DISCLOSING THE SECRETS OF BODY BUILDING ARTS
INFORMATION Contents
Introduction
·
Weight Training
·
Exercises
·
Workout Plans
·
Eating Right
·
Carbohydrates
·
Protein
·
Fats
·
Sample Meal Plan
·
Cooking for Mass
(Recipes)
·
Sweet Dreams
(Getting Enough Rest)
·
Supplements
·
Creatine
·
Glutamine
·
Protein
·
Nitric Oxide
·
Steroids
&
Growth Hormones
·
Body
·
Building for
Her
·
Body Building
for
Teens
·
Contests
·
Your
Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
Ever since the
fitness craze in the 1980’s, we have become a
nation increasingly aware of our health and physique. Millions of dollars are
spent every year in the quest for a perfect body. Gyms are big business,
personal trainers are making a tidy living helping people stay fit, and body
building supplements are at an all-time level of performance.
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In actuality, the
sport of body building has been around for quite some time. In the late 19th
century, the man known as the “father of
bodybuilding”, Eugen Sandow was
credited with inventing the sport by inviting people to view his body in muscle
display performances.
Sandow built a stage
performance around displays of strength and agility as well as showing off a “Grecian” physique which was
considered the ultimate body. He became so successful, he created several
businesses around his fame and was among the first people to market body
building products bearing his name. As he became more popular, he was credited
with the invention of the first exercise equipment marketed to the masses.
Sandow was also
credited with beginning the first body building contest called “The Great Competition” held in London.
This competition was the basis for many others to follow including the Mr.
Olympia competition
that remains the most popular body building contest to date.
When World War II
broke out, men in the country were inspired to become bigger in their physique,
stronger, and more aggressive in their behavior. Training techniques were
improved, nutrition was focused on more than ever, and body building equipment
evolved into effective means for working muscles in ways never thought of
before.
It was also around
this time that many body building organizations came into being including the
Amateur Athletic Union and the International Federation of Body Building. In
1970, body building was taken to a new level when the film “Pumping Iron” was released
starring Austrian newcomer Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Through the years,
body building has just grown in popularity becoming almost an obsession for
many people. Women have started to take an interest in honing their bodies, and
the sport has evolved into a real competitive arena.
If you’ve always wanted to learn about how to build your body to that “Grecian Ideal” envisioned by Eugen
Sandow, there can be a lot to learn. This book will guide you through some of the
basics to get you started. Of course, nothing will compare to actually getting
to the gym and lifting those weights, but you’ll need some
information first.
That’s why we’re here. We want to
reveal body building secrets to YOU.
WEIGHT TRAINING
Body building is the
process of developing muscle fibers through various techniques. It is achieved
through muscle conditioning, weight training, increased caloric intake, and
rest. Workouts are designed to focus on certain muscle categories, and foods are
consumed with the intention to build the body’s metabolism and
increase mass.
This section will
focus on weight training for body builders.
Weight training
develops both strength as well as the size of skeletal muscles. It uses the
force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscles through contraction.
Weight training uses a variety of specialized equipment designed to target
specific muscle groups and movements.
Some people refer to
weight training as strength training. While they are not exactly the same, they
are both similar to each other.
Strength training
focuses on increasing muscular strength and size.
Weight training is
one type of strength training using weights as the primary force to build
muscle mass.
The basic principles
of weight training are pretty much the same as those of strength training. It
involves a manipulation of the numbers of reps, sets, tempo, exercise types,
and weight moved to cause desired increases in strength, endurance, size, or shape.
The specific
combination of reps, sets, exercises, and weight depends upon the desires of
the body builder. Sets with fewer reps can be performed with heavier weights
but have a reduced impact on endurance.
Equipment used in
weight training include barbells, dumbbells, pulleys, and stacks in the form of
weight machines or the body’s own weight as in
push-ups and chin-ups. Different weights will give different types of
resistance.
Weight training also
focuses on form performing the movements with the appropriate muscle groups and
not transferring the weight to different body parts in order to move great
weight. If you don’t use good form in
weight training, you risk muscle injury which could hinder your progress.
Another form of
weight training is resistance training.
Resistance training
involves the use of elastic or hydraulic resistance to contraction rather than
gravity. When your muscles are resisting a weight, the overall tone of that
muscle will grow over time.
If you are a
beginner at weight training, you should not just
“jump right in”. You need to build up your strength and over-working your muscles can
cause more harm than good. Some of your muscles might be naturally stronger
than others. Building up slowly allows muscles to develop appropriate strengths
relative to each other.
Most gyms offer the
services of a personal trainer that comes with the membership fee. These
trainers can suggest specific workouts for you to begin with. If you want to
undertake it yourself, we can make a few suggestions on routines that can help
you build muscle and get on the way to a great body.
First, we’ll define some common exercise for clarification.
EXERCISES
You may not be
familiar with some of the terminology used in body building. Along the same
line, you should know what certain exercises are and how to safely perform
them. There are all sorts of exercises you can perform – so many, in fact, space prevents us from listing all of them. However,
learning the basics can be a great help.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Sit on the edge of a
flat bench with the dumbbells resting on your knees. In one smooth motion, roll
onto your back and bring the dumbbells up to a position slightly outside and
above your shoulders.
Your palms should be
facing forwards.
Bend your elbows at
a ninety-degree angle with your upper arms parallel to the ground. Press the
weights up over your chest in a triangular motion until they meet above the
center line of your body.
As you lift,
concentrate on keeping the weights balanced and under control. Follow the same
path downward.
Standing Military
Press
For this exercise,
you will use a barbell. Stand with your legs about shoulder width apart and
lift the barbell to your chest. Lock your legs and hips and keep your elbows in
slightly under the bar.
Press the bar to arm’s length over your head.
Lower the bell to
your upper chest or your chin depending on which is more comfortable for you.
This exercise can also be performed with dumbbells or seated on a weight bench.
Lying Tricep Push
Sit on a flat bench
holding a curl bar with an overhand grip. Lie back so that the top of your head
is even with the end of the weight bench. As you are lying back, extend your
arms over your head so that the bar is directly over your eyes. Keep your
elbows tight and your upper arms stationary throughout the exercise.
The biggest key to
this exercise is keeping your upper arms in a fixed position. Slowly lower the
bar until it almost touches your forehead. Press the bar back up in a slow,
sweeping arc-like motion.
At the finish, lock
your elbows completely.
Side Lateral
Dumbbell Raise
Stand upright with
your feet shoulder width apart and your arms at your side. Hold a dumbbell in
each hand with your palms turned toward your body. Keep your arms straight and
lift the weights out and up to the sides until they are slightly higher than
shoulder level.
Then slowly lower
them back down to your side again.
Keep your palms
turned downward as you lift the dumbbells so that your shoulders rather than
your biceps do the work. Make sure you are lifting the dumbbells up rather than
swinging them up. Don’t lean forward while
doing this either or you risk injury to your back.
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Preacher Curls
This exercise is
best done with a special preacher curl bench, but you can do this without it
with a little modification. Sit at the end of the weight bench, and place
something such as a firm pillow or a few pillows under your armpits on your
lap. Hold the curl bar in your hands with palms facing upward. Don’t hunch over the pillow, sit as straight as you can.
Using a shoulder
width grip, grasp the bar in both hands. Curl the bar upward in an arc. Be
careful not to swing or rock to get the bar moving. You need to be using your
muscles to lift the weight, not momentum. The goal of this exercise is to work
the biceps.
Bring the bar up to
your chin keeping in mind that the resistance is greatest during the beginning
of the lift. Lower the bar slowly working the muscle on the way down as well.
You can also do this with dumbbells or work one arm at a time.
Seated Dumbbell Curl
Sit at the end of a
bench with your feet firmly on the floor. Keep your back straight and your head
up. Start with the dumbbells at arm’s length with your
palms facing in. Curl the weight up and twist your wrist once they pass your
thighs. Squeeze your biceps at the top and then slowly lower the weight.
Do not swing the
dumbbells down; lower them as you are working those muscles! You can do this
standing, but the seated position prevents bad form.
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Start with your
right foot flat on the floor and your left knee resting on a flat bench. Lean
forward so that you’re supporting the
weight of your upper body with your left arm on the bench. Your back should be
flat and almost parallel with the floor.
Reach down and pick
up a dumbbell with your right hand. Your left arm should be locked at the elbow
so it will support the weight of your upper body.
Before starting,
look straight ahead instead of at the floor so you can keep your back straight.
Tighten your abs to keep your body from turning to the side as you lift the
dumbbell. Concentrate on pulling your elbow back as far as it can go. The
dumbbell should end up roughly parallel with your torso.
After you’ve rowed the dumbbell up as far as you can slowly lower it back to the
starting position. Switch arms after one set.
Dumbbell Shrugs
Stand straight up
with your feet at shoulder width. Hold two dumbbells with your arms hanging at
your sides. Droop your shoulders down as far as possible. Raise your shoulders
up as far as you can go then slowly return to the starting position.
You can also rotate
your shoulders by going up in a circular motion from front to back and then
back down again. This can also be done holding a barbell.
Standing Calf Raises
This can be done
with a specific machine found in a gym, or adapted for use without the machine.
Stand up against a wall with your body facing the wall and your palms down on
the wall and your feet flat on the floor.
Keep your body
straight and slowly lift up your heels until you are standing on the tips of
your toes. Hold the contraction briefly then slowly return to the starting
position with your feet flat on the floor.
Crunches
Lie flat on your
back with your feet flat on the ground, or resting on a bench with your knees
bent at a 90 degree angle. If you are resting your feet on a bench, place them
three to four inches apart and point your toes inward so they touch.
Place your hands
lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in. Don't lock your
fingers behind your head! Push the small of your back down in the floor to
isolate your abdominal muscles. Begin to roll your shoulders off the floor.
Continue to push
down as hard as you can with your lower back.
Your shoulders
should come up off the floor only about four inches, and your lower back should
remain on the floor. Focus on slow, controlled movement - don't cheat yourself
by using momentum!
Dumbbell Hammer
Curls
With a dumbbell in
each hand, stand with your arms hanging at your sides, and palms are facing
each other. Keep your elbows locked into your sides. Your upper body and elbows
should remain in the same place during the whole lift.
