Tag: body shaping tips

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Creatine: The Next Great Antioxidant?

Muscle damage is a natural consequence of exercise. A small amount of muscle damage is not a terrible thing and, in fact, is necessary to stimulate new muscle growth. If, on the other hand, the amount of damage you inflict upon your muscles with exercise exceeds their capacity to repair and rebuild, then you’re in big trouble. You then have a scenario of net muscle breakdown, otherwise known as catabolism. Situating yourself in a catabolic holding pattern by continually overdoing it in the weight room will eventually lead to overall loses in muscle mass and diminished athletic performance. This article focuses one aspect of overtraining and how to minimize its effects.

Two principal forms of muscle damage arise from physical exertion:

The first is mechanical and occurs immediately. In response to the physical stress of exercise, your muscles and associated capillary beds become slightly damaged. These microscopic foci of damage may then prime a robust phase of increased micro-vascularization and new muscle growth (aka, anabolism). That is, conditions permitting, capillary beds will reform to increase blood flow and new muscle tissue will be laid down to replace damaged tissue. The end result, increased blood flow to larger, more efficiently, working muscles. If, on the other hand, the initial amount of damage is too great or insufficient time is given for your muscles to fully recover from the insult, you will lose strength and mass!

The second form of muscle damage is a downstream consequence of the first and is, in actuality, the initiation of the rebuilding process discussed previously. This form of muscle damage results from reactive molecular species produced in response to strenuous exercise, but that exert their degenerative effects a few days later.

Rising from the ashes …

Following the initial insult of exercise, damaged muscle tissue must be cleared away before rebuilding can commence. This process begins with the leakage of chemical agents from damaged cells that attract specialized cells known as phagocytes (neutrophils and macrophages) to sites of damage. Here, phagocytes accumulate, greatly increase in number, and build an appetite. Next, commences a voracious phase of cell eating, otherwise known as phagocytosis (hence, their name), whereby damaged muscle tissue is literally eaten away. The process of phagocytosis is initiated with the release of agents from macrophages that serve to breakdown, or digest, damaged cells in preparation for absorption. Following the removal of all dead tissue, the stage is then set for new muscle growth. New muscle is formed from the fusion of hundreds of progenitor cells that were previously laying dormant waiting for the appropriate signal to act. From start to finish, this entire process takes about 3-4 days.

Free Radicals

To assist in their removal of dead tissue phagocytes release digestive enzymes, toxins, and, most importantly, Reactive Oxygen Species, or ROS, for short. ROS are produced in the burst of metabolic activity known as a “respiratory burst“. One of the most powerful of ROS produced by phagocytes is the Superoxide Radical. Superoxide greatly weakens the integrity of the muscle membrane causing small tears that allow calcium ions to leak into the muscle cell. It is a rise in intramuscular calcium that activates a class of enzyme known as proteases that cause the muscle cell to disintegrate. Obviously, a small amount of superoxide plays an essential role in the absorption of damaged cells. On the other hand, overproduction of superoxide surpasses its usefulness and can actually be counterproductive as its destructive capacity becomes unleashed without warrant..

Oxidative stress

Exercise also directly produces ROS. That is, independently of neutrophils and macrophages. Normally, most of the oxygen consumed during cell metabolism is converted into water. A small amount of the consumed oxygen (2-4%), however, is converted into superoxide. Given the fact that exercise can increase muscle oxygen consumption by as much as 200-fold, superoxide levels also increase tremendously with intense exercise, easily surpassing the body’s capacity to neutralize it. This gives rise to a dangerous scenario known as oxidative stress, which slows muscle recovery and increases the chances of injury. In fact, some experts believe that the overproduction of ROS may also accelerate the normal aging process as well as eventually lead to states of disease.

Antioxidants

Our bodies possess a natural line of defense against oxidative stress; special molecules known as antioxidants that neutralize ROS. Vitamins A, C and E are examples of vitamins that can act as antioxidants. Vitamin E is a particularly potent antioxidant, since it is able to act in both aqueous (within the cell) and lipid (within membranes) environments, and is hence very effective at protecting our cellular membranes from degradation following oxidative stress. Our bodies also come equipped with their own antioxidant molecular complexes. Some of the most important enzymatic antioxidants are Superoxide Dismutase, Glutathione Peroxidase, and Catalase. Glutathione is one of our principle non-enzymatic antioxidants.

Athletes are now paying closer attention to their antioxidant status in an attempt to better assist muscle recovery. Proactive measures one can take to enhance the body’s capacity to cope with oxidative stress include eating foods rich in antioxidants, supplementing with antioxidant vitamins, limiting alcohol intake, especially following exercise and getting plenty of rest. It now turn’s out that some athletes were improving their antioxidant defenses in a way they hadn’t previously imagined…

Is creatine an antioxidant?

A study was recently released suggesting that creatine might act as a superoxide scavenger in its own right. This would be an additional benefit of creatine, independent of its better-understood capacity to increase ATP availability during exercise. It is thus possible that part of the benefit we obtain from creatine derives from its capacity to act as an antioxidant.

The salient points of the study were as follows:

  1. The creatine levels used in this study were within physiological limits. In other words, the concentrations of creatine found by this study to be effective at scavenging free radicals were comparable to those found within muscle (20-60 mM, for those interested). This gave relevancy to the study.
  2. Creatine, although not as effective as glutathione at neutralizing superoxide, was an effective antioxidant, nonetheless.
  3. Creatine’s ability to neutralize superoxide was measured in a test tube, not in an exercising person. And, although it’s reasonable to assume that creatine should behave similarly within athletes, subtle differences may exist. For all we know, creatine may be an even more efficacious antioxidant inside the body! Only further experimentation will tell.

