Best Diet Schedules for Weight Loss

The latest word on eating to protect your ticker isn't about clearing your fridge of all fat—it's about focusing on the right type. "Choosing foods with omega-3 fatty acids and mono- and polyunsaturated fats (like salmon, avocado and peanut butter) can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol—even more than limiting the cholesterol you eat," says Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, a professor of nutrition at Penn State University. Which is why this eating plan is packed with these good-for-you foods.

Step 1

The first step is to ascertain the present calorie intake proportion. (Typically, people tend to have a greater percentage of fat in their diets than the ,typical proportion.)

Assuming that a person was originally consuming 2,500 calories at the start of the programme, then the

Expected Ideal Proportion of calorie intake is:

Carbohydrates 60% of 2,500 = 1,500 calories

Fats 20% of 2,500 = 500 calories

Proteins 20% of 2,500 = 500 calories

Step 2

Calorie Reduction: A maximum of 5 per cent per week, which means that in this particular case the calorie intake will be reduced by 5 per cent of 2,500 = 125 calories per week.

Total calorie reduction at the end of 6 weeks = 6 x 125 = 750 calories.

So the total calorie intake of that person after six weeks will be = 2,500(original intake) - 750 (reduction) = 1,750 calories.

Step 3

Adjusted Nutrient Percentage

Carbohydrates 60% of 1,750 Fats =1,050 calories

20% of 1,750 = 350 calories

Proteins 20% of 1,750 = 350 calories

The gradual decrease of calorie intake is achieved by reducing the intake of calories and replacing traditional meals with crafted meals having a higher degree of fibres (which typically don't have calories and are roughage), liquids and foods that increase the metabolic rates.

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Top 6 Mass-Building Meals For Amazing Muscle Growth!

By now, most men understand the importance of protein in building muscle. When working out, the stress of weight lifting damages muscle fibers. This damage activates a special repair process that eventually forces individual muscle cells to grow. All of this growth requires loads of amino acids, the basic building blocks of life.

But the process of muscle growth requires more than just protein. Weight lifting burns fat and energy in the form of muscle glycogen, so your diet also needs to include a healthy serving of carbs to both replenish muscle glycogen stores and to boost insulin, a hormone that helps shuttle amino acids into the muscles. This means you should not only focus on incorporating protein into your diet, but also pay just as much attention to avoiding unhealthy foods – this combination of attention to your diet will be a winning combo.

Here are 6 mass-building meals that can give you the carbohydrates for the energy to train, along with adequate proteins to supply the amino acids you need to recover.
 

 Fish

When it comes to building muscle, fish really crushes the competition. Take salmon, for example. Not only is salmon a protein powerhouse yielding around 25 grams of protein per 100-gram serving, but it’s also packed with so many other healthy nutrients that you’d be a fool to avoid it. Salmon is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin D, a current media darling. All in all, fish, such as tuna or salmon, are simply the best.

Beef & Potatoes

This plain ol’ American staple is very popular for a very good reason – it works! The protein is delivered with a bit of fat, ensuring slow digestion over a period of hours, and the potatoes release energy for hours to come. This is a slow meal, one that you should consume if you’re going to be working or on the road for a period of time. Eat and relax!

Chicken

What can we say about chicken that hasn’t already been said? Chicken is the staple muscle-building food. A nice, lean 100-gram slab of this white meat will fill you with a hearty serving of 31 grams of protein with only -- wait for it -- four grams of fat. So, as far as protein-to-fat ratio is concerned, you’re looking at a superstar. Combine chicken’s great taste and its meal versatility and there’s really no arguing that chicken belongs among the top muscle-building foods.

Eggs + Oatmeal

If you have the time and energy to cook your breakfast in the morning, then eggs and oatmeal will be the bodybuilding breakfast for you! Add mass to your body and fuel your entire day with the meal Ronnie Coleman chose for breakfast on his own training DVD. There’s a reason this meal is so popular – fast digestion with all the macronutrients you need to be wrecking the weights 1 or 1.5 hours later in the gym!

Whey Protein + Oatmeal

If time is short when your day begins (and for many people, this is the case!) you can also opt for a shaker cup containing a half cup of oats along with 2 scoops of your favorite whey protein. The texture and taste will take a few days to get used to, but the results you see will speak for themselves!

Chinese Buffet

Actually, any buffet will suffice, but the unlimited portions of chicken and rice available at Chinese buffets seem to be particularly popular with bodybuilder looking to deliver some amazing muscle growth with an infusion of carbs and protein. Be careful not to consume too many fatty portions, and keep an eye out for the high sodium content, particularly if you suffer from hypertension. Drink plenty of water to ensure proper digestion.

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Top 6 Tricep Long Head Exercises For Thicker Arms

When it comes to the triceps, the long head, located smack-dab on the back of the arm, provides the most muscle mass. And to really hit the long head, you can’t go wrong with dumbbell overhead triceps extensions. Putting your arms up places the greates  amount of stretch on the triceps long head, because unlike the other two triceps heads, the long one crosses the shoulder joint and attaches to the scapula.
When a muscle is stretched to its fullest length at the start of an exercise, it takes the majority of the load during the exercise. This is why triceps extensions performed with the arms overhead, as in dumbbell overhead triceps extensions, place the most focus on the long head for building maximum triceps mass.
 

#1 Cable Tricep Kickback                                3 sets of 10 repetitions
#2 EZ-Bar Overhead Extensions                     3 sets of 10 repetitions
#3 Overhead Rope Extensions                        3 sets of 10 repetitions
#4 Two-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extensions  3 sets of 10 repetitions
#5 – One-Arm Overhead Cable Extensions     3 sets of 10 repetitions
#6 – Dips                                                          3 sets of 20 repetitions

Additional Tips To Keep In Mind

When it comes to any overhead extension exercise for the triceps, the emphasis should always be on control.

These movements should NOT be performed explosively or with large amounts of momentum, as this can very easily overstress the shoulders and elbows and lead to issues down the road.

Keep the weights moderate and train with slightly higher rep ranges of at least 8 per set, and perform each rep with the goal of maximizing tricep long head tension rather than simply moving the weight point A to B.

Also keep in mind that skull crusher movements are effective tricep long head exercises as well, but since overhead extensions place the shoulder into a fully flexed position, they’ll still be the superior choice you’re looking for maximum long head activation.

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How To Eat More Protein With 6 Simple Strategies?

Have you ever been told you need to increase your protein intake?

I have. But what does this even mean? Why is protein so important and where can you find it? 

The fitness gurus seem to have it all mapped out yet when you log your food into my fitness pal, you always seem to fall short of your protein recommendation.  If you know all about protein and you nail your daily requirements, thats awesome but this articles probably not for you.

However, if you struggle to meet your daily protein requirements, want to know why protein is good for you, how much you should eat  AND how to increase your daily intake then read on.  In this article, I'm going to share with you 6 simple strategies to boost your protein intake.


1. Eat Lean Cuts Of Meat

2. Eat More Low-Fat Dairy Products

3. Use Protein Powders (in moderation)

4. Plan Your Meals Ahead Of Time

5. Frontload Your Day With A Protein-rich Breakfast

6.Grab High Protein Snacks

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How Much Protein Do You Need To Build Muscle And Maintain An Aesthetic Body?

Protein is the end-all, be-all solution to your muscle-building needs. Everyone knows that. But with all the conflicting research, claims from trainers and nutritionists, and protein-boosting supplements inundating the market, it's hard to know what's right. That's why we're stepping into the ring: to help you separate protein fact from protein fiction, once and for all.

The Difference In The Bare Minimum And Optimal Needs For Protein Intake

The needs of an athlete, or someone who’s training using resistance with the goal of changing body composition is going to differ greatly from those who aren’t active, and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

The current RDA (recommended daily allowance) is anywhere from 46 to 56 grams daily[1]. There are some varying recommendations for teens, and women who are breastfeeding, but it’s not a huge difference.

When you break it down, some numbers have recommend about ~.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. This equates to about ~.4 grams per pound of bodyweight.

So for an adult male weighing 150 pounds, the recommendation is about 56 grams of protein.

The RDA is a simple measure that is recommended to keep people healthy, free from disease, and to ensure their daily needs are met for bodily functions.

This is important when looking at populations of people who aren’t exercising with the goal of changing body composition, and for those in areas where adequate protein intake might be difficult to achieve (think very poor third world countries).

In America and other industrialized countries, getting your protein needs is very easy to do with the readily available foods. Heck, even if you subsisted on a diet of 2000 calories of nothing but grains, beans, fruit, and plants, this number is easily achieved.

However, this intake is not ideal for building muscle, losing fat, and changing your body composition. Can some do it on this intake? Possibly, but it’s not recommended for the majority.

What’s The Optimal Daily Protein Intake?

There are a lot of differing opinions here, but when you look at the research, it seems to fall right in line with the figures of .8 – 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. Lyle McDonald’s protein book is an amazing resource on this topic.

When looking at various literature, it seems that .8 grams per pound is probably enough. Menno Henselmans’ writeup here does a great job of sifting through the scientific papers to give you all the assurance you need that you’re not missing out on any gainz by pounding the protein powder and getting upwards of 2 grams per pound of body weight.

To keep things incredibly simple, I just round it up to the old recommendation of 1 gram per pound of body weight. My reasoning is twofold:

on a muscle gain diet, it ensures you’re getting enough to cover your bases.
on a fat loss diet, it allows enough room for other foods (carbs and fat) that are just as important to have in your diet to ensure you meet nutrient needs.

Protein Quality And Amino Acid Profile

Most animal protein sources are good choices because they contain all of the 9 essential amino acids. In fact, Layne Norton has mentioned multiple times that Leucine plays a major role in muscle protein synthesis. Consuming foods such as dairy (whey, casein, milk, cheese) contain ample amounts of leucine, in addition to the other necessary amino acids.

The good news is you’re probably meeting all your amino acid requirements if you’re consuming foods from various sources, so it’s not worth worrying too much over. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, then it’s going to be a bit more tricky, and I’ll cover that in an upcoming article.

One thing I want to mention that isn’t talked about much when discussing protein needs for individuals, especially those of us wanting to gain more muscle and lose more fat… and that concept is eating nose to tail.

This idea comes from consuming all parts of the animal, not just the muscle meat. When you go to the supermarket to pick up some animal protein, you mostly grab chicken breast/thighs, turkey, cuts of beef, and fish filets.
These protein sources are muscle meats, which are heavy in the amino acid tryptophan, which is good for growing bodies, and definitely a great option for those who want to improve their body composition.

But what about all the other cuts of meat that you might not see in traditional supermarkets like pig feet, chicken feet, marrow bones, oxtail, or tendon?

Something many haven’t considered is the collagen content of the animals they’re eating. Collagen when cooked (say in bone broths, or head cheeses), is known as gelatin.

Gelatin can make up for 50% of the total animal protein, but most of us in the west and other industrialized countries focus most of our protein eating on the muscle meats.

Certain amino acids such as glycine are high in gelatinous cuts of meat, and very low in muscle meats. Since our bodies are made up of the protein we eat, including collagen in your daily intake might have a positive effect on your joints and connective tissues and their repair.

It’s even believed that degenerative and inflammatory diseases/issues can be positively impacted by incorporating more gelatin into the diet.

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5 Muscle Building Mistakes To Avoid

If I had to boil down the fitness goals of the average person in less than five words, it’d be a surprisingly easy task: “Lose fat and gain muscle.”

In reality there are many (many) other fitness goals, and lots of other reasons to workout and eat healthy foods; but this is what interests—and confuses—most people. While losing the extra pounds can be the most frustrating process, building muscle is harder for most people to understand.

It can be disappointing when you're working hard to lift weights and train your body, but you're just not seeing the results that you want. Your muscles may still look puny compared to the others in the gym or perhaps your arms have extra flab that you figured should be gone by now. If this is you, you may be making one of these mistakes:

Mistake #1: Resting Too Much

We all need to rest between sets, but resting too long can lower your heart rate and stop your body from refueling your muscles. It's recommended that you rest for 30 to 90 seconds between sets. However, that can be too long if you're training more than one muscle group at a time. Focus on one muscle at a time, and give it no more than a 30 second rest between each set to see better gains.

Mistake #2: You Don’t Eat Enough Food

Every guy tells us that he “eats a lot” but still can’t gain weight. We even said the same thing for years. But guess what? If you’re not as muscular as you want to be, you aren’t eating nearly enough.

Most skinny guys have a metabolism akin to a hummingbird hooked on trailer park meth. To combat your crazy-fast metabolism, you simply have to eat more food than you’re eating now.

At the height of his S2B journey, Tom (pictured below) was eating a Muscle Breakfast, Muscle Lunch, Muscle Dinner, and drinking three healthy, calorie-packed Super Shakes per day. Now that’s eating big. And it translated to 33 pounds of muscle.

So how much are you eating every day? Are you keeping track? You don’t have to count calories, but you do have to stuff your face with healthy food multiple times per day. 

Mistake #3: You Don’t Stick To One Workout Program

Skinny guys take the old bodybuilding colloquialism “keep your body guessing” to absurd lengths. But guys who get great results understand they only have to do two simple things:

Pick a program that’s made for them (a guy who wants to add muscle)
Follow the program for at least two months
Most skinny guys never build muscle because they’re too impatient to actually stick with a workout routine. That’s why in the S2B coaching program, our clients can track their progress throughout the year and stay motivated.

Mistake #4: Not Enough Sets

Depending on the rep range you're working, each muscle and muscle group requires a different number of sets.

Your quads, chest and back need the most, while your abs, forearms, and calves need the fewest. Your triceps demand more attention than your biceps, and your lower back should be worked harder than your sides.

Your goal should be eight to 10 sets per muscle per workout, and two or three days between workouts. This will give your muscles the push they need, but still enable you to recover.

Mistake #5: Too Much Cardio

While cardio is great for burning fat, it's not as effective for muscle-building. Not only does it use up the glucose your muscles need for energy, but it can actually degrade the metabolism of the muscle tissue as well. A bit of cardio is important, but if muscle building is your ultimate goal, you should limit the amount of cardio you do.

Stick with three or four steady-state, low-intensity workouts per week, or two or three high-intensity workouts.

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7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs

If you are ready to go all in, adopt all seven principles today and commit to 21 days of planning out and journaling your meals and snacks and you will be celebrating that you made what seemed impossible, possible in less than a month! If moderation is your mode, add one new principle each day for the next week, and you will see one habit feeds success into the others and you will look and feel much better in four to six weeks from now.

If you prefer a slow and steady pace to adopt the 7 habits, commit to one new principle each week and make it a 7-week plan to your lifestyle transformation.

With any new habit, the more you do it the more automated and simple it becomes. Any nutrition plan worth starting is one you can maintain for the rest of your life, “Diets” die, learning how to feed your body with real food lasts a lifetime!

Let’s Review
Follow these steps to ensure a balanced and healthy approach to nutrition!
Step 1: Eat Mostly Whole, Natural Foods that are Minimally Processed
- Eat mostly whole, natural, fresh, high quality foods.
Step 2: Eat Early, Eat Often
- Try to eat every three hours and immediately upon waking in the morning.
Step 3: Be a Protein Pro
- Eat lean protein with every meal.
Step 4: Carbs are Not the Enemy…But Choose Wisely
- Eat mostly complex carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Step 5: Divide and Conquer your Fats
- Keep your total fat content low, but divide your fats evenly between saturated,
polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated sources.
Step 6: Boost your Liquid Assets
- Drink mostly non-calorie beverages and plenty of water (no soda!)
Step 7: Prepare for Success
- Proper preparation will make steps 1-6 manageable.

Preparing Healthy Food

You can undo many good qualities of food by cooking them improperly or adding ingredients
that increase calories and saturated fat. Here are some food preparation tips to keep you meals
healthy.
1. Cook Light: avoid deep frying foods and instead choose to grill, broil, or bake. Also, cook in
small amounts of healthy oils instead of butter or margarine.
2. Don’t Smother: additions to your food, such as mayonnaise, cheese, salt, and butter, can add
high amounts of fat and calories. Learn to enjoy the natural taste of food.
3. Modify Recipes: learn to substitute or modify your favorite recipes to limit bad ingredients
and fats.

Nutrition & Performance

Athletes have special needs when it comes to nutrition. Follow the simple steps listed below to ensure you are getting the most out of your training and performance:

1. Listen to your Body: each individual is different, so pay attention to the signals your body is giving you. If eating or not eating before exercise leads to lightheadedness, cramping, upset stomach, or low energy, switch up the program and find what works best. Once you find the plan that allows you to perform optimally, stick with it.

2. Time your Meals Carefully: eating a large meal immediately before strenuous activity can lead to cramping, upset stomach, or sluggishness. Try to ingest a small meal or snack that agrees with your stomach, allowing at least an hour to begin digestion.

3. Drink Plenty of Water: sweating is a way of regulating your body temperature during exercise. This increase in water loss can lead to dehydration if not replaced. Make sure to sip water continuously, as gulping or chugging water can lead to cramping or upset stomach. Gatorade and other electrolyte drinks should not be used as a substitute for water unless the physical activity will continue for over 1 hour.

4. Take Advantage of the Golden Hour: your body stores energy in your muscles in the form of glycogen. Within an hour of exercise, you should replenish these glycogen stores by ingesting simple, fast digesting sugars such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose. Also, ingesting protein can provide the raw ingredients for rebuilding muscