10 Reasons Why It Is Hard To Lose Weight

Do you believe it’s simple to lose weight? If you listen to the weight loss industry, you’ve been told over and over how easy it is…just take this pill, follow that diet or buy this piece of equipment and everything will melt away in a flash. In fact, we spend over billions each year on weight loss products and services and yet we’re still overweight. In light of this, is weight loss really that simple?

Complex Problems, Simple Solutions

The idea behind weight loss is simple–burn more calories than you eat. This can be accomplished by replacing a couple of sodas with water and adding 20 minutes of walking each day. Sounds simple…and it is. If it’s that simple, why can’t we seem to do it?

There are a number of factors that contribute to our weight gain that you already know. But it’s not just about finding time to exercise or choosing the salad over the burger–it’s about genuine commitment to make healthy decisions every day….REGARDLESS of what’s happening in your life. If you’re not ready to make some changes, losing weight will be hard. Below are 10 things you’ll need to look at in order to get yourself on a healthy track.

1. Your Attitude. If you’re only on a health kick to lose weight or look a certain way, it will be hard to lose weight permanently. Why? Because, what happens if you don’t see results quickly enough? You give up. Weight loss is a great goal, but unless you have something else to motivate you, what’s to keep you going if the scale doesn’t budge? It takes time to lose weight–how will you motivate yourself in the meantime? Find more reasons to be healthy–having more energy, dealing with health problems or wanting to live longer to be around for your kids. Those are some darned good reasons, if you ask me.

2. Your Workouts. If you don’t workout consistently enough, it’s hard to lose weight. Yes, it’s possible to lose weight through diet alone, but you’ll likely hit a plateau. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym, you only need to set up a reasonable workout schedule that you can follow each week. It’s not about killing yourself with workouts–it’s about finding something you like and that you’ll continue with for the rest of your life. You have to be willing to be more active on a regular basis–not just for a week here and there.

3. Your Eating. Changing the way you eat is another thing you’re going to have to do for long-lasting weight loss. You need to be willing to replace unhealthy foods with healthier choices–every single day. This might mean:

• Keeping a food journal
• Spending more time in the grocery store reading food labels
• Spending more time preparing meals
• Saying no to extra portions
• Making conscious choices about what you put in your mouth.

For permanent weight loss, you need to pay attention to what you eat and make good choices more often than not. Maybe a structured diet eventually ends, but healthy eating never stops…there will never be a time when you’re done eating healthy. You might feel you’re sacrificing the good stuff (pizza, fast food, etc.) and your life won’t be fun if you can’t have those foods. Guess what? You can still have them…just not whenever you want. Are you ready to make these changes? Are you ready to stop giving your body the most convenient thing available (and often the most fatty) and, instead, spend time planning what and when you’ll eat? Because that’s what it takes to get healthy…permanently.

4. Your Lifestyle. If you want a healthy life, you have to be willing to change how you live. It doesn’t mean changing everything overnight, but simply being open to new ways of doing things. Some things you might need to change for a healthy life are:

• Daily Routines. You may need to get up earlier to prepare your lunch or squeeze in a workout, use your lunch hour for exercise or go for a walk after work instead of watching TV. Are you willing to do this?
• Limits. You might need to set new rules for yourself limiting how much TV you watch or how long you sit at the computer. You’ll need to pay attention to how you spend your time and where you’re out of balance so you can add more movement.
• Your Pantry. I’m the kind of person who will eat an entire bag of Doritoes if they’re in the house. That means I don’t keep them in the house and if someone (ahem…husband) brings them home, he must immediately re-locate them elsewhere. If you want to be healthy, you may need to get rid of those foods you just can’t resist.
• Your Schedule. If you’re not willing to sit down and change the way you live each day to include exercise, time to prepare meals and time to nurture yourself with sleep, it’s hard to lose weight. People use busy schedules as an excuse not to be healthy…are you one of them? If you’re not ready to take responsibility for the schedule you’ve created, it will be hard to lose weight.

5. Your Surroundings. Sometimes, you can’t control the things around you. At work, you may be surrounded by temptations–donuts, vending machines and the like. That’s just one thing you have to deal with…but what about your home? Surround yourself with things that will support you in your efforts to get healthy. That might mean spending some money on home workout equipment, setting up a corner of the house for your gear or commandeering the TV a few nights a week to do an exercise video. Set up an environment that encourages those healthy choices and reminds you of them–just walking into my kitchen and seeing that bowl of fresh fruit is often enough to remind me of all the healthy choices I’ll need to make that day.

