If you are planning on getting into weight training and thinking of starting a home gym here is the equipment you’ll need and the terminology you’ll need to know before starting your first weights routine.

In terms of equipment for a personal home weight training program, the following basic home gym equipment is needed: a bar, plates, collars, and dumbbells.

Bar

This is a steel bar usually 4 to 6 feet in length, 1 inches diameter, and weighing about 20 pounds. It is used to support the collars and plates. A knurled middle area provides for firm gripping by the hands prevent slipping, loss of control, and possible injury.

Plates

The plates are round in shape and sized according to weight, a with a hole in the middle to slide them on and off the bar. The plates or “weights” come in sizes ranging from 1 pounds to 100 pounds.

Collars

Collars are the protective locks used to secure the plates on bar. Set screws are generally used to attach the collars, with one set of collars on the inside and one set located outside the plates. The proper setting and securing of the collars is important to prevent the plates from sliding and upsetting the balance of the total lifting weight. The bar and collars together usually weigh about 25 pounds and are included with the plates in determining the total poundage.

Barbell

Barbell is the term used to describe the completed setup wheii ready for an exercise, including the bar, selected plates, and collars.

Dumbbell

Originally, the dumbbell was an end-weighted piece of equipment cast in one section, about 12 to 18 inches long and of varying poundages. Though still available in solid construction, small bars with changeable collars and plates are now more commonly used to allow for greater adaptability. They are primarily used with one-arm lifts, while the barbell is used for two-arm lifts.

Basic Terms

As most other activities, weight training has its own unique language. Knowing the language will help in understanding directions and learning the rules and techniques of the activity.

Repetitions

Number of times a complete exercise movement is performed.

Sets

Number of times a given number of repetitions are performed, usually consecutively after a brief rest period.

Load

The actual weight or poundage used for an exercise or in a set including the bar, plates, and collars.

Repetitions maximum (RM)

The maximum load that can be lifted given number of times. Thus, 10 RM is the greatest weight that can lifted 10 times.

Minimum or maximum repetitions

The minimum or maximum number of repetitions performed with a given load.

When you are beginning weight training it is important to learn the fundamentals of the lifts you are doing. Here are some of the basics you will be relying on through out of your weight training cycle.

Grips

There are three basic barbell grips: the overhand grip, the underhand grip, and the combination grip (one hand over and the other under). The grip used will vary with each exercise, and whether the palms face up or down will depend on the starting position. The over hand grip is the one most used and is sometimes referred to as regular grip. The underhand grip, also called the reverse grip, is used in only a few exercises and only when the starting barbell position below the waist. The combination grip is also used only for a few lifts mostly low lift exercises in order to provide greater control.

Hand spacing

The distance between the hands when taking a grip depends on the exercise performed and may be either: (1) close (hands touching); (2) normal (about shoulder width apart); or (3) wide (out a the collars).

Starting positions

Starting body positions may be either standing, supine (back lying), sitting, or bent-over (trunk inclined forward), with the legs either bent or straight. The barbell may be either across the thighs, chest, or shoulders (also referred to as the front-hanging, chest- rest, or shoulder-rest positions). In the front-hanging position, the arms are fully extended and the bar may be held with any grip. In the chest- rest position, the arms are flexed, with the forearms under the bar and the hands in an overhand grip position. The arms and hands are in this same position in the shoulder-rest position, except that the bar lies behind the neck and on the shoulders and upper back.

Lifting to the starting position

In lifting a barbell to the thigh, chest or shoulder-rest position, a definite technique must be used to avoid injury. For lifting to the thigh position, the feet should be spaced about shoulder width and placed well up under the bar, with the bar close to the ankles. The body should then be bent at the knees and the hips at about a 45 degree angle with the head and back straight and the arms reaching for the bar. It is then important to set the proper grip for the exercise (close, normal, or wide) and check to see that both hands are equal distance from the collar on their side to insure that the load is balanced. After taking the grip, the head is then extended slightly and, with the back kept straight, the bar is brought to the thigh simply by straightening the legs. The arms must be thought of as mere attachments and lifting with the back avoided.

In lifting to the chest position, the procedure for approaching the bar and setting the grip is exactly the same. But now after setting the grip, extending the head and making sure that the back is straight, the barbell is brought directly upward from the floor in an explosive movement to a position across the chest (the degree of explosiveness depending on the load). The initial force for the lift comes from extending the legs and pulling up with the arms.

As the elbows approach hip level, they are thrust forward under the bar to a position in front of it; at the same time a slight dip is taken with the legs. To place the weight behind the neck, the bar is always brought to the chest position first. Then, it is pushed directly upward with the arms, assisted by a slight upward thrust of the legs following a slight dip, if necessary. The bar is then lowered to the shoulders as the head and shoulders are moved slightly forward.

In returning the bar to the floor from the shoulder position, the procedure is reversed. It is first pushed directly upward and then lowered to the chest. From here, the elbows are brought up behind the bar, and the hands are lowered to the thighs while keeping the head and back straight. The barbell is then lowered to the floor by bending the legs and hips.

As a hardgainer, you understand the importance of protein, and when you are trying to include more protein in your diet, there is only so many cans of tuna you can have before you begin to hate tuna with a passion. The trick is to eat muscle building foods which are versatile and can be easily combined with other ingredients to make a tasty meal.

1. Peanut butter

The number one super food to us hardgainers is peanut butter. Peanut butter is tailor made for hardgainers and many seriously credit it with helping them gain weight. While being calorie dense it does not have much saturated fat, it has carbohydrates as well as proteins making it a complete meal. Snack on some crunchy peanut butter and celery sticks, have a peanut butter sandwiches or eat a few spoonfulls.

2. Low fat milk

Another super food for hardgainers is milk, especially low-fat or two percent milk. This is full of good carbohydrates, protein and has enough calories to really help a hardgainer. It’s easy to mix milk with fruit and protein powder to make a tasty weight gain shake. Having a weight gainer shake as the last thing you eat before bed is a good idea. This can be replaced by mixing some flax seed or canola oil with some whey and milk. This is to cater to calorie loss during hours of sleep. As soon as you wake up, you have to once again eat with a vengeance.

3. Chicken breast

Chicken breast is another super food to include in a hardgainer’s diet because it’s one of the best sources of lean protein. You should be taking chicken breast, lettuce, and mayo sandwiches to work everyday.

4. Fruits & vegetables

A muscle building diet should also consist of lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Similar to protein requirements, you should try and include some fruit and vegetables with every meal. Eat fresh fruit like berries, bananas, and oranges. Good veggies include broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, squash, and yams.

5. Brown rice

Brown rice is another really good super food to include in a hardgainer’s diet because it’s a great source of complex carbs. You can serve brown rice alongside chicken breast and cooked beans to form a good post workout meal when your body really needs the carbs and protein. Brown rice can also be used to make a tasty stir fry, which is one of my personal favorites.

As proper nutrition for hardgainers you need to consume a good mixture of carbohydrates and protein every time you eat. To ensure that you are never hungry, carry high calorie muscle building foods such as peanut butter, protein bars, and fresh fruit and veggies to curb the appetite.

When in situations where you have to eat fast food, go for the better nutrition option by going for the chicken burger instead of the fries. When possible eat the grilled and not the fried. If possible, avoid the desserts and highly processed snacks – instead fulfill that hunger with a few spoonfuls of peanut butter, yogurt, or glass of milk. But what matters most is to EAT and when you do not have a choice – eat what is available to you – just EAT because you are a hardgainer and you want to beat your metabolism into submission.

