1) It should favor smaller and frequent feedings throughout the day instead of large and infrequent ones. Why? Because when you feed your body several times a day, your metabolism increases. Therefore, you burn more fat. Frequent feedings are of particular importance since after three to four hours of no food your body switches to a catabolic state (a state in which you lose muscle and gain fat!). The body believes that it is starving and it starts feeding itself on lean muscle tissue and it prepares to store calories as fat. Bad scenario! Therefore, in order for your program to work, you will eat between four to six meals (depending gender and goals) a day spaced out at 2-1/2 to 3 hour intervals.
2) Every meal should have carbohydrates, protein and fat in the correct ratios. Having a meal that is not balanced (for example is all carbohydrates) won't yield the desired results. Every macronutrient has to be present in order for the body to absorb them and use them properly. Without boring you with the effect of food on the body's biochemistry, let's just say that if you only eat carbohydrates in one meal without anything else, your energy levels will crash in about 30 minutes and your body will be storing any carbohydrates that were not used into fat. Conversely, if you only eat protein, you will lack energy and your body will not be able to turn the protein into muscle because it is difficult for the body to absorb protein in the absence of carbohydrates. In addition, the ratios for each particular macronutrient have to be correct in order to get the results that you want. The ratio of our diet will look like the following:
40% Carbohydrates
40% Protein
20% Fats
Note that for every serving of carbohydrates, you get a serving of Protein. You can use Bill Phillips' Method of creating meals which is to count a portion of carbohydrates as the amount of food the size of your clenched fist and a portion of protein as the amount of food the size of your open palms.
3) The calories should be cycled. I strongly believe in caloric cycling as this will not allow the metabolism to get used to a certain caloric level; something that leads to stagnant results.
Therefore, bodybuilders in search of just muscle mass should follow 5 days of high calories (lean body mass x 15) with two days of lower caloric intake (lean body mass x12). Bodybuilders in search of losing fat while building muscle at the same time should follow 5 days of lower caloric intake (lean body mass x12) with 2 days of higher calories (lean body mass x 15). (Note: If you build muscle and lose fat at the same time you will not gain muscle as fast as you would if you just concentrated in muscle mass. However, you get to get both goals accomplished at the same time).
People interested in bodysculpting should alternate between two weeks of lower calories (around 2000 for men and 1200 for women) and two weeks of higher calories (around 2500 for men and 1500 for women). These caloric intakes assume a normal activity level that only includes Body Sculpting training. Those of you involved in activities like marathon running or heavy physical labor jobs need to adjust your calories upwards accordingly mainly in the form of carbohydrates in order to support your higher levels of activity.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
How NewBies Should Start with bodybuilding as a career or hobby?
Most neophytes don't know how to get started in bodybuilding they spend many years doing the wrong things before they learn what the right things are. In this article I will address one of the mistakes the newbie's make and give a simple antidote to the problem of developing strength and size as a bodybuilder.
I think before we go any further its important to understand that strength training for a bodybuilder is not the same as for other athletes. A bodybuilder must develop strength while building muscle size, shape and endurance, and on many occasions these goals are exclusive of each other. So let's start this discussion with how to choose the correct weight.
What does your trainer mean when he says light weight, moderate or heavy? How do you know by the weight what rep count you should use? I’ll try to simplify this all too confusing problem in just a few lines.
Heavy weight is any amount that is so heavy that on your first set you can only complete 6 to 8 reps. I think it goes to reason that on your second and third set you will not be able to complete as many.
Moderate weight is any amount that is so heavy that on your first set you can only complete 8- 12 reps. Of course less on the following sets. Finally, light weight is any amount that is so heavy that on your first set you can only complete 15-25 reps
Now there is one more thing that I want to address that is strength. Understand this, just because you are getting bigger does not mean you are getting stronger; however, if you are getting stronger you are getting bigger even if you can't see the size increase! Finally, train to get stronger, but not for strength, if you understand the principles of the Progressive Resistance System this will make more sense
The four days per week workout, the four days per week is called a split routine, because the body is split into four sections Unlike a lot of trainers I think there is a relationship between growth and total amount of sets completed in a week's time. On the three day routine you had 9 set for chest, back and quads, and six set for shoulders. In this routine the weekly sets will range between 12 and 16 per body part.
In no way do I advocate the High Intensity Training (HIT) methods that you'll find in all over the internet. I don't deny how well they work; I just feel much of the injury throughout my career has come as a result of working out with too much intensity. Age and wisdom has taught me to the never to even advocate the negative or forced reps for any reason I personally call them injury reps! But let's move on to what will work.
Some important things to understand about this routine
1. Workouts are never longer than 1 hour! Never!
2. Dips are done with no weight, except "bench dips" if you have a partner
3. "Max" represents the most you can do correctly (never do forced reps)
4. Unless I specify dumbbells, use only barbell
5. Shoulder press are done to the front of the chest not behind the neck See article my article on shoulder injuries
6. Lat pull downs are done at shoulder width never wider and only to the front of the chest.
7. Seated row are done either on a seated row machine or on seated on a low cable row machine. If doing them on a low cable row machine lean forward only enough to full extend your arms keep lower back arched. Never let the shoulders roll forward for that "extra stretch"
8. Barbell curls are done in smoothly never jerky or fast.
9. Leg press are done with full range of motion your calf should touch your hamstring at the stretched position.
10. Leg curls should be contracted until heel touches you butt.
11. Seated calf raises this exercise is harder than it appears. Calf should get a full stretch at the bottom of the movement, and completely contracted at the top.
12. Warm up and cool down with about 10 t 15 minutes of stationary bike or ski machine (I only do low or no impact aerobics, never run, never stairs,)
13. Stretch only after you have completed the workout and only for the muscles worked that day.
Workout 1 Monday
Dips 4 set of 8-12 reps Bench press 4 set of 8-12 reps Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 set of 8-12 reps Shoulder Shrugs 4 set of 8-12 reps
Workout 2 Tuesday
Pull Ups 4sets of 6-8 Reps Lat pull downs 4 sets of 8-12 reps Seated Rows 4 sets of 8-12 reps Seated Calf Raises 4 sets of 15-25 reps
Workout 3 Thursday (after one day rest)
Hack Squats 4 sets of 15-25 reps Leg Press 4sets of 15-25 reps Leg Curls 4 sets of 8-12 reps Standing Calf Raises 4 sets of 15-25 reps
Workout 4 Friday
Barbell Curls 3 sets of 8-12 reps Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 8-12 reps Bench Dips 4 sets of 8-12 Reps Close Grip Bench Press 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
NOTE:I will explain all the above mentioned exercises more in depth. Wait and watch.
Even your questions and valuable comments are most welcome at any time.
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