When it comes to bodybuilding things are no different we want results ASAP. The desire to build a better body unites all bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts, but for most of us, the muscle gains come too slow and they never come easy. So we look for shortcuts. Is the secret to fast muscle gains training harder, lifting heavier, eating more, popping this pill, or slugging back the latest hyped up magic muscle drink…

In this article we are going to dive into 5 of the most common workout “shortcuts” that people take and pick them apart to find a better plan of action. More often then not the best methods for building a stronger and more muscular physique involve a less extreme approach.

Shortcut # 1 – Training More Often

A lot of times aspiring bodybuilders think they are not training enough and fall into the more is better mentality. After all more workouts must mean more muscle, Right?

It is not uncommon to find less experienced (but over enthusiastic) bodybuilders to start spending more and more time in the gym. Daily workouts become the norm and the length of those workouts gradually gets longer and longer. They usually think they are doing themselves good, and sometimes even brag about how they workout “everyday”.

Is there a better way?

Your body can only recover and grow so fast. Training a muscle again before you have fully recovered from your previous workout will eventually lead to overtraining. Generally the most you can train a bodypart is twice per week and still recover and grow.

While there are some exceptions to this rule with some abbreviated specialization routines (i.e. the Blast Your Bench program). You should limit yourself to working each bodypart no more then twice per week and taking at least 2 days per week off from weight training entirely as this is a good general guideline to follow for optimal muscle gains.

Shortcut # 2 – Doing More Sets

Making the transition from a beginner, to intermediate, to an advanced lifter usually involves increasing your workout training volume to some extent. The better shape you are in physically, the higher your work capacity, and the more volume of training you can handle.

For example, a beginner workout may consist of 6 sets per bodypart (i.e. 3 sets of 2 exercises). An intermediate workout may consist of 9 sets per bodypart (i.e. 3 sets of 3 exercises). And an advanced workout may consist of 12 sets per bodypart (i.e. 3 sets of 4 exercises). While this is all good general training advice, it breeds the “more is better” mentality. After all no one wants to be a newbie for long so they jack up the training volume too much, too soon.

Another problem with this train of thought is that if 12 sets per bodypart are good for an advanced lifter, will more sets be even better? How about 15 sets, or 20 sets, and beyond… Will this make me an “extremely advanced lifter”…?

Is there a better way?

Generally it takes at least 3 years of training to progress from the beginner, to the intermediate, and on to the advanced levels of training. Once you reach the advanced levels adding more sets and training volume beyond this is often counterproductive.

While there is no hard set rules for exactly how much training volume you should do, there are some general guidelines that you can follow. 9 sets per workout should be adequate for smaller muscle groups like biceps, triceps, calfs, and abs. And around 12 sets per workout will be enough for larger muscle groups like chest, back, and thighs.

Once you are at the advanced training level the key to more muscle growth is using progressive overload (gradually increasing your weights over time) and by adding variety to your workouts, by changing your exercises. NOT from adding more training volume.

Shortcut # 3 – Training Less Often

The world of bodybuilding is full of extremes, for a lot of guys it is either all or none… there is no middle ground. So after learning about the negative impacts of training too often, as outlined above, many bodybuilders make a complete U-turn and go the opposite direction and drastically cut back on their workouts figuring that “less is more”.

Some experts have gone over the deep end with the fear of overtraining. Mike Mentzer and his Heavy Duty style workouts were one of the biggest influences of the “less is more” idea. Overall the basic principles of this workout were good because it implemented a solid plan of action, used progressive overload, monitored your progress, etc.

But one major flaw of the system was that if you weren’t making progress with your workouts it was automatically assumed that you were “overtraining”, so your workouts were cut back. Sometimes going to the point of working out once a week or less. In fact there is one popular fitness guru who actually preaches that you only need to workout once every 4 weeks…?!?

Is there a better way?

For some extremely hardgainers training less often (i.e. every second day) may be the best frequency for muscle gains. But most people will respond well to more frequent workouts (i.e. 2 days on, 1 day off).

There are no hard set in stone rules that work for everyone, but a general guideline of working out 4-5 times per week and training each bodypart twice per week is a good place to start. As you get more experienced you be able to find out exactly what your body responds the best to and customize your workouts to fit your specific needs.

Shortcut # 4 – Heavy Weights & Low Reps

One of the basic bodybuilding principles is a bigger muscle is a stronger muscle. So in order to get bigger, you need to get stronger. Progressive overload is the cornerstone of all successful workouts. You need to gradually increase the weights you are lifting over time in order to make progress.

During the early phases of a starting a workout program beginners can make fast gains because all training stimulus is new at this stage. And a lot of the initial strength gains come not only from increasing muscle strength, but also from improved lifting technique and better coordination.

But once you get past the initial beginners phase, your strength gains come more slowly. When this happens a lot of lifters will simply do fewer reps so they can continue to increase the weights.

For example, if I can lift 100 lbs. for 10 reps, maybe I could drop the reps to 8 and lift 120 lbs., or drop the reps to 6 and lift 140 lbs., etc… While this may work to some degree initially to get you growing again, there comes a point where it can back fire and bring your gains to a screeching halt.

Is there a better way?

Lifting heavier weights for lower reps increases your odds of getting an injury such as a muscle tear. When you are doing fewer then 5 reps per set you lose the mind muscle connection. The lift becomes an end in itself and no longer a means for building muscle. Lifting too heavy makes it harder to concentrate on the muscles you are working, your focus switches to simply moving the weight and not getting crushed under a heavy barbell.

While you can successfully incorporate low rep training cycles into your workouts from time to time. They shouldn’t be your primary focus. For bodybuilding purposes try to stay within the 6-12 rep range. This is the “sweet spot” for keeping your muscles under tension long enough to stimulate growth, while still allowing relatively heavy weights to be lifted.

Shortcut # 5 – High Intensity Techniques

A lot of hardgainers think the key to making faster gains in the gym is to simply work harder. So they increase the intensity of their workouts with various advanced training techniques such as forced reps, super sets, drop sets, and so on… Thinking that the harder they push themselves, the better gains they’ll make. While these guys certainly deserve an A for effort, is pushing past the point of muscular failure really necessary?

Is there a better way?

One of my favorite training motto’s is “Stimulate, Don’t Annihilate!”

For the average drug free lifter using advanced training techniques and pushing yourself to the limit will quickly lead to burnout, overtraining, and possibly injury.

A very common mistake that you can witness pretty much any day of the week in the gym is to see a couple of eager young lifters doing bench presses with WAAAYYY too much weight on the bar. One guy will be getting ready to bench while his trusty spotter is standing by ready to assist the lift. After getting psyched up the lifter plops down on the bench and takes the bar from the rack, he manages to struggle up 2-3 reps using piss poor form and every ounce of effort his body can muster. Then he gets his spotter to assist him with an addition 3-5 reps.

At the end of the set you wonder who worked the hardest, the guy benching or his buddy pulling the bar off his chest…?

This is a prime example of abusing high intensity techniques. Once you reach failure with an exercise you have stimulated the muscle. Doing more then this is often not only waste of time, but could potentially set you back in your training through risk of injury.

I rarely, if ever, use any type of set extending high intensity techniques like forced reps in my training anymore. I’ve found that they are just not necessary. Doing your sets to positive failure is intense enough to stimulate your muscles to grow.

Once you reach failure, make note of it in your training journal and then strive to beat what you did for your next workout by either adding an additional 5 lbs. to the bar or doing an extra rep with the same weight. Using progressive overload like this will ensure that you constantly push yourself to make steady strength and muscle gains.

The Real Shortcut To Fast Muscle Growth

Gains in muscle and strength don’t come overnight. They take consistency over the long term. By taking things at a manageable pace and making small frequent improvements week after week with your workouts your muscle size will increase faster then you ever thought possible… without having to go to the extremes to get there.

Inch by inch life’s a cinch… Yard by yard life is hard…

What’s The Most Anabolic Muscle Building Substance You Can Get Your Hands On?

…Is It A Black Market Steroid ?
Nope.

…Is It The Latest Bodybuilding Supplement Stack ?
Negative.

…Is It Some Exotic Herb From The Amazon Jungle ?
Heck No!

The most anabolic substance known to man is “food”.

I’m dead serious about this. All the training, drugs, and supplements in the world won’t build an ounce of muscle mass without proper nutrition and adequate food intake. In fact when you get right down to it, the food you eat is the only real “Anabolic Component” of your entire muscle-building regimen.

Going to the gym and working out is NOT anabolic. The workout itself is actually catabolic and breaks down muscle tissue. Now granted it’s the stress of working out that triggers the adaptation response within the muscles so that they get the signal to become bigger and stronger. But it’s the food you eat that actually goes towards building muscle tissue.

So the question is how do we maximize the muscle building power of food in order to get big and ripped? Well the key is to understand exactly how your body reacts hormonally to changes in your food intake.

Yo-Yo Dieting… Chances are you have probably heard the words “Yo-Yo Dieting” brought up in conversation among dieters and weight loss experts before. Basically Yo-Yo Dieting, also known as weight cycling, is a term that was coined by Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., at Yale University, in reference to the cyclical up-down motion of a yo-yo. In this process, the dieter is initially successful in the pursuit of weight loss but is unsuccessful in maintaining the weight loss long-term and begins to gain the weight back. The dieter then seeks to lose the regained weight, and the cycle begins again.

Ok, so to translate that into English it basically means that a fat person goes on a diet and they lose some weight. But after a while they get fed up with being on a low calorie diet and feeling hungry all the time. So they ditch the diet, pig out, and gain the weight back again.

Now most mainstream diet and weight loss gurus talk about Yo-Yo Dieting as a “bad” thing that should be avoided. But when you actually take a deeper look into the topic, you’ll see that it’s not as bad as the weight loss gurus have made it out to be.

You’ll hear all kinds of myths and misconceptions about Yo-Yo Dieting… People say stuff like… “it will ruin your metabolism”, “make you get fatter”, “make it harder to lose weight again in the future” and the list goes on and on.

But when you do your homework you’ll see that the research doesn’t back up these myths. In fact studies have shown that repeatedly cycling your caloric intake actually increases your food efficiency and doesn’t “ruin your metabolism”.

And while it’s true that most people will re-gain weight when they come off a diet. What is NOT taken into consideration is the actual body composition of that re-gained weight. There have been several studies that show a lot of the weight that’s re-gained after a low calorie diet is actually lean muscle mass and NOT just excess bodyfat.

Yo-Yo Dieting For Muscle Growth!

Competitive bodybuilders will regularly go through phases of “Yo-Yo Dieting” for the purpose of gaining lean muscle mass. They will follow an ultra strict diet before a competition in effort to lose weight and get ripped to the bone shredded. Then right after the competition is over they will purposely change their diets and gain back the weight they lost, along with several pounds of additional new muscle mass. The end result is they get bigger and more muscular with every single competition they do!

A prime example of this happens right after a bodybuilding contest when bodybuilders experience their post contest “Rebound”.  It’s during this short window of opportunity bodybuilders will literally make the most insane rapid muscle gains ever! If you’re not familiar with how the Post Contest Rebound works, then let me explain it for you… Bodybuilders will go on a very strict fat loss diet for at least 12 weeks prior to a bodybuilding contest. This is so they can strip away all their excess bodyfat and get as ripped to the bone shredded as possible. Their goal is to step on stage with NO Excess Bodyfat What So Ever! This is necessary in order to bring out all their rock hard muscle definition. However, once the contest is over the celebration begins. Can you imagine how good it must be for all those “starving bodybuilders” who have deprived themselves of their favourite foods for weeks on end to all of a sudden be allowed to eat them again?! Let’s just say that the typical foods most bodybuilders eat after a show are NOT the most “healthy”…

Pizza, burgers, fries, ice cream, cake, cookies, and chocolate bars are just some of the many things that will get devoured in ridiculous amounts… If they actually added up all the calories consumed it would be scary!

Now in most “normal people”, eating this much food would just be stored as ugly unwanted bodyfat. But when your body is depleted (as in the case of a pre-contest bodybuilder) this Over abundance of calories triggers the body to unleash HUGE amounts of Natural Anabolic Hormones that shuttle all this food towards building solid Lean Muscle Mass!