6. Your Support System. While getting healthy may be something you’re doing on your own, it’s a big help to have a support system. At the very least, family members who understand what you’re doing and are either willing to participate or help. If you have a spouse who wants to continue eating the kinds of foods that tempt you, you need a plan to deal with that so you can still reach your goals and keep your relationship together. Try to surround yourself with people who support what you’re doing and avoid those people (like that co-worker who always offers you a donut even though you refuse on a daily basis) who don’t. A workout buddy is also an excellent idea for support.

7. Your Spiritual and Mental Health. If you have other reasons for being overweight–past hurts that you’ve used food to deal with, depression or other problems, it’s hard to lose weight. For many of us, food is a comfort and something we’ve relied on all of our lives to help us deal with emotional problems. If that’s the case for you, pinpointing those behaviors and what drives them is important for becoming aware of what you’re doing and why. A counselor can help you with this or take some time to read about emotional eating. Be willing to learn why you make the choices you make and to confront them.

8. Your Goals. If you’ve set impossible goals, you are guaranteed to fail. Weight loss becomes hard to achieve if you feel like a constant failure…who wants to feel like that? If that’s how your weight loss experience is, it’s no wonder you keep quitting. The key is to set reasonable goals. So what is reasonable? That’s going to be different for each person depending on your genetics, eating habits, exercise, and metabolism to name a few. You’re better off setting a long-term goal (whether it’s to lose weight or compete in a race) and then focusing your attention on daily or weekly goals. Your weekly goal might be to get in 3 cardio workouts, minimum. Pick things you KNOW you’ll achieve so you’re always successful. It can be as small as you like, as long as it’s reachable.

9. Your Flexibility. You hear a lot about lifestyle changes, but it’s daily choices that really test you. What happens if you have to work late and you can’t get to the gym? Or what if you get stuck in traffic and miss your fitness class? Any number of things can happen in a day that may throw you off track. The trick is to be flexible. It helps if you’re always prepared–keep some workout shoes in the car so you can stop off at the park for a quick walk. Keep some food handy so if you get stuck in traffic, you get a snack in before your workout. Often people skip workouts because something comes up and they simply aren’t ready for it or they aren’t willing to give themselves other options–can’t do 45 minutes? Why not just do 10? Something is always better than nothing.

10. Your Willingness to Fail. You will not be perfect every day. As a perfectionist, I have to say that is a frustrating concept for me but, the truth is, everyone (even perfectionists) has good days and bad days. On the good days, you’ll eat all your fruits and veggies, say no to that pizza and do your workout even though you’re tired. On the bad days, you’ll wake up late, forget to bring your lunch, have an extra piece of cake at your friend’s birthday party and skip your workout. The bad days will happen if you’re a human being. The trick is to never give up, even when you mess up. You’re not a loser just because you make some mistakes…you’re simply a person trying his or her best to make good decisions

Please Note: These are Chest and Triceps workouts only.   These are by no means all of them, and commonly you will find variations using different types of weight.

Incline Dumbbell Press

Dumbbell Press

Dumbbell Press

Decline Dumbbell Press

Decline Dumbbell Press

Dumbbell Fly

Dumbbell Fly

Downward Fly

Downward Fly

Regular Fly

Regular Bench Press

Regular Bench Press

Incline Bench Press

Incline Bench Press

Seated Reverse Dips (Triceps)

Seated Reverse Dips (Triceps)

Weighted Reverse Dips (Triceps)

Weighted Reverse Dips (Triceps)

Standing Skull Crushers (dumbbell)(Triceps)

Standing Skull Crushers (dumbbell)(Triceps)

Seated Dumbbell Skull Crushers (Triceps)

Seated Dumbbell Skull Crushers (Triceps)

Decline Barbell Skull Crushers (Triceps)

Decline Barbell Skull Crushers (Triceps)

Close Grip Bench Press (triceps)

Close Grip Bench Press (triceps)

Kick-Backs (Triceps)

Many positive health claims have been made over the years for high-fiber diets. Most recently two articles in The Lancet medical journal give credence to the long-held idea that such a diet protects against colon cancer. The articles described two long-term studies, one done in England, the other in the US.