Since we are on the topic of building muscle without equipment in these tough economic times, I thought it would be a good idea to list the essential ingredients you should include in a basic muscle building stack which you can take pre and post workout to increase strength and gain some quality muscle.

First of all, let me just say that as a beginner your focus should not be on supplements. You first want to understand and follow a good nutrition and training program, however it must be said supplements if used properly can give you a boost.

With so many bodybuilding supplements on the market begging for your attention, you are bound to be confused with exactly what is the best muscle building stack for putting on lean muscle mass. The aim of this article is to include the most essential ingredients which you should include in your muscle building stack without having to break the bank.

In bodybuilding circles a “stack” refers to the different products used in a bodybuilder’s steroids cycle, but the term is more loosely referred to using multiple supplements or products in the one “stack” or daily supplement regimen.

There are pre-packaged muscle building stacks such as Muscletech Musclebuilding Stack (the same manufacturer which makes the pre workout supplement naNO Vapor), but the focus of this article is not to recommend the best muscle building stack product, instead we want to discuss the best ingredients to include in a stack when on a budget. It can be preferrable to make up your own stack because that way you know exactly what ingredients you are putting in your body.

So what should you include in an effective muscle building stack?

In other articles I have already discussed what I feel to be the most effective bodybuilding supplements, so it should come as no surprise when I say that the basic muscle building stack should include protein, creatine, carbs, and a good multi-vitamin supplement.

Protein should form the foundation of your muscle building stack. Heavy resistance training increases the demand for protein (more specifically amino acids) so make sure you are consuming some protein before and after working out. Whey protein powders are one of the most convenient ways to consume protein. It can easily be added to weight gain shakes and it contains a high percentage of protein with every scoop.

Creatine monohydrate is another supplement you must include in a muscle building stack. This is a proven supplement with many scientific research studies to backup it’s claims. Creatine is particularly useful to increase explosive strength, gain lean muscle mass and gain weight. Here is how much daily creatine you should include in your stack.

A quick absorbing high glycemic carbohydrate is a nice addition to a basic muscle building stack. It’s important to combine carbs with protein for your post workout meal because carbs help transport nutrients to muscle cells and increase protein synthesis, which is the main objective. Carbohydrate also helps to prevent muscle catabolism (break down of muscle tissue) and jump starts the recovery process. The complex carbohydrate source can come from raw foods such as oats or you can use supplemention for convenience.

Taking a good multi-vitamin is also very important. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can be determinental to muscle gains because your body is not performing to its full potential.

How should you take the muscle building stack?

You can take the daily multi-vitamin in the morning and combine the whey protein, creatine and carbs to form a great post workout shake.

By far, caffeine is the most popular drug in the world. But is caffiene good for working out? That is the question many lifters would like the answer to. We drink coffee, cola, tea and energy drinks, so we consume a lot of caffeine everyday. But what do you really know about it? Is it good for working out, and most importantly, good for your health?

I thought it would be a good idea to take a deep look into caffeine and find out whether it is something that is good for you or not. I started doing my research and the first thing I noticed is that there is a lot of conflicting information about this substance. Some say it is good, other say it is bad. So look at the advantages and disadvantages of taking caffeine when working out and then decide for yourself.

The Advantages and Benefits of Caffeine

Now it is time to take a look at some of the advantages of this popular drug.

1. It makes you feel good

When you develop a slight addiction to caffeine it makes you feel good when you consume it. This is evident in people who drink a lot of coffee. An early morning cup makes them feel great but if they go a day without one they are grumpy and tired. So this benefit is also a negative.

2. It will increase exercise performance

Bodybuilders and many other athletes have been using caffeine for a long time to enhance their training and workouts. While it is usually illegal to use during a sporting even itself, caffeine does provide you with a lot of energy and extra stimulation. It might help you go that little bit farther which is why it’s a popular ingredient in pre workout supplements.

3. It increases mental alertness

If you need to study for exams or work then the stimulants in caffeine can help you stay focussed for longer. It helps you stay attentive and alert but too much can make you feel too awake and agitated.

4. It can help with burning fat

It has been shown for a long time now that caffeine can improve your fat loss results. For example, many bodybuilders will take a caffeine supplement or have a cup of coffee before going to the gym to do their cardio as it can help with the workout. The way it does this is to speed up your metabolism as well as helping to break down the fat itself.

5. Prevents bowel cancer

One of the best benefits of caffeine, however, is that it can help prevent bowel cancer. This is in relation to coffee – it can help you clean out your bowels by making you go to the toilet more; partly due to the diuretic function that it has.

6. Prevents other illnesses

Caffeine in some forms has shown to have a preventative effect for some long term diseases like diabetes and alzheimer’s disease. This is a big bonus for anyone who drinks coffee or tea.

The Disadvantages and Dangers of Caffeine

Now that we have looked at the advantages of caffeine it is important to look at some of dangers that are associated with this drug.

1. Sleeplessness and anxiety

If you have problems sleeping or are highly stressed then too much caffeine is a bad idea. This relates to the stimulant effect that caffeine has one the body – it wakes everything up.

2. It can increase blood pressure

If you have heart problems then this drug isn’t a good idea (nor is any drug for that matter!). It has been shown to increase blood pressure as well as speeding up the heart rate.

3. It is addictive

The bad thing about drugs is that they are addictive. Once your body gets used to a certain amount it needs more to stay happy. This is the same with caffeine. Many people start off drinking a cup of coffee in the morning but after a while they need one at lunch and in the afternoon as well. Soon they need more then two or three cups during the day just to function properly. It would be a more healthful approach to fuel your body with nutrients instead of stimulants.

4. It comes in bad foods

Think about the times when you consume caffeine. Usually it is a coffee with cream and two sugars, a can of Coke filled with more sugar than you care to think about or in chocolate where, again, the fat and sugar is a worry. This is a serious downside to caffeine, more often then not it’s associated with the foods you want to try and avoid.

5. It can be detrimental to building lean muscle

Excessive caffeine consumption can increase cortisol levels in the body, placing it in a catabolic state. This is the oppositive of what you are trying to acheive if you want to gain muscle weight.

6. It’s easier then you think to overdose on caffeine

Caffeine is not just in coffee. You will find it in teas, chocolate, and many soft drinks/energy drinks. While you think you may only be drinking two cups per day, you may in fact be consuming a lot more.

Conclusion

Like anything that we consume it is important to do it in moderation. If you are drinking more than two to three cups of coffee per day it is likely that it’s doing more harm then good. If your goal is to gain weight then you should try and minimize caffeine intake whenever possible.

However, I don’t see it as being a huge problem if you occasionally consume a strong coffee in the morning or have a pre workout supplement with caffeine to get a better workout.

Due to the diuretic effect it can have it would be a good idea to consume water when you are drinking coffee to prevent dehydration.

Many “bodybuilders” dismiss bodyweight exercises as being not hard enough and not providing sufficient progressive overload to build muscle. That maybe the case if all you did was regular pushups and situps, but you are not here to just learn the basics.

If done properly, it is possible to build muscle without weights using bodyweight exercises. You only have to look at the 100 strongest and biggest men in the world and I bet you close to 90% of them would spend a lot of time doing bodyweight exercises. I think they only become unproductive if you are not doing progressively more difficult bodyweight exercises (for example, going from regular push ups to “clap your hands” pushups) and not increasing exercise intensity.

A great way to increase the intensity of bodyweight exercises is to include them in a circuit training workout routine, so you go from one bodyweight exercise to the next with less recovery time.

Benefits of Bodyweight Exercises

The reason I have dedicated a whole post to bodyweight exercises is that you don’t need any equipment and they are a great addition to weight training exercises. You can do them at home or when you are travelling and still get amazing results.

Moreover, bodyweight exercises are a great tool to develop explosive strength. If you are working out to gain mass for a specific sport, you want more then to just gain weight, you want to develop speed and agility for your specific sport. It’s easier to develop that explosive strength with body weight exercises, because you are typically only lifting 60% of your bodyweight.

Also, if you have ever spotted someone who is struggling to complete a bench press, you will notice that if you can help them get past the sticky point they can complete the rep on their own. With proper explosive strength training you can lift the weight more forcefully and break through those plaeteaus, so body weight training will help you lift heavier and build more muscle! There are a few things to keep in mind though…

Don’t Cheat On Your Technique

When you are training at home there is the temptation to cheat on your technique a little bit because no one is watching. This is a big mistake that you need to avoid.

If you want to make big gains and not injure yourself you need to make sure your technique is solid. Read as much about every exercise that you do and start off slow. Never try and overdo it because your joints will not forgive you in the long run.

Furthermore, if your technique is poor your muscle gain will also be poor. Each exercise is done in a certain way. It is done that way firstly because it is the safest way and, secondly, because it is the best way to work the muscle. So, if you cheat on your technique you are only cheating yourself.

The 5 Best Bodyweight Exercises to Build Muscle

Now we can get into the real stuff. I am going to present the best 5 bodyweight exercises that you can do at home. Every exercise includes clear instructions so you can do them with proper form. If you do them correctly and with the right intensity you will see some amazing progress.

1. Burpees

There is a reason this is called the king of bodyweight exercises. This is a challenging exercise which combines the squat, pushup, and jump all built in to one exercise to give you a great full body workout. I would recommend beginners get familiat with the individual exercises on their own before attempting burpees.

How to do a burpee

To correctly do a burpee, start the exercise by standing upright with both feet close together. Squat down by bending your knees, put your hands on the ground and hop your feet backwards so you are in position to do a pushup. Do a regular pushup and when you are rising to the start position perform a jump.

2. Clap your hands pushups

This exercise is referred to as “clap your hands” pushups because you lift the upper body off the floor that fast that you can clap your hands in between each rep. If you are new to bodyweight exercises, then first get familar with doing regular pushups, but as soon as you can manage clap your hands pushups do so because they are really good for building explosive functional strength. They really shock your muscles into growth.

The great thing about the clap pushup is that it forces your muscle to contract and then expand very quickly. Many studies have shown this is the best way to make fast strength gains without damaging or slowing down your muscles. Normal weight lifting, on the other hand, has been shown to slow down your movement. If you are a mma fighter or athlete this will not do.

How to do a clap your hands pushup

To do a clap your hands pushup simply get in the normal pushup position and lower yourself down to the bottom. Instead of pushing yourself up as normal you should powerfully push down and cause yourself to jump with your hands. While your hands are off the ground you should clap your hands together under your chest before hitting the ground and repeating. Keep doing this over and over until failure.

3. Dips

Dips are like a bench press but more full on. Many of you are not going to like that statement but it is true. There is literally nothing harder than strapping some heavy weight discs to your weight belt and pumping out a set of dips.

You can make your own dip station at home by setting up two narrow bars parallel from each other. If you get a power rack they will often include dip bars.

How to do a dip

To correctly do a dip you simply grab on to the two parallel bars and lower yourself down as low as you can. Don’t try to keep your body upright. You should allow yourself to naturally lean forward as this will work both your chest and your triceps. Once you have lowered yourself down fully explode upwards for a fast incline. This will blast your muscles into some serious growth!

It is very important to take care of your shoulders during the dip. I know of many people who have ended up with pretty serious shoulder joint injuries. Never do dips on a dip station where the bars are too wide apart. If you can make your own that is the best idea because you can set it to your own width. The narrower the better.

4. Chin ups

When you want to develop full body power and strength as well as adding some serious size you need to work with the chin up. All of best boxers in history had huge backs. Just take a look at Muhummad Ali’s back. It was enormous! The chin up is a poweful way to train your back and biceps and is one of the best ways to add some size in a hurry.

How to do a chin up

Grab a thick bar with and underhand grip and allow your body to hang free. The thicker the bar the better because this will work your forearms. Once you are comfortable you should pull yourself up as quickly as possible. Imagine that you are pulling with your elbows as this will help you focus on your back muscles. Once you reach the top slowly lower yourself back down to a count of five or six seconds. This is when a lot of the strength is built. The slowe the better.

5. Jumping squats

Do you know the feeling of wanting the throw up because an exercise has pushed you beyond your limits? The jumping squat will do that to you.

The jumping squat is one of the best bodyweight exercises on the planet because it mixes aerobic and anerobic exercise in such an intense way. It will challenge your whole lower body as well as your back and abs and it will make your lungs burn like you are running a 100m sprint. People who stick at the jumping squat (not many do!) are blessed with huge legs, better running power and a truck load of lower body strength.

How to do a jumping squat

Crouch down in a squatted position with one foot in front of the other. Spring into the air as high as you can and land with your other foot now in front. Allow gravity to take you all the way down to the fully squatted position and then, without any break, spring yourself back into the air again. Repeat this until failure.

Conclusion

These five bodyweight exercises workout the entire body. If you did a workout without weights that consisted of only these exercises, you would get some amazing overall muscle development. However, if you can mix these up with some other mass gaining exercises.

One of the few bodybuilding supplements which I can recommend using is creatine monohydrate. Most supplements have no scientific research showing if they work or how safely they work. Creatine is an example of a nutritional supplement with sufficient scientific research to show its safety.

What Are The Benefits of Creatine?

Anyone who wants to develop muscular strength or would like a significant increase in body weight should consider taking creatine supplements. Creatine is a naturally occurring substance which is produced in the human body. This is what makes it a safe supplement. If you take too much creatine then is required, your body will simply convert the substance in to creatinine and excrete it. No known research exists that lead scientists to believe that creatine supplementation would harm the liver or any other bodily organ over a prolonged period of time. That being said, it’s best to urge on the side of caution when using creatine, less is always more.

What Does Creatine Do?

Production of creatine in the body aids in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP fuels short-term energy output. This is very beneficial when you start lifting weights to build muscle mass. ATP is your body’s source of explosive energy. The increased energy will allow you to lift heavier which will result in greater gains in lean muscle mass. And no! Creatine is not a form of anabolic steroids.

Foods which contain creatine include red meat and fish. However, the creatine concentrations in food such as these food items tend to be small. One kilogram of beef contains only one gram of creatine. So, getting the recommended daily dose of creatine through whole foods proves unpractical. Therefore, taking creatine supplements is an easier way to consume optimal levels of dietary creatine.

Why You Need To Cycle Creatine Monohydrate

Muscles can hold only a finite amount of creatine. Research has shown up to a 50% increase in skeletal muscle creatine content following 5 days of supplementation. It is not known if this is the limit. In fact we know very little about different creatine dosing regimes. Creatine requires a receptor on the surface of the muscle cell to carry it into the cell. As soon as a person starts taking creatine, the body begins to get rid of some of these receptors. Also, the body stops producing its own creatine. This is the body’s way to try to maintain the status quo.

Therefore in the first few days your body will absorb about half of the ingested dose. After a week or so, however, it is likely that most of the creatine you ingest is not absorbed at all. That is why after an initial 5 day loading phase, very little creatine is required to maintain muscle levels. That is why cycling creatine monohydrate might be a good idea. After 6-8 weeks of supplementation you might take 2-3 weeks off and then begin with the loading phase followed by a maintenance dose for another 6-8 weeks. This time off will allow the body to begin to increase the number of creatine receptors and perhaps increase the body’s ability to absorb creatine.

