 9.2. Pre-Workout Meals
3. 9.3. Post-Workout Shake
4. 9.4. Post-Workout Meal
5. 9.5. Before Bed
6. 9.6. Putting a Plan Together
10. 10. High Carb Days
1. 10.1. How Many Carbs?
2. 10.2. Adjusting Total Calories
3. 10.3. High Carb Day Frequency
11. 11. Cardio
1. 11.1. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
2. 11.2. MISS (Moderate Intensity Steady State)
3. 11.3. How Many Sessions Per Week?
4. 11.4. Fasted Cardio
12. 12. Weight Training
1. 12.1. Importance of Muscle for Fat Loss
2. 12.2. Weight Training for Fat Loss
3. 12.3. Ab Training
13. 13. Supplements
1. 13.1. Whey Protein
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2.
3.
4.
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6.
13.2. EFAs
13.3. Creatine
13.4. Using Caffeine Properly
13.5. Green Tea
13.6. BCAAs
This Guide Teaches You:
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How to understand your body type, and how it effects the way you plan your fat loss nutrition and training.
What macronutrients are, and the role they play in fat loss.
How calculate your macronutrient requirements and plan your diet around them.
How to choose the right sources of protein, fat and carbohydrates for fat loss.
Plan your own meals and complete diet to fit your time schedule and workout routine.
Choose the right type of cardio for fat loss and learn the differences between HIIT and MISS.
Learn the importance of weight training for fat loss and body composition.
What supplements can be used to increasing fat loss, and how to use these products effectively.
Too many people view fat loss like it is a secret VIP party that requires you to do or say the
right thing to get invited. In one sense this is true. Those that are lean understand what
must be done to lose fat without gimmicks or quick fixes.
Fat loss is a biological process that does not need to be shrouded in mystery. It is not as
easy as some of the gimmicks would have you believe but an understanding of the
processes that lead to fat loss will allow you to make the correct decisions to get you
where you want to be.
This guide contains everything you need to achieve real, dependable fat loss. There are no
quick fixes here. This is only for those that are willing to put in the work and reap the
benefits of that work. So read up, because this is your formal invitation to the party.
Setting Goals
Before you even get started on a fat loss plan the first thing you want to do is to set goals
for yourself. This goal could be to lose 30 lbs. or it could be to see your abs. Whether your
goal is to lose a certain number of pounds or to just achieve a certain look you will need to
set a reasonable time frame to achieve this. If you do not set a time frame there will be no
sense of urgency when trying to make progress.
Rate of Progress
When it comes to the rate at which progress can be made fat loss is far different from
muscle growth. Whereas building muscle is a slow process, fat loss can take place at a
pretty rapid pace. We have all seen the commercials that promise to help you lose 10-20
lbs. in a few weeks. While it is entirely possible to lose huge amounts of weight in short
periods of time, this is not what we are aiming for.
Losing weight too quickly will lead to muscle loss. Losing muscle on a fat loss plan will only
result in a lower metabolism, a less attractive physique, compromised health, and
ultimately a higher chance that the weight lost will be put back on.
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On any fat loss plan you should strive to lose 1-2 lbs. per week. This rate of loss will ensure
that all weight losses will be fat and not muscle tissue. This will also make sure that
progress will continue without a metabolism stall.
Individualized Approach
One common theme you will see as you read this guide is that fat loss is best maximized
with an individual approach. To get the best possible results a cookie cutter plan will not
do. Many things must be taken into account when putting together an effective plan. This
guide will show you how to make adjustments based on your individual body type.
Definitions and Common Terms
Calories - Calories are a unit of measurement used to describe how much energy value is
in food. Excess calories that are not used as energy are stored as fatty tissue within the
body.
Micronutrients - Micronutrients are nutrients that the body only needs in trace amounts.
Examples of micronutrients are most vitamins and minerals.
Amino Acids - Amino acids are the compounds that make up proteins. They are commonly
referred to as the building blocks of protein. Different types of proteins vary in the types
and amounts of amino acids that they contain.
Glycogen - Glycogen is carbohydrate stored within the human body.
When carbohydrates are ingested they are stored within muscle tissue and liver as
glycogen. Glycogen is a primary energy source for the body.
Metabolic Rate - Metabolic rate refers to the rate at which a person's body uses energy. A
higher metabolic rate will use energy more quickly, leading to a leaner physique.
Protein Synthesis - The process through which amino acids are arranged into proteins.
Protein synthesis is the process of muscle growth.
Anabolic (Anabolism) - Anabolic is the state of muscle growth. If you are building muscle
you are in an anabolic state.
Catabolic (Catabolism) - Catabolic is the state of muscle breakdown. If you are losing
muscle you are in a catabolic state.
Aerobic - Aerobic exercise is exercise that requires the presence of oxygen.
Anaerobic - Anaerobic exercise is exercise that does not require the presence of oxygen.
Substrate - A substrate is any material or substance upon which an enzyme acts.
Determining Your Body Type
Role of Body Type in Fat Loss
When trying to lose fat body type is very important to both diet and training. Different
body types will require varying levels of calories, macronutrients, and training volumes.
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Before you can determine how much to eat and how much to train you must know your
body type.
Image courtesy of Govt. of Western Aust. Dept. of Health
Ectomorph. Ectomorphs (or ectos for short) are categorized by one word, THIN. The bone
structure of an ectomorph is very narrow. This means that ectos usually have a small rib
cage, narrow shoulders, and long thinner limbs. An ectomorph will struggle to add both
muscle and fat, so adding body weight is usually a slow process.
Even though ectomorphs will have difficulty getting bigger and stronger their typically fast
metabolisms give them a huge advantage when trying to get lean. When trying to get lean
muscle loss will always be a concern for the ectomorph.
Mesomorph. Mesomorphs (or mesos for short) are the genetic lottery winners. They are
typically athletic looking even with little to no training. Mesomorphs usually have wide
shoulders and somewhat thinner waists. One of the main characteristics of a mesomorph
is that they add muscle AND lose fat easily.
Although mesomorphs have genetic advantages they are not immune to getting out of
shape. If they wish to maintain or improve their physiques, a proper training routine and
diet must be employed.
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Endomorph. Endomorphs (or endos for short) are somewhat the opposite of an
ectomorph. They have a wide bone structure. This means that an endo’s rib cage,
shoulders, and waist are usually wide. An endomorph will gain both muscle and fat very
easily. Because of this most endomorphs struggle to maintain a lean physique.
Although it is harder for an endomorph to get lean, it is not impossible. Also, their body’s
ability to add and maintain muscle tissue gives them a big advantage when losing fat.
Calories and the Macronutrients
The three macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Get to know them well.
The ins and outs of these nutrients are vital to losing fat. Each of these serves a particular
function within the body, so it is essential that they be supplied in the correct amounts.
Body type also plays a huge role in how your body reacts to these nutrients as well.
Different body types will have different recommendations for each nutrient and calorie
intake.
Calories
Most people are familiar with calories but few know exactly what they are. Calories are
units of measure assigned to foods to show how much energy it contains. Your body
expends a certain number of calories as energy everyday. If you consume more calories
than you expend, the excess will be stored as body fat. If you consume less than you
expend everyday your body will have to use stored body fat to meet energyneeds.
Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates all have calories. One gram of protein contains 4
calories, one gram of fat contains 9 calories, and one gram of carbohydrate contains 4
calories. These are the calorie recommendations based on each particular body type.
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Ectomorph - Body weight x 16-18 = daily caloric intake
 Mesomorph - Body weight x 14-17 = daily caloric intake
 Endomorph - Body weight x 12-15 = daily caloric intake
This is not the whole story though. Not all calories are created equal. Calories consumed
from protein, carbs, and fat will not all be processed the same way within the body. Keep
reading to find out why.
Protein
Proteins are unbelievably important molecules to the human body. Different proteins
have different functions depending on the type. Some are used as contractile proteins
which allow muscles to contract and lift weight. Other proteins are enzymes that cause
chemical reactions within the body, and some proteins can be used for energy.
On any fat loss plan protein is absolutely essential to maintaining muscle tissue. When
protein is ingested the body breaks it down into amino acids and sends it into the
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bloodstream. Once these amino acids are in the bloodstream they will be taken up by cells
within the body.
The body prefers to use protein for storage as muscle tissue rather than to use it for
energy. Proteins can be broken down and used for energy if the body needs it though. This
process of synthesizing glucose is called glucogenesis. Glucogenesis as a result of protein
breakdown is not preferred when trying to maintain muscle mass.
Not only does this process result in the breakdown of muscle tissue but protein also yields
less energy per unit than carbohydrates or fat. So protein is best used as a substrate or
building block of sorts, rather than being used for energy.
How Much Protein for Fat Loss?
When trying to lose fat, protein intake should be set as follows:
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Ectomorph - Body weight X 1.0 - 1.2 grams
Mesomorph - Body weight X 1.1 - 1.3 grams
Endomorph - Body weight X 1.1 - 1.4 grams
Fat
Dietary fats are essential molecules that cannot be ignored in a fat loss plan because of
the important roles they play in many different bodily processes. Fat is the most energy
dense nutrient. Whereas protein and carbs both contain 4 calories per gram, fat contains
9 calories per gram. The downside to fat is that it is easily stored as adipose tissue (fat).
An important function of fat is its role in the production of testosterone. One thing must
be understood about a fat loss diet: testosterone will be lower when calories are
restricted. This is just a natural response. The body senses that energy is in short supply
and decides that less energy can be “spent” on muscle growth.
Fat acids are a substrate for cholesterol, meaning that fatty acids must be available to
create cholesterol. This is important because cholesterol is eventually converted to
testosterone. If fat intake is too low there will not be enough fatty acids available for
optimal testosterone productions. This will lead to an even lower level of testosterone.
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When on a diet, fats do not serve as many functions as protein and carbs once a certain
intake is reached. Since fats are much more calorie dense than protein and carbs they also
are the easiest choice to cut once it is time to get serious about fat loss.
The important thing is to cut fat intake when attempting to lean out, at the same time
making sure daily intake does not drop so low that testosterone levels are negatively
affected.
How Much Fat for Fat Loss?
Ectomorph Bodyweight and Intake
 100-150 lbs = 45-50 grams per day
 150-200 lbs = 50-55 grams per day
 200 lbs. and over = 55-60 grams per day
Mesomorph Bodyweight and Intake
 100-150 lbs = 40-45 grams per day
 150-200 lbs = 45-50 grams per day
 200 lbs. and over = 50-55 grams per day
Endomorph Bodyweight and Intake
 100-150 lbs = 50-55 grams per day
 150-200 lbs = 55-60 grams per day
 200 lbs. and over = 60-65 grams per day
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates (or carbs for short) are broken down into sugars within the body to
produce glucose. Glucose is a primary energy source that fuels the brain, muscle tissue,
and organs. Glucose is converted into glycogen and stored within muscle tissue where it is
held until it is ready to be used, such as during training.
Carbohydrates are extremely important to training since they are the primary fuel source
for working muscles. During weight training the body uses ATP for energy. ATP is
replenished through something called the glycolytic pathway. This pathway converts
glucose into ATP. Glucose (carbohydrate) is obtained from the bloodstream or from carbs
stored in the muscle tissue as glycogen.
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In the absence of sufficient carbs, your body will have to convert amino acids to glucose
for energy. These amino acids may normally be stored as proteins, so you could say that
carbs are anti-catabolic because they are “protein sparing”.
Carbohydrates are essential to keeping a fast metabolism. Leptin and other fat burning
hormones are directly related to carbohydrate intake and body fat levels. Leptin is a fat
burning hormone that serves many functions. One of the most important functions is the
control of energy expenditure. When food intake, and most notably carb intake is high,
leptin levels will be high. This sends signals to you body that it is in a fed state and this can
cause your metabolism to remain high.
When food intake and carbs are low, leptin levels will lower. This will send signals to the
body that energy intake is low and the metabolism must be lowered to compensate for
the lack of incoming energy. When carbs are kept in the diet it will help keep elevated
levels of leptin and other fat burning hormones even when total calorie intake is low.
Carbohydrates also regulate muscle cell volume. You will notice that when carb intake is
low your muscles will appear flat and smaller, because cell volume is diminished when
carbs are restricted. This is because carbs are stored in muscle tissue as glycogen. Every
gram of glycogen is stored with 2.7 grams of water. This can drastically effect the size of
muscle cells.
When muscle cells are depleted this tells your body that food is in short supply and it will
take action by lowering fat burning hormones. On the other hand, when carbs are kept in
the diet they will cause muscle cells to have more volume which will signal a fed state and
result in a higher metabolism.
Cell volume is also a primary determinant of protein synthesis for many of the same
reasons. When muscle cells are full and appear to be in a “fed state” protein synthesis will
be higher than if muscles are depleted and are starved for glycogen. As you see,
carbohydrates must remain in the diet for both muscle retention as well as optimal fat
loss.
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Carbohydrates and Performance
Carbohydrates are a primary fuel source during training. Since glucose and stored
glycogen are used for energy they are absolutely necessary for optimal performance.
When glycogen is not available due to carb restriction the body will turn to alternative
sources such as amino acids for energy. This will lead to muscle tissue breakdown, but
since amino acids are not converted to energy as efficiently as carbs performance will be
hindered.
This results in lifting less weight for less reps while your in the gym. If you are not able to
train as heavy due to energy needs this will surely lead to even greater muscle tissue loss.
So if carbs are not available it will have a double whammy effect on muscle loss. Muscle
tissue will be sacrificed to meet energy demands as well as muscle losses due to
decreased training demands. You work hard for your muscle so don’t let it all go to waste.
Insulin
Insulin is another very important reason to keep carbohydrates in your diet. Carb
consumption causes the body to release the hormone insulin. Insulin has gotten a bad
reputation as of late because it inhibits fat loss by preventing fat from being used as an
energy source. I know what you are thinking, “Why would I want high insulin levels if it
inhibits fat loss?”. While this may sound like a bad thing the benefits of insulin far
outweigh the drawbacks.
First off, insulin is one of the most anabolic/anti-catabolic hormones in the human body.
Insulin binds with the muscle cell membrane that triggers an onslaught reactions that lead
to growth. From an anti-catabolic standpoint insulin keeps the catabolic hormone cortisol
at bay. One of cortisol functions is to breakdown proteins (muscle tissue) and convert it to
energy. When insulin levels are high cortisol levels are lower. This is the primary anticatabolic power of insulin.
For the best results insulin levels must be kept in check to optimize fat loss, but must not
be totally shunned because of all the benefits of muscle retention.
Ketogenic Diets (Low Carb Diets)
Low carb diets or ketogenic diets have received a lot of attention in recent years. A
ketogenenic diet typically involves lowering carbs to nearly zero per day and raising
protein and fat levels to reach calorie needs.
With the body not able to use carbohydrates for energy it will begin producing ketones.
Ketones are a by-product of fat oxidation and can be used as an energy source instead of
carbs. With less carbs coming in insulin levels will be lower which leads to a greater rate of
fat burning. As we now know, lower insulin levels are not always a good thing though.
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Ketogenic diets may sound like a pretty good option at this point which is why low carb
diets have become so popular as of late. The problem is that when carbohydrates are in
short supply the the body will use amino acids from the diet as well as from muscle tissue
and convert them to glucose for energy.
This means a greater amount of muscle loss. We all work hard for every ounce of muscle
that we put on, so while ketogenic diets will allow you to lose a greater amount of fat in a
short amount of time, the end result of your physique will leave something to be desired.
How Many Carbohydrates for Fat Loss?
You have already calculated how much protein and fat you will be consuming every day.
The only thing left to do is figure out how many carbs you will be eating on a daily basis.
This one is simple. Whatever calories are left over after you calculate your protein and fat
should be used for carbohydrates. Just take the total calories that are left over and divide
by 4. This will tell you how many carbs you should eat everyday.
Food Choices for Your Diet
Now that you know exactly how much to eat everyday you will now need to figure out
which foods to eat. Contrary to popular belief, the type of foods you choose to eat is far
less important than how much you eat everyday. This does not mean that choosing foods
for your diet doesn’t matter though. Some foods are still better than other for certain
purposes.
Food choices do not make as much of a difference when it comes to fat loss and muscle
growth goals, but it definitely helps optimize total health. We all train and diet to look
good, be strong, and improve health. Do not neglect the health aspects of a clean diet
since a healthy body will be much more likely to perform better during training.
Lean Proteins
When trying to build and maintain muscle mass, adequate protein intake is a must. The
best choices for protein are lean animal proteins. Protein that is not derived from an
animal source is that it is considered anincomplete protein. This means that it lacks certain
essential amino acids necessary to build muscle. Here are some of the best choices
choices for protein:
 Chicken Breast
 Turkey Breast
 Fish (Salmon also contains healthy fats)
 Milk (especially low fat or no fat)
 Cheese (low fat or no fat)
 Cottage Cheese
 Greek Yogurt
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Lean Pork
Lean Beef
Whole Eggs and Egg Whites
Whey Protein
Casein Protein
Healthy Fats
Fats play many different roles within the body. Some fatty acids must be provided through
diet since they cannot be produced within the body. These are referred to as essential
fatty acids. It is wise to choose fat sources that contain high amounts of essential fatty
acids. Here are some excellent choices:
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Fish Oil
 Flax Seed Oil
 Olive Oil
 Nuts
 Peanut Butter (without hydrogenated oils)
 Almond Butter
 Borage Oil
 Primrose Oil
 Salmon (also a great choice for protein)
 Egg Yolks (also a great choice for protein)
One final note about choosing fat sources. Saturated fats have gotten a poor reputation
but they still have a purpose within the body, and therefore should be included in the diet.
Problems only arise from saturated fat intake when excessive amounts are consumed.
Trans fats, on the other hand, serve absolutely no function within the body are are
incredibly detrimental to health. Trans fats (also know as hydrogenated oils) should be
avoided as much as possible because of their negative side effects.
Choosing Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates offer more practical food choices than both protein and fats. There are
really two main types of carbs to choose from: complex carbs and sugars. Complex carbs
will result in a slower and more steady rise in blood sugar, while sugars will tend to cause
a more rapid spike in blood sugar.
Many people have come to believe that sugar is one of the main culprits behind weight
gain but this is not necessarily true. Sugar will raise insulin levels higher than complex
carbohydrates which can be useful particularly around workout time. Raising insulin levels
during training will decrease muscle tissue breakdown. For health reasons complex carbs
are recommended for other times of the day. Here are some excellent food choices
for carbohydrates:
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Brown Rice
Sweet Potatoes
Red Potatoes
Oatmeal
Whole Grain Cereals
Whole Wheat Pasta
Fruits
Vegetables
Beans
Whole Wheat Bread
Dextrose (a sugar great for post training)
Maltodextrin (a complex carb that spikes insulin like sugar, great for post training)
The Importance of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are often left out of most diets. Even people that are health
conscience and serious training enthusiasts tend to leave fruits and veggies out of their
diets. Most people avoid fruits and vegetables because they either don’t like the taste or
think that they don’t serve a purpose. This is simply not true. Both fruits and veggies are
loaded with fiber and healthy phytochemicals.
Fiber will promote regularity and help keep a healthy digestive system. This may not seem
like it is important to fat loss and muscle growth, but keep in mind that eating the proper
amounts of protein, carbs, and fat won’t matter if they are not being digested and
assimilated properly.
Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds that are found in fruits and vegetables.
They give fruits and veggies their disease fighting power. In fact, many phytochemicals are
currently in clinical testing as a cure for many different diseases. Once again I know you
are thinking,”what effect does this have on fat loss?”. A sickly body will not be willing to
give up any of its fat reserves so health should always be a concern.
The sugar contained in fruit is called fructose. Many people have come to believe that
fructose is bad for you and will promote fat gain. This is simply not true. Fructose
metabolizes differently than other types of sugar but it is still a great choice for
carbohydrates. Fructose will restore liver glycogen levels quickly and muscle glycogen
stores slowly. Although fructose is technically a sugar it does not cause a spike in blood
sugar like many other sugars. This makes fruit and excellent choice for daily consumption.
You have never heard someone say, “I used to be in great shape but then I started to eat
fruit and I got fat!”. You will never hear anyone say this because fruit provides natural
sugar that will not interfere with fat loss.
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The Essential Eating Times (Meal Timing)
Meal timing plays a crucial role in the preservation of muscle tissue and creating peak
performance. Certain times of the day require certain nutrients to make sure that amino
acid requirements are being met and energy levels are being optimized during training. To
get the most out of your fat loss diet 3 square meals a day will not cut it. When looking for
the best possible results we can and must do better.
The Importance of Breakfast
More people skip breakfast than any other meal of the day. This is mostly due to
convenience since it is too tempting to sleep in a little longer and run out of the house in
the morning without eating. This is a huge mistake. After a whole night of not eating your
body is starved for amino acids so protein is must upon waking.
Although carbs are not 100% necessary at this meal, research has shown that people that
eat a substantial breakfast are less hungry throughout the day. If you have a tendency to
cheat on your diet I highly suggest putting a large amount of your daily carbs at breakfast.
Breakfast is also a good time to include some of your daily fats.
Don’t let laziness hold you back from getting results. If you are serious about fat loss and
muscle growth you will prioritize breakfast and set that alarm clock a little earlier.
Pre-Training Meal
The pre-training meal may just be the most important meal of the day. This is the meal
that will fuel your workout. For this meal it is important to get protein and carbs which will
make their way into the blood stream around the time your training session is getting
underway. The glucose in the bloodstream from the carbs will be used for energy, while
the amino acids from the protein will spare stored amino acids from being catabolized
during training.
Many people fail to realize that the act of working out is very catabolic. In fact, this is the
most catabolic time of the day. A proper pre-training meal will help minimize the spike of
catabolic hormones that is typical during training. This meal shoud be consumed 1.5-3
hours before your workout.
Post Workout Shake
Even with a proper pre-training meal the flood of catabolic hormones during training is
inevitable. Cortisol levels will remain elevated long after training has ceased if nothing is
done to bring it down. The best way to stop this muscle wasting dead in it’s tracks is to
consume protein with high glycemic carbohydrates.
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Protein is an absolute must have after training since it is the only thing that can
immediately shift your body from a catabolic state to an anabolic state. The period right
after training is commonly referred to as theanabolic window because the body is ultra
sensitive to nutrients for 2 hours after training. This is prime time for muscle growth.
Some studies have shown that a protein shake consumed immediately after training can
produce up to 25 times higher levels of protein synthesis when compared to a protein
shake that is consumed 3 hours post workout. This shows how important it is to get this
shake in right away. Since timing is so important in the post workout state it is important
to choose a protein that is quickly digested.
Research has shown that a large rush of amino acids into the blood stream post training
will increase protein synthesis far greater than a steady flow of amino acids. This simply
means that a fast digesting protein builds more muscle in the post workout state than a
more slowly digested protein. For this purpose nothing beats whey protein. Whey protein
is the fastest digesting protein there is, this should be your protein of choice for you post
training shake.
Carbohydrates are almost as important as protein in the post workout shake. Carbs cause
insulin release, and there is nothing better to lower cortisol levels that insulin. Insulin has
an antagonist relationship with cortisol, meaning when insulin levels are high coritisol
levels must be low. Also, since insulin is a storing hormone it will shuttle the amino acids
from the whey protein directly into the muscle tissue.
Although insulin in anti-lypolytic, meaning it blunts fat burning, the goal post training is to
spike insulin levels for the sake of muscle growth. The best way to cause an insulin spike is
by using high glycemic carbs such as dextrose, glucose, or maltodextrin. These carbs cause
a rapid rise in blood sugar and will therefore cause the greatest insulin response.
Post Training Meal
After training you need a rapidly digested protein shake to drive cortisol levels down and
flip muscle growth into overdrive. Since this shake is so fast acting it will not keep protein
synthesis sustained at a high level for long. To sustain protein synthesis you will need to
consume a post training meal. 1-2 hours after training. This should be a whole food meal
with protein and carbs while minimizing fat intake. This will maximize muscle growth by
keeping protein synthesis levels high and reducing catabolism.
Before Bed
Another crucial time for protein is before bed. While sleeping the body releases a flood of
anabolic hormones such as growth hormone and testosterone. This is yet another time
when steps can be taken to preserve muscle while dieting. During the night we typically go
several hours without eating. For this reason a slowly digesting protein would be best. This
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will allow a longer steady flow of amino acids that will continue to feed muscle tissue for
hours.
Two great options before bed are casein protein and cottage cheese. Beef would be a
viable option as well. The most important thing is to ingest some sort of protein before
bed. Fats are also a great way to slow the digestion of protein before bed. So adding some
healthy fats to your bedtime meal is a good idea.
One area of confusion of regarding nighttime eating involves the consumption of carbs.
Many people are under the assumption that eating carbs at night will cause them to be
stored as fat since they will not be used. This is simply not true. Carbohydrates are
obviously not necessary before bed from a performance standpoint but their consumption
late at night will not translate into fat gain.
The human body will process carbohydrates the same way first thing in the morning as it
does right before bed. So feel free to eat some carbs before bed. It will not hinder your fat
loss one bit. In fact, newer studies have even shown that consuming carbs before bed may
even lead to a slightly higher metabolism, but further research is still needed on this
subject.
Putting the Plan Together
Protein. Deciding how much protein to eat at each meal is simple. Take the
total protein you are supposed to consume during the day and divide it evenly among the
essential eating times. Let’s say, for example, you are supposed to be eating 200 grams of
protein per day. Since there 5 essential eating times you just need to divide 200 by 5. This
means that you will need to take in 40 grams of protein at each meal.
Carbs. Carbs cause insulin release which, as we now know, is a double edged sword. The
important thing is to consume carbs at times of the day where they will be most useful
and will be less likely to inhibit fat loss. The three times of the day where carbs must be
consumed are the pre-training meal, post-training shake, and the post-training meal. Here
is how you should distribute your carbs among these meals.
 Pre-Training Meal - 35% of daily carbs (complex carbs)
 Post Training Shake - 20% of daily carbs (sugars or high glycemic carbs)
 Post Training Meal - 25% of daily carbs (complex carbs)
This leaves 20% of your daily carbs that are free to be eaten whenever you prefer. If it is
your preference to eat a bigger meal first thing in the morning then you can put these
carbs with breakfast. If you feel you sleep better with some food in your stomach then you
can eat these carbs with your bedtime meal. You could even split these carbs up into two
meals. The choice is yours.
Fats. Timing of fat intake allows for a little more freedom as far as meal timing is
concerned. The only times you need to keep fat intake low is for your post training shake
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and your post training meal. This ensures that the fat does not slow the digestion of the
carbs and protein since the rate of digestion is very important for these meals.
The rest of the meals throughout the day are fair game. You may distribute fat intake
throughout the day however you prefer. You can spread it evenly among meals or eat
most of it in one meal. It is recommended that you eat 10-15 grams of fat with your
bedtime meal. This will be enough to slow digestion of your nighttime protein and
preserve muscle tissue throughout the night while not having any effect on fat loss.
High Carb Days
Anyone who has ever been on any kind of diet or fat loss program knows how a typical
diet progresses. The weight comes off fast and easy during the first few weeks of any diet,
then it starts to slow down a bit. After a few more weeks go by fat loss slows down a little
more or stops altogether. The reason this happens is because the body senses that body
fat levels are dropping and food is in short supply.
To avoid starvation the body will lower leptin levels and lower energy expenditure in an
attempt to slow down the rate of fat loss. As stated before, leptin is a primary fat burning
hormone, low levels of it will spell disaster for any fat loss plan. There is a way to keep
leptin levels elevated though. This can be accomplished through controlled high carb days.
High carb days will keep leptin levels high and the metabolism running efficiently.
How Many Carbs?
So how many carbs should you eat on your high carb day? This is highly dependent on
individual metabolism. The increase should be 55%-115% of what you consume on your
typical diet. I realize that this is a pretty wide range but it can be narrowed down through
body type. If you have a fast metabolism (ectomorphs) then you should stay closer to the
higher end of the carb range. If you have a slow metabolism (endomorphs) then you will
want to stick closer towards the low end of the carbohydrate range. Lastly, mesomorphs
should stay within the mid range on their high carb days.
For example, let’s say we take an endomorph with a slow metabolism who normally eats
200 grams of carbs per day. A 55% increase in carbs would mean that he should eat 310
grams of carbs on his high carb day. These carbs should be distributed throughout the day
just as a regular day.
Adjusting Total Calories
Since carb intake will be higher on your high carb days this will cause total calories to be
raised as well. A slight calorie increase on high carb daysis not a problem but if calories go
too high this can hinder fat loss. The way to prevent this from happening is to lower
protein intake a little.
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On high carb days protein intake should be lowered to 0.95 gram per pound of body
weight. To calculate this you must multiply your body weight by 0.95. This means if you
weigh 180 lbs. then on your high carb days you should eat 180 grams of protein. Don’t
worry about losing any muscle mass as a result of lowering protein. The higher insulin
levels from the extra carbs will be more than enough to preserve muscle.
High Carb Day Frequency
High carb days need to be inserted into your fat loss plan regularly to prevent a
metabolism stall, but high carb days cannot be taken too frequently without slowing
progress. The frequency with which to take high carb days will depend on how fast your
metabolism is and how lean you are. Below is the guide for determining the frequency of
high carbs days based on body type.
Over 10% bodyfat
 Ectomorph - once every 7-8 days
 Mesomorph - once every 8-9 days
 Endomorph - once every 9-10 days
Under 10% bodyfat (once abs are visible)
 Ectomorph - once every 4-6 days
 Mesomorph - once every 5-7 days
 Endomorph - once every 6-7 days
Cardio
Some people truly love doing cardio while others absolutely despise it. No matter which
side you are on the only that matters is that you have to do cardio if you are serious about
getting lean. When I say cardio I am not talking about taking the stairs instead of the
elevator at work. Low intensity cardio is not going to give you the real results you are
after. For serious fat loss you need serious cardio.
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HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
Just as the name suggests, HIIT is performed by doing intervals of very high intensity work
alternated with periods of rest or low intensity. A great example of this are sprints. When
performing sprints you will give an all out effort for a short period followed by a rest. Then
this action is repeated over and over again.
There are those that claim HIIT is less effective than low intensity longer duration cardio.
Their reasoning is that most of the calories burned during HIIT come from stored muscle
glycogen (carbs) rather than coming from stored adipose tissue. This is true but this is not
a bad thing. Research has absolutely proven that it does not make any difference whether
stored carbohydrates or stored fats are used as the fuel source. The only thing that
matters is how many total calories are burned and more total calories are expended
through HIIT as opposed to low intensity low duration cardio.
Another reason HIIT is so effective is because the post exercise lipid (fat) utilization is far
greater with HIIT than any other type of cardio. This essentially means that even after your
workout is over, your metabolism will keep running like a blast furnace. This is the
amazing fat burning power of HIIT.
Another misconception about HIIT is that it will cause muscle loss. This is just not true
either. This myth got started because a higher amount of calories burned during HIIT will
come from stored amino acids (muscle tissue) when compared to lower intensity cardio.
As long as HIIT sessions are kept to a short duration muscle loss not be a problem. In fact,
muscle growth and muscle retention are increased due to the effects HIIT has on anabolic
hormones. Just one 10-15 minute session of HIIT can increase testosterone and growth
hormone levels for hours after the workout has ended.
Since growth hormone is a potent fat burning hormone this will further increase fat
burning in the post exercise state. Short duration sessions simply preserve muscle tissue
far better than long drawn out cardio sessions. Compare the difference in physiques
between a sprinter and a marathon runner. They are both runners but they have
drastically different looks to their bodies.
The only down side to HIIT is that it cannot be performed too many times per week
without having an overtraining effect. Since HIIT has many of the same effects of a weight
training session it can strain the central nervous system. For this reason you will want to
keep HIIT to two 10-20 minute sessions per week. These two sessions should be
performed on your non weight training days and should be treated just like your weight
training sessions as far as nutrition is concerned.
MISS (Moderate Intensity Steady State)
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Since only two HIIT sessions should be performed per week another type of cardio will be
needed for the rest of the cardio sessions throughout the week. MISS (Moderate Intensity
Steady State) cardio is the perfect type of cardio to fill in any remaining cardio that needs
to be performed during the week. This will burn a great amount of calories while
sacrificing very little muscle tissue and burning fat through different pathways from the
HIIT.
MISS cardio shoud be performed at a moderate pace for a moderate duration. The type of
cardio performed doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you pick one
moderate intensity and keep that pace throughout the entire cardio session. If you are
unable to keep that pace throughout the entire session then the pace was too intense and
needs to be lowered the next time. 65%-70% of max intensity is best for creating the
optimal calorie burn without reaching the point where the work has become too intense
and begins to be more anaerobic than aerobic.
The simple act of performing cardio is extremely catabolic, because of this MISS sessions
should be kept to a moderate duration. While HIIT sessions should be 10-20 minutes, MISS
sessions should be in the range of 20-35 minutes. Once sessions go beyond this duration
the cumulative effect of muscle tissue breakdown starts to become a serious concern.
How Many Sessions Per Week?
It has already been established that 2 HIIT sessions of 10-20 minutes should be performed
performed every week. These sessions should start closer to 10 minutes and increase as
needed.
The amount and duration of MISS sessions added per week will be on an as needed basis.
If fat loss is not progressing fast enough with only the two HIIT sessions per week then 1-2
MISS sessions need to be added to the weekly cardio. Start with only 1-2 sessions of MISS
per week but this can be increased up to 4 sessions per week. Simply increase the amount
and duration of the MISS sessions as needed to keep fat loss moving along. Do not allow
MISS sessions to exceed 35 minutes in duration though.
Fasted Cardio
Over the years fasted cardio has become an incredibly popular method used to shed fat.
Fasted cardio means waking up in the morning and performing cardio on an empty
stomach before breakfast. The reason this has become a popular fat loss method is
because fasted cardio increases the percentage of calories derived from fat during cardio
while minimizing the amount of glycogen used for energy. As discussed earlier, it doesn’t
matter if energy comes from carbs or from fat the fat loss will be the same no matter the
substrate.
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Not only is fasted cardio not beneficial but it is actually detrimental to results. Fasted
cardio may result in higher fat utilization but it also results in higher amino acid utilization
which means more muscle tissue breakdown. As if that wasn’t enough, research has also
proven that fasted cardio leads to far less total calories being expended per session. This
means that there is simply less fat loss from fasted cardio when compared to cardio
performed in a fed state. So make sure you get some food in your system before you
head out to perform your cardio.
Weight Training
Weight training can sometimes seem like an afterthought in many fat loss plans. This is a
huge mistake since weight training burns an incredible amount of calories and raises the
metabolism for hours after training. Many people mistakenly believe that the best way to
lose fat is to stop lifting weights and focus on cardio. This will cause you to lose weight but
most of it will not be fat.
On any fat loss plan the distinction must be made that the goal is not just weight loss but
fat loss. Stopping all weight training will set you up to burn less calories, have a lower
metabolism, and have less muscle tissue. This is not the ideal recipe for a good looking
body.
Importance of Muscle for Fat Loss
On any fat loss plan it is important to keep and build as much muscle tissue as possible.
There are many people that think that lifting weights will make them look too “bulky”. For
a natural lifter this is very uncommon. Often when someone looks bulky it is too much fat
that is the culprit, not too much muscle.
Muscle tissue is a biologically active tissue, this means that it needs and uses calories just
to continue being. Some studies have shown that 1 pound of muscle can burn up to 50
calories per day by simply existing. This means that if you gain 10 lbs of muscle you can
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eat 500 more calories per day and still lose fat. This is just one of many reasons why it is so
important to preserve muscle tissue while cutting fat.
Weight Training for Fat Loss
Now that it has been established that weight training is essential for optimal fat loss we
need to make sure we are doing it right. Somehow it is become considered “common
knowledge” that when trying to burn fat you must use lift with high reps and light weight.
This is yet another myth that is simply not true.
Lifting heavy weights is just as important when trying to preserve muscle mass as it is
when trying to gain muscle mass. Think of it this way, the best way to put on muscle is
also the best way to keep it. Lightening up the weights will do nothing but lower your
metabolism and sacrifice Muscle & Strength.
The best approach to training is to focus around heavy compound movements and
training EVERY body part 1-2 times per week. Neglecting any part of your body is just a
missed opportunity for extra calories to be burned, both during training and in the post
exercise state.
A well balanced weight training routine should include both heavy weights for low reps
and light weights for high reps. Both methods build muscle but through different
pathways so for this reason it is important to include both styles of training into your
routine.
Ab Training
Walk into any gym and you will no doubt see dozens of people doing endless sets and reps
of various abdominal exercises. If you really look you will probably notice that none of
them have visible abs. The reason for this is because NO AMOUNT OF AB TRAINING WILL
ALLOW YOU TO SEE YOUR ABS!
Ab training does not burn fat around the midsection. Ab training will only train the
abdominal muscles that are underneath the layer of fat that covers them. The only way to
see these muscles is to lose the layer of fat that covers them through proper diet, cardio,
and weight training.
Ab training will create a muscular abdominal area which will make your midsection much
more attractive once the fat that covers them is gone. Treat abs just like every muscle
group and train them 1-2 times per week. Doing this along with proper diet and cardio will
put you on the road toward getting that coveted six pack.
Supplements
Whey Protein
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Whey protein is best known for its ability to increase muscle growth and recovery which
becomes vitally important on any fat loss plan. Many of the benefits of whey are due to its
fast digestion rate and high concentration of the amino acid leucine. It is important to
remember that anything that is used to build muscle will also maintain muscle while
dieting.
While the muscle growth benefits of whey protein are well known, the fat loss
applications of whey protein are not known to many people. Studies have shown that
subjects lose more fat and retain more muscle while consuming whey protein when
compared to subjects with an equal calorie intake but do not consume whey in their diet.
Whey protein improves metabolic function and boosts insulin sensitivity.
All of these benefits make whey protein a must while dieting. Whey should be taken
immediately after training because of it’s fast digestion. Whey may also be used at other
times of the day to meet protein needs at meals.
EFAs
EFAs stand for Essential Fatty Acids. Just as the name implies EFAs are essential to the
human body because play a role in many different biological processes. Essential fatty
acids differ from others fats in that they cannot be synthesized within the human body.
This means that EFAs must be consumed through the diet. If not enough EFAs are
consumed the body will sense that it does not have the nutrients that it needs to function
properly. As a result it will essentially “hold on to” body fat. This is just one of the reasons
EFAs are so important though.
EFA’s have a wide range of applications including:

Decreasing body fat mass
 Increasing amino acid uptake
 Reducing cholesterol and blood pressure
 Improve cardiovascular health
 Increase insulin sensitivity
 Decreases inflammation
 Improving joint health
 Necessary for proper functioning of the brain
 Repair damaged cell membranes
 Increases cell membrane ability to transport nutrients into and out
 Serve as substrate for signaling molecules (Eicosanoids)
These applications go far beyond, as well as include, fat loss. Some of these benefits may
seem like they are of little or no consequence to your fat loss efforts, but it is important to
note that a body that is functioning properly will also have a metabolism that is running at
full capacity.
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A great way to get EFA’s are by supplementing with Fish Oil and Flax Seed Oil. 5-10 grams
per day will meet bodily requirements.
Creatine
Creatine phosphate is stored within muscle tissue and is a source of stored energy used
during short bouts of high-intensity exercise. The creatine phosphate stored in your
muscle tissue assists your body’s main energy source used during the first few seconds of
performing any type of exercise, called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Your body uses
ATP for energy during the first five seconds of any exercise, such as lifting a weight, and
stored creatine phosphate is then oxidized to produce an additional five to eight seconds
of energy. This entire process lasts for about 15 seconds. Creatine supplements help
increase the amount of creatine phosphate stored in your muscle tissue allowing you to
lift more weight for more reps.
Creatine may be the most scientifically proven supplements on the market. It has been
proven to lead to significant muscle growth over time. Although creatine doesn’t directly
increase fat utilization within the body it will lead to a higher metabolism indirectly.
Creatine intake boosts muscle growth and retention. That extra muscle tissue will, in turn,
create a higher metabolic rate. This is why creatine supplementation is a good choice for
any fat loss plan.
To get the most out of your creatine simply take 5-10 grams on training days.
Using Caffeine Properly
Caffeine and products that contain caffeine are great fat burning tools. This is simply
because or caffeine’s stimulant effect. This stimulant effect increase thermogenesis, which
is the production of heat by the body. This leads to a higher resting metabolic rate and
higher total calorie usage throughout the day.
Caffeine and other stimulants do have a down side though. Since stimulants act upon the
central nervous system if used too often or for too long of a time period they can begin to
cause overtraining effects. These effects would be much the same as if you were working
out too long and too often. This can lead to decreased energy, muscle loss, and ultimately,
a lowered metabolism since your body will be trying to preserve energy.
Caffeine also has a dramatic effects on the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands regulate
hormone levels within the body. Most notably of theses hormones are the “fight or flight”
hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. Caffeine causes a release of these hormones
which will give a short term energy burst. The problem is when there is chronic
stimulation of the adrenal glands. This will lead to adrenal burnout which can negatively
effect energy levels, metabolism, and digestion.
Although caffeine is a great tool it is best to be used on moderation. Suggested use is to
have 100-200 mg. of caffeine 1-2 times per day for 1-2 weeks followed by 1-2 weeks
completely off all products and foods containing caffeine. One great way to ingest caffeine
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before training is through the use of a pre training supplement. These supplements often
include a stimualnt to increase the metabolism and enhance energy. Then they are often
coupled with other ingredients that are deigned to increase muscle growth. Just be sure
you don’t consume additional caffeine when taking a pre training product.
Green Tea
Green Tea is an excellent fat loss supplement and as an added bonus, it contains potent
ployphenol antioxidants. The power of green tea comes from the polyphenols contained
within. The most potent metabolism booster of these is called epigallocatechin gallate or
EGCG for short. This polyphenol has the ability to increase thermogensis much like
caffeine but without the stimulant effect or taxing of the nervous system.
Since the fat burning power of green tea is derived from the EGCG it is best to take a
green tea extract product. Drinking green tea will produce minimal effects since it is rather
low in EGCG, only containing around 6%-10%. Some extracts can contain 30%-50% so it is
wise to look for a green tea product with the highest concentration of EGCG.
BCAAs Not Just for Muscle Growth
The 3 branched chain amino acids are leucine, isoleucine, and valine. It has long been
known that these three amino acids are great for preventing muscle tissue breakdown
and building new muscle tissue. What most people do not know is that BCAA
supplementation can increase fatty acid utilization for energy by decreasing protein
breakdown for energy use.
BCAA’s work with a double sided attack on fat loss. First by increasing muscle growth
which will eventually lead to an increased metabolism, secondly by increasing fat
utilization within the body. This makes BCAA’s one of the most effective supplements on
the market. To get the most benefit out of your BCAA supplementation it is best to
consume 8-12 grams during training and another 10-20 grams throughout the day in
between meals. This will optimize both muscle retention and fat loss.
Moving Forward
As you lose weight you may come to a point where your weight loss will stall. If this
happens just recalculate your diet plan with your new body weight. As you progress you
will lose weight and your numbers will need to be adjusted for your new lean self.
Losing fat means something different to everyone. Some are just trying to lose a few
pounds, some want to get a six pack, and some want to get absolutely shredded. The
goals may be different but the principles that will achieve these results remain the same.
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Follow this guide and your future will be filled with smaller belts, better abs, and many
more excuses to take your shirt off in public.
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Muscle Building Expert Guide: Learn How To
Build Muscle Mass
The Muscle Building expert guide teaches you how to build muscle using an effective muscle
building workout, eating plan and supplementation program.
Table of Contents:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
1. Introduction
1. 1.1. Definitions and Common Terms
2. 1.2. Body Types and Bone Size Factors
3. 1.3. Are You a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Lifter?
2. Workout Diet and Nutrition
1. 2.1. How Many Calories Do You Need?
2. 2.2. How to Eat If You’re Overweight
3. 2.3. How Much Protein Do You Need?
4. 2.4. So, How Much Protein DO You Need?
5. 2.5. Determining Fat Intake
6. 2.6. Determining Carbohydrate Intake
7. 2.7. Why Bulks Fail and Turn Into Fat Gain
8. 2.8. Why Bulks Fail and Result in No Muscle Gain
9. 2.9. A Note About Aggressive Bulks
10. 2.10. Healthy Foods That Can Add Calories
11. 2.11. Structuring a Meal Plan
12. 2.12. Alternative Eating Approaches
13. 2.13. Sample Quick and Easy Meals
3. Natural Muscle Building Expectations And Goals
4. Common Factors That Lead To Success
1. 4.1. What Elite Physiques Teach Us
5. Build A Workout
1. 5.1. A Look At Muscle Groups
2. 5.2. Exercise Types
3. 5.3. Common Workout Structures
4. 5.4. How To Structure Fullbody Workouts And Training Splits
5. 5.5. “Rules” to Help Structure a Training Split
6. 5.6. Factors That Impact Training Frequency
7. 5.7. Training Volume Considerations
8. 5.8. Weekly Sets Per Bodypart
9. 5.9. A Look at Rep Ranges
10. 5.10. The Importance of Progression
11. 5.11. Rest Between Sets
6. The Best Exercises by Bodypart
1. 6.1. 5 Most Effective Chest Building Exercises
2. 6.2. 5 Most Effective Back Building Exercises
3. 6.3. 5 Most Effective Shoulder Building Exercises
4. 6.4. 5 Most Effective Leg Building Exercises
5. 6.5. 5 Most Effective Arm Building Exercises
6. 6.6. Honorable Mention
7. Training Longevity – Remaining Injury Free
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1. 7.1. Listening To Your Body
2. 7.2. The Role of The Central Nervous System
3. 7.3. The Importance of Proper Form
4. 7.4. What Is A Deload, and When to Deload
5. 7.5. Should You Train While Sick?
6. 7.6. How to Avoid Training Injuries
8. 8. Muscle Building Supplements
1. 8.1. Top Selling Muscle Building Supplements
2. 8.2. How to Use Creatine For Maximum Results
3. 8.3. Taking Creatine with Carbs/High Glycemic Carbs
4. 8.4. When to take Creatine Supplements
5. 8.5. What Can I Expect from a Pre-Workout Formula?
6. 8.6. Pre, Intra and Post Workout Nutrition and Supplementation
9. 9. Advanced Training Techniques and Principles
1. 9.1. Common Advanced Training Techniques
2. 9.2. When to Use Advanced Training Techniques
10. 10. Popular Muscle Building Workouts on Muscle & Strength
1. 10.1. Beginner Muscle Building Workouts
2. 10.2. Muscle Building Workouts
This Guide Teaches You:
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How to build muscle quickly using the best exercises and workouts.
What the different body types are, and the unique challenges each face when building muscle.
How to determine if you're a beginning, intermediate or advanced lifter.
How many calories you need while bulking.
What to do if you are overweight and want to build muscle.
How to determine what amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats you need.
Why bulks fail and no muscle is built, and why some bulks result in only fat gains
How to structure a meal plan.
What natural muscle building expecations are, and what factors lead to success.
How to build a workout, choose exercises and optimize a split.
About the various types of exercises, and which should be a big priority when building muscle.
What amount or training volume, sets and reps to use per muscle group.
Which 5 exercises are the best muscle builders by body part.
How to train for longevity and remain injury free.
Which muscle building supplements are best sellers, and how to use them to maximize your gains.
About advanced training techniques, from drop sets to rest-pause training.
Introduction
The following guide will provide you with all the tools you need to build muscle as quickly
as possible. You will learn how to properly structure your weekly workouts, which
exercises are the best choices, how to set up an eating plan so that you maximize your
time in the gym, and much more.
If you need help or clarifications, please feel free to post a question or comment at the
end of this guide. You may also post questions in the Muscle & Strength forum.
Definitions and Common Terms
The following is a list of common terms found in most muscle building
articles and workouts, along with definitions.
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Hypertrophy – Hypertrophy is the process of increasing the size of muscle cells
through the use of resistance training. There are two different types of muscular
hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar.
Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy – Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy involves and increase in a
cell’s sarcoplasmic fluid without an accompanying increase in strength.
Myofibrillar Hypertrophy - Myofibrillar hypertrophy involves a cellular increase in
the contractile proteins actin and myosin, which is accompanied by strength increases
as well as small increases in muscle size. It should be stated that sarcoplasmic and
myofibrillar hypertrophy rarely occur independently, meaning one without the other.
Split Workout – A split, or training split, is a workout that targets specific areas of the
body rather than working the entire body in one training session. A split workout is
usually constructed based on bodyparts, but can also be structured according to
movement planes, or in an upper body/lower body type manner. Splits generally
range anywhere from a 3 day push, pull, legs split to a 6 day bodypart split.
Fullbody Workout – A fullbody workout is a training approach that targets the entire
body in each session. Fullbody training is generally performed 3 times per week with
at least one day off in between sessions. Some fullbody workouts are performed only
twice per week.
Progression – Progression is the act of making a workout more difficult over time via
the addition of additional weight, volume, or through the inclusion of high intensity
or advanced training techniques.
Rep – A rep, or repetition, is the act of performing an exercise a single time. Each
repetition is comprised of two separate actions: a concentric and eccentric
movement. The concentric portion of an exercise involves pulling, pushing or
squatting a weight, while the eccentric movement involves lowering or raising the bar
back to it’s initial point so that another repetition can be performed.
Set - A set is a group or repetitions performed with limited rest in between reps,
generally in a near continuous manner.
Body Types and Bone Size Factors
There are three primary bodytypes: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.
Ectomorph. An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints
and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph’s have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders
tend to be thin with little width. Typical traits of an ectomorph:
 Small “delicate” frame and bone structure
 Classic “hardgainer”
 Flat chest
 Small shoulders
 Thin
 Lean muscle mass
 Finds it hard to gain weight
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Fast metabolism
Mesosmorph. A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally
athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite
easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for
building muscle. Typical traits on a Mesomorph:
 Athletic
 Hard body with well defined muscles
 Rectangular shaped body
 Strong
 Gains muscle easily
 Gains fat more easily than ectomorphs
Endomorph. The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat
very easily. Endo’s are usually of a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Muscles are
strong, especially the upper legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg
exercises like the squat. Typical traits of an Endomorph:
 Soft and round body
 Gains muscle and fat very easily
 Is generally short and “stocky”
 Round physique
 Finds it hard to lose fat
 Slow metabolism
Bodytype Combinations. Bodytypes are not set in stone. Most of us are a combination of
bodytypes with ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph being fairly common.
Are You a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Lifter?
The muscle building workouts on Muscle & Strength fall into 3 categories: beginner,
intermediate and advanced workouts. Use the following guidelines when trying to decide
which workouts are best for you.
Beginner. A beginner, or novice, has yet to make a substantial amount of muscle mass
gains. They are still trying to figure out proper training and nutrition, or may simply be
missing too many gym sessions to make any progress at all.
Intermediate. An intermediate has experienced "beginner gains", and has generally added
a minimum of at least 10-15 pounds of muscle. Intermediate lifters know how to eat and
train to maximize results in the gym.
Advanced. An advanced lifter has reached the point where yearly muscle gains have
substantially diminished. They may require more creative training approaches and/or
periodization. An advanced lifter looks muscular and impressive in a t-shirt. People will
know upon seeing them that they “work out.”
Workout Diet and Nutrition
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If you’re not eating properly, you won’t build much muscle. Many lifters focus all their
attention on planning a workout split and training ferociously in the gym, but have no clue
how many calories or grams of protein they are eating per day. This won’t cut it.
To build muscle you need to monitor your diet just as much, if not more so, than your
training. It is not good enough to “just eat healthy.” While healthy eating is a good thing,
a muscle building eating plan has specific requirements that must be met:
1. Calories. You must be eating a consistent amount of daily calories. This intake should
be substantial enough to allow the body to build muscle. Undereating is one of the
major contributers to lack of gains.
2. Protein. You must be monitoring your protein intake. Increasing your daily protein
intake while on a resistance training program helps to increase lean muscle mass. The
human body is in a constant state of “protein turnover.” Muscle tissue is continuously
being repaired and replaced. To maximize this repair, you must maintain a protein
positive nitrogen balance.
3. Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates play two key roles in muscle building. The first is
energy. Your body needs maximum energy to perform at maximum level. Second,
insulin spike post workout. Insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the human body
and drives nutrients from the bloodstream into muscle cells. When you finish your
workout your muscles are desperately trying to repair and rebuild and are crying out
for energy and nutrients. This is the only time when simple carbohydrates will benefit
you for muscle building.
4. Healthy Fats. A low fat diet is not always a healthy diet. The body requires healthy
fats for a myriad of reasons. Undereating healthy fats can compromise sleep, lower
cardiovascular function, slow recovery and increase the likelihood of overtraining.
You must be monitoring your fat intake to some degree so that you are certain it is at
a productive level.
How Many Calories do You Need?
To help you determine your daily calorie requirement, you will first need to calculate your
BMR, or basal metabolic rate. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a excellent tool for
working out how many calories your body needs on a daily basis depending on the
amount and intensity of the exercise you do. This tool works on a proven formula and is
very accurate. The calculator uses two formulas to calculate your body's daily calorie
requirements.
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Figure out your BMR BMR => BMR Calculator
Tight Bulk. A tight bulk is generally recommended for individuals who consider themselves
to be at an average, or healthy weight. Use the following formula to determine your daily
calorie needs for a tight bulk:
 BMR + 300 calories
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Aggressive Bulk. If you consider yourself underweight, or a hardgainer, it will be beneficial
to eat more aggressively. Use the following formula to determine your daily calorie needs
for an aggressive bulk:
 BMR + 500 calories
Underweight individuals may need to add more than 500 calories to their BMR calculation
if they find they are not gaining weight. If this is the case, add an additional 300 calories
per day and monitor your weight for the next month.
Remember that all calculations are only starting points. If you are training hard and aren’t
seeing results, add more calories to your daily eating plan. It is best to bump caloric intake
by no more than 300 calories at a time.
For more great information on muscle building nutrition check out the following articles:
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How to Create a Bodybuilding Diet
Next Level Nutrition: How to Supercharge Muscle Growth with Workout Nutrition
Post-Workout Nutrition: The Window of Opportunity
Get Big, Not Fat: A Better Approach to Bulk and Build Muscle
Meal Timing: Set Your watch to More Growth!
Your Go-To-Guide to Gaining Muscle while Minimizing Fat Gains
How to Eat if You’re Overweight
Building muscle while losing fat is very difficult. In fact, it can be near impossible for most
individuals. If you are overweight, the reality is this:
Either way you will need to train hard and use a precise eating plan.
For most overweight individuals it is recommend that they focus on losing fat while
following a muscle building workout. This will maximize the opportunity to build
muscle while losing weight and reclaiming their health. If you are moderately overweight,
a good place to start is:
 BMR minus 500 calories
Set a goal to lose 1.5 to 2 pounds of fat per week. This rate is generally considered optimal
for retaining, or possibly increasing muscle mass while losing weight.
If you are losing weight more rapidly than this, there is a good chance you might also be
sacrificing muscle tissue. In this case, add 200-300 more calories to your daily eating plan
and monitor the scale for several weeks.
If on the other hand you are not dropping any weight at all, drop calories by 300 per day
and monitor the scale for several weeks.
How Much Protein do You Need?
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Daily protein intake is a hotly debated topic. Ask exactly how much protein is required to
build muscle and you will receive one of the following responses:
 150 grams. You never need more than 150 grams.
 1 gram/pound. You need one gram per pound of bodyweight.
 30/50/20. Your protein intake should always comprise 30% of your daily calories.
Which method is right? Let’s take a closer look.
150 grams per day. While eating 150 grams of protein per day is a sound approach, the
major problem with setting 150 grams as a maximum limit is that it forces hardgainers
with fast metabolisms into eating a disproportionately huge amount of carbohydrates.
For example, if you have need 4000 calories per day just to gain weight, using the 150
grams of protein standard you would be required to eat somewhere in the neighborhood
of 600 grams of carbohydrates per day.
It goes without saying that limiting protein intake to a maximum of 150 grams per day can
be somewhat unbalanced for individuals with fast metabolisms.
One gram per pound of bodyweight. Calculation methods like this are extremely popular,
but can be highly flawed. Let's explain why by looking at 3 different individuals:
 Lifter A – Weighs 135 pounds at a height of 5’10″.
 Lifter B – Weighs 165 pounds at a height of 5’10″.
 Lifter C – Weighs 260 pounds at a height of 5’10″.
Using this recommendation Lifter A, the skinniest member of the bunch, is advised to eat
the smallest amount of protein – only 135 grams per day. In reality, this lifters probably
requires the most daily protein because his body is underweight and has the potential to
grow more rapidly as his weight normalizes.
Lifter B is advised to eat about 165 grams of protein per day, which is fairly reasonable.
One caveat – if he is a beginner, Lifter B has the potential to gain muscle at an accelerated
pace and it may be beneficial to eat somewhere in the neighborhood of 180-200+ grams
of protein per day as an insurance policy.
Lastly, Lifter C is advised to eat 260 grams of protein per day. It goes without saying that
Lifter C is overweight. He should be eating no more protein than Lifter B, yet we are asking
him to over-consume protein.
30/50/20 Protein, Carb And Fat Ratio. The use of protein, carb and fat ratios can fail in
the same way that the gram per pound of bodyweight recommendations did. But before
we explore why, let’s explain what this ratio means.
 30 – 30% of your daily calories from protein. Each gram of protein contains 4 calories.
 50 – 50% of your daily calories from carbs. Each gram of carbohydrate contains 4
calories.
 20 – 20% of your daily calories from fat. Each gram of at contains 9 calories.
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The 30/50/20 ratio recommendation breaks down at the low and high end of the calorie
spectrum. Here are 2 examples:
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1800 calories. In this example, our lifter either has a slow metabolism or is on a
cutting diet. Using the 30% rule, he would be limited to 135 grams of protein per day.
This is an extremely minimal amount of protein, especially for someone who is trying
to hold on to muscle mass during a calorie deficit.
4000 calories. This is a bulking scenario, most likely for a very young lifter with a fast
metabolism. Using the suggested ratios he would be required to eat 300 grams of
protein per day (not to mention 500 grams of carbs). This is a gut-stuffing amount of
food. Our lifter would be better off relying slightly more heavily on fats, which are
calorie dense but tend not to fill the stomach as much as carbs or protein.
So, How Much Protein DO You Need?
There are many other protein recommendations and formulas used in the muscle
building realm. Instead of relying on ratios or on grams per pound of bodyweight, it is
easier to use this simple guideline:
Eat 30 to 40 grams of protein every 2.5 to 3 hours.
Using this method, the least amount of protein you would eat on a daily basis would be
150 grams, and the most 240 grams. In general, 180 to 200 grams is sufficient for most
natural lifters – unless you are 6’6″ and pencil thin.
Please don’t panic at the site of 240 grams of protein. It is at the high end of the spectrum,
and may only be required by hardgainers with a fast metabolism. But it is surely not
needed for most of us.
Determining Fat Intake
Fat intake should comprise about 20-30% of your daily calories. The more daily calories
you need, the closer this percentage should be to 30. Again, fat contains 9 calories per
gram, compared to protein and carbohydrates which contain 4 calories per gram, making
fats more calorie dense.
If you need more daily calories, the easiest way to eat more is by increasing your daily fat
intake.
Determining Carbohydrate Intake
Determining daily carbohydrate intake is rather simple. Since you have already calculated
your BMR, you only need to subtract the calories derived from fat and protein intake to
arrive at how many calories you need from carbohydrates.
Divide this number by 4 to arrive at the number of carbohydrate grams you need per day.
For example:
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Step 1 – BMR. You calculate that your daily calorie requirement to build muscle is
3000 calories.
Step 2 – Protein. You structure an eating plan based around 180 grams of protein,
which works out to a total of 720 calories.
Step 3 – Fat. You structure an eating plan with 25% of your daily calories coming
from healthy fats. This is 750 calories, or 83.33 grams of fat.
Step 4 – Carbohydrates. Subtract the 750 calories from fat and 720 calories from
protein to arrive at 1530 calories needed from carbohydrates. This works out to 382.5
grams per day.
Why Bulks Fail and Turn into Fat Gain
It is not uncommon to see lifters spending months on end bulking, only to find out that
most of the weight gain was fat. What happened? There are 2 possible reasons:
1. They did not train hard enough. Most individuals underestimate just how hard they
are training. They rarely make progress on strength gains, nor make any attempt to
push themselves as hard as possible on every set.
2. They ate too much. You do not need to gain 30 pounds in 4 months while bulking.
This is not necessary at all. Weight gain should be controlled and precise. A beginner
(who is not underweight) should average no more than a 2 pound gain per month
during their first year, and an intermediate lifter should average about a pound gain
per month.
Why Bulks Fail and Result in No Muscle Gain
On the other end of the spectrum, it is quite common to see trainees working hard in the
gym but not gaining any muscle (and bodyweight) at all. The reason for this is simple…they
are not eating enough food.
Undereating can stem from a fear that a bulk will lead to an excessive amount of fat gain.
This is rarely the case. Even an aggressive bulk will not add an unusual amount of fat if the
lifter is training properly. Yes, some fat will be gained, but it will be pounds and not dozens
of pounds.
A Note about Aggressive Bulks
Muscle building for the natural lifter is like a glass of water. The more you gain, or pour
out of the glass, the less you have to gain in the future. Because of this, it makes more
sense to bulk more aggressively as a novice, and to bulk less aggressively after you have
already built a substantial amount of muscle mass.
An aggressive bulk for someone who already has a lot of quality muscle will only result in a
substantial amount of fat gain. On the other hand, a very tight bulk for someone new to
the muscle building process may slow gains.
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Beginning lifters experience what is known as "beginner gains". If you are training
correctly, you will add muscle very rapidly. Gains will continue to slow over time, but will
generally follow this pattern if the lifter began the muscle building process at an average,
or normalized weight:

Year 1 – 16 pounds of muscle.
 Year 2 – 8 pounds of muscle.
 Year 3 – 4 pounds of muscle.
 Year 4 – 2 pounds of muscle.
 Year 5 – 1 pound of muscle.
The above chart is not presented to create hard and fast limits on muscle gain, but rather
to provide realistic muscle building expectations. It is obvious that if you have a limited
potential to build muscle in a given year, aggressive bulks won’t make sense.
Healthy Foods that Can Add Calories
It can be hard for some to reach their daily calorie requirements while bulking. The
following foods are healthy and calorie dense, allowing you to eat more without feeling as
full.
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Wheat Pasta
Whole Grain/Wheat Cereal
Whole Milk
Cheese
Sour Cream
Almonds & Nuts
Natural Peanut & Almond Butter
Avocados
Bananas
Beef
Butter
Olive Oil
Honey
Dark Chocolate
How to Structure a Meal Plan
A muscle building meal plan does not have to be complicated. The easiest way to
approach daily eating is to structure your eating around breakfast, lunch and dinner. In
between meals, or later in the evening, you can add snacks. These snacks will allow you to
intake more protein and nutrients, helping you to recover and grow. All meals and snacks
should be based around proper protein intake, as detailed below.
An effective meal plan will look something like this:
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
Breakfast
 Snack
 Lunch
 Snack
 Dinner
 Snack
Here are some “rules” to better help you structure your meal plan:

Frequent Protein – You want to eat a minimum of 30 grams of protein every 2.5 to 3
hours. For snack meals, protein feedings can be as simple as a whey shake, string
cheese, eggs or a tin of tuna.
 Carbohydrate Timing – While it is ok to have carbs at every meal, focus on eating a
larger amount ofcarbohydrates for breakfast, and during your post-workout meal.
 Healthy Fats – Don’t forget your healthy fats. Milk, cheese, nuts, almonds, butter and
olive oil are great choices.
 Fruits & Veggies - Eat your fruits and veggies. A banana or apple along with a protein
shake makes for a very convenient snack. You can also increase your veggie intake
with a nice spinach salad, adding in veggies of choice. (Peppers, onions and more!)
 Variety - Eat a variety of protein foods, grain-based carbs, fruits, veggies and foods
containing healthy fats. Everything you eat has a different amino acid and vitamin and
mineral profile, so eating a variety of foods will help you to cover all nutritional bases.
Post-Workout Nutrition. Your post-workout meal is your most important feeding of the
day. After a heavy and intense weight training session, your body is depleted of many vital
nutrients including protein, glycogen (sugars used for energy), amino acids, and important
vitamins and minerals. It’s absolutely essential that you replace these nutrients as soon as
possible to prevent catabolism (muscle breakdown) and promote anabolism (muscle
repair and re-growth) and protein synthesis.
Additionally, to replace lost muscle glycogen and spike insulin, you can add fast digesting
carbohydrates. Good examples of these are dextrose and waxy maize starch. Around 70g
of carbohydrates is need for an adequate insulin spike.
Meals Per Day. How many meals per day is optimal for muscle growth? This can be a hotly
debated topic. Here are some points to remember when structuring your meal plan:
 Frequent feeding works. While eating more infrequently might work for you, eating
every 2.5 to 3 hours has been a staple in the muscle building realm for decades, and
for a good reason…it works and works well.
 Less frequent feeding. If you are only able to eat 3 to 4 meals per day, space these
meals apart as much as possible, and make sure you are reaching a calorie and
macronutrient intake level that can help you add muscle. It may also be beneficial to
supplement with BCAAs in between meals.
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Addressing criticism of frequent feeding. Occasionally someone will claim that frequent
meal feedings is not needed. It is important to note that very few of us eat only 2-3 times
per day. Most of us graze in between meals – even critics of frequent feeding. In fact, it is
rare to find anyone who doesn’t snack or graze a couple times per day.
The point is this – when you do snack in between meals (and if you’re like most of us you
will), it is better to land on the side of caution and ingest only nutritious foods – including
protein.
A Look at Alternative Eating Approaches
The following diet approaches are considered nonconventional. The term nonconventional
is not used to imply ineffective, or that these eating approaches are fads. Each of these
approaches have been embraced and used successfully by members of the fitness and
body recomposition community.
It is highly recommended that you do further research before trying any of these
approaches. Many of them are intended to be used as lifestyles, and not temporary
solutions.
For more information on these eating approaches please read:

Nonconventional Diet Approaches
The Paleo Diet. The Paleo Diet focuses on the consumption of foods that were prevalent
prior to the first agricultural revolution - the Neolithic Revolution. It was during this time
(approx. 10,000 years ago) that man moved from a hunter gatherer lifestyle to a
settlement-based agricultural lifestyle. The Paleo Diet emphasizes that for most of human
history, man did not consume foods such as refined sugars and grains and high glycemic
carbohydrates.
The Warrior Diet. The Warrior Diet involves eating only one major meal per day, and
consuming the bulk of your food during a dinner window that lasts up until 2 hours before
bedtime. The idea behind the Warrior Diet is that during the day, while fasting, your
survival mechanisms will kick in and you will burn fat. During this period, you will also feel
more alert and less sluggish, as your body is said to be in a heightened, animal on the
prowl searching for a kill type state.
Intermittent Fasting. Intermittent Fasting and the Warrior Diet are very similar in nature.
Intermittent Fasting calls for a 16 hour fasting window in which you eat nothing. During
the 8 hours of "feasting", you consume your daily calories. This can include a pre-workout
meal, and generally focuses on a very large post-workout meal.
Sample Quick and Easy Meals
The meals found in this section are quick and easy to make. They focus on ingredients that
are tasty, and easy to find. The lunch/dinner meals can be prepared in about one hour on
a Sunday afternoon. The breakfast meals should take less then 10 minutes to prepare.
Also included are easy snack meals.
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Quick and Easy Breakfast Meals

Meal 1 - Oatmeal, banana and protein powder. While you are heating your oatmeal
or water, slice a banana. Add the sliced banana and a scoop of protein powder to
your oatmeal, and mix.
 Meal 2 - Whole wheat bagel with natural peanut butter, large glass of milk and a
piece of fruit.
 Meal 3 - Whole grain cereal with milk and a scoop of protein powder, blueberries and
a glass of orange juice.
 Meal 4 - 3 egg omelet with spinach and cheese and a glass of cranberry juice.
Purchase frozen, chopped spinach. Place a 1/2 cup spinach in a frying pan with 1/2
cup cheddar or pepper jack cheese.
 Meal 5 - Chicken and egg burrito. Place 2 eggs in a frying pan, add in desired amount
of canned chicken, cheese and green chiles. Scramble eggs, and place in 1-2 whole
wheat tortillas. Top with salsa.
 Meal 6 - Lumberjack breakfast - pancakes and sausage. On Sunday, spend an hour
preparing 5-10 whole wheat pancakes, and some turkey bacon and/or sausage.
Reheat for breakfast during the week. Top pancakes with natural apple sauce, and
chase with a large glass of milk.
 Meal 7 - Blender breakfast. Place 2 scoops of protein powder in a blender. Add 1/2 to
3/4 cup oats, 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, ice and water. Blend, fill your
shaker and go!
Quick And Easy Lunch & Dinner Meals. These meals can be prepared on a Sunday in one
hour or less, and will make 5 total meals.
 Meal 1 - Salsa chicken quinoa. Add 2 cups uncooked quinoa to 4 cups water. Boil and
reduce heat until very little water remains. Pull off the stove and let quinoa sit for 5
minutes. Add 2 large cans of cooked chicken, and 2 cups salsa. Mix, and place in 5
Tupperware containers.
 Meal 2 - Tuna and pasta. Boil your favorite healthy pasta. Drain, and add 4-5 cans of
tuna in water. Next, add in low fat mayo, cheddar cheese and black pepper to taste,
and one can of peas. Place in 5 Tupperware containers.
 Meal 3 - Beef and potatoes. Cube 5 large potatoes or sweet potatoes. Lightly toss in
olive oil and your favorite seasoning. Place on baking pan, and cook until tender.
While potatoes are cooking, place 1-2 pounds of ground beef (or turkey) in a skillet,
season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook. Combine cubed potatoes and ground
beef and place into 5 Tupperware bowls. Don't forget to season - add in salsa, sour
cream or low cal gravy.
 Meal 4 - Salmon burger and rice. Combine three 7.5 ounce cans of salmon in a mixing
bowl with 5 egg whites. Form into patties, and cook in a frying pan (using non-stick
spray). Please on a whole wheat bun, and top with onions. At the same time you start
cooking your salmon burgers, cook 2-3 packages of boxed, flavored wild/brown rice
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mix. Add 2-3 cups frozen broccoli into rice as it cooks. Place both the salmon burger
and rice into separate Tupperware containers.
 Meal 5 - Peanut butter and banana sandwich. Spread natural peanut butter on whole
wheat bread. Add banana slices, and cover with a second piece of bread forming a
sandwich. Place sandwiches into sandwich bags. Eat along side a protein shake (or
milk), and a container of Greek yogurt.
You can also easily add some canned veggies, or make a quick and healthy salad to being
along with each of these meals.
Quick And Easy Snacks. The following snacks are pack and go, meaning they require very
little preparation. Remember, snacks exist primarily to help you reach your daily protein
intake goals. A snack without protein is a wasted snack. Protein is vital for muscle repair
and rebuilding, and helps to fend off muscle loss while cutting fat.
 Snack 1 - String cheese and a banana. Each piece of string cheese has approximately
6-7 grams of protein, and only 60 to 70 calories (low fat string cheese is often 60
calories).
 Snack 2 - Protein bars, or meal replacements. Keep a stash of protein bars at work, in
your car, or in your gym bag or purse. You never know when life will interrupt, and
force you to eat on the go.
 Snack 3 - Greek yogurt and almonds. Toss in your cooler, and go! One container of
Greek yogurt contains 15 grams of protein, and one ounce of almonds contains 6
grams of protein.
 Snack 4 - Call this snack the convenience store special. Grad a pack of beef jerky, and
chase it with a can of fresh fruit or tomato juice.
 Snack 5 - Cottage cheese and strawberries or blueberries. 4 ounces of cottage cheese
has 13 grams of protein and only 111 calories. Combine 8 ounces of cottage cheese
with a handful of strawberries or blueberries, and you have a high protein and low
calorie snack.
Natural Muscle Building Expectations and Goals
Muscle building drugs like steroids have made it very difficult for the natural lifter to
understand what results to expect. Fortunately, there have been several in-depth studies
over the years that can provide the natural lifter with reasonable goals and expectations.
The most detailed of these studies was performed by Dr. Casey Butt. Dr. Butt studied the
bodyweight and measurements of approximately 300 winning drug-free strength training
athletes and bodybuilders from 1947-2007, and arrived at the following formula for
determining potential bodyweight for a given bodyfat percentage:
...where,


H = Height in inches.
A = Ankle circumference at the smallest point.
39

W = Wrist circumference measured on the hand side of the styloid process. (The
styloid process is the bony lump on the outside of your wrist.)
 %bf = The body fat percentage at which you want to predict your maximum lean body
mass.
Using the above formula, and inserting 7.5 wrist inches and 9.5 ankle inches (which would
be considered large boned), we derive the following natural bodyweight potentials for
12% bodyfat percentage.
The reduced formula with wrist and ankle circumferences and a 6% bodyfat percentage
is: H^1.5 (0.318194186).
 Height, 66 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 193.8 pounds
 Height, 67 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 198.3 pounds
 Height, 68 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 202.8 pounds
 Height, 69 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 207.2 pounds
 Height, 70 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 211.8 pounds
 Height, 71 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 216.3 pounds
 Height, 72 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 220.9 pounds
 Height, 73 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 225.5 pounds
 Height, 74 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 230.2 pounds
 Height, 75 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 234.9 pounds
 Height, 76 inches = 12% bodyfat weight of 239.6 pounds
Muscle Maturity/Muscle Density. As a lifter matures they will gain the advantage of
muscle maturity. A 23 year old bodybuilder will rarely look as dense as a seasoned 40 year
old bodybuilder. Research indicates that muscle fibers have a tendency to become hard
and tough due to repeated use. Also, over time collagen becomes tougher and more
difficult to break down. Collagen is the substance that bundles muscle fibers together.
These two factors combined can lead to a more impressive muscularity.
Muscle Measurement Expectations. From his study, Dr. Casey Butt was also able to
provide a set of muscle measurement guidelines for the natural muscle builder. Insert
your current height, ankle and/or wrist size in inches into the following equations to find
reasonable muscle size goals:
 Chest = 1.6817W + 1.3759A + 0.3314H
 Biceps = 1.2033W + 0.1236H
 Forearms = 0.9626W + 0.0989H
 Neck = 1.1424W + 0.1236H
 Thighs = 1.3868A + 0.1805H
 Calves = 0.9298A + 0.1210H
Here are the procedures Dr. Butt recommends for each bodypart. “Measurement
Procedure:

Chest - measured relaxed (not expanded), arms at sides, tape under armpits
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
Biceps - flexed, at largest point
 Forearms - fist clenched, hand out straight, measured at largest point
 Neck - below Adam's apple at smallest point
 Thighs - standing relaxed, midway between hip and knee
 Calves - standing relaxed, at largest point
For all measurements tape should be snug but not compressing the flesh.”
Building the ideal body. What are the ideal proportions for the male physique? Is there
such thing as "ideal" proportions? Bodybuilding legend Steve "Hercules" Reeves thought
so. In his book "Classic Physique", Steve wrote about his ideal muscle to bone ratios.
These ratios were used to work out your ideal shape based on some of body
measurements.
Muscle & Strength features a calculator based on these ideal proportions. Click here to
use the calculator.
Working all Body Parts. The body prefers to grow as a whole unit. Training one part of the
body can stimulate growth in other areas. For this reason it is so important to work the
entire body. If you are seeking maximum size, or as is the case for many individuals
maximum upper body size, it is important not to neglect leg training.
Common Factors that Lead to Success
The muscle building process often seems like a complicated puzzle that can only solved by
a limited number of lucky individuals. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are
several common factors that lead to success.
Persistence. Persistence means getting to the gym week in and week out, year in and year
out. You can’t make quality gains if you continue to miss workouts each week. If you
aren’t persistent with your workouts, nothing else will matter.
Exercise Selection. To build the best body you will need to use the best
tools. Exercises are your tools. The most effective exercises
are compound and bodyweight movements.
Proper Nutrition. You can train like a beast but if you aren’t eating properly you won’t
build muscle. Bodybuilding nutrition isn’t simply about “eating clean.” You must also be
aware of how any calories, and grams of protein you are taking in each day.
Progression. If you don’t challenge yourself in the gym, your body has no reason to build
muscle. You must find a way to push yourself to new levels. The easiest and most efficient
way of doing this for the beginning to early intermediate lifter is through progression of
weight. Progression is simply pushing yourself on every set for as many reps as possible (it
is not necessary to train to failure), and adding weight to the bar when it makes sense.
The body responds to very specific demands, and is capable of adapting very quickly. If
you continue to use the same reps/weight week in and week out, progress will grind to a
halt very quickly.
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Balance. To succeed you must balance your training. For example, if you overwork
your chest but underwork your back, you create a muscular imbalance which can lead to
injury. The same can be said for overworking the chest and underworking shoulders, or
overworking the arms.
A good workout plan is balanced, and features a near-equal amount of work for opposing
muscle groups and a reasonable amount of training volume. Over time training
imbalances often create shoulder issues, elbow tendonitis and other common training
injuries that force you to take time away from training. It goes without saying that missed
workouts will slow your progress.
What We Can Learn from the Best Natural Physiques in the
World
Muscle & Strength has amassed a huge collection of natural athlete
profiles and interviews. If you take a detailed look at the collective training and diet
information in these articles, you will find the following trends:
1. Hard Work. To be successful you will need to work hard. There are no short cuts, and
no easy paths. There are no magic workouts or magic diets.
2. Perform Difficult Exercises. To be successful you must be willing to perform the most
challenging exercises. Most natural bodybuilders list squats, deadlift and a bench
press variation as their 3 topmuscle building lifts.
3. Learn Proper Form. To be successful you must take time and learn good exercise
form. Form is a work in progress. As the weight gets heavier, it becomes more and
more critical that you refine your exercise form.
4. No Excuses. To be successful you must stop making excuses and get to the gym.
Aches, pains and strains happen. Life happens. Those that succeed set aside excuses
and do the work required to achieve their goals.
5. Master Your Body. To be successful you must master your body. Learn what works
for you and what doesn’t. This applies to both training and diet.
6. Stop Jumping Around. To be successful you must learn that hard work and a good
eating plan are the keys to progress. There are no magical programs. If you train hard
and eat properly you should be able to build muscle on nearly any program.
7. Know What You’re Eating. To be successful you must know what’s going into your
body. This requires at least a minimal understanding of your daily calorie
and protein intake. “Guessing” or “trying to eat healthy” are imprecise nutritional
methods. Take control and develop an eating plan.
8. Be Willing To Learn. To be successful you must be willing to keep an open mind. Read
a new article each week, or take time to study the habits of those that are successful.
Build a Workout
This section will help you build a workout from the ground up. You will learn about:
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
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The major muscle groups and how to combine them into an effective fullbody or split
muscle building program.
The various types of exercises, including information on which are considered the
most effective choices.
Common workout structures – fullbody workouts, upper/lower splits, bodypart splits
and more.
Training volume: how many sets to use per bodypart, and how and when to add more
volume over time.
Different rep ranges and how to use them to maximize hypertrophy.
Methods of progression: how and when to add weight to the bar, and when to use
advanced training techniques such as supersets, etc.
How much rest you need between sets, and how to alter rest periods to assist the
muscle building process.
A Look at Muscle Groups
Most muscle building workouts focus on the following 12 primary muscle groups:
1. Abs
2. Back
3. Biceps
4. Calves
5. Chest
6. Forearms
7. Hamstrings
8. Lower Back
9. Quadriceps
10. Shoulders
11. Traps
12. Triceps
Occasionally you will see a training program include exercises for the glutes, but direct
glute work is generally considered the exception and not the norm.
Major Muscle Groups. Of the 12 primary muscle groups 4 are considered major, and most
training approaches are structured around them. These 4 major muscle groups are:
 Back, often includes lower back work.
 Chest.
 Shoulders, often including traps exercises.
 Quads, often grouped together with hamstrings.
Antagonist muscle groups. Antagonist muscle groups are two muscle groups that work in
opposition to one another. Major examples are:
 Biceps and Triceps
 Chest and Back
 Quads and Hamstrings
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Forearms, Traps and Lower Back. It is not uncommon to see workouts that do not include
direct forearm, traps or lower back exercises.
Forearms. The forearms receive quite a bit on natural stimulation from the constant
action of holding/gripping barbells, dumbbells and machine handles.
Traps. The traps, or trapezius muscles, receive quite a bit of stimulation from deadlifts,
stiff leg deadlifts, overhead pressing and to a certain degree, rows.
Lower Back. A training program heavy in compound movements such as squats and
deadlifts will do a good job of taxing the lower back. Because of this, direct lower back
work might actually be counterproductive (overtraining). Much of this will depend on the
lower back strength of the trainee.
Exercise Types
There are 2 types of exercise mechanics:

Compound Exercises. A compound exercise involves the movement of two joints
more than one muscle group.
 Isolation Exercises. Isolation exercises only involve one joint and one muscle group.
There are 7 primary exercise types:

Barbell
 Bodyweight
 Cables
 Dumbbells
 Exercise Ball
 Machines
 Other
In general, the most productive exercises are barbell and dumbbell compound lifts, but
bodyweight and machine compound exercises can be very potent as well.
The most effective exercises. The following 7 lifts are arguably the best muscle building
exercises.
 Squats. Squats are the king of all muscle and strength building exercises. No workout
should be without deep squats. They are performed with a barbell, generally in a
squat rack. Squats not only build massive legs, but also stress most of the upper body.
They are like hormonal gamma radiation – taxing the entire body, forcing it to get
bigger and stronger with ever rep.
 Deadlifts. Second only to squats in effectiveness (and a very close second at
that), deadlifts are another manmaker that will pack on slabs of muscle mass while
helping you become as strong as a bear. Like squats, deadlifts are a barbell only
exercise.
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
Dips. Dips are often called the upper body squat, and for good reason. Dips work the
shoulders, chest and triceps very hard, and are a great overall exercises for building a
beefy upper body. Dips should be performed at a parallel bar dipping station.
 Pull Ups. It seems that even the strongest and most fit lifters can barely squeak out
more than a few pull ups. The pull up is an excellent exercise for building the back
and biceps, and should be used instead of exercises such as the lat pull down when
possible.
 Bench Press. The bench press is an upper body staple. There are several highly
effective variations including the flat bench barbell press, flat bench dumbbell bench
press, incline bench barbell press and incline dumbbell bench press.
 Overhead Press. As with the bench press, there are numerous quality variations of
the overhead press that can be used. Nearly all seated and standing dumbbell and
barbell overhead presses are solid choices. You may also use the Arnold dumbbell
press, and behind the neck overhead presses. Another popular press variation is the
standing push press.
 Rows. Both barbell and dumbbell rows are tremendous upper back exercises. Old
school barbell T-bar rows are also a solid choice. While cable and machine lifts are
generally sub-par back exercises, seated cable rows can be very challenging and
effective.
Training Planes. Exercises can also be viewed by antagonistic training planes. Examples
include:
 Horizontal Plane. Pushing away from the chest, pulling towards the chest.
 Vertical Plane. Pressing overhead, or pulling down from overhead.
Common Workout Structures
There are 3 primary workout structures:
Fullbody Workouts. A fullbody workout is performed 2-3 times per week on nonconsecutive training days and focuses on training the entire body through the use of
complimentary movements.
Prior to the steroid era, fullbody workouts were the norm. They have been used
successfully by many topbodybuilders over the years, from Steve Reeves to Mr. Olympia
Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is a little known fact that Arnold build a good portion of his
muscle mass using a Reg Park-inspired fullbody workout.
Upper/Lower Splits. Consider an upper lower split a happy middle ground between
fullbody workouts and extensive bodybuilding splits. Upper lower splits are very popular
in the realm of strength building, but when properly structured are excellent routines
for muscle building.
Upper days focus on chest, shoulders, arms, and back, while lower days focus on legs,
lower back, abs and often deadlift (and variations).
An upper lower split is generally performed 4 days per week, but can also be performed 3
days per week in an alternating A/B workout type fashion.
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Bodypart Split Workout. Bodypart splits are the most common approach to training in the
modern era. Splits are generally organized around one major bodypart, and can often also
include several minor bodyparts. Split workouts can be as basic as a 3 day push/pull/legs
split, to an extremely advanced 6 day double split.
With the advent of steroids, lifters found they were able to train longer and harder with
more benefit, and that they were able to recover much more quickly. This paved the way
to elaborate training splits. Bodypart splits certainly have merit for natural trainees, but
they are better off starting with a modest 3-4 day training split and evolving their training
based on needs, rather than utilizing a 5-6 day split when it isn’t necessarily needed.
How to Structure Fullbody Workouts and Training Splits
The section will provide some basic but effective templates that will allow you to properly
structure workouts on your own. When it comes to workout structure, the possibilities are
endless. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the basics before attempting
to create more advanced workout approaches.
Structuring a Fullbody Workout. A fullbody workout should be performed 3 days per
week, on nonconsecutive training days. The most common approach to fullbody training is
to workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
You may also choose to train fullbody 2 days per week, on a Monday and Thursday, for
example. Twice a week training can be a very effective approach, and should not be ruled
out by individuals with a limited amount of time each week to workout.
Many popular fullbody workouts are centered around 3 major lifts: squats, a pressing
movement and a pulling movement.
When devising your own fullbody workout, the following template is a good place to start:

Squat compound movement. Squats, front squats, goblet squats, etc.
 Press compound movement. Bench press, military press, or variations.
 Pull compound movement. Deadlift, rows, power cleans, etc.
 1-2 assistance exercises. Dips, curls, abs, pull ups, calves, shrugs, etc.
Use a compound movement for the squat, press and pull. These lifts should be the most
taxing of the program. Assistance work should be challenging, but can be isolation work
based on needs.
Many fullbody workout approaches rotate intensity levels. The most common intensity
approach is the HLM:

Heavy Day – The focus is on pushing yourself using the most effective squat, press
and pullcompound exercises.
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
Light Day – The focus is on using a little less weight, or a milder exercise for the squat,
press and pull movements. For example, some programs will have you backing off of
your heavy squat weight by 20%, while others call for exercises like goblet squats on a
light day.
 Medium Day – This will be a challenging training day, but just not quite as intense as
your heavy day. You may opt for leg presses or front squats instead of squats, and
Arnold presses or dumbbell bench presses instead of heavy bench presses.
A good approach for pressing days is to rotate between a bench press variation and an
overhead variation. You can use dumbbells, barbells or even Hammer Strength if need be.
Structuring an Upper/Lower Split Workout. Upper lower splits generally require training
4 days per week. The following is an example of a common upper/lower training schedule:
 Monday – Lower
 Tuesday – Upper
 Thursday – Lower
 Friday - Upper
You may also train 3 days per week using an upper/lower split, as follows:

Week 1 – Upper, Lower, Upper
 Week 2 – Lower, Upper, Lower
“Upper days” consist of the following 5 exercises:
1. Chest exercise. Bench press, incline dumbbell bench press, etc.
2. Back exercise. Barbell rows, pull-ups, etc.
3. Shoulder exercise. Military press, seated Arnold press, etc.
4. Tricep exercise. Close grip bench press, dips, etc.
5. Bicep exercise. Barbell curl, dumbbell curl, etc.
“Lower days”, also known as posterior chain training, are comprised of the following 5
exercises:
1. Squat/deadlift exercise. Back squats, deadlift variations, etc.
2. Quad exercise. Leg Press, leg extension, etc.
3. Hamstring exercise. Glute ham raise, still leg deadlift deadlift, etc.
4. Abs exercise. Weighted sit ups, side bends, etc.
5. Calves exercise. Seated calf raise, standing calf raise, etc.
Structuring a Bodypart Split Workout. Bodypart splits open the door to workout variation,
and can be structured in nearly an endless number of ways. Some of the most popular
variations are listed below.
Pull, Push, Legs. The pull, push, legs is a 3 day split that is structured as follows:
 Day 1 – Pull. Back, biceps, forearms and traps.
 Day 2 – Push. Chest, shoulders and triceps.
 Day 3 – Legs. Quads, hamstrings, calves and abs.
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3 Day Antagonistic Split. This 3 day split structures workouts based on antagonistic
muscle groups.
 Day 1 – Chest and back.
 Day 2 – Legs.
 Day 3 – Shoulders and arms.
4 Day Major Bodypart Split. This is a fairly common training split, usually featuring a
chest, back, shoulders and legs training day. Because the chest and shoulder days utilize
some of the same muscle groups (shoulders and triceps), it is best to separate them with
several days of rest.
 Day 1 – Chest and triceps.
 Day 2 – Back and biceps.
 Day 3 – Shoulders and traps.
 Day 4 – Quads, hamstrings and calves.
It is important to know that in the context of a bodypart split workout each muscle group
is trained only once per week. You will need to structure off days accordingly.
“Rules” to Help Structure a Training Split
1. Chest and Triceps. Don't train chest the day after triceps, or vice versa. The triceps
are heavily involved with pressing movements used to hit the chest. If you work
triceps the day before chest, your triceps will be fatigued and could limit your chest
workout productivity. If you work chest the day before triceps, your triceps will be
fatigued and will receive a pounding two days in a row.
2. Back and Biceps. Don't train back the day after biceps. The biceps are heavily
involved with pulling/rowing movements used to blast the back. If you work biceps
the day before back, your biceps will be fatigued and could limit your back workout
productivity.
3. Squats and Deadlifts. Don't train squats and deadlifts on back to back days. Both
squats and deadlifts utilize many of the same muscle groups. These lifts are
considered posterior chain movements, meaning they both target the lower back,
spinae erectors, glutes, hamstrings, etc. It's best to have a few rest days in between
these lifts.
4. Traps. Don't obsess about direct traps work. The traps are worked hard when
deadlifting, and also during overhead pressing and other shoulder exercises such as
laterals. Do not assume that you need an excessive amount of direct traps work to
build big traps. In fact, if you are deadlifting and using a form of the military press,
you may not need much direct trap work at all.
5. Forearms. Don't obsess about direct forearm work. As with traps, the forearms are
worked hard by numerous other lifts. The mere act of gripping barbells and
dumbbells day in and day out is often enough to stimulate quality forearm growth.
Do not assume you need an excessive amount of direct forearm stimulation.
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6. Rear Delts. Don't overwork the rear delts. The rear delts are hit hard on back day, and
during some shoulder exercises for front and side delts. If you look at the
rowing/pulling motion of most back exercises, you will notice that they are in the
same family tree as rear laterals (bent over reverse flys). Some rear delt work is good,
but you do not need an abundance of rear delt exercises to have great looking rear
delts.
7. Front Delts. Don't overwork the front delts. The front delts are aggressively
hammered when using pressing motions for chest and shoulders. These pressing
movements should be the core of your front delt work. While it is a good idea to add
in an additional isolation exercise (such as front laterals) for your front delts, you do
not need an abundance of front delt exercises to have great looking front delts.
8. Abs. Incorporate some form of a heavy ab exercise. Far too often the abs are worked
the same way day in and day out, with no added resistance. Make sure you
incorporate some form of progressive resistance into your ab routine to help build a
thick, amazing looking six pack. These exercise include, but are not limited to:
weighted situps, crunches and leg lifts, and cable crunches.
9. Arm Work. Stop obsessing about direct arm work. Working your arms hard each
week is good. Believing that you need to work your arms with 30 sets, three times per
week is counter productive. Big arms are built with heavy rowing and pressing
movements. Direct bicep and tricep work helps to build big arms (obviously), but you
do not need to overkill the amount of sets you perform.
10. Legs. Work your legs! Don't be a chicken-legged gym rat who avoids hard leg
exercises. Not only do muscular legs look impressive, but strong legs will also improve
athletic performance, helping you to jump higher, run faster, and explode out of the
gate on sprints.
11. Isolation Movements. Don't overuse isolation exercises. Isolation movements have
their place in weight training. But with that said, it makes no sense to perform 5 sets
of dumbbell flyes or tricep kickbacks if you are not working your chest and triceps
hard with a battery of heavy pressing movements.
12. Dips and Pull Ups. Don't discount the power of dips and pull ups. Though these
exercises are bodyweight exercises, the dip is known as the upper body squat for it's
overall muscle building effectiveness, and pull ups are an amazing back blaster. If
these exercises get easy, use a weight belt and add resistance.
13. Lower Back. Don't overwork the lower back with too much direct work. The lower
back is taxed hard enough as it is. A few additional sets for lower back is good, but
overworking your lower back can often result in muscle fatigue, weakness and strains
which can lead to further injuries. Do enough lower back work to stay strong, but not
so much that you aren't able to function for several days.
Factors that Impact Training Frequency
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Muscle soreness, and a muscle's ability to recover, are not the only factors involved when
trying to decide how often you should train a muscle group. You also have to consider the
strain that frequent training places on your joints, connective tissue (ligaments and
tendons), CNS (central nervous system), etc.
If you've never trained a muscle group more than once a week, and want to try a more
frequent approach, don't rush into this approach with heavy weight. Take a few weeks to
allow your body to adapt to the demands of this new training style.
Also, keep in mind that the heavier weight you lift, the longer it will take to increase your
training frequency. Your body will need to condition itself to the unique demands of this
style of training. In addition, many advanced lifters that do utilize a more frequent training
approach often cycle their workout intensity. Some workouts may focus on heavy weight
for low reps, and some on moderate or a relatively lighter weight for 10-15 (or more) reps.
Training Volume Considerations
Training a body part twice, or even three times a week is a viable option for many. Small
muscle groups can often be trained more frequently. In fact, large muscle groups can be
training twice or even three times a week if the daily volume of sets is kept in check.
One of the mistakes that many trainees make when working a muscle group multiple
times per week is that they try to keep the volume high on each day. This is a misguided
approach. Regardless of how often you train a muscle group, a good guideline is to use the
same weekly amount of sets. Let's look at a few examples:


Twice a Week Training. If you are currently working your chest once a week for 12
sets and want to work your chest twice a week for extra stimulation, do NOT perform
2 weekly workouts of 12 sets each (a total of 24 sets). Instead, work your chest with
only 6 sets per workout, for the SAME weekly total of 12 sets.
Training Three Times Per Week. If you are currently working your biceps once a week
for 9 sets and want to instead work them three times a week for extra stimulation, do
NOT perform 3 weekly workouts of 9 sets each (a total of 27 sets). Instead, work your
biceps with only 3 sets per workout, for the SAME weekly total of 9 sets.
Weekly Sets Per Bodypart
As a general rule, stick with the following weekly sets per muscle group. When uncertain,
always start with the lowest amount of sets, and only add sets if this approach is
ineffective.