One reason for the difficulty of proving such claims for fiber is that the substance is complex — there are many types of fiber, not all of which act in the same manner. Some, in other words, may be more effective as a preventive agent than others — it is important to isolate which specific high-fiber types matter most.

Fiber, as you know, is plentiful in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. For some reasons not certain, Europeans eat more of it than we do in the U.S.; their residents ate 22 grams a day to our (American) 16 grams a day. According to the latest studies just mentioned, neither the Euros nor the Americans are eating enough — at least 30 grams daily seem essential for protection against colon cancer.

Any idea how many grams of fiber there are in popular foods? Here are a few with fiber content noted:

·        Slice of whole meal bread-2 grams.

·        Banana-3 grams.

·        Apple-3.5 grams.

·        Cup of brown rice-3.5 grams.

·        Half a cup of high fiber breakfast cereal-14 grams.

In the American study (consisting of 3,600 people) reported in The Lancet, people who ate the most fiber (36 grams daily) had a 27 percent lower risk of pre-cancerous growths than those who ate the least. In the English study, those who ate the most fiber (about 35 grams a day) had about a 40 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer.

All of which leads me to conclude that everyone would be wise to pay a lot more attention to fiber than is the norm! One way to do so, besides counting fiber intake daily, is to be as alert to what happens to your food after you eat it as to the foods you select to eat. Consider this fact: America leads the world in the incidence not only of colorectal cancer, but also of digestive tract disorders, such as diverticulosis and diverticulitis. You’ve surely heard about “irritable bowel syndrome,” haven’t you? Well, these conditions, largely influenced by poor food choices and lack of exercise, can be anticipated long before the disease state occurs IF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ATE. Am I making myself clearer?

Compared with some third-world countries, where the populations enjoy high-fiber diets, Americans are not doing well in the OUTPUT side of nutrition, if you get my drift. This is seen in three ways contrasting their PRODUCTION with ours in terms of volume, transit time and consistency.

Let’s deal with volume first. People in some other countries produce, on average, a pound and a half to two pounds daily; Americans — just seven ounces. This isn’t to suggest that all citizens of these selected third-world societies are quite so productive or that all Americans are under-performers but that, on average, we’re being out-pooped! My fellow flag-waving patriots, if you want America to be #1, the REAL superpower of the universe, you will have to do your part — by exercising and eating more fiber. Consider it your patriotic duty.

The second measure of adequacy of production is transit time. From input (consumption) to output (waste disposal), the third-world folks require 24 hours or less. Americans retain their meals for two to three days! This means that many of us are giving new meaning to the euphemistic state of constipation. The truth is we have masses of humanoids functioning in society who are, basically, living, breathing and perambulating toxic waste dumps.

Finally, there is the matter of consistency or consideration of the behavior of the fecal matter. This is something you can check out at a glance, which is not illegal, sinful, disgusting or otherwise inappropriate. The rule is simple: Fluffy floaters are better than slinky sinkers.

In addition to enjoying vigorous daily exercise (and sufficient moments of a fulfilling nature, a bit of relaxation, maintaining a good attitude and an interest in the meaning of life), you, too, can produce whopper-sized winners by choosing meals high in bulk and fiber. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, for example, and be conscious of fat intake. Try for a gram of fiber for every 100 calories you consume. If you are packing in, say, 3000 calories daily, that means you need 30 grams of fiber. Why not go for the high standard of 35 from that English study for even more protection against colorectal cancer?

So, a main focus of your fitness routine should be to eat more fiber and, with it, drink plenty of water.  Excellent fiber sources are just about any fruit or vegetable and beans, prunes, figs, raisins, oatmeal, pears, nuts and popcorn, in particular.  Next time you buy food take a look at the grams of Fiber and see if you are getting around 30grams a day.  Chances are that you never even thought about how much fiber is in you diet because we tend to be more fat and sugar conscious these days. Getting enough daily fiber can lead to a much healthier you.  The proper consumption of fiber along with good intakes of protein and working out on a regular can get you well on your way to reaching your fitness goals! 