Keep your palms
facing each other, curl the weight in your right hand up in a semi-circle
toward your right shoulder. Squeeze the biceps hard at the top of the lift and
then slowly lower. Do not turn your wrists during this lift! You can also do
one arm at a time and/or alternate.
Incline Dumbbell
Press
Sit on the edge of
an incline bench set at about a 45-degree angle. Pick up a dumbbell in each
hand and place them on your thighs.
Then, one at a time,
raise them up to your shoulder level while you press your back and shoulders
firmly against the bench.
Press the weights
back up to a point over your upper chest, with your palms facing forward. Lower
the weights slowly. Inhale as you lower the weights and exhale as you lift.
Barbell Squat
Rest a barbell on
the upper portion of your back, not your neck.
Firmly grip the bar
with your hands almost twice your shoulder width apart. Position your feet
about shoulder width apart and your toes should be pointing just a little
outward with your knees in the same direction.
Keep your back as
straight as possible and your chin up, bend your knees and slowly lower your
hips straight down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Once you reach
the bottom position, press the weight up back to the starting position.
Don't lean over or
curve your back forward! You can use a belt to help reduce the chance of lower
back injury. You can put your heels on a 1 inch block to further work the
quads. You can also use a wider stance to work the inner quads even more.
Upright Barbell Row
Stand upright and
grasp a barbell with your hands about shoulder width apart. Let the bar hang
straight down in front of you.
Keep your body and
wrists straight. Pull the bar straight up towards your chin, keeping it close
to your body.
Concentrate on
either pulling with your traps or the front of your shoulders, depending on
what you want to work most. Lower slowly to the starting position. Don't cheat
by leaning forward or backward.
Don't swing!
Front Dumbbell Raise
Stand with a
dumbbell in each hand, palms facing backward.
Your feet should be
about shoulder width apart. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout
the exercise so that your arms are straight, but not quite locked.
Lift the weight in
your left hand in front of you in a wide arc until it is slightly higher than
shoulder height. With a smooth, controlled motion, lower the weight while
simultaneously lifting the weight in your right hand, so that both arms are in
motion at the same time.
Do not cheat by
swinging or leaning backwards! This lift can also be done with two dumbbells at
the same time or a barbell.
Stiff Leg Barbell
Place a barbell on
your shoulders. Keep your head up and your back completely straight. Bend at
your waist with your legs locked, until your upper body is parallel to the
floor. Return slowly to the upper position. This can also be done with your
knees slightly bent.
One Leg Barbell
Squat
Use a 12 to 18 inch
box or bench for this exercise - the higher the box, the more difficult the
exercise. Place a barbell behind your head at the base of your neck. Grasp the
barbell with both hands with a wider than shoulder width grip.
Stand approximately
2 to 3 feet from the box and turn so that the box is directly behind you. Reach
one foot back and place your toe on the box. Keep your opposite foot flat on
the floor and point your toes forward. Stand up straight. Keep your back tight
and your chest out throughout the entire exercise.
Keep your head and
neck in line with your torso so that you are looking forward. Your shoulders
should be directly over your front foot.
Keeping your front
foot flat on the floor, sit your hips back (like you are going to sit in a
chair), bend your knee (of your front leg), and lean forward slightly at the
waist.
Lower your body in a
controlled fashion until your thigh (of your front leg) is parallel to the
ground. If you have difficulty lowering yourself down this far, lower yourself
until the knee of your front leg is bent 90 degrees. At this point, your knee should
be directly over your toe, your hips should be sitting back, and your chest
should be directly over the middle of your thigh.
Now, leading with
your head and chest, raise yourself by pushing your hips slightly forward and
up toward the ceiling, and straightening your leg. Return to the starting
position. At this point, your shoulders should be directly over front foot.
Lunges
Place a barbell on
your upper back. Lift your chest up and look straight ahead. Position your
right leg forward in a long stride. Your foot should be far enough in front of
you so that when you bend your right knee, your thigh and lower leg form a
right angle.
Slowly bend your
knees, lowering your hips so your rear knee just clears the floor. Pause
briefly in this position, then slowly straighten your legs and raise your body
back up to a standing position. Complete a full set, then switch legs and
repeat, or alternate legs for each rep.
Make sure your knee
does not travel past your toes in the down position! This can also be done with
dumbbells in each hand instead of using a barbell.
Barbell Tricep
Extension
Hold a barbell with
hands a little closer together than shoulder width. Lie on an incline bench and
position your head at the top. Press bar overhead to arm's length. Lower the
bar in a semicircular motion behind your head until your forearms touch your
biceps.
Keep your upper arms
close to your head. Return to the starting position. This can also be done with
straight bar, 2 dumbbells, seated or standing or with 2 dumbbells and your
palms facing in.
The exercises listed
above can be done either in a gym or in your home. If you are going to join a
gym, they will have many specialty machines that will work specific parts of
your body.
Employees at the gym
can help you with proper use of the machines.
Now that you know
what exercises to do, let’s look at a couple
of sample workouts.
WORKOUT PLANS
Beginning a body
building workout plan requires a level of commitment. As a beginner, you can
work out more frequently than more advanced body builders. The reason is
simple: as you get more experienced, you learn to push your muscles harder and
inflict more damage that takes longer to recover from. Beginners, on the other
hand, get sore but bounce back quicker since the muscular damage isn't as
severe.
If the word
"damage" makes you flinch, don't worry. It's a good thing for a
bodybuilder to incur limited muscle damage, because it nudges the body to
recover and overcompensate (grow) slightly to prepare for future workouts. This
is what bodybuilding is all about - a continuous cycle of one-step-back, two-steps-forward,
repeated over and over on a weekly basis.
The following
workout plan is designed to focus on one part of your body each day of your
workout with mid week and the weekend as your rest days. This plan is just a
suggestion. You can adapt it as needed to suit your workout goals.
With any workout,
you need to start out with some warm up exercises. This can be simple
stretching as you get your body ready to work. A warm-up session prior to
working out can not only help get your body ready for exercise, but your mind
will get prepared as well.
You should also have
an appropriate cool down period after you are done working out. This will
reduce the possibility of delayed muscle soreness and will help quell the
adrenaline that has been building in your system as a result of the workout.
This can also be simple stretching exercises and deep breathing.
Again, it’s important to start out slow and not push yourself beyond your limits.
Use weights that are
not too heavy for you but that will give you enough resistance to build your muscles.
You can progressively increase the amount of weight you lift as you get
stronger.
Day 1 – Upper Body
For the following
exercises, begin with two sets of 10-12 reps each.
• Dumbbell press
• Standing barbell military press
• Lying tricep press
• Side lateral raise
• Preacher curls
• Seated dumbbell curl
• Dumbbell rows
• Dumbbell shrugs
If you have access
to weight machines, add the following to your plan:
• Pec deck butterflys
• V-bar pushdowns
• Lat pulls with pulley machine
Day 2 – Lower Body and Abs
Again, begin doing
each exercise with two sets of 10-12 reps each except for the crunches which
you can do as many of them as you want.
• Barbell squat
• One leg barbell squat
• Lunges
• Standing calf press
• Stiff leg barbell
• Crunches
Machines can be
especially helpful when working your lower body.
Here are some you
should consider on this day:
• Leg presses on a plate loaded machine
• Leg extension machine
• Seated hamstring curls
• Standing hamstring curls
• Ab machine
Day 3 – Rest
Day 4 – Upper Body
Increase your sets
to 3 doing 10 – 12 reps each
• Chin ups (get assistance if necessary)
• Seated dumbbell hammer curls
• Dumbbell presses on an inclined bench
• Standing barbell military press
• Standing bicep curls
• Barbell tricep extension
• Upright barbell row
• Front dumbbell raise
The machines you can
use on this day include:
• Seated cable rows
• Upright cable rows
• Cable crossover flies
• Tricep rope pushdowns
Day 5 – Lower Body and Abs
Go back to doing
just two sets of 10-12 reps each except for the crunches which you can do
unlimited amounts of.
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• Standing calf press
• Lunges
• Barbell squat
• Stiff leg barbell
• Standing calf raises
• Crunches
Machine exercises
include:
• Leg presses on a plate loaded machine
• Seated hamstring curls
• Kneeling hamstring curls
Weekend – Rest
If a four day
workout plan is too much for you, consider starting out with a two or three day
plan. Keep in mind that you won’t get results as
quickly with a fewer day workout, but if you need to start out slowly, it can
still be effective.
Here is a sample
three day workout.
Day 1 – Back, Chest, and Abs
Do three sets of
12-15 reps each.
• Bent over barbell row
• Stiff legged barbell dead lift
• Barbell bench press
• Incline dumbbell press
• Dumbbell flies
• Crunches
Day 2 – Legs and Shoulders
Do three sets of
12-15 reps each.
• Barbell squat
• Seated calf raise
• Front dumbbell raise
• Side lateral raise
• Upright barbell row
• Lunges
• Barbell squats
Day 3 – Biceps, Triceps, and Abs
Do three sets of
12-15 reps each
• Barbell curl
• Incline dumbbell curl
• Lying triceps press
• Barbell tricep extension
• Front dumbbell raise
• Dumbbell hammer curls
• Crunches
About an hour before
your workout, you should eat some protein and carbohydrates. This is to make
sure that you have enough energy to make it through your entire workout. By
doing this, you are putting your body into an anabolic state that will provide
the necessary energy and power to effectively work your muscles.
During training,
there is increased blood flow to the muscles.
When you consume
protein and carbohydrates prior to a workout, your body can take advantage of
that extra blood flow and work the muscles more efficiently.
Many people opt for
a protein shake and a bowl of rice, but you can choose whatever foods you want
to get what you need.
It’s a good idea to keep track of your workouts and how many sets and reps
you are doing. Write it down in a small notebook and when you are able to
increase the number of sets and/or reps, be sure to take note of how long it
took you to get to that point. Also keep track of the amount of weight you are
able to lift and when you are able to increase that weight.
It’s also a good idea to do your first set with very little weight.
