HIIT Training: 30sec Workout

The 30 Second workout is the ideal place to start with Interval training.

Most beginner workouts start with 30 seconds workouts, If you are beginner please make sure that you stretch, warm up and warm down properly for every workout.

If you are aiming at training above your lactate threshold you need to go fast enough to feel that the last few seconds feel almost impossible to keep running. Everything in your body should be burning. If you are fit and are not getting to this point in the sprint intervals, don’t save yourself for later, give it all up front, go harder and then try and survive through the rest of the workout.

Start this with 6 intervals and gradually migrate to 12. Rest periods also come down from 90 seconds to 30 seconds. Remember to warm up and cool down properly

To get your interval training timer clink the link below

What is High Intensity Interval Training

High Intensity Interval Training is a specific type of interval training routine. It is mostly used for individuals trying to lose weight. It has a number of distinct goals and differences which make it unique.


HIIT Sessions usually last less than 20 Minutes

The first difference is in time, excluding warm ups and warm downs last no longer than 20 minutes. This may seem like a very short space of time but believe me; if you do the workout correctly you will be exhausted by the end of it. The goal of HIIT is to hold an anaerobic state for a long cumulative time (click here to see what this means.). It’s designed with rest intervals to allow you to sprint harder for longer. Take this as an example, if you were to sprint for 100 meters, you would go full out for about 15 seconds (depending how fast you were). In an advanced HIIT workout you would probably spend about 7 to 8 minutes going full out in a 15 minute workout. If you are a beginner you should start with 4 to 6 minutes total workout time.

For Maximum Benefits make sure you are using Major Muscle Groups

There are a range of activities that you can do with HIIT. When choosing an activity try to pick one that safely uses the largest muscle groups in your body. High Intensity Interval Training will try and tap the energy sources found inside the muscle. The larger the muscle group being exercised, the more the benefit.

The absolute best for HIIT is sprinting. If however you have injuries or other problems which prevent you from sprinting by all means pick something else which you can manage safely. The second best would probably be a stationery spinning bike.

Do HIIT every Second Day

An HIIT workout should not be done on consecutive days. The workouts goal is to operate at a high intensity. So when you do your reps, you do them as hard as you can. Working as hard as this produces the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training. The workout burns energy from your muscle systems and it needs time to replenish it. If this doesn’t happen you will not be able to workout with as much intensity and you have much greater chance of injuring yourself. The benefits happen in your body during your rest period and the more rested you are, the more intensity you can put into your workout.

Obliterate your Fat when you combine Good Nutrition and HIIT

A lot of people including yours truly believed that if you wanted to maximise weight loss it was best to do HIIT on an empty stomach. Recent research is showing that this just isn't so and in fact the opposite is true. Make sure you have had something to eat about half an hour before you exercise, make sure it something balanced and easily digestible, you don't want something heavy while you are exercising.

Alternate Your Interval Training Routines

One of the key principles around High Intensity Interval Training is preventing any type of plateau. It’s designed around pushing your body to constantly adapt, and as your body is always trying to please, it invariably does. When this happens your improvements slow down.
To counter this, always keep your body guessing, after you have done about 8 weeks on a particular HIIT program, give yourself one week off then start a new one.

To see the benefits of your interval training timer click on the following link
Gymboss Interval Timer

3 Tips To Getting Jacked and Lean

Craig Ballantye

If you’ve never heard of “Metabolic Resistance Training” (MRT), things are about to change for you in a big way. In fact, I’m willing to bet this is going to be the *new* hot training phase for 2009. You heard it here first.

It’s so hot, that my next product (hush, hush) is based completely on this new training system.

But most metabolic resistance training programs make 3 big mistakes.

First, they put the exercises in the wrong order.

Some programs are so whacked they start with arm curls before asking you do to do pull-ups.

You need to work from the top down, starting with the best exercises first in the ultimate bad-ass superset to start the program.

Not only will you get more results that way, but if you ever need to cut a workout short, you’ll be able to know that you already got near-maximum benefits just by doing the first superset – because that’s where you had your best exercises.

Second, incorrect MRT programs put “competing” exercises back to back in the routine.

What I mean by that is you’ll often see a pull-up followed immediately by an exercise where you have to hold dumbbells (such as lunges).

But your grip is going to be smoked by the pull-ups, and you won’t be able to hold enough weight to challenge your lower body. So the program is not as effective as it could be. The solution is using non-competing supersets like I do in Turbulence Training.

The third mistake is not using enough “absolute intensity”.

Now don’t get me wrong, almost all MRT programs are hard, but running a marathon is hard too – but that doesn’t make it INTENSE.

The best MRT programs organize the workout so your muscles still get a chance to lift as heavy as possible, even though your heart will be pounding and sweat will be pouring off your body.

Personally, I’ve always used the phrase, “Turbulence Training” when describing my workouts, rather than MRT.

I've put together a proven and perfectly designed metabolic resistance training program that you will love, especially if you want to get jacked and lean to dominate the summer pool parties and beach scene.

And especially if you’re into the “Las Vegas” style night life where better looks get better treatment. Sad but very true.

In fact, I built this exact program for a client of mine who now looks like a jacked up Randy Couture after using this system. The resemblance is funny, and the workout is intense.

1A) Deadlift – 8 reps
• Rest 1 minute.

1B) 1-Arm Standing DB Shoulder Press – 12 reps (1 side at a time)
• Rest 1 minute and repeat 3 more times.

2A) Chin-up – Max reps minus 1
• Rest 1 minute.

2B) Close-grip bench press – 12 reps
• Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times.

3A) DB Bulgarian Split Squat – 8 reps per side
• No rest.

3B) Ab Wheel or Stability Ball Rollout – 10 reps, taking 3 seconds to roll out
• Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

If you like that, you’ll love all my MRT workouts that will help you burn fat and build a beach body without the dishonor of slow boring cardio.


Craig Ballantye

Lean Hybrid Muscle Building Top 5 Questions

By Vince

Without surprise I have received many engaging questions about the brand new Lean Hybrid Muscle program my fitness friends Mike Westerdal and Elliot Hulse released, which promises that you can build muscle and lose fat at the same time with their methods.

As you know, I do not aggressively endorse methods for building muscle and losing fat simultaneously. Instead, I prefer to chase one goal at once but if two reputable coaches I respect are claiming this is possible, it would be ignorant for me to ignore their real world science and results.

I was especially interested in knowing if their “gain muscle and lose fat at the same time methods” could be used in replacement of my post cardio workout and you’ll see specific sample workouts below (question #5) that I’m performing instead of 20-30 minutes of walking on a treadmill etc. Their workouts are far more stimulating and better for overall conditioning which is why I thought you would be interested in having a look today. All the info is at:

Metabolic Resistance Click Here!

Top 5 Lean Hybrid Muscle Building Questions answered by Mike and Elliot below:

1. Is there really such thing as type III muscle fiber?

Like we mentioned yesterday, a Type III muscle fiber is just a cool name for a hybrid type II muscle fiber that takes on traits of a type I fiber.