There are a lot of pre-workout supplements on the market, and out of all of them you have to rate one the best.  In my eyes I would have to put Super Pump as the reigning champ.  I always recommend Super Pump to all of my clients that are in need of a little pre-workout boost.  Compared to the other leading supplements; N.O. Xplode and Black Powder, the results you attain from SuperPump puts all others to shame! Having a great N.O. product in your workout routine can be essential to lean muscle development and strength inmuch smaller time frames.  Not only does it give you energy comparable to 4 or 5 Monster energy drinks, but you get a much more effective workout!

In the Pre-workout category, SuperPump 250is the reigning King of dramatic effects. Athletes who try SuperPump virtually never go back to any other pre-workout supplement, and its effects are so profound that the thought of training without it is simply out of the question for most users. In the groundbreaking independent clinical trial, increases in lean muscle mass nearly tripled in a single workout with just 1 dose of SuperPump 250 as compared to not taking the supplement.

If that’s not enough, body fat percentages simultaneously dropped as opposed to no changes in body fat recorded without the supplement. Consider all this with the added effects of explosive energy, mental focus and strength, and you’re left with seemingly very little to consider. Ask anyone who tries this super anti-catabolic powerhouse and you’ll hear the same answer over and over – you’re going to look and feel incredible on SuperPump 250!

Gaspari Nutrition SuperPump 250has been developed through extensive research and has been shown in independent laboratory testing to promote explosive increases in lean mass and muscle size in your very first workout! SuperPump 250 has also been shown to illicit a simultaneous reduction in unwanted body fat!

I challenge you to try different N.O. products to see for yourself what works bestyou’re your body.Remember to only take SuperPump or any other N.O supplemen,t for up to 3 months consecutively and then cycle off for 3 to 4 weeks.  Cycling off will allow your body to flush your system and to no longer have a high tolerance.  Follow this advice and you will see much better results.  The human body can become very tolerant of anything you give it for a period of a few months in a row.  By cycling off for a few weeks you allow the body to become much less tolerant, which in turn allows the supplements to be more effective.This rule can be applied to any supplement except a daily Multi-Vitamin, those can be take everyday.  Try a N.O. supplement for yourself, SuperPump 250 is what I always recommend and take your workouts to the next level!!

The Brady Quinn Workout

Our athlete of the week is the hardest working QB in all of Pro Football! At 6’3”, 236 pounds, and a remarkable 5 percent body fat, Quinn is a striking image of health! So we felt his workout regiment deserved a closer look. What does he do in his widely discussed workouts? Your initial reaction to a workout with just two exercises a day might be that it’s for beginners. Tell that to Brady Quinn. With the football season approaching fast, Quinn is preparing his body for the bigger, stronger, harder-hitting defenses of the NFL. But he’s also busy adjusting to the demands of a new job, such as memorizing his playbook and learning to read the zone blitz. So, like you, he has to maximize his time in the weight room. That’s why Quinn trains his upper body and lower body in every workout, with basic, muscle-building exercises that keep his metabolism elevated. But here’s the best part: Whereas most workouts focus on just one goal, like boosting strength, Quinn’s routine has multiple payoffs. You’ll lift heavy weights to increase strength, and you’ll perform exercises with explosiveness to bolster power and athleticism. What’s more, by using a classic training technique called isometric holds, you’ll build muscle and stabilize your most injury-prone joints. This strategy is both challenging and effective, which is exactly how Quinn likes his workouts. His secret for an all-pro performance? “The biggest thing is effort,” he says. “If you put the right amount of effort into whatever workout you’re doing, it’s going to work for you in the end.” Ready to raise your intensity and take your fitness to a new level? Let Quinn lead you on the drive of a lifetime. Begin each session with calisthenics, core exercises, and injury-prevention moves. Then do the exercises specified for each training day.

How to use the workout:

1. Start with four sets of three repetitions for the first exercise in each workout, and rest 45 seconds between sets. Use a weight that’s half as heavy as you can lift once (50 percent of your one-repetition max). Lower the weight in 1 second, pause momentarily, and lift the weight with as much speed as you can generate. 

2. Do three sets of eight reps of the first exercise, using as much weight as you can handle with perfect technique. Again, lift the weight quickly. Rest for 2 minutes between sets.

3. Perform the first exercise once more, using the weight from your first set (half your one-rep max) and a technique called isometric holds. Here’s how they work: You’ll pause for 30 seconds at the top, middle, and bottom of the move. That’s one set. Do three sets, resting for 1 minute between sets. This technique builds bigger muscles and eliminates weaknesses. example: For the bench press, pause when your arms are nearly straight (but don’t lock them out), again when the bar is halfway down, and once more when it’s at your chest. 

