Entries Tagged 'Building Muscle' ↓

1. Stay hydrated. With the body being composed of sixty percent water, it is vital that you consume enough water. A lack of water leads to dehydration and that leads to excess water retention, catabolism, fatigue, and a whole host of other complications. Aim for a full glass of water with each meal and one-two glasses post-workout.
2. Shift calories post-workout. Adjusting calories to support more calorie consumption in the hours following your workout not only replenishes nutrients you have lost, but it also allows to maximize anabolism (a state of muscle-growth) without additional fat gain (due to an elevated metabolism).
3. Consume carbohydrates. Eating a meal higher in carbohydrates in that one to two hour window following strenuous activity will replenish glycogen reserves that have been burnt out.
4. Consume protein. Having some protein within an hour after your workout will ensure you have an ample supply of amino acids necessary for tissue growth and repair.

1. Look good.
2. Lose weight.
3. Build muscle.
4. Eat more.
5. Increase muscular strength.
6. Improve flexibility.
7. Reduce bad cholesterol (LDL).
8. Increase good cholesterol (HDL).
9. Raise metabolism.
10. Relieve stress.
11. Slow down aging process.
12. Live longer.
13. Increase energy levels.
14. Improve insulin sensitivity.
15. Amplify protein synthesis.
16. Reduce chance of premature death.
17. Reduce chance of heart disease.
18. Reduce possibility and recurrence of breast cancer.
19. Prevent diabetes.
20. Offset arthritis.
21. Boost confidence.
22. Improve mood.
23. Prevent back point.
24. Promote fluid joins and bones.
25. Wipe out high blood pressure.
26. Combat diseases.
27. Think better.
28. Remember more.
29. Better balance.
30. Greater sense of well-being.
31. Increase longevity and endurance.
32. Eliminate depression and anxiety.
33. Strengthen cardiovascular system.
34. Maintain a healthy body.
35. Sleep better.
36. Supercharge sex life.
37. Avoid erectile dysfunction.
38. Increase sports performance.
39. Improve quality of life.
40. Have fun.
41. Meet new people.
42. Set goals.
43. Enhance productivity.
44. Promote wiser time management.
45. Help our country lower obesity rates.
46. Get paid more.
47. Open greater job opportunities.
48. Attract the opposite sex.
49. Prevent osteoporosis.
50. Because thousands of scientific studies and research say you should.

Summer is just around the corner and we all know what that means. Time to hit the beach! But wait, you’ve been hibernating all winter, steadily storing globs of fat in the places you least desire, haven’t you? Fear not, my friend, for I have the ultimate “fat-blasting” solution to your problematic pudge! Get ready to shred fat off at record speed!

Let me start by saying that this diet is not for the faint of heart. It will take some discipline and dedication; rest assured, the visible weekly results will be more than enough to keep you on track. For starters, you will follow a diet called the Cyclic Ketogenic Diet, or CKD. To further the rate of fat-loss and maximize this diet, we’re going to be throwing in some high-intensity, growth hormone-stimulating workout routines. Due to the absence of carbs and lower calories, you may feel a bit more drained in the gym, but with the results you’ll be getting, I’d say it’s quite a fair trade.

What’s this diet all about?

As was explained earlier, the CKD is a low carbohydrate diet. In turn, you will increase current protein and fat intake to support the lowered carbohydrate consumption. You will limit your carbs to no more than 30 grams, composed mostly of green vegetables and trace carbs from your protein and fat sources. By doing this, you will bring your body into a state of ketosis, where your body shifts into a state of constant lipolysis. Your body will undergo a metabolic shift from using carbohydrates to using fat as fuel for energy.

The Diet Phase

During the week:

1. Consume slighty more protein. Eat one more serving of protein per meal than you normally would. This will help preserve lean muscle tissue and increase thermogenesis (rate of fat loss). Ideal protein sources would include:
   • Chicken
   • Beef
   • Fish
2. Consume more fat. This may not sound right, but by eating more fat, you’ll enhance lipolysis and burn even more fat. While it’s better to get your fat from healthy sources like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, you can have some saturated fats too. The best sources of fat are:
   • Fish Oils (liquid form is best)
   • Flax Seeds or Flax Oil
   • Olive Oil
   • Fatty fish (salmon)
3. Drop the carbs. What we want here is no more than 30 grams of carbs, but less is better. Trace carbs from green leafy vegetables are just fine and will provide fiber necessary for digestion.

During the weekend:

1. Keep protein intake the same. Continue to eat protein at every meal.
2. Reduce fat intake. Limit fat to two of your five to six meals.
3. Increase carbohydrate intake. Consume carbs at every meal. You really can have as much as you wish, but try to keep it limited to complex carbs like potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, and the likes. It won’t hurt to have some sweets at a meal or two, just don’t get crazy.

The Exercise Phase

Monday-Wednesday-Friday:

Your routine will be of short duration at a high intensity. The high-intensity nature of the workout serves several purposes: 1) To deplete all glycogen stores within your muscles, thereby taking you deeper into lipolysis, 2) To stimulate natural growth hormone production, a potent fat-burning hormone, and 3) To retain lean muscle mass and strength levels.

Here’s the routine:

1. Overhead Squat, 1×10
2. Hang Clean, 1×10
3. Push-Ups, 1×10
4. DB Lunges, 1×10
5. DB Shoulder Press, 1×10
6. Deadlifts, 1×10
7. Pull-Ups, 1×10

The workout is performed as a circuit - meaning you will switch exercises immediately, without rest. After the last exercise, take a 90-120 second rest and then repeat the circuit once more. Weight should be heavy enough to feel fatigue throughout the last 3-4 reps of the exercise.

Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday-Sunday:

Use these days for rest. You’ll need it!

Continue the diet and the workout for about four to six weeks to achieve maximum results.

Between the two phases, you’ll be one shredded mother. Just keep sight of the goals you have and visualize how you will look when you reach the last day of the fat-blasting formula. With this diet, I’ve been able to put on lean muscle mass while at the same time shredding fat, so it is certainly possible to achieve both. Keep it up and you’ll have that beautiful six-pack on your stomach to appreciate, not that six-pack of Corona’s!