Note:
I’m am NOT suggesting that you purposely go out and eat “junk food” in effort to gain size. I’m just telling you what the majority of competitive bodybuilders will do when they “pig out” after months of strict dieting.

It’s actually quite common for bodybuilders to gain 20+ pounds of muscular bodyweight during the first week after a show!

Now obviously a lot of that rapid weight gain will be water and muscle glycogen being stored within the muscle cells. But about 5-10 pounds of it will be actual solid lean muscle mass.

Can you imagine the incredible muscle building results that you could make by going through this kind of rebound cycle again and again?

Considering the fact that the average gym member is lucky to even gain 5 pounds of muscle per year. You can now see why competitive bodybuilders are among the BIGGEST & Most Muscular guys in the gym, especially since they are literally packing on 5-10 pounds of permanent muscle mass with every pre-contest diet & post-contest rebound!

When following a strict bodybuilding contest diet you’ll lose a lot of bodyfat, as well as some lean muscle mass in the process. But once you start the post contest rebound the majority of the weight gained is lean muscle mass with only small increases in bodyfat.

All Good Things Must Come To An End… (Or Maybe Not ?)

As impressive as these results are for both competitive bodybuilders the key thing to realize is that these fast muscle gains are only temporary. Fast muscle gains come in spurts, it’s NOT a non-stop process.

When competitive bodybuilders are “pigging out” after a bodybuilding contest. They generally make incredible muscle gains for about 2 weeks before things start to slow down and plateau. After that if they continue eating excessive amounts of calories beyond the 2 week mark those extra calories will get stored as bodyfat, and NOT as lean muscle mass.

This is the biggest draw back to traditional Bodybuilding “Bulking” Programs. Guys will often go on a prolonged high calorie eating plan for 12 weeks at a time. Now granted they will make some fast muscle gains initially when starting the program, but they quickly get to the point where the gains in bodyfat are greater than the gains in lean muscle mass.

So do you want to know the “secret” strategy to avoiding these problems?

It’s simple… Implement Shorter and More Frequent Training & Nutrition Cycles!

2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back…

Now if you’ve done any reading on the topic of fat loss, than I’m sure you are familiar with the concept of cycling your calories. I’ve talked about it here with regards to “Yo-Yo Dieting”. But the common strategy that most weight loss diet experts recommend these days is to temporarily increase calories to prevent the metabolism from slowing down and hitting a fat loss plateau.

What researchers have found is that whenever you start a low calorie diet you can make rapid fat loss progress for the first few weeks. But after that the body adjusts to the low calorie diet, the fat loss results comes to a screeching halt.

So to overcome this problem people have incorporated different kinds of calorie cycling variations. Having a “cheat day” or “high calorie re-feed days” planned into the fat loss program helps to prevent your metabolism from adapting to the low calorie diet, and it actually speeds up your overall fat loss results.

Not only that, but having a planned “Cheat Day” gives you a mental break as well. Temporarily going off your diet satisfies your food cravings and makes the process of following the fat loss program much more tolerable over the long term.

Now there have been tons of research articles published about this calorie cycling concept from fat loss point of view. After all we live in an overweight society where the average person wants to lose weight. But this same principle also applies in reverse to muscle building as well. It just hasn’t been documented as much because building muscle isn’t nearly as popular as losing fat.

So like I’ve already mentioned whenever you drastically increase your calorie intake over base levels your body will release higher amounts of anabolic hormones to shuttle those extra calories towards lean muscle growth.

This elevated anabolic response continues for about 2 weeks. After that, the body adapts to the higher calorie intake and your muscle growth progress hits a plateau. This is when you need to temporarily back off on your food intake and “Re-Prime” your body for another rapid growth “Rebound” phase.

Cycling your calories like this not only helps you make better lean muscle gains, but it also gives your digestive system a break from consuming excessive amounts of food all the time. A lot of people don’t realize this, but following a high calorie mass building eating plan is down right hard!

While it sounds fun initially to be able to eat a lot, it quickly becomes a chore. Having to regularly consume over and above your maintenance calorie intake day after day is very difficult. If you have ever followed a typical bulk up eating plan for any length of time you know exactly what I’m talking about here.

Just like when you are following a fat loss diet and you look forward to a cheat day when you can “pig out”. During a mass building phase you actually look forward to low calorie days when you don’t have to eat so much.

The 21-Day Fast Mass Building System is based on those exact nutritional cycling principles. The program is divided into 2 phases that complement one another, and keeps your body on the “Anabolic Edge” for maximum muscle growth.

The first phase of the program is a 1-week low calorie “Primer Phase”. This will give your digestive system a break, increase your insulin sensitivity, and elevate hormones and enzymes so that your body becomes very efficient at storing the food you eat as lean muscle.

Then once your body is primed for growth, we’ll switch gears and move into the 2-week high calorie “Overload Phase”. This will open up the floodgates for natural anabolic hormone production (IGF-1, Testosterone, and Insulin). It’s during this phase where you’ll literally be able to feel your body growing bigger and stronger by the day!

In addition to cycling your nutritional program, we’re also going to cycle your training routine. You see a HUGE mistake that bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts often make is not matching their workouts so that they complement their diets.

Obviously, when you are following the low calorie “Primer Phase” you are not going to have the same level of strength, muscle fullness, and power as you will when following the high calorie “Overload Phase”.

So to go along with the “Primer Phase” we’re going to follow a fast paced conditioning circuit routine that utilizes higher reps and more bodyweight exercises. This lighter training phase will give your joints and tendons a break, and prep your body for the heavy mass building power-training phase that’s to follow.

With the 21-Day Fast Mass Building System the scales are tipped in favour of lean muscle growth, because you’ll spend the majority of your time in a caloric surplus. While at the same time following a heavy mass building power-building workout program, thus allowing you to grow bigger and stronger!

But you will not experience the metabolic pitfalls that are associated with traditional long term bulking and heavy mass building workouts, because we’ll be strategically “Re-Priming” your body with a brief period of lower calories and lighter training every 3^rd week.

This short low calorie “Primer Phase” will also allow you to trim off any excess bodyfat that you may gain during the high calorie “Overload Phase”. This is a nice little side benefit of the program that ensures you make LEAN muscle gains over the long term.

With this system you’ll work WITH your body’s natural growth processes and NOT against them. You’ll literally take 2 steps forwards and 1 step back with every 21-Day Fast Mass Building Cycle. And you can follow this program for as many cycles as you like until you reach your desired level of muscular development!

If you’d like to give this hardcore mass building diet and training cycle a try for yourself, just click on the link below, check out the website, and download your copy of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building System

www.21DayFastMass.com

“The #1 Muscle Building Mistake” could cover A LOT of different factors;
from training – to nutrition – to mindset – to being consistent, etc…

But this particular blog is a guest post from IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Ben Pakulski and it covers a common TRAINING MISTAKE that you’ll see A LOT of people making in the gym that is literally preventing them from ever maximizing their gains…
(I hope you are NOT making this mistake!)

The #1 Training Mistake People Make In The Gym…

Guess what, more likely than not, you have all been guilty of doing this too at some point in your life (whether you care to admit it or not).

The first thing you need to do is identify your desired goal. If your goal is to build muscle, then you have come to the right place and you should listen up.

The one and ONLY most important factor that you need to consider when it comes to your quest to build muscle, is TENSION. (more on that in a minute…)

We have all heard people speak about The “Mind-Muscle Connection”, or that you’ve got to really “squeeze” a muscle to make it grow. I don’t know about you, but for most people this is a really hard concept to figure out. Those of us that “get” what it means, still really have a difficult time putting it to action.

The good news is, this is quite a simple concept and I will show you how to apply it to building your muscles literally TWICE as fast.

Here is what you need to know:

Muscles communicate in terms of tension. They have absolutely NO idea how much weight you are lifting. They only know how much tension or torque is going through them.

What if I told you there was a way to perform more or less ANY exercise so that you could FEEL it EXACTLY where you are supposed to feel it, AND increase muscular tension with LESS weight to get results TWICE as fast in half the time. Sounds pretty cool, right?

YOU can control exactly how much tension or torque that goes through a muscle you are working at ANY point in the workout.

You have complete control over HOW HARD you squeeze, HOW LONG you work, and most importantly EXACTLY WHERE you squeeze and contract.

You can selectively train EXACTLY the muscle you are supposed to be and not train anything that you don’t want to be.

Every guy out there knows what I’m talking about. We’ve all done bench presses at some point or another and probably got more of a pump in our shoulders and triceps, but NO pump in the chest (which is the muscle we are trying to work!) Well not anymore…

I would like to take this moment to introduce to you the revolutionary muscle building technique called INTENTION!

The way I describe intention to people I encounter that are unfamiliar with it is this:

“Intention is the CONSCIOUS INTENT to create TENSION in the muscle”

I know, I know, sounds a little hokey. BUT the fact of the matter is that this is BY FAR the best way to ensure you are maintain tension on the working muscle.

The number one most highly correlated factor with building muscle is “TIME UNDER TENSION”. The longer you can keep tension directly on a muscle, the more you control the rate at which that muscle grows.

You can do a bench press all day long, and if there is not tension in the pecs, you WILL NOT build pecs. Why is it that some people can build great chests while bench pressing while others cant? Because some peoples “genetics” all them to thoughtlessly keep a greater amount of tension in that muscle!

We now have the ability to do this consciously. The best part is, IT’S EASY!!

INTENTION in action.

The most simple example of intention exists on the bench press. Grab on the bar in front of you, just like you would on a bench press. You can use any stable surface for this example. I will use the edge of my desk. I grab the edge of my desk about equally as wide as I would on a bench press. Hold on firmly, and without letting your hands move from that position, “shove” them toward each other. What happened? Your chest contracted didn’t it?

Now imagine doing this exact thing through a range of motion, like in a bench press.

WOW! You just created continuous tension in the EXACT muscle you wanted to! Pretty cool right!?

Well in my brand new MI40 Muscle Building Training System I go into great detail and cover specific techniques and tricks that will help you maximize tension and growth for all your major muscle groups.

If you’d like to get more information about this program and learn how to stimulate the most muscle growth from your workouts, just click on the link below:

Check it out for yourself now at: www.MI40MASS.com

Note:
If you missed that one you can watch the video right on my YouTube Channel by clicking here.

Today I’m going to do a full 180 and share 5 Killer Mass Building Tips!

Just “Right Click” on the e-Book above to download your copy.
(Note: this is a FREE e-Book Download.)

These 5 Mass Building Tips are curtsey of IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Ben Pakulski.
I had the opportunity to meet Ben at this year’s Arnold Classic. The thing I really like about him (besides the fact that he’s a fellow Canadian) is that he isn’t one of those “Meat-Head” bodybuilders who is always going Balls To The Wall – Go Heavy OR Go Home.

Ben Pakulski and Lee Hayward @ The 2011 Arnold Classic.

You won’t see Ben just slap the plates on the bar while grunting, swinging, and cheating the weights up. Each and every exercise he does if very methodical and well thought out. He is a “Thinking Man’s Bodybuilder” and I like that!

Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all this is because right now is that Ben is releasing his brand new muscle building program: MI40 – How To Build Twice The Muscle In Half The Time!

It’s a unique training system that’s based on a 40 day program, 40 minute workouts, performing 40 second sets, and taking 40 second rest periods. The number 40 is the MOST optimal number for the most critical muscle-growth variables and for the very first time Ben Pakulski has organized this into a complete structured and progressive muscle building system.

The principles of the program are outlined in more detail in the FREE e-Report Download above. So I would recommend that you read it over and see if it sounds like something you’d be interested in trying out for yourself. Then if you’d like to pick up your very own copy of Ben’s New MI40 Training System, just click on the link below for all the details:

Check it out for yourself now at: www.MI40MASS.com

Vince Gironda – The Legend & Myth

He was known as the Iron Guru and a lot of today’s effective training methods have developed from the basis of what Vince was teaching his muscle building students over 60 years ago!

In fact, Vince even coached the great Arnold Swarchenegger back when he first came to America in the 1960′s. Vince’s teachings helps mold the physique for the world’s most famous bodybuilder ever!