4. Move to the second exercise in the pair. Perform one set of eight repetitions, again using weights that fully challenge your muscles. Rest for 30 seconds, and do another set of as many reps as you can.

Monday

Barbell Bench Press

Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grab the bar with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart, and hold it over your chest. Pull your shoulder blades down and together, and lower the bar to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in. Quickly push the bar back up.

Swiss-Ball Hamstring Curl

Lie on the floor with your ankles on a Swiss ball and your arms at your sides, and raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line. Squeezing your glutes, pull the ball toward your butt with your legs. Then roll the ball back out.

Tuesday

Front Squat

Stand holding a barbell across the front of your shoulders, and bring your elbows forward so your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Initiate the move by pushing your hips back. Lower your body as far as you can while maintaining a natural arch in your lower back. Then quickly press back up to a standing position.

Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs with an underhand grip. Bend forward at the hips until your upper body is almost parallel to the floor. Pull the weights up toward your rib cage until your elbows pass your torso, and then lower them.

Thursday

Pullup

Grab a chinup bar with an overhand grip (palms forward) and your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Hang with your arms straight, and pull your shoulder blades down. Pull your chest to the bar. Then lower yourself to the starting position.

Bulgarian Split Squat

Stand with a bench behind you and a barbell across the back of your shoulders. Place the top of your right foot on the bench. Keeping your torso upright, lower your body until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Then quickly push yourself back up.

Friday

Romanian Deadlift

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip in front of your thighs. Keeping your lower back naturally arched, push your butt back, and bend forward until the weights are at midshin level. Push back up to the starting position.

Military Press

Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor, and grab a barbell with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, press the bar overhead until your arms are straight. Then lower it to the top of your chest.

Brady Quinn, who has always looked the part, really backs it up with his work in the gym to target football specific movements. Obviously his hard work and commitment in the weight room is paying off.

DeadLift:

No other weight training exercise work as many muscle groups and builds muscle as fast as the deadlift. The neck, traps, upper, middle, and lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quads, biceps, forearms, and abs are all utilized in the deadlift. No other exercise is a better test of overall body power. While uninformed people always ask, “How much can you bench,” the question they really should ask is, “how much can you deadlift?” A deadlift is the most basic exercise anyone can do. Bending down and picking a weight up off the floor is the one weight training exercise that mimics everyday real life situations. Most people will rarely find themselves on their back needing to push a heavyweight off their chest but everyone has to bend down and pick things up. If you could only do one exercise to build muscle this would be the one to do. Be sure to start with light weight until you get the hang of it!

2.  Squats:

The squat has been known for years as the “king of all muscle building exercises” and for good reason. I’m not talking about sissy boy half squats either; I’m talking about real below parallel, full squats. If you don’t at least break parallel it’s not a squat. Like deadlifts, squats involve an enormous amount of muscle mass and stimulate the release of anabolic hormones such as testosterone. This is great for building muscle fast. The squat is probably the most revered exercise among serious lifters and the power rack is considered our sacred ground. If you ever want to develop any kind of real lower body strength and build muscle fast, you have no choice but to squat. Again, start light until you get the hang of it!

3. Chin Ups:

Not many exercises will build muscle in the upper body like chin ups. Known as the upper body squat, chins stimulate nearly every muscle from the traps down to the abdominals. Any exercise that allows you to move your body through space as opposed to moving a weight or fixed implement around you has a much higher degree of neuromuscular activation, and therefore a much greater potential to elicit gains in size and strength. Look at the development of male gymnasts and you will see for yourself what years of chin ups and dips can do for the upper body. If you want to build muscle fast, be sure to include chin ups in your weight training program.

4. Parallel Dips:

A close second to chin ups as one of the best upper body exercises for building muscle fast, and for all the same reasons. If you want big arms you had better include dips in your training program. No other weight training exercise will add slabs of muscle to the triceps as effectively as dips. A huge chest and enormous pair of front delts are also a pleasant side effect that comes with regularly performing this outstanding muscle building exercise.