How To Dose Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine is available in tablet, gel capsule and powder forms. The tablets and capsules are perhaps more convenient because determining exact doses is easier. The creatine monohydrate powder, however, is typically cheaper and has no taste. The recommended dose is 15-25 grams (depending on body weight) per day for 5 days followed by 3-5 grams per day for 6-8 weeks. This seems to produce pretty good results in most people. Since creatine monohydrate is virtually tasteless it should be palatable in water.

If the initial loading phase and maintenance dose is not working for you, you can try a new way of taking creatine monohydrate suggested on Muscle Hack, which involves loading and abstinence of creatine every 3 days to help maximize muscle creatine concentrations. There is reason to suggest that a small maintenance dose of about 5 grams per day is next to useless for maintaining high creatine concentrations, so you may want to try this method.

What Happens When You Stop Taking Creatine?

When a person takes steroids (which are actually synthetic forms of the hormone testosterone) the body begins to get rid of steroid receptors and stops producing its own testosterone. Because of this when a person stops taking steroids he may experience unusually low testosterone levels. In addition the receptor downregulation makes his body less responsive to the testosterone his body is producing. This may result in muscle loss. There is no equivalent process for creatine. Although creatine supplementation does cause creatine receptor downregulation, there is no decrease in skeletal muscle creatine content to below normal levels when a person stops supplementation.

Creatine Supplements Are Not The Only Answer

There are no magic bullets or guarantees when taking creatine monohydrate. No supplement will produce good results if you have a poor workout or diet plan. Perhaps you should begin by reevaluating your weight gain program. Supplements such as creatine and whey protein should never be the cornerstone of your overall plan. At best, even a very good “natural” supplement will make only a 20-30% difference in your rate of progress. Also, as with any supplement, individual results may vary.

Understanding how to accurately read food labels is a very important skill when starting a weight gain diet. It’s an important skill because you want to be able to determine how much protein, carbohydrate, and fat is present in the foods that you eat, and which foods to avoid.

Serving Size

The important thing you need to realize is that even though food labels list a certain number of calories per serving, this does not mean you are in fact consuming this number calories per serving. Often times the serving size listed on the food label is not accurate. This is a problem because the nutrition food label is based on the “serving size,” so if you make the mistake of assuming this is correct then you will be getting the wrong information.

So, what should you do to get an accurate serving size? After a while it will just become second nature and you will know how many calories you are eating just by looking at the serving size. I generally recommend breaking out the measuring scales for a few weeks when first getting started, until you have a good eye for determining serving size.

Calories

Calculating the total number of calories would have to be the most important data on the food label if you are trying to gain weight. Figuring out the correct number of calories from protein, carbohydrate, and fat is relatively straightforward. You simply have to take the number of grams listed in the amount per serving and multiply this number by 4 for protein and carbs. Figuring out the fat calories is a bit different. Take the number of grams of fat listed in the amount per serving and multiply this number by 9.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate would have to be the most misunderstood piece of information on food labels. Regardless of what you may have read, carbohydrate is an important part of a bulking up diet and should make up about 50% of total calories. There are two main types of carbohydrate – simple and complex carbs, but they are not created equal. Most of your calories from carbs should come from complex sources, but how do you know if a food is a simple or complex carbohydrate?

The first way of knowing whether or not a food is a simple carb or complex carb is identifying which foods fit into these two categories. Foods which contain complex (good) carbohydrates include most fruits, vegetables, pasta, beans, nuts, oats, whole grains, whole wheat bread and brown rice. Simple (bad) carbs can be found in most types of junk food, such as cakes, candy, soda, syrups, white bread and white rice.

The second way of knowing whether or not a certain food is a simple or complex carb is by reading the nutrition label. Listed below total carbohydrate is “dietary fiber” and “sugars”.

Dietary fiber is the indigestible parts of plant cells and is one of the few nutrients which you want to be high on the food label. If a food has a high amount of fiber (only needs to be a few grams), it’s more then likely a complex carb. Although it’s considered a carbohydrate, fiber does not convert to glucose and therefore does not raise your blood sugar the same way other carbohydrates typically do, which is what makes a complex carb good in the first place.

The “sugars” section includes those that are present naturally in the food. For example, lactose which is present in milk and fructose in fruit, as well as sugars added to the food during processing. Your body usually can’t distinguish between natural and processed sugars. Foods which have high sugar content will usually mean it’s a simple carb, so it’s best to stay away from them as much as possible.

Now that you know about the best arm exercises which you can utilize to build bigger arms, you can include them in an awesome arm workout. An awesome arm workout is a workout that makes driving home hard after your workout sessions. A fantastic arm workout for me should include drops sets as well as super sets to keep the arm burning like crazy. Imagine pouring gasoline over your arms and light it up!

Let’s hit the triceps first. Triceps should be the one suffering first because it is a lager muscle group and it requires a lot more focus on it. First, do the triceps press down with cables. Do around 3 sets. Moving the weight up as you drop the reps. Then on the fourth set, do a drop set. For example, move the weights down from 25 kg to 20 kg to 15 kg and the reps from 8 to 10 then to 12 non stop.

The when the triceps is all warmed up, lying triceps extensions with the EZ curl bar is next. This totally a true triceps mass builder. It hits all the three triceps muscle heads and it is a perfect exercise for mass. Take 3 solid heavy sets to really over load the triceps muscles.

If you want to get an awesome arm workout, do close grip push ups after each set of heavy lying triceps extension.

Do not miss out on over head cable triceps rope extension. This exercise can really give mass on the upper triceps as well as the lateral head. This exercise is a isolation movement there for it should be done towards the end.

After hammering the triceps, move onto the next exercise in the arm workout for biceps. I always start out by doing standing barbell curls. This is also another must do exercise for big biceps. This is because you can carry heavy weights on this bicep exercise. Do three heavy sets on this exercise. Start out moderate heavy and do 10 reps. Then pile on the weights and on the weight and do 8 reps. Finally, for a real killer arm workout, do 6 reps with heavier weights and make your biceps swell!

Then move on to incline 45 degree dumbbell biceps curls. This exercise really hits the biceps because it prevents momentum from helping in the biceps exercise. Here is a tip for getting a high bicep peak. During the top of the curl, rotate your wrist outwards.

For the last exercise to complete this awesome arm workout, do three sets of heavy preacher curls and on the last set, do a drop set. This will really burn the biceps and light them on fire. Make sure during this exercise, use the EZ curl bar and go for the full range of motion.

You can also option to do heavy standing cable bicep curls. The good thing about using cable curls is that you it works the entire bicep equally. What this means is when you use free weights, the top of the motion is always easy and the mid point of the curl is the toughest. If you use cables, the force of tension is the same throughout the motion is equal. There for you get a full development for the entire muscle.

Use this awesome arm workout for 3 months. Give full determination and you will get the results you want. You also have to eat lots if protein and carbs to supply the raw materials for you muscle to recover.

The concept of training to failure is based on high intensity training (HIT). First, let me explain what “training to failure” actually means. When you lift heavy weights to build muscle and do the maximum number of reps and sets possible by you, your muscles get tired and reaches a state of absolute failure, where you can no longer lift the weight through a full range of motion.

Many muscle building programs designed for hard gainers emphasise the importance of training to failure. I believe this is a huge mistake. The big question is, is training to failure absoutely necessary for hard gainers if you want to build muscle?

In my opinion, training to failure should be used very sparingly if you want to build muscle, perhaps every 6-8 weeks or so. Doing it occassionally can be a good way to measure strength gains/losses but the risks far outweight the benefits, in particular for hard gainers.