The knowledge, depth, and complexity of Vince Gironda can be seen in all his works. Vince’s Gym in Studio City California was the first Mecca of bodybuilding. Established back in the 1940’s. There have been more bodybuilding champs and movie stars trained under Vince Gironda’s watchful eye than any other gym in the world.

Vince’s Gym in Studio City, California.

Unfortunately, Vince passed away in 1997 just shy of his 80th birthday. To say he was ahead of his time is an understatement. His love and passion for exercise and nutrition was overwhelming. But thankfully you can still get access to all of his unique and effective bodybuilding tips, tricks, and methods in the book “Vince Gironda – Legend & Myth” which is available at: www.VinceGirondaProgram.com

Click Here for more info…

In fact this is the book that I’m currently reading and I’ve literally been face and eyes into it, I just can’t put it down because I’ve been enjoying it so much!

And this blog post is going to basically be a quick summary of some of the insights that I’ve picked up so far from reading this 334 page piece of bodybuilding history!

First off, I must tell you that this book is NOT just another “workout program”…
Let’s face it, they can get pretty boring… But rather this is like an education to the way bodybuilding was back in Golden Era of bodybuilding… The “Pumping Iron” Days… And how the champs of yesterday trained and ate to build their classic physiques!

The Classic “Old-School” Bodybuilder Physiques!

His secret was in the combination of proper exercises, strict diet, and the strict adherence to exercise form. He used to say that the more you know about training, the less complicated the equipment you need. And the more you know about nutrition, the faster your results will be.

Now while Vince had some very unique methods with training and nutrition, he knew there were exceptions to everything and said that:

“Rules are made to be challenged, questioned, changed or completely broken.
There is no absolute right way, or wrong way, to workout.”

He expressed what he felt and showed things his way, but he was also open to alternatives for anything that didn’t work well for a particular individual.

Vince was the first guy to advocate that your bodybuilding success is 80% nutrition.
Now whether or not you actually agree with the number, you can’t argue with the fact that what you eat, when you eat it, and what supplements you take and when you take them is much more important than most bodybuilders could possibly imagine.

Vince had some very unorthodox eating strategies that he followed and taught to his students;

Do NOT combine carbohydrates with protein in the same meal:
Proper protein digestion requires a higher level of an acidic base in the stomach. Where as proper starchy carbohydrate digestion requires an alkaline medium. If you consume both together you’ll only get partial digestion and the residue will result in severe discomfort, gas, bloating, heartburn, and hyperacidity… Not to mention the dreaded bodybuilder farts LOL…
This is covered in much more detail on Page 54 of the Vince Gironda Program.

Vince was often asked about gaining weight and he would reply with a question of his own:

“Do you want increased body weight, or is it an increase in muscle size you are after?”

Of course the response would usually be “size”.

Vince claimed that muscle size is desirable, but not simply adding body weight, which will only smooth out your definition and increase the size of your waist and hips while causing a loss of symmetry.

The Steak and Eggs Diet:
Vince believed this was the best way to build quality muscle mass while stripping away excess fat from the body. He reported personally achieving his all time best shape of his life by following this diet… The specifics of his exact diet plan are outlined on Page 16 of the book.

Now of course in some cases guys actually did need to “Gain Weight” to fill out their frames. Especially guys with a naturally lean and slim ectomorph body type. In these situations Vince would often recommend the…

The European Weight Gaining Trick:
Vince claimed this special mix was a proven and tested way to gain weight and he stated that he had students of his who gained as much as 40 pounds by having this simple “in between meal” drink… Details on Page 58.

And speaking of different body types. Vince had a unique, but very realistic view on the subject of genetics and muscle building. He used to say that:

“Champions are born, NOT made.”

Now I realize that comment is going to ruffle some feathers, but if you really look at it from a big picture you’ll see that it’s actually very true.

Most people who take up bodybuilding could no more be a Mr. Olympia than they could be a professional basketball player, which requires another type of genetic extreme altogether. But does this mean all your training is hopeless???

Not at all, for the truth is: You can probably develop a body that appeals to more people and is more esthetically pleasing than that of most professional bodybuilders of today…

Don’t Do Sit Ups!
Another thing that really stood out was Vince’s stance on abdominal training…
He advocated minimal abdominal work. Vince did NOT do endless sets of ab work like a lot of people do. In his mind excessive ab training thickened the waist and actually slowed your gains. He believed in training the abs just like any other muscle group and to get a ripped 6 pack you focused on your diet and doing faster more intense training sessions.

Some other unique training theories that Vince Gironda had…

To increase a muscle’s size you must increase the intensity of work done within a given period of time. This means minimum rest between sets and pushing yourself hard during your workouts. A prime example of this principle can be seen when you compare sprinters and marathon runners. Even though the marathon runner is doing a greater volume of work, the sprinter is doing more work per unit of time thus builds more muscle.

Training To Failure VS. 60% – 80%…
Vince recommended training with weights that are in the range of 60% to 80% of your maximum for sets of 8 reps. He advocated shortening up the rest periods between sets before increasing the weights to get more concentrated work volume done per unit of time. In his opinion speeding up your workout is your best form of progressive resistance.

Vince Hated Doing Squats…
Another thing that really got my attention was that Vince absolutely hated doing regular back squats the way most bodybuilders and powerlifters do them. He believed that they over developed the hips and glutes and ruined your symmetry. And I can see his point of view on this. However, he was a huge fan of doing unique front squat variations and “sissy squats” to develop well balanced and proportional legs…

This is pretty deep stuff isn’t it?
And it’s just the tip of the ice burg… The book “Vince Gironda – Legend & Myth”
is jam packed with 334 pages of absolutely inspirational and fascinating info for any bodybuilding fan.

It’s one of those books that you can just get lost in…
Once you start reading, you won’t want to put it down, it’s that good!

And right now you can pick up a copy of this for yourself for a huge 50% discount over at:

www.VinceGirondaProgram.com

Click Here To Get Your Copy Now…

Since that time I have had the opportunity to train, coach, and get real world feedback from hundreds of people in person, and literally tens of thousands of people online via my websites.

Bottom line…
I’ve been around this sport long enough to know what works and what’s a complete crock of Bull-Sh!t.

For over a decade now my main mission in life has been to tell the truth about bodybuilding & fitness and to help my online followers, people like YOU, get in their best shape ever!

And I’m here to tell you that the NUMBER #1 thing that is going to make the biggest difference in your overall bodybuilding & fitness success is your Nutrition Program.

Now obviously you need to workout consistently, that’s a given. You can’t be like the wannabe’s out there who keep making up excuses about how they are “Too Busy” to workout, and that once they have more time they are “Going To Get Back At It…”

This whole working out “On & Off Again” (like so many people do) is a complete waste of time. It’s literally taking 1 step forward and then 1 step back. You can do that from daylight til dark and at the end of the day what did you accomplish… Sweet F_All… You are still at square one with nothing to show for your efforts.

But once you are past that initial novice phase and working out is now a part of your daily lifestyle. The single biggest factor that’s going to make or break your success and separate the men from the boys is the fuel you put inside your body.

You see there are countless people out there who hit the gym regularly and train hard. But they spend most of their time stuck in a rut going nowhere in terms of building a leaner more muscular physique because they fill their body’s with low quality “junk-food”.Not only that, but a lot of guys will piss their gains away by hitting the night clubs on the weekends, getting sh!t faced drunk, and then following it up by eating pizza afterwards. I mean it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that’s a recipe for disaster!

Don’t Piss Your Gains Away Like This Guy…

So if you are really serious at all about gaining lean muscle and getting the body you’ve always desired, then you need to nail down a solid Bodybuilding Nutrition Program.

Now the problem with this is that there is so much conflicting crap out there these days that it can be mind boggling…

If you are confused when it comes to proper bodybuilding nutrition… I can’t blame you!
(high carb, low carb, high fat, low fat, high protein, vegetarian, fasting, cheating, & you name it.)

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel…
You see one of My Original Bodybuilding Mentors and 6 time national drug free champion,
Skip La Cour, has just released a complete Bodybuilding Nutrition System
that I want you to check out for yourself at:

www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net <

Skip Who…?Just in case you don’t know who Skip La Cour is, I’ll share a little bit of info about him… He’s one of the most successful Natural Bodybuilder’s of all time. And I’ve been a huge fan of his and have been following along with Skip’s programs since I started bodybuilding 20 years ago! He has won 15 bodybuilding competitions in his career. At the peak of his competitive bodybuilding reign, he was the most recognized drug-free bodybuilder on the planet. Back in the 1990′s it was hard to pick up a muscle magazine and NOT see Skip in there somewhere. And when I first seen his physique I knew then and there that was the type of body I wanted to build… Big, Strong, Lean, & NATURAL!

In fact, over the years I’ve bought up pretty much everyone of Skip’s e-books, I own several of his DVD programs, and I even have a framed autographed photo that Skip sent me a few years ago!

I have to admit that I’ve based a lot of my own training around the stuff that I’ve learned from following his programs. And the thing I like the most about this guy is that he “Walks The Talk”.

There’s NO BS with Skip. Not only does he look the part, but he’s proven that he knows his sh!t by winning at the highest level of Natural Bodybuilding Competition… That says a lot about a person!

Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all this is because I have personally studied Skip La Cour’s Bodybuilding Nutrition System and I’ve incorporated it as the foundation to my own eating plan. And I really think you can benefit from this program as well.

www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net <

But here’s the best part…
You see Skip has just revised his complete nutrition system and made it even easier to understand and follow. So if you pick up a copy of this program right now you’ll be getting the latest in Real World Nutrition Advice that will help you pack on pounds of ripped rock solid muscle while stripping away that soft ugly belly fat.

Here’s everything you’re going to get:

• Skip’s Bodybuilding Nutrition Book
  – 103 pages of simple and to the point eating strategies to help you reach your goals. 
• Skip’s Eight Week Mass Food Journal
  – Printable pages to track your food intake and meal planning.
• The Secrets To Getting Lean & Shredded Audio MP3
• Done For You Meal Plans & Food Exchange Lists
• The Top 10 Secrets of Best Bodybuilders Book
• The Disarming of the Alpha Male Book
• Skip’s Exclusive Guide To Supplements
• and more…
• Again, you can get all the details and download your copy at the link below:

  www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net <

  

Now I’ve been asked about muscle soreness so many times via e-mail, blog, facebook, & YouTube comments that I decided to answer it in specific detail with this video presentation below.

So please check it out and then leave me a comment below letting me know what you think…

And if you’d like to follow a proven training system that builds REAL Muscle Mass using
“Progressive Overload”, just Click Here to download a copy of the “Blast Your Biceps” program!

This 3 Phase Mass Building System will help you NOT ONLY Build Bigger More Muscular Arms…
But also get Bigger AND Stronger ALL OVER in Record Time!

You see it was about this time last year that I revealed my “Best Kept Secret”
for quickly packing on lean rock hard muscle mass without getting fat in the process.

I shared this “Special Program” with my good friend Vince Del Monte
and he went on to gain a whopping 7.4 pounds of pure muscle mass,
while actually losing 1 pound of bodyfat, in just 21-days!

And I want to share this exact same program with YOU Right Here!

Download Your FREE Muscle Building e-Books Below:

Download The Death Of Bulking

Download The Anabolic Amplifier Effect

In these 2 e-Books, you’ll discover why you don’t need to
buy into the nonsense bulk up diets that only pack on pounds
of fat, instead of quality muscle. You’ll also learn a secret
technique that competitive bodybuilders have been hiding for
decades to getting bigger and leaner year in and year out…

Not only that, but you’ll also get the EXACT Meal Plan that
Vince used to gain 7.4 lbs of muscle in just 21-days, these
e-Books could easily retail for $39.95, but right now I’m
GIVING them away to you! (no catch or credit card needed).

Just download your FREE Muscle Building e-Books from the links above.

Don’t even think about starting any muscle-building
workout or nutrition plan until you read this info!
It’ll change the way you build muscle… Forever!

Enjoy the free info!

If you have some burning questions on your mind about bodybuilding, fitness, & nutrition…

Things such as:
- How to structure your diet for a “Clean Bulk”…
- How to lose that last bit of lower abdominal fat…
- How to train around a nagging painful injury…
- How to build up stubborn muscles that just won’t grow…
- Or any other fitness related question…

Then I maybe able to help you out tonight during my Live Total Fitness Bodybuilding Video Chat!