It’s nothing new. It’s just something a lot of people haven’t heard about.
Early adaptors of this theory included Dr. Len Schwartz who in 1995 coined the phrase “Long Strength”. Dr. Schwartz describes Long strength as “the ability to exert significant strength for an extended period of time.”

John Parrillo-the second proponent of long strength-began having his bodybuilders doing really high intensity cardio. He claimed that doing this actually altered the muscle composition. He called this form a resistance training the “100 rep extended set,” saying that it helped the body to construct more mitochondria-the muscles’ “cellular blast furnaces.” He also says that this increases muscular growth by developing the circulatory pathways that provide nourishment to the muscles.

Ori Hofmekler is the third early adopter of the long strength concept. Ori developed a weight training system that he called, “Controlled Fatigue Training.” According to Ori, this type of training was specifically designed to develop these super hybrid muscles-ones that were capable of generating and sustaining strength for extended periods.

2. Why do we want a type 3 super muscle?

Reviewing what we talked about last time we know that Type 1 fibers have a higher mitochondrial density than type 2 thus they are more fuel efficient. Simply put, they burn fat for energy better than the type 2 fibers.

Type 2 fibers usually have a thicker diameter… they are bigger fibers. When they begin adopting the behavior of type 1 fibers by gradually increasing their mitochondrial density they ultimately become even BIGGER in size as well a better at burning fat for energy.

So if you want muscles that are BIGGER, STRONGER, have more ENDURANCE, and are better at FAT BURNING than you’ll want to develop these muscles.

3. How do we get them?

By combining cardio and resistance activities it causes the composition of muscles to transform from predominately type II or type IIb into Type III. By doing this, we are able to push “beyond our genetic limits,” much like the ancient Spartans, Gladiators and Vikings did.

Having more mitochondria in the muscle cells means that more nutrients can be processed, giving the muscles the ability to work considerably harder for longer periods. They’re also able to grow larger and are able to resist getting tired for longer periods.

Knowing this, we can see that the goal of cardio combined with resistance—sometimes known as hybrid cardio is to push our muscles to undergo a reconfiguration and increase the number of mitochondria in the cells.

4. Should I eat for size or fat loss during this program?

The answer to that is…it depends. Sometimes you’ll eat more calories and sometimes you’ll eat less. However nutrient timing is just one aspect of gaining muscle and burning fat.

Nutrition would be such an easy topic to practice and discuss if human beings were as simple as a mathematical equation.

You know… 10 – 3 = 7

But when it comes to the dynamic hormonal and nervous system fluctuations present in the human body… often times

10 – 3 = 478!!

With such various reactions to a broad spectrum of stimuli, the simple notion that calories in vs. calories out determines your fat loss or muscle building results, is a completely ineffective means for determining fitness results.

For example, when exposed to the harsh and threatening demands of prison life, many inmates continue to build thick, lean muscles despite the lack of access to high quality foods, proteins and supplements.

This is due to the highly anabolic state that their bodies are able to maintain when in such a testosterone driven environment. Also, have you ever met a fat person that barely eats? They consume very little calories yet they are obese! This is also due to a hormonal response. It also destroys the notion that lower calories equal less body fat.

Fat loss and muscle building are the result of several lifestyle and nutrition modifications, none more important than the other. All of our daily choices have an impact on our fitness results, not simply how much food we eat.

5. Can I continue my current workout and add Resistance Cardio at the end of my workouts for 20-30 minutes?

Yes that’s a great idea. That’s a hybrid workout in itself. Continue to train with weights for strength, muscle growth and toning. Than instead of doing 30-minutes of traditional cardio on a treadmill or stationary bike add some resistance cardio to your workout to start developing the Type III muscle fiber.

To do hybrid cardio all you need to is combine aerobic and anaerobic (resistance) activities. You can do this by adding dumbbells to your cardio workout.

If you want to go jogging, try wearing a weight vest while doing it. If you want to do something low impact, pick up some kettlebells or dumbbells and walk up a flights of stairs. Interval hybrid cardio using your bodyweight is another good option.

Another idea is to set up a circuit of pull-ups, squats, box jumps and push-ups. Alternate exercises every 20-30 seconds and keep moving. Keep going for 20-minutes. I guarantee you a bodyweight circuit like this will be faster, burn more calories and keep you more entertained. You can mix things up even more by holding each position for five to ten seconds—up for pull-ups and push-ups, down for lunges and squats.

Once the bodyweight cardio exercises aren’t challenging enough you can try a few of these sample Metabolic Resistance Cardio workouts to do at the end of your normal workouts. They are all full body workouts, so feel free to rotate through them, it doesn’t matter which one you pick.

Remember your muscles will already be somewhat fatigued from the weight training session you just performed so you’ll want to use a much lighter weight when doing this kind of resistance cardio after a weight training session.
These hybrid “resistance cardio” workouts can be done with 2 20 lb dumbbells or with a barbell at the gym at the end of your workouts.

No rest between exercises, Take 3-5 mins rest after the circuit and complete 3-5 rounds.

1a. Barbell Back Squats x 5
1b. DB overhead Walking Lunges x 20 steps
1c. Chin Ups x 10
1d. Jumping Burpees x 10

OR

a. DB squat / push press x 20
b. DB lunges x 10 ea.
c. DB renegade rows x 10 ea.
d. Jumping Burpees x 10

OR

a. DB overhead walking lunges x 30 yds.
b. DB Squats x 20
c. Skip Rope x 100
d. Sit Ups x 15

OR

a. BW Squat Jumps x 15
b. DB step ups x 10 ea
c. Explosive Push Ups x 15
d. Knees to Bows (if chin up bar is present) x 10

OR

a. Bear Crawls x 30 yds.
b. Sprint x 30 yds back
c. DB burpee presses
d. repeat 5 times

Here’s one you can do with Kettlebells.

KB Snatches: 5 reps per arm
KB Clean & Press: 5 reps per arm
KB Lunges: 5 reps per leg
KB Squats: 10 reps
KB One Armed Rows: 10 reps per arm
KB Two Handed Swings: 20 reps

If you’ve been doing traditional low-intensity cardio post workout for more than a few months I’m going to challenge you to mix things up and incorporate some Metabolic Resistance Cardio post workout which will not only increase your shape but contribute to better fat burning and muscle gains. You’ll also notice that you develop a more vascular and ripped looked like a MMA fighter with this training.

For more info on Metabolic Resistance Training Click Here!

Vince

Gain Muscle and Lose Fat with “Type III Muscle Fibers”

By Vince

Don’t worry, I’ll explain that in a moment and how some proven research supports the concept of developing a “Type III Super Fiber” to aid you in gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time.

I’ve learned a lot from those $120 University text books but when it comes to cutting edge training information they’re often the last to get the “update”.
To be honest with you, this isn’t something you’re going to be reading or hearing a lot about unless you’re connected with some high level strength & conditioning coaches.

To save you from brushing the dust off your old physiology text books lets quickly review what we know about the different muscle fiber types.
1. To keep things simple there are two main types of muscle fibers. Type I and Type II which are composed of Type IIa and Type IIb.

Type I muscle fibers are slow-twitch which means they contract slowly making them great for endurance. These muscles are suited to aerobic activities like long distance running since they don’t fatigue as easy.

Type II muscle fibers are fast-twitch. They contract quicker, but they get tired a lot faster. Sprinters and power athletes usually have a lot of type II muscle fibers.
2. Unfortunately, genetics determine exactly what types of fibers make up your muscle composition. You can’t change the percentages you were born with….

….However what you can do is “reconfigure” muscle fibers to take on different characteristics, somewhat “tricking” your genetics. This is not an overnight procedure and focuses on specific training methods that selectively recruit both types of muscle fibers in the same workout or activity.

Introducing The Type III Muscle Fiber…

While in Orlando, Florida a few weeks ago I got to meet up with a couple strong man coaches, Elliott Hulse and Mike Westerdal who have been hiding away in their gym, perfecting this killer new training system they “accidentally” discovered.

Here’s what they explained to me:

“By combining resistance weight training with cardio training in the same set, we force the thicker stronger Type-II (fast twitch) muscle fibers to behave more like Type-I (slow twitch) fibers.

By utilizing both types of muscle fibers in the same exercise we can actually build a “HYBRID” Type-IIC muscle fiber that has been nicknamed a Type-III.”

Vince, can you translate what those guys told you?

Well let’s think about this for a second. We know that Type 1 fibers have a higher mitochondrial density than type 2 thus they are more fuel efficient. Simply put, they burn fat for energy better than the type 2 fibers.

Type 2 fibers usually have a thicker diameter… they are bigger fibers. When they begin adopting the behavior of type 1 fibers by gradually increasing their mitochondrial density they ultimately become even BIGGER in size as well a better at burning fat for energy.

Look, a Type III muscle fiber is just a cool name for a hybrid type II muscle fiber that takes on traits of a type I. They’re not claiming to have invented a new muscle or anything.

How Do You Develop A Type III Super Muscle That Is Bigger, Stronger And Better At Burning Fat?

Like I mentioned earlier it’s going to take a particular training style. In fact this training mimics the way that our ancestors used to live. They didn’t train with weights one day and run laps the next. No. The kinds of activities they did every day would have been very much like the kind of training that’s ideal for developing this kind of hybrid muscle.

Our ancestors were both muscular and lean and it didn’t result from things they set out intentionally to do but rather, it was a natural byproduct of the way they lived their lives.

They were able to both build muscle and burn fat at the same time without even having to consciously think about. By adopting some of the very same training principles that they employed, modern man can achieve the same results.

To discover how you can tap into your hybrid muscle fibers in order to build muscle and burn fat simultaneously please read more at:

Click Here!

Gain 30 Pounds Of Muscle Like Taylor Lautner

By Vince

Okay, okay, I’ll admit, I went to see the blockbuster hit, New Moon, tonight with Flavia. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one in the saga, Twilight, but it did inspire me to write about Taylor Lautner. If you have a little sister, daughter, niece or girlfriend then you’ve probably heard of Taylor. He plays Jacob Black, the bad ass were wolf who got into outstanding condition for his role.

(Hey guys, in my defense, I ‘ve been a huge vampire and werewolf fan since I was younger so I’m a sucker for monster movies – although this saga could use a lot more testosterone for my liking. And to maintain my manliness during the movie, at one cheesy point in the movie I pretended I was snoring for a good 3 seconds – just in case anyone recognized me).

Back to Taylor Lautner. What I was most impressed about during the movie was the amount of giggling from the girls during the shirtless scenes in the movie. And I could even hear some dudes whispering about how fit he looked.

Then it hit me.

We need more Taylor Lautners.

Sure, we have Ryan Reynolds, Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig getting jacked for their blockbuster movies but who has filled the void for the younger generation?

Even though Arnold in Terminator and Stallone in Rambo inspired me beyond belief, I could not connect with their level of muscularity at a deep level. It was too unrealistic for me and I’m sure many people reading this would agree.

I’m confident that Taylor is going to make a major impact on young people, especially male teens. I’m guessing a lot of males are going to hit the gym shortly after seeing this movie so they can muscle up like Taylor did.

From my reading Taylor packed on 30 pounds of muscle for New Moon and he’s no Vince Del Monte but I got to say he looks really, really impressive. And in a recent interview before the filming of New Moon I picked up a few lines that stood out:

“…a few weeks ago I gained 20 pounds and guaranteed 10 more pounds and I already put on 6 pounds…”

Take home message:

It is possible to gain over 20 pounds of muscle in a short period of time.
He guaranteed 10 more pounds which shows supreme confidence and belief in himself.

“…I’m not sure how many inches around….”

Take home message:

When asked, “How big are your biceps?” You don’t need to be concerned with numbers – just how you look in the mirror.

“…I hope it’s paying off because it took A LOT of hard work.”

Take home message:

It took a lot of HARD WORK. Taylor didn’t mention anything about powders, potions or pills!

“…I’m going to put on 4 more pounds and I’m going to go ABOVE AND BEYOND…”

Take home message:

More supreme confidence in his belief and a relentless determination to keep growing. His last few words reflects the attitude you should have too.

If He Can Do It, So Can You!

From some reading I learned that Taylor started out 5′10″, 140-pounds, scrawny and weak teenager. Now his body represents a powerful werewolf and dominates the screen as a rippled fitness animal.

If Taylor can gain 30 pounds of muscle in a year then I see no reason you can’t either. And if you’re a complete beginner than you’re just like Taylor. His trainer, Jordan Yuam was quoted as saying, “The less muscle you have, the easier it is to gain muscle mass more quickly.”
I experienced the same. Inexperience works to your advantage because your body has zero stimulus and most receptive to the new stress it’s forced to adapt too.

5 Muscle Principles Taylor Lautner Followed

1. Heavy weights.

This is taught in my No Nonsense Series and you’ll hear me say over and over that you need to get a healthy taste of heavier weights to pack on mass.

2. Mixing up your volume.

It sounds like Taylor’s trainer ripped a few pages out of my muscle book because you’ll find that one of the key ingredients is mixing up the volume to muscle up. Lifting heavier is not the only way.

3. Long periods of tension.

Anybody who’s gone through my advanced muscle program knows what this is all about. To recruit all the muscle fibers and speed up muscle growth it’s critical that you put your muscles under enough tension. Sets that last 40 seconds to 80 seconds is the ideal period of tension for hypertrophy.

4. Cut down on cardio.

Between weight training and diet it’s amazing how much fat you can lose and muscle you can pack on. I don’t recommend more than 20 minutes of cardio, three times a week, if you’re looking to pack on at least 30 pounds of muscle. When I gained 41 lbs of muscle in 6 months, I did zero cardio and didn’t gain any fat but then again I had to previous exposure to weights.

5. Don’t forget to recover.

In total, you won’t need to train more than 5 days a week. At least 3-4 weight training workouts without doing more than 2-3 weight training workouts in a roll will keep you body growing with out plateauing.

Vince Del Monte Click here to find out more...

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A "little-known" TRUTH about ABS...

Vince DelMonte

Aren't you annoyed every time you read a "how to get abs" article and all it says is the same old same old?


You know what advice I'm talking about...


"You already have a 6-pack but it's covered by a layer of blubber!"


Duh! Tell me something I don't know.


And that's true... SORT OF!


You see, too many people have put in all the "hard work" to get to single digit body fat levels only to find that when the fat is gone...


...their abs are still FLAT AS A PANCAKE!


Wouldn't that suck?


You bust your butt and diet your brain off till you get single digit body fat and all you have it a "flat stomach" like a skinny runner.


Now I'm sure many would be happy with just a flat and firm stomach but let's face it... the trophy of all trophies is a chiseled, dense set of 6-pack abs that you could bounce a quarter off of.


=============
So here's the REAL
"truth" about ABS...
=============


You actually have to HAVE "muscle" on your abs in order to achieve that chiseled, "popping out" look!


Plus, here's one more little "unknown" that will make getting a 6-pack EASIER...


You see, the amount of muscle you have on your abs will determine whether you start seeing your "pack" poke through at 10% body fat or 6% body fat. I can see see my 4-pack at 13% fat because I have muscular abs.


And TRUST ME...there's a WORLD of difference in that 4% gap, as anyone who's ever tried to "diet down" to single digit body fat levels will tell you!


As far as I'm concerned, if I can look great at 10% body fat because my abs have more muscle and are more defined, then all the better...easier abs!


So you see, the key is to TRAIN your abs hard in the gym, just like ANY other muscle...with RESISTANCE!


Just tonight I was doing 8 sets of 5 on weighted crunches with 30 seconds rest for my abs and man do they feel thick and rock hard after wards.


Sure, there are a lot of machines you can find at your local gym that will target your midsection, but...


================================
Here's a "Quick Bodyweight Tip"
For Training ABS...
================================


Most people are especially challenged with hitting their LOWER ABS.


Try this out today...


Find yourself a DECLINE BENCH and a bath-sized TOWEL.


Roll the towel up into about a cylinder, about 6 inches high.


Lay on the decline bench with your head toward the top and your legs straight with feet on the floor.


Place the towel from left to right under your lower back and grab the bench behind your head with both hands to gain leverage.


The towel increases the range of motion in your abs and ALSO gives you incredible lower ab activation.


Now, keeping your legs STRAIGHT, raise them in the air until you're in the shape of a "V" and breathe out forcefully at the peak contraction point.


Lower your legs SLOWLY but don't give them a break at the bottom.


Raise them back up in the air and continue back and forth until exhaustion.


When you're abs are toast, finish them off by bending your legs at the knees and doing "reverse crunches" in the same fashion, bringing your knees up toward your chest.


================================
Want even MORE "abs advice" +
advanced training tips for EVERY MUSCLE?


Check this out: No Nonsence Muscle

Protein Powder, The Skinny Guy's Guide To Protein Powder

By Vince DelMonte


So what do you really need to know about protein powder? As a skinny guy or beginner to the whole bodybuilding scene you simply want to know a few answers. Is protein powder necessary? Does it really work? How much do I need? What kind should I take? What is the best? And finally, will any of these answers make a difference when it comes to getting jacked and attracting the ladies?

This article is not meant for you if you want to learn the science behind the ion-exchanged, cross-mutaed, isotopically labeled protein tracers - blah blah blah. In this article, I will strip away all the hype, science, and confusion that surrounds protein powder. By the time you are through this article and put it to memory, you will become the resident protein powder expert and amaze your friends the next time you visit the sport nutrition store. No more 2-hour shopping trips for protein powder because you don't really have a clue what to look for!

Is Protein Powder really necessary?

So, although protein supplements are not an absolute requirement for gaining mass, I have yet to meet any person able to get 400 grams of protein per day from cooking food. If your protein intake is greater than 200 grams per day I will suggest a protein powder - it will make your life a lot easier.

In addition, dollar for dollar, protein powders and meal replacement drinks tend to be more cost effective than whole food. Don't get me wrong, though. Protein powders are still supplements in my book. Supplement means an addition to the diet. I emphasize this because the focus of any diet should be food. Whole food is often preferable to powders because it can offer a whole spectrum of nutrients that powders cannot.

Most of your dietary protein should come from meat, fish, poultry and eggs. However getting all your protein from whole food is not always practical or convenient, especially if you have to eat 6 or more times a day to get your required intake. I will stress to you, for optimal muscle gains, you should limit yourself to a maximum of three shakes per day or 40 % of your meals. To some this might even sound like it's going 'overboard' and I would not disagree.

The bottom line is that both food and supplements are necessary to achieve a complete nutritional balance as well as the desired level of protein intake, especially if you're not a big fan of cooking. And I assume that over 95% of you reading this do not have a personal maid at home cooking all your meals while you sit around waiting for your next meal. Do not make the fatal mistake of thinking protein powders can take the place of a solid training and nutrition program.

Does protein powder really work and are they healthy?

I get this question emailed to me almost every day. I just showed how it 'works' as a supplement to help you hit your supplemental protein mark but you are probably still wondering, 'Yeah, but is protein powder going to help me get muscular or is it a scam?" A better question would be, "Does protein really work?" and the obvious answer is 'yes.' You are fully aware that protein is composed of building blocks called amino acids, which performs a variety of functions in the body such as building and maintaining healthy muscles when combined with diet and exercise. Protein also:

Supports red blood cell production
Boosts your immune system
Keeps your hair, fingernails, and skin healthy

However, not all protein powder is created equal. Most protein powder contains an array of questionable ingredients such as aspartame, saccharin, fructose and artificial colors. It's interesting to note how unhealthy most of these protein powders actually are. Look for a protein powder with natural ingredients rather than products that are sweetened with chemicals and made with ingredients that are certainly not going to create an environment for muscle growth and fat burning.

Also avoid products with refined carbohydrates such as fructose, sucrose or brown rice syrup. Make sure that the product is made from a reputable company that is genuinely interested in good health. Unfortunately supplement manufacturers will continue to meet the demands of bodybuilding consumers with unknown crappy products because we buy it and it is cheaper for them to create. Do your homework by seeking out unbiased reviews, investigating the company’s history, and reputation. And then make a decision and take responsibility!

In the past one of my criteria for a healthy protein product was that it was great tasting and that it should mix easily. Most protein powders mix quite easily, even with a spoon, however I was disappointed to discover that taste will inevitably be sacrificed for a safe and healthy product. I can live with this. You see, once a product is removed of all artificial chemical sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose, and simple sugars, it is left almost tasteless and sometimes even gross.

How much protein powder do I need?

A better question would be, "How much pure protein do I need to achieve my goals?"

Protein is an extremely important macro nutrient and should be eaten frequently throughout the day. I recommend at least 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. This means that if you are 150 pounds and 10% body fat (150 x 0.10 = 15 lbs of fat leaving 135 lbs of lean mass), you will require at least 135 to approximately 205 grams of protein per day.

I recommend that protein powder be used primarily for your pre-workout, workout and post-workout shake. This is when liquid food is more advantageous over whole food since it has a faster absorption rate.

I do not recommend protein powder do be used for meal replacements for more than two meals. Here is what a typical day might look like:

Meal 1 (breakfast) - whole food

Meal 2 (mid morning) - liquid protein meal

Meal 3 (lunch) - whole food

Meal 4 (mid afternoon) whole food

Meal 5 (pre and post workout) liquid protein meal

Meal 6 (dinner) whole food

Meal 7 (before bed) whole food

What kind of protein powder should I use?

Before deciding which protein powder is necessary, here is a short protein primer to help you make sense of the thousands of different protein powders from which to choose:

WHEY PROTEIN makes up 20% of total milk protein. Whey is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, high cysteine content, rapid digestion, and interesting variety of peptides. Since it is very quickly digested the best time to consume it is before your workout, during your workout or immediately after your workout. These would be considered the phase in the day where you need energy the most and when your body is in anabolic state.

CASEIN PROTEIN makes up 80% of total milk protein. Casein is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, slow digestive nature, and interesting variety of peptides. Since casein is slowly digested into your bloodstream, don't use it during workouts or after workouts - you need a fast absorbing protein at these times. Instead, use a casein protein for all other times outside the pre and post workout window.

SOY PROTEIN is the most controversial of all protein types. While the soy groupies have gone to great lengths to label soy as a super food with magical effects, there is also a good amount of research that suggests soy protein may be contraindicated in many situations. BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONFUSION, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, I SUGGEST AVOIDING SOY PROTEIN ALTOGETHER AND STICKING TO THE OTHER TYPES LISTED.

Protein Blends are generally a combination of several types of protein blends such as whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, egg protein, casein protein, and soy protein.

Why would you want a blend anyway? You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein - use this kind at any time of the day but NOT before or after a workout.

Whey hydrolysates (also known as hydrolyzed whey protein, and are also called peptides), are powerful proteins that are more quickly absorbed; more so than any other form, since your body prefers peptides to whole proteins. Hydrolysates are produced through very low heat, low acid and mild enzymatic filtration processes, (those highest in the essential and the branched chain amino acids) and are potentially the most anabolic for short-term protein synthesis such as the pre and post-workout window.

Whey Protein Versus Whey Isolate:

Most whey protein powders that stock the supplement shelves are made up of whey concentrate and mixed in with a small portion of whey isolate. Comparing the two, whey protein isolate is more expensive than whey protein concentrate because it has a higher quality (more pure) and a higher BV (biological value). Whey protein isolate contains more protein and less fat and lactose per serving. Most whey protein isolates contain 90-98% protein while whey concentrates contain 70-85% protein.

Whey protein isolate is the highest yield of protein currently available that comes from milk. Because of its chemical properties it is the easiest to absorb into your system. Obviously with its high concentration, it appears that an isolate protein would be the obvious choice instead of a concentrate. However, this is an individual decision because the isolate is more expensive, and just because it is purer does not guarantee that it will help build bigger muscles. Its extra concentration may not justify its extra cost.


SO WHAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE? WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

For the Pre-workout and Post-workout phases, as long as whey hydrolysate is the first or second ingredient on the supplement label then there is probably not enough in the product to influence protein synthesis to reap the optimal benefits. As stated, whey isolates are also a extremely high quality whey and for maximal anabolism isolates should be combined with whey hydrolysates for only the pre-workout and post-workout phases of your program. The inclusion of small amounts of whey concentrates will not harm you but this should not be the first ingredient on the tub of protein powder.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE STRONGEST PROTEIN POWDER TO EXPLOIT YOUR FULL GROWTH POTENTIAL DURING THE GROWTH AND RECOVERY PHASES (ANY TIME OTHER THAN PRE AND POST WORKOUT PERIOD) THEN USE A BLEND.

You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein.

Conclusion

I hope this article familiarized you with the basics of protein powder and gave you a foundation to work from when deciding on your next order. Don't get caught up in the hype and start becoming a more educated consumer when you take your next trip to the nutrition store. Now you can tell the sales rep exactly what you are looking for instead of staring blankly at the shelves without a clue!

Oh yeah, protein powder will help you get more jacked and attract the ladies, but it's not going to do it in a 'ultra short period of time' with the simple addition to your diet.

To have a look at Vince's site for more great info click here

Comprehensive nutrition plan for optimum fat loss

Diet...NO.... Nutrition Strategy

Diet Nutrition Plan "we don't use the word diet as diet employs a beginning and end"

By: Simon Howard, model LA Muscle

Everyone places a different emphasis on the importance of diet / training / attitude. If you take a look around your gym you will see loads of people training hard doing loads of cardio etc. But look at them in 6 months and do they still look the same? Odds are they look the same, now what you don't see is what they do in the over 23 hours of the day, eating sleeping and resting. Common sense tells us that our body's work in synergy, it's a combination of all these factors that dictates what shape we are in and how quickly we achieve our goals. Firstly there is no one solution, no right and wrong way. What follows is the balanced approach I've taken to my nutrition this year.
I believe in a layered approach that can be altered according to your progress. So I will take you through the layers and a little bit about my nutrition plan.


Layer 1 - Clean Up

Almost a pre-diet diet (I know we shouldn't be using the "D" word). The goal of this layer is to get all the rubbish and get your nutrition to look like an athlete. I like to work with bullet points, set myself mini targets, weekly or daily whatever works. By taking these smalls steps, it avoids major changes and keeps everything easy to adapt to.

An example is

WEEK 1

Cut out all junk (Absolutely no chocolate, crisp, take away etc)
Eat multiple meals (6 meals a day, this can be 3 meals and 3 snacks,)
Protein at every meal
Only one cheat meal a week
By employing this approach it eases you into your diet and you should start losing fat (were after fat loss not weight loss, anyone can lose water and muscle) with little effort. The main points in this section are

Cutting junk food
Eating multiple meals
Same as above eating every 3 hours
Making sure the meals contain quality Protein / Carbs / Fat (please see the list of good food choices)
Limit cheat / non diet meals
Be Consistent, you need to follow your plan day in day out to get results
That's about it for Layer one. This layer can last as long as you want 1 - 4 weeks. You should be monitoring your weight (again weight loss isn't the whole story remember to use the mirror to monitor if its fat or muscle your losing) to make sure your moving in the right direction. Some good food choices are below, you can be creative with these and use your common sense to determine good choices, we all know the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods.