This is to get the
blood flowing through the muscles. On the second set, add a little weight and
do the exercise again. If you find that it’s just a bit too
easy, try more weight. The goal is to add weight until it’s difficult to complete 8-12 reps. Remember, you want to build your
body, not lift weights.
Be sure and rest
between sets to allow your body to adjust and recover. Usually that’s around a minute or two. DO NOT rest more than a minute or so or else
your muscles will get cold and all your previous work will be for naught.
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It’s a good idea to sprinkle your workouts with some cardio exercises to
help get your blood pumping. This could be a little time on a treadmill or
walking. The cardio is good for your body and you’ll be focusing on that most important muscle of all – your heart!
Good nutrition is an
integral part of an effective workout program for any body builder.
EATING RIGHT
When you decide you
want to undertake a body building program, the foods you eat can make a huge
difference in the effectiveness of your program. Many people don’t pay enough attention to the types of food they eat. But food is very
important in a body building program.
Food supplies us
with calories. Calories are tiny bits of energy that your body uses to perform
work. Counting calories isn’t as important as
knowing what calories will be the best ones to consume for the maximum effect
on your workout.
To have enough
energy to perform your workout, you’ll need a lot of
different nutrients. One of the most important would be carbohydrates.
Carbs
Carbohydrates are
the body’s main source of
glucose. Glucose is a simple carb that is stored in your muscles and liver as
glycogen.
Glycogen is the
principal form of energy that is stored in muscles.
When your muscles
are filled with glycogen, they both look and feel full.
Glucose also
provides energy for your brain and making blood in your body. Glucose can be
made from protein, but that requires the breakdown of body protein from muscle.
If you’re not eating enough carbohydrates, your body will start breaking down
muscle tissue for glucose.
Carbohydrates should
be the bulk of your daily caloric intake when you are starting a body building
program. Focus on unprocessed complex carbs like sweet potatoes, potatoes,
whole grain breads, oatmeal, and brown rice.
These natural
complex carbs are made of long “chains” of sugar and are digested very slowly. Slow burning carbs promote
consistent blood sugar levels which help to offset fatigue while promoting the
release of insulin which is the body’s principal anabolic
hormone.
For men, the amount
of carbs that should be taken in by multiplying their body weight by three.
That number will be the amount of grams that should be consumed daily. Women
multiply their body weight by two to get their carb gram intake. For example, a
200 pound man should consume 600 grams of carbs per day and a 125 pound woman
would eat 250 carb grams daily.
Along with carbs,
you must consume enough fiber in your diet.
Eating fiber makes
muscle tissue more responsive to anabolism by improving sugar and amino acid
uptake, and aiding in muscle glycogen formation and growth. Beans and oatmeal
are two excellent sources of fiber.
Divide your carb
meals into six servings throughout the day. This divide and conquer approach
stimulates a steady release of insulin to create an anabolic, or muscle
building, state. If you eat too many carbs in one sitting, the net effect is
that fat-storing enzymes kick into high hear and you lose than lean and hard
look.
Eat some simple
carbs after your workout and eat more of them.
Honey, sugar and
refined foods such as white bread and white rice -
typical simple carbs
- are digested quickly and easily. The resulting insulin spike is a double
edged sword, however. After training, it can prevent muscle catabolism while
promoting anabolism. If you have not been working out, the intake of simple
carbs can stimulate fat storage.
A high carb intake
at your post training meal will have less chance of being stored as fat, as
carbs must replenish depleted glycogen levels before they gain the ability to
stimulate fat storage.
Eat about 25% of
your daily carbs at this meal.
Breakfast is
definitely the most important meal of the day, and besides your post-workout
meal, it is also the best time to load up on carbs. Blood sugar and muscle
glycogen levels are low from your overnight fast. Your body must replenish
these levels before stimulating the fat storing machinery in the body.
As your day wears
on, your carb intake should decrease. Your energy requirements will also
decrease at this time, so your body won’t need as much. If
you eat carbs late in the day, your body will store them as fat and increase weight
gain instead of muscle mass.
If you are needing
to lose some fat along with building your muscles, you will want to rotate your
carb intake. Bodybuilders who rotate their carb intake tend to lose more fat
than bodybuilders who maintain a steady flow of carbs while dieting.
For example, instead
of eating 600g of carbs every day (the typical daily total for a 200 pound
bodybuilder), try varying the volume of intake. Eat 50% fewer carbs (300g) for
two days, then the standard 600g for the next two days, then 50% more (900g) for
the next two days.
The total carb
intake is the same, but this schedule works because it lowers muscle glycogen
in the first stage (promoting fat loss), and then increases insulin levels
(ensuring no loss of muscle) on the final two days. Carb rotation gives you the
best of both worlds: decreased fat with no loss of muscle.
Protein
Another important
nutrient every body builder needs is plenty of protein. Amino acids are the
building blocks of protein. Glucose molecules make up carbohydrates just like
amino acids make up proteins.
Protein is involved
in growing, repairing, and replacing tissues.
That is made
possible because proteins are the basis for body structures.
For body builders,
nitrogen balance is an important concept to keep in mind when talking about
proteins. Nitrogen balance is the difference between the amount of nitrogen
taken in and the amount excreted or lost. If you lose more nitrogen than you
consume, your body will break down muscle tissue to get it. On the other hand,
if you consume more than you lose, you will be in an anabolic, or muscle
building, state.
Protein intake
exceeds output, and protein is retained in tissue as new muscle is added.
Obviously, this is something that you want.
Watch out, if your
protein output exceeds intake you would have a negative nitrogen balance. This
is not good because the opposite is now happening.
Your body is
degrading muscle and other body proteins. You usually see this in people who
are starving, burned, injured, or have a fever. This puts your body in what is
called a catabolic state.
An anabolic state is
when your body has a positive nitrogen balance. The term catabolic refers to
the state of the body in which body compounds are broken down for energy
purposes. In body building contexts, catabolic means muscle loss. Ultimately,
your body won’t grow when it is in
a catabolic state.
The general rule is
to consume daily the same amount of grams in protein as your body weight. A 200
pound body builder, therefore, would need to eat 200 grams of protein every day
to put the body in an anabolic state. When calculating the amount of protein
you are eating, concentrate on the complete sources of protein like meat, fish,
and eggs. While there are proteins in other foods, you need to focus on the
complete sources rather than those that are incomplete.
If you are dieting
while body building, your protein intake should increase to 1 ½ times your bodyweight. Many diets have you cutting back on fat and
carbohydrate intake. This forces the body to burn more protein for fuel which
can put your muscle tissue at risk. To compensate, you’ll need to eat more protein to counteract this effect.
Here’s a quick guide to the protein content of some foods:
Protein-containing foods
Protein (in grams)
5 oz. steak, cooked
35
5 oz. roasted
chicken
43
5
t
43
1 egg
6
1 c. milk
8
2 T. peanut butter
9
2 slices of cheese
14
2 slices of whole
wheat bread 5
1 c. cooked broccoli
5
1 c. beans (legumes)
15
Some people don’t feel that loading up on protein is a good idea for anyone, but if you
want to get ripped with your body building program, you’ll need the amino acids in protein to work in your body.
Be aware of the
amount of protein you are eating and make them work for you instead of against
you.
Fats
Yes, even when you
are building the perfect body, you’ll still need some
fats in your diet. Fats are the main source of energy in the body. Fat combines
with glucose for energy in order to spare the breakdown of protein. That way,
protein can do what it is supposed to do – build muscle.
The key to fat
intake is to stay away from bad fats and only eat the good fat. Saturated fat
is bad. These are the fats that contribute to heart disease and high cholesterol.
Because of the chemical composition of saturated fat, your body cannot break it
down very well.
Saturated fats are
commonly found in animal products such as meat, seafood, whole milk dairy
products like milk and cheese, as well as egg yolks. Saturated fats elevate
blood cholesterol by increasing both the good HDL and the bad LDL. Elevated
levels of LDL can clog arteries and cause heart disease. They are also more
readily stored as body fat, so they should be limited.
Trans fats should
also be avoided. This type of fat is often used in commercially processed food
because they are preserved longer.
Trans fats cause an
over activity in the immune system and are linked to stroke, heart disease, and
diabetes. You should truly strive to eliminate all trans fats from your diet.
Unsaturated fats are
easier for your body to break down. Some of them can act as antioxidants that
can actually help in losing stored fatty tissue in the body. These fats are
found naturally in foods like nuts and avocados. These fats have a great effect
on the cardio system as they work to lower the bad LDL cholesterol in the body.
The easiest way to
tell the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats is to look at them.
At room temperature, saturated fats are hard and solid. Unsaturated fats are in
liquid form as in oils.
So basically, you
should stay away from fats like animal lard and use oils such as olive oil or
canola oil. Pay close attention to the fat content of any processed foods you
are eating and keep it to a minimum or else your body will store that fat as,
well, fat.
Probably the best
type of fat to have in your diet would be Omega 3 Fatty Acids. These fats are
most often found in fish and can have some significant health advantages. They
can reduce inflammation, help prevent cancer growth, and improve brain
function.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
can actually help combat conditions such as depression, fatigue, joint pain,
and even Type 2 diabetes. Because they reduce inflammation in the body, they
are good for the body builder because they help promote muscle recovery which
can be important in the body building process.
Fats are actually an
important part of any diet. They play an important role in protecting the body’s vital organs. Fats keep the body insulated, maintain healthy hair and
skin as well as providing a sense of fullness after meals.
Obtaining sufficient
fat in its healthy form is one of the keys to good health and well being and a
great body! However, you must be careful not to overdo on the fats, so consider
the following suggestions for keeping your fat intake at a healthy level:
• Snack on peanuts instead of chips or candy. About a ½ cup is a good amount.
• Use olive oil in salad dressings and when cooking
• When baking, instead of topping with chocolate or candies, consider
using nuts and seeds instead
• Try making sandwiches with avocado and tuna instead of higher fat
lunchmeats
• Eat fish at least three times a week to increase your Omega 3
intake
• Limit or even eliminate fast food as well as sources of trans fats
like commercially processed cookies and cakes
When you start on a
body building program, you will want to pay close attention to the foods you
are feeding your body. That includes alcohol as well. Many people like a drink
or two or even three to help them unwind and relax. But when you are a body builder,
alcohol can have a detrimental effect on your progress.