Thursday August 18 at 9:00 PM Eastern Time I’m going to be available to answer your bodybuilding & fitness questions in real time at:

http://www.LeeHayward.com/tv <<-- Click Here

I’m looking forward to chatting with you later tonight!

Time-Volume Training is one of my favorite “no brains required” methods for building muscle and strength like clockwork. When you do this style of training, you know EXACTLY what weight to use, how many reps to do, how long to do it for and when to increase the weight… ZERO brains required. It’s a strategy that allows you to do a LOT of work for a muscle in a short period of time, which will stimulate muscle growth AND burn a lot of calories and boost your metabolism, contributing to significant fat loss. It’s GREAT stuff and a technique I think is absolutely worth using whether you’re looking to build muscle or burn fat. The formula for regular Time-Volume Training is simple… and you’ll be able to see exactly why I say “zero brains required”…

Nick Nilsson

Select a weight you can do 10 reps with in a normal set:
Now do 3 reps.
Rest 10 seconds.
Do 3 more reps.
Rest 10 seconds…
and repeat until you can’t get 3 reps in a set.

(You’re going to be doing this for a 15 minute block of time).

Now switch your rest to 20 seconds and keep going with more 3 rep sets.
Repeat these with 20 seconds rest until you can’t get 3 reps again.
Then go to 30 seconds rest… and so on, to 40 seconds rest.
Repeat until your 15 minute block of time is done.

If you make it 1/3 of the way through (e.g. 5 minutes on a 15 minute block) still doing 10 seconds rest, then you increase the weight on that exercise in your next workout.

That’s it!

Time-Volume Training is a form of Density Training (density training has been used by Vince Gironda, Charles Staley and many others) that takes ALL the guesswork out. The exact sets and reps and rest are all laid out for you… All you have to do is the work.

Do Time-Volume Training with just one exercise per muscle group… e.g. bench press for 15 minutes straight to work chest, leg press for 15 minutes straight to work legs, etc.

This works VERY well. You’ll get a tremendous amount of time under tension for the target exercise and target muscles and you can see tremendous results both in muscle and fat loss.

Give this simple “Time Volume Training” technique a try in your next workout, and leave me a comment below letting me know how it works for you!

And if you’d like to learn some other killer training tricks like this for stimulating new muscle growth in your stubborn bodyparts, than I highly recommend you check out Nick Nilsson’s new program: “Mad Scientist Muscle” How To Build MONSTER Muscle Mass With Science Based Training. Nick is one of those guys who thinks outside the box. He is one of the most creative muscle building coaches that I know. I’ve picked up dozens of unique tips and tricks from following his programs and I regularly apply them to my own training. So if you are looking for a new twist to help you maximize your muscle growth. You owe it to yourself to check this program out. Click Here To Visit Nick’s Website.

I just did a workout in the hotel gym, and I have to say I was quite impressed. Most hotel gyms suck big time, but this one is actually pretty good. It has a full line of benches and barbells, plate loaded leg press, dumbbells, cables, and of course lots of cardio machines. The only thing that it’s really lacking is a squat or power rack.

But again as for hotel gyms, it’s a pretty good one.

Even though I’m going to be on the road for the next month, I’m still going to keep up with regular workouts and sensible eating. Now granted I’m not following a contest diet or anything, but I’m not going to let my diet go to sh!t either. Pretty much every restaurant you go to serves “clean food” in addition to the regular stuff. So with careful choices in the restaurant for 2-3 meals a day, in addition to a few protein shakes per day, you can still keep up with a sound nutrition plan when traveling.

Anyway, that’s what’s new with me…
I’ll be posting regular updates of our cross country trip here on my blog as well as on Facebook.

But I also wanted to share an audio interview with you that I recently did with Mike Mahon from No BS Fat-Loss. Mike’s a really cool high energy guy and during the interview we covered lots of killer tips and tricks for building lean fat-free muscle mass. Specifically covering some of the training tips from the 21-Day Fast Mass Building program.

Just click on the link below to download this MP3 audio interview to your ipod (or any MP3 player) and pick up some unique training and nutrition tips that you can apply to your routine ASAP.

Right Click Here & Download Your 21-Day Fast Mass Building MP3 Audio

However, doing a full pyramid of going up and then coming back down in weight is not as common, but it’s a very effective way to stimulate maximum muscle growth. In this workout I’m using it for shrugs, but you can apply it to any exercise / muscle group that you are trying to improve.

Give this technique a try in your next workout, and then leave me a comment below to let me know how it goes!

“Are you going to change the playbooks?”
“Are you going to change the players,”
“What are you going to do differently?”

To these questions he replied:

“I’m not going to change anything, we’re just going to get brilliant on the basics. Our opponents may be able to predict exactly what we’re going to do, but we’re going to be so good at the basics that they won’t be able to stop us.”

The Back To Basics Mass & Power Workout…

When it comes to building a muscular physique the one key element that you must focus on is getting stronger. A bigger muscle is a stronger muscle (and vice versa). When you are at the gym just look around at the regular members. I’m willing to bet that the guys who are the biggest and the most muscular are also the ones who are lifting the heaviest weights.

One of the problems that a lot of people run into when training for strength gains is doing way too many exercises. They are spreading themselves too thin and burning out on the sheer volume of training. Part of the problem is the environment that most of us train in. Most commercial gyms these days have so many fancy padded machine exercises all over the place that people are getting away from the basic bread and butter mass building moves.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of machine exercises and I feel they have their place in the gym. Machines are great for isolating specific muscles, good for working around injuries, and they can help add variety to your training. Plus there are some exercises that can only be done on machines that can’t be duplicated with free weights (i.e. pull downs, push downs, leg press, leg extensions, etc.).

However, over reliance on machine exercises will actually make you weaker, instead of stronger. The reason I know this is because I’ve personally fallen into this trap myself several times over the years. Opting for Leg Press over Squats. Doing the Hammer Strength Bench Press instead of the Barbell Bench Press. Machine Rows instead of Barbell Rows, etc…

Now you can still make “strength gains” in these machine exercises. However, those strength gains don’t always carry over into your free weight exercises. Machines balance and support the weights for you, all you have to do is push or pull along a guided track, so it’s not a true strength builder.

But when you make strength gains in basic free weight exercises, those gains almost always carry over into your machine exercises. Free weights put you in a real 3 dimensional environment where you not only have to push or pull the weights, but you have to balance and support them as well. Barbells and dumbbells can twist, turn, wobble, etc. and this all leads to a higher level of neuromuscular activation and thus more stimulation for strength and muscle development. So for our Back To Basics Mass & Power Workout we’re going to put the machine exercises on the back burner. Instead we are going to focus on only doing a select few powerlifts and working the crap out of those lifts!

The goal for each workout is simple…
To Lift More During This Workout Than You Did For Your Last Workout.

If you can consistently beat your previous best lifts over and over again, even if it’s just getting an extra rep or adding an extra 5 pounds to the bar, it will all add up overtime and equal some Big Lifts and some Big Muscles. Now what we consider “big” is all relative, I’m not saying that within in the matter of weeks you’ll be ready to pose down with Jay Cutler on the Olympia stage or anything like that. But by getting stronger on the basic lifts you’ll be able to blow past your own training plateaus and set some new personal records in size and strength.

So without wasting anymore time, let’s cut the small talk and get right into the “Meat & Potatoes” of the program…

Focus On The Basic Powerlifts…

The workout will consist of:
- Squats
- Bench Press
- Deadlift
- Overhead Press

That’s it, nothing more, nothing less!

These are the core powerlifts. The big 3 (squat, bench, and deadlift) are the competition lifts in powerlifting. Nothing else can sum over up overall brute strength and power like those 3 lifts. And the overhead press was one of the core competition lifts in Olympic Weightlifting up until 1972. But due to a lot of controversy with judging proper form in the lift, it was later removed from the official competition lifts. However, that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective for building strength and packing on solid muscle mass!

Workout 3 Days Per Week…

The workout itself is very simple. You’re going to hit the gym 3 days per week (or every second day). The main thing is that you take a full day of rest after each workout before training again.

Warm Up Before Every Workout…

Before each workout you’re going to do a proper warm up. I suggest doing 5-10 minutes of cardio such as a rowing machine or an elliptical with the moving arm handles. Ideally you would do something that moves your entire body, elevates your core temperature, and gets the blood flowing.

After your cardio you’ll do some rotator cuff rotations, arm circles, bodyweight squats, etc. to make sure all your major muscles are limber. I’ve got a good video on YouTube that shows how to do a proper warm up routine at: Pre-Workout Warm Up Exercise Routine.

Once you are all warmed up you’re going to head over to the power rack and get set up for your first set of squats!

Sample Workout Routine…

For each exercise in our basic mass and power workout you’re going to do a few progressively heavier warm up sets, pyramiding up to your top working weight, then you are going to do 2 sets of 5 reps with your top working weight.

Now for example purposes, let’s assume your top working weight in the squat is 225 pounds for 5 reps. Your weights, sets, and reps may go like this:

Sample Squat Workout:
1st set – 95 pounds x 10 reps (warm up)
2nd set – 135 pounds x 8 reps (warm up)
3rd set – 185 pounds x 5 reps (warm up)
4th set – 225 pounds x 5 reps (working set)
5th set – 225 pounds x 5 reps (working set)

After squats you’ll move on to the bench press. And for our example, let’s assume your top working weight in the bench press is 185 pounds for 5 reps. Your weights, sets, and reps may go like this:

Sample Bench Press Workout:
1st set – empty bar x 10 reps (warm up)
2nd set – 95 pounds x 8 reps (warm up)
3rd set – 135 pounds x 5 reps (warm up)
4th set – 185 pounds x 5 reps (working set)
5th set – 185 pounds x 5 reps (working set)

After bench presses you’ll move on to the deadlift. And for our example, let’s assume your top working weight in the deadlift is 275 pounds for 5 reps. Your weights, sets, and reps may go like this:

Sample Deadlift Workout:
1st set – 135 pounds x 10 reps (warm up)
2nd set – 185 pounds x 8 reps (warm up)
3rd set – 225 pounds x 5 reps (warm up)
4th set – 275 pounds x 5 reps (working set)
5th set – 275 pounds x 5 reps (working set)

After deadlifts you’ll move on to the overhead press. And for our example, let’s assume your top working weight in the overhead press is 100 pounds for 5 reps. Your weights, sets, and reps may go like this:

Sample Overhead Press Workout:
1st set – empty bar x 10 reps (warm up)
2nd set – 65 pounds x 8 reps (warm up)
3rd set – 85 pounds x 5 reps (warm up)
4th set – 100 pounds x 5 reps (working set)
5th set – 100 pounds x 5 reps (working set)

That’s it, those are the 4 basic lifts that you are going to do for each and every workout. And your training goal is simple, each workout strive to add 5 pounds to the bar and still perform all the sets and reps. If you are able to up the weight by 5 pounds and still get all the required sets and reps with good form, then up the weight again for your next workout and keep progressing in this fashion. However, if you get stuck and don’t hit 5 reps on one of your working sets, or you had to get help from a spotter, keep the same weight for your next workout.

When planning out a program like this it’s a good idea to be little conservative when selecting your starting weights. I’d much rather you go through the workouts feeling strong with the weights and knowing that you could do grind out an extra rep or two if you really had to. This will allow you to build momentum in your training and allow you to keep increasing the weights by those 5 pound jumps for several workouts in a row before hitting a pleateau.

The slow and steady approach to strength gains is much better than starting off too heavy and hitting failure right off the bat and having to drop down in weight. Getting “beaten by the weights” and having to lighten the load is no fun. But feeling strong and making those small frequent jumps in weight helps keep you motivated. A lot of people ignore this aspect of training, but being motivated, feeling strong, and actually looking forward to your workouts is half the battle. That’s what keeps you on track towards your muscle building goals.

Additional Training Tips…

If you are a more advanced lifter and can handle heavier weights than what I have listed in the examples, than you’ll most likely need to perform more warm up sets. The heavier you lift, the more warm up sets it will take in order to reach your top working weight.