Let me explain. The muscles have to be sufficiently stressed in order to cause damage to the muscle fibers, if it has to be stimulated into growing. High intensity training enables you to reach the absolute muscular failure which indicates the maximum workout by the muscles, however I think it’s a big mistake for hard gainers to adopt this training philosophy on a regular basis. You certainly don’t need to be training to failure to achieve muscle growth. As long as you acheive significant muscle hypertrophy in the trained muscles, you will gain muscle.

The reason it can be so detrmintal to building muscle is because hard gainers have a difficult enough time as it is with CNS recovery. Learn why CNS recovery is important for hardgainers. Training to failure will only increase the length of CNS recovery time. As a hard gainer, if you consistently workout to failure, you will inevitably overload the CNS to the point where it will become impossible to always train with a high intensity, because you will have never recovered from the previous session.

Another important point worth mentioning is that when you reach a state of muscular failure, the higher the degree of failure, the less control you have with the weight because your muscles no longer have the strength to control the weight. Common sense should tell you that this can lead to an unsafe situation and may even cause an injury. So not only will your CNS get shot, but you may even get injured and have to spend more time out of the gym.

I think a good strategy to use is to stop when you feel you can only lift 1 or 2 more reps. The reason so many muscle building programs suggest that you should be training to failure is because they have one thing in common, they assume you are using steroids and that you have an obession with always increasing your training load. If you are training naturally then it becomes essential that you listen to your body and not push the limits.

I’ve been meaning to do this interview for a while now and finally got a chance to take some time out with Vince DelMonte, author of No-Nonsense Muscle Building, and new ebook Your Six Pack Quest.

Let’s get straight into the questions.

1. Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you interested in teaching skinng guys how to build muscle?

I grew up nicknamed “Skinny Vinny” and lived with 8 room mates in my 2nd year University who were all jacked and shredded. That resulted in me always fascinating with the idea of seeing if I had what it took to build muscle.

I got into the fitness industry too as a personal trainer but didn’t look like one. That was motivation to change too.

2. Why did you decide to write No Nonsense Muscle Building aimed specifically at hardgainers when there is alot of diet and training information to build muscle available?

When my clients started telling me I needed to write a book. I had no interest myself. I was happy training my clients and doing my own thing – I had no idea how powerful my system was.

3. For those who think supplements on their own will help you gain muscle weight. What would you have to say to them?

CERTAIN supplements work only 10% of the time. Don’t expect miracles from any of them. I do agree that everything adds up but without a sound diet, training program and lifestyle, supplements are almost useless.

Don’t believe me? Stop eating healthy and training and JUST take supplements and see what happens :)

4. Hardgainers have a tough time gaining muscle. If you were to pick one factor which is most important for a hard gainer to see big muscle gains, what would it be?

A bad plan. They are following “drug” programs designed for guys with great genetics or taking drugs so they can’t recover or super compensate and get stronger.

5. When you struggle for motivation what is it that keeps you disciplined to your diet and training?

Being an author and role model… I have to look the part or I lose my credibility. Mainly, I truly LOVE the bodybuilding lifestyle. It’s never a struggle to do something you love. You have to fall in love with the lifestyle.

6. If you had no option but to workout at home, what would you suggest should form the basis of your home gym?

A good range of db’s, barbells and plates, adjustable bench, squat rack, pull up and dip station. Maybe stability ball too.

7. I like the fact that in No Nonsense Muscle Building you don’t sugarcoat the fact that you need to eat big to gain weight and build muscle. As a percentage, how much of a role would you say diet plays in building muscle?

80% when it comes to muscle gain and 90% when it comes to fat loss.

I might even be underestimating.

8. What are your tips for the beginner wanting to gain weight and muscle?

1. Follow a plan and don’t program hop. Stick to it for an honest 3-4 months and learn all you can from it.

2. Eat at least 3000-4000 clean calories a day with a variety of proteins and fats and clean carbs like rice, oatmeal and potatoes.

3. Drink at least 4 liters of water a day and sleep at least 8 hours a night.

9. What was the biggest obstactle you had to overcome when first getting started?

Getting caught up with all the hype in the industry. It was easy to get distracted by new programs, new supplements and not sure if I was growing fast enough or if my gains were normal.

10. Recovering from intense workout sessions can be a problem for hard gainers. Can you recommend anything to speed up recovery time?

3 minute cold shower after each workout and stretch half the time you lift. If you lift for 3 hours a week you should stretch at least 1.5 hours a week.

11. Can you tell us a little bit about No Nonsense Muscle Building?

It’s designed for skinny hardgainers to build muscle and gain weight in less time, without drugs or bogus supplements. It’s currently the #1 muscle system on the internet and has over 25,000 customers in over 120 different coutries.

12. Finally, is there anything else you would like to say?

Thanks for having me. You got an awesome site and I’m glad to see you’re providing your readers with natural bodybuilding info. Thanks for the opporutnity to meet your readers.

End of interview.

Thanks Vince for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer questions and meet my blog readers!

Even if you have been lifting weights for a while, incorporating a circuit training routine into your fitness program could be a great way to build muscle and burn fat at the same time.

Circuit training routines combine the benefit of aerobic exercise and strength training, and consist of aerobic exercise such as short sprints with other weight training exercises found in traditional weight training programs.

The benefit of circuit training is that it will develop your aerobic capacity and increase strength. You need to get stronger in order to lift heavier so it can only be a good thing. Just make sure to have a pre and post workout meal on circuit training workout days, like you would on a normal weights day, so any calories you burn during the exercise will be accounted for and you will remain in a calorie surplus.

Here is a simple circuit training routine that will help you build muscle and burn fat. Complete 12 reps for each weight training exercise and then move onto the next exercise. The rest time between each exercise should be 30 to 60 seconds. After you complete every exercise in the routine it’s considered one circuit. You want to complete three circuits which should take about 30 minutes.

1. Jump Rope – Use the jump rope for 60 seconds.

2. Squats (Legs) – Some beginners have great difficulty with putting the bar on their back. Dumbbell squats is a good alternative. Keep your back straight, head up, and toes slightly pointing out. Make sure that you bend down and do a full squat and not a half squat. Only full squats count.

3. Lunges (Legs) – Dumbbell lunges are another great leg workout. Standing up, hold a dumbbell in each hand. With the first leg, slowly take one lunge forward, landing on the heel first. Lower body by bending the knee and hip of the front leg so the back leg almost comes in contact with the ground, then return to the starting position. Do this with both legs. Lunges are great for the thighs and the glutes.

4. Cable Flies (Chest) – Sit with the cable grips on either side of your top body, grab hold of each cable and pull your arms together towards your chest, keeping elbows slightly bent, pause and return to starting position.

5. Press ups (Chest) – Put yourself in the press up position, raise one leg, and then being your press ups, remember not to fully extend your arms.

6. Lower Back Lift (Back) – Position yourself over the barbell, hands should be shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Now bend your body about 45 degrees, hold the barbell, and slowly bring it to shin height. Remember to keep you back straight. Now bring this up to your chest, pause and slowly return to starting position.

7. Frontal Lift (Shoulders) – Feet shoulder width apart, now hold the bar bell with the over hand grip in front of your lower body. Lift the bar bell to eye level by keeping your arms stretched out at all times.

8. Pelvic Lift (Abs) – Sit down on the bench and then lie on your back, with your legs slightly bent and raised. Now for the hard part, in one movement lift your legs and top body towards your chest, so it applies press to your abs.

Now if you don’t have some of these machines at your disposal, not to worry. Bodyweight exercises work great in circuit training routines. The key to having a good circuit training routine is to have an intense workout which will kick your ass and improve body conditioning.

Even though you are eating more to gain weight, if you replace a weight training workout for a circuit training routine during the week, it will enable you to gain lean muscle while keeping your body fat levels to a minimum.

If you are determined to get in shape, maintain your current build, or just want to add some lean muscle to your body, then purchasing home fitness equipment becomes essential if you don’t plan on going to a gym.

A site I can recommend is The Kings of Cardio, they will provide you with health club quality home fitness equipment, free personal training, diet plans, and excellent customer service. They have a wide range of home fitness equipment and cardio fitness equipment at blowout sales prices, including treadmills, elliptical, recumbent bikes, rowing machines, stair climbers, spin cycles, pilate’s machines and much more.

The store includes modern home fitness equipment, cardio fitness equipment, as well as commercial machinery for health clubs and gyms. The Kings of Cardio are entirely dedicated to providing you with gym gear that will enable you to build muscle, look great, and feel your absolute best.

Everybody wants to stay in shape, but it is almost impossible to devote the amount of time necessary each and every day that it takes in order to get a full workout in without interruptions. By having a treadmill, elliptical, bike, home gym setup, or other pieces cardio equipment domestically at your disposal, you get to eliminate gas, traffic, sweaty machines, long lines and most importantly, you can save yourself time.

Never settle for flimsy, inferior home gym equipment just because the price may seem to be right. The fitness industry is saturated with retail and online stores with “zillions” of gimmicky and cheap pieces of fitness equipment so it becomes tough to sort through all of the trash to get to the treasures.

Here is some home fitness equipment buying tips to help you do just that.

Make sure the home fitness equipment or the cardio fitness equipment is right for you. Ask one of the knowledgeable fitness trainers to help find what gear will suit you best. This will be determined by your height, weight, stride length, age and the amount of daily usage.

Ask about the projected longevity of your potential purchase and take into consideration its mechanical capacities and structural integrity. In order for exercise equipment to be completely effective, it has to be safe, sturdy and durable. You want the fitness equipment to base its workout off of you, rather that the opposite, you having to build your workout around the machinery.

So when you call our fitness experts ask questions such as:

1. What is the weight limit is of the machine you are looking at?
2. How resilient is the model you are inquiring about?
3. Will it be able to withstand constant usage?
4. Is it affordable? Could it be more than I need?

If you do not purchase quality home gym equipment, then instead of having a treadmill or other cardio piece that is going to last for ten plus years, you will have an expensive coat hanger!

In addition to fantastic bargains on home fitness equipment, cardio fitness equipment and innovative weight loss/gain programs, they understand the significance of customer service and we take great pride in making sure our customers stay satisfied. After various customer surveys and staff meetings, they decided to provide all customers with toll-free technical support for any and all service issues. That means any time you have a problems with your fitness equipment, you can call them, and they will trouble-shoot over the phone with you. We are one of the only companies on the planet to offer this service at no cost 24 hours a day.

Call The Kings of Cardio now with any questions you may have regarding treadmill fitness equipment , elliptical fitness equipment, home gym machines, excercise bikes, recumbent exercise bikes, upright bikes, fitness rowing machine, ab exercise machine, free weight equipment, pilates fitness equipment, weight training machines, stair climber, home fitness equipment or cardio fitness equipment or anything else related to health and fitness and they we will be happy to assist you free of charge.

When it comes to gaining weight and packing on some muscle, one of the most common target areas is the arms. There is no point in having a good physique if you have scrawny arms. The major muscle groups in the arms include the biceps, triceps and forearms.

Everyone wants big arms, but how do you get bigger and stronger arms? Do these 9 best arm specific exercises. Pics are included with each exercise to help with demonstration.

1. Lying Barbell Triceps Extensions (Skullcrushes) – One of the best exercises for triceps. Almost guaranteed sore triceps every time. Use an EZ curl bar if possible.

2. Lying Dumbell Triceps Extensions – This exercise is a good alternative to using the bar, and has the added bonus of not needing a spotter.

3. Dips – Use parallel bars, Hold the bars and push yourself up until you’re arm’s length. Now for the tricky part, slowly lower yourself until your biceps make contact with your forearms. At the bottom, press back up by extending your elbows. Remember when your on the way back up to the start position, do not lock your arms at the top, hold and pause before starting next rep. If you get a power rack it will usually come with dip bars so you can do this exercise.

4. Chin-ups – Use chin-up bars, Hold the bars with your arms extended above your head and palms facing you. Now for the tricky part, slowly lift your body until the bar comes close to or touches your upper chest. At the top, the body is then lowered by extending your arms. When you are back down to the start position, hold and pause before starting next rep. A power rack will often include chin-up bars.

5. Seated Preacher Curls – Sit on a preacher bench with the top of the pad resting just below the armpits and the back of the arms firmly pressed against pad. Curl bar upwards towards your chin, pause for a few seconds and then repeat the movement. Be careful that you don’t jerk the weight down at the bottom. Try a variety of width grips.

6. Standing Barbell Bicep Curls – Stand with the correct weighted pair of barbells in your hands, palms facing away from you and always have your feet shoulder-width apart. Try not to move your elbows, keep them stable and close to your body at all times, slowly raise the barbell toward your shoulders and then bring them slowly back down. Make sure you get a full range of motion, and that you try varying grip widths for different effects.

7. Barbell Wrist Curls – One of the best forearm exercises. Keep your forearms pressed flat against the bench, and curl all the way down then all the way up.

8. Dumbell Wrist Curls – This forearm exercise is similar to barbell wrist curls, but you can focus on one forearm at a time. I’ve found it best to do this over the corner of a bench. Keep your forearms pressed flat against the bench with the dumbell extending over the edge, and curl all the way down then all the way up.

9. Pushdowns – Concentrate on keeping your elbows still, and tight to your sides.

The arm exercises demonstrated above will go a long way to helping you build bigger arms, however they should only be one component in an overall weight training program.

My email inbox get’s flooded with questions from readers who want more information on how to gain weight. Often I will post the interesting questions on the blog for everyone’s benefit. An email I received today was a bit different. It wasn’t a question they wanted to ask me. They were showing their appreciation for the information I provide on this site. It is email’s like this one which keep me motivated with this site. It’s nice to know other people appreciate the advice and tips I offer on this blog and they are getting something from it :)

Here was the email:

Gday david, my name is vince and I’m from australia. I’ve been looking over your site for the last day and its exactly what I’ve been looking for for years. i just read your story and it couldnt be more similar to mine.

I’m now 23 and determined once again (after a rough break up and the resulting binge) to finally put on some weight. I ordered a couple of bulk weight gain powders online to supplement my diet and found this website at the same time.

I have tried many times before but this time im putting more emphasis on eating, which I’ve also done previously but now thanks to you, i know it was an inadiquite amount. This site has taught me more in a day than I learnt in many years of trying to work out how to gain weight.

Anyway I don’t want to take up anymore of your time with stuff you probs get every day, but thanks once again.

You should be proud of this site. I’m sure it has done amazing things for heaps of people.

Cheers heaps and wish me luck, vince

You’re more then welcome Vince. All the best with your weight gain!

Pre-workout supplements seem to be the new big thing right now. Ever since the release of No-Xplode by BSN, supplement manufacturers have been scrambling to make their own version of a workout-intensifier. Pre-workout supplements often contain creatine, nitric oxide, caffeine, BCAAs, arginine, AAKG, EAA, and various other compounds which are intended to deliver “pumps”, energy and mental focus while in the weight room.

Common Ingredients:

Caffeine – This is probably the most common ingredient you will find in any pre-workout supplement. This gives you the most noticeable feeling of increased energy. Depending on how much you take, a typical pre-workout supplement may have anywhere from just a sprinkle of caffeine to 300mg or more! Just to give you an idea of how much caffeine is in common beverages: A cup of coffee contains about 150mg of caffeine, diet Coke has about 50, and a Red Bull has about 80mg of caffeine.

Caffeine helps improve your workout by giving you a boost of energy, both mentally and physically, to help intensify your workouts. Caffeine further improves your workout by increasing your blood flow. Since caffeine actually raises your heart rate, you might notice that you get a little more sweaty at the gym.

AAKG/Arginine/Nitric Oxide – AAKG is Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate. Arginine is a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid. Arginine forms Nitric Oxide helps dilate arteries allowing for better blood flow to your muscles during a workout. Nitric Oxide also helps deliver oxygen throughout your body better, giving your muscles the fuel they need to create an intense workout.

Nitric Oxide is the compound that actually gives you the “pumps”. You might hear people talking about their “pumps” at the gym. This just means that their muscles are temporarily increased in size because of the increased blood flow. You will notice that your muscles feel fuller while taking a nitric oxide supplement since there is more blood flowing through your veins.

BCAAs/EAAs – Branched Chain Amino Acids help reduce soreness and start the recovery process immediately. BCAAs help remove lactic acid and repair the muscle immediately after its torn. EAAs are Essential Amino Acids which help increase protein synthesis and limit muscle protein breakdown.

Creatine – Some pre-workout supplements have creatine monohydrate; others do not. Books have been written on how creatine works, but the bottom line is that creatine helps bring more water and sodium to the muscles, providing the muscle with extra energy which translates into results in the gym. Here is a guide for using creatine monohydrate.

Intended Results:

The bottom line with pre-workout supplements is to maximize the efficiency of your workouts. This is achieved through increased physical energy, increased mental focus and better chemistry within the body and muscles. Some say that another benefit is that by taking a stimulant, you are more motivated to actually get up and go to the gym!

Common Side Effects:

Obviously, pre-workout supplements are to be consumed right before working out. Thusly, there two main side effects which may have detrimental results on your session.

The most common is an upset stomach while lifting. Most pre-workout supplements don’t taste great, and require you to choke down 20 or more fluid ounces of the stuff right before heading off to do an intense workout, often times on an empty stomach. Needless to say, this doesn’t sit right for some people.

The other common side effect is gastrointestinal issues. Some people are sensitive to some of the stimulants or other ingredients included in the product, and get gas or “the runs” after drinking this product.

Having an upset stomach or needing to run to the bathroom every 15 minutes is obviously going to be counter-productive to your workouts. The best advice would be to read product reviews online to see which ones have bad side effects, and try out a few different products before sticking to one.

A final problem that people often run into when taking stimulants is creating a dependency or tolerance. The best way to combat this issue is to cycle the product, or take a few weeks or a month off the product every once in a while.

Most Popular Products:

NO-Xplode is probably the most popular pre-workout supplement available today. An increasingly popular product getting great reviews is Jack3d by USP Labs. Here is a list of big names:

• NO-Xplode by BSN
• Jack3d by USP Labs
• naNO Vapor by MuscleTech
• Black Powder by MRI
• Dark Rage by MHP
• NO Shotgun by VPX
• Max Full Blown Extreme by Max Muscle
• AMP Amplified NO Loaded by GNC
• CYTONOX by Cytogenix
• M5 Extreme by Cellucor
• Fast Twitch by Cytosport
• Super Charge Xtreme NO by Labrada
• Shock Therapy by Universal
• Animal Pump by Universal

There are a ton more pre-workout supplements not included on this list, but these are the most popular products.

All in all, a pre-workout supplement can be a great way to jump-start your workout and break through plaeteus, but they should not be a replacement for proper pre-workout nutrition.

Do you occasionally find yourself fatigued only half way through your workouts? What you eat before and after your workouts can play a role in how energetic you feel for your workout and how quickly you recover afterwards. In this article I will focus on pre workout nutrition.

Your body strives to maintain a certain amount of blood sugar (glucose) in your blood stream to be used for fuel. Different foods affect how quickly your blood sugar rises. When your blood sugar rises too quickly, your body responds by releasing extra insulin (insulin is what allows the sugar to go from your blood stream into the cell to be used as energy or stored for later usage). When this surge of insulin has done its job, the “rebound effect” has happened; your blood sugar levels drop too low, thus leaving you feeling fatigued – a.k.a. the quick sugar fix.

If you skip pre workout meals or go too long without eating before a workout, your blood sugars will drop very low, leaving you feeling fatigued, dizzy, weak, and possibly nauseous. The more intense your workouts, the more benefits you will receive. If you do not properly fuel your body for a workout, you will not be able to put energy into your weight training routine. The lackluster workouts will negatively effect your muscle building capacity which is why pre workout nutrition is so important!

Not all foods affect everybody the same way. Certain classes of foods tend to be predictable for the majority of the population, but certain foods will vary from person to person. The best thing to do is experiment to see what works best for you and how your body responds to certain foods.

The best pre workout snack is a food that raises your blood sugars slowly. These foods are slow digesting, therefore the sugars from the foods are released very slowly into your bloodstream, your body releases small amounts of insulin at a time, which translates into a steady energy supply over several hours.

Now the complicated part is not all types of foods are slow or quick to digest. For example most fruits are slow to digest, except for bananas and raisins. Each food has to be tested separately to be classified, and then the results will vary from person to person. Here are some of the factors affecting how foods are rated:

• How much fiber is in a food. Foods with higher fiber content take longer to digest.
• Sugar content. Sugar is quickly digested and released into the blood stream.
• Fructose (fruit sugar). Fructose is a simple sugar, but takes longer to digest because it must go to the liver first to be converted into glucose and then sent back to your bloodstream where your body can use it for energy.
• Raw or cooked. Cooking makes a food more digestible. Raw foods take longer to digest.
• Protein content. Approx. 65 percent of protein becomes glucose, but it takes 6-8 hours to do so. Foods with protein take longer to digest.
• Fat. Fat takes longer to digest, and therefore has a stabilizing affect on blood sugar.
• Processing. Processed foods tend to have fiber removed, and therefore are quickly digested.

Since foods that take longer to digest give a steady supply of energy, these foods are the best pre workout foods. For the most part they are complex carbohydrate foods and most fruits, which should make up the basis of your pre workout nutrition. They should be eaten 2 to 3 hours before your workout. If eaten just before working out your body will not have time to digest the food and it will lay in your stomach because your blood has been diverted away from digestion and to the working muscles, causing you to feel bloated or sick.

Here are some good slow digesting (low glycemic index) pre workout foods:

1. Apples
2. Oranges
3. Grapes
4. Grapefruit
5. 1/2 cup of pasta
6. A few slices of whole grain bread
7. Oats
8. Yogurt
9. Nuts
10. 1/2 cup of brown rice

Let’s be realistic though, there are times when you don’t have time to eat 2 to 3 hours before working out. In this case, you should turn to faster digesting foods which will give you a quick short burst of energy. They should be eaten 20 to 60 minutes before your workout.

Here are some good fast digesting (high glycemic index) pre workout foods:

1. Bananas
2. Raisins
3. Energy Bars

If you are looking for a good pre workout snack idea, you can try this recipe:

• 1/2 large Banana
• 1 tbsp Raisins
• 1/4 ounce Walnuts
• 1 tsp Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup cooked Oats

Let’s face it. There can also be times when you may have to get up early in the morning to do your workout and don’t have time to eat before working out. In situations like this I will usually just have a banana and strong coffee.

Do you guys usually have something to eat before a workout if you train first thing in the morning? Thought I’d ask the question in case anyone is interested in a discussion. Something I haven’t touched on is pre workout supplements, but I will discuss this in a different post.

Let’s face it. If the aim is to gain weight then you want to gain mass in the form of lean muscle and not fat. You are required to have an understanding of muscle anatomy so you can know what specific exercises you can do to target the major muscle groups. A weight training program designed to gain size should focus on 5 major muscle groups (shoulders and arms, chest, back, legs and abs).

The basic compound movements target the larger muscles whereas isolation exercises such as bicep curls only target the biceps. As a hard gainer your time is best spent working out with the basic compound exercises because it will allow you to stress the most amount of muscle fibers in the shortest amount of time. It should also prevent overtraining as you will get the most bang for buck.

Shoulders

The deltoid muscle (also known as delts) is located in the upper arm. It is the largest shoulder muscle and originates from the clavicle and the scapula at the rear of the shoulder and extends down to the upper arm.The deltoid muscle forms the rounded flesh which surrounds the outside of the upper arm. The trapezius is a smaller shoulder muscle and originates from the neck and then extends out and down between the shoulder blades.

Shoulder exercises include the military press, dumbbell shoulder press, lateral and front raises.

Arms

The biceps brachii muscle with point of origin under the deltoid and point of insertion below the elbow. Bicep exercises would have to be the most popular arm workout. Who doesn’t want to build big guns.

The triceps brachii muscle works in opposition to the biceps, also attaching under the deltoid and below the elbow.

The forearm muscles are located on the outside and inside of the lower arm that control the actions of hand and wrist.

Arm exercises include the bicep curls, preacher curls and dumbbell curls.

Chest

The pectoral muscles (also known as pecs) include two parts, the clavicular (upper) portion and sternal (lower) portion. The largest muscle mass of the pectorals extends from the upper arm bone (humerus), fast ended at a point under and just above where the deltoids attach to the humerus.

Chest exercises include the flat bench press, incline bench press and dumbbell flyes.

Back

The latissimus dorsi muscle (also known as lats) is the largest muscles of the upper back and extends from under the shoulders down to the lower part of the back on both sides. The latissimus dorsi is one of the more popular back muscles to exercise because it’s crucial for adding width to your back and well defined lats give you a sexy “V” shape.

Back exercises include chin ups, pull ups, lat pulldowns and bentover rows.

All of the above exercises will give you a well defined upper body. But there is no point in having a huge upper body if you have stick legs and no sick pack abs. On to the lower body anatomy and specific exercises.

Legs

The quadriceps are a group of muscles which are located at the front of the thigh. The four muscles of the quadriceps include the rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis (inner thigh), and vastus lateralis (outer thigh).

The biceps femoris muscle is located at the back of the thigh in the rear of the legs.

The calf muscles consist of the soleus muscle and gastrocnemius muscle.

The soleus muscle is the smaller of the two calf muscles and extends from the fibula to the tibia.

The gastrocnemius muscle is the larger muscle at the back of the lower leg and extends from the lateral aspect to the lower femur.

Leg exercises include squats, leg press and deadlifts,

Abs

The rectus abdominis muscle extends along the length of the ventral aspect of the abdomen. It originates in the area of the pubis and inserts into the cartilage of the fifth, sixth, and seventh ribs.

The obliquus externus abdominis, muscles at each side of the torso attached to the lower eight ribs and inserting at the side of the pelvis.

The intercostal muscles, two thin planes of muscular and tendon fibers occupying the spaces between the ribs.

Abdominal exercises include ab crunches, bicycle crunches, leg raises and situps.

If you have been training regularly for any legnth of time then you will be very familiar with this scenario at the gym. A ripped looking individual is making his way for the bench press. He seems very intense and focused in lifting the weights. His chest is enormous as are his ripped arms and his rounded shoulders. He places one forty-five pound plate after another onto the bar. After warming up sufficiently he adds another. And still yet another. The ease and control at which he performs these repetitions looks peaceful and almost machine-like.

You find yourself staring in amazement at the raw strength this individual has to lift this immense amount of weight so effortlessly. He gets up after completing one of his last sets and casually looks around and happens to looks right at you. You quickly look away in fear of your life and of the possibility that this guy might think that you have some sort of crush on him or something like that.

Well, there is no need to feel this way because I’m sure that we have all at one time or another marveled at this spectacle. Having a big bench seems to get a lot of attention and respect in the gym and even outside of it. Why do you reckon that the most commonly asked question to someone with a muscular physique is “How much can you bench press?” I’m sure that most of the individuals who are asked this question would like to have a large and legitimate number to answer it with. Along with squats and deadlifts the bench press is the benchmark for weight training exercises. The reality is that most weight trainees who lift weights to gain mass can’t bench more than 250 pounds.

The bench press would have to be the most popular exercise in the gym but this is not to suggest that it is always performed correctly. By committing yourself to following a proper training routine and using perfect form, anyone can add a significant amount of weight to their bench press. It’s important that you don’t let your ego get in the way just so you can say you can bench press some massive number if all you are doing is performing the bench press with sloppy form.

If you lift the barbell and weights with correct technique the concentrated effort will add tremendous size to your chest, shoulders and arms. Having a big bench, while keeping your body fat levels to a minimum, will make you want to take your shirt off at the beach and for most hard gainers the chest is one of the targeted areas where they want to gain more muscle.

Also keep in mind that the bench press is not the only chest building exercise. Apart from the flat bench press, incline bench press and flys, the same chest exercises can be performed with dumbbells.

Regardless of what you may have read, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. While you don’t want to skip breakfast, the pre and post-workout meals would have to be the most important meals of the day, because they fuel your workouts and post workout your muscles demand the nutrients to repair and build muscle tissue so you can grow.

Pre and post workout nutrition will supply all the nutrition that the body needs to build muscle. During workouts the body needs essential nutrients to withstand strenuous workouts. After the workouts, the body is highly in need of essential nutrients, as it is exhausts them during workouts. A proper weight gain diet must have five to six short meals in a day, eating approximately every 3 hours like clockwork.

Muscle building nutrition must be very specific in terms of calories consumed. Adjust the calorie intake value according to how much weight you want to gain. When you increase the workouts, it amounts to reduction in intake of calories. More exercising has to be compensated with more intakes of calories to support your high intensity workouts.

Pre-workout meals should be light and higher in carbohydrates, which fuel your activity, not high-protein, and not fill your stomach. This can be done with a shake or food. If you eat too much then your system is diverting blood to digesting the food and not supplying your muscles with oxygen and nutrients. Before a strenuous high intensity workout, eat about three hours before working out to avoid indigestion. By doing so the body effectively absorbs all the nutrients and gets ready for the strenuous workouts. Liquid meals can be also be taken for a pre-workout meal. They can be more convenient because your body effectively digest liquid meals, so you can have them within half an hour of the workout.

For a post-workout meal, again either a shake or food, with a ratio of 3 or 4:1 of carbs to protein. The carbs help replenish the glycogen storage you have used while working out and fuel the body as it recovers, and the protein helps to repair and build muscle tissue. It’s also a really good idea to combine carbs with protein. In order to get the most from a protein shake you need to have the correct amount of carbs in the shake for the protein to get delivered correctly.

How long should I wait to eat after working out? Try to consume these nutrients within an hour of working out, that seems to be the best window while your body is looking to absorb these nutrients.