Alcohol contains
nothing but empty calories. It has no nutritional value but it does contain
high caloric content. In fact, just one shot of vodka contains 100 calories!
Not only will drinking increase your caloric intake, it slows down your
metabolism hindering your body’s ability to process
foods.
Alcohol consumption
also hurts muscle growth. Not only will having a hangover lower your workout
intensity, but drinking actually lowers protein synthesis by twenty percent.
There are several reasons why it does this.
For one, it
dehydrates your muscle cells. As many know, hydrated and even over hydrated
muscles allows for a much higher anabolic environment. Because your cells
aren't holding as much water, it becomes much harder to build muscle.
The second reason
why alcohol can severely hurt muscle growth is because it blocks the absorption
of many important nutrients that are key to muscle contraction, relaxation and
growth including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and potassium.
Not only that, but
alcohol lowers the amount of testosterone in your body and actually increases
estrogen. Having higher levels of testosterone can help with your workouts by
making you more aggressive, so when those levels are down, you will not be as
intense in your lifting and weight training.
Probably one of the
best things you can do to help your body building workout progress the way you
want it to is to drink plenty of water. Water is good for you anyway, but for
body builders, it can be especially important. Water is part of every single
metabolic process that the body undertakes.
Most experts
recommend everyone drink six to eight glasses of water daily to stay healthy.
For body builders, you’ll need much more.
Soda, coffee, and
tea don’t count either. The
caffeine can increase fluid loss, so you’re not getting the
hydration you need. Body builders need at least a half gallon to a gallon per
day depending on the intensity of your workouts.
Water flushes out
toxins and other metabolic waste products from the body. Water is especially
important when following a "high protein" diet, as it helps remove
excess nitrogen, urea (a toxic substance), and ketones. If you're eating big to
gain weight, then you need even more water to help your kidneys do their work.
Without enough
water, the kidneys can't function properly. When this happens, some of the load
is transferred to the liver. The liver metabolizes stored fat for energy. If
the liver is doing some of the kidneys' work, it burns less fat. In addition,
water can actually reduce feelings of hunger.
Contrary to popular
belief, drinking water can actually help you shed excess water weight. When
water is in short supply, the body, thinking there's a shortage, begins
hoarding it. This water is stored in extra cellular spaces. In other words,
your skin starts looking soft and puffy.
If you’re going to be using supplements in your body building program, and you
should, water can help them work. Supplements like creatine work in part
because it pulls water in muscle cells, creating an anabolic environment needed
for muscle growth.
For this to work
properly, you need plenty of water. Plus, if you're training hard, then you
need a basic mega-vitamin. Many vitamins are water soluble, and water unlocks
the power of those vitamins.
A good diet is
essential to an effective body building program.
You can workout with
the intensity of a professional, but if your diet stinks, you won’t be doing yourself any good. Consider the following general tips for
your nutritional needs.
• Drink skim milk or soy milk
• Cut sugar from your diet. Use artificial sweeteners instead.
• No regular soda! Diet is better for you anyway and doesn’t contain sugar
• Pizza and hamburgers are a big no-no. Not only are they high in bad
fat content, they are highly caloric and can cause you to overeat
• Eat lots of fish to increase your levels of Omega 3 fatty acids
• Chicken breasts are good for you as well
• Allow yourself one cheat day a week where you can indulge in something
you’ve been craving. Just don’t overdo it on your
cheat days or you can undo all you’ve accomplished.
• Limit the amount of fruit you eat. While fruit is healthy, it can have
a detrimental effect on your workout.
• Protein and complex carbohydrates are very important
• Instead of eating three large meals a day, eat six smaller ones
• Don’t skip meals
• Vegetables are always a good choice at mealtime
• When eating out, choose foods wisely.
• Avoid most fast food restaurants or opt for healthy choices –
remember no burgers!
The body is very
adaptable to change. At first, you may have problems getting used to your new
diet. But once you get used to eating right, you’ll find yourself not
even craving the foods you used to eat.
In case you’re a little confused over what and how to eat, consider the following
sample meal plans.
SAMPLE MEALS
Choosing the right
way to eat to build muscle can be a little overwhelming. But once you start
eating the way you need to, it will become second nature to you. Following is a
list of good foods for you to eat in each of the categories you need to
concentrate on: Proteins
White meat chicken
or turkey
Canned tuna
Canned salmon
Fresh Fish
Shellfish
Eggs
Tofu
Soy
Red meat like steak
or roast
Complex
Carbohydrates
Oatmeal
Potatoes
Yams, Sweet
potatoes, Acorn squash
Rice
Legumes
Corn
Vegetables
All water based
types.
Lettuce, Cabbage,
Spinach
Asparagus
Bok Choy, Leeks
Tomatoes
Celery
Onions
Green Beans
Broccoli,
Cauliflower, Radish
Zucchini Squash
Mushrooms
Carrots
Peas
Fruit
1 Apple
1 Orange
1/2 Grapefruit
3 Small Apricots
1 Banana
1/4 Melon
1-Cup Berries,
Grapes
1 mango, small
papaya
Dairy
1 yogurt
1-Cup low fat
cottage cheese
1-Cup non-fat milk
(I use vanilla soy milk instead!) 1/2 Cup non or low fat cheese
Wheat Products
2 slices whole wheat
bread
1 bagel
2-Cups pasta
Whole wheat
tortillas
Snack Foods
Rice cakes
Non-wheat cereals
Plain popcorn
Raw Vegetables
Nuts
Dried Fruit
A good diet is
well-rounded and contains some of each of the food groups. You should also
include a supplement in your diet which we will get to in a later section. As
we’ve said, you should be eating 5
or 6 smaller meals
every day instead of three large ones. Space your meals about 2 to 2 ½ hours apart. Try out a few of these meal plans to start out with.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meal 1
Vegetable omelet (3
egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1 cup veggies) You can also add some chicken or lean
beef if you want.
Meal 2
One cup yogurt or a
protein shake
Meal 3
6 oz Chicken
Small raw vegetable
salad
1 bagel
Meal 4
1 piece fruit
3-4 oz Chicken
Meal 5
6 oz fish
1 - Cup grilled
veggies
1 - Cup brown rice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meal 1
3 packs instant
oatmeal
1 banana
1 cup of yogurt
1 cup of cottage
cheese
Meal 2
Protein shake
1 large baked potato
Meal 3
8 ounces chicken
breast
2 cups pasta
1 apple
1 cup yogurt
Meal 4
1 can of tuna
1 – 2 cups broccoli
Meal 5
Protein shake
1 cup brown rice
Meal 6
8 ounces broiled
fish
1 cup veggies
2 cups rice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meal 1
Breakfast burrito (3
egg whites, 1 whole egg scrambled, 1 cup onion/green pepper mix, salsa)
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup berries
Meal 2
Protein shake
1 cup raw veggies
Meal 3
Salmon burger on
whole wheat bun (canned salmon, 1 egg white, onions cooked in a non-stick fry
pan) 1 large potato cut into strips, brushed with olive oil, and baked in oven
until crispy
1 garden salad
drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar Meal 4
Protein shake
1 cup yogurt
Meal 5
8 ounces chicken
breast, cut into chunks, fried in olive oil and seasoned with oregano, garlic
salt, and basil
1 cup cooked
tomatoes
2 cups pasta
1 cup
broccoli/cauliflower mix
Meal 6
Protein shake
1 cup melon
1 cup yogurt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Of course, these are
only suggested meal plans. You can mix it up as you want to. It’s a good idea to plan ahead and pre-cook your meals. Keep vegetables
cut up in the refrigerator so you don’t have to work too
hard at meal time.
There’s really no need to measure carefully for the portions suggested. This
isn’t an exact science! Eyeball your portions and consider the following
chart:
Portion
Size
1
oz.
meat
Matchbox
3 oz. meat
Deck of cards
8 oz. meat
Thin paperback book
3
oz.
fish
Checkbook
1 oz. cheese
Four dice
1 med. potato
Computer mouse
2 tbsp. peanut
butter
Ping pong ball
1
cup
pasta
Tennis
ball
1
bagel
Hockey
puck
Recipes are always
good to have on hand, so here’s a few to try on
for size.
COOKING FOR MASS
You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to cook nutritional meals that can
complement your body building program. Cooking can be a great way to gain
control of your eating and pick what you put into your foods like salt and fat.
Meals can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Here are a few recipes to
get you started.
Cereal Casserole
Your favorite cereal
Skim milk
Honey
1 cup yogurt
Fill half the bowl
with cereal. Add milk until it reaches the top of the cereal. Add yogurt. Top
with more cereal. Add more milk. Drizzle with honey.
Protein Pancakes
1 cup of Oatmeal
11 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 packet of sugar
free Jello any flavor
Stir all ingredients
together in a mixing bowl. Drizzle onto hot non-stick fry pan.
Tuna or Salmon
Patties
1 can tuna or salmon
1 onion
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of
parsley
1 whole egg
3 medium potatoes,
boiled and mashed
Mix potatoes, tuna,
onions, salt, pepper and parsley. Shape into patties. Fry in olive oil until
brown and heated on both sides.
Spicy Chicken Ole
8 ounces chicken
breast cut into chunks
1 can diced tomatoes
or 2 medium fresh tomatoes diced 1 can spicy chili hot beans
1 medium onion
chopped
Sauté chicken breast and onions in some olive oil in a frying pan. Stir in
tomatoes and chili beans. Cook uncovered for ten minutes.
Sprinkle with
low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese.
Lightning Fast
Fajitas
1 lb. flank steak
cut in strips or small pieces
1 large green
pepper, cut in strips
1 red pepper, cut in
strips
1 medium yellow
onion, cut in strips
3 cloves pressed
garlic
1 tsp chili powder
Lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper
to taste
Sauté garlic in a bit of lemon juice for 1 minute in large wok or skillet.
Add beef and chili
powder and cook until beef is cooked near to the temperature you desire. Add
peppers and onions and cook until vegetables are mostly soft, raising the heat
for a short time if you like the vegetables slightly charred. Spoon into whole
wheat tortillas. Top with salsa or fat-free sour cream if desired.