You may also want to cycle the order that you perform the exercises, so overtime you can hit each exercise at the beginning of your workout when you are fresh and at your strongest. For example, you may start your first workout with squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and overhead presses. The next workout you could do bench presses, deadlifts, overhead presses, and squats. The following workout you could do do deadlifts, overhead presses, squats, and bench presses, etc. And just keep rotating through the exercises like that.

The use of a good powerlifting belt and lifting chalk will really help, especially as you build up the poundages for those top heavy working sets. You could even use lifting straps to help re-enforce your grip on the deadlifts if needed. But make sure to do all your warm up sets without lifting straps so that you’ll still be able to build up your natural grip strength.

What About Working The Rest Of The Body…

As I’m writing this I can already hear the comments coming from the peanut gallery:
- “What about all my other muscle groups?”
- “What am I going to do for biceps?”
- “What about calves?”
- “Shouldn’t I be working my abs everyday?”
- Etc…

The biggest problem that people run into when following a basic mass and power workout program is that it “Seems Too Basic”. Most people don’t see the forest for the trees. They over complicate things by always looking for new exotic exercises, magic formulas, unique training theories and new age programs. Meanwhile, the answer to their problem is very often staring them right in the face, but they overlook it because it seems too obvious.

Too many guys get bogged down in the minor details before they even have a solid foundation to work with. To give you a real world example of this, let’s look at the process of building a house. If you were building a house would you start off worrying about what color you are going to paint the walls before the foundation has been laid and the house has been framed? Probably not… Now I’m not saying that the color that you paint the walls isn’t important, but it’s a very specific detail that only really matters way down the line once the rest of the house has been built.

The same applies with building your body. It makes no sense to focus on the details of your physique and doing specialization training when you weigh a buck fifty soaking wet. Focus first on putting some meat on your bones and building up your base strength. A good goal to strive for is to get your strength up in the core powerlifts so that you can bench 1 and 1/2 times your bodyweight and squat and deadlift 2 times your bodyweight. Focus on hitting those numbers before worrying about how to bring out the detail of your serratus anterior or isolating your vastus medialis. It makes no sense to worry about sculpting your bicep peak or isolating the lateral head of your triceps if your arms barely stretch the tape measure to 13 inches. Pay your dues in the gym with some hardcore training on the basic powerlifts and you’ll pack more meat on your guns than biceps curls ever could.

And as for working your abs, regularly doing heavy squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses will build more functional strength throughout your entire core than doing crunches until you are blue in the face.

Conclusion…

You’ll be amazed at the improvements you can make in your overall muscular development if you just take a couple months and really focus on improving the 4 basic powerlifts. If you were to add 30-50 pounds to each of these lifts over the course of the next 2 months, just think of how that would impact your overall muscle density?

And to let you know, when you zero in and target all your training efforts on just a few basic lifts, making these kinds of strength gains within a couple months is very realistic. Especially if you have been doing “marathon workouts” and trying to work the muscles from every angle possible with every exercise imaginable.

So if you are looking to take your physique to the next level of muscular development, give this Mass & Power program a try. Simplify your approach, focus on making strength gains, and get brilliant on the basics!

I’m really looking forward to it. This is going to be an awesome weekend, I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and videos for my website.

The Arnold Classic is the biggest bodybuilding & fitness event in the WORLD! It’s definitely a “must see event” for any bodybuilding fan. I know for our 21-Day Fast Mass Building winners they are all super pumped about it because it will be their first time attending for most of them.

Pretty much all the big names of bodybuilding, fitness, and sports world will be there. All the top pro bodybuilders and fitness competitors, UFC fighters, WWE Wrestlers, World’s Strongest Man competitors, Powerlifters… I mean heck even Lee Hayward is going to be there LOL…

And now with the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program we’re making this an annual event where you can enter to win an All Expenses Paid VIP Trip to the Arnold Classic!

Transform Your Body To Win $10,000 In Prizes At The Arnold Sports Festival and Expo In Columbus Ohio – The Largest Sports Festival In The Nation – While Hanging Out with Muscle Building Coaches Vince Del Monte and Lee Hayward!

Here’s The Deal:

Simply invest in the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program and if you choose – you’ll be automatically entered into our annual 21-Day Fast Mass Building Transformation Challenge to win an all expenses paid trip to the Arnold Classic with us.

Here Are The Prizes:
1st Place – VIP Tickets, Round-Trip Flight, Hotel, & Meals. ($3,000 Value)
2nd Place – VIP Tickets, Hotel & Meals. ($2,000 Value)
3rd Place – VIP Tickets & Hotel. ($1,000 Value)
4th Place – 10th Place – VIP Tickets to the Arnold Classic as a group. ($350 Value)

And just to let you know, these prizes are open to anyone. In fact our first place winner this year is getting an all expenses paid trip from London England!

VIP Ticket Packages in 2011 to include exclusive IFBB meet and greet, early entry to the Fitness EXPO and chance to win lunch with Arnold! We’ll also have reserved seating to the Bikini International, Arnold Strongman Classic, Official Arnold After-Party, Men’s and Women’s Bodybuilding, the Daily EXPO and admission to the Ask Arnold Training Seminar.

Each year in Columbus Ohio, right after the Arnold Classic Pro Bodybuilding Event, parties are held around town and one of them is the official Arnold Classic After party, with Arnold himself attending. There is also a Party With The Pros which is a long night of fun, drinks, dancing, music, star-gazing and world-class entertainment. Top celebs who actually attend the Arnold Sports Festival will join the leading professional athletes at the party and VIP tickets are around $350 a person. Vince Del Monte and Lee Hayward are going to hook up the top 10 transformation finalists with VIP tickets so they can attend and experience an action packed bodybuilding and fitness trip of a lifetime!

Click Here To Download Your Copy Of The 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program And Qualify For The Arnold Classic VIP Trip!

But it’s not exactly what you EAT that counts, but what you USE from what you eat.

And this couldn’t be more true for those of you who have a hard time growing muscle!

Why?

Because you can eat all the protein you want, but unless it makes it to your muscles to help them rebuild, you’ll continue to look more like Olive Oil than Popeye!

You see, “skinny” guys tend to have an overabundance of the stress hormone – Cortisol.

Cortisol actually plays a useful role in our bodies but for hardgainers, its catabolic effects are a real hassle as it inhibits important protein synthesis.

That means…
* LESS protein available for repair of muscle tissue…
* LESS muscle mass…
* And MORE frustration!

——————————————–
Think THAT’S bad? Check this out…
——————————————–

The digestion process your body uses to break down proteins actually burns more calories than any other nutrient!

Now you can see why, if you have a hard time gaining weight, you CAN’T follow the same “protein plan” as others who can gain muscle more easily.

So What’s The Solution?

Try adding DIGESTIVE ENZYMES to your meals!

Now you may think that digestive enzymes (that include either pepsin, papain, or papaya) are just for grandmas or sandal-wearing hippies who smell like ylang-ylang… but you’d be mistaken!

In fact, digestive enzymes help to break down nutrients from the food you eat into usable energy.

But another finding dug deeper and found that enzymes improved the absorption of amino acids and increased nitrogen retention.

——————————————–
Muscle-building science…
——————————————–

In a recent clinical study, respondents who consumed digestive enzymes with their meals showed dramatic results!

This included…
* A 100% increase in protein synthesis…
* An increase in branched chain amino acid (BCAA) availability by 250%…
* And an increase in nitrogen retention by 32%!

In short, that means MUCH better support for muscle repair and growth.

——————————————–
But it gets even BETTER…
——————————————–

And enzymes can be especially useful if you struggle with putting on any weight (“hardgainer syndrome”)

Since protein uses up more calories in the digestion process, enzymes can speed up the process, actually REDUCING the “thermic effect” of ingested proteins and help you better maintain a caloric surplus for weight gain!

But this is only one “secret” supplement you can use to see BETTER and FASTER RESULTS from your training.

By strategically adding certain supplements to a solid training and nutrition program, you can save time and money and reach your goals a lot faster.

And you don’t have to spend a lot of money either.

Not if you know some Ninja Tricks the real pro’s know…

——————————————–
Supplement Secrets Revealed!
——————————————–

If you want to know which supplements are worthless and which ones REALLY DO WORK, then you need to go check out this site:

http://www.HomeMadeSupplements.net <= All about supplements!

There you’ll find out the TRUTH about greedy supplement companies and the #1 secret to defeating their evil plan to take over your wallet.

You can bet that these companies don’t want you to find this secret out.

Whether you’re spending your hard earned dough on supplements to..
* Build muscle…
* Increase fatburning…
* Jack up hormones…
* Feel more intensity in the gym…
* Gain weight…

…you owe it to yourself to go and see how to get BETTER RESULTS and STOP paying those outrageous prices these companies are charging.

Go see how at:

http://www.HomeMadeSupplements.net <= REAL Supplement Secrets!

You’ll be shocked to see that you can actually save as much as 98% on all your supplement purchases.

No, that’s not a typo… up to 98%!

Check it out now, ok?

all the best,
Lee Hayward
(Your Muscle Building Coach)

P.S.
There’s also a special supplement tip available on the
site right now that even helps you to “perform better” in the
bedroom.

I know it sounds like hype but the ingredients in this special
recipe have been scientifically proven in two independent studies
to help even “challenged” guys with their performance.

Just go to the website and you’ll see what I’m talking about down
at the bottom of the page:

http://www.HomeMadeSupplements.net <= Special Bonus This Week!

It’s Very Cool!

Answer:
Watch this brand new video presentation to find out how you can achieve 173% faster results compared to traditional weight training and cardio workouts…

Click Play To Watch The Free Video Presentation.

Have you ever wondered why that lean, fat free, “athletic muscle look” only seems to grace the physique of your genetically gifted friend who eats pizza and cupcakes everyday, yet he stills rocks a 6 pack like Vin Diesel?

Have you tried following a 7 gazillion calorie diet while training at Golds Gym for two hours a day only to end up a bigger yet SOFTER version of your original self?

Look, if you’re anything like me there is nothing that you hate more than trying to build muscle or bulk up, only to have to spend the next six months with your butt on a the tiny seat of a stationary bike, pedaling like a hamster to burn off all that “bulking fat”.

Click Here for 2 Killer Tricks that you can start using right now to help pack on Lean Muscle Mass, while trimming off stubborn bodyfat at the SAME TIME…

http://www.LeeHayward.com/go/free-muscle-video.htm

P = Puffy
M = Muscle
S = Syndrome

In fact my friend & professional strongman Elliott Hulse
used to suffer from a bad case of P.M.S. as you can see
in the picture below…

Click Here To Lean How You Can Avoid P.M.S. <<-- Click Link

This is usually how most guys end up getting P.M.S…

They are sick and tired of being weak and puny. They want
to be one of the BIG Strong guys at the gym. So in order
to bulk up and pack on some muscular mass they stuff their
face with all the food they can eat and bust their butt in
the gym day after day… (Sound Familiar?)

Now while this old-school bulking approach does work great
initially, the results quickly turn south. And before you
know it you’re left with a fat puffy physique that looks
more like the Michelin Man instead of a bodybuilder.

Now if you want to walk around with a double chin for
six months of the year, only to starve yourself for the
other half of the year and screw up your metabolism at
the same time… be my guest.

But if instead you want to build LEAN muscle and burn fat
AT THE SAME TIME, then try this “Hybrid Muscle Building”
and weird “Reloading Diet” to battle P.M.S. and finally
get leaner, harder and STRONGER…

Learn How To Get Bigger, Stronger AND Leaner! <<-- Check it out

You see being big and strong is great, until it comes time
to take your shirt off at a pool party or at the beach.
It’s No Fun being big, soft and swollen. In fact it can
be a bit embarrassing, heck even the skinny ripped guys
look better than the big pudgy P.M.S. guys.

What we want is the best of both worlds – Big & Ripped!

So if you are ready to cure your P.M.S. and finally get
that fat-free “Ripped Athletic Muscular Look”
you owe it to yourself to check out the
Lean Hybrid Muscle Building Training System at:

http://www.LeanHybridMuscle.net

I’ve trained with Elliott and used his training methods
personally. Bottom line this guy knows his stuff. You know
that I’m a straight shooter and that I would NEVER recommend
anything from someone who didn’t walk the talk.