Protein, - Chicken / Turkey / Steak / Tuna / Salmon / Eggs / La Whey
Carbs, - Oats / Rice / Potatoes / Vegetables
Fats - Flaxseed Oil / Nuts / Fatty Fish / Eggs




Layer 2 - The Numbers

I'm a lazy person, and hate weighing and measuring foods but it is important to establish a baseline food intake. If you just measure your portions by eye it's very easy to allow extra food, there is a number of easy methods to establish consistent portions without have to weigh everything. If you are happy the measure everything great, you will be able to be exact with your portions. The method I ended up using was cups, I bought a set of American cup measures from a supermarket (they only cost pennies) and theses allow me an easy way to monitor my portions. To make my life easier I only counted Carbs and fats. Protein, I would just make sure I was getting a good serving at every meal, 1 chicken breast or tin of tuna etc. So for example a typical lunch would be

1 cup cooked brown rice / one medium chicken breast / 2 onions / 1 tbsp flaxseed oil
Nice and simple and we know the calories, carbs etc will be approx the same every time. By doing this we establish a baseline food intake. Now by monitoring your weight we can adjust your food intake to keep your fat loss going. For instance if you are losing weight on your baseline plan, stick with that plan until the weight loss slows. Then we can take away from the diet, I would start with taking ¼ a cup of rice away from my lunch and dinner. This creates a calorie deficit that will cause the fat loss we are after. Again you can continue with this stage as long as it continues to work. Be careful not to reduce your food intake too much, I only dropped my carbs to half a serving, i.e if I started with 1 cup I worked down to ½ a cup. Below is my initial nutrition plan


TRAIN (10G Glutamine Absolute) 1 CUP OF COFFEE
POST TRAINING - 2 SCPS GLUCOSE / 2 SNACK A JACKS CRAMEL / 2 SCOOPS LA Whey 2.2KG
MEAL 1 - HALF OAT CAKE, 1 SCP WHEY, 1TSP PEANUT BUTTER
MEAL 2 - 1 CUP RICE, 1 TIN OF TUNA, VEG, 1TBSP OIL
MEAL 3 - HALF OAT CAKE, 1 SCP WHEY, 1TSP PEANUT BUTTER
MEAL 4 - LEAN MEAT (CHICKEN/TURKEY/BEEF), 1 CUP RICE, 1TBSP OIL,, VEG
CARDIO (10 G Glutamine Absolute) 30 MINS WALK
MEAL 5 - 2 SCPS LA Whey 2.2KG, 1 TBSP PEANUT BUTTER, MULTI VITS ETC


I slowly reduced my food intake down to ½ cup of rice etc, this was dictated by the rate my body was losing fat. Don't be scared to keep your food intake high or even up it if you are losing weight to fast, all that good wholesome rev's your metabolic rate and keeps your burning calories. The trick is to be losing fat on as much food as possible this helps avoid muscle loss. I will mention recipes and tips at the end of the article.


Layer 3 - Food Choice


Reducing food intake and increasing exercise is great for losing fat but obviously you reach a point where the body will become catabolic (where the body breaks down at a faster rate than it can rebuild itself) if you continue. My way too combat this was rather than reduce my food intake further I decided to alter my food choices to lower calorie choices. For instance on the above plan the first thing to go was the peanut butter, butter peanut is great but there are much more efficient fat sources available. So peanut butter would be replaced with Flaxseed oil or a good oil blend. The next major change was to change to only a lean low calorie protein source, so steak was replaced with chicken or turkey. Then Turkey mince was replaced with turkey breast. So the above Nutrition plan after layer 2 and layer 3 is


TRAIN (10G GLUTAMINE) 1 CUP OF COFFEE
POST TRAINING - 2 SCOOPS LA Whey 2.2KG
MEAL 1 - HALF OAT CAKE,
MEAL 2 - 1/2 CUP RICE, 1 TIN OF TUNA, 1TBSP OIL 2 ONIONS
MEAL 3 - HALF OAT CAKE,
MEAL 4 - 1 CHICKEN BREAST, 1/2 CUP RICE, 1TBSP OIL, 2 ONIONS
CARDIO (10 G Glutamine Absolute) 30 MINS WALK
MEAL 5 - 2 SCPS LA Whey 2.2KG, 1 TBSP OIL, Multi_Protector ETC


So you see by slowly reducing the food intake and food choice we can maintain a good fat loss on a nice healthy plan with lots of good quality food. As you will notice above every meal is still balanced, we have no carbs post training (this should be last thing to go as your body needs carbs after training to recover) to reduce total calories, oatcake is a blend of oats and whole eggs (fats, carbs and protein) the rest of the meals are well balanced. We have omitted carbs from meal 5 to further reduce calories, you will use less energy when you are asleep so don't need as many carbs. We have kept the fat in this meal so it slows the digestion of the protein and we can drip feed our muscles during our sleep. Again its sticking with stage and tweaking it as the scales and mirror tell you.


Tip and Recipes


Part of sticking to a diet is making it convenient and making sure it fits your life style. So obviously it's all the basic tip here

Make sure your cupboards are stocked with your diet foods
Always make a shopping list
Do your weeks / months shopping in one go, avoiding frequent trips to shops avoids temptation
Cook your food in bulk, I always have a big tub of cooked rice ready in my fridge
Don't carry loose change, means you haven't got the money for that sneaky chocolate bar
Always have your meals with you (I like to have my next 2 meals with me in case I get held up)
Use spices and seasonings to help you attain your goals, Cayenne pepper and cinnamon are both potent fat burners / thermogenic and are pennies in supermarkets
Cheat meals, you can keep cheat meals in but your progress will be quicker without them, trust me (I know wish it wasn't)
Above are only a few basic tips but there are literally 100s of little tips
A few meals to make diet meals quick and easy. These are two meals I eat everyday on my diet.
Oat Cake - I read about this from Ian Duckett and have tweaked my own recipe a bit. Bear in mind you will have to adjust the quantities to suit your diet.

Ingredients

1 cup of oat
6 egg white 2 yolks
¼ cup raisins
¼ pitted dates
1 chopped banana
1 tbsp cinnamon


Mix all the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and place in microwave for 5mins on high power. Allow to cool and serve. The above recipe makes 2 servings for me.


Chicken / Tuna and rice
1 chicken breast / 1 tin of tuna
½ cup cooked rice
2-4 onions
1 chopped cup mushrooms
2 chopped bell peppers
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
Low cal cooking spray


Chop all ingredients small, lightly fry chicken/tuna in low cal oil. Add chilli powder and cayenne pepper. When chicken is cooked add veg (onions, mushrooms and peppers) and continue to stir fry. Add the cooked rice last, lightly fry in oil. And serve, trust me the chilli powder and cayenne will make sure your getting your 4 litres of water down a day.


Well that's it, no secrets just a balanced measured approach that you can tailor to fit your lifestyle. Just remember be consistent. This doesn't work with days off, follow your plan everyday and you'll reach your goals quicker.


The No Plan - Plan

What do you do after you've achieved you've achieved your fat loss goals? Well as with anything its a learning curve. My goals are to stay in shape year round and not balloon up like I have done previous years. To do this I intend to employ the reverse of the above approach and slowly increase my food intake and food choices while monitoring my weight and body fat levels.

LA Muscle

At home lower AB workout

Many people consider that the lower abs are the most difficult abdominal muscle to define. Developing a lean hard-ripped midsection requires great effort and patience, especially when it comes to lose those last few pounds. The lower abs can be the most stubborn and exercise-resistant area regarding the loss of body fat. Unfortunately, some individuals are so obsessed with this spot that do not hesitate to use extremely hazardous diet drugs or liposuction. Others use the latest abs devices or do countless sit-ups, all to no avail. Don’t be kidding yourself! The only proved method of get rid of the adipose tissue is the proper combination of a healthy diet, aerobics, a comprehensive abdominal training and weight training.