Chicken Cacciatore
2 lbs boneless
skinless chicken breast
1 28 oz can crushed
tomato
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green
pepper
3 pressed garlic
cloves
¼ tsp. thyme
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. parsley
Dash of pepper
Cooking spray
Spray pan with
cooking spray and heat. Brown chicken and set aside.
Add chopped onion,
green pepper and garlic. Cook until the onion is tender; about 5 minutes. Add
crushed tomatoes, parsley, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over low for
15 minutes; stirring occasionally. Add browned chicken, cover and cook on low
for 45
minutes. Uncover and
cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve. Top on whole wheat pasta or brown rice if
desired.
Pan Broiled Fish
1 lb. Fish filets
One 14 oz. Can diced
tomatoes w/ basil, garlic & oregano Arrange fish filets in a single layer
in skillet. Cover with tomatoes and liquid. Cover and cook over medium heat for
10-20 minutes, or until the fish easily flakes with a fork. Serve plain or over
brown rice.
Broiled Fish Dijon
6 fish filets
1 ½ lbs small zucchini, cut lengthwise into halves
½ cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. low-calorie
Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic,
minced or pressed
2 tbsp. drained
capers
Paprika to taste
Rinse fish and pat
dry. In a separate bowl, stir together mustard and garlic. Arrange fish and
zucchini in a single layer in a large pan. Drizzle with lemon juice. Broil on
top rack for 5 minutes. Turn fish over, spread with mustard/garlic mixture.
Continue to broil for 5 minutes or until zucchini is lightly browned and fish
is cooked. Sprinkle with paprika and capers. Serve. 6 servings
·
GNC Pro Performance 100% Whey Protein - 4.4 lbs,2 kg (Vanilla Cream)
Stuffed Chicken
Breasts
1 chopped onion
1 pkg. frozen
spinach, thawed and dried
1 egg lightly beaten
8 oz. low fat ricotta
cheese
Salt & pepper to
taste
4 boneless, skinless
chicken breasts, slice in half and flattened Combine the onion, spinach, egg,
and cheese mixture in a bowl. Put a dollop of the mixture into each chicken
breast. Tie the chicken breasts together with butchers twine, or put toothpicks
through them. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Optional: Garnish with
lemon slices.
Ground Turkey Breast
Sauce
1 lb. ground turkey
or beef
1 chopped onion
1 cup chopped
portabella mushrooms
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp red pepper
flakes
Salt & pepper to
taste
1 jar spaghetti
sauce
Brown the meat with
the red pepper flakes. Add the chopped onion and mushrooms. Put the all spice,
salt and pepper in. Pour the spaghetti sauce in. Serve over your favorite type
of noodle.
Lemon Pepper Tuna
1 can tuna
Lemon Pepper
Seasoning
Spray a fry pan with
no calorie non-stick cooking spray. Add tuna and sprinkle with seasoning. Cook
tuna to desired doneness. Eat plain or on a bed of pasta. This is also good
cold.
Worcestershire Tuna
1 can tuna
Worcestershire Sauce
No-Fat or Low-Fat
Cheese (optional)
Spray a fry pan with
no calorie non-stick cooking spray. Add tuna with an amount of Worcestershire
Sauce that you like. Cook to desired texture. Add cheese if you like and let it
melt after turning the burner off. You can eat this on some whole-wheat bread,
plain, or over some brown rice.
Chicken, Rice &
Beans
Cooked Shredded
Chicken Breast
½ - 1 cup cooked
brown rice
¼ can red beans
2 tbsp. barbeque
sauce
In large bowl or
Tupperware, combine rice, beans, and chicken. Add barbeque sauce and stir together
until well-coated.
Egg Salad Sandwich
3-4 boiled egg
whites (may keep 1-2 yolks)
2 tbsp. low fat
mayonnaise
1 tbsp. yellow
mustard
Ground black pepper
2 slices 100% whole
wheat bread
Shredded lettuce or
spinach leaves
½ can tuna (optional
for more protein, or just use more egg whites.
Chop egg whites and
add to medium bowl. Add mayo, mustard, black pepper, and tuna. Mix well and
spread over bread. Top with lettuce or spinach leaves and second slice of
bread.
Tuna Casserole
3-4 cups cooked
pasta
1-2 cans tuna
(drained)
½ cup low fat cottage
cheese (drained)
¼ cup shredded low
fat cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. low fat mayo
Ground black pepper
½ cup canned peas
(rinsed & drained)
In medium bowl,
combine all ingredients and stir until well-mixed.
Microwave for
approximately 1 minute when ready to serve.
Fiery Chicken Deluxe
8 oz chicken breast
Tabasco sauce (or
other favorite hot sauce)
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp crushed, dried
jalapeno peppers
2 pinch of salt
1 tbsp Cajun
rub/spices
1 ½ cups of frozen green beans
5 oz red potatoes
Combine the hot
sauce, cayenne pepper, salt with chicken in a container and really roll the
chicken breast around in the mix, then let it sit in the refrigerator for 3 -
10 hours (the longer, the juicier it will be)
This works best with
a Foreman-style grill. Pre-heat, then slap the chicken on and cook for 7 ½ minutes
While the chicken is
cooking, stab the red potatoes and cook in the microwave for 4 ½ minutes or until soft in the middle Take the potatoes out, and put the
green beans in for 2 - 3 minutes Smash the potatoes and sprinkle on a pinch of
salt and the crushed jalapeno peppers
Sprinkle the other
pinch of salt on the green beans Grilled Chicken Asparagus Rolls
1 chicken breast
2 asparagus sticks
2 slices of low fat
turkey bacon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
Salt and pepper to
taste
Once the chicken
breast is washed trim the fat from it. Cut chicken into two to four thin
slices, depending on how thick you would like your roll to be. Put chicken
slices in the container; add the salt and pepper, mustard and honey. Let it
marinate for 25 minutes.
Give the asparagus a
quick wash. Snap off tough ends of asparagus and remove scales with vegetable
peeler. Place one slice of turkey bacon on each slice of chicken breast. Place
one asparagus stick on the top and start rolling it.
Once the roll is
ready, use a couple of wooden picks to secure the turkey bacon - ensure the
picks are placed in such a way the chicken meat maintains its shape around the
roll. You can grill rolls than for seven minutes on the electric grill at 375
degrees, or bake them for 25
minutes at 375
degrees.
Three Minute
Scallops
¼ cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic,
minced
1 tsp. Dried parsley
Juice of ½ lemon
1 lb. Fresh bay
scallops, rinsed and patted dry.
Heat wine in a
medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add parsley and lemon juice. Cover and cook 1 minute. Add
scallops and cook 1 minute or until scallops turn from translucent to opaque.
Makes 2-3 servings
·
Bigmuscles Nutrition Real BCAA [50 Servings,Green Apple] -100% Micronized Vegan, Muscle Recovery
Garlic Roasted
Vegetables
6 carrots, peeled
and quartered
6 parsnips, peeled
and quartered
6 shallots, peeled
and halved
2 medium onions,
peeled and cut into 6-8 wedges
1 large garlic bulb,
broken into cloves and peeled 1 tbsp. dried rosemary, or 3 tbsp. fresh, chopped
1 tbsp. dried thyme,
or 3 tbsp. fresh
4 tbsp. olive oil
In the Oven: Preheat
oven to 400 F. Combine all the vegetables in roasting pan, drizzle with oil and
stir to coat. Roast for about 1 hour 20
minutes or until
tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
On the Grill: Turn
barbeque to medium. Combine all the vegetables into a tinfoil bag, drizzle with
olive oil and stir to coat. Roast for about 30 minutes or until tender. Salt
and pepper to taste.
Great with meat,
chicken and fish.
Chicken Salad
Roll-ups
1 lb. boneless,
skinless chicken, cooked
2 tbsp. sunflower
seeds
2 tbsp. dried fruit
bits
1/8 cup celery,
diced
1/3 cup nonfat
yogurt
Fresh Leaf Lettuce
Dice chicken, and
place in mixing bowl. Combine with sunflower seeds, fruit bits, celery, and yogurt.
Spread a little chicken mixture on lettuce leaf and roll up tightly. Repeat
until mixture is used up.
Serve immediately,
or wrap roll-ups in plastic wrap for later use.
Makes two servings
Fish in Foil
½ lb. halibut, cut in
two pieces
1 tomato, chopped
1 green onion,
chopped
4 small zucchini,
julienne
1 carrot, julienne
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. each fresh
dill and parsley
Dash of freshly
ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400
degrees. Cut two 12 in. square pieces of foil. Place a piece of fish on each
square of foil. Top each piece of fish with tomato, green onion, zucchini, and
carrot.
Sprinkle each with
wine, herbs, and pepper. Fold foil edges together, sealing with a pleat.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Makes two servings
Muscle Building
Shake
1 cup ice cubes
¾ cup egg whites
¾ cup vanilla soy
milk
1 cup frozen
strawberries
½ banana
½ cup cranberry juice
Put all ingredients
in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds.
Drink.
Workout Energy Salad
1 cup lettuce, torn
into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup spinach,
torn into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cucumber, peeled
and sliced
1/3 tomato, sliced
¾ cup sprouts
1/3 cup shredded
carrots
1/3 cup sliced
mushrooms
1/3 avocado, cubed
1 tbsp raw sunflower
seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
Dash each of thyme,
parsley, basil
In a medium-sized
salad bowl, combine lettuce, spinach, cucumber, tomato, sprouts, carrots,
mushrooms, avocado, and sunflower seeds.
·
ZEVIC Stevia Liquid Sugarfree - Pack of 3 (750Servings)
In a screw-top jar,
mix olive oil with lemon juice and herbs. Shake vigorously, and pour over
salad.
Muscle Density Broccoli
Salad
½ pound cooked steak,
cut in strips
1 cup broccoli,
cooked and chopped
1 cup green beans,
cooked and cut
1 stalk celery,
sliced
½ cup mushrooms,
sliced
1 green onion,
sliced
½ tbsp red wine
vinegar
½ tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup nonfat yogurt
½ tsp mustard
¼ tsp ground pepper
½ head of lettuce
½ tomato, sliced
Fresh parsley
In large salad bowl,
combine steak, broccoli, green beans, celery, mushrooms, and onion.