5. Hang Clean & Push Press:

A total body muscle building exercise which hits the calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads, lower and upper back, traps, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and forearms. Although it is, by definition, an Olympic lift, it can be done in more of a strict manner to really target the traps, upper back, and shoulders. When done in this manner, it is not performed solely with the intention of developing explosive speed like most Olympic lifts are performed. Doing the clean and push press in this manner is a form of power bodybuilding and will really blow up the traps and shoulders. If you could only pick one weight training exercise for building muscle, this might be the one. It’s a shame you don’t see this in more bodybuilding programs.

6. Bench Press:

This is one of the three power lifting exercises and along with Military Presses, is the greatest of all pressing movements for building muscle in the upper body. When looking at the effectiveness of an exercise, the questions to be asked are what will allow the lifter to use the most weight and what exercise involves the most muscle mass. The bench press meets both of these prerequisites and besides being incredibly effective as a muscle building exercise, it is one of the best measures of upper body power.

7. Military Press:

A.K.A. the front press, this was once considered the number one measure of upper body power and was the premier muscle building exercise for the upper body. In the old days of strength training most people didn’t even do bench presses; every weight training exercise was done standing up. Bench pressing was looked down upon as a show lift and real men only did overhead presses to build muscle. Bench pressing took over with the development of power lifting and bodybuilding and the military press took a back seat. It is still however, a great measure of upper body power and should be done by anyone interested in building an impressive set of shoulders and building overall muscle mass throughout the upper body. Even though some uninformed doctors will have you believe that overhead pressing can be dangerous, old time strong men argue that there would not be as many shoulder injuries as there are today if the military press had remained the upper body weight training exercise of choice. Equally effective variations of the military press include the push press, push jerk and split jerk. 

8. Bent Over Row:

When it comes to building muscle in the upper back and lats, bent over rows are hard to beat. This weight training exercise can be performed many different ways; palms up, palms down, wide grip, close grip, to the abdomen, to the sternum, with an ez bar or with a straight bar. However you do them, nothing will develop thickness in the back like rows will, and anyone who has been involved with bodybuilding for a while will tell you there is nothing more impressive than a well developed back, muscular back

9. Good Mornings:

Although they are a rarely performed weight training exercise by a large majority of bodybuilders, good mornings remain one of the staples of a good size and strength gaining program. Power lifters seem to be the only ones who know about the muscle building properties of this outstanding exercise. The reason this muscle building exercise is often avoided is that good mornings are brutally hard work. But that hard work brings huge rewards. Good mornings will build muscle fast and pack tons of size on your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. They are also one of the best weight training exercises to help improve your squat and deadlift, which is the main reason they are a mainstay in power lifting.

10. Push-Ups: 

Yes, you read that right, I said pushups are one of the best weight training exercises to build muscle fast. For a beginner pushups are the absolute best muscle building exercise to do for the pecs, delts, and triceps. However, as you make progress and get stronger pushups become too easy and are usually forgotten about. That is a huge mistake. There are several varieties of pushups that can be used by intermediate and advanced lifters such as elevated pushups on pushup handles, dumbbells, or chairs. Pushups can also be done on gymnastic rings hanging from chains and suspended a foot or so above the ground to make them even more challenging. When either of these versions of this awesome muscle building exercise becomes too easy you can have a partner hold weight on your back, use a weighted vest or even drape heavy chains across your back. If you are looking for more variety, Hindu pushups are another great version of this exercise and can sometimes humble even the strongest of men.

So there you have it, the best weight training exercises for building muscle fast. All the food and supplements and drugs in the world are worthless if you train half ass. Machines and isolation movements are as effective as running on a treadmill when it comes to getting big and strong. Stick with the weight training exercises above; make them a staple in your training, and start saving up for a new wardrobe. Its time to build muscle fast!

Along with carbohydrates and fat, your body needs protein, a nutrient made up of essential and nonessential amino acids, for good health. Your body manufactures 13 nonessential amino acids, which aren’t available from food. For the body to process protein properly, the foods that you eat must contain the nine essential amino acids that are available only from dietary sources.

How does your body use protein from food? Protein helps to maintain and replace the tissues in your body, and it is found in almost every living cell and fluid. Your muscles, organs and many of your hormones are made up of protein, and it is also used in the manufacture of hemoglobin, the red blood cells that carry oxygen to your body. Protein is also used to manufacture antibodies that fight infection and disease and is integral to your body’s blood clotting ability. Both children and adults need plenty of protein to grow and develop.