That’s why you can feel secure in checking out the
Lean Hybrid Muscle Program. It’s the REAL DEAL.
I give it 2 biceps up!

all the best,
Lee Hayward
(Your Muscle Building Coach)

P.S.
For today only if you pick up a copy of the
Lean Hybrid Muscle Building System you’ll get
FREE Access to train with Elliott Hulse personally
at his Strength Camp Gym in Florida!

This is freaking insane, I mean how many professional
coaches invite you to come train with them personally
at their own gym???

This offer is only available to people who order
the Lean Hybrid Muscle Building System TODAY!
So just click the link below for all the details:

Train At The Strength Camp Gym With Elliott Hulse! <<--Check It Out!

Ambitious muscle & fitness enthusiasts from all around the world have been emailing us all weekend saying:
“I’m going to win the transformation contest!
Count on seeing me in Columbus Ohio at the Arnold Classic…”

And BEFORE many of them have even started the program they have been emailing:
“Wow, why didn’t we think of this form of bulking and cycling YEARS ago!
This looks like the BEST program I’ve ever invested in.”

I can’t wait to hear the responses AFTER they crush through the 21 day cycle after they show what happens when they put their trust in two of the TOP muscle building coaches in the world and implement a program based on SCIENCE and STRATEGY.

Now…
If you already picked up the program, please disregard the rest of this message…

If you were someone who really wanted to give the program an honest shot, but found that $77 was just too expensive for you (the price is now $137 btw), we don’t blame you and we don’t think; “Well you must not be serious enough.” Or any of that non-sense. I believe you are but I know that times can be tough these days.

That’s why Vince and I are doing something VERY EXCITING for today. We’ve put together a mini down scaled version of the 21 Day Fast Mass Building Program. We are calling it the “Mini-Saver Kit”. And it’s not for the current $137, or last weeks $77 amount. NOPE. We’re hooking you up for just $39.95. Now PLEASE NOTE, the original program had 11 parts to it and we REMOVED the 12-hours of DVD footage, all the extra bonuses, MP3 audios, etc. So the Mini-Kit is not nearly as robust, but it does contain enough info for you to still follow the program and pack on up to 12 pounds of muscle in the next 21 days. Click Here to check it out for yourself… That’s the GOOD news if you missed out last week. The bad news is that this is a 72-hour sale and once the countdown timer hits ZERO on the website you’re about to visit, this special offer will DISAPPEAR and never be made again.

21 Day Fast Mass Building $39.95 Mini-Saver-Kit <-- click here

I trust that will help kick start your New Year with some New Muscle!

all the best,
Lee Hayward
(Your Fast Mass Building Coach)

P.S.
This is really the best we can offer you. There will NOT be a “Super Mini Kit” or anything like that. Both Vince and I have a goal to help transform the lives of 1,000,000 skinny guys by the year 2020
so special offers like this help us move closer to fulfilling that goal and they will help you fulfill your goals of being lean and muscular 365-days a year. Over 2,000 people are already on board. Don’t you want a faster solution to packing on muscle without the fat? Join us for the “Mini-Saver-Kit” special now…

21 Day Fast Mass Building $39.95 Mini-Saver-Kit <-- click here

http://www.LeeHayward.com/tv

Note:
To check and see what time this will be in your area, you can visit: http://www.timezoneconverter.com

Lee Hayward (Your Muscle Building Coach) shares some killer workout and nutrition tips that will help you build lean muscle, burn off stubborn bodyfat, and get in your personal best shape ever!

Lee will be answering your questions on a first come, first serve basis. So if you have a question that you want to ask Lee, make sure to login early and send him a “Private Message” via the chat window…

So be sure to tune in Live Thursday July 21 9:00 pm EST @ http://www.LeeHayward.com/tv

Fast Action Bonus: Day 1 Orders Only!

Periodization is a method that focuses on varying levels of training frequency, style of workout, intensity, volume and duration to help you lose/gain weight, grow bigger, stronger and more powerful.

Bottom line: It’s January and in 21-days you’ll need to transition to a new workout and this is your chance to have us layout and plan an entire year’s worth of workouts for you!

This type of yearly-training calendar from 2 of the industry experts is not available anywhere else at any price, but if you pick up the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program Tuesday January 11th, you’ll get access to this yearly training calendar for *FREE*!

A couple of reasons…

1. We reward action-takers who jump off the fence (and stay away from the fence) and pursue their goals on a mission to succeed.   This is why we’re hooking you up with even MORE value.

2. We don’t only want to see you successful in the next 21 days but also over the rest of the year. This program is going to be the catalyst to create massive momentum and our 12 Month Periodized Workout Calendar will help you sustain your momentum by showing you which programs to progress to next so you never stop growing.

3. Our readers regularly ask us, “What do I do next?”  You complete one program and ready for the next.  Now you’ll know exactly what the entire year of workouts look like.  Remember, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.  We’ve done all the preparing for you!

We’re less than 24-hours away from going live with this program! If you’ve been reading all of our breakthrough bodybuilding info the past couple weeks then it won’t be long before you can put the program to the test and experience the fastest and most impressive muscle gains of your life.  I honestly have never seen a faster acting program than this in existence.

The 21 Day Fast Mass Building program will go LIVE tomorrow, January 11th, 2011, and because you have been following along with our updates, you WILL be invited to our 3-day launch-sale awarding you $60 OFF the price everyone else will pay next week! Plus, all Day 1 orders will get access to the $97 Value FAST ACTION bonus so don’t miss out.

Vince and I are ABSOLUTELY pumped that you can finally gain size and strength without the unnecessary fat and tomorrow we get to share it with and we hope you smash your doubts and build your body towards something bigger and better with us.

See you tomorrow for the release of 21 Day Fast Mass Building!

Talk soon,

Lee Hayward and Vince Del Monte
(Your Fast Mass Building Coaches)

P.S.
If you missed out on any of the previous updates, make sure you catch yourself up below:

Update #1 -FREE MP3 Audio – Gain 12 Pounds In 21 Days

Update #2 -The Anabolic Amplifier Effect – What It Is & How It Works…

Update #3 -Top 3 Bulking Up Pitfalls Bodybuilders Make

Update #4 -5 Killer Tricks For Faster Muscle Gains

Update #5 -Here’s PROOF It Works! – Unreal Success Stories

Update #6 -Here’s What Is Included With 21 Day Fast Mass Building

Update #7 -Why People Want 21 Day Fast Mass Building

Update #8 -The Fast Mass Building Blog Contest Winners

Get Your Questions Answered…
And Of Course: The Blog Contest Winners!

And believe it or not, we both went through every single response with our ladies alongside us (and several strong cups of coffee) we did our best to select our favorites. Whether you were selected or not I trust that you found our blog contest helpful in verbalizing your goals publically and zeroing in on what you really want to achieve with your transforming your body in 2011. Here are the winners in no particular order (If you don’t see your name – remember that we only had 20 free copies to distribute to over 1,200 applicants) and we want to thank you for participating and wish you a big congrats as well!

- Sam Ballard - Travis Smith - LaMont Chambers - Kevin Charles - Catherine Martino - Nicholas Moore - Phrank Booth - Pete Walsh - Inga María - Ryan Black - Charles Mclaughlin - Eddys Velasquez - Phil a.k.a D_Lifter - Daniel Torn - Joseph Jarmamillo - Maia Gage - Steven James - David Rios - Darren Spencer - Danny Mora

On behalf of Vince and myself – CONGRATS FOR STEPPING UP and INSPIRING EVERYONE and we want to say THANK YOU! Why? Without YOU then we wouldn’t be able to have such a fulfilling and influential impact on so many individuals. Our mission in life is to help you LIVE LARGE, not only in the gym, but in your career, relationships and spiritual life and we can see that many of you are doing just that.

When we launched our websites (mine back in 1997) and (Vince’s back in 2006), we had no idea that so many guys and gals would come alongside us and start LIVING LARGE in all areas of there life and we’re extremely humbled by that and greatful for the trust you put in both of us. This coming Tuesday, we would like to extend you a HUGE discount on the entire program during our 3-day launch sale.

In just 21 short days many of you will be boasting an extra 5… 10… 15 and 20 pounds of FAT FREE MASS and you’ll be the new talk of your gym. We’re literally 48-hours away!

Straight Up Answers to Straight Up Questions:

As you can imagine, over the last two-weeks we’ve had over hundreds of questions about the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program land in our inboxes, YouTube comments, FaceBook pages and blog. So right now we want to take a moment to reply with some legitimate concerns and questions:

Q: What exactly is the 21 Day Fast Mass Building Program and how does it work so fast?

It’s simply a new bodybuilding nutrition and training approach we developed – it’s quite different from anything bodybuilders are doing right now in America, Canada, the UK, Australia or Europe. The bottom line is that if your goal is not looking like an average person, you have to “trick” the body constantly in order to have different hormonal systems primed at different times.

The secret to the system is dramatic or “whiplash” calorie cycling that sets up The Anabolic Amplifier Effect, which occurs after you underfeed the body for a period of time and overfeed the body for a period of time. We call the underfeed part The Primer Phase and the overfeed part The Overload Phase. By cycling your calorie intake over the correct period of time, your average fat mass will not increase, but your average lean body mass will go up significantly!

Q: Why is this better than going on a conventional “bulking diet” where you overeat for an entire season and then take 12 weeks to cut up? Doesn’t Vince’s NNMB program endorse this style of bulking up?

Yes it does. Remember, you must look at the context and backdrop behind every program we release. NNMB was the plan Vince used eight years ago to build from 149-pounds to 190-pounds – his first every physique transformation. Maximize Your Muscle helped Vince go from 190-lbs to 210 lbs. 21 Day FMB, our new program, recently helped Vince go from 214 pounds to 227 lbs. As our bodies and training years progress, we learn new information and share it with you. Plain and simple. We’re not contracting our selves. All of our info works – it just depends on where you are starting and who you are.

In our experience (and many of our clients), conventional bulking only works once, or twice, in your life and it really only works for ultra, ultra skinny guys completely new to bodybuilding. It’s not a sustainable model to repeat year in and year for the rest of your life. This is why NNMB didn’t work for Vince forever. It only took him so far as it will for you.

Simply put: if you find that conventional bulking results in gaining more fat than muscle, 21 Day Fast Mass Building has your name written all over it and you should give it an honest shot.

Q: How did Lee discover The Anabolic Amplifier Effect?

It’s a fact that the best muscle gains in your life always occur after dieting for a certain period of time. No wonder bodybuilders hit the gym right after a big show instead of taking time off! They know their body will respond like a sponge and absorb all the nutrients it’s given at peak efficiency in response to the deprived state its been in for a while. Your body will always be primed to gain more weight in the form of muscle mass in response to the underfeed period that came before it.

Basically, bodybuilders have discovered that we have a small time window – which we named The Overload Phase – long enough for muscle growth to occur at a rapid and substantial rate, while short enough to keep a significant amount of fat from being stored as adipose tissue. The Anabolic Amplifier Effect has been around for 40 to 50 years and we simply figured out how to create mini 21-day bulking/cutting cycles – instead of spending 6 months bulking and 3 months cutting. The 21-day cycle will work very well every time you try it.

Q: How many times can I use the 21-day cycle?

I would recommend doing low- and high-calorie cycles, back to back, as long you continue to gain new muscle with each cycle. Who are we to say what you can’t do but like all programs you’ll probably experience diminishing returns with each 21-day cycle so keep that in mind. Vince gained 7.4 lbs in his first cycle and then 3 lbs in his second cycle. Basically, whenever you want to dial in for an intense 21-days – fire this baby up! For my people, it’s mind-boggling to wrap their minds around an entire season of bulking followed by 12-weeks of cutting. 21-days is a period of time that anyone can put his or her mind to, which is why we like shorter-burst style programs to complete.

Q: Will I adapt to it?

It’s hard to say. Like anything, the longer you follow the same routine the more diminishing returns you’ll experience. We’re confident that you could probably knock out two or three cycles before you transition back to a more moderate program. The answer really lies in how well you manage cycling your calories. Vince personally found that two 21-day cycles was plenty for himself and has returned to a straight-up cutting program right now.