In a screw-top jar,
combine the vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt, mustard, and pepper, and shake until
thoroughly mixed for the salad dressing.
Arrange salad on a
bed of lettuce leaves. Garnish with tomato slices and parsley
Protein Smoothie
1 cup fat free milk
1 cup fat free
vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup frozen
blueberries
¼ cup frozen cherries
½ cup Egg Beaters
1 Banana
Toss all of the
ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Nutrition is very
important when you are trying to build up muscle mass. You don’t necessarily have to be dieting, but you do have to be conscious about
what you are putting into your body so that you can maximize your workouts.
Another huge thing
you have to be aware of in your body building program is sleep.
SWEET DREAMS
Rest is one of the
most overlooked parts of an exercise regimen, but the reality is it is actually
a quite important principle. Sleep is one of your most valuable tools for
growth that you can have in your body building arsenal.
Muscle adaptation
and growth often occurs at night. During the suspended state of animation you
are in, your body is doing exactly what you have been asking it to do during
your workouts – build muscle.
Lack of sleep can
have an intoxicating effect on your body.
According to the
Journal of Applied Sports Science, being awake for 24
hours has the same
physical effect as a blood alcohol content of 0.096, which is above the legal
driving limit in most states.
Working out in this
state has its obvious downside. For starters, your lack of muscular
coordination places you at a much higher risk for injury. Just as you'd never
head to the gym after drinking a few beers at your local tavern, you should
never work out after not sleeping the night before. You're better off waiting
until the next day when your body has been given proper rest.
What are the best
practices when it comes to getting enough sleep? Here are some pointers:
• Don’t exercise before
bedtime. Body temperature has a huge effect on our ability to fall asleep. As
your body temperature lowers, you start to feel sleepy. If you work up a sweat
before trying to sleep, you will have difficulty falling asleep and it could
take your body several hours to cool down enough so that you can drift off.
• Try having a light snack before bedtime. Some people disagree with
this theory, but if you go to bed on an empty stomach, it can distract from
your ability to fall asleep. Make sure this snack is light, though.
• Get at least eight hours of quality sleep per night. This will insure
that you get the rest and recovery that your body needs to be able to function
effectively during the day.
• Keep your bedroom dark and cool. Try having some white noise in the
room like a fan running.
• Don’t drink a lot of fluids
before sleep, especially tea or coffee.
Not only will the
caffeine keep you awake, but you’ll have to use the
bathroom more often as well which will disturb your sleep.
• Establish both a regular sleep cycle as well as a pre-sleep routine.
This will help you signal your body that it’s time to think
about resting.
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While your body is
sleeping, your body’s synthesis of
protein increases. This is what makes you grow. Your body can recover and
repair any damage you did during the day while you are at rest.
A majority of growth
hormones are also released when the body is in the sleep state. Growth hormones
are very important in increasing muscle mass. During a workout, growth hormones
are also released, but the majority of this happens while the body is at rest.
Just as sleep will
give you more energy, it is also vital in helping your body recover and
ultimately grow like you want it to.
As we said before,
you will want to take supplements when you really want to grow your body. They
can be confusing, though.
SUPPLEMENTS
There are literally
hundreds of supplements on the market targeted at body builders and meant to
increase your body size. They are designed to maximize the body’s natural abilities and help you get the body mass you want. How do you
know which supplement is right for you?
Creatine
Creatine is the most
popular and commonly used sports supplement available today. There are numerous
studies backed by anecdotal evidence that support the efficacy of creatine
supplementation. For the majority of the population, including both elite
athletes and untrained individuals, creatine supplementation increases fat free
mass and improves anaerobic and possibly aerobic performance.
Creatine is a
natural constituent of meat, mainly found in red meat. Creatine is manufactured
naturally in the body from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine.
This process takes place in the kidneys, liver, and pancreas.
Approximately 40% of
the body's creatine stores are free creatine (Cr), while the remaining 60% is
stored in form of creatine phosphate (CP). The typical male adult processes 2
grams of creatine per day, and replaces that amount through dietary intake and
fabrication within the body.
Creatine is used for
the resynthesis of ATP. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the
"power" that drives muscular energetics. When a muscle is required to
contract, the bonds in the ATP molecule are split, yielding ADP
(adenosine-diphosphate). The energy released by breaking this bond powers the
contraction of the muscle.
When ATP is depleted
within the cell, the cell can no longer contract. There are several methods by
which the body rebuilds ATP.
The fastest method,
without oxygen, is through CP. Creatine phosphate is "split" to yield
the phosphate portion of the molecule.
This phosphate
portion bonds to the ADP, turning it back to ATP. Once CP stores within the
cell are depleted, the body must use other methods to replenish ATP.
Supplementation with
creatine increases Cr and CP within the muscle, allowing further capacity to
regenerate ATP. In other words, the creatine enhances the ability of the muscle
to maintain power output during brief periods of high-intensity exercise. The
periods are brief because the ability of a cell to store CP is limited,
therefore the body will quickly move to other methods of replenishing ATP.
There are two way to
decide what dosage of creatine you should take. In the “loading phase” which is where you
begin adding creatine to your diet, the dosage is 20 grams a day for five to
seven days.
After that, it’s recommended that you stick to 5 grams per day.
You can also
calculate creatine dosage according to body weight and mass. Follow along
closely, this could get confusing! Not really, though. Experts say in the “loading phase”, you should be
consuming
.3 grams of creatine
per kilogram of body weight. So if you weight 200 pounds, the formula would
look like this:
1 lb divided by 2.2
kg multiplied by .3 = 27 grams of creatine per day After the loading phase,
your weight is multiplied by .03, so you would require 2.7 grams in the
maintenance phase.
Essentially,
creatine can create muscle fullness as well as create an environment within
your body that is conducive to muscle growth.
It can also delay
fatigue during repeated workouts. However, you must use your creatine regularly
instead of sporadically for it to be effective.
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Creatine is also
thought to increase the body’s aerobic abilities.
One study showed
that using creatine supplements help to reduce the oxygen cost of activity so
less strain is placed on the cardiovascular system while performing aerobic
activity. This is a huge advantage for the body builder as this means you will
be able to work harder and longer losing fat and building up muscle.
Creatine is safe for
most everyone to take with the exception of people with renal issues. Doctors
are even beginning to endorse creatine which is generally unheard of with
supplements.
Many people like to
take their creatine in a shake as it most often comes in the form of powder.
You can mix the creatine powder with some skim or soy milk and even add some
fresh fruit for flavor.
It is generally a
good idea to have your creatine after you workout so that the glycogen in your
body is replenished and recovery can be enhanced.
Glutamine
Another popular
supplement among body builders is glutamine.
Glutamine is a
non-essential amino acid that is produced naturally by the body. Sixty percent
of glutamine is found in the skeletal muscles.
The remainder is in
the lung, liver, brain, and stomach tissues.
Over 60% of our
amino acids come in the form of glutamine.
Under normal
conditions, our body can produce more than enough.
However, during
times of stress, glutamine reserves are depleted and must be replenished
through supplementation. This includes stress that the body is under during
periods of exercise.
If you have too
little glutamine in your system, it can result in muscle loss. This amino acid
is essential to muscle building because it helps nitrogen in the body move
around to where it needs to be. You have to have a positive nitrogen balance in
order to gain muscle mass.
Creatine is also
thought to prevent sickness, promote healing, prevent sore muscles, and speed
up growth hormone production.
The typical American
diet provides 3.5 to 7 grams of glutamine daily which is found in animal and
plant proteins. Many people are choosing to supplement daily due to the long
growing list of benefits.
Research shows
levels of supplementation from 2 to 40 grams daily. Two to three grams has been
found to help symptoms of queasiness. This two to three gram dosage used post
workout builds protein, repairs and builds muscle and can induce levels of
growth hormone found in the body.
If you want to build
a ripped body, you’ll need both
creatine and glutamine alike. Again, it usually comes in powder form, so you’ll want to take it with milk or in a shake.
Protein
The importance of
protein to a body builder is a no-brainer. It is the single most important
nutrient in a body building regimen. Protein is what makes up and maintains
most of the stuff in our bodies.
Protein has been
shown to have the best effects on the body when combined with carbohydrates.
Much of your protein
will come from your diet, but if you really want to grow your body mass,
increasing protein through weight gainers or protein powders is necessary. Of
course, you’ll need to be
careful not to overdo it and monitor the amount of protein you are consuming.
The best type of
protein supplement on the market is whey protein because it is the highest
yield. Whey is the best investment because of its capacity as a post-workout
recovery supplement. This is a critical time after severe physical stress when
the cells will act like a sponge and take in almost anything. The extreme
hunger of the cells and the fast-acting properties of whey will make sure you
use the best window for recovery to the fullest.
If not, the body
will hunt the stored reserves of nutrients and when on a diet for example that
will cause them to rob other muscle-tissue of glutamine. So whey is the best
protein, especially on a diet.
It also supplies the
most amino acids that bodybuilders use.
Its unfortunate high
cost however makes me advise you to use it sparingly. Whey protein is the only
choice when on a diet however.
When on low-carb
diets whey can function as an alternate source of energy, sparing hard-earned
muscle protein and glutamine stores within the body.
As with creatine,
the best time to take your protein supplement is post-workout. As we said
before, it’s good to combine
your protein with some form of carbohydrate for maximum results. Combine the
powder with some eggs, low-fat milk, ice cream, and olive oil. You can also add
in some fruit for flavor.
Nitric Oxide
Another powerful
supplement you can take as part of your body building program is nitric oxide.
Many body builders take nitric oxide for a variety of reasons.
Nitric Oxide, a key
molecule manufactured by the body, causes vasodilation [an expansion of the
internal diameter of blood vessels], which in turn leads to increased blood
flow, oxygen transport, delivery of nutrients to skeletal muscle and a
reduction in blood pressure.
Nitric oxide
promotes extended ability to life weights. It also signals muscle growth,
speeds recovery, and increases strength along with stamina. This element also
increases energy levels and some people even feel that it promotes a better sex
life!