9 to 15 weekly sets - Large Muscle Groups. These groups include chest, back,
shoulders and quads.
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
6 to 9 weekly sets - Small Muscle Groups. These groups include biceps, triceps, calves,
abs and hamstrings.
 0 to 3 weekly sets - Minor Muscle Groups. These groups include lower back,
forearms, rear delts and traps.
When training a bodypart twice a week, use the following number of sets per workout:

4 to 8 working sets - Large Muscle Groups. These groups include chest, back,
shoulders and quads.
 3 to 5 working sets - Small Muscle Groups. These groups include biceps, triceps,
calves, abs and hamstrings.
 0 to 3 working sets - Minor Muscle Groups. These groups include lower back,
forearms, rear delts and traps.
When training a bodypart three times a week, use the following number of sets per
workout:
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

3 to 5 working sets - Large Muscle Groups. These groups include chest, back,
shoulders and quads.
0 to 3 working sets - Small Muscle Groups. These groups include biceps, triceps,
calves, abs and hamstrings.
0 to 3 working sets - Minor Muscle Groups. These groups include lower back,
forearms, rear delts and traps.
A Look at Rep Ranges
There are no magic rep ranges. Progression, or pushing for as many reps as possible on a
set, is far more important than the rep range you choose. With that said, there are some
rep range rules that can maximize your results.

Rep ranges for compound exercises. For most compound exercises it’s a good idea to
stick between 5 to 12 reps per set.
 Rep ranges for isolation exercises. For isolation exercises you are better off sticking
with rep ranges between 10-15 per set. Any sets below this range generally involves a
fairly heavy weight, and form can get sloppy rather quickly.
 Rep ranges for leg training. Legs often respond better to set volume, and may be
trained as high as 20 reps per set.
Calves and rep range. Calves are an anomaly. Many are born with naturally big calves and
don’t need to train them at all. On the other hand, for those unfortunate enough to have
been born with thin calves, nothing seems to help.
If you have stubborn calves it’s a good idea to experiment. If the 12 to 20 rep range isn’t
working don’t hesitate to try heavy weight and low reps sets, or limited rest between sets.
Rep range variety. To maximize hypertrophy, it’s a good idea to tax each muscle group on
a weekly basis with a variety of rep ranges.
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
Heavy sets – Compound exercises performed in the 5-7 rep range.
 Moderate sets – The bread and butter of muscle building, moderate sets involve
training in the 8-12 rep range.
 Light sets – Usually performed with isolation exercises in the 12-15 rep range.
Are High Reps for Cutting? This is a myth. A lifter should not resort to higher reps and
lighter weight when trying to lose weight. By using lighter weight you are telling the body
that it no longer has a reason to hold on to some of its existing muscle mass. When trying
to cut fat continue to train just as hard and heavy as you would when trying to build
muscle.
The Importance of Progression
The importance of progression can’t be overstated. Progression of weight is the magic
that drives muscle building for beginner to intermediate lifters. Simply stated, progression
requires you to push yourself on every set for as many reps as possible, and involves the
addition of weight to a lift when you are able to perform the recommended number of
reps for a set.
Always remember to stop a set when your exercise form becomes sloppy. There is also no
need to train to failure. Push yourself until you feel like you might fail on the next rep, and
then stop a set.
Rest Between Sets
Remember the point of being in the gym: to build muscle. There is no need to rush from
set to set to set. While rest pause training, or limiting rest between sets, can be a viable
training approach for the experienced lifter, it serves little value for those in the initial
stages of muscle building.
Rest about 90 to 120 seconds between most sets, and up to 3-5 minutes between heavy,
taxing sets ofdeadlifts, squats, etc. You may need to rest as little as 60 seconds for certain
isolation exercises.
The key point to remember is this – rest until you feel ready to go again. This is of the
utmost importance to novice lifters who still feel shaky under the bar.
The Best Exercises by Bodypart
5 Most Effective Chest Building Exercises



Bench Press. The king of all upper body muscle building movements. The bench press
is so popular that it is often seen as having it's own training day - bench press
Monday.
Incline Bench Press. The first choice of many top pro bodybuilders.
Dips. Once considered the upper body squat, dips are a great compliment to any
bench press movement.
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
Dumbbell Bench Press. You will really be able to feel the chest work with this
pressing variation.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press. A solid alternative to the incline barbell press.
5 Most Effective Back Building Exercises


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
Deadlifts. Nothing builds beefy backs like the deadlift. The sheer act of holding a
barbell with heavy weight places the lats under an incredible amount of stress.
Pull Ups. A far superior choice to lat pull downs. If you can do one, try for two. If you
can do two, try for three! If you can't do them at all use rack chins.
Barbell Row. No back building workout should be without a heavy row, and barbell
rows are at the top of the list.
Dumbbell Row. An excellent second choice to barbell rows, especially if you have a
weak lower back.
Power Clean. The explosiveness of the power clean effectively works the back from
traps down.
5 Most Effective Shoulder Building Exercises





Military Press. This exercise has been a staple of great workouts for decades on end.
Push Press. Very similar to the military press, but utilizing more of an Olympic liftingstyle explosiveness.
Bench Press. Yes, you read that correctly. The bench press is an amazing front delt
builder. In fact, if your chest day involves several pressing movements there's a good
chance you won't need any direct front delt work on shoulder day.
Seated Behind The Neck Press. Go no deeper than arms perpendicular to the floor,
and this is a rock solid choice.
Seated Dumbbell Press. A little easier on the shoulders for many because the
dumbbells can be placed in a more natural position.
5 Most Effective Leg Building Exercises





Squats. The king of all muscle building lifts. 'Nuff said.
Front Squats. Another top choice of bodybuilding beef kings. Front squats can be
tricky to learn, but you will be rewarded with big wheels.
Stiff Leg Deadlifts. Beef up your hamstrings!
Leg Press. If you don't have access to a squat rack this is your next best bet.
Barbell Lunge. Lunges are another quality leg-building staple.
5 Most Effective Arm Building Exercises




Chin Ups. A shocker, but chin ups (performed with palms toward the face) are a
beastly bicep builder, perhaps even better than straight bar curls.
Close Grip Bench Press. This exercise allows for a heavy amount of weight to be
placed on the triceps.
Dips. Much better than most tricep isolation exercises.
Barbell Curls. A classic. Just don't curl in the squat rack.
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
Seated Two Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension. Allows you to lift heavy weight and
reach a deep stretch. You will need a good spotter.
Honorable Mention





Weighted Sit Ups. Why do volume when you can add weight and also build thickness.
Power Shrugs. Performed with an Olympic lift style explosiveness, power shrugs
allow you to move a lot of weight and tax the traps into massive growth.
Cable Crunches. Forget floor crunches - add some weight and thicken your six pack!
Side Bends. Side bends not only help to build core stability, enhancing your
performance on other compound exercises, but they also target the obliques, helping
to build an impressive midsection.
Seated Calf Raises. The easiest way to isolate and blast the calves.
Training Longevity – Remaining Injury Free
How to warm up. The process of warming up before a weight training session involves 3
different phases:

Mild cardio – 5 to 10 minutes of non-taxing cardio.
 Stretching – Several minutes of full body and workout specific stretching.
 Working warm up sets – Prepare your body and mind for heavy lifting.
Step 1 – Mild cardio. It is not uncommon to feel stiff, tight, or sore when heading into a
workout. The goal of this stage is to raise your body’s core temperature. You will get the
blood flowing, and warm up your stiff joints and muscles.
Perform 5 to 10 minutes of very mild low impact cardio, such as walking on a treadmill.
This warm up period should not tax your body in any way. Save your energy for the lifting
session to come.
Step 2 – Mild stretching. Now that you have raised your core body temperature with mild
cardio, take the time to stretch at minimum the muscle groups you are about to work out.
No need to overdo it – 5 to 10 minutes of stretching is enough.
Step 3 – Working warm up sets. Most exercises require anywhere from a single working
warm up set, to multiple warm up sets. Use the following guidelines when trying to
determine how many warm up sets are required.
Heavy compound exercises. Heavy compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, bench press
and overhead press place a great strain on the body. For these lifts it is recommended that
you perform several working warm up sets.
Warm up sets should not tax the body or leave you feeling fatigued. The point of warm up
sets is to prepare your mind, muscles, joints, tendons and central nervous system for the
heavier sets to come.
If you fatigue a muscle during your warm up sets, you will handicap your performance
during your working sets. This is not an effective method of muscle gains.
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Sample warm up. What follows is a sample warm up session for the bench press. In this
example, the first working set will be performed using 225 pounds.
 Warm up set 1 – Bar x 10-15 reps.
 Warm up set 2 – 135 pounds x 5-8 reps.
 Warm up set 3 – 185 x 3-5 reps.
 Warm up set 4 – 205 pounds x 1 reps.
Isolation exercises. Most isolation exercises require at most one warm up set. Some
isolation exercises, such as weighted sit ups, can be performed without the use of any
warm up sets.
Listening to Your Body
Always listen to your body. If you feel extremely stiff or tight, add a few more warm up
sets.
In cases where the weight seems unusually heavy, use caution. When a weight feels heavy
it is a sign that your central nervous system is not performing up to speed. You have two
options at this time:
1. Use a slightly lighter training weight for the day.
2. Perform a few more single warm up sets in hopes that your CNS will “wake up.”
The Role of the Central Nervous System
The central nervous system, or CNS, plays an important role in the muscle building
progress. During your warmup sets you are not only preparing your muscles and joints,
but also your CNS.
When the CNS is properly stimulated, or engaged, a weight will feel lighter. This will allow
you to train harder and maximize progress.
Ever notice that on some days a weight just feels heavier than normal? This is your CNS
speaking to you, saying it’s not prepared or engaged. Smaller jumps in warmup weight will
help to wake up your CNS, and allow you to recruit a maximum number of muscle fibers.
To maximize muscle fiber recruitment, do not skip warmup sets and do not make big
jumps in warmup weight.
The Importance of Proper Form
There is a myth that exercise form can be mastered over the course of a couple of
workouts. While this may be true for many isolation exercises, exercise form on heavy
compound lifts will always remain a work in progress.
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Heavy weight tends to expose form flaws. As a lifter gains more experience it becomes
critical that they continue to work on exercise form. This will stave off injuries, allowing for
more productive training time and less aches, pains and strains.
Never assume your form is perfect. Take time to video your form and have it critiqued by
experienced lifters. It’s also a good idea to study articles and videos that teach proper
form.
What is a Deload, and When to Deload
A deload is a lighter training day in which either the volume of training or the weight is
decreased to allow for recovery from fatigue or minor injury. It is very common for
inexperienced trainees to plan a deload day or deload week after experiencing a single
sub-par workout. This should not be the case.
Bad workouts happen. A deload should only be scheduled after a period of several
workouts in which a trainee feels like he is overreaching, or overtraining. During this
deload period, a lifter’s fatigue will rescind while their fitness level remains strong,
allowing them to productively return to training.
Should You Train While Sick?
While research indicates that working out while sick will not prolong an illness, there are
still many reasons to avoid pushing yourself when sick. The biggest reason to avoid
aggressive or intense training while feeling under the weather is due to impaired CNS
function.
When your central nervous system isn’t 100% you will have a more difficult time recruiting
muscle fibers. This diminished capacity will make a weight feel heavier, and can place an
unusual amount of stress on muscles, joints and connective tissue. This, of course, can
lead to injury.
If you do workout while sick, listen to your body. Use lighter than normal weights and stay
hydrated.
How to Avoid Training Injuries
Most training injuries are caused by one of the following:
1. Training too heavy, too often.
2. Training too frequently.
3. Training with poor exercise form.
4. Not listening to your body.
Train too heavy. "Heavy training" is a relative term. Simply stated it means performing too
many reps each week above 90% of your one rep max. Prilepin’s Table, which provides
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rep, set and volume guidelines based on what percentage of your one rep max you are
working with, recommends no more than 4-10 reps on the 90%+ range.
For most natural lifters, performing over 4 reps at 90%+ of your one rep max on a given
week is too much. If you continue to train in this range, using a high volume of reps at 90%
plus, it’s only a matter of time before you pick up a major strain or injury that prevents
you from performing at your peak.
Training too frequently. Frequent training can also lead to injury. As a general guideline it
is recommend that you limit your weekly volume per bodypart to the following:
 Major Bodyparts – 9 to 16 sets each week.
 Minor Bodyparts – 3 to 9 sets each week.
Major bodyparts include chest, shoulders, back and quads. Minor bodyparts include
biceps, triceps, traps, abs, hamstrings and calves.
These volume guidelines are independent of training split, meaning that whether you do a
4 day bodybuilding style split, or a fullbody workout, you will limit your total weekly sets
as listed.
Poor exercise form. It goes without saying that the combination of poor exercise form and
heavy weight is dangerous. Never assume your form is perfect. Make efforts to constantly
refine your form, and seek out more experienced lifters to help you with pointers.
Listening to your body. Listen to your body. If you start to perform an exercise and your
muscles or connective tissue feel “off”, don’t push yourself.
Muscle Building Supplements
It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the different products on the market. This section
will cover the different types of muscle building supplements, what they do, and how you
can use them to help you reach your goals faster.
While supplements are not essential to build muscle, they can help you achieve your goals
more quickly. Intense training needs to be backed up with solid nutrition, and it's often
just not practical to get the nutrition you need, when you need it, from food alone. To
realize your full muscle building potential you need a good diet and supplement plan.
Top Selling Muscle Building Supplements
Protein. Protein is essential for building muscle. Without it, you simply will not grow.
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the basic building blocks of muscle tissue.
Protein powders and protein bars are convenient and provide high quality protein.
There are two different types of protein powders available, whey protein and casein
protein. Whey protein and casein protein should be used in different ways:
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
Whey protein. Whey protein is perfect for those looking to build muscle. It's very fast
ingesting, has an awesome amino acid profile, is low in fat and has a very high
boiavailability (BV) score. Whey protein is ideal for whenever you need to get quality
protein into your body fast, like straight after your workout or when you wake up in
the morning.
 Casein protein. Casein protein is digested very slowly, between 2 and 7 hours. This
means casein protein is used when you don't need protein right away. Casein is great
to use before bed because the longest time your body goes without protein is during
the night while you are sleeping. Casein is also an ingredient in many meal
replacement products.
Creatine. Creatine is another awesome supplement for gaining muscle mass. It is naturally
occurring in the body, and found in minute quantities in some foods like red meat. It's safe
and very effective for anybody, especially if you've never used it before.
Creatine increases ATP (the main energy source muscles use for explosive power)
availability so that you can perform more reps and sets and lift more weight, helping you
to build muscle more quickly.
Weight Gainers. Weight gain products are great for helping you get the nutritional
requirements and calories needed for muscle growth. To build muscle, you need to be
consuming more calories that you expend every day. Some people need more calories
than others. Some "hard gainers" need a huge amount of calories to grow.
Generally, weight gainers range from about 400 to 1,200 calories per serving. They're
made up of whey protein, complex carbohydrates and fats. Many people who lead a busy
lifestyle use weight gainers to drink between meals to keep their calorie count up.
Multivitamins. It may not seem like the most obvious muscle building supplement, but a
good multi-vitamin play an important role in muscle growth and general health. If you are
deficient in even one vitamin or mineral, your gains can really be hampered.
A good multi-vitamin is a must for the best gains in muscle mass, not to mention good
health. People who are working out need more vitamins than the average person, so your
supermarket brands won't cut it.
Glutamine. L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in muscle tissue. It helps
prevent muscle wasting (catabolism) and improves recovery. The better and quicker you
recovery, the sooner and harder you can hit it in the gym! Glutamine is also the primary
fuel source for the immune system, so it can help prevent common illness. This means less
chance you'll have to take time off your workout.
Glutamine is safe to take year-round. Glutamine should not be taken at the same time as
creatine because they compete for receptors to be absorbed. Glutamine is often taken
pre-workout and in your before bed protein shake.
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Nitric Oxide Enhancer. Nitric Oxide is a free form gas that is produced in the body and is
used by the body to communicate with other cells in the body. The fact that nitric oxide
increases blood flow should make it of interest to bodybuilders, as increased blood flow
will serve to deliver more nutrients to muscles, thus helping muscles become larger when
subject to stress. People are noticing huge increases in muscle pumps while using this
product.
Many top nitric oxide products are also blended with energy enhancers to form a
complete pre-workout drink.
Natural testosterone Booster. As men age testosterone levels decrease. Raising your
testosterone helps you to gain muscle, enhance your mood, maintain a healthy libido, and
more. Testosterone boostersoften include popular ingredients such as ZMA, Tribulus, and
much more.
BCAAs & Amino Acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Bodybuilders can
especially benefit from supplementing amino acids because they aid in repair, growth, and
development of muscle tissue. Among the most beneficial and effective supplements in
any sports nutrition program are branched chain amino acids. These are the essential
aminos leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
How to Use Creatine for Maximum Results
On the average, the human body contains 120 grams of creatine. 95% of this creatine is
stored in skeletal muscle. In general, muscle can hold an addition 30 to 40 grams of
creatine, for a total of 150 to 160 grams. Of course, existing muscle mass is a huge factor
in this equation.
There are two primary means of taking, or loading creatine. They are:

Rapid loading. Rapid loading involves taking 20 grams of creatine for 5 to 7 days, then
taking 5 to 10 grams per day thereafter. Creatine is generally taken 5 grams at a time,
in a non-acidic fruit juice, or with dextrose.
 Slow loading. Slow loading, or gradual loading, is simply taking 5 to 10 grams of
creatine a day without the rapid loading, 20 gram per day phase.
Both rapid loading and slow loading are effective. It is recommended that you experiment
with both approaches, and determine which is best for you.
Taking Creatine with Carbs/High Glycemic Carbs
It is recommended that you take creatine in 5 gram servings along with a non-acidic fruit
juice, preferably grape juice. Creatine can also be taken with the high glycemic
carbohydrate dextrose. Taking creatine in this manner improves absorption. High glycemic
carbs - such as dextrose - create an insulin spike, which dramatically increases creatine
uptake. It is recommended that you take 70 grams of these carbs to get a quality insulin
spike.
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When to take Creatine Supplements
There is no evidence supporting a best time to take creatine. But taking it post workout is
a logical and convenient time. Creatine stacks well with post-workout waxy maize and
whey protein. There is evidence revealing that taking creatine with a 1 to 1 ratio of carbs
to proteins can increase creatine absorption.
When rapid loading creatine, it is best to take creatine at the following times:

Morning – 5 grams with grape juice.
 Pre-workout – 5 grams of creatine with waxy maize.
 Post-workout – 5 grams of creatine with waxy maize and whey protein.
 Evening – 5 grams of creatine with grape juice.
When slow loading creatine, it is best to take creatine at the following times:


Pre-workout – 5 grams of creatine with waxy maize.
Post-workout – 5 grams of creatine with waxy maize and whey protein.
What can I expect from a Pre-Workout Formula?
Pre-workout supplements give you the energy, drive and focus you need to power
through an intense workout. If you’ve ever tried and reputable pre workout supplement
you’ll know the difference between training with or without a pre-workout. Benefits
include increased energy, total mental focus, added intensity, increased blood flow and
increase workload.
A good pre-workout should contain at a minimum beta-alanine, arginine and stimulants.
Beta-alanine acts as a lactic acid buffer and allows you to train harder. Arginine open sup
blood vessels and allows for greater blood flow. And stimulants (like caffeine) drive your
energy, focus and endurance.
Pre-workout supplements should be taken 15-30 minutes before training.
Pre, Intra and Post Workout Nutrition and Supplementation
The nutrients you consume before, during and after your workout have a huge impact on
your energy levels, workout intensity and recovery. This section will explain how to use
food and supplements correctly to make sure you get the most out of every workout.
Pre-workout meal. Think of your pre-workout meal as the “energy foundation” for your
workout. This meal is going to provide your body with the sustained energy you need to
make sure you can train at 100% for your entire workout.
For this meal you’re going to need protein, slow digesting carbohydrates, and fats. A well
rounded, macronutrient rich meal. Ideally, protein would be from lean sources like fish,
trimmed red meal or chicken. Good sources of carbohydrates include brown rice,
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potatoes, pasta, yams and oats. The carbohydrates are the most important aspect of this
meal, because the slow release energy will be power your lifts. So make sure you’re
getting 30-60g from a good carbohydrate source.
Eat about 1-3 hours before your workout, depending on your metabolism. Those with a
higher metabolic rate may want to have their pre-workout meal 1 to 1.5 hours before
training.
Intra-workout supplements. Amino acid supplementation during your workout is a must if
you want to maximize your gains and limit muscle breakdown. Consuming amino acids
during training helps increase energy levels, reduce muscle breakdown (catabolism), and
speed up recovery times.
A good BCAA product is recommended for use during training. Products like Scivation’s
Xtend and VPX’s Power Shock are good examples of these.
Post-workout supplements. You could argue that post-workout nutrition is the most
important meal of the day. After a heavy and intense weight training session, your body is
depleted of many vital nutrients including protein, glycogen (sugars used for energy),
amino acids, and important vitamins and minerals. It’s absolutely essential that replace
these nutrients as soon as possible to prevent catabolism (muscle breakdown) and
promote anabolism (muscle repair and regrowth) and protein synthesis.
At the very minimum you should consume a good whey protein powder with water. It’s
important that you use whey protein post=workout as it’s the fastest digesting protein
source. Consuming protein post-workout starts the muscle repair process and protein
synthesis.
You can also take advantage of the additional nutrient uptake post-workout to consume
other supplements, like creatine and glutamine. 5g of each can easily be added to your
post-workout shake.
Additionally, to replace lost muscle glycogen and spike insulin, you can add fast digesting
carbohydrates. Good examples of these are dextrose and waxy maize starch. Around 70g
of carbohydrates is need for an adequate insulin spike.
To recap on post-workout nutrition, your ultimate shake would be 30-40g of whey
protein, 70g of carbs, 5g of creatine and 5g of glutamine. But at a very minimum, 30-40g
of whey protein with water.
Post-workout meal. You post-workout meal is the final stage in your workout nutrition.
Like the pre-workout meal, this meal should be well rounded consisting of protein,
carbohydrates and good fats. You should always get your protein from lean sources, and
your carbohydrates from slow digesting sources (i.e., whole and brown foods).
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Advanced Training Techniques and Principles
Drop sets. Time under tension. Rest pause training. We've all seem terms like this used in
muscle building workouts, quite possibly without explanation as to what they specifically
mean or require. If you feel confused by one of these advanced training techniques,
you've come to the right place. This section will explain common advanced training
techniques.
Common Advanced Training Techniques
Rep Tempo. Rep tempo is notated as a series of three numbers. The following are
examples of how a recommended rep tempo might appear in a workout:
 2-1-2
 2-0-6
 4-1-6
These three numbers signify a time in seconds. The first number indicates how long it
should take you to perform the rep, or concentric aspect of a lift. The second number
advises you on how long to hold the weight at contraction. The final number tells you how
long it should take for you to return the weight to it's starting position before beginning
another rep. This is the eccentric aspect of a lift.
Pre-Exhaustion. Pre-exhaustion is the practice of performing an isolation exercise before
moving on to a compound lift that targets the same muscle group. The goal of preexhaustion is to allow an isolation lift to pre-fatigue a muscle, so that when you perform a
compound lift, that muscle will have to work harder. It is common, but not necessary, to
use pre-exhaustion in combination with a superset.
Post-Exhaustion. Post-exhaustion is a superset variation. With post-exhaustion, you
perform 2 exercises for a single muscle group back to back - first a compound lift, and
secondly an isolation lift - with limited rest in between sets. The goal of post-exhaustion is
to wear down a big muscle group with heavy weight, and then finish it off while it is
fatigued with an isolation lift.
Supersets. A superset is the performing of 2 sets of 2 different exercises back to back with
no rest in between these sets. A superset can combine isolation and compound lifts for
the same muscle group, two compound lifts for the same muscle group, or antagonistic
exercises for opposing muscle groups. Examples of antagonistic muscle groups include
back and chest, quads and hamstrings and abs and lower back.
Trisets. A triset is the performing of 3 sets of 3 different exercises back to back with no
rest in between these sets. It functions in the same manner as a superset, but instead with
an additional exercise.
Drop Sets. A drop set is similar to a superset, in that you are performing multiple sets back
to back with no rest between these sets. With a drop set you are using a single exercise.
After you can no longer perform any reps, or at the point where you are fatigued with a
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given weight, you immediately drop the weight down and perform more reps. A drop set
generally involves 3-4 total sets.
Drop sets work well with dumbbell or machine exercises, but can also work with barbell
exercises if you have a spotter, or have arranged the plates before hand to be easily
removed. In this case, several small plates are added to the bar, possibly 5's and 10's,
instead of a 25 or 45 pound plates.
Giant Sets. A giant set is a sequence of 4 exercises performed back to back without any
rest between sets. While a giant set is generally used to target a single muscle group, it
can also be structured in an antagonistic manner, working two muscle groups
alternatively. Because of the number of exercises involved, a giant set can combine
isolation and compound exercises in a wide variety of ways.
Cluster Sets. A cluster set is a large group of sets (usually 5 to 10) performed with the
same number of reps, and using the same weight. Cluster sets are often structured so that
there is a limited and specific rest in between each of these sets. The goal of a cluster set
is to wear down a muscle by the use of cumulative fatigue; you repeat the cycle or
performing a small number of reps, followed by a relatively short rest period. With cluster
set training the early sets often feel easy, and later sets become progressively more
difficult.
Burn Sets. A burn set is a single exercise that is performed in a very high rep range,
generally 20-30 reps or more. A burn set is often used as a finisher, and is used to pump
up a muscle, deplete muscle glycogen and/or to build strength endurance. While not
considered an effective stand alone muscle building technique, burn sets do work well in a
limited fashion in combination with standard hypertrophy training.
Negative Reps. Negative reps, or negative training, is the use of a slow, controlled
eccentric aspect of a lift to stimulate muscle growth, or to train/prepare the central
nervous system (CNS) to handle heavier strength loads. The eccentric aspect of a lift is the
returning of the weight to it's starting position, normally in preparation for another rep.
But in the case of negative training, this returning of the weight, or eccentric focus, does
not involves positive reps (it could involve forced reps).
Slow Negatives. Unlike negative reps, slow negatives are integrated into a set, and do not
fall at the end of a set when reaching muscle failure. A set that utilizes slow negatives will
have you performing a rep at normal speed, and then a slow negative eccentric motion in
between each rep. This slow negative is usually performed over a period of 4 to 6 seconds.
Forced Reps. A forced rep falls at the end of a set, after reaching muscle failure (the point
in which you can no longer perform any reps on your own), and involves the assistance of
a spotter. Simply stated - you perform as many reps as possible, and have your spotter
help you complete several more reps after you reach a sticking point in the lift where you
can no longer move the weight under your own power.
Rest Pause Training. Rest pause training involves extended sets which involve performing
as many reps as possible, followed by periods of short rest and then the performing of
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more reps. Unlike cluster sets, rest pause training encourages you to perform as many
reps as possible before resting. In addition, the rest periods used in rest pause training are
generally very brief, often no more than 15 to 30 seconds.
Doggcrapp training (DC training), a very popular and effective muscle building system,
relies almost solely on rest pause sets.
When to Use Advanced Training Techniques
These techniques are labeled advanced because they should not be attempted until you
have met the following criteria:
1. Muscle Building - You have gained more than a few pounds of muscle mass, and are
confident that you know how to train without advanced techniques to gain muscle.
2. Nutrition and Diet - You are eating properly, meaning that you have an
understanding of how to structure a muscle building diet and are aware of how much
protein you are eating on a daily basis.
3. Lifting Form - You have a decent working grasp of proper exercise form. If your
workouts consist on bouncing weight off your chest while bench pressing, or
performing 1/4 squats, it is best that you avoid any advanced training techniques
until your form is squared away.
4. Strength - You have been routinely gaining strength. While absolute strength is not
the be all, end all indicator that you will gain muscle, it does signal if you have been
pushing yourself in the gym. Muscle building requires a progression of resistance on
some level. If you're not currently pushing yourself in some form or fashion, odds are
that advanced techniques will have little benefit.
5. Persistence - Missing a lot of workouts? If so, you need to work on your motivation
and dedication before worrying about advanced training techniques. Persistence is
the biggest indicator of muscle building success. If you can't find the motivation to hit
the gym, no magic training technique will help.
Popular Muscle Building Workouts on Muscle &
Strength
Muscle & Strength features a database filled with hundreds of effective workouts for
every need and goal. The following muscle building workouts are the best of the best; the
most popular, proven and effective workouts on the site:
Beginner Muscle Building Workouts

3 Day Workout for Beginners - New to weight training? This workout is for you.
Designed to hit each muscle group with the big compound exercises once per week.
Each workout day has 3-5 exercises.
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12 Week Beginners Training Routine - Everyone has to start somewhere. If you have
never trained with weights before, you need a routine to get your muscles prepared
for more serious training. It's essential that you complete a full body routine (like the
one in this article) for 12 weeks before starting a split routine.
The Ex-Hardgainer Workout And Eating Plan - Tired of being a hardgainer? This
program contains a detailed workout and progression scheme, along with eating
advice and a sample daily diet plan.
2 Day Simple A/B Split - An effective 2 day per week fullbody routine that is perfect
for building muscle and strength. If you don't have time to live in the gym, and want
results, this is the routine for you.
Muscle Building Workouts
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4 Day Power Muscle Burn Split - The Power Muscle Burn training system will help
you build muscle and strength by focusing on three different training approaches, all
used in the same workout.
Power Muscle Burn 5 Day Powerbuilding Split - This 5 day split is for intermediate
lifters who are hungry for rapid size and strength gains.
10 Week Mass Building Program - 10 week mass building program. This workout is
designed to increase your muscle mass as much as possible in 10 weeks. The program
works each muscle group hard once per week using mostly heavy compound
exercises.
Doug’s 4 Day Split Workout - A 4 day muscle building workout with a proven track
record. This workout has been used by many M&S forum members to achieve top
notch results.
HIML-4 Maximum Muscle Building Workout System - HIML-4 is a highly effective
four week muscle building workout system that cycles between heavy days, intense
workouts, and moderate to light weight training days.
Pyramid Volume Training - Are you stuck in a plateau? Do you want to increase your
strength, size, and muscular definition? Send your body into an anabolic state.
Density And Strength 4 Day Split - This 4 day split is a powerbuilding system designed
to propel intermediate lifters towards faster muscle mass and strength gains.
Scrutiny’s 4 Day Muscle Building Split - This 4 day split by Scrutiny from the Muscle &
Strength forum is an effective muscle building workout that features an arm day sure
to provide results.
Shaun’s 3 Day Muscle Building Split Workout - Shaun's 3 day split workout is a solid
routine for those who are looking to pack on some pounds!
Doug’s Mass Building Routine For Ectomorphs - This routine although designed for a
person who’s body type is described as Ectomorph; it can be also be used by all body
types as a change their current routine.
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
Dumbbell Only Home Or Gym Fullbody Workout - Stuck in a rut with your home (or
gym) workout? This dumbbell only routine will get you on the fast track to muscle
mass gains.
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