Before we proceed to the At Home training routine that's main target would be the development of the lower abs, lets clear some thoughts. First of all you have to realize that there is no such thing as ‘spot reduction’. In simple words you can’t isolate where you are going to reduce body fat. When you burn fat, you will draw it from all areas of the body, including your feet, neck and hands!, it won't just come off your stomach!! the first place you tend to hold it will be the last place it comes off. When it comes to these ‘stubborn’ spots genetics play a crucial role. Both sexes have different genetic patterns of fat storage. In women, the stubborn areas tend to be the hips, thighs and buttocks. In men it’s usually the lower abs. These genetic traits cannot be altered or changed through diet or training alone. They are unchangeable. You should understand that the shape of your abs is entirely genetic. If you do not have great abs naturally, a million of crunches won’t build a hard six-pack mid-section. The number of rows of abdominal muscles you possess (or packs) is also entirely a matter of genetics. Most people have three rows = 6 Pack, but some have four rows = 8 Pack. Whatever the number of abs God gave you is what you have. You cannot do anything about it.

One of the most common quotes I’ve heard from people in my health club over the years is “I’ve had some success toning my abdominal area but as hard as I try I just can’t seem to get the lower part to show, why can’t I seem to get this area like everything else?!” Well the answer usually is one of two things: A) they may not be doing enough cardio and not dieting properly or B) they may not have the right routine to really target this elusive area. So, that’s what we will discuss today, a great lower ab routine to carve out those lower abs...and you can do it at home!

Keep in mind, this routine alone won’t simply give you great lower abs. Proper diet and a steady amount of cardio are equally important to really sculpting this area. However this routine complimented by cardio on an empty stomach 1st thing in the morning and proper nutrition may just be the answer to the elusive challenge of finishing off a perfect six pack.

Visit the Webs’ No.1 Abdominal Training Resource How To Get Ripped Abs for more great tips on carving those abs.

Leg Training Myths

You know the guy who floats around the gym nit-picking everybody's technique? The guy who offers constructive criticism without being constructive? Well, we got sick of listening to his pseudo-knowledge about leg training, so we decided to give you the low down to some of the most common "tips" you hear.

The Parallel Universe

Myths:
"When doing leg presses, don't go more than half-way down."
"When squatting, don't go below parallel."

Real-World Response
Have you ever watched kids learn to stand? They begin in a full squat. In fact, the fetal position is a full squat. That's how your knee actually developed — in the full squat position.

Don't come back at me saying that a fetal position isn't loaded. That statement actually proves my point. It's not the position itself that's dangerous. If you're an idiot and don't know how to load properly, then we have big problems.

Ask any orthopedic surgeon or physical therapist at what degree of knee-bend one performs the "drawer test?" It's at 90 degrees. In this position, the knee joint is most unstable. If you're trying to assess the integrity of the ligaments, you want minimal interference from other structures.

You can imagine how much force is on the knee ligaments if the athlete descends with a weight and then at the most unstable point (90 degrees), reverses momentum and accelerates in the opposite direction. Couple this with the fact that nearly everyone is capable of squatting more weight to parallel than to the full squat position, and you set your body up for a problem.

Myth:

"Don't let your knee pass your foot during lunges."

Real-World Response
This one is really easy. My answer is, what about the other knee? In a lunge, it's apparently too dangerous for the knee of the front leg to extend past the toes. Meanwhile the knee of the back leg is past the toes the whole time.

I've had people respond by saying that there's no load on the back leg during a lunge. Okay then, put 70kg on your back and go down to the bottom of a lunge. Now lift your back foot off the floor. I rest my case.

Scientific Response
When talking about knees going forward, one study jumps out. Fry, Smith, and Schilling (2003) examined joint kinetics during back squats under two conditions.
The first condition placed a board in front of the participants' shins, which restricted forward displacement of the knee. In the second condition, movement wasn't restricted at all. They squatted normally and the knees were allowed to pass the toes.

The researchers found that restricting the forward excursion of the knees during the squat increased anterior lean of the trunk and promoted an increased "internal angle at the knees and ankles."

The results showed a 22% decrease in knee torque and a 1070% increase in hip torque! That stress has to go somewhere. Keeping the knees behind the toes definitely reduces the forces on the knee, but those forces were transferred more than tenfold to the hips and lower back.

Obviously this study was in regard to squatting. However, the knee angle in a lunge would be similar and we could expect similar findings.

Wrap-Up
• For strength and joint health, using the full range of motion on squats is more beneficial than squatting to parallel.
• Squatting deep isn't any more hazardous to the knees than squatting shallow.
• Keeping your knees behind your toes when squatting or lunging is a little better for your knees, but much, much worse for your hips and lower back.

How to Gain Muscle & Lose Fat

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training

Are you ready for my famous "gain muscle or lose fat" chart?

I know this is going to make a few people mad, but it's the truth about whether a guy should lose fat or gain muscle. If he doesn't stick to my recommendations, he won't get the ripped abs and muscles he wants.

I often get scrawny guys asking me how to lose fat, when they have no muscle underneath the fat...they think they will look good if they "get ripped", but in reality, will look like they are starving. They should focus on gaining muscle instead.

This is a harsh lesson in reality, but too many guys are trying to lose weight when the focus should be on gaining muscle.

In fact, through my experience in working with athletes and dozens of men in the gym trying to lose fat and gain muscle, I've come up with a height-weight chart that determines whether or not you should lose weight.

Here's the chart identifying the cut-off weight for muscle building, and the rule below.

5'6" - 140 pounds
5'7" - 145 pounds
5'8" - 150 pounds
5'9" - 155 pounds
5'10 - 160 pounds

And so on. For every inch taller, add 5 pounds. For every inch shorter, subtract 5 pounds.

For example, if you are 5'8", 150 pounds, you should NOT be focusing on losing weight. You need to gain muscle if you want to look good on the beach and have muscle. Focusing on weight loss would be the worst thing you could do. If you do, you'll look like crap, and practically anorexic, to be blunt.

Instead, you must focus on gaining muscle. This will improve the appearance of your body, and take you from a stick-figure to a lean, muscular physique with a better chance of seeing your abs.

And don't worry, you're not going to look huge. At 5'8", a guy would have to be at least 180 in order to be considered "jacked" or "huge".

And the best news of all? Because skinny guys are untrained, simply starting a muscle building program will give them maximum fat loss and muscle gain at the same time. They are going to get the best of both worlds.

To use Turbulence Training to gain muscle and lose fat, simply stick to the weight training workouts only. Avoid the hard interval cardio for at least 4 weeks as you gain muscle, and eat extra calories right after your workout (as well as having a bigger breakfast than normal). These two changes will
allow you to gain muscle and lose fat.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training


About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training

How to Avoid Over-training to Maximize Muscle Growth

By Vince DelMonte


Almost anyone that's picked up a set of weights has or will experience symptoms of over-training at one point in there muscle building program. Over-training can lead to serious injury, chronic fatigue, and even muscle loss.