Q: To whom do you recommend the Fast Mass Building Program?

This is the type of muscle-building program we would highly and strongly recommend to drug free weight trainers who are trying to increase muscle mass without gaining fat. In fact, you might even experience a loss of bodyfat while you gain muscle mass and if you do – consider that a bonus! We do not recommend this program for anyone is currently obese. To be more specific, no body should start with this program if they have more than 30 pounds of fat to lose.

Q: Would this work for someone taking steroids?

We’re not sure about that since we’re both 100% drug free. For what we do know about steroid use, we would be concerned that if someone is coming off a steroid cycle, the body’s hormonal system may not function properly and will not respond to The Anabolic Amplifier Effect from the Overload Phase. If someone is taking steroids – the body may not respond positively based on the interrupted feedback loops, but in all honesty – we don’t really know.

Q: How did you recruit your “Test Group?”

That was the easy part! We posted a newsfeed on Facebook and got almost 50 of our friends volunteer to try out a beta-version of the program. Both of us then went to our top customers and recruited another 50 people. We started recruiting people in early November 2010. We only posted a small number of the actual success stories on this page.

Q: What if I’m currently on a high-calorie diet or low-calorie diet and I want to try the program?

If you’re currently consuming an excess number of calories, you should start with the Primer Phase (low-calorie phase) to “re-prime” your anabolic engine, in a matter of speaking. If you already on a low-calorie diet, and working towards a photo shoot or physique show, right now would be a great time to start the program with the Overload Phase (high-calorie phase).

Q: What kinds of supplements are involved when following 21-Day Fast Mass Building?

Our supplement strategy is very similar to our nutrition strategy – variety and timing is vital. We don’t agree with “random shot gunning” or taking supplements with no rhyme or reason. We believe that you can maximize the use of various supplements as well as save money by cycling supplements for 21-days at a time – then take a break. The body adapts to virtually everything, which is why if you don’t want to stay the same – if you want to grow – you have to constantly change things.

We do recommend “stacking” certain amino acids 15minutes before you workout, 30 minutes into the workout and immediately upon completion of your workout. These ingredients slam water into your muscle cells to potentiate cell volumizing and also elevate insulin levels (to combat cortisol and transport nutrients into muscles) and glycogen storage – crucial factors for building fast mass. For full disclosure, these few supplements are not mandatory pieces of the program, but they will give you an anabolic edge.

Q: Are there any downsides to the program?

Depending on how many 21-day cycles you go through, you’ll probably have to buy new clothes – but this means you’ll look all the more impressive in whatever you wear!

Traditionally, high-calorie bulking diets can lead to a few unwanted effects, such as increased cholesterol levels and a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, but since our Overload Phase is only two weeks in length and preceded by a one week Primer Phase (a fat-loss phase), we don’t believe there will be any adverse health consequences. All the calories in the Muscle Power Meal Plans are based on the top 20 muscle-building and fat-loss foods in existence. We’re confident in saying the 21 Day Fast Mass Building Program is very safe. You should however always contact your doctor before trying any diet or exercise program.

Q: What are the advantages to the program?

The program has various advantages over other diets, which make it much easier and realistic to follow. Our program offers variation, thus, it won’t be boring to follow; it doesn’t promote a lifestyle that prevents you from functioning in a social context; it’s based on legitimate scientific finding; it’s been tested on over 100 Test Subjects; bodybuilders have been exploiting The Anabolic Amplifier Effect for 50 to 60 years now; the “perfect” macronutrient ratios are not as important as the total goal calories in each phase (far easier to tackle); and the program allows you to make changes within the 21-day framework of the diet and training in terms of your individual ambitions and goals.

If you look at other diets like the ketogenic diet, the Zone diet, very high-protein diets, starvation diets, very low-fat diets, high carbohydrate diets, and high-fat diets, many of the things mentioned above are not corresponding.

Q: How long does it take to ship the program?

About 10 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on your computer. After you purchase, you’ll get immediate access to the entire 21 Day Fast Mass Building program so you can download it to your own computer and start this coming Monday. Nothing is shipped in the mail so you don’t have to wait for slow snail mail or wait to start adding mass and seeing results.

Q: What if I’m not a “young buck”, will this work if I’m considerably older?

It’s interesting because we recently surveyed our readerships and found that over 36% of our readers are males between 45-70 years of age and some of our clients in their 50’s and 60’s experience just as impressive results – and sometimes better- than the “young bucks.” If you believe age is just a number than I don’t see any reason why you won’t experience your fastest muscle gains to date.

FYI: muscle is a metabolic marker that tricks your body into looking and feeling younger. Ever seen a muscular 75 year old in your gym? He probably looks like he’s in his 50’s. Why? Muscle! It’s never too late to start packing on pounds of muscle and be that hunk your wife wants you to be.

Q: I’m a female and interested. Will this work just as fast for me?

100% girlfriend! Although our Test Group was primarily male dominant Lee and I would both put our ladies – Trish and Flavia – on this program. We like our ladies firm and curvy, not flabby or frail looking. This program does not favor males, a certain age, experience level or any other factor. The program works for everyone from any walk of life. The only person this program is not for is lazy tire-kickers.

Q: I’m a complete beginner and wondering if I should try this program?

Man up and stop wondering! Just start with the Fitness Model Physique program and you’re good to go. Our belief is that the best program out there is the one that you follow. As you print off the meal plans and follow the workouts as prescribed you’re going to build some big muscle fast. My prediction is that you’ll pack on 10 lbs. of quality mass by February 7th. As you can read from the testimonials above, our Test Group consisted of many young guy who have less than one-year of lifting experience so you should give it a shot.

Q: What if the program doesn’t work for me?

Well with that attitude, it probably won’t work for you… Our belief is that a program does not fail you; only you can fail the program. As you can see, you really do have access to some powerful anabolic hormones – real insulin, IFG-1, and testosterone – a source you can use to pack on pounds of muscle by February 7th.

However… if after you follow the program exactly as outlined in the resources, and you do not build muscle size and strength faster in 21 days than you ever have previously, just shoot us a email and we’ll give you your money back. No hard feelings and we can still be friends.

The 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program just flat out makes sense. It’s backed by strong science, years of real world experience, a recent 100 man Test Group and we’re predicting thousands and thousands of people saying only one thing, “Dang…why didn’t we think of this sooner… it makes so much sense and this is far smarter and faster than any other muscle building diet or program out there!”

If we missed any questions, post them below!

We’re on the final home stretch, one more update for you tomorrow, and we’ve got a AWESOME surprise to reveal to you. Do NOT miss tomorrow’s update.

Talk soon!

Lee Hayward & Vince Del Monte
(Your Fast Mass Building Coaches)

P.S.
If you missed out on any of the previous updates, make sure you catch yourself up below:

Update #1 -FREE MP3 Audio – Gain 12 Pounds In 21 Days

Update #2 -The Anabolic Amplifier Effect – What It Is & How It Works…

Update #3 -Top 3 Bulking Up Pitfalls Bodybuilders Make

Update #4 -5 Killer Tricks For Faster Muscle Gains

Update #5 -Here’s PROOF It Works! – Unreal Success Stories

Update #6 -Here’s What Is Included With 21 Day Fast Mass Building

Update #7 -Why People Want 21 Day Fast Mass Building

Instead We Are GIVING AWAY 20 FREE COPIES of the
21-Day Fast Mass Building Program!

(This is HUGE and the biggest Give-A-Way we’ve ever done!)

Note:
To keep all contest entries in one place we are holding this 24 hour contest over at Vince’s Blog. So click on the link below to head on over and submit your entry. Good Luck!

Click The Link Below To Submit Your Entry…
http://www.vincedelmontefitness.com/blog/3918/win-a-free-copy-of-21-day-fast-mass-building

Part 1: The 21-Day Fast Mass Building Manual ($97 Value) Learn the exact number of calories you’ll be eating during the one-week Primer Phase and the exact number of calories you’ll be eating during the two-week Overload Phase. You’ll also receive three different training programs laid out in explicit detail: reps, sets, exercises, options, rest and more. Plus we’ll dive deeper into the science behind The Anabolic Amplifier Effect, more reasons why we believe The Death of Bulking is upon us, the random but true origin story behind the program and how to adjust this program to fit your yearly training goals.

Part 2: The 21-Day Muscle Power Nutrition Guide ($197 Value) The only way you can make rapid fast muscle gains is through tactically cycling your nutrition. If you’re ready to add quality size then you need our muscle-power nutrition guide! It shows you the exact calorie counts and macro-nutrient ratios that you need to eat so you can add up to 12 pounds of size or more by February 7th, with nearly all of it being impressive pure muscle mass. This power-nutrition guide is different in that it’s been designed around hormonal regulation – no spikes in insulin – except during the most anabolic time of the day; around your workout. This is where all the recycled meal plans on the Net fall short. Not only do you have The Anabolic Amplifier Effect on your side, but you are also eating the precise macro-nutrient ratios for optimal digestion, absorption and maximal muscle growth.

Part 3: The 21-Day Fitness Model Physique 4-Hour Workout DVD ($97 Value) Male fitness models are built like Hollywood sex symbols, and if you’re after that look; then look no further. Women are attracted to men with average builds with mind-blowing muscle definition. If you’re not into the “huge” and “massive” bodybuilder look but want to be that “shredded guy” in your gym, this workout is for you as this program is all about delivering the fitness model look to get you on stage, in the magazines, or just have women drool all over you! Get ready to see me go head-to-head with two of the leanest and most ripped guys on the planet – my training partners. The entertainment value of this DVD alone is worth the investment of the entire package!

Part 4: The 21-Day Muscle Model Physique 4-Hour Workout DVD ($97 Value) Muscle models are the Gods of Aesthetics and if boasting around 200 pounds of shredded muscle is on your goal list for 2011 – this DVD is our gift to you. Especially if you’re already flaunting a fitness model physique; here is The Next Level. Personally I think this is the most appealing physique on the planet – even in clothes – this physique stands out in a crowd and demands respect on the streets, in the gym and on any hot night out. In this DVD, you’ll get 4-hours of raw workout footage of me training with my training partner as we redefine the words “limits” and “failure.” Heavy weights, high reps, short rest, real sweat, mind-blowing intensity, inspirational words and some pretty funny moments (we don’t cut anything out). You’ll be dying to get into the gym after you watch this.

Part 5: The 21-Day Hardcore Bodybuilder Physique 2-Hour Workout DVD ($97 Value) Launch your physique into a new realm of mass and strength! If you want a physique that is described as “huge” and “freaky”, then this will push you into a whole new world of epic-proportions. If you’re an advanced bodybuilder, you know the iron game is more than a hobby or sport – it’s a way of life. Building an awe-inspiring physique requires an unwavering commitment, motivation and drive; combined with the knowledge to get the most out of every workout and that’s what Lee is handing you in this killer DVD. All in all, you are getting three-detailed workout DVDs, jam-packed with TEN HOURS of different training splits, intensity techniques, and notes on specific exercises to maximally recruit every bodypart with enough motivation to last you a lifetime. It’s time to start your 21-day attack!

Part 6: The Printable Workout Sheets and Training Log ($17 Value) Bring every single workout to the gym so you know exactly what to do when you arrive. Plus, you get professionally designed workout sheets to fill in your exercises, reps, sets, weights, workout comments, cardio and any extra notes. This training log will become a priceless asset to your ongoing success. Attempting to craft the physique you have always wanted without recording your progress is like going on a road trip without a map and hoping you get to your final destination. You might as well put a blind fold on too!

Part 7: Hit The Anabolic Switch Supplement Stacks ($27 Value) Discover the exact Morning, Pre Workout, Workout and Post Workout Ritual to turn your growth controls on to turbo-drive. Along with your calculated nutrition and training plan, your supplement regimen plays a key role in furthering your muscular progress. The timing of your supplements consumption – especially relative to your training sessions – make a big difference in optimizing your performance, recovery and muscle growth. Supplementation in your daily diet is an important issue, but not as complicated as you might think and that’s where we come in. Let us separate fact from fantasy and help eliminate any further confusion. We’ll introduce you to our very short list of Staple and Situational supplements that do give you an extra boost to maximize your 21-day results. Note: Supplements are not “required” to follow the program but our recommendations will accelerate your results.