Take Home

This report indicates that creatine possess’ antioxidant properties and is able to effectively neutralize Superoxide, one of the more insidious free radicals produced by exercise. Since these findings where obtained in a test tube, however, it remains to be shown if creatine has the same antioxidant properties within an exercising person. Although preliminary, this result is surely worth pursuing and has important practical implications for muscle recovery following strenuous exercise.

Scientific References

1. Lawler, J. M., Barnes, W. S., Wu G., Song, W., and Demaree, S. (January 2002) Direct antioxidant properties of creatine. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Volume 290 (1): pages 47-52.

 

This article was written by Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón, research scientist, author, and owner of the Creatine Information Center and NSN Publishing.

Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón has had over 20 years of in depth research experience in major laboratories world-wide. His principal scientific interest is the understanding of the cellular mechanisms leading to muscle cell death.

Dr. Franco-Obregón is also the author of Creatine: A practical guide. Creatine: A practical guide clearly teaches you how to best combine exercise, nutrition, and intelligent creatine use for optimal muscle growth, improved athletic performance, and overall good health. Find out more about this must-read book.

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Are Low Carb Diets Good or Bad for Weight Loss Success?

Everybody has heard of “low carb” diets — since they are emerging as the newest trend in dieting.

But do they really work? …And if so, are they the solution to weight loss that everybody is looking for?

We don’t think so, because most low carb diets have several problems which make losing weight very difficult for the “average” dieter.

For example, if you follow the Atkins diet (a popular low carb program) then the restriction on carbs for the first couple weeks is very severe (by almost any standards).

The Atkins program allows just 20 grams of “net carbs” per day during the first phase of the diet (which usually lasts for 2 weeks).

Just to give you an idea of how few carbs that really is – even a large apple has more than 20 grams of “net carbs”.

This low level of carbs is often too severe for the “average” dieter to tolerate for 2 weeks straight, and in fact eating such a low level of carbs can make a person feel “weak” and “miserable” all day long (because your body needs more carbs than that for energy).

Other low carb diets (such as the South Beach Diet) are not quite as severe as the Atkins Plan, but in our opinion even the South Beach Diet is not as easy to follow as it could be.

We believe that a successful diet needs to be easy to follow – because that’s the only way that people will stick to the diet and lose weight.

We believe that diets should not make average people feel “miserable” and “weak” all day long, because if a diet makes people feel miserable and weak then it’s going to be very difficult for average dieters to adhere to such programs.

We’re not saying that all low carb diets are as restrictive as the Atkins Diet is, but we’re saying that most low carb diets are so hard to follow that “average dieters” will probably wind up feeling hungry and weak all day long (which is not a good thing for dieting success in our opinion).

We believe that “low carbs” is not the answer to losing weight, since your body needs a reasonable amount of all 3 types of calories to lose weight consistently (protein, carbs, and fat).

The truth is that your body needs a reasonable amount of protein, carbs and fat calories too.

To lose weight quickly you must eat all 3 types of calories in the right proportions, and that’s why most dieters fail. They fail because nobody knows what the right proportions of calories should be.

To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new Idiot Proof Diet shown below — since there are no specific “portion limits” at any meal (and dieters can eat as much as they need to at each meal).   Also, unlimited amounts of certain condiments can be eaten with every meal.

This is a brand new type of diet never seen before.

You can begin this new diet right here.

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The Zone Diet vs. Jenny Craig Weight Loss

Our Review of these 2 programs:

The Zone Diet is based on the theory of 40/30/30 — which means that 40% of calories should be from carbs, 30% from protein, and 30% from fats.  This program was created by Barry Sears……and a well known book was published about this diet called “Enter the Zone”.

So when a dieter eats a meal which is “40/30/30”  — then it’s referred to as a “Zone Favorable” meal.

The author of the Zone Program (Barry Sears) claims that if you make all meals “Zone Favorable” then your body will have reduced insulin levels, which will lead to weight loss and fat burning. 

However, we do not agree that eating a 40/30/30 meal (Zone Favorable meal) is the best way to reduce insulin levels.

Also, another thing to remember is that it can be difficult to follow the Zone Diet because everything must be calculated “precisely” at every meal (and most people will find such calculations very tedious, especially people with busy schedules). 

We believe that average dieters may find this program too difficult to use for any serious length of time, and therefore we do not like the Zone Diet program.

The makers of this diet have even created their own line of Zone Favorable Food products (such as Zone bars, Zone Shakes, and other Zone products for dieters). 

But of course, such products cost much more than “average food” costs……so many average dieters may discover that buying such products is not economical for them.  This is yet one more reason why we do not recommend using this program.

The Jenny Craig weight loss program is a bit more traditional and simple in our opinion, though it probably costs a bit too much for the average person (it’s also a little too basic in its principles, in our opinion).

This entire diet seems to be based on eating fewer calories while exercising more, which is a very old concept.  With Jenny Craig you get assigned your own weight loss expert (nutrition counselor) who will help to keep you motivated each week so that you’ll remain on the diet.

This is possible because Jenny Craig has many weight loss centers throughout the world, and if dieters live close to a facility then they can choose to meet with a nutrition consultant “in person”.   Or, if dieters do not live near a facility then they can choose to meet with their nutrition counselor “via telephone” each week.

