Learn The “Short-Cut” To Quickly Building
A Ripped Muscular Physique… For-FREE!

If you are looking to get in your Best Shape Ever, then you’ve come to the right place. Let me be YOUR Muscle Building Coach who helps you build a stronger, leaner, more athletic physique!

Click PLAY To Watch The Video Below…

These are the same training tips and tricks that I used personally to transform my body
from a small and skinny 135 pounds to a big, ripped, and muscular 210 pounds!

Click Here To Download Your Copy Of The “Bodybuilding Quick Start Kit” for FREE…

 

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I took the time sit down and read each and every one of the entries to narrow it down to just 20 deserving winners. I did my best to pick a diverse group of people from different ages, fitness levels, and from different parts of the world to help lay the foundation for the “Inner Circle” Coaching Club.

Here are the 20 winners in no particular order:

- Adnan Alam
- Leigh Cambre
- Tyler Hedderson
- David Bye
- Adiel Rozinov
- Joe Oborny
- Siddharth Gaur
- Lonnie Rogers
- Ronan O Sullivan
- Rosie C
- David Amaya
- Michael Price
- Scott Rowe
- Michael Dahl
- Eric Acevedo
- Chenxiao Gu
- Alexander Duncan
- David (last name left out)
- Jamie (last name left out)
- Kevin (last name left out)

Note: I’ve already contacted each of the winners and confirmed them via email.

Whether you were selected or not I trust that you found this blog contest helpful in verbalizing your goals publically and focusing in on what you really want to achieve with your fitness goals in 2012.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. Your stories have inspired me. It’s nice to know that all the time and effort I put into my website, videos, and training programs is appreciated and has had such a positive impact on so many people from all over the world!

Frequently Asked Questions:

As you can imagine, since I announced that I would be creating a Total Fitness Bodybuilding “Inner Circle” Coaching Club I’ve been getting swamped with questions, and right now I want to take the time to answer the most frequently asked questions right here:

What Exactly Is The Total Fitness Bodybuilding “Inner Circle” ?

The premise of the “Inner Circle” is simple… As a member you are going to be able to work directly with me and get side-by-side coaching. You’ll get all the tools you need from specialized workout programs, customized diet plans, and supplement schedules. But most important, you’ll get ongoing training and guidance from a “Real Expert” in a small and supportive group coaching environment.

How Much Will This Coaching Program Cost ?

I’ll reveal that on Monday when this program goes LIVE!
But let me just say that I put a lot thought into the price. I surveyed my followers to get their feedback, and 77% said that they wanted to sign up as a paid monthly member if I were to offer this type of group coaching program.

And I believe that when you operate from that mindset, it’s a WIN – WIN situation for everyone. So I made sure to set the price so that it is very affordable for literally anyone who wants access to it.

Why Do I Need A Coach?
Why Can’t I Just Follow Programs From Books And Videos?

Well you can… There are A LOT of great books, articles, and videos out there that can help you build muscle. However, the gains you make from following them are often short lived. And before you know it the program will have run it’s course and you’ll be left scratching your head searching for the next “Miracle Muscle Building Program” to follow.

You see the problem with just following books, videos, and generic online workouts is that they only provide a “One Size Fits All” program. But when you join the Total Fitness Bodybuilding “Inner Circle” Coaching Club I can go a whole lot further. By guiding, instructing, and addressing your personal and individual needs that cannot be addressed in a book or video.

Becoming a members of the coaching club will give you an Interactive Experience with a seasoned muscle building coach. My goal is to save you from wasting your most precious resource – Time – and ensure that you develop a lean muscular physique in the quickest and healthiest manner possible.

To Whom Do You Recommend This Coaching Program For?

Literally anyone who is serious about getting in their best shape ever can sign up as a member of the Total Fitness Bodybuilding “Inner Circle” Coaching Club. The best part about an interactive program like this is that it will be customized based on your individual needs.

So regardless if you are young, old, male, female, or if your goal is to build muscle, lose fat, etc. I will work with you personally and help customize a training and nutritional system that’s Right For YOU and your schedule.

What If I’m Not a “Young Buck”, Will This Still Work If I’m Older?

It’s interesting because as I was reading the blog comments I found that over a third of the replies came from men between 40-65 years of age. And right now I’m actually coaching my father who is 61 years old. Since I’ve been working with him to improve his eating and set him up on a structured weight training program he has been making some of his best muscle gains. Each week he is getting stronger on all his lifts in the gym. It’s really exciting to see that kind of progress, even at his age. Some of my previous coaching students have gotten in their best shape in their 50′s and 60′s. So if you believe that age is just a number than I don’t see any reason why you won’t experience consistent muscle gains by following along with the “Inner Circle” Coaching Club.

I’m A Female – Will This Program Work For Me?

Yes, women can follow along with this program as well. Although the majority of my online followers are male. The training and nutritional strategies that I cover will work just as well for women. The whole idea of there being a difference between a Man’s Workout and Woman’s Workout is really nothing more then a bunch of BS to try and sell “female fitness programs”. The truth of the matter is that both men and women have the exact same major muscle groups and those muscles need to be trained with the same exercises. A prime example of this with my girlfriend Trish. We both workout together as training partners and do the exact same workouts set for set, the only difference is the weights we lift (Trish lifts more then me ). This type of training has helped her to develop a national level figure competitor physique. Most women that I know personally would much rather have this type of body, compared to the bone thin anorexic model’s body.

So if you are looking for a serious training program to follow, and not some pink dumbbell “girly workout”, then come on board. The “Inner Circle” Coaching Club will be just the thing to help you develop that lean, athletic, hard body physique!

I’m A Complete Beginner And Wonder If I Should Try This?

Man up and stop wondering! Getting quality coaching from someone who has already achieved what you want to achieve is the quickest way to reach your goals. Within the “Inner Circle” I have a complete Beginners Fast Track Program outlined that will help move you towards building a lean muscular physique. Don’t forget, I will work with you personally and help customize a training and nutritional system that’s right for you and your current fitness level.

What If The Coaching Program Doesn’t Work For Me?

Well if you come into the program with the attitude that it’s not going to work… Then it probably won’t work for you… My belief is that a program does not fail you; only you can fail the program.

You see within the “Inner Circle” I’m going to provide you with my very best training programs and customized diet plans. Then we’ll be constantly going through the process of Monitoring Your Results and Modifying Your Program to ensure that you make the gains you want to make. In fact, this process never ends. Because as you become more advanced as a bodybuilder your body will change, and your training and nutritional needs will change as well.

I’ll use myself as an example;
The diet and training programs I followed when I was a skinny teen looking to bulk up varied A LOT from the diet and training plans I followed when getting ripped for competition. And you’ll experience the same type of thing as your body changes, your diet and training routines will have to change accordingly.

Each phase of your physique transformation will require a different approach to diet and training.

It is a constant cycle of Monitoring Your Results and Modifying Your Program. However, you can “short-cut” this process and save yourself years of trial and error by working with an experienced coach who has already achieved what you want to achieve. And that’s exactly the service that I’m going to provide you with in the Total Fitness Bodybuilding “Inner Circle”. So the only way it “Will Not Work” is if you don’t follow through with the program.

But let’s just say that you do sign up as a member and then later on decide that this coaching club isn’t for you, then you can simply cancel your membership at anytime and we’ll part as friends.

There are NO Contracts to sign and NO Loop Holes to jump through. After all I only want to work with people who really want my help and are serious about participating in this coaching program. If you don’t want to be a part of the program, then I’m not going to try and keep you here against your will.

If you have any other questions about the Total Fitness Bodybuilding “Inner Circle” Coaching Club that I haven’t covered, please feel free to post them below…

And keep an eye on your e-mail inbox… We’re literally just days away from launching this interactive muscle building coaching program!

all the best,

Instead I’m going to DOUBLE IT and
GIVE AWAY 20 FREE MEMBERSHIPS!

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

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Last month I posted a blog asking for your feedback about a Private Bodybuilding Coaching Club that I’m putting together…

You can check out that blog post below:
http://leehayward.com/blog/bodybuilding-coaching-club-survey

As you know, I provide A LOT of muscle building training and nutrition advice via my blog, e-mails, facebook, and YouTube videos. And I’m still going to keep doing all that stuff and continue to make workout training videos, blog posts, etc.

However, as a result of all the tips and advice that I share online, I get several hundred e-mail every single day from guys asking me to help them with their workouts, help them with their diets, and basically coach them with reaching their bodybuilding and fitness goals.

As of this writing there are 35,000+ subscribers following me on YouTube. And 22,000+ followers on Facebook, plus there are tens of thousands more who just follow my website and don’t even have a Facebook or YouTube account.

As you can imagine, Thousands Of Followers = Hundreds Of e-Mails…
And as much as I would like to sit down and answer each and every one of those e-mails, it’s physically impossible, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

So instead of simply ignoring them, I’m going to provide an “Inner Circle Coaching Club” for guys who are really serious about taking their training to the next level and who want to work with me personally.

I’ve already surveyed my followers about what they would like to see offered in this type of Private Bodybuilding Coaching Club and the overall response was very positive. I received some great feedback and 77% of my followers said that they would be willing to sign up as a paid monthly member if I were to offer this program.

I’ve been working my tail off over the past month and putting together my very best tips, tricks, workouts, and diet plans together to create a Kick Ass Group Coaching Program. Basically I’ll be providing you with all the program templates to follow and then I’ll work with you personally via the private members forum and live video chats to help personalize them to your individual situation.

In addition to that you’ll be able to keep your own online training log and track your results. Post your workouts, your meals, keep track of your stats and post progress pictures. This way I can follow along with your training in real time and provide you with on going feedback about your progress. This will help to hold you accountable to follow through and stick with your program and develop the lean muscular physique you want.

The Total Fitness Bodybuilding “Inner Circle” Coaching Club is almost ready to go LIVE, all I need now is some guinea pigs to help me test it out

So I’m going to GIVE AWAY 10 20 FREE MEMBERSHIPS right here on my blog!

To enter to win one of those 10 20 FREE Memberships all you have to do is post a comment below this post (reply form is at bottom of the page) with the following response:

So please keep your financial situation to yourself, and instead focus on your personal fitness goals and how being a member of this group coaching program will help you reach those goals quicker and with less frustration.

I’m going to keep this blog contest open for the next 48 hours and then I’ll personally review all the replies over the weekend and announce the 10 20 Lucky Winners.

So give it some thought and make your answer count!

all the best,

- How do I workout ?

- Etc…

Now while all the training and nutrition “How To Stuff” is certainly important,
it’s only part of the process.

The KEY that’s going to make or break your success and actually keep you on track is your “Mindset”.

The ability to actually visualize yourself with the type of lean athletic body that you want (and believe that you can achieve it) is just as important as all the how to information.

When it comes to the Mindset & Inner Game of success there are all kinds of things that people use to get the edge… Everything from; goal setting, affirmations, visualization exercises, hypnosis, and all kinds of psychological mumble jumble.

Now while I do believe that many of these methods can help. The best method of developing the belief that you can succeed is to simply model someone else who has already achieved what you want to achieve. When you can see an example of a regular guy taking action and getting extraordinary results that will help inspire you to take action yourself.

It gets you thinking: “If He Can Do It, So Can I…”

For most people seeing Mr. Olympia add another trophy on his mantel isn’t as inspirational as seeing that skinny kid bust his ass in the gym and get buff.
Or seeing that overweight guy trim down and see his abs for the first time.

We can relate more with the struggles and challenges of the average Joe who is hitting the gym and trying to get in shape while juggling work, school, family, and other responsibilities. More so then we can relate to the genetically gifted professional athlete who has a paid sponsorship to simply eat, sleep, and workout.

So that’s why I’m going to regularly feature some of these real world success stories and shine the “Total Fitness Bodybuilding Spotlight” on the unsung gym heros who are taking action and getting impressive results!

This spotlight feature is “Brad Kelly”…

I have always believed everything in life happens for a reason, you may not know it now, but the hardship you are battling will have clear significance farther down the road. And every great journey or story has its ups and its downs, and my story is no different.

I grew up and still live in Panama City, Florida, a healthy kid, until the age of 12. I remember it like it was yesterday, laying in my bunk bed and waking up abruptly in the night vomiting. Little did I know what seemed like a small inconvenience at the time was something that would dictate my life for many years. After being sick for almost 2 years the doctors agreed my problem may be extreme allergies constantly aggravating my stomach so I began taking two allergy shots a week for 4 years. I spent weeks in hospitals, missed a whole year of highschool in a hospital homebound program and met many different specialists all over the country.

After being sick for many years in 2006 I had a major surgery called Nissen Funcdoplication at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, GA. The surgery alone never completely solved my sickness but it did help. Here is a picture of me directly after my surgery weighing only 120 pounds.

And this is where it all begins to turn around, in 11th grade I was accidently put into weightlifting as a “scheduling mistake” but as a surprise to me I enjoyed it. at 120 pounds and being sick for so long I will never forget the first time I benched and could barely do over 100 pounds. However I fell in love with weightlifting and had many great memories, I continued workout out every day at school and even got a second weightlifting class (one at 1st period and one at 6th). With the help of my weightlifting coach, Coach Pratt, by the time I graduated after only training under 2 years I was 190 pounds and had tripled my bench press from 100 to 300 pounds!

Thanks Lee, you are a true help.
Brad Kelly

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Thanks for sharing your success story with us Brad.
You are a real inspiration and a great example of
the positive changes that one can make by following
a healthy bodybuilding lifestyle.

all the best,

P.S.
If you have a personal success story that you’d like to share, please let me know in the comments below and I’ll get in contact with you about being featured in the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Spotlight.

While I normally focus my blog content around sharing quality muscle building workout tips and bodybuilding diet advice, and that’s probably the reason you are here now. However, all that “How To” stuff is based around one thing:

Actually Putting Those Training Tips To Use And Getting In Your Best Shape Ever!

So today I’m going to shine the spotlight on one of my online followers who has been taking action and making some impressive gains in the gym.

Below are some pictures and an e-mail that I received recently from Alejandro Buzzi.

I wanted to share his success story with you because it’s an inspirational example of
Real People Getting Real Results!

Hello Lee,

Your fan,
Alejandro Buzzi

Great Job Alejandro, thanks for sharing your results.
I love hearing Real Life Success Stories like this.
It’s makes all the time and effort I put into my
website, videos, & fitness programs worth while.

all the best,

P.S.
I’m planning on making the “Total Fitness Bodybuilding Spotlight” a regular feature on my blog. So if you have a success story that you’d like to share, please let me know in the comments below and I’ll get in contact with you.

I’m always looking for new ways to improve the quality of bodybuilding & fitness coaching that I provide my online followers, such as yourself.

As you know, I do provide a fair bit of training and nutritional advice via my blog, e-mails, YouTube videos, and interacting with folks on my facebook page. And I’m assuming it’s because of that stuff you are here reading this blog post right now

In addition to that, I also offer e-books, DVD’s, and customized diet and training programs for guys who want to work with me personally and get more direct help with reaching their bodybuilding and fitness goals.

Now I’m still going to keep doing what I’m doing with regards to sharing training videos, blog posts, etc. But I’m working on creating an even higher level “Inner Circle Coaching Club” for guys who want to work with me personally and have me coach them directly.

You see every single day I get several hundred e-mail from guys asking me to help them with their workouts, help them with their diets, and basically coach them with reaching their bodybuilding and fitness goals.

As of this blog post there are 33,000+ subscribers following me on YouTube. There are 21,000+ followers on the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Facebook Page, plus there are tens of thousands more who just follow my website and don’t even have a facebook or YouTube account.

So with thousands of online followers, you can imagine that equals hundreds of e-mails. And as much as I would like to sit down and answer each and every one of those e-mails, it’s physically impossible, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

So rather then simply ignoring them, or passing them off to my customer service staff. I’m going to provide an “Inner Circle Coaching Club” for guys who are really serious about taking their training to the next level and who want to work with me personally.

And this is where I NEED YOUR HELP…

You see I’ve got a good idea of how I want to organize this coaching club. But since this is meant for YOU, I want your feedback as to what you would like to see offered in this program.

So I’ve put together a short 10 question survey that I would like you to answer below:

Please Answer My 10 Question Bodybuilding Survey. <<--Click For Survey

It will only take a minute of your time and this survey will help me get a better idea of what your individual needs are and how I can better serve you in the future. So please fill it out now while you are here on this page.

And if you have any questions or comments, please post them. I’d love to hear your feedback and chat with you about this in the comments section below.

thanks in advance
Lee

According to Wikipedia they define Overtraining as:

Overtraining is a physical, behavioral and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual’s exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. They cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness. Overtraining is a common problem in weight training, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes.

And just like a lot of the valuable stuff you’ll find on Wikipedia, that definition of overtraining is pretty dam accurate in my opinion.

The big problem I find with most of my coaching students and website followers is they pretty much “know” what overtraining is, but they can’t really tell if they are overtraining in their own workouts or not.

The root of all this confusion comes from the fact that what is overtraining for one person, is not necessarily going to be overtraining for another person. We all have different levels of fitness, different levels of work capacity, and different recovery rates. Not only that, but all of these factors will change within the individual as they get more experienced with their workouts and get in better physical shape.

A common e-mail that I get at least a dozen times a day is one of my followers will send me a copy of their workout routine that they are following and then ask me:
“Am I Overtraining or Is My Routine Ok?”

And you know what I CAN’T accurately answer that question. Anything I say will only be an educated guess. Only YOU can truly tell if you are overtraining or not by monitoring your progress (or hiring a coach who is going to monitor your progress for you).

But I’ll give you some guidelines here within this article that you can use to help monitor your progress. This will allow you to decide for yourself if you are overtraining and if you should make changes to your workout routine, or if you can keep on doing what you are doing.

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1. Strength Gains
Are you making strength gains with your workouts? You should strive to constantly improve your strength on a regular basis by either getting an extra rep on your sets, or adding an extra 5 pounds to the bar.

This is what we refer to as “progressive overload”. Now obviously it’s not alway going to happen each and every workout, but you should be seeing some noticeable progress in your strength as the weeks go by, especially if you have been tracking your workouts in a log book.

For your major lifts like bench presses, squats, deadlifts, rows, leg presses, etc. it should be fairly easy to make 5 pound jumps in weight on a regular basis. For the smaller isolation type of exercises like bicep curls, lateral raises, flyes, etc. the gains will come slower. After all there is a BIG difference between adding 5 pounds to a 200 pound squat compared to adding 5 pounds to a 20 pound dumbbell curl.

So right now do a quick self evaluation…
Have you been making steady strength gains over the past several weeks? Have you been able to set some new personal records with your major compound lifts? If so then chances are you are NOT overtraining.

However, if you have been lifting the same weights for months on end, or even worse you had to reduce some of your poundages on certain lifts, then you may very well be overtraining.

Gaining strength is one of the most easy to measure signs of progress with your workouts. And if you are not moving forwards, then you are moving backwards, it’s as simple as that.

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2. Changes In Bodyweight
Another measurable way to monitor your progress is by keeping track of your bodyweight. Any unexplained changes in your bodyweight could be a sign of overtraining.

For example, if you are currently training to gain muscular size and bulk and you are hitting the gym hard and consistently. But you find that your weight is actually going down, when it should be going up, then you may very well be overtraining.

On the other side of the coin, if you are training for fat loss and you are following a very strict diet, doing regular cardio, and hitting the gym consistently. But you are still not losing any weight, or worse you are even gaining weight. Then this maybe a sign that you are overtraining.

You see your body has to be coaxed into making progress, you can’t force it. When you try to force your body to change it sometimes backfires and does the opposite of what you want. And one of the ways it does this is through unexpected weight changes.

A prime example of this is with a lot of overweight people who try and diet themselves skinny. Have you ever known someone who went on a borderline starvation diet or maybe even cut back to eating just one meal a day in effort to lose weight?

What usually happens is that their body basically says “F-ck You” and it ends up clinging to all the stored bodyfat for fuel, while burning up precious lean muscle tissue in effort to slow their metabolism down. It does the exact opposite of what the dieter is trying to accomplish. In fact they may actually gain fat in this calorie deprived state.

Some words of advice that you should follow when trying to change your body, be that gaining muscle or losing fat, is that most people “over estimate” how hard improving their physique will be… But they “under estimate” how long it will take…

Bottom line, you don’t have to force yourself, torture yourself, or any such thing. You just have to be consistent with the basics over the long term in order to get the results you want.

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3. Energy & Motivation
The first 2 guidelines are concrete and measurable. Meaning they are actual numbers that anyone can monitor and instantly see if there is any change or not. But this 3rd guideline is more subjective and you have to be extra cautious when monitoring subjective things because human error and inexperience can really screw things up.

If you have been training hard and consistent for weeks or months on end and then all of a sudden you find that your strength, energy, and motivation for your workouts start to drop then this is very likely a sign of overtraining and it’s your body’s way of telling you that you need a rest.

But the problem here comes with less experienced fitness enthusiasts who often times mistake lack of motivation from plain old laziness as “overtraining” and then they may end up backing off with their training, when in fact they need to do the exact opposite and kick themselves in the butt and push it even harder.

For beginner and intermediate level bodybuilders it’s best to focus primarily on the concrete and measurable guidelines to determine if you are on the right track with your workouts and avoiding overtraining. But as you get more advanced in your training and you get in tune with your body, how you “feel” will be more accurate.

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A prime example of this occurred within my own training just recently…
During my contest prep for my last bodybuilding competition my daily routine consisted of approx. 2 hours of cardio, weight training workouts, as well as posing practice all while following a carbohydrate and calorie restricted diet.

Now a mild form of overtraining is actually quite normal for competitive bodybuilders in their pre-contest phase, especially when their main concern is pushing the limits with burning off as much bodyfat as possible.

But eventually things can take it’s toll. So occasionally when I’m feeling physically and mentally run down, even during contest prep, I purposely take a couple days off from training entirely…

No Cardio. No Weight Training. No Posing.
And I purposely eat more food as well to help fill out my liver glycogen stores and aid with my recovery.

After just 2 days of this I feel like a new man, I’ll literally gain about 5 pounds (mostly from the extra carbs and water weight) but I’ll be physically and mentally stronger and ready to kick it back into high gear and push it hard again.

Having this sense and knowing when to push it hard, and when to back it off is critical as you get more advanced. It will help keep you on the edge with your workouts and moving yourself in the right direction towards your bodybuilding and fitness goals.

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If you’d like to learn more about how you can push your training to the limit, while avoiding the negative pitfalls of overtraining. Be sure to check out my “Hardcore Muscle Building DVD”. This killer weight training muscle building workout program will show you how to push your muscle gains to the limit by training your body past the point of muscular failure. But at the same time, it will allow for adequate recovery time between training sessions to maximize your growth and strength gains. You can check it out for yourself right now at: http://www.LeeHayward.com/dvd

You see I was just skimming through some of my old YouTube videos and answering comments from my subscribers when I ran across this particular video that I made 2 years ago and it just cracked me up

If you are a serious muscle-head then this video is a “Must See” because I’m poking some fun and getting my revenge against all the “YouTube Exercise Critics” out there who constantly bitch and complain about my form when lifting heavyweights.

You definitely want to check this out, you’re going to get a chuckle out of it I promise!

Please share your comments below…
I’d love to hear your feedback (good or bad)

I thought it was pretty cool that he wanted to interview me. And as you know I’m always willing to offer a helping hand, be it helping someone build their body, or in this case help build a better body and hopefully better grades in school as well

The exact e-mail that I received below…

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Hey Lee,

Thank you for your time.
Joe
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So I helped Joe out and did an interview with him for his school project and I posted it up below. I thought it would make for an interesting blog post because we covered some good solid fundamental bodybuilding information. You can check it out and then please post your feedback in the comments section.

1. How do you personally define Bodybuilding?

The term bodybuilding can have different meanings depending on the context it’s used. In its pure essence “Body Building” is simply following a diet and exercise routine to Build The Body.

Some more advanced people will refer to the sport of Bodybuilding. This is where competitors (i.e. bodybuilders) will train for a competition and get on stage to compete and see who has the best built body in terms of muscle mass, definition, symmetry, and proportion. I am competitive bodybuilder myself and have been competing regularly since 1995.

However, in my business I use the term “Total Fitness Bodybuilding” which basically means taking consistent action through diet and exercise to build your body and improve your overall fitness level. Most of my online followers and coaching students are NOT competitive bodybuilders, they just want to use weight training, cardio, and proper nutrition to improve their physiques and get in their best shape.

2. Why is it important for bodybuilders to have knowledge of muscle groups?

The primary exercise for building the body is weight training. And this involves isolating the major muscle groups of the body and performing specific exercises to work those individual muscle groups. Now you don’t have to have a degree in Kinesiology, but you do need to know what all the major muscle groups are and their primary functions.

The major muscle groups that bodybuilders will work in the gym are:
- Chest
- Back
- Shoulders
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Calves
- Abdominals
- Forearms

Very often bodybuilders will group complementary muscle groups together in the same workout.

So for example, a common bodybuilding workout is training the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps together in the same workout. These muscles are all primarily pushing muscles and when you do any kind of pressing exercise for the chest; the shoulders and triceps come into play as secondary muscle groups. So bodybuilders will often group them together in the same workout routine.

Another common group is grouping Back, Biceps, and Forearms together in the same workout as these are all pulling muscles and when you do any type of rowing or pulling movement for the back; the biceps and forearms come into play as secondary muscle groups.

And finally the muscles of the Legs and Abdominals are usually grouped together and trained in the same workout. When you do exercises for the legs the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and even the abdominals come into play.

One of the most popular 3-day bodybuilding split routines is:

Workout 1: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
Workout 2: Back, Biceps, and Forearms
Workout 3: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves, and Abdominals

I’ve got a series of workout videos on YouTube that cover a complete
3 Day Basic Bodybuilding Workout Split Routine

3. By how much will the results of a builder who uses proper form and good tempo differ from those of a builder who rushes his circuit and has sloppy form?

The main thing when it comes to building muscle is placing stress and demand on the muscles so that they have to adapt and grow stronger. This is achieved with progressive overload, meaning that you have to constantly try to lift heavier and perform a greater workload in order to give the muscles a reason to grow bigger and stronger.

Now you can actually accomplish this by using sloppy form in the gym. Granted this is NOT what I recommend, but you will often see bodybuilders who are big, strong, and muscular using poor lifting form. The reason they are still growing is because the workouts they are doing are still providing stress and demands to the muscles and stimulating them to grow. However, the risk of injury is very high when you use poor lifting form. It’s easy to pull or tear a muscle, tendon, or ligament when using poor form and jerky movements. A much better and safer approach is to use good lifting form and maintain proper control of the weights at all times and not letting momentum takeover. This is what I strive to do myself in my own workouts and what I teach my coaching students as well.

Remaining injury free is critically important when it comes to making long-term bodybuilding gains. If you get hurt you can potentially be laid up and out of the gym for weeks or even months. And this will hinder your muscle gains a lot more then taking your time and lifting more conservatively and using proper exercise form while in the gym.

So in the long term using good form and staying injury free will allow you to make better overall gains and stay consistent with your bodybuilding workouts.

4.How does nutrition apply to bodybuilding?

Nutrition is a very critical aspect to any bodybuilding routine. You can be consistent with your workouts, but if you don’t fuel your body properly you will NOT get optimal results.

You can compare your body to an engine. For example, if you have a high performance sports car would you fill it up with low octane gas and cheap low-grade oil? Of course not, you would only use premium gas and high-grade oil in the car. And you should treat your body the same way, only fuel it with quality nutrition.

Feeding your body lots of lean protein, green veggies, complex carbs, and healthy fats will go a long way to improving your overall strength and energy levels. It will also speed up your recovery from training and aid with muscle growth.

Another way to look at it is lets say you had a million dollar race horse, would you go out and feed that race horse pizza, ice cream, and French fries and expect it to run at it’s best? Probably not, I mean with that kind of money on the line you’d do everything you can optimize it’s performance by feeding it properly, training it regularly, giving it adequate rest, recovery, etc. to make sure the horse is in perfect health. Your body needs that same kind of respect as well when it comes to nutrition and lifestyle to function at it’s best as well.

5. Is there positive progress made by a builder who’s awareness of nutrition is poor?

Even though nutrition is very important, you can still make some progress with sub-par nutrition.

I’m often asked: “What’s more important – Diet or Exercise?”

Now while both are very important, I would have to give a slight edge to Exercise. The reason is that everyone has to eat. But you don’t have to exercise. So just by being active and working out on a regular basis you will still reap some benefits. Just like a high performance sports car will still run on low octane gas. Now the car’s performance will suffer and the low grade fuel may cause some engine damage over the long term, but the car will still run non-the-less.

What I often suggest for new people just starting out is to focus on their exercise routine first. Once you get that down pat and you are consistent with working out. Then focus on improving your nutrition. Often times the momentum that’s created from following a proper exercise routine will help motivate you to improve your nutrition and eating habits as well so that you can get even better gains in the gym.

6. Why should bodybuilders take nutrition seriously?

Bodybuilders who want to maximize their muscle gains and lose excess bodyfat need to take their nutrition program seriously. The more advanced you get as a bodybuilder the more important nutrition becomes. At the high levels of bodybuilding competition, the show is often won by the bodybuilder who has been the most disciplined with sticking to their nutrition program.

7. How can conditioning (i.e Aerobic Exercise) improve bodybuilding?

The primary form of bodybuilding training is lifting weights to stimulate muscle growth. But a secondary form of bodybuilding training is cardiovascular conditioning through aerobic exercise and this is mainly to aid with fat loss. The ideal bodybuilding physique is having a big muscular build with a lack of bodyfat. So that’s why cardio is very important.

In addition to helping with fat loss, cardio training improves your work capacity, endurance, blood circulation, metabolism, etc. So what you’ll often find is that bodybuilders who are in better shape cardio wise will recover faster from their workouts and this in turn will help them build more muscle mass and stay leaner.

8. Which is more important, nutrition or conditioning; or are both equally important?

Like I mentioned before, both are very important, however I would have to give a slight edge to Exercise or Conditioning. The reason for this is that everyone has to eat. But not everyone has to exercise. And when you get consistent with the exercise portion of your routine, it’s only natural that you’ll want to improve the nutrition portion of your routine as well. After all, no one wants to waste their time in the gym and miss out on potential muscle gains simply because they are
following a poor nutrition program.

9.What leads some bodybuilders to the use of steroids?

When it comes to bodybuilding the natural progression usually goes like this:

You start going to the gym and lifting weights.

• Once you maximize the gains you get from just working out, then you start focusing on improving your nutrition program.
  
• Then once you maximize the gains you get from proper training and proper nutrition you start looking into sports supplements to help get an extra edge.
  
• Then after you maximize the gains you get from training, nutrition, and supplements you may push the boundaries and look into performance enhancing drugs such as steroids.

It’s usually only advanced bodybuilders who really want to push the limits on what’s possible resort to steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Now granted there will always be some ignorant beginners who think they can shortcut the whole process and just jump into taking drugs right away, but this rarely ever works. The foundation of proper training and nutrition is a must before supplements or even steroids can make any significant differences in your muscular
build.

10. If you could give any advice to future bodybuilders, what would it be?

My number one tip would be to take action and get started NOW. A lot of people procrastinate and put things off. You’ll often hear people say that they’ll start exercising when they have more time, etc. But the truth is you are always going to be busy and you will always have other things going on in your life. You just have to bite the bullet and DO IT NOW! Don’t wait to start.

To help with this, try to surround yourself with people who are in better shape and more advanced than you. When you are around successful people the positive influence will inspire you to improve. Having friends who are in great shape will help pull you up and motivate you to get in better shape just so you can stay on the same level as they are.

And finally, you need to view bodybuilding and fitness as a healthy lifestyle. This is not some quick fix that you are only going to do for the short term. You have to commit to lifelong fitness if you really want to achieve all the benefits that bodybuilding can provide.

11. What influenced you to become a bodybuilder?

I started working out at 12 years old. My father was always an active person. He used to jog, ride bicycle, lift weights, etc. That had a big positive influence in my life while growing up. Just like a lot of kids, I wanted to be like my dad

But the big thing that really sparked my love of muscle was when I first saw
Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Conan The Barbarian Movies.

I didn’t even know what bodybuilding was at the time, but I was just blown away that someone could actually be that big and look like a real life comic book super hero. I was determined that I would someday look like that myself. That’s when I got bit by the bodybuilding bug. All during high school I was obsessed with working out. I also participated in martial arts at the same time, taking karate lessons for 5 years. Then in my senior year of high school I entered my first bodybuilding competition. The 1995 Newfoundland Provincial Bodybuilding Championships. Bodybuilding just seemed to click with me and I enjoyed it right from the start. I was always a shy kid growing up, but for some reason I felt very comfortable on stage competing in bodybuilding. From 1995 on I have competed pretty much every year in local and regional bodybuilding competitions. My most recent competition (as of this interview) was the 2011 NLABBA Championships that took place on November 19, 2011.

Lee Hayward: Age 19 in 1997

12. What challenges do you face as a bodybuilder?

For a lot of bodybuilders dealing with social settings can be a challenge. Whenever we get together with family and friends it’s usually over food and drink. So if you are trying to follow a clean eating bodybuilding diet plan you’ll often be tempted with junk food, alcohol, etc. And you have 2 choices, either give in and indulge. Or be looked on as a social outcast because you don’t want be like everyone else.

It is like peer pressure on a higher level. Because not only are you tempted by “BAD” things like drugs, cigarettes, booze, etc. but even simple things junk foods and stuff that average people don’t consider bad will hinder your progress and cause you to gain excess bodyfat.

So hands down the biggest challenge that a serious bodybuilder faces is sticking with a healthy muscle building nutrition program while also dealing with people and everyday life. And the hardest part is that it’s usually our closest friends and family members who are the ones trying to tempt us with the bad foods.

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about this interview;
please feel free to post them in the comments section below and we’ll discuss them there

Here we are at the start of a brand new year, and the gym is going to be packed with people who are all committed to whipping their lazy butts into shape in a hurry.

You’ll hear them say things like:
“I’m going to lose this flab and muscle up”
“I’m going to workout everyday”
“I’m going to cut out all the junk food”
“This year I’m going to get ripped & jacked!”

Now while I appreciate their enthusiasm and desire to get in shape, it’s generally short lived. And you can see literally see the same pattern with every new year…

–>> In January the gym will be packed full.

–>> By February a lot of the new members will start to drop off.

–>> When you get into March & April the gym will be back to the same old regulars.

Do you know the main reason why so many people quit working out?
…They start off doing Too Much, Too Soon!

More is NOT always better…

When starting any new workout routine you are better off pacing yourself, starting off conservative, and focus on building up your work capacity gradually overtime. By taking things at a manageable pace and making slow steady improvements with progressive overload you’ll be able to stick to your program over the long term and actually make some solid progress.

After all, it probably took you months (or years) to get “Out Of Shape”. So don’t try to reverse everything in a couple weeks.

Rather then trying to go about transforming your physique and starting a brand new workout & diet program on your own, why not take the “Short Cut” and learn from someone who has been there before and who has already done what you want to do?

By having an experienced bodybuilding coach in your corner, you can save yourself from making a lot of trial and error mistakes. A good coach can set you up with a realistic muscle building & fat loss program, one that’s designed for your current fitness level and your body type.

Very often when an inexperienced person tries to set up their own muscle building & fat loss program they’ll either do too much too soon, or sometimes they won’t do enough, and very often they’ll just end up making a lot of rookie mistakes (especially with their with diets) that slow their progress.

So if you are interested in starting 2012 on the right track and following a proven training and nutrition system that will help you pack on pure fat free muscle mass, then you’ll want to check out the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program. This is the Most Advanced Cycle Diet & Training Program that I’ve ever created.

This program will show you exactly how to…

• Gain up to 5, 10 and even 15 lbs of LEAN MUSCLE (a.k.a. fat free mass) to shape & sculpt your body.
  
• The secret mechanism bodybuilders have been hiding from you for DECADES. It’s how they get learner and more muscular every single year. And this has absolutely nothing to do with drugs or supplements.
  
• How to “Bulk Up” and “Cut Down” at the SAME TIME without the unhealthy and unnecessary fat gain. This is the program you need if your goal is to muscle up while trimming off that excess holiday blubber.
  
• How to guarantee 2012 becomes your breakthrough year. Get ready to shock your friends and family when you take your shirt off and reveal your new ripped physique!

And these aren’t just some hyped up over inflated claims.

In fact during the past year, over 6,000 regular guys have already put the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program to the test, boasting their fastest muscle gains ever!

And unlike most workout programs that you’ll see online, this one has individual customization already built into the program. There are specific workout programs that you can follow based on the type of body you’d like to build:

–>> The Fitness Model Physique Workout
–>> The Muscle Model Physique Workout
–>> The Hardcore Bodybuilder Physique Workout

In addition to that, the nutrition program is designed with specific Cycle Diet Eating Plans that are customized for your individual body type.

Ectomorph Cycle Diet:
(The naturally skinny body type that needs to gain muscular bodyweight).

Endomorph Cycle Diet:
(The naturally overweight body type that needs to lose bodyfat, while increasing muscle mass).

Mesomorph Cycle Diet:
(The middle of the road body type that needs to gain muscle, while avoiding excess fat gain).

Simply put:
If you are ready to take action and finally get the fastest and leanest muscular gains of your life…
Then this program is meant for YOU.

And the best part…
For this week only you can pick up your very own copy of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building program for A HUGE 50% DISCOUNT off the regular price.

Just click on the link below to check it out for yourself and make 2012 the year
that you get in YOUR BEST SHAPE EVER!

Click Here To Download Your Copy Now…

As I look back over the past year I’m very grateful. It’s been an amazing year for me, with many ups (and a few downs) but overall it has been a very productive year.

And I feel very fortunate to be able to share it with you. As you know, I love helping my online followers reach their bodybuilding & fitness goals, it is a HUGE part of my life. And I look forward to finding new ways to help serve you even in 2012.

So to help kick off your New Year on the right track I want to give you 2 FREE e-Reports that will show you how a simple cycle-diet “trick” can help you pack on as much as 12 pounds of rock solid fat-free muscle mass this January!

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 my friend Vince Del Monte used to gain 7.4 lbs of muscle in just 3 weeks (while actually lowering his bodyfat percentage in the process!)

Don’t even think about starting a new muscle-building workout or nutrition plan in 2012 until you read this info! It’ll change the way you build muscle… Forever!

Imagine starting your new year with some new personal bests in the gym and gaining lean rock-solid muscle mass – while trimming off some of that “holiday belly” in the process!

If you are committed to making 2012 the year that you get in your Best Shape Ever,
then you owe it to yourself to read these 2 free reports ASAP.


I wish you all the best in 2012 & Happy New Year!

Download The Death Of Bulking <<--FREE Download

Download The Anabolic Amplifier Effect <<--FREE Download

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…

There was a record number competitors with 65 men and women competing in the show.
That’s A LOT of competitors especially considering that we are a pretty small province population wise.

Both my girlfriend Trish and I competed.
I placed 3rd in the Light-Heavyweight Division. But the BIG success was with Trish, she won The Figure Short Class, The Figure Masters (over 35 class), as well as the Figure Overall Title.
I’m super happy for her!

Below are a few pics from the show as well as some that I took Sunday the day after the show.
I’ll be posting up some more pictures as we get them. There were lots of photographers at the show, but not everyone has their pictures uploaded yet.

Click on the images to see the full size photos.

P.S.
Besides Trish and myself competing, we also coached 4 other competitors who competed at the same show this past weekend. All 4 of our coaching students made incredible physique transformations over the course of their pre-contest training.

I’ll be posting up some of their “Before” & “After” pics over the next week and share some insights as to the diet & training strategies that worked the best.

So stay tuned for that!

YouTube has created a program called “YouTube Next Trainer” where they are going to work with 16 different online fitness coaches from around the world, give them a $15,000 video equipment and promotional package. Along with a 12 weeks of video training directly from YouTube to help make them YouTube Fitness Stars.

And I was selected as 1 of those 16 people!!!

I’m super pumped about this opportunity. As you know I love to help people get in their best shape ever through my website and videos. Now with YouTube working with me directly you should see some better quality Kick Ass muscle building videos coming from “Your Muscle Building Coach” in the near future…

Heck I’ve got the Pros at YouTube working with me now…

This is my Bio Video that I sent into YouTube for the Next Trainer Program:

Note: If for some reason you can’t watch the embedded video here. You can watch it directly on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zlKUispeTo

You can read more about the YouTube Next Trainer Program on their website at: http://www.youtube.com/creators/nexttrainer.html

 

 

I got my free video package complements of being selected as one of YouTube’s Next Trainers.

They sent the following video gear:
- Canon EOS 60D Digital Camera
- Canon 17-55mm lens
- Manfrotto aluminum tripod
- Wescott video lighting kit with soft boxes, etc.
- Green screen kit
- Logitech C910 Webcam
- Sony Portable Wireless Mic
- Rode Shotgun Mic

Bottom line they sent me A LOT of stuff…
Now I got to put it all to use and make some kick ass videos!

Below is a quick video clip of a practice posing session that I did, this was shot 3 weeks out from the competition. My body weight is currently 200 pounds (and I’m 5’6 tall).

My goal is to drop another 8-10 pounds between now and the competition and weigh in somewhere in the low 190′s to really nail in my best conditioning.

If you are interested in learning what goes into bodybuilding competition training and how competitive bodybuilders get that lean ripped look, then you should pick up a copy of my book
“Your First Bodybuilding Competition”.

This is a complete step-by-step bodybuilding competition training guide that explains everything you need to know about preparing for and looking your best at your first bodybuilding competition.

Click Here For More Info…

This is going to be my 13th bodybuilding competition… Lucky Number 13 LOL

Things are going pretty good, I’m pleased with my progress thus far. Over the past few months I’ve dropped over 20 pounds of bodyfat while actually gaining some lean mass.

Below are some pictures that I took tonight during my posing practice…

The full album is posted on my Facebook page at:
Total Fitness Bodybuilding Facebook Fan Page.

=======================================

If you’d like to learn some advanced training & diet tips for maximum fat loss, then I highly recommend you check out my Extreme Fat Loss DVD program.

This covers in detail the exact Fat Loss Diet and Training Cycle that I’m personally using RIGHT NOW to get ripped for my up coming bodybuilding competition.

One the DVD I break down exactly what you need to do on a daily basis with regards to your diet, supplements, and your workouts to quickly lose that stubborn bodyfat and get a lean, tight, athletic physique.

To get more information just click on the link below:

Click Here For More Info…

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…

Anyway, the feedback from this program has been very positive. Skip has been coaching bodybuilders to get in top contest shape for over 20 years, so he really knows his stuff. He’s a master when it comes to effective nutrition strategies for packing on lean muscle mass AND getting ripped.

In fact, the only real “negative” thing that we’ve been hearing is some people don’t believe that
Skip La Cour is REALLY Natural…

A lot of people just assume that because he’s in great shape and a champion bodybuilder that
“He Must Be Taking Steroids…”

So the question a lot of people have been asking is:

Is Skip La Cour REALLY “Natural” ?

Now I was actually chatting with Skip about this very question today. After all, he’s been in the bodybuilding limelight for years so he’s been asked this question a thousand times before. And he had a very good answer to all the steroid accusations…

 
Question:

In natural (drug-tested) bodybuilding, there has to be “cheaters”. People who use steroids in the off-season or even during their contest prep and go off it in time for the drugs to clear their system. This is very evident from reading message boards and talking to people, there are plenty of cheaters in natural shows. Steroid users who compete in the drug tested shows and get away with it (you rarely even hear about anyone getting caught).

Even with this problem obviously existing, many natural bodybuilders get very upset when you “attack” them and say that they are liars. I can understand that, if they truely are natural and work really hard to get to where they are at they will obviously get upset when someone call them a cheater. Still, they have to realize that they will be subject to great scrutiny when there are cheaters present in the sport.

To get to my question now: Since there obviously are plenty of steroid users competing in natural bodybuilding; how are we supposed to believe that the very best show-winning guys are natural? A good steroid using bodybuilder will certainly beat a great natural one in a competition.

======================================

Skip’s Answer:

In every man’s life, he eventually must use his own intuition and instincts, man-up, and make his own decisions.

You have to do that when choosing a girlfriend, business partner, doctor, and even taxi cab driver.

Is every extremely attractive woman a gold-digging, manipulating whore? Some men believe they ALL are–and they create a set of patterns and actions based on that belief. Are SOME extremely attractive women gold-digging, manipulating whores? Yes. Can you always judge a woman’s integrity based on her looks (meaning the more attractive she is, the more “corrupt” she is)? No.

Is every extremely competent and successful potential business partner an unethical, con artist? Some people believe they ALL are–and they create a set of patterns and actions based on that belief. Are SOME extremely competent and successful potential business partners unethical con artists? Yes. Can you always judge a potential business partner’s integrity based on how much money he makes (meaning the more money he makes, the more “corrupt” he is)? No.

Is every doctor incompetent and does extra work on you only to fraudulently charge your insurance company? Some people believe they ALL are–and they create a set of patterns and actions based on that belief. Are SOME doctors incompetent and fraudulently charge your insurance company? Yes. Can you always judge a how competent and ethical a doctor is based on how many patients he has (meaning the more he has, the more “corrupt” he is)? No.

And, not every taxi cab driver is going to take you the long way to your destination just to rip you off for a little extra money–although many people believe that ALL taxi cab drivers are corrupt.

Just like choosing a girlfriend, business partner, doctor, or taxi cab driver, use your own instincts to believe who is truly drug free and who is a “lying, cheating, con artist.”

Get a feel for who they are by how they communicate–and then make you own decision. The internet, with all of the articles, blogs, videos, and podcasts that the bodybuilder communicates with will make your job of using your own judgement a lot easier.

Here’s another piece of advice:

I would guess that 10% of the human population would consider THEMSELVES happy and successful (and that is probably a stretch). I would guess only 50% of the human population would even say that they are even “satisfied” in life (again, that is probably a stretch).

The VERY WORSE thing you can do is make your personal decisions in life based on what random people who you don’t even know have to say (the “masses”). In fact, if you think and take action (or don’t take action) like the masses, you are going to have some serious challenges in life. No doubt about it. I would try to find out what the top 10% are thinking and doing–and take that route.

If you have an experience dealing with an unethical woman, business partner, doctor, taxi cab driver–or even a “so called drug free bodybuilder”–just MOVE ALONG and find someone you can TRUST. Don’t whine and complain like the unhappy, disgruntled masses do.

Successful people in life move on and find a good woman, business partner, doctor, taxi cab driver–BECAUSE THEY ARE FOCUSED ON GETTING WHAT THEY WANT IN LIFE and NOT WHAT THEY DON’T WANT.

Only whiners want to hear other people whine.

And, yes, there are extremely attractive truly good women, savvy and honest businessmen, competent and caring doctors, fair taxi cab drivers, and accomplished and well-developed drug free bodybuilders in the world who live with integrity JUST LIKE YOU DO–despite what the “masses” may think.

One more point:

Don’t ever waste your time trying tell an extremely attractive, good woman that you think ALL extremely attractive women are whores; telling a savvy and honest businessman that you think that ALL savvy businessmen are crooks; telling a competent and caring doctor that you think ALL doctors are all “quacks”; or telling an honest taxi cab drivers that you think ALL taxi cab drivers are crooks.

They don’t really give a damn what your issues, beliefs, or bad experiences are because they don’t apply to them. They just focus on the people in this world who know who they are and what they are all about.

That’s YOUR world–not theirs. They’ll just go ahead and let you live in the world you’ve chosen to live in. The more confidence they have in themselves, the less likely they’ll even step into your world and explain anything to you because they are so focused in living with purpose and direction in their own world. They won’t make it their personal responsibility to get you to cross over.

You know who does want to hear what you have to say about “bad” women, business, doctors, taxi cab drivers, and so called drug free bodybuilders?

The “masses.”

Use your intuition and instincts, man-up, and make your own decisions. Just remember that the beliefs you adopt will determine how you proceed in the future–and your level of success.

Train hard. Think BIG.

WOW…
That’s some potent food for thought, isn’t?
Not just for bodybuilding, but for life in general.

(Note: I hope you actually took the time to read Skip’s Answer above and never just skimmed through to the bottom. It’s worth taking a few minutes and actually reading what he has to say.)

Bottom line, I fully endorse Skip and his programs. This guy walks the talk and has competed in top level National Drug Tested Bodybuilding Shows, not only that but he’s maintained a lean, muscular, and healthy physique for over 20+ years now. That’s the kind of bodybuilding role model I look up to!

www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net

However, the problem with this is that there is so much conflicting crap out there these days that it can be mind boggling!

That’s why I put together this video clip to show you how you can simplify your nutrition and maximize your muscle gains.

Just click PLAY to watch the video below:

Skip La Cour: The Author Of Simple Bodybuilding Nutrition

Skip La Cour is a expert at getting people in the best shape of their lives through following simple, but proven methods for building muscle and burning fat.

He is one of the most successful Natural Bodybuilder’s of all time. He has won 15 bodybuilding competitions in his career. Including the National Drug Free Championships 6 times. At the peak of his competitive bodybuilding reign, he was the most recognized drug-free bodybuilder on the planet.

Skip has recently compiled his all time best bodybuilding nutrition tips & tricks into his brand new program: “Simple Bodybuilding Nutrition” which you can download right on his website www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net

So if you are looking for a way to simplify your nutrition and maximize your results, just check out Skip’s Simple Bodybuilding Nutrition
System at: www.SimpleBodybuildingNutrition.net

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 <

  

————————————
Note:
If you never downloaded them yet, you can do so right now at:
http://leehayward.com/blog/gain-7-pounds-in-21-days
————————————

These 2 reports outline a unique cycle-diet & training plan that competitive bodybuilders have been using for years to pack on lean muscle mass without gaining excess bodyfat in the process. In fact, it’s down right crazy how fast you can gain lean muscular bodyweight when follow this system to the letter.

Now if you want, you can literally take the info from these 2 reports and create your own program based around this cycle-diet & training strategy. I know some advanced bodybuilders and trainers who have done this.

However, if you would like to skip the hassle and get a complete “Done-For-You Program” that eliminates all the guesswork and outlines everything you need to do in detail such as: - The Exact Workouts to follow set-by-set - The Exact Foods to eat - The Exact 21-Day Cycle-Diet for your body type - The Exact Supplements to maximize your gains - PLUS a whole lot of other extra tips and tricks… Then you’ll be interested in getting a copy of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Programthat I created along with the help of my good friend Vince Del Monte.This is by far the most advanced and complete muscle-building system that I’ve ever used and it normally retails for $97 over at: http://www.21dayfastmassbuilding.com

However, for the next 3 days only I’d like to GIVE YOU this entire training and nutritional system for FREE!

Yes, that’s right… For FREE…

—————————————-
“Ok, Lee you have my attention, but what’s the catch?”
—————————————-

Well, my co-author for the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program (Vince Del Monte) recently launched a new online TV show called “Live Large” and it’s pretty cool because it gives you an insider’s view of what the pros do to get in top competition shape.

Each week Vince takes you through the life of a professional fitness model sharing unique training and nutritional strategies, along with special guest appearances from various top bodybuilders and fitness competitors in the industry.

And if you sign up for a year membership of Live Large, which works out to just $7.87 per month. Vince and I are going to GIVE you a complementary copy of the complete 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program as an Extra FREE Bonus!

All you have to do is click on the link below:

Register For Live Large & Get 21-Day Fast Mass Building For FREE <

I’d recommend that you check it out for yourself because it’s a great source of on going motivation and education to add to your bodybuilding and fitness library.

After you register for a 1 year membership of Live Large TV.
Just e-mail me your order confirmation to this address: Lee@LeeHayward.com
And I’ll then send you the complete 21-Day Fast Mass Building System ASAP!

This is a great 2 for 1 value package, you’ll literally be getting a full years worth of Muscle-Building “Infotainment” with Live Large TV along with a killer lean mass building system with The 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program.

Just click the special link below for all the details…

Register For Live Large & Get 21-Day Fast Mass Building For FREE <

P.S.
This special offer is only available for the next 72 hours only!
So if you are interested in taking advantage of this 2 for 1 deal
you should get started now at the link below:

http://www.leehayward.com/go/live-large.htm

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!

And when you ask what kinds of cardio they are doing, more often then not you’ll hear the usual… treadmill, stationary bike, stepper, elliptical, etc… All done while in a stuffy old cardio room staring at the wall or if you are “really lucky” you maybe able to watch a television that’s on mute while doing your cardio.It’s no wonder people complain that doing cardio is boring, especially if that’s what they are doing for their cardio workouts! Blah…

In my case, I only use indoor machine cardio as a last resort when the weather outside is absolutely shitty (i.e. pouring down rain, freezing cold, snow storm, etc.)

But for the most part my cardio workouts are done outside in the fresh air and I really enjoy them and actually look forward to doing them!

To give you an example, just watch the quick video below to see a Fun Cardio Workout that I did yesterday…

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t get asked about ways to increase energy levels. People are always curious as to what foods they should eat and what supplements they should take to jack up their energy levels.

Everything from Nitric Oxide, Caffeine, Ephedrine, Ginseng, Amino Acids, Horny Goat Weed, Red-Bull, RockStar…

You name it people are looking for it and are willing to try it all. And yet the one thing that often gets ignored, but yet can improve your strength and energy levels better then any supplement or stimulant is sleep!

The benefits of getting adequate sleep are HUGE! Everything from speeding up your muscle recovery, increasing growth hormone levels, improving your athletic performance, improved heart function, cell repair, and the list goes on and on…

But one thing that may be of interest to you – is that sufficient sleep helps increase your motivation for exercise!

One of the biggest excuses people have for not following through with their workout routine consistently is being too tired to exercise. But one thing that you can do (and it costs nothing!) is simply taking a 20 minute power nap in the afternoon.

You will feel more alert and energetic afterwards, and once rested after your mid-afternoon nap, your mood, efficiency, and alertness level will improve greatly.

Scientists have proven that taking a 20-minute nap approximately eight hours after you have awaken will do more for your strength and stamina than sleeping in later in the morning.

Of course when you first come out of your afternoon nap, you will probably feel a bit groggy for about ten minutes, but once this dissipates, you will reap the rewards of being well rested, recharged, and ready to go for the rest of the day.

So if you are looking for a kick ass all natural energy booster with no jittery side effects, just take a 20 minute power nap when you get home from work or school.

It’s easy, it’s proven effective, and it’s FREE!

Everyday I get questions from my online followers asking my opinion on various supplements. Now while most of the supplement questions are related to the basics of protein, creatine, vitamins, amino acids, etc. I do get a lot of questions asking about “Testosterone Boosters”.

Surprisingly,
Most of the questions I get about “Testosterone Boosters” come from TEENAGERS!

Unfortunately, I think this has more to do with teenagers being impatient and looking for a shortcut to get “huge”, rather than actually solving a physical problem that they have. During adolescence the production of anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone are at their all time natural peak. That’s why EVERYONE grows bigger and stronger during their teenager years, regardless if they workout or not.

If a teenager is looking for the solution to getting bigger and stronger, it is NOT through getting their testosterone levels higher. I mean the average teenage boy’s test levels are already on bust to the point that he’ll pop a woody if a warm breeze of wind hits his crotch.

A teenage boy looking for ways to get his testosterone levels EVEN HIGHER isn’t going to do a darn thing. The key to building muscle for teens comes down to consistently following a proper muscle building diet and training program.

However, once you get past this natural growth spurt and start approaching the “ripe old age” of 30 things take a nose dive…
Just like somebody stole your MoJo!

Unfortunately, most middle age men just assume that this is a side effect of growing old and that the “good ole days” are long gone. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Believe it or not, there are actually 6 Natural Substances that are available to you Right Now!
That can safely restore your testosterone levels to what they used to be like in the picture above!

In fact, just ONE of these natural substances has been show to literally Double Testosterone Levels within 2 weeks!

And you can get the low down on all SIX of the most potent, most powerful substances available to raise your testosterone levels and get your mojo back!

Just Click Here for all the details…

In celebration of these 2 National Holidays I thought I’d do something interesting and
GIVE AWAY 100 FREE GIFTS right here on my blog!

The First 100 People Who Comment To This Blog Post Will Get A FREE Copy Of My:
“HardCore Muscle Building E-book Program”…

Hardcore Muscle Building
How To Train Beyond Muscular Failure For Maximum Muscle Gains

Take your physique to the next level of muscular development by incorporating high-level training methods from some of the world’s top bodybuilders and powerlifters. These advanced workouts will allow you to instantly increase your strength while safely pushing your body past the point of muscular failure. This kind of hardcore training will stimulate explosive growth in those dormant muscle fibers that never get activated during “normal” workout programs.

All you have to do to get your FREE copy of this program is post a comment below and let me know how much you have benefited from all the stuff that I share via my website.

Regardless if you have purchased a program from me, or you are just following the “free” advice that I share, please let me know how the info that I share here has helped you with your bodybuilding and fitness goals.

Please take a couple minutes and write out a detailed response…
–>> I’d like to know your name and where you are from.
–>> How you first found out about my website.
–>> The programs have you followed.
–>> How these programs have helped you get bigger, stronger, leaner, etc.

If you know the specific numbers as to how much muscle you gained, how much bodyfat you lost, how much your strength has improved, etc. please include those numbers as well.

And if you want to earn “extra brownie points”, you can even include Before & After pictures of your results!
Note: you can upload pictures to http://www.imageshack.us
and link to them in your blog comment below.

The first 100 people who send me in a detailed comment below will get a
FREE Copy of The Hardcore Muscle Building e-Book Program!

I’m looking forward to reading your comments below!

PLEASE NOTE…
I know we’ve gone WAY OVER 100 comments, so to make it fair for everyone. I’ll still give you a FREE copy of the e-book if you post your “Before & After” pictures along with the following…

– Your name and where you are from.
– How you first found out about my website.
– The programs have you followed.
– How these programs have helped you get bigger, stronger, leaner, etc.
– The specific numbers as to how much muscle you gained, how much bodyfat you lost, how much your strength has improved, etc.

Note: you can upload pictures to http://www.imageshack.us
and post the link to them here in your blog comment.

Have you ever felt like it was a chore to…
- Go to the gym
- Do your cardio
- Stick to a proper muscle building meal plan
- Take your supplements
- And all that stuff…

I think if we are honest with ourselves, every single one of us has felt this way at some point or another.

(I know I have felt this from time to time.)

Now there are all kinds of tips and tricks that you can use to help spark your training motivation. But the #1 tip that I can share with you is to simply get around folks who are more advanced than you are.

When you hang around guys who are bigger, stronger, and more ripped than you are it will help motivate and encourage you to up your game and take your own training to the next level.

And one very simple way that you can do this is by attending local bodybuilding and powerlifting competitions in your area. Competition brings out the best in people. So if you want to see who the movers and shakers are in your neck of the woods, just go watch and support your local athletes.

This simple tip is the #1 thing that helped propel me to early muscle building success. I started watching local competitions when I was 15 years old, and I started competing in local competitions when I was 17 years old.

When you hang around and associate with people who are successful, you can’t help but have some of that success rub off on you as well.

And today I’m going to practice what I preach and go check out our Provincial Powerlifting Championships. I want to go and support the local lifters and also get a shot of training motivation at the same time!

After watching a local bodybuilding or powerlifting competition you can’t help but get fired up to hit the gym and strive to set some new personal records of your own.

Another great way to keep yourself motivated is by regularly watching videos and DVD’s of guys who are on top of their game. This is one thing that I did right from the get go and I still do it.

I’ve literally got boxes of old VHS tapes and DVD’s from trainers, bodybuilders, and powerlifters and they are awesome sources of education and motivation.

In fact my good friend Vince Del Monte has recently released a brand new DVD series outlining EXACTLY how he went about getting ripped to the bone shredded for his most recent fitness model competition.

And not only that, but he even won his Pro Status as a Fitness Model at that very competition!

So if you are looking for some cutting edge real world advice and motivation from a pro athlete I suggest you check out Vince’s new DVD series“Stage Shredded Status”.

I’ve already ordered a copy for myself because I’m always looking for any extra edge that I can get to help with my own training, and I’d suggest you do the same.

Just click on the link below for more info…

Stage Shredded Status DVD Series

“Lee, How Do I Stick To My Workout & Nutrition Routine When I’m Traveling?”

And the simple answer is… YOU DON’T !

WTF???
“Lee, are you saying that I should quit working out and eat whatever want when I’m traveling?”

NO, I’m not saying you should quit, but I am saying that most likely you won’t be able to stick to your “Current Routine” of diet and exercise. You have to learn how to be flexible in your approach when you are outside your normal environment.

Working Out When Traveling…

When you are away from home you won’t be able to workout at your regular gym, so chances are your workouts are going to vary some what. For example, you may not have the same equipment to train with, so you probably won’t be able to follow your exact routine or program as you do when you are home.

And if you are working out at a hotel gym you are going to be very limited in what you can do as most hotel gyms suck, but they are better than not working out at all.

What I do in these cases is simply do circuit routines. One day I’ll do an upper body circuit routine using what ever equipment is available. For example, I may do a chest exercise, back exercise, shoulder exercise, bicep exercise, and tricep exercise… Then repeat the circuit 3-4 times.

The next day I may do a lower body circuit routine, usually some form of squats, lunges, along with what ever leg machines they have available at the gym I’m working out at. And again I’ll do 3-4 sets of each exercise in a circuit fashion.

When I’m on the road I don’t really care if I’m using free weights, machines, cables, or even bodyweight exercises. All that matters is that I’m working the muscles.

I tend to move fast between exercises and get a good pump and sweat worked up. At the very least it will be enough to maintain your current level of fitness, and you may in fact stimulate some new growth by doing this because it will be totally new training stimulus compared to what you are used to doing.

Eating When Traveling…

When it comes to eating while traveling, you are definitely going to be outside your home base. You’re going to be eating in restaurants for a lot of your meals. However, with a little common sense you can still stick to a sound nutrition plan.

Practically every single restaurant these days serves fresh garden salads. Simply by starting each meal with a large salad will go a long way towards helping you eat right. You could even order a grilled chicken breast and have it chopped up into your salad for some extra lean protein.

Then when it comes to the main course, opt for your food to be baked, broiled, or grilled instead of fried. Have a baked potato instead of the home fries. Skip the deserts, or if you are craving something sweet, opt for some fresh fruit.

Little things like this all add up and can keep you on the right track to building a lean ripped physique, even when you are away from home. So keep these tips in mind the next time you are away from home.

Also be sure to watch your e-mail inbox for tomorrow, because I’m going to be sharing some advanced strategies to help you get that lean ripped look that we all want… So stay tuned for that!

P.S.
If you are not already on my Bodybuilding Tips e-Mail Newsletter. Than just fill out the form that’s at the top of this page and I’ll keep you up to date with all my latest muscle building and fat loss tips!

Not All Gyms Are Created Equal…

Below is a pic of a good Hardcore Old School Gym. But most gyms today are not really gyms at all. They are more along the lines of “Powder Puff Fitness Centers”.

Classic Hardcore “Old School” Gym!

After a few warm up sets he reached in to his gym bag and took out his container of lifting chalk, chalked up his hands and did a set of deadlifts. As soon as he finished his set one of the employees came over and told him:

“You are not allowed to use chalk in here. If you don’t clean up your mess you’ll have to leave!”

With that my friend said:

“What kind of a gym is this? Everywhere else I train allows lifting chalk???”

The employee told him:

“We are not a ‘GYM’ we are a Fitness Center, and we don’t let people use chalk”

With that my friend packed up his things, walked out the door and never came back!

Lesson Learned…

If you are serious about building a ripped muscular physique, than you need to train in a place that will support your efforts, and not hold you back. Just watch the video presentation that I’ve put together for you below to find out if you are training in the right gym or not…

If you would like to have a complete Hardcore Muscle Building Workout Program to follow along with and take your muscular development to the next level. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of my “Hardcore Muscle Building Program” 2 disc DVD set.

This program will show you how to train beyond muscular failure to achieve maximum muscle gains in the gym. This is a serious muscle building workout program that incorporates high level advanced training techniques to maximize muscle stimulation.

Just click on the link below to get your very own copy…

Hardcore Muscle Building 2 Disc DVD Set

DVD # 1 Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps
DVD # 2 Back, Biceps, Legs, & Abs

Item is currently in stock.
You can order from anywhere in the world and and get FREE Rush Delivery Shipping!

Click Here For More Information…

When it comes to fat loss, most people “Over Estimate” how hard it will be, yet they “Under Estimate” how long it will take…

If one of your fitness goals is to lose that gut and get visible six-pack abs for the New Year…

You need to start taking action NOW!

But one of the biggest problems that people have when it comes to fat loss is they find it difficult to stay motivated and keep consistent with their program. For the most part it’s not “lack of knowledge” that holds people back from fat loss success.

After all, practically everyone knows what they “NEED To Do” in order to lose fat
(at least enough to get started)…

We all know we need to exercise, we know we need to drink plenty of water, we know we need to avoid processed junk food, and all that basic stuff…

But as basic and simple as this is, most people still don’t do it… Why?

The reason is lack of motivation and momentum…
The hardest step to anything is the first step. Once you get the ball rolling it’s actually quite easy to keep it rolling and build on the momentum.

So how do you start building some serious fat loss momentum and take steps towards getting that ripped “six-pack” ?

Simple, you need to prioritize your first meal of the day. If you get your day started off right by having a healthy nutritious meal, it’s easier to keep that momentum going for the rest of the day.

Start Your Day With A…

When you have a healthy breakfast and then follow it up with several healthy meals in a row, it will fuel your body and motivate you to get to the gym and train hard. And after a good day of healthy eating and exercise you’ll also want to get to bed at a decent hour so you can get up and do it again the next day.

But it all starts with the First Meal of the day. If you screw this up and skip breakfast or hit the drive through window for some processed “junk food”, you are going to feel like crap. If you feel like crap it’s easier to blow off the day as a write off and say to yourself:

–>> “I’ll get back on track tomorrow…”

If you mess up a couple days in a row, then you’ll probably end up blowing off the whole week and say to yourself:

–>> “I’ll start back on my diet on Monday…”

This is the trap that many people fall into. Momentum works both ways, if you get the ball rolling in the right direction towards healthy eating and regular exercise you can keep it going. But on the other side of the coin, if you get off track it’s very easy to justify bad decisions and build momentum doing all the wrong things.

So my #1 Fat Loss Tip to help get you on the right track towards getting ripped “Six-Pack” abs is to make sure to start everyday off with a healthy high protein breakfast. This will fire up your metabolism and get the ball rolling for a successful day of diet and exercise.

And if you are looking for a delicious meal idea for a healthy high protein breakfast, why not give the following recipe a try tomorrow morning…

Delicious & Healthy Breakfast Meal
High Protein Low Carb Banana Pancakes!

If you’d like to get more healthy and delicious muscle building and fat burning recipes be sure to pick up a copy of Dave Ruel’s Anabolic Cooking Cookbook. This is THE Bodybuilder’s Cookbook with over 200 killer recipes that are healthy, high in protein, delicious, and easy to make at the same time. Again, just click on the link below to get your very own copy… Over 200 ‘Anabolicious’ recipes designed to help you pack on lean muscle mass and burn off bodyfat. Click Here For More Info –>>

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