Part 8: The Test Groups Secrets Audio Interrogation ($57 Value) When was the last time you invested in a program and actually got to learn secrets from previous users – people who started just like you and were successful! Probably never! In fact, some of these guys got better results than Lee and I! In this awesome 2-hour audio call, Lee and I interview a huge-handful of the top success stories that appeared on this page. They reveal their insider secrets, goals, exact 21-day results, challenges, tweaks, cardio recommendations, training plans, meal plans, supplements and extra hidden discoveries. Lee and I were impressed with the wealth of knowledge our students shared generously to guarantee you success.

Part 9: Pre-Program Quick Start Check List ($17 Value) After you go through the manual, watch the DVD of your choice, pick out your meal plan and pick up your supplements, fire through our pre-program checklist that acts as a friendly reminder guide to ensure you’re ready to start. We recommend you start the program this coming Monday.

Part 10: The Exercise Description Guide ($37 Value) Your muscles have no idea that you’re working out unless they isolate them, stimulate them and make them work! Every exercise is explicitly explained from the Start position to the End position so that you’ll be getting a mini personal training session to ensure a injury free workout. Every exercise is accompanied with a photo so you’ll experience the fastest gains of your life. Your muscles have no idea that you’re working out unless you isolate them, stimulate them and make them work! Every single exercise of the entire 21 Day Fast Mass Building program is explicitly explained from Start to Finish. It’s almost like getting a mini personal training session to ensure that you get the most muscle building benefits while ensuring an injury free workout. Every single exercise is accompanied with detailed photos so you’ll experience the fastest gains of your life.

And if you think all of that is amazing, check this out…

Before the official release of this program on Tuesday, January 11th at 12:01 am EST, we’ll reveal (via email only) a special Fast Action Bonus for those of you who get The 21-Day Fast Mass Building on the very FIRST day it’s available.

We can’t tell you our surprise bonus gift, but as you can imagine it’ll be of tremendous value to help maximize your growth over the top!

As shown above, the entire 10-part program is a real $740.00 value. But, as promised in the video, we’ll be GIVING AWAY at least 10 FREE programs tomorrow! Watch your email closely tomorrow for instructions. By the way, anyone and everyone has a fair chance of winning and it’s super easy to enter the contest.

Note:
if you’re not on our mailing list go to www.21DayFastMassBuilding.com and join now for free.

I can’t tip my hand right now, but let me tell you it’s something very special that’s going to help accelerate your results big time!

Now, if you don’t happen to win a free copy tomorrow, don’t panic. We’re not charging $740.00 for our solution, not even close. And because you’ve been following along with our emails, blog and video updates we’re going to hook you up big time by giving you a massive discount just because you downloaded our two free reports – The Death of Bulking & The Anabolic Amplifier Effect – last week.

You don’t understand how Vince and I appreciate your support and trust! Believe us: we’ll make sure that we don’t let you down with this new program once it’s released January 11th. Ask ANY of our customers and they’ll tell you we know what we over deliver – all because we’re extremely passionate about changing your mind… body… and life.

But for now, let’s worry about tomorrow and give yourself a chance at WINNING the entire package for FREE. Keep an eye on your email inbox for details to win!

See you tomorrow!

Lee Hayward and Vince Del Monte
Your Fast Mass Muscle Building Coaches!

P.S.
The 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program will FINALLY be
released on Tuesday January 11th at 12:01 am EST.

5 Killer Tricks For Fast Muscle Gains…

By Lee Hayward & Vince Del Monte

Building muscle it is NOT about stuffing your face and eating until you are ready to puke. It’s NOT simply “Lifting Big To Get Big”. These are old out-dated concepts that ONLY work for genetic freaks and steroid abusers…

In fact if you have ever tried this kind of approach yourself, chances are you just ended up looking fat and bloated… Rather than Lean and Muscular.

The REAL KEY to building a lean muscular body is by working in alignment with your body’s natural growth, and recovery systems. Because when things are working properly, the results happen AUTOMATICALLY!

So instead of beating your head against the wall and trying to FORCE your muscles to grow, which is exactly what most frustrated hardgainers do, we’re going to share 5 killer tricks that you can start using immediately that will make the whole muscle building process a lot easier.

Fast Mass Building Trick # 1
Break Down Your Large Goals Into Smaller Chunks!

One of the main problems that I see over and over again with novice muscle building enthusiasts is that they get overwhelmed with the entire process of building muscle. They think it will take months or even years before they can see any progress. And due to having this mentality they give up before they even start.

Even for folks who are already working out consistently, they often think in terms of following a set workout for several months, bulking up for several months, cutting for several months, etc. When you take such a long-term view on things it’s hard to buckle down and channel your efforts towards making some fast muscle gains. So when it comes to your muscle building goals, set some short-term deadlines to get things done. Rather then giving yourself 6 months to “bulk up”. Break it down into a smaller goal of gaining 10 pounds this month. Trust me you’ll make much faster progress by repeatedly setting and achieving smaller short-term goals, rather than having 1 big long-term goal. And just in case you think gaining 10 pounds of muscular bodyweight in just 1 month is impossible… It’s not! In fact with the brand new 21 Day Fast Mass Building System that’s coming out on January 11th, you can literally gain as much as 12 pounds of pure muscle mass in just 21 days!

Fast Mass Building Trick # 2
Smaller Training Cycles = Bigger Muscle Gains!

To go along with the previous tip of breaking down your larger muscle building goals into smaller goals. You can break down your larger workout training cycles into smaller training cycles and make better overall gains.

Whenever you start a new workout program you can usually make fantastic progress for the first few weeks. But after that, the body starts to adjust to the new program and the results come to a plateau.

The body is very good at adapting to changes in our environment. So the rapid progress that you make whenever you change your training program is your body adapting and growing in response to the changes made.

You see the key thing you need to realize when it comes to building muscle is that:
Everything Works, But Nothing Works Forever…

You can’t stick to the same training program forever and continue making progress. Eventually your body will adapt and your progress will level off. So you need to provide unique muscle stimulation in order to keep things progressing forwards over the long term.

Now when most people first here about this they think: “I’ll Just Keep Changing Things Up All The Time.” That’s the basis for the muscle confusion theory. And a lot of people mistakenly think that if they keep changing their programs all the time, they’ll keep making progress all the time. But they are neglecting one key element… Adaptation! In order for significant muscle growth to occur you have to give your body time to adapt and grow from the program you are currently following before changing it to something else.

So while change is good, you can’t be haphazard about it either. You need to have a planned system and structure in place so that your body adapts and grows from your current training program before you change things and move on to another complementary program. And for most people this adaptation process occurs within a 3-week time span. After 3 weeks progress usually slows down and you’ll be ready both mentally and physically for some new unique muscle stimulation.

Fast Mass Building Trick # 3
Calorie Cycling For Maximum Muscle Growth!

Competitive bodybuilders will regularly cycle their calories for the purpose of gaining lean muscle mass. They will follow an ultra strict diet before a competition in effort to lose weight and get ripped to the bone shredded. Then right after the competition is over they will purposely change their diets and gain back the weight they lost, along with several pounds of additional new muscle mass. The end result is they get bigger and more muscular with every single competition they do!

But the problem with most recreational weight lifters is that they don’t pay any particular attention to their nutritional program. Most folks get caught up in the habit of eating the same thing day in and day out. But just like your body can adapt to following the same training program day in and day out, it can also adapt to following the same nutritional program for too long as well.

Now there have been tons of research articles published about this calorie cycling concept from fat loss point of view. After all we live in an overweight society where the average person wants to lose weight. But this same principle also applies in reverse to muscle building as well. It just hasn’t been documented as much because building muscle isn’t nearly as popular as losing fat.

Whenever you drastically increase your calorie intake over base levels your body will release higher amounts of anabolic hormones to shuttle those extra calories towards lean muscle growth. This elevated anabolic response continues for about 2 weeks. After that, the body adapts to the higher calorie intake and your muscle growth progress hits a plateau. This is when you need to temporarily back off on your food intake and “Re-Prime” your body for another rapid growth “Rebound” phase.

The process of repeatedly cycling your diet with a low calorie “Primer Phase” and then switching to a high calorie “Overload Phase” is what we refer to as the Anabolic Amplifier Effect.

This concept is covered in more detail at:
http://leehayward.com/blog/anabolic-amplifier-effect

Fast Mass Building Trick # 4
Match Your Workouts With Your Diet!

A big mistake a lot of guys make when following a muscle building program is they don’t match their workouts to their diets. I’ll often hear of guys following the traditional “see food” bulk up diet. Which is basically eating everything and anything in order to gain weight. And then they’ll try and compensate for it by doing endless cardio and abdominal training with the idea that it will cancel out the junk food they are eating.

Bottom Line: You can’t out train a bad diet! If you are training for fat loss, you need to eat for fat loss. And when you are training for mass you need to eat for mass. When you match your workouts with your diet you’ll get the synergistic effect of both your training and nutrition working for you. Within the 21 Day Fast Mass Building Program that will be released on January 11th. We have specialized training and nutritional cycles that complement one another. So when you are following a fat loss diet, you’ll also be following a fat loss workout routine. And when you are following a mass building eating-plan, you’ll also be following a mass building training program. This is all cycled into an easy to follow 21 Day program that works with your body’s natural growth processes and keeps you on the Anabolic Edge for gaining pure muscle mass.

Fast Mass Building Trick # 5
Strive For Progress, NOT Perfection!

No body can eat and train perfectly all the time. There will be times when you skip meals, cheat on your diet, and miss workouts. That’s just the way it is for everyone. But as long as you focus on the big picture and stick to your plan most of the time, you’ll still move yourself in the right direction towards your muscle building goals.

You see a big mistake a lot of people make is falling into the All or Nothing trap. So many people say to themselves;

“If I can’t do it perfectly, then I won’t do it at all.”

They maybe super strict and meticulous about their workouts and diet for a few weeks in a row, doing everything spot on and to the letter. But if they fall off the bandwagon and mess up a little bit, they get discouraged, quit, and then go back to their old habits.

The key to success with any program is being consistent with it over the long term. You can have the best training and nutrition program in the world. But if you are not consistent with it, you will not get the results you want. Simple as that!

A tip that I learned from Dr. John Berardi, and one that I want to share with you is: When it comes to real world results, there is virtually NO difference between following a program perfectly 90% of the time, and following a program perfectly 100% of the time.

And if you were so stubborn as to try and stick to a perfect program 100% of the time, the stress you’d have to undertake and sacrifices you’d have to make in your life would not be worth the messily extra bit of progress you’d probably get.

Having this 10% of leeway factored into your program makes it possible to be flexible when life situations get in your way, and yet still stick to your routine over the long term.

So when you have that big family BBQ get together and cheat on your diet. Or you have an exam to study for and you skip a workout. Simply count those little mishaps as part of your 10% and just pick things back up for your very next meal or very next workout.

I’ve been bodybuilding for over 20 years and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not perfect… I’ll sometimes give into my junk food cravings, I’ll miss a scheduled workout from time to time. But because 90% of the time I do stick to my plan. I’m still able to move in the right direction towards my muscle building goals.

So my advice to you when it comes to any program you follow; be it the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program or any other program you choose to follow, make sure that you: “Strive For Progress, NOT Perfection”.

If you fall off the bandwagon (and most likely you will) just take it in stride, chalk it up as part of your not so perfect 10% and pick things up right where you left off. This takes the stress out of following a muscle building program because rather then getting freaked out over every little mishap, you can stay focused on the big picture and move closer towards your ultimate muscle building and physique transformation goals.

Stay tuned for our next Fast Mass Building Update because we’re going to share some real world success stories from guys, just like you, who have already followed this killer training system.

Trust me, you’ll definitely want to check this one out, it just goes to show how fast you can really pack on pure muscle mass when you follow a proven system that works!

Here’s to making 2011 the year you get in your best shape ever!

Lee & Vince

P.S.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback please post them in the comments section below. We love to hear from you!