…But regardless of whether you meet with your nutrition consultant via telephone or in person — you’ll still have to buy Jenny Craig’s expensive “pre-packaged” meals.  That’s the downside of this diet program in our opinion, since you have to continually buy Jenny’s pre-packaged meals (which are fairly expensive when compared to normal meals).

From everything we’ve seen these pre-packaged meals seem to be lower calorie versions of normal meals, so they don’t seem to be anything too earth shattering or special (from our perspective). 

So with Jenny Craig you’ll basically be eating fewer calories (smaller portioned meals) and exercising more while meeting weekly with a nutrition counselor (who will keep you motivated so that you don’t quit the diet).

Plus, don’t forget that you’ll be required to buy Jenny Craig’s pre-packaged food every single week — which can be expensive over time.  

So overall we don’t think that it’s smart to use the Jenny Craig program, since any diet that requires you to continually spend money for “special meals” is not a good choice in our opinion.

When we compare the Zone Diet to Jenny Craig we find that both programs have too many negative qualities to recommend — though the Zone Program is probably just a tad better in our opinion. 

But overall we strongly recommend against both of these weight loss programs.

END OF REVIEW.

If you want to lose 9 lbs. every 11 Days then read about this new diet right here.

Learn the details of the Idiot Proof Diet.

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Is Whole Wheat Bread fattening?

People often think they are doing something healthy for themselves by switching their white bread for whole wheat bread.  Although this is a better option than white, whole wheat bread can still be preventing you from losing your unwanted weight.

I am not a big fan of bread or bread type products. Actually, I think most people could feel a thousand times better if they stopped eating so much bread every single day. Toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, bread basket at dinner…we could feed a small village with the amount of bread I see some people consuming in one day (or several villages depending on who you’re talking about).

No, I am not saying to never have bread ever again (Hey, its life, you gotta enjoy it, right?). What I am saying is that 4-5 servings of some kind of bread type product every day is making thousands of people gain weight, preventing them from losing their unwanted weight and worst of all, bringing about diseases like Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease.

I don’t eat very much bread at all and I really don’t even miss it. I guess I have just come to enjoy all the other delicious food I eat each day that I don’t even feel bread is missing from my meal plans.

Here are my “bread free” strategies and exactly how you can lower your own bread intake each day:

1. When you think of breakfast, don’t automatically think toast, bagels, or a roll. A couple of hard boiled eggs over sliced tomatoes is delicious. You can also make a quick batch of oatmeal and add walnuts and berries. How about cottage cheese and pineapple? The breakfast options are endless.

2. Pack snack foods and take them with you to work. In less than 2 minutes, I can throw natural peanut butter, raw almonds, dried fruit (no sugar added), an apple or banana and baby carrots all in a bag and be out the door. Taking these food items to work with you will help you stay away from the employee room bagels or donuts. (Don’t even get me started on how evil donuts are). Slap some peanut butter on an apple and munch away at that, all while making fun of the people eating donuts (Just Kidding, that’s not nice.)

3. Don’t depend on sandwiches as lunch every day. How about some salmon, broccoli and brown rice? Leftover chicken from last night and a sweet potato? Imagine that lunch is another version of dinner and not just a mid day sandwich inhaling contest.

4. Make “the bread basket” a once-in-while experience. You really do not need to be serving a bread basket for dinner at home if you are offering healthy carbohydrate choices like salad, cooked vegetables, brown rice, millet, or quinoa.

5. Oh, and how could I forget? Don’t think that eating “100% Whole Wheat” is any better. It is still refined flour (maybe just not bleached) and a huge contributor to weight gain. I could go on and on about this but I have covered all the details about how detrimental wheat products are to your weight loss efforts in Chapter 9 of The Diet Solution Program.

Start to think outside the “bread box” today for healthy alternatives to your daily bread intake. What one thing can you do today to get started?

Find out what foods may be preventing you from reaching your own Fat Loss Goals here:
http://www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

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How does Sleep affect Fat Loss?

Can being sleep deprived cause you to gain weight?  Yes!  Many people don’t realize the many health implications of sleep deprivation.  It may even be hindering your fat loss efforts.

How does sleep (or sleep deprivation) affect your weight loss efforts?

Here are just a few reasons why sleeping may be the missing link to your weight loss efforts:

1. When you’re tired, it is so much harder to make healthy choices.  I’m not sure if this is more about psychology or physiology or a combination of both. However, I know I have experienced it firsthand. When I get a good night’s sleep, sticking to my regular exercise and healthy eating routine is a cinch. But when I’m sleep deprived, I somehow think that chocolate and sugar will make me feel better. The truth is, it never does! It actually makes me feel worse. Much worse, because the blood sugar highs and lows makes me more tired and cranky than before I ate the sweets. 

2. Now for some science. Researchers from several separate studies have found a link between sleep and the hormones that influence our eating behavior. Two specific hormones are involved. Ghrelin is responsible for feelings of hunger. Leptin tells the brain when it’s time to stop. When you’re sleep deprived, your ghrelin levels increase at the same time that your leptin levels decrease. The result is an increased craving for food and not feeling full (a hormone disaster as far as staying on track with a healthy eating plan). Nothing is worse than craving food and being hungry at the same time.

3. Many people don’t know this, but your body adjusts itself based on your circadian rhythms and the amount of sunlight outside. Without getting too deep into the science, these rhythms and light tell your body to physically recover approximately between the hours of 10pm-2am and to mentally recover approximately between 2am-6am. If you aren’t getting to bed until 12am, you are missing out on 2 crucial hours of physical repair. This can result in all sorts of aches and pains that do not get better, no matter what you try. I have seen clients relieve bad backs and aching joints by just getting to bed by 10pm. I have even seen people get smarter by sleeping til 6am (ok, I made this last statement up but wouldn’t that be great?). All kidding aside, I have seen people act consistently sharper when they are well rested.