When trying to Calculate how much protien you should take after working out, make sure NOT to just go with what it says on the side of the bottle.  Think about what Your Personal Fitness Goals are and what your ideal body structure would be.  Are you looking for getting lean and fit, muscle building, weight gaining?? All of these reccommend for different protien intakes on top of the amount of mass you currently have.  Personally I take about 40 grams of protein within a half hour of working out, and then eat a high protien meal (13-25 grams protein) about an hour later.  I am 160 lbs and 5’11″ and am going for muscular but lean.  We will be placing charts for most body types soon though.. Thanks!   

Ten Rules to follow to “Rule your Workout!”

Rule #1 – Diet…Diet…Diet!!!

Without the proper diet it doesn’t matter if you workout 7 days a week and run every morning for 30 minutes.  At best you are probably maintaining or seeing results happen very, very slowly.  85% of your results will come from a good balanced diet!

Rule #2 – Lift Weights BEFORE you do your Cardio!!!

Many people that I train are under the impression that they should run first.  This is a big mistake I see people making all the time.  If you do cardio first you will never have enough energy to have a proper weight lifting session simply because you used most of your energy doing the cardio. You will need all the strength and energy to you can get to push your body to evolve to become stronger and leaner.

Rule #3 – Eat…Eat…Eat!!!

You hear people all the time saying, “Im not going to eat lunch or dinner because Im on a diet.”  The fact is that everytime you eat you are sparking your metabolism. So, it only makes sense that in order to see more results you need to spark your metabolism more.  If you eat 2 or 3 big meals a day you are only sparking your metabolism 2 or 3 times a day. Not to mention the amount of fat your body will store due to eating such big meals. Instead, eat 6 to 8 times a day and keep the portion sizes smaller.  When your body tells you it is hungry you should feed it rather then starve it!

Rule #4 – Protein!!!

When you are lifting weights you are tearing muscle fibers.  The way to repair the torn fibers is to supply your muscles with PROTEIN! For the best results focus on around 1gram of protein for every pound you weigh. (ex: if you weigh 150lbs then you need 150grams of protein everyday)  Whey protein before and after workouts. (only about 10-20 grams before the workout and at least 30, preferably 40 grams within 30mins after your workout.)  Casein protein before you go to bed. (casein protein feeds muscles slowly for up to 8 hrs, perfect for while you are sleeping)

Rule #5 – Cardio!!!

Making sure you get a minimum of three cardio sessions per week is essential to seeing results. By cardio I mean running or biking or some exercise that gets your heart rate up and stays up for a minimum of 20-30 min per session.  Once you add cardio as a regular part of your workout routine along with a good diet, you will be very pleased with the results.

Rule #6 – Sleep!!!

Getting 6-8 hours of sleep a night will allow your body to repair itself and reenergize. Sleep is very important for overall health and when you are well rested you can workout much harder.

Rule #7 – Multi-Vitamin!!!

Your body requires many different nutrients to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Even with a good diet, chances are that you are not receiving the daily recommended amount.  With a daily Multi-Vitamin you will be sure you are giving your body what it needs.

Vitamins are vital to a successful workout regiment.

Rule #8 – Variety!!!

Variety is very important when it comes to over coming plateaus.  What I mean by variety is variety in your diet and exercise program.  You need to eat different kinds of foods and do many different variations on the workouts you do. (ex: every Monday you do back and biceps, switch of doing biceps first one week and then back the next.)  Tricking your body by using a variety of workouts is a great way to get over plateaus and see even greater results!

Rule #9 – 2 is the Magic Number

Always remember to double up. Only work on 2 different muscle groups each workout and have a workout partner (if possible). (ex: Monday (back/biceps) Tuesday (quads/calfs) Wednesday (chest/triceps))  Don’t waste a workout by doing to much.  Keeping the workouts to 2 muscles groups allows you to focus on target areas and burnout the fibers in order to see better results.

Rule #10 – Challenge your Body

Anyone can go to the gym and do 3 sets of 10 curls and 3 sets of 10 bench press if they go light enough.  Push yourself to do as many reps as you can at least on the last set.  Take the lasts sets to failure sometime and even beyond with the spotter helping to do the extra reps.  You need to trick your body into getting stronger.  Being sore is great! It means you did a good job working out. If you are not sore then you didn’t do enough!