Suneet has been a follower of my website for a few years now. And many of you may recognize his name as a regular commenter on my blog as well as the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Facebook Page. Just last year he started his own online fitness business in India. He’s very passionate about fitness and helping others reach their fitness goals as well.

During our audio interview we went over a lot of tips and tricks that you can incorporate into your own workouts and nutrition program. Just click the link below to download the MP3 (you can listen to it right here on this page, or save it to your MP3 player and listen to it while you are away from the computer as well).

Click Play To Listen To The Audio Right Here: http://www.leehayward.com/download/Lee-Suneet-Interview.mp3

Right Click & Save Target As… To Download The MP3 Audio File To Your Computer.

If you have any questions or comments about the topics covered on the MP3, just post them in the comments below and we’ll discuss them there.

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…

======================
Hey Lee,

Thank you for your time.
Joe
======================

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

Burger and fries, fish and chips, etc. French Fries are the staple side dish at the greasy spoon diner and fast food joints.

Now the way most places cook them they are deep fried, loaded with fat, and not very healthy. But I’ve got a nice tasty alternative to French Fries that are not only Low In Fat, but they are also Low In Carbs as well!

Just check out the video below for all the details…

Here’s the Low Carb / Low Fat French Fries cooking instructions…

This is a very simple low carb / low fat alternative to french fries and they taste delicious. All you need is some Turnip Sticks (aka: rutabaga).

Now if your local grocery store doesn’t sell these already cut up, you can use a whole turnip and cut them up yourself into chips or wedges.

1) Simply spray the a baking sheet with some PAM and spread the turnip fries out on the baking sheet. I like to cover the sheet with tin foil first to make clean up easier.

2) Add seasoning and spices to taste, and bake them for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. The actual cooking time will vary depending on how thick the fries are cut.

3) Turn the fries over after 10 minutes in order to evenly cook both sides.

That’s it, tasty low fat, low carb french fries!

To give you an idea of the nutritional difference:
- Potatoes have 5.5 grams of carbs per ounce.
- Turnips only have 1.8 grams of carbs per ounce.

So you are only getting 1/3 of the carbs compared to making home made fries with potatoes. And because we are baking them, not frying them they are virtually fat free. All you are getting is the trace amounts of fat from the PAM spray.

Give this recipe a try, I’m sure you’ll enjoy these as a nice side dish to go along with any meal.

The Bodybuilder’s Cookbook! And if you want a No-Brainer Bodybuilding Nutrition Program that you can follow that not only fuels your body with the Perfect Ratios of protein, carbs, and healthy fats… But also Tastes Delicious and is FUN and Enjoyable to eat then you need to check out: www.AnabolicCooking.net

My good friend and fellow bodybuilding competitor Dave “The Muscle Cook” Ruel is the author of the Internet’s Best Selling Bodybuilding Cookbook – Anabolic Cooking!

The entire system has been recently updated & revised for 2012. And the best part is that for this week only Dave is slashing the price and you can pick up the Brand New 2012 Edition of Anabolic Cooking at a HUGE 50% Discount off the regular price!

Anabolic Cooking will turn you into the “Super Cook” that you never thought you could be…

Whether your goal is to build lean muscle mass, lose stubborn bodyfat, stay fit, perform better or simply improve your overall health, this cookbook is a “Must-Have” in your kitchen!

www.AnabolicCooking.net <<-- Click Here & Save 50% This Week Only!

P.S.
This is by far the best bodybuilding cooking system that
I’ve seen to help you reach your muscle-building goals.
I’ve been using these recipies for over 2 years now.
You will learn every aspect of cooking & nutrition
for building a lean muscular physique!

www.AnabolicCooking.net <<--Download Your Copy

During the live I’ll be answering your questions on a first come, first serve basis. So if you have a question that you want to ask me, make sure to login early and send him a “Private Message” via the link below…

http://www.LeeHayward.com/tv

So if you have any questions about building muscle, losing bodyfat, training, nutrition, or any other bodybuilding related topic be sure to tune in live because for a full hour I’ll be answering your questions on the show.

I look forward to chatting with you later today!

http://www.LeeHayward.com/tv

And unfortunately they are also “Low In Taste” especially the way that most bodybuilders cook them.

But I’ve got good news because my buddy Dave Ruel has an awesome recipe for “Baked Crispy Chicken Nuggets” that is both HEALTHY and DELICIOUS!

Click Here To Get More Recipes Like This…

——————————————————–
Note:
Dave is the author of the Anabolic Cooking Program at:
http://www.AnabolicCooking.net <<--Click Here

This is the Bodybuilder's Cookbook with 200+ musclebuilding
and fatburning recipes. Whether your goal is to gain lean
muscle mass, lose stubborn bodyfat, or simply improve your
overall health, this cookbook is a "Must-Have" in your kitchen!
——————————————————–

So if you are sick and tired of choking down plain boiled chicken breasts (like I am) then I recommend you give this Baked Crispy Chicken Nugget recipe a try.

Trust me you’re going to love it!

Here’s what you need:

- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. (6 oz. / 170 g each)
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml of oat bran
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml of wheat germ
- 1 Tbsp / 15 ml coarsely ground flaxseed
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml coarsely ground almonds
- 1/2 tsp / 2 1/2 ml sea salt
- 1/2 tsp / 2 1/2 ml white pepper
- Pinch garlic powder
- 1/2 cup / 120 ml water or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or coating lightly with olive oil.

2. Cut chicken breasts into nugget-sized pieces, about 1.5 inches square. Set aside.

3. Next, combine all dry ingredients in a large container with a tightly fitting lid. Shake well. This is your coating mixture.

4. Combine water and egg in a medium bowl. Dip each piece in the water/egg-white mixture. Then dip each piece in the coating mixture. Make sure each piece is well coated.

5. Place on the baking sheet. When all of your chicken has been coated and your baking sheet is full, place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutritional Facts:

(Per Serving – 4 Nuggets)
- Calories: 148
- Protein: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fat: 4g

Bon Appétit

The Bodybuilder’s Cookbook! And if you want a No-Brainer Bodybuilding Nutrition Program that you can follow that not only fuels your body with the Perfect Ratios of protein, carbs, and healthy fats… But also Tastes Delicious and is FUN and Enjoyable to eat then you need to check out: www.AnabolicCooking.net

My good friend and fellow bodybuilding competitor Dave “The Muscle Cook” Ruel is the author of the Internet’s Best Selling Bodybuilding Cookbook – Anabolic Cooking!

The entire system has been recently updated & revised for 2012. And the best part is that for this week only Dave is slashing the price and you can pick up the Brand New 2012 Edition of Anabolic Cooking at a HUGE 50% Discount off the regular price!

Anabolic Cooking will turn you into the “Super Cook” that you never thought you could be…

Whether your goal is to build lean muscle mass, lose stubborn bodyfat, stay fit, perform better or simply improve your overall health, this cookbook is a “Must-Have” in your kitchen!

www.AnabolicCooking.net <<-- Click Here & Save 50% This Week Only!

P.S.
This is by far the best bodybuilding cooking system that
I’ve seen to help you reach your muscle-building goals.
I’ve been using these recipies for over 2 years now.
You will learn every aspect of cooking & nutrition
for building a lean muscular physique!

www.AnabolicCooking.net <<--Download Your Copy

This “Secret” can mean the difference between struggling in the gym with nothing to show for your efforts. Or making consistent muscle gains week after week.

It’s what separates an OK bodybuilder from a GREAT bodybuilder.

And NO, I’m NOT talking about steroids or supplements…

The REAL Secret To Your Muscle-Building Success is the Food You Eat!

Hands down nutrition is one of the most critical aspects to any bodybuilding routine. Once you get to the point where you are going to the gym and working out regularly. The thing that’s going to make or break your success is your nutrition program.

You can be consistent with your workouts, but if you don’t fuel your body properly you will NOT get optimal results. It’s as simple as that.

Everyday I get e-mails and comments from my followers saying things like:

——————————
“Lee, I can’t gain any muscle. I’ve been working out for
a couple years. This is the routine I’m following:
Day 1 Chest, Day 2 Back, Day 3 Legs, Etc…
Can you help me? Please tell me what I’m doing wrong?”
——————————

In 99% of these cases the root cause of their lack of results is NOT from lack of effort in the gym, but from having a poor nutrition program.

Very often when I follow up with these guys and ask what their diet is like I’ll get an answer like this:

“I eat right…”
Or
“I eat a lot…”

What the heck does that mean?
Can you decipher how many calories, protein, carbs, fat, and micronutrients are in “Eating A Lot”? (I sure can’t…)

Most guys who struggle to make gains in the gym are just ‘winging it’ with their diets. The extent of their nutrition program is when their belly growls they eat something.

Your Body NEEDS Premium Fuel For Optimal Performance…

You can compare your body to an engine… For example, if you had 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 or else it wouldn’t get optimal performance. You should treat your body the same way and only fuel it with quality nutrition.

Another example, lets say you had a million-dollar race horse. Would you go out and feed that race horse; pizza, ice cream, chips, cookies, and french fries and then expect it to run at it’s best?

Probably not…

I mean with that kind of money on the line you would do everything you possibly can to optimize it’s performance by feeding it properly.

Your body needs that same kind of respect as well when it comes to nutrition in order to function at it’s best.

So the take home message here is if you want to maximize your muscle gains and lose excess bodyfat you need to take your nutrition program seriously.

The Bodybuilder’s Cookbook! And if you want a No-Brainer Bodybuilding Nutrition Program that you can follow that not only fuels your body with the Perfect Ratios of protein, carbs, and healthy fats… But also Tastes Delicious and is FUN and Enjoyable to eat then you need to check out: www.AnabolicCooking.net

My good friend and fellow bodybuilding competitor Dave “The Muscle Cook” Ruel is the author of the Internet’s Best Selling Bodybuilding Cookbook – Anabolic Cooking!

The entire system has been recently updated & revised for 2012. And the best part is that for this week only Dave is slashing the price and you can pick up the Brand New 2012 Edition of Anabolic Cooking at a HUGE 50% Discount off the regular price!

Anabolic Cooking will turn you into the “Super Cook” that you never thought you could be…

Whether your goal is to build lean muscle mass, lose stubborn bodyfat, stay fit, perform better or simply improve your overall health, this cookbook is a “Must-Have” in your kitchen!

www.AnabolicCooking.net <<-- Click Here & Save 50% This Week Only!

P.S.
This is by far the best bodybuilding cooking system that
I’ve seen to help you reach your muscle-building goals.
I’ve been using these recipies for over 2 years now.
You will learn every aspect of cooking & nutrition
for building a lean muscular physique!

www.AnabolicCooking.net <<--Download Your Copy

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…

 

---

The average Joe Blow doctor will tell you to cut back on your sodium intake and will talk down about sodium like it’s the root of all evil. They’ll tell you about how it will cause high blood pressure, heart problems, kidney problems, etc.

But 99% of the time the doctor is giving this advice to sedentary individuals. Not hard training athletes and bodybuilders. So if your workout routine consists of walking from the fridge to the sofa and the occasional jog to the toilet then keep listening to your doctor’s advice…

However, if you are here reading this article right now there is a good chance that you are NOT the typical sedentary couch potato. And if that’s the case the rules about low sodium intake do not apply!

In fact for hard training athletes too little sodium can cause more problems then consuming too much. Low sodium intake causes muscle cramps, dizziness, and electrolyte imbalances, which can cause neurological problems, or even be fatal (yes you read right!)

Drinking too much water, with insufficient sodium intake, puts a person at risk of water intoxication (hyponatremia) which can cause a seizure or coma.

What Is Sodium?

Sodium is a mineral element and an important part of the human body. It controls the volume of fluid in the body and helps maintain the acid-base level. About 40% of the body’s sodium is contained in bone, some is found within organs and cells and the remaining 55% is in blood plasma and other fluids outside cells. Sodium is important in proper nerve conduction, the passage of various nutrients into cells, and the maintenance of blood pressure.

The body continually regulates its handling of sodium. When a person eats too much or too little sodium, the intestines and kidneys respond to adjust concentrations to normal. During the course of a day, the intestines absorbs dietary sodium while the kidneys excrete a nearly equal amount of sodium into the urine.

The concentration of sodium in the blood depends on the total amount of sodium and water in arteries, veins, and capillaries (the circulatory system). The body regulates sodium and water in different ways, but uses both to help correct blood pressure when it is too high or too low.

If the body has too little sodium (called hyponatremia), the body can either increase sodium levels or decrease water in the body. Too high a concentration of sodium (hypernatremia), can be corrected either by decreasing sodium or by increasing water intake.

Sodium Intake For Bodybuilders & Athletes

If you are doing hard weight training and / or cardio workouts and sweating a lot. Then you need to replace the sodium you lose in order to maintain a healthy electrolyte balance in your body.

And if you are following a fat loss diet or cutting back on your carbohydrates, then you actually need to “Increase” your sodium intake. Carbohydrates will cause your body to retain water and sodium. Generally for every gram of carbs you eat your body will hold 3 grams of water. So if you switch to eating a lower carb diet you will lose a lot of extra water and sodium.

When I’m dieting for fat loss I purposely add salt to my food and even flavor my food with high sodium condiments like soy sauce. It will help you feel stronger and it will replace the sodium that you lose from sweating doing your weight training, cardio, etc.

In fact a lot of the negative aspects people experience from “low carb dieting” such as feeling weak, flat, low energy, etc. is not really due to the carbs at all. But from low sodium levels in the body. If you experience any of these symptoms, increasing your salt intake will generally make you feel A LOT better and more energetic.

I even go so far as to carry salt packets (just like you get at the fast food restaurants) in my gym bag. This way when ever I feel the effects of low sodium during my workouts. Such as muscle cramps, dizziness, etc. I’ll rip open a packet of salt and chase it down with some water and within 5 minutes I’m feeling much better.

Bottom Line…

For athletes and serious fitness enthusiasts you are more likely to need to increase your salt / sodium intake rather than reduce it. You need to replace what you lose from sweating in order to keep your electrolytes in balance and train hard in the gym.

Now I don’t actually break out the calculator and count my sodium intake, and I doubt that many other people do either. But I don’t shy away from consuming sodium. The best advice I can offer is to keep tabs on how you feel, your energy levels, etc. and if you do feel light headed, dizzy, or experience muscle cramps during your workouts. There’s a good chance that low sodium is causing it.

Guest Post By: Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD, CSCS

Have you ever wondered why krill oil was brightly colored red instead of yellow like other marine omega-3 lipids? Well, this red shade is not only pretty to look at, but it can help you burn more fat and increase your athletic endurance – added benefits we’re all looking for.

This pigment responsible for giving krill oil its unique color is a special red carotenoid called astaxanthin. If that isn’t just a mouthful enough to say, it has also has been demonstrated to have a laundry list of pharmacological effects including as an antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory agent. But, what we’re going to focus on here is fat loss and endurance.

Sources of Astaxanthin…

Astaxanthin is a colorful antioxidant that occurs naturally in a few different foods – mainly of marine sources. It’s the primary reason some fish and seafood are colored red; the pink flesh of salmon is a perfect example. However, you have to be careful. Many farmed fish are given a synthetic version of astaxanthin in their diet, or their flesh is dyed with it before being sold in the market because astaxanthin is lacking in farmed fish feed. In the wild, salmon and other fish get astaxanthin naturally from the microalgae they eat. In fact, microalgae is the greatest naturally-occurring source of astaxanthin; shrimp, krill, and salmon are red from eating it.

Another place to get astaxanthin in human diets is from bright yellow egg yolks, but again, this usually comes from a synthetic form of astaxanthin fed to chickens. Organic chickens are fed natural compounds containing astaxanthin, so that’s your best bet. Most red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables are colored due to other natural carotenoids, like beta-carotene. The best way for humans to get astaxanthin naturally is to eat a diet of wild salmon, trout, seafood, and organic chicken eggs, and take supplements rich in astaxanthin, like krill oil.

Krill oil is made from a species of krill called Euphausia superba, a tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that are approximately 1 to 6 centimeters long. Three of the most important nutrients in krill oil are: (1) omega-3 fatty acids similar to those of fish oil, (2) omega-3 fatty acids attached (conjugated) to phospholipids, mainly phosphatidylcholine (alternatively referred to as marine lecithin) and (3) astaxanthin, an antioxidant. Krill oil comes from the Antarctic, or colder areas of our ocean, but it is now harvested for feed for fish farms. Commercial fishing of krill occurs primarily in the Southern Ocean and the northern Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Canada and Japan. A small percentage is harvested for human consumption. Whales eat them by the ton, and they also make up a part of the diet of humans, mainly the Japanese and Russians. Click Here for more info & to order Krill Oil Supplements online.

Fat Loss, Endurance and You…

A group of Japanese researchers recently demonstrated that mice given astaxanthin in several different doses, along with a high-fat diet, had significantly lower body weight and body fat levels compared to mice fed a high-fat diet of the same calorie level. Astaxanthin also reduced liver weight, liver triglyceride content, and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. What this means is that when added to a high-fat, high-calorie diet, astaxanthin prevented mice from becoming overweight with a fatty liver and high blood fat levels. The way astaxanthin did this was not by reducing the digestion of absorption of dietary fat, but instead by increasing the usage of fat as an energy source. This was supported by a decrease in the respiratory exchange ratio (RER), which indicates that fat was used for fuel, instead of carbohydrates.

In another Japanese study, mice were given astaxanthin along with a daily exercise routine (and if you’ve never seen mice run on a treadmill, you’re really missing out). They were divided into four groups: sedentary, sedentary plus with astaxanthin, running exercise, and exercise plus astaxanthin. After four weeks the animals in the exercise groups were placed on a treadmill to test a range of physical parameters. Similar to the study above, astaxanthin increased fat usage during exercise and accelerated the normal decrease in body fat that occurs with regular exercise. It did this by increasing the movement of fats into the mitochondria for energy production via enhanced carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) activity (a transport protein for fat located on the cell membrane). What this means is that astaxanthin supplementation spared muscle glycogen (a normal fuel source for exercise) and used fat stores instead.

Finally, mice given astaxanthin in doses of either 1.2, 6, or 30 mg/kg body weight for 5 weeks, along with regular swimming exercise, were shown to have a significant increase in exercise time to exhaustion (meaning they swam longer) than mice given a placebo. Blood lactate levels (a marker of exercise fatigue) were lower in the animals given astaxanthin, while blood non-esterified fatty acid and glucose levels were higher (indicating that astaxanthin spared blood energy sources). Overall, astaxanthin improved swimming endurance when given for only a short period of time.

What Dose is Needed for Humans?

Many people criticize animal research as being irrelevant to humans, but that’s not entirely correct. True, we’re a different species, but our enzymes, muscle function, and metabolisms are scarily similar. Plus, there are only so many humans you can poke holes in before someone starts to get suspicious. But I digress…

The doses used in these animal studies can be converted to human doses. All of the studies above used the same astaxanthin doses. At the lowest level of 1.2 mg/kg for mice, this translates to a dose of 0.1 grams (100 mg) for humans. At the minimum, humans can still take a dose of 0.012 grams (12 mg) of astaxanthin from all dietary sources and see results over no astaxanthin at all, because research with humans have shown this dose to be effective for reducing blood triglyceride levels, and increasing healthy blood HDL cholesterol levels. Further, doses have been suggested to accumulate over time, since it is fat soluble, so lower doses would act as higher doses with longer durations of supplementation.

Astounding Astaxanthin…

Overall, based on current research, astaxanthin holds promise as a fat-burning, exercise-enhancing, health-improving dietary nutrient. Further research will confirm this. We’ve also covered the EASIEST AND SIMPLEST way to not miss out by using a quality Krill Oil chocked full of astaxanthin like EFA Icon. This, in addition to eating a diet rich in red-colored seafood like salmon and shrimp, may increase the tools to keep your body lean, fit, and free of disease. And, in this age of chronic diseases and foods full of high-calorie anti-nutrients, we need all the tools we can get.

Get The Shocking Truth About The FISH OIL You Are Taking Now! WARNING: Do NOT Take Any Fish Oil Until You Read This… Click Here For More Info…

“I know I should stretch… blah, blah, blah… but why bother? I just want to get big and muscular. And besides I don’t want to look like some skinny twisted up yoga master.”

(Note: I hope I didn’t offend any skinny twisted up yoga masters who may be reading this )

Well, one thing you probably didn’t realize is that when stretching is properly integrated into a weight training program it can actually speed up your muscle growth. In this blog post I’m going to outline several unique stretching exercises that are designed to stretch the connective tissue which surrounds the muscles, and there by expand the fascia and enable the muscles to grow bigger and stronger.

The connective tissues that surround the muscles is very tuff and hugs the muscle fibers tight. This can actually constrict expansion and growth. For muscle hypertrophy to occur the surrounding fascia needs to be stretched and become more pliable in order to give the muscle fibers room enough to expand grow bigger.

Even if you haven’t seriously focused on stretching before, the muscle mass that you have built up to this point came about from the stretching and expanding of the muscles encasing tissue. During your workouts when blood is being pumped into the muscles, the surrounding connective tissues are being stretched, that’s why you get that tight feeling we call “the pump”.

The ideal time to stretch for increasing muscle mass is right after you’ve trained a particular bodypart and the muscles are “pumped up” and feeling tight.

At this stage the connective tissues are already being stretched from the blood volume in the muscles, and then by manually stretching the muscles as well, you get a double whammy effect and this really increases the muscle fibers growth potential.

There are basically two types of stretching that you can do to expand the fasical and surrounding connective tissue, active stretching with weights and static stretching.

Active Stretching With Weights

Active Stretching with weights is where you include exercises in your routine that work the muscles in the fully stretched range of motion. Some good examples of this include:

- Dumbbell Flyes for chest.

- Pull Overs for the lats.

- Preacher Curls for the biceps.

- Overhead Tricep Extensions for the triceps.

- Shrugs for the shoulders / traps.

- Stiff Leg Deadlifts from the hamstrings and lower back.

- Bench Lunges for the quads.

- Standing Calve Raises for the calve.

Now there are plenty of other exercises that I could add to the list of active stretching moves. But I think you get the idea. Each of these exercises allow you to lower the weight all the way down and really feel a deep stretch in the muscles at the bottom of each rep. To really emphasis the stretch you can hold the bottom position of each rep for a couple seconds while you do these exercises in your workouts.

Static Stretching

Static stretching is the more traditional form of stretching that most people are familiar with. For example, bending over and touching your toes is a good static stretch for the hamstrings and lower back. With static stretching you want to go to the point of discomfort and then hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds.

Ease into it at first, don’t rush into it and push yourself to the point of excruciating pain and risk pulling or tearing the muscles. As you become more accustomed to stretching your pain threshold will improve and you’ll be able to hold the stretches longer and stretch deeper.

Here are some static stretches that you can do at the end of each bodypart workout.

- Chest, shoulders, biceps.

Extend your arm and hold a poll or some other sturdy stationary object with one hand. Then rotate your body away while keeping your posture upright. Keep going until you feel a good stretch in the chest, shoulders, and biceps. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat with the other arm. Do this stretch at least twice for each side.

- Lats, chest, biceps, triceps, rear delts, and upper back.

This stretch is quite simple, just grab a chin up bar and hang from it for as long as your grip will hold out. You’ll pretty much feel the stretch throughout the entire upper torso. You can repeat several times with different grips (i.e. wide, narrow, underhand, overhand, etc.). This is one of my personal favorite stretches that I do often.

- Lats and chest.

Grab a bar or machine handle that is about waist high. Simply extend back as shown in the picture until you feel a good stretch in the lats and chest. Hold this for 30-60 seconds, take a quick rest and then repeat again.

- Front Delts

Similar to the previous exercise, using a bar or machine handle that is waist high, grab it from behind, palms facing backwards, and step forward until your feel the stretch in your front deltoids. Hold this for 30-60 seconds, take a quick rest and then repeat again.

- Triceps and lats

Extend both arms overhead, then bend one arm down behind your head and grab your elbow with the opposite hand. Pull your elbow until you feel the stretch in your tricep and lat. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat with the other arm. Do this stretch at least twice for each side.

- Quadriceps

Using a leg extension or seated leg curl machine, set the foot roller pad so that it is just lower then the height of your butt. Put the pin in the full weight stack so that the pad doesn’t move. Then hook your foot over the pad as shown in the picture. And lean back and down until you feel the stretch throughout the quads. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat with the other leg. Do this stretch at least twice for each side.

- Hamstrings

Extend your leg on a weight machine, rack, or some other object that is a bit higher then waist height. Straighten your leg and lean forward until you feel the stretch in the hamstrings. Try to grab your toes if you flexible enough, if not then just reach out as far as you can. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat with the other leg. Do this stretch at least twice for each side.

- Lower Back and Hamstrings

This is pretty straight forward, just bend over with your legs straight and touch your toes. Hold this for 30-60 seconds, take a quick rest and then repeat again.

Well there you have it… some simple stretches that you can incorporate into your workouts. The way you would do them is after you train a particular bodypart you would go through the above list of stretches and perform the ones that stretch the muscles you just worked. You DO NOT have to do each and every stretch after every workout. Just stretch the muscles that you trained. And then as you go through your workout cycle you’ll train and stretch each and every muscle group.

The actual time commitment to doing these stretches is minimal we are only talking about 10 minutes at most at the end of your weight training. But I can guarantee you that if do these stretches on a regular basis you’ll see noticeable improvements in your muscle fullness and separation within the next 6-8 weeks.

The kind of freaky forearms that bulge with awesome power and unprecedented muscular size!

After all, if there is one muscle group that gets more attention then any other and instantly let’s the world know whether you are strong and muscular – or weak and puny – it’s the arms, specifically the FOREARMS.

What makes having big muscular forearms so desirable?

Well, it could be because they are the most visible of any muscle group. Whenever you wear a short sleeve shirt your forearms are on display and people are looking. It’s human nature, when we see naked skin we just can’t help but stop and notice.

First impressions say a lot and people are unconsciously judging you by the size and shape of your forearms…

-> If your forearms are “Skinny” you look small and weak. 


-> If your forearms are “Flabby” you look fat and out of shape. 


-> In either case you WON’T get the respect you deserve!

So if you are tired of having puny forearms and a weak grip then you need to get a copy of the Huge Freaky Forearms Program. This unique forearm specialization training system cuts out all the BS and go straight for the jugular!

You’ll learn how to stimulate growth like never before by using special exercises and techniques for developing massively veined and ripped forearms!

• The Innovative 1 Rep System. How using heavy single rep sets can help you tap into those untouched muscle fibers for rapid muscle and strength gains.
  
• The BEST forearm mass building exercises.
  
• How to use “Over Crushes” and “Heavy Negatives” to develop bone crushing grip strength.
  
• The secret old time exercise of immortal Strong Men and Canadian lumberjacks that helped develop their record-size, sleeve stretching forearms.
  

In the Huge Freaky Forearms Program I go into detail and share some of the best forearm building tips and tricks. And break them all down into a simple to follow training strategy that you can incorporate into your weekly workout routine to finally build a set of Ripped Muscular Forearms!

And the best part is that this Program is 100% FREE!

Until this Sunday January 8 you can get it as an extra special bonus when you pick up a copy of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program during our HALF Price New Year’s Sale Discount Promo.

Learn How To Gain Lean Muscle Mass WITHOUT Getting Fat ->> Click Here <<-

So if you are ready to kick off 2012 on the right track towards building a bigger, leaner, and more muscular physique – The 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program will help you reach those goals in record time. And make sure to get your copy now while it is still HALF Price This Week ONLY – and you’ll also get a FREE Copy of the Huge Freaky Forearms Workout Program as well.

Last year over 6,000 guys put this program to the test last year and set new personal records in size and strength. So what are you waiting for? Click Here To Download Your Copy Now!

Well developed calves really help to balance out your leg development and enhance the overall look of your physique. After all, nobody wants to have well big muscular thighs stacked on top of puny little calves.

But having weak calves is one of the most common physique flaws that you’ll see among the gym regulars, and it really does look like “Chicken Legs”.

Now I’ll admit that when it comes to building Huge Calves, your genetics play a big part. There’s no denying it, some folks just have been genetically blessed with massive calves, and in some cases they don’t even workout!

I know you probably hate these people…

And then there are some folks who workout regularly, bust their butt in the gym, follow a strict diet, take their supplements, etc. and it seems like they can’t add an inch of muscle to their calves if their life depended on it.

The most important thing that you need to realize is that even if you are not genetically gifted below the knees, improvement is always possible. After all, if you’ve been able to build some muscle in your other body parts – your back, shoulders, chest, arms and thighs – then you can certainly build muscle in your calves as well.

Granted you’ll probably never build “World Class Calves” without having good genetics for them, but you can still build “GOOD Calves” that are in proportion to the rest of your body when you follow the right training protocols.

There are 2 main reasons why the calves are so darn hard to build:

1. The calves are a very dense muscle, there are literally more muscle fibers in the calves than any other muscle group in the body. They also have a very high work capacity from having to carry heavy weight for high reps all throughout the day. Every time you take a step you are literally doing a mini calve raise with your bodyweight. Because of this it’s much harder to push the calves into the “Growth Zone” compared to other muscle groups.

2. The calves are NOT a glamorous muscle group. When most guys start working out they are generally focused on building up their chest, arms, abs, etc. These are the “show off” muscles of the body. The calves are way down on the list of priorities for most people. It’s usually only after you’ve been training for a while and are getting more advanced with your workouts that you all of a sudden realize “Uh-Oh… I don’t have any calves…” and then you try to play catch up (this is where a lot of guys are right now).

The actual calve workouts themselves are a real challenge because to build the calves requires a different kind of intensity compared to training your other body parts. You can’t just train heavier, or do more sets & reps, etc. The basic principles of progressive overload just doesn’t work the same for the calves like it does for most other muscle groups.

You need to Look Outside The Box and do some unorthodox training in order to get those suckers to grow.

There is a definite “Right” and “Wrong” way to go about maximizing muscle growth in the calves. And unfortunately most guys you see at the gym are doing things wrong and making some critical mistakes in their calve exercises that prevent them from getting the gains that they should be getting.

And that’s exactly what I cover in my Killer Calve Workout Program:

In the Killer Calve Workout Program I go into detail and share some of my best calve building tips and tricks. And I break them all down into a simple to follow training strategy that you can incorporate into your weekly workout routine to finally build a set of well balanced
muscular legs!

And the best part is that this Program is 100% FREE!

Until this Sunday January 8 you can get it as an extra special bonus when you pick up a copy of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program during our HALF Price New Year’s Sale Discount Promo.

Learn How To Gain Lean Muscle Mass WITHOUT Getting Fat ->> Click Here <<-

So if you are ready to kick off 2012 on the right track towards building a bigger, leaner, and more muscular physique – The 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program will help you reach those goals in record time. And make sure to get your copy now while it is still HALF Price This Week ONLY – and you’ll also get a FREE Copy of the Killer Calves Workout Program as well.

Last year over 6,000 guys put this program to the test last year and set new personal records in size and strength. So what are you waiting for? Click Here To Download Your Copy Now!

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 is the best time to have a protein shake???

——————————————————————————————–

A lot of bodybuilders (myself included) consider protein supplements just like any other protein food. So rather than thinking: When should you have a protein shake? Think instead of… When should you consume a high protein meal?

The standard bodybuilding diet calls for a high protein meal every 2-3 hours during the day. So if you can consume a solid food high protein meal, great, by all means do that. But if you can’t, then this would be an ideal time to supplement with protein to make up for that high protein meal.

Breakfast…

From my experience of working with literally hundreds of people over the years with regards to nutrition, I can tell you that the most challenging time for most people to consume a high protein meal is with breakfast.

The average person tends to sleep in too late and then they are in a rush to get to work, school, or whatever and they very often skip breakfast all together or they’ll quickly woof down the typical high carb “breakfast foods” (i.e. cereal & milk, toast, bagel, muffin, etc.)

Let’s just say that this is NOT the ideal way to start your day. This stuff is just loading you up with a ton of sugar and starch with very little real nutritional value. High carb breakfast foods like this will spike your insulin levels, easily get stored as bodyfat, and they will also lead to the typical sugar crash a few hours later.

A much healthier and better option for building a lean muscular physique would be to start your day off with a protein shake and some slow digesting carbs such as a bowl of oatmeal. This is still a very quick meal that can be prepared in minutes and it will kick start your day with a good serving of muscle building protein.

Mid-Morning…

For the mid-morning break most people will either run to the vending machine, grab a candy bar, go for coffee and donuts, or some other high carb sugar fix. A better option would be to fill up on some protein instead. In cases like this when a quick convenient source of protein is needed, a protein bar can often work great.

Now I’ll admit protein bars are not “perfect” by any means, but they are a heck of a lot better then candy bars, chips, and donuts. So packing a couple protein bars in your briefcase or schoolbag can help bridge the gaps between meals and provide you a quick protein source.

Lunch…

When it comes to lunch, most people do “OK” with getting some protein. Most people who brown bag their own lunches will usually include some form of sandwich with meat on it (i.e. tuna, roast beef, chicken, etc.) While this is still a relatively small serving of protein, it’s better than nothing. But you could jack up your protein intake with lunch by including a protein shake mixed up in a shaker bottle and take it with you to work or school.

After Workouts…

Another critical time for consuming protein supplements is right after a hard weight training workout. This is when your muscles are depleted and could really use the fast digesting protein found in a protein shake to help aid with growth and recovery.

So taking a protein shake with you to the gym (often referred to as a “Post Workout Shake”) and having it after your workouts would be another fantastic time to consume protein supplements.

Dinner…

When it comes to dinner most folks tend to do pretty good here. In fact this would be the meal where the average person consumes the majority of their daily protein intake. When I ask guys what they eat for dinner the typical answer I’ll get is:

“What ever the wife cooks…”
Or:
“What ever mom cooks…”

But luckily, most of our wives and moms tend to cook up a solid “meat and potatoes” type of meal for dinner so generally your protein intake is covered for this one.

Before Bed…

After dinner / before bed is another time with most people tend to get slack with their protein intake. Again the average Joe is going to probably be kicking back on the couch watching TV… Or maybe he will be sitting at his computer reading an article on www.LeeHayward.com about protein… who knows

And when he gets the munchies he will often reach for typical high carb snack foods like chips, cookies, crackers, etc. Now again I don’t need to tell you that this is just an insulin spiking, fat storing nightmare, especially when eaten prior to going to bed.

A good alternative here would be to consume a high protein snack instead. Below are some of my favorite tasty high protein snacks to have in the evening before bed:

• 1 cup of plain yogurt mixed up with a scoop of protein powder. This mixes up like a creamy pudding.
• 1 cup of cottage cheese mixed with a scoop of protein powder. Kind of similar to the yogurt pudding, but you get the curds from the cottage cheese in there.
• High protein blender smoothie. Mix up 1 cup of pasteurized egg whites, 1 scoop of protein powder, add in frozen strawberries, blueberries, etc. and blend it up to make a nice high protein smoothie.

Ok, so now you know the best times to have a protein shake. In my next post I’m going to cover the different kinds of protein powders that are available and which ones are the best for building muscle, without breaking your bank account.

Stay Tuned For That…

—————————–

Note:

If you’d like for me to create a complete “Done For You Customized Diet & Workout Program” that you can follow, just click here to get more info about my customized programs and one on one personal coaching.

These programs are an easy to follow “No Brainer” way to pack on lean muscle mass and burn away stubborn bodyfat. I’ll take all the guess work out of your workouts, your nutrition, your supplements, etc. and tell you exactly what you need to do day in and day out in order to get in your best shape ever!

Again the link to sign up for your very own customized diet and training program is at:

http://leehayward.com/blog/customized-programs/

Everyday I get tons of questions from my followers about protein supplements such as…

- Should I have protein shakes?
- Are protein supplements safe?
- Are protein shakes necessary?
- Will protein damage my kidneys?
- Can I just eat high protein food?
- Is it ok for a teenager to take protein?
- When should I take protein?
- What’s the best kind of protein?
- Do I take protein before or after my workouts?
- Will protein stunt my growth?
- Should I mix protein with water or milk?
- Will protein shrink my dick / balls?
- Does protein powder contain steroids?
- And on, and on, and on…

Those are just a handful of the many frequently asked protein related questions that I get asked on a regular basis.

First off, for all the absurd questions; like if protein will stunt your growth, shrink your junk, or if it contains steroids… The answer is NO to all of the above. Those are just stupid BS myths that get spread around by people who don’t have a clue what their talking about.

As for the questions with regards to protein’s safety, I think most of these come from concerned, but mis-informed parents, who are just looking out for their kids. But the fact is that protein powders are just natural food supplements. For example, whey protein, egg protein, vegetable protein, etc. So protein powder is just as safe as eating the natural foods themselves. And using protein supplements is safe for everyone; men, women, and teens.

Another common myth is that protein is bad for your kidneys and again that’s totally false. There has never been a single study what so ever that has shown a high protein diet causes kidney damage. Only people who already have pre-existing kidney problems need to be concerned with keeping their protein in check, and that’s something that would be looked after by a doctor. But again high protein foods & protein supplements Do NOT cause kidney problems to begin with.

Alright, so now that we’ve got the safety issues covered and we know protein is “safe” to consume. Now we need to cover the “why” questions.

Why use protein supplements in the first place?
Why not just eat high protein foods?

Well, you could and you should. There is nothing wrong with eating high protein foods. The only problem comes in with cost and convince.

Most typical bodybuilding diets require that you consume 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily, spaced out over 6 meals. Now if you have the time to cook, prepare, and eat 6 high protein food meals per day go for it. This will certainly help meet your protein intake needs.

The problem for most people is that we have a life outside the kitchen. So we either work, go to school, etc. and it makes it difficult to get in 6 high protein food meals each day. This is where protein supplements can help big time. You can simply mix them up in a shaker bottle and take them with you where ever you go and have a liquid high protein meal on the run. It’s harder to this with high protein foods like meat, chicken, fish, eggs, etc.

Another issue to consider is the cost. While most people look at protein supplements and think they are “expensive”, they are actually cheaper when you look at the big picture. Sure a 5 pound tub of protein powder is about $50 bucks (depending on where you live and the brand you buy). But you are getting 1600+ grams of pure protein from that 5 pound container. If you were to buy that much protein from lean beef, you’d have to buy about 20 pounds, and even at just $5 per pound it would cost you twice as much money on a gram for gram basis as buying the same amount of protein from protein powder.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should give up solid food protein and just live on supplements. But by including supplements in your diet you can make consuming a high protein diet much easier, and cheaper as well.

Ok, so we’ve established the basics here about protein safety and why we should use it. In my next blog post I’m going to cover the best times that you should have a protein shake.

So you can click on the link below to go check that out right now at:

What Is The Best Time To Have A Protein Shake?

Now I’m sure you’ve seen numerous websites and fitness gurus all preaching their so called “Holiday Eating Tips”. It seems every fitness coach out there has the need to share some tips this time of year on how YOU can minimize the damage of over indulgence during the holidays.

(I’ll let you in on a little secret, even the “Fitness Gurus” are not going to follow their own advice. They are going to pig out and eat what ever they want over Christmas, despite all the tips they listed in their latest “healthy eating article”.)

Well, I’m not your “typical bodybuilding & fitness coach”…
But I’m still going to offer some Holiday / Christmas Eating Tips. However, my tips are going to be totally opposite of anything you’ll hear from any other fitness coach.

Just watch the video clip below to see EXACTLY how you should eat over Christmas

Note: if you can’t watch the embedded video here on this page, you can watch the video on my YouTube Chanel at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VLzx5BpdzU

I wish you all the best this holiday season…
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, (or whatever holiday you celebrate).
Just enjoy yourself and spend some quality time with your friends & family!

I think old Sigmund Freud was right in his assumption. Trying to figure out the complexities of a modern woman is about as futile as searching for the meaning of life, or trying to understand the ingredients on a package of hot dogs.

I mean why waste your time trying to understand the unknown, when you don’t even understand that which you know? (Enough Said)

However, just the other day I did discover 1 thing in particular that women want that maybe of interest to my fellow muscle building fitness fanatics…

I was skimming through a old copy of Muscle & Fitness as I was doing a light cardio session after my weight training workout.

=======================================
Note:
I like to perform at least 20 minutes of easy cardio after my weight training as a cool down. This helps the body to get rid of lactic acid build up in the muscles, speeds up recovery, while burning off some excess bodyfat at the same time.
=======================================

Anyway, as I was flipping through the magazine, scanning pages of over hyped supplement ads and re-hashed workout programs, one thing in particular caught my attention. It was one of those little “Tid Bit” information articles that they often post at the beginning of the magazine.

This one had the title: “What Women Want”

Now this wasn’t some corny pick up artist trick, like you would normally associate with such an article title. But rather this article shared the results of a survey they did with their female readers as to which body parts gave women The Most Viewing Pleasure when looking at a man.

(And just in case you are wondering they left out “Mr. Happy” from the list of body parts).

The results are posted below…
Obviously, I re-created their chart using my photo to show the various body parts.
I mean after all what woman wouldn’t want me LOL

The results of the Muscle & Fitness survey were:

Arms = 22% (The number #1 Body Part that gave women the most “Viewing Pleasure”)
Chest = 18%
Abs = 18%
Shoulders = 17%
Back = 8%
Butt = 7%
Legs = 5%
“Other” = 5%

I was actually surprised to see arms ranking so high as a woman’s favorite body part on a man. But it’s just some extra motivation for you to go out there and build yourself a set of sleeve stretching muscular guns. I guess they are right in saying “Curls For The Girls”.

And if you need some help in building a set of ripped muscle arms, I’ve got the solution for you because I’ve literally wrote the book on the topic of Arm Training with my “Blast Your Biceps” program.

This is a complete Mass Building Arm Specialization Training System that will help you pack on as much as 2 inches of solid muscular mass to your upper arms in as little as 8 weeks. And this program covers much more then just arm training. In fact, it’s a complete training system that will help you get bigger and stronger in all your major muscle groups in record time.

So if you are stuck in a rut with your current arm training program and would like to kick things up to the next level… Just head on over to www.BlastYourBiceps.com and download your copy of the “Blast Your Biceps” Mass Building Arm Specialization Program!

Consider it an “early Christmas gift” for yourself.
And the ladies will thank you for it as well…

www.BlastYourBiceps.com

- How many days per week should I workout?
- How many exercises should I do for each body part?
- How many sets and reps should I do?
- Should I lift heavy weights / low reps or light weights / high reps?
- How often should I train each body part?
- Etc. Etc. Etc…

The challenge is that there is no “Right” or “Wrong” answer to these questions. There are countless variables that come into play when designing a workout program for someone; (i.e. level of training experience, individual fitness goals, previous workout routines, etc.)

In this blog post I’m going to cover this topic in more detail, my main goal is to try and clear up some of the confusion about working out. While providing you with a sample 12 week workout program that you can follow to make some solid muscle and strength gains.

Like I already mentioned, there is really no RIGHT or WRONG way to workout. You could ask 10 different bodybuilders to explain their workout routine and most likely you would get 10 different answers.

“Everything works, but nothing works forever.”

That is probably the most important thing to remember for making consistent progress with your workouts. You can follow most any type of workout routine and you will make good progress for the first few weeks (provided that you are getting adequate nutrition, rest, etc.). But generally after a few weeks of following a set workout program your progress will start to slow down and eventually you will no longer make progress with that routine.

Our bodies are very smart and naturally accommodate to stress. Your body will add as little muscle as necessary to get the job done. This is why construction workers get only big enough to handle the exact amount of work they do during a days work and no bigger, even though they are doing physical work All Day Long.

Adding muscle is a very unnatural thing to your body. You must constantly throw “curve balls” at your muscles to get them to grow. Generally, you will make the best progress for the first 3 weeks of starting a new workout routine. After 3 weeks your body starts to adapt and your progress will slow down.

Now this doesn’t mean that you can’t continue making progress after 3 weeks of following a particular program. But for the most part you’ll see your fastest results (i.e. muscle gains, strength gains, or fat loss) during the first few weeks of starting a new routine.

So to maximize these mini 3 week growth spurts, I designed the following workout program into 4 different 3-week workout cycles that you’ll follow back-to-back in order to make a 12 week workout program.

This program requires you to workout 4 days per week. Ideally you would workout on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. And rest on Wednesday’s and weekends. But if this doesn’t fit your schedule you can workout on other days of the week. Just make sure that you do not workout for more then 2 days in a row before taking a day off.

By doing this you will give your body plenty of time for recuperation and muscle growth. Muscles do not grow while you are working out; they grow while you are resting. Working out will stress and damage the muscles slightly. Then your body reacts by building up the muscles in order to handle the extra work and stress.

Note:
With each of the exercises do as many warm up sets as you need to get to your top working weight. Then perform the required sets and reps with the same weight.

If you can’t get all 5 x 5 or you found them extremely difficult, keep the same weight for your next workout.

The 12 Week Workout Program

Weeks 1, 2, and 3 do the following weekly workout routine.

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

Monday: (start with five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Squats:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Dead lifts:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Standing calve raises:
- 5 sets of 10 reps

Hanging leg raises:
- 5 sets of 10+ reps*

Incline sit ups:
- 5 sets of 20+ reps*

*You can super set the leg raises and sit ups back and forth.

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

Tuesday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Incline barbell bench press:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Seated dumbbell shoulder press:
- 5 sets of 8 reps

Bicep cable curls: (from low pulley)
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

Tricep push downs: (using straight bar attachment)
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

Bent over dumbbell lateral raises:
- 3 sets of 10-15 reps

*You can super set biceps and triceps back and forth.

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

Thursday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Leg press:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Leg curls:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Wide grip pull downs:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Hyper extensions:
- 4 sets of 15 reps (add weight if needed)

Pull down ab crunches:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

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

Friday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Incline dumbbell bench press:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell side lateral raises:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Bicep dumbbell curls:
- 4 sets of 12 reps*

Tricep push downs: (with rope attachment)
- 4 sets of 12 reps*

Barbell upright rows:
- 3 sets of 15 reps

*You can super set biceps and triceps back and forth.

Keep records of the exercises, weights, sets, and reps that you do. Each workout try to beat what you did for your previous workout. With the squat, dead lift, and incline barbell bench press try to add 5 lbs. to the bar each week and do the same number of sets and reps.

Weeks 4, 5, and 6 do the following workout routine.

Monday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Bent over barbell rows:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 8 reps

Barbell shoulder shrugs:
- 5 sets of 10 reps

Leg extensions:
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

Leg curls:
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

Seated calve raise:
- 5 sets of 10 reps

Incline sit ups:
- 3 sets of 15+ reps

*You can super set leg extensions and leg curls back and forth.

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

Tuesday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Decline barbell bench press:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Seated barbell shoulder press: (i.e. military press)
- 5 sets of 8 reps

Preacher barbell curls:
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

Lying tricep extensions: (with the EZ bar)
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

Cable upright rows: (from the low pulley)
- 3 sets of 15 reps

*You can super set biceps and triceps back and forth.

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

Thursday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Hack Squat:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Stiff leg dead lifts:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Seated cable rows:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Leg raises:
- 4 sets of 12 reps

Crunches:
- 4 sets of 25+ reps

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

Friday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Flat dumbbell bench press:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell front lateral raises:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Bicep barbell curls:
- 4 sets of 12 reps*

Tricep push downs: (with V bar attachment)
- 4 sets of 12 reps*

Close grip pull downs:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

*You can super set biceps and triceps back and forth.

Keep records of the exercises, weights, sets, and reps that you do. Each workout try to beat what you did for your previous workout. With the decline bench press and the bent barbell row try to add 5 lbs. to the bar each week and do the same number of sets and reps.

Weeks 7, 8, and 9 do the following workout routine.

Monday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Squats:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Partial Dead lifts: (use a power rack and set the bar just below your knees)
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Chin ups:
- 4 sets of as many reps as you can do

Pull down ab crunches:
- 5 sets of 10 reps

Leg raises:
- 5 sets of 10 reps

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

Tuesday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Flat barbell bench press:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Bent over dumbbell lateral raises:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell side lateral raises:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell front lateral raises:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Bicep cable curls: (from low pulley)
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

Tricep push downs: (using straight bar attachment)
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

*You can super set biceps and triceps back and forth.

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

Thursday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Hack Squat:
- do a couple lighter warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 10 reps

Leg press:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Chest supported row: (i.e. T-bar row, hammer strength seated row, etc.)
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Hyper extensions:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Pull down ab crunches:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

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

Friday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Dumbbell bench press on the stability ball:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Dumbbell shoulder press sitting on the stability ball:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

EZ bar bicep curls:
- 4 sets of 15 reps*

One arm over head dumbbell extensions:
- 4 sets of 15 reps*

One arm dumbbell rows:
- 3 sets of 15 reps

*You can super set biceps and triceps back and forth.

Keep records of the exercises, weights, sets, and reps that you do. Each workout try to beat what you did for your previous workout. With the squat, partial dead lift, and flat barbell bench press try to add 5 lbs. to the bar each week and do the same number of sets and reps.

Weeks 10, 11, and 12 do the following workout routine.

Monday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Leg press:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Stiff leg dead lifts:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Wide grip pull downs:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Incline sit ups:
- 5 sets of 15 reps

Leg raises:
- 5 sets of 15 reps

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

Tuesday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Dips: (add extra weight if needed)
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 5 sets of 5 reps (train heavy, but don’t train to failure)

Chin ups:
- 4 sets of as many reps as you can do. If you can do more then 10 reps, add weight.

Side lateral raises:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Seated barbell shoulder press: (i.e. military press)
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Bicep dumbbell preacher curls:
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

Tricep push downs: (using rope attachment)
- 5 sets of 10 reps*

*You can super set biceps and triceps back and forth.

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

Thursday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Squats:
- do a couple light warm up sets first
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Leg curls:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Leg extensions:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Seated cable rows:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Standing calve raise:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

Pull down ab crunches:
- 4 sets of 15 reps

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

Friday: (five minutes of light cardio to warm up)

Push ups with feet elevated on the stability ball:
- 4 sets of as many reps as you can do

Seated dumbbell shoulder press:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

Standing one arm dumbbell curls:
- 4 sets of 10 reps*

One arm over head dumbbell extensions:
- 4 sets of 10 reps*

Close grip pull downs:
- 4 sets of 10 reps

(*Super set the curls with the over head tricep extensions. For example, set of curls with one arm, set of curls with the other arm, set of extensions with one arm, set of extensions with the other arm, with no rest in between.)

Keep records of the exercises, weights, sets, and reps that you do. Each workout try to beat what you did for your previous workout. With the weighted dips and leg press try to add 5 lbs. to the bar each week and do the same number of sets and reps.

Conclusion…

Each 3 week phase of the 12 week program is different. As the weeks progress you’ll be focusing on training the muscles with different exercises during each phase. And the reps you perform for the exercises will vary during the weekly workouts. This will ensure that the muscle stimulation provided is unique and fresh and this will help to keep your body on the “anabolic edge” for maximum muscle growth. Training like this will allow you to make consistent progress over the long term.

These short training cycles work perfectly with our body’s natural adaption and growth patterns. Like I mentioned before, our bodies are very smart and quickly accommodate to stress. Adding muscle is a very unnatural thing to your body, so you have to constantly throw “curve balls” at your muscles in order to get them to respond to your workouts and grow.

After you complete this 12 week workout program you can go through the entire program again and strive to beat your personal best lifts from the first time through. Or if you want, you can move on to something totally different to better suit your training needs.

If you are looking for a more advanced training & nutrition program, then I’d recommend you check out the 21-Day Fast MASS Building Program.

This is a 21-Day Training & Nutrition Cycle that will help you pack on pounds of lean muscle mass without getting fat in the process. The best part is that you can repeat this program over and over again, as often as you like, until you reach your desired level of lean muscular mass.

The secret to the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program is harnessing the power of the “Anabolic Amplifier Effect” which maximizes your body’s natural production of anabolic hormones such as testosterone, growth hormone, insulin and IGF-1 to pack on pounds of rock solid muscle mass WITHOUT gaining bodyfat!

To learn more about the 21-Day Fast Mass Building Program & to download your copy, just click on the link below:

www.21DayFastMassBuilding.com