How are you going to get a good night’s sleep to ensure you are not sabotaging your weight loss efforts?

Here are a few tips for getting a good night’s sleep:

1. Don’t watch TV before bed. You may not realize how fired up the news or your favorite TV show gets you before bed time. Instead grab a book or your favorite magazine and read in bed. This works wonders, especially a good fiction book that will help you forget the day’s events.

2. Cut your caffeine intake early in the day. An afternoon coffee or tea can still be racing through your blood stream at 10pm. Cut out your last caffeinated beverage by noon. This includes all coffee and teas (except herbal teas). Once you catch up on your sleep, you won’t be so dependent on your afternoon java kick.

3. Avoid Sugar before bed. (You were avoiding sugar anyway right?) Consuming sugar right before bed leads to a blood sugar roller coaster ride, potentially waking you up in the middle of the night due to a blood sugar low.

4. Put your work away before bed. There is nothing worse than a racing mind before bed. Crunching numbers and reading work documents right before bed may lead to dreams about work (or nightmares). End all work at least 2 hours before bed. If this is not possible for you, you may need to reassess your work schedule a bit.

Whatever the adjustments are for you, remember, sleep may just be the missing link in your nutrition, exercise and health regimen. Stick to your Diet Solution Meal Plans and tuck yourself in at 10pm each night and you will be well on your way to fat loss success.

Get started on your own Easy Fat Loss Meal Plans right away with this free Fat Loss Report.

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The Real Truth behind Organic Foods

Many people are unaware of what organic food really is.  It seems that everywhere we go now, someone is promoting something that is “organic”.  Are these foods worth your time and money?

It almost seems like some people are afraid of organic food. Could this be possible? Are people afraid that eating one morsel of organic food is going to somehow instantly initiate them into the organic food cult where you’re only allowed to wear sandals made from tree bark and deodorant is prohibited?

I swear I have had people say to me “Well, you can’t be that organic because you wear make-up and you don’t smell.”

What? That’s not what organic means at all!  All it means is that the food or the product has been grown the way mother nature intended: without the use of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. In other words, naturally!

Are some people afraid of the price? Organic does not automatically mean “break the bank”. Many times when I compare the price of the organic food versus the conventional food, they are only a few cents different. In the case of the bag of organic carrots I bought today for my lunch, they were the exact same price as the conventional ones. Imagine that!

If anything about the word “organic” makes you want to jump and run the other way, be sure to read my previous blog post “Is there such a thing as Cheap Organic Food?”

It will help you understand exactly why organic food is all the rave these days and what you can do to make organic living easy, simple and not so scary!

Get started on your own fat loss and health goals right away with these Simple and Easy Healthy Meal Plans.

Stay up to date on the most current nutrition and health information here:  The Best Diet Info.

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A little bit of Exercise Motivation

Many people know how important exercise is as an integral part of their weight loss and health plan but still have a difficult time fitting it into their busy lives.  

One possible reason could be that, yes, exercise can be challenging when you first begin your program or you just give yourself the excuse “I just don’t have the time.”

What I have figured out for myself and for hundreds of my clients that no matter which exercise program they choose, it must be something they enjoy.  Especially when it comes to the setting and location.

For me, I have converted the 2nd bedroom of my house into my “home gym”.

NO, home gym does not mean I have the most expensive, high tech equipment. To be honest, the only items that make up my home gym are: an exercise ball, 2 adjustable weights, an exercise mat, and an old Spinning bike that I bought used from a local YMCA. That’s it! Nothing expensive or high tech about it.

Many times in the past I have joined gyms and told myself I was going to go.  But like many other gym members, I never go!  Now, I do really enjoy exercising so why wouldn’t I actually use my gym membership?

I figured out that I really love my exercise room. It’s my private time to myself and I don’t have to worry about who else needs the equipment or who’s lurking around the gym. I get an hour to myself and it’s a great way to start my day.

I asked myself if this could possibly be what’s stopping many people from exercising. “Is this most people’s problem? Do they not like where they work out so they just don’t want to go?” So it’s really not the actual workout but the environment that they’re in.

Now maybe for you the situation is just the opposite. You don’t like working out in your home and you would much rather get out and be motivated by other healthy people. Whatever the case may be, choose something you enjoy! You will never make a lifestyle change to include exercise on a consistent basis if you don’t enjoy it. Who wants to do something that feels like torture? Not me. I love my morning exercise time and if it felt like torture, I just wouldn’t do it.

My question to you is: What do you have to do to make your workout time enjoyable? Or (heaven forbid) something you actually look forward to? Join an adult sports league?  Start your own exercise group?  Join a new gym? Set up a home gym? Find a workout partner?  The choices are endless.

Try many different options and figure out which activity you would enjoy best and I assure you, exercise never has to be a drag.

Get started on a new healthy nutrition and exercise plan right now with the meal plans and exercise programs in The Diet Solution Program.

Receive the best diet tips in your email inbox each week by signing up for The Diet Solution Newsletter.