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During a workout,
when a muscle contracts and blood vessels dilate, Nitric Oxide is present for a
brief moment. The release of nitric oxide creates surges of blood flow, which
is the muscle pump we are familiar with. Unfortunately this pump is only
temporary, and will dissipate shortly after you complete your workout.
It often comes in
pill form, and should be taken in the manufacturer’s recommended dosage. Nitric oxide also comes in powder form as well,
so you can take it in a shake just like with other powdered supplements.
Steroids and Growth
Hormones
We’re not going to spend a lot of time on these types of supplements
because they are certainly not recommended, but they are used by body builders
all over the world. Both of these substances are highly controversial, and in
many places, they are illegal.
Steroids and growth
hormones stimulate muscle growth often quite quickly which is why they are so
popular among body builders.
They also enhance
performance making a person stronger and extending their stamina.
Steroid use is
generally not condoned in the sports world and constant testing is done of the
athletes to see if they are getting an unfair advantage by using steroids or
growth hormones.
Steroids do have
some advantages. They are used in treating a variety of health problems
including AIDS, cancer, and other serious diseases. They help the body fight
the ill effects of these diseases and promote healing.
However, steroids
have some serious health implications when taken for reasons other than
therapeutic. They can cause serious liver damage and even lead to liver
failure.
Steroids increase
testosterone production which can lead to overly aggressive behavior, a
decrease in libido, and low sperm count.
The reason many body
builders use steroids is because they increase water retention in the muscles
which leads to an anabolic state. However, this increase in fluid retention
makes the heart work harder which can increase blood pressure and even bring on
a heart attack.
All steroids
eventually change to estrogen which causes feminization in men. That causes an
enlargement of the breasts along with an increase in fatty deposits.
Growth hormones
stimulate the elements in the body that make muscles grow. They are naturally
produced by the body, but many body builders take them to basically tell their
muscles to get bigger.
They can be
dangerous, though, as well.
You can get huge,
ripped muscles without having to resort to using illegal substances like
steroids or artificial growth hormones.
They can make you
bigger quicker, but the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages you are
taking by introducing these substances into your body.
Body building has
long been thought of as a man’s sport, but more
and more women are getting interested in it as well.
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BODY BUILDING FOR
HER
Many women are
concerned with how their bodies look. Dieting and weight obsession are very
real parts of life for many women.
Body building and
women really fit together well when you think about it. Focusing on healthy
weight gain and muscle fitness makes a woman look and feel a lot better.
Body building is a
lot more than just dieting and lifting weights.
Much of the advice
given in previous chapters can apply to both men and women. But women do need
to change a few things when it comes to a workout plan that will work.
Some women have
never considered body building as a sport because they are afraid that they
will get big, bulky, and become masculine looking. Nothing could be further
from the truth. A trim, solid body on a woman is extremely sexy and very
healthy.
Women cannot
naturally produce the amount of testosterone that men do, so it is impossible
for women to increase their muscle size in the same ways that men do just by
picking up a weight or two.
Without artificial
substances, women won’t be able to get the
same bulk as men do.
However, many of the
same workout advice that we give to men apply to women as well: eat 5-6 small
meals per day, drink plenty of water, and get lots of rest. The workouts are
the same as well although some women may want to limit their reps initially
until their strength is built up.
Many women struggle
with excess fat and flabby muscle tone on their thighs and in their buttocks.
Because women are naturally curvier than men, working these areas makes for a
very flattering figure.
To work these areas,
you will want to do a lot of dumbbell squats, leg curls, standing calf raises,
and leg presses. Add some lunges as well as dumbbell squat dead lifts as well
for maximum effectiveness. You may want to invest in an exercise ball so that
you can work your abs and make them tight and defined.
Change your workout
every time you perform it and focus on one or two body parts each day you
train. By doing this, you are not over-exerting muscles without giving them
time to heal. Recovery is very important to the body’s muscles, so give them the time they need to heal and grow.
Many women live
their lives by the numbers that they read on a scale. When you are body
building for fitness, this is a mistake. Don’t concentrate on
what the scale says you weigh, focus on your size and tone.
This can be
calculated in the form of inches or body fat percentage. You will probably not
see a huge weight loss on the scale, but you should see an improvement in your
overall body’s look after a
period of time.
Here are some areas
that women should really focus on in their body building routine:
• Upper Back – Use pull-ups to
build the muscles in your upper back which will accentuate your shoulders and
make your waist look smaller.
• Side Deltoids – Side laterals and
overhead laterals will help tone these muscles making your shoulders more defined
and, again, your waist look smaller.
• Hips and Waist – These areas are
mostly chiseled through diet by teaching the body to re-distribute body fat. It
is the finishing signature to the rest of your body and will make your overall
appearance look much more pleasant.
• Quads – The front muscles
in your upper thighs need to be worked so that they are toned and defined.
Doing lots of squats will help in this area and will complete your overall
look. After all, what woman doesn’t want to have some killer
legs!
Women are used to
dieting and depriving themselves of food.
When you are body
building, however, the reality is that you need to actually eat more. The key
lies in the foods that you eat. Eat the right foods, and they will work for you
instead of against you!
As a woman, you need
to remember that you will not be able to build your muscle like men do;
however, your approach toward body building will be much the same. The results
will be different, but you will still look incredible and be able to be proud
of how you look.
Many teenagers are
also taking an interest in body building.
BODY BUILDING FOR
TEENS
Most teenagers are
not yet full grown, so special considerations must be taken when a teen
undertakes a body building program. However, you should know that this is a
great time to start a workout program that you can carry through to your adult
years. There are some things to keep in mind before you start, though.
1. DO NOT start
lifting weights or undertaking an intense body building regiment before you
turn 13. You can exercise before this “magical” age, but limit your exercise to low-impact workouts like push ups and
sit ups.
2. Squats and dead
lifts should never be performed either before you are 16. These types of
exercises require some execution techniques that need to be performed properly
or else you will injure yourself.
3. UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES should you take any type of testosterone supplements before you
reach adult hood. You already have plenty of testosterone in your body. Adding
more could contribute to growth stunting.
After that, you
should do some serious research on different workouts and start slowly. Don’t push your body beyond its limits.
You could seriously
injure yourself and set your progress back markedly. Everyone’s muscles grow in different ways, so try not to compare yourself to
other people. Just get a well-balanced workout routine and perform it correctly
with good form.
Diet is also
important to teen body builders just as it is to adult body builders. Eat lots
of protein and vegetables as well as grains and carbohydrates. Keep yourself
well-hydrated with lots and lots of water and stay away from sugars.
Rest is also
important since, like adults, this is the time when your body’s muscles will grow. At least eight hours of sleep is recommended, if
not more. You will be doing your body a favor by giving it time to heal from
the damage you’ve inflicted on your
muscles and allow them to grow naturally while you rest and build up your
energy for the next day.
There are certain
exercises that teens can perform that can build mass in your muscles without
the risk of harming them. Some of the adult exercises won’t be appropriate for you, but some of them will.
Here are a few that
you should use:
• Dumbbell Curls – These will work
your biceps as you lift the dumbbell from your knee up to your shoulder in a
slow, smooth motion. Alternate arms between sets and remember to breathe.
Concentrate on the
lift and working the muscles.
• Dumbbell Hammer Curls – Hold the dumbbells
like you would a hammer. Alternate arms lifting from your side to your
shoulder, again, in a slow, easy motion.
• Flat Bench Press – Lay flat on a
weight bench with the barbell above you. Hold in a wide grip and slowly lower
the barbell down to your chest and up again. Pay special attention to the way
your muscles are responding to the weight.
• Dumbbell Flyes – Hold the dumbbells
like you are doing hammer curls. Keep your arms straight up with your elbows
slightly bent. In a semi-circular motion, lower the dumbbells slowly down to
the sides of your chest. This will work your inner pectoral muscles.
• Dumbbell Shrugs – Hold a dumbbell in
each hand lowered to your side with your palms facing your hips. Raise your
toes up and then shrug your shoulder to work your trapezius muscles.
• Shoulder Press – While seated, hold
a dumbbell in each hand.
Sit straight and
press them up. Resist when you are lowering them down. This works the deltoid
muscles.
These are just a few
exercises you can do, obviously. You may want to consult with your P.E.
instructor at school or ask someone at a local gym to help you with other
exercises that you can safely perform so that you can accomplish your goals.
Body building is an
extreme sport that can yield amazingly satisfying results. But you must be sure
that you stay committed to your goals. Unless you are sick or there is a very,
very good reason, you should stick to your workout under all circumstances. If
you want to meet your goals, you CANNOT put them off just because you want to.
If your parents are
concerned about your body building efforts, have them take you to your family
physician and tell him or her about what your plans are as well as the
exercises you want to do. Listen to what the doctor has to say and heed any
advice that is offered. If you undertake this program in a responsible way,
your parents will be impressed rather than worried!
Once you start
seeing results in your body, you may decide that you want to enter a body
building contest. These can be great motivational tools to keep you on a
workout regimen, but there are some things that you should know.
CONTESTS
As you get more and
more into the sport of body building, you may want to consider showing off your
hard work by entering into a body building competition. There are many local
gyms that hold contests as well as national competitions that are held on an
annual basis.
Before you actually
enter a body building competition, you really need to know what they’re all about in the first place. Take the time to attend a competition
before entering and pay close attention to the techniques the exhibitors use
and ask questions about what the judges are looking for.
Do not enter a body
building contest just because you’ve lost a bunch of
weight. These contests are about great physiques with toned muscles – not about people who’ve lost body fat.
Your muscles must be well-defined and toned ready for display. Remember early
on in the book when we talked about the “Grecian Ideal”? That’s what body building
contests are really about.
Be realistic about
your chances the first time out. While it is possible to realize a “Cinderella” story finish, it’s not really probable when you consider that some of the other entrants
are very experienced. Tell yourself that you’ll be happy with not
being cut from the lineup or taking fifth place, for example, which is a
realistic goal for many beginners.
Once you’ve decided on a competition, you need to start planning well ahead of
time to become fully prepared for contest day.
You need to
concentrate on any problem areas you have and work them hard. Keep up with your
regular routine, so the muscles that are already toned don’t lose their definition.
Think about what you
will wearing during the contest and what songs you will want played while you
are posing. You will also want to start thinking about your posing routine.
We’ll interject a quick note about suits here since it’s not really that complicated choosing what you’re going to wear. You have worked very hard on your body, and in a
contest, you will want to show off as much of it as possible. Pick a suit in a
color that is complementary and one that is as skimpy as you are comfortable
with.
Just don’t over-do it – it’s not about who shows the most skin but who shows the best muscles.
With music, you will
want to choose songs that will activate and excite the crowd. Judges will
respond better to you if you have a lot of clapping and cheering going on for
you. Your posing style will be dictated by the music, either elegant or
aggressive depending on your selection. Your style of music is important. Your
mood, the mood of the audience and the judges will be set moment by moment,
heavily balance by the competitor's choices of music.
Clearly defined
space in the music for major poses is usually extremely important. Some
routines flow perfectly and gracefully through music without accentuating
beats, but you can be confident that only a few competitors in a hundred can
successfully achieve the beauty and grace of such a performance.
If you don't have a
childhood background in dance or ballet, or you don't have a nearly perfect
body with matching symmetry, try to select music with a pronounced beat where
you can clearly put your strongest poses.
We can’t stress enough that you can have a great physique, but if you don’t know how to show it off, you won’t be doing any good
in a contest. Posing is so very important in competition. It gives the judges
an idea of what they are looking for in a contestant which is symmetry,
muscularity, aesthetics, and proportions.
A good place to
start learning about posing is to look through body building magazines to see
how the models are presenting themselves. Try out a few of these poses while
looking at yourself in a full-length mirror. What works for one person may not
work for you, but it just might!
Think about the beat
of your music and then choose poses that go along with that beat. Start out
with your most powerful pose and hold it for 3 to 5 full seconds. Make sure
that your routine flows smoothly and there is enough time in between poses for
a little fun.
What muscles should
you be accentuating? The easiest answer is all of them, but you will want to
show off certain parts of your body specifically. You need to know your
muscles, and we hope by now you do. Here are some areas you will want to focus
on:
• Front Double Bicep
Arms are out to the
sides with biceps flexed and the competitor is facing forward towards the
judges and audience.
• Front Lat Spread
Hands are located
somewhere near the competitor’s waistline and
elbows are flared out showing the lats. The competitor is facing forward.
• Side Chest
The competitor is
turned so judges can see his profile. He has one calf flexed by raising his
heel from the ground. Hands are clasped or wrist is grabbed with the back arm
coming across the front of the torso somewhere below the pec line. The forward
arm is pulled down and back toward the competitor’s rear. The chest is raised and flexed. The rib cage is usually
expanded.
• Side Tricep
The competitor is in
the same basic position as the side chest except his arms are clasped behind
him. The forward arm is flexed straight down showing off the triceps. The back
arm is stretched across the lower back and it’s hand is clasped
with the forward arm’s hand.
• Abdominal and Thigh
The competitor is
now facing forward. His arms are tucked behind his head and one leg is placed
farther forward than the other and flexed. The competitor is also flexing his
abdominal muscles.
• Rear Double Bicep
The competitor is
facing the rear of the stage away from the judges and audience. Arms are out to
the sides and biceps are flexed. One leg is back and that calf is flexed. The
back muscles are also flexed.
• Rear Lat Spread
The competitor is in
the same basic position as the Back Double Biceps except the hands are attached
at the waist and the elbows are pulled out and the lats are flared outward.
• Most Muscular – the classic “strong man” body building pose
Typically, judges
will call for the competitor’s favorite most
muscular pose. At this point, they have the option to hit which ever of the
most muscular poses they feel make them look the best.
If you want to come
up with some poses of your own, by all means do so! You know your body best of
all and if there are certain muscles you really want to show off – such as your glutes – definitely do it!
When you come up
with a posing routine, you should practice so that you know it like the back of
your hand. If you hear your music on the radio, you should be doing your
routine in your head. Every chance you get, watch yourself going through the
routine and maximizing your muscle tone so that you make an impressive
performance.
Have someone take
pictures or video of you and be highly critical of it. You can also have
someone else look at it for you and tell you where you can improve and where
you are strongest. While you are posing, breathe normally and focus on flexing
of the muscles. You want to appear cut and ripped as much as possible.
Quite a bit of time
before the competition, you will want to start tanning. Tanned muscles look a
lot better and more defined than non-tanned muscles. If you don’t want to risk going to a tanning bed, look at a spray-on tan the day
before your competition, but be advised that these types of tanning can have an
orange appearance and could detract from the image you are trying to project.
During the
competition, there will be a variety of rounds during which you will compete
for points. Each contest is different, but most will have the following rounds:
• Standing Relaxed Symmetry Round
During this time,
the judges are looking for overall body symmetry in the competitors. They are
looking for relationships between the muscle groups. Are they all developed
evenly?
Within each specific
group, does it flow nicely? Does the competitor have a symmetrical bone
structure? The more evenly developed the competitor is, the higher he or she
will be placed.
There is no direct
flexing in this round. Competitors are viewed in what is called the Standing
Relaxed position. Typically, this consists of the competitor’s heels together, toes pointed out at a forty-five degree angle, and
lats semi-flared.
Every competitor has
their own way of standing relaxed, but in reality it is semi-flexed. Every
muscle should be tight on stage.
The competitors are
viewed from the front, both sides, and the rear.
• Comparison or Muscularity Round
This is where the
real flexing begins! Competitors are called upon to hit the Mandatory poses in
this round. The judges are comparing the level of muscular development and
definition each competitor has acquired in relation to the other competitors.
• Free Posing Round
The Free Posing
Round is where each competitor gets to express their muscularity how they see
fit. Usually, this round is accompanied by music.
If there are no
restrictions on oiling, you will want to apply a thin coat of baby oil to your
body. This can enhance your muscle tone and make you appear more cut. Some avid
body builders also advocate using Preparation H or some other type of
hemorrhoid cream. These creams pull water out from under the skin. When a body
builder has excess water in the skin, he or she will look smooth and undefined.
Many bodybuilders
who have used creatine supplements during their workout routine will lay off
about four to six weeks before the competition. Then, three to five days
before, they load up again just like when they first started which will make
them look fuller.
On the day before
and the day of the competition, do a carb load. Don’t overdo it or you will look smooth, but try having 200
grams the day before
and 300 the day of. Know your body and know what makes it look good and what
doesn’t.
You should also
mentally prepare for competing. Have your mind set on your goal as to why you
wanted to enter a competition in the first place. Visualize yourself up on the
stage hitting your poses and imagine the audience cheering you on. Mentally
preparation can be just as important as physically preparing when in comes to a
successful body building competition showing.
You can find some
great support and guidance in a variety of places.
YOUR RESOURCES
In this, the
greatest information age ever, there are many, many places you can go to for
answers to almost any question you have regarding body building. Seek out this
information and learn as much as you can. This will make you a better body
builder and a safer one at that!
To begin with, you
need to subscribe to a couple of body building magazines. Some of the most
popular include:
• Flex
This magazine is
considered the “bible” of hardcore body building. They do interviews with experts in the field
and offer up some amazing advice for both the experienced as well as novice
body builder.
Find them online at
www.flexonline.com or subscribe to the paper edition for just $29.97 per year
for 12 issues.
• Muscle & Fitness
This also is a
highly respected magazine in the body building industry. Each issue refers a
lot to the principles of fitness and body building. They give some good
information on nutrition, weight training, and many other topics of interest to
body builders.
Find them online at
www.muscleandfitness.com or subscribe for $29.97 per year for 12 issues.
• Ms. Fitness
Touted as one of the
best body building magazines for women, each month, they give information about
upcoming contests, new developments in the area of female body building, and
much more!
Their web address is
www.msfitness.com. You can also
subscribe for the
low price of $12.00 per year for four issues.
Nothing can really
compare to personal advice and guidance.
There are many gyms
and fitness clubs that have local organizations dedicated to body building
where you can get tips and train with others who share your passion. Ask around
when you are in the gym, or network with others in social settings.
The Internet is
another invaluable resource for body building information. In researching this
book, this author depended on several of these websites for information. Here
are a few you should really check out:
• www.bodybuilder.com
This site is nothing
less than amazing. You will find more information than you could have ever
hoped for on this website including tips on nutrition, sample workout plans,
and ways to prepare yourself for competition.
• www.getbig.com
This is another
super website where you can find tips and tricks about how to maximize your
workout, where to find
supplements, contest
schedules and results, as well as pictures of people who have made amazing
transformations through a body building program.
• www.abcbodybuilding.com
Here you have
another amazing site with tons and tons of information for both the experienced
body builder as well as the beginner. You will get the most information by
joining their website, but it’s free, and it will
open you up to all sorts of insights into this great sport.
These are only a few
resources you can check out as you begin your body building quest. Look around
you and find what works for you. You will find a whole new world opening up
around you!
CONCLUSION
Body building isn’t for everyone, but we’re willing to bet
that once you start on a workout program, you’ll realize that it’s the best thing you’ve ever done for
yourself. You’ll look better, you’ll feel better, and your confidence will soar.
Many people start
out body building in an attempt to lose weight. That’s a great way to start. But then, they start learning about what their
body is doing during a workout and what is capable of when pushed. After that
door is opened, there’s so much to learn
and gain.
I remember in my
younger years when I would read comic books, in the back of the book, there was
always an advertising section. While I was always more interested in the sea
monkeys, there also was one that always caught my eye: the 90 pound weakling
who went on to become a 160 pound muscle bound specimen.
These results aren’t unheard of and can actually be achieved by anyone who is willing to
put in the time and effort to do so. You don’t have to be
satisfied with a body that is less than what you want it to be.
It does take some
hard work and a lot of dedication, but once you start, you’ll find yourself wanting to continue more than wanting to stop. When
you are finally able to look at yourself in the mirror and like what you see, the
end result will be well worth any sacrifice you have made along the way.
Get started right
away. You don’t have to wait any
longer. Your dream body is more than a possibility – it’s a reality. So go
out and get ripped. There’s no time like right
now!
In addition to the
websites listed in the “Resources” section, the following additional websites were referenced in
researching this book:
www.about.com
www.wikipedia.org
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