Over-training is very common amongst athletes and particularly bodybuilders, since they figure that training as much as possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains.

This couldn't be any further from the truth however...

Training too much, or at too high of an intensity will lead to over-training.

Now this doesn't mean you don't have to put plenty of effort in to see some decent results... Whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete, or just someone that wants to add some additional mass to your frame, you need to train hard and be consistent-that's a given. In order to get the most out of your genetics, you have to progressively overload the muscles by increasing the weight and / or intensity of each weight training workout.

The problem is however, that many of us increase the intensity of our workouts or get insufficient amounts of rest, or even worse, a combination of both. The trick is finding the right balance between workout volume and intensity, and rest and recovery. And that is exactly what I'll cover in this article.


The Effects of Over-Training on Bodybuilders

First, let's take a look at some of the effects of over-training and how one can prevent over-training from happening in the first place.

The Effects of Over-training on the Nervous System

Over-training effects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the following negative ways:

Higher resting heart rate
Weak appetite
High blood pressure
Weight loss
Trouble sleeping
Increased metabolic rate
Irritability
Early onset of fatigue

If you are experiencing more than one of the symptoms outlined above, you may be in a state of over-training, and should evaluate your routine as soon as possible.

The Effects of Over-training on Hormone Levels

Many studies have indicated that over-training negatively effects the levels of hormones, as well as the hormone response in the body. Since hormones play such an important role in the muscle building process, this can have a detrimental effect on your training progress.

Over-training has been show to:

Decrease testosterone levels
Decrease thyroxine levels
Increase cortisol levels



The increase in cortisol levels along with the decrease in testosterone levels is a deadly combination, since this leads to protein tissue break down. This will ultimately lead to a loss of muscle tissue.

The Effects of Over-training on the Immune System

perhaps one of the most alarming repercussions of over-training is it's negative impact on the immune system-you're bodies first defense against harmful viruses and bacteria.

Over-training can drastically decrease the levels of antibodies and lymphocytes in your body, making you much more susceptible to illness. Simply put, this means that if you are in a state of over-training, you are much more likely to get sick. Since you will have to skip workouts while you are sick, your muscle building progress will slow considerably.

The Effects of Over-training on the Metabolic System

Here is a list of how over-training can effect the metabolic system. These symptoms are the ones that are most commonly discussed, and are ones we can't ignore:

Micro tears in the muscle
Chronically depleted glycogen levels
Slow, weak muscle contractions
Depleted creatine phosphate stores
Excessive accumulation of lactic acid
Extreme DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)
Tendon and connective tissue damage
So you must get the point by now... Over-training effects the entire body, and can seriously impact the results of your muscle building program.

Now let's take a look at the different types of over-training, and what we can do to prevent it.

Is it Worse to Over-Train With Cardio or Weight Training?


Any form of over-training is a bad thing, however, I've personally experienced both types of over-training and can honestly say that over-training in the weight room is much worse, and much more prevalent than over-training through cardiovascular training.

Here are some of the reasons why:

In order to grow, muscles must fully recover from their last workout, every workout. If you are over-training and work the muscles before they have fully recovered, you will break down the muscle tissue before it has rebuilt-making it impossible to build muscle!
Over-training with weights makes you more susceptible to nervous systems hormone and immune system issues, which all pose serious health risks.
It can lead beginners down the wrong path, perhaps wasting money on unnecessary supplements, or even worse, steroids.
I personally believe that only competitive athletes such as swimmers, runners and bikers run a serious risk of reaching a state of cardiovascular over-training, since there are often training for two or more hours daily.

The bottom line is that it is much easier for the average person to over-train while weight training than while cardiovascular training, and I think the effects can be more serious.

How do I Determine if I'm Over-training?

Determining if you're currently over-training is fairly simple. If you're in tune with your body, you can often see the signs of over-training before they get serious. If you are losing interest in workouts, are having trouble sleeping, and feel weak and irritable, you may be in a state of over-training and should take a week or more off.

If you are experiencing two or more of the symptoms outlined earlier in the article, this should raise a red flag.

Another variable you can use to determine if you are over-training is by tracking the performance of your workouts.

Has your physical performance improved compared to your last workout?

For example, let's say last workout you were able to perform 8 pull-ups using your body-weight, but were only able to perform 6 pull-ups the following week. This means that you have not "out done" your previous workout, have not fully recovered, and therefore are likely over-training. You nave to re-asses your program and make modifications so that you see progress every workout.

How Can I Prevent Over-training?

In order to avoid over-training, you need to take a multi-facited approach. Determining the correct training volume and intensity, eating the right foods, and getting the right amount of rest and recovery must all be taken in to consideration. Now let's take a look at each of those factors in more detail.

Correct Training Volume

Determining the correct training volume can be difficult, especially when you are first starting out. You have to determine how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and set to perform for every single workout.

You need to use your own judgment in this case, based on your recovery ability and your recovery methods. Remember that the goal is that you improve every single workout, and if this isn't happening, you have to decrease the intensity of your workouts.

This is where many people go wrong though. You begin your workout and realize that you have not fully recovered. You can either continue to train at a lower intensity than the previous workout, or skip the workout entirely.

As hard as it may be, skipping the workout is the right way to go. Just turn around and go home! Your body is telling you that it needs more rest, and you must listen to it!

There is no point in training at a lower intensity, further breaking down the muscle tissue. By doing this you will increase your risk of injury, and make it harder for your body to fully recovery for your next training session.

Proper Nutrition

Your diet plays a huge role in your muscle building program. It helps regulate hormone levels, provides energy, and provides the raw building blocks that are used to create new tissue.

Here are some dietary recommendations that will limit the chance of over-training:

• Do not skip breakfast. This is one of the most important meals of the day. Skipping breakfast is very catabolic, and can promote muscle loss.


• Never let yourself get hungry. If you're trying to build muscle mass, you have to constantly feed your body quality foods so that it never has the chance catabolize muscle tissue.


• Unless you are trying to build muscle and lose fat, make sure you have eaten prior to your training session and are not hungry.


• Have the largest meal of the day within an hour after your workout. Do this every single workout!


• Consider taking proven supplements like creatine, and antioxidants to increase performance and fight free radicals.


• Eat every 2-3 hours to ensure that your body remains in an anabolic state.


• Keep glycogen levels at full capacity to inhibit muscle tissue breakdown.
  

Rest & Recovery

Rest and recovery is essential when it comes to avoiding over-training. Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and that you are on a consistent schedule. As for recovery time, it's important that you have days off between weight training workouts. Try to have one rest day between weight training workouts, and never train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.

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About the Author:


Vince Delmonteis a competitive fitness model and personal trainer, as well as the author of No-Nonsense Muscle Building, a complete guide to building muscle for the hardgainer.

Vince's program includes extensive diet plans, complete weight training regimens, video tutorials, and full email personal training support.