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Get Big Muscles In 3 Simple Steps

Do you know what it really takes to build big muscles? Do you think it’s as simple as buying a gym membership, training each body once per week, slamming back some protein shakes and trying to eat as much chicken and tuna possible? Viola, you are big enough to enter a bodybuilding contest. Can you imagine it was that easy to build big muscles? Unfortunately, your monthly gym membership, regular weight training workouts and casual eating habits, isn’t going to cut it. Here are five simple steps to getting big muscles fast :

Squat and Deadlift

Squatting and Deadlifting are known as two of the Big Three exercises that are responsible for power and mass muscle building. Consider these two animal exercises the kings of the jungle! Without them, you do not have a chance of survival. These two exercises alone, work out about 75% of your entire musculature, including your traps, shoulders, arms, back. Gluts, hams, calves and core muscles.

Not to mention the degree of intensity, squats and dead lifts force your body to release greater volumes of growth hormone, which results in bigger muscles all over your body. This spillover effect results in strength gains in all you other lifts which translates into a more muscular you! Squatting and dead lifting are especially critical for hard gainers because of the hormonal spikes affecting the entire body.

Stick to Compound Exercises

What is going to isolate more muscle fibers? A bench press or cable cross over? A military press or lateral raise? A chin up or bicep curl? A dip or tricep kickback? If you ever hope to get big muscles than compound lifts are not optional, they are mandatory. Stick to squats, leg presses, deadlifts, bench preses, barbell rows, pull ups, chin ups, over head presses, and dips.

If all you do is concentrate on building your puny muscles like arms and calves, then you will end up with exactly what you focus on – puny muscles!

Keep Your Rest Periods Honest

When was the last time you were in the gym and you watched the average guy time his recovery with a stop watch? Stop watches are not just for endurance athletes but should be used by every person who is serious about building big muscles.

Generally, the closer you lift to your one rep max, the longer the rest period and the higher the number of reps, the shorter the rest period. This is a crucial variable, which is often overlooked, yet will determine whether you create the correct training response.

For example, if you are training for maximal strength which requires at least 3-5 minutes rest between sets and you are only taking 2 minutes, you are not giving your nervous system an honest workout. If you are training for muscle size which requires shorter 30-90 second style recoveries but are gazing at the cute girl on the elliptical letting your rest periods carry over these ranges, you are not giving your metabolic system an honest workout.

Lastly, how do you know if you are truly stronger if you do not monitor your rest period? For example, let’s say last week you bench pressed 135 pounds for four sets of ten. This week you bench pressed 145 pounds for four sets of ten. Assuming the rest period was identical for both workouts, this is a tremendous improvement and a measurable sign of improvement! However, what if you took an extra minute or two between each set on the recent workout? This means that you did not actually become stronger. You just had a longer rest period!

Conclusion

You now know that building big muscles is not easy as showing up at the gym and throwing back a few protein shakes. Apply these three simple steps in your next program and I promise that you will start building brand new muscle all over your body!

Everything you need to know about muscle building

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How To Look Like A Female Fitness Model

Do you pass by the magazine stands in the
store and envy the bodies of the cover models? More and more women today are
coveting this body type; strong and muscular while still being feminine. Gone
are the days where strong women are seen as too masculine and unattractive.
The female fitness body is here to stay.

Now, curves are back so long as they are created with muscle mass and have a softer appearance. Hot celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba are now gracing the covers showing off their new curves. What’s more is that these women are garnering a great deal of male attraction – much more than their thinner counterparts such as Lindsay Lohan or Victoria Beckham.

Luckily, if you make some smart changes to your workout program you can get yourself on the road to looking like the next female fitness model, maybe even covermodel!
First things first. Pink Weights.

If you want to add sexy curves to your body, you need not be afraid of heavier weights. Don’t worry, you are not going to bulk up and begin bearing resemblance to Vin Diesel, as women simply do not have the testosterone in their bodies to be able to do this. In fact, in a very good situation, assuming sound training and great nutrition, a woman would be lucky to put on about half a pound of muscle mass per month. Not quite as scary as you thought right? And that is assuming everything is done right… many will experience a slower rate yet.

The problem with pink weights is that for most of you, they aren’t challenging! You’d be surprised at how strong you already are if you’d just push yourself that little extra bit. So next time you’re in the gym, pick up a ten pound dumbbell or if you’re really ambitious, go for fifteen. You’ll start noticing your body changing more in the next few weeks than in the last few years you’ve spent slaying away on the stairmaster.

Weights have the power to completely transform your body. They will make you a smaller, yet curvier version of your body now.

Don’t be alarmed at your scale weight though as upon weight training your body weight may go up. Relax however, because one pound of muscle takes up much less space on your body than one pound of bodyfat does, therefore you may weigh more, but you will look smaller.
Next comes cardio.

Women have this tendency to just gravitate towards the cardio section of the gym. Whether it is the best place to check out the men lifting or it feels safer to them, whatever the reason, they go there and stay there – for hours at a time.

This is something that has to change. Think about how many hours of your life you’ve spent on that treadmill, stairmaster or elliptical machine. Do you really look that much different because of it? I’m guessing probably not.

Not only that, but how many of you put in your hour while watching TV or reading your favourite magazine? This is probably a good indicator that you aren’t quite working as hard as you could be.

The truth of the matter is that your body will quickly adapt to all that cardio training that you are doing. So while before you might have burned a hundred calories running a mile, now you are only burning 80. Unless you continually add more and more time to get the same calorie burn, it is going to stop being an effective fat loss tool. And when you’re already doing six hours a week, who really wants to spend MORE time doing cardio?

The secret is changing the format of your cardio from that of a comfortable steady-state session to one that’s composed of high intensity intervals that will really kick you out of your comfort zone – and blast away body fat as well.

This is by far a more productive form of cardio to be doing so rather than wasting another hour of your life not really getting anywhere, next time you’re in the gym for cardio, do twenty minutes, alternating thirty seconds going as hard as you possibly can with a minute and a half at a much easier pace to recover. It will be hard – I warn you. Stick with it for one month however and you will be extremely happy you did.

Now. Bring on the carbs.

Have you grown a love-hate relationship with carbohydrates? You love the way they taste but don’t like the number they’re doing to your waist. Understandable – many women feel this way.

The key thing to remember with carbohydrates is that they are not necessarily ‘evil’, so long as the portion size you eat remains under control and you are timing them properly. To have carbohydrates working most effectively for you, it is critical that you time them before and after your workouts. This is when your muscles are going to need the energy and will rapidly soak them up!

So if you’re craving a bagel, have at it, but enjoy it right after you’ve finished a hard lifting session, as described above.

Get rid of your fat phobia.

One critical thing that many women do not understand is that in order to lose fat, they must eat fat. Women in particular actually tend to do better on a higher fat diet than males do. This has to do with their hormonal make-up and the way their body functions and responds to various macronutrient levels.

How many times have you reached for the cookies on the shelves, solely because they were ‘fat-free’ so you thought they’d be a safe dieting food? This was a terrible mistake.

When you remove the fat out of products, often times manufacturers will begin to add in extra sugar to make up for the taste. Newsflash. Extra sugar sends insulin levels skyrocketing and guess what insulin is? The fat storage hormone. So, what you need to do is try and minimize the amount of insulin surges you create throughout the day, while staying within your total calorie budget. Do this and you will have your best defence against warding off both hunger and fat gain.

Now, guess which macronutrient has the least effect on insulin levels? That’s right – dietary fat.

So do not be so scared of consuming fat in your diet. It will help you deal with hunger and help your food taste better. Ideally you should be aiming to get no less than 25-30% of your calories coming from a combination of healthy fats (fish oil is particularly important).

Work Those Glutes

Finally, the one body part that most women usually will say they want to improve upon is their glutes. That curvy, sexy backside appearance tops the list of many gymgoers and in order to achieve this you are going to have to be doing the right exercises.

Concentrate on adding heavy-weight lunges, one legged squats, hamstring curls and ass-to-the-ground squats into your program. These are your fast track to a great behind. You can do all the cardio you want to try and get it, but unfortunately, all that might do is make you a smaller version of your exact same self. If you want to change the way you look, then you need to change the way you train.

So next time you pass by one of those covermodels and start dreaming about what it would be like to have that body – make it a reality for you. Many women are capable of making great improvements to their bodies if they would just stop with the training methods they are currently using and get on ones that are much more in tune with their goals.

Everything you need to know about body shaping

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The Skinny Guy’s Guide To Nutrition

“Give me a 64-ounce steak, double-baked potato with extra sour cream and an apple pie for dessert.  No, not a slice – give me the whole pie, please.” 

If you have ever had the opportunity to go out with a bodybuilder for dinner, you would be familiar with that kind of order delivered to the distressed waitress.  These high-carbohydrate, high-protein, and high-fat diet meals were the popular method for packing on muscle and climbing the scale.  “I’ll pack on all the weight I can now, then melt off the fat later,” was the common motto. 

Many bodybuilders put a lot of focus into the details of their nutritional strategy.  A small food scale, calculator, note pad and pencil are common items found in their kitchen.  Some competitive bodybuilders go to the extreme of weighing and measuring everything wherever they go and scribbling numbers into their notepad after every meal.

Obviously, not every skinny guy has the same aspirations, desire and determination to live the life of a bodybuilder.  Skinny guys will be more successful today if they have a quick and convenient plan to follow that involves minimal measuring and minimal number crunching.
The See Food Diet Is NOT The Answer

One of the biggest benefits you’ll get from sprinting is the EPOC effects it creates. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and is where the body will expend a great deal of calories returning the body back to its former state after the workout.

Because sprint training is so intense, this will contribute to a large calorie burn after you have finished the workout. To even further increase the EPOC that is seen, consider doing hill sprint training. Since this is even more intense in nature, it will further challenge your body.

Metabolic Adaptations

The reality is that many skinny guys’ nutritional level does not exceed the See Food Diet, that is, ‘see food’ and eat it.  Not a bad option if you can avoid getting a potbelly in the process.  If this is you, then consider yourself blessed with a Lamborghini-style metabolism. Go right ahead and eat whatever and whenever you want until you’re ready to audition for Rambo IV. 

For the most part, the See Food Diet is typically not the most healthy meal plan since it puts zero restrictions on any food categories and is more a concept to shift a skinny guy’s mind-set than anything else.  These days, the majority of readers should know the fallacy of a See Food Diet.  Sure, you can eat a super high calorie diet, like the See Food Diet, and add some muscle, but you’ll add even more fat.  And from personal experience, and I’m sure many of you can personally testify,  putting the fat on is much easier than taking it off!  Conveniently, bodybuilders now have an  “off-season shape” card to flash year-round to excuse themselves of looking like a pregnant powerlifter. 

Muscle-Building Nutrition Principles

Mastering the principles of nutrition should be like mastering the principles of training – simple.  Master the basics and execute them consistently.  Think about the 80/20 rule.  80% of your results will come from 20% of your knowledge.  Taking what you already know and putting it into action consistently is the magic formula.  Let’s go over the most important nutrition principles you’ll need to practice to get your body growing.

Principle #1: Eat Often – Every 2.5 to 3 Hours

Don’t expect to pack on quality mass – muscle without body fat – on three square meals a day. This would lead to massive quantities of both protein and carbs at each meal.  Your body can only store so many calories per meal, so guess what this results in?  Bloating, poor digestion and unwanted body fat. 

Your first meal should be consumed within 15-30 minutes of waking up and consumed every 2.5 to 3 hours.  Set your stopwatch to beep until you get something in your body.  Don’t view these meals as burdensome but as opportunities to fuel and grow your muscles.  Look at them as growth surges.  Think of the next meal as a fuller chest, broader shoulders, bigger arms and rock-hard abs! 

And if you miss a meal, visualize a sea of piranhas eating up your muscle tissue like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet. And those deadly piranhas are eating up your CURRENT muscle that you are not even satisfied with. They are actually making your muscles

smaller. No, you will not lose an inch on your arms if you miss one meal, but once you start averaging 3-4 instead of 6-8 meals a day, don’t be upset when people look surprised when you tell them you work out with weights regularly!

So how many meals should you be eating? That’s easy – just divide the time you’re awake by 2 or 3. I would suggest mastering eating every 3 hours before you consider every 2 hours. So if you’re awake 18 hours a day, eat 6 meals.

What if one of those meals falls right before bedtime? Then eat up!  Take the opportunity to eat. If we went to the extreme we would eat every 3 hours throughout the night as well. No matter what you have heard on this (never eat after 7 P.M. garbage) ignore it. Trust me!

Also, don’t view these feeding opportunities as ‘snacks.’ This is a wimpy word mentality that should not be in your vocabulary if you are trying to build muscle. Do you think Ronnie Coleman says, ‘Hey, I think I’m going to go eat a snack?’ Every 3 hours you should be eating decent size meals that will make your body better.

Principle #2: Eat A Variety Of Foods

It is easy to get into a robotic state of nutrition where we eat the exact same foods every day, ingesting the same breakfast, lunch and dinner and the only time we eat differently is when we go out for dinner or someone else cooks for us. It is easier to choose convenience over variety.

Just like our training that we rotate around to prevent boredom, you should rotate your food selection. Normally, you will eat whatever is in your house, so the best strategy to eating a healthy variety is to shop for different foods each week. This will help balance out your diet and help you measure the response a variety of foods. Don’t go for the boring and easy route.

Principle #3: Eat Enough Calories

Building muscle is an eating game because your muscles grow on calories.  Not eating enough calories is like an attempt to buy a $50,000 car with only $25,000 in the bank.  It’s not going to happen.  If you are not gaining at least 1-2 pounds per week, then add some extra carbohydrates and proteins to your breakfast, pre-workout meal or post-workout meal. 

THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THIS STEP. Even if you have the perfect training routine, you will never grow unless you provide your body with the proper amount of nutrients. It’s like saying you want to build a house but you do not have enough bricks, cement and wood. It will be impossible to build that house. It’s like saying you want to race a car as fast as possible but you don’t have any gasoline or oil. It’s downright impossible.

If you wish to ensure that your muscles have enough fuel to support your workouts, lift heavy weights for high reps, recover from workout to workout and, let’s not forget, GROW NEW MUSCLE, then you have to keep track of what you are eating every day. There is no way around it. This is the number one reason why skinny guys never gain weight or why anybody for that matter will not make quality gains that they so desperately strive for.

Keeping track of what you eat is a lot easier than it sounds – it’s probably why most people avoid it, because they perceive it to be difficult.

Sure, you’re going to have to take some extra time to read containers and labels, but if this method will promise another 20 pounds in a few months from now, is it not worth it? And the good news is that your brain will create a new file to store all your new nutrient calculations, and since you are eating from the majority of the same foods, your ‘memory food bank’ will expand quickly.

Principle #4: Eat 40-60 Grams Of Protein Per Meal

Building muscle is not on  your body’s ‘to do’ list – simple survival is.   Not getting enough protein for your internal organs results in your body robbing it from your muscle tissue.  Your body cannibalizes itself for the amino acids it needs!  This is the polar opposite of what skinny guys want.

Proteins should make up at least 35% of your overall caloric intake.  This translates to 40-60 grams of protein per meal for males less then 200 lbs and will be enough to maintain your appetite, increase your muscle mass, accelerate recovery and keep body fat levels low.  Hit this level and you’re doing well.

It is better to get your protein from whole, complete, and lean protein. Remember that protein is a costly food and burns twice as much energy as carbs and three times as much energy as fat. You need protein to maximally turbo-charge your metabolism, improve your muscle mass and accelerate recovery.

Aim for lean meats such as ground beef, chicken, turkey, etc. Aim for fish such as salmon, tuna, orange roughy, etc. Aim for Omega 3 eggs and pasteurized egg whites. Aim for dairy from cottage cheese, yogurt and partly skimmed cheeses. And if you have to resort to supplement shakes, go for whey, casein or milk protein blends.

Principle #5: Eat 60-80 Grams Of Carbohydrate per Meal

Not getting enough carbohydrates will make you feel like you’re carrying a bear on your back throughout your workouts.  Your body’s gas tank is comprised of carbohydrates.  No carbs and don’t expect to get that car too far.

A lack of carbs in your diet can slow the muscle-building process because your muscle tissue can be used as energy if your body’s preferred source of energy, carbs, are not available.

It is best to get your carbohydrates from a variety of high-fiber, complex and low-glycemic carbohydrates as opposed to simple carbs (sugars) found in fast food, fried food, processed food and junk food.  Complex carbs release a slower and longer lasting energy that is critical for your intense training workouts.  Complex carbs will rarely get converted to fat unless you are clearly eating too many of them.  If you are gaining more fat around your midsection as opposed to muscle, then you know you should cut back on your complex carbs or add a few cardio workouts. 

Aim for high-complex, muscle-building carbs such as bran, barley, buckwheat, beans, brown rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, pasta, potatoes and whole grains. 

Principle #6: Eat 20-30 Grams Of Fat Per Meal

About 30% of your diet should consist of fat – this number should remain pretty consistent for everyone. And as a skinny guy or anybody who wants to maximize muscle growth, then eating 30% of your intake from fat is critical for boosting testosterone levels. However, the key is to balance out your intake between saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. If you achieve 1/3 in each of these, then you will optimize your health and muscle gains. This is not as complicated as it looks.

Since North Americans are harshly deficient in mono (olive oil) and poly fats (from fish oils) and get enough of saturated fats as it is, your job is to simply include more olive oil and fish oil into your diet. This is something that can be recommended for every man and women and has no potential side effects. Again, don’t worry; the meal plans included have got you covered.

The only fats you MUST avoid at all costs – for so many reasons – are trans fats.

Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fat, is an artery-clogging fat that is formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening. It is found in many other foods besides margarine and shortening, including fried foods like French fries and fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers. In the United States, typical French fries have about 40 percent trans fatty acids and many popular cookies and crackers range from 30 percent to 50 percent trans fatty acids. Doughnuts have about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fatty acids.

To determine the amount of trans fat in a food you must know what to look for on the food labels.  Whenever you see shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil higher up on the list of the ingredients, the more trans fat. 

Principle #7: Eat Vegetables With Every Meal

How are vegetables supposed to promote muscle gain? Your mom was right when she told you to eat up all your vegetables if you wanted to grow big and strong. Finally, the ‘muscle-nerds’ are catching up. Not only are vegetables loaded with vitamins and minerals but they also contain important plant chemicals called phytochemicals that are essential for optimal physiological functioning.

The most neglected benefit of eating vegetables is their role in recovery. Sure, you need calories to grow, but you also need these veggies for their high antioxidant profile that will help reduce the amount of free radicals from heavy training, and they will accelerate recovery by healing damaged muscle cells.

Most people are unaware that proteins and grains create high levels of acid loads to the blood, and if this is not balanced out with alkaline rich vegetables and fruits, then too much acid can result in a loss of bone strength and muscle mass. So it is important to keep these acid levels balanced by ingesting vegetables (and fruits) for their alkalinity to the blood.

The best way to get your vegetables is to cut them all up at the start of the week. This will make life easier and make them more accessible. Aim for at least 2 servings, which is the equivalent of 1-2 cups per meal. Yes, every 2-3 hours you must be eating veggies.

Principle #8: Eat Your Biggest Meal At Breakfast, Pre-Workout and Post-Workout  

No matter what anyone says, I believe this is the safest and most effective way to

maximize your muscle:fat gain ratio when bulking. In this article we will not discuss the topic of nutrient timing.

Shortly we will discuss the benefits of packing the bulk of your calories around the most catabolic and anabolic times of the day so you will have sufficient energy to train hard and heavy without any risk of muscle breakdown, not to mention enough calories to support muscle growth. How much food you eat at a particular time of the day should be based on the NEEDS OF YOUR BODY AT THAT CURRENT MOMENT.

Principle #9: Plan Ahead

This principle could easily be number one because oftentimes it is not a shortage of  information that creates a roadblock but our lack of CONSISTENCY and CREATIVITY. I bet if you did not change anything about what you are currently eating but ensured food was there when it was time to eat, you would experience a growth surge.

I strongly agree with the famous cliché that states, ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail.’ It is so true. You must have a plan that will ensure you have the food prepared and cooked in the right selection and amounts every time you eat. This might require you to spend a few hours on Sunday evening cooking and storing all your food in Tupperware containers. This might mean waking up half an hour early so that you can cook all your meals for the day. This might require you to carry a lunch bag wherever you go. This might mean packing a few shaker bottles if you know you will be on the road most of the day. Bottom line – be prepared.

 

Principle #10: Eat Whole Foods 60% Of The Time and Liquid Meals 40% Of The Time

I often have my clients use as few supplements as possible for the first few months of training. You will be amazed at the results achieved by simply putting all your efforts into following your meal plan, proper training and sleep. It’s a very eye-opening experience when they see almost immediate changes in body composition, health and energy levels.

Your food intake should come from high quality food at least 60 % of the time, which means at least 4 of the 6 meals you are eating.

This will ensure more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber that supplements and pills lack. Whole food is loaded with digestive enzymes as well that help the absorption of food instead of eating too much ‘ground up’ food in the form of powder. Power shakes will make your life much easier and will remove some of the inconveniences of having to cook and prepare food all day. Aim to use these at least 2 out of your 4 real meals a day and never more than three power shakes unless your life is extremely hectic and unmanageable.

Conclusion

Dedicate the next 12 weeks to putting these muscle building nutrition principles into action. Building muscle is really quite simple and exciting because you get to indulge in large quantities of food, try new recipes and become a master chef since you’ll be spending more time in the kitchen.   Taking these principles and applying them consistently over time and making them a part of your lifestyle is the secret.

For more tips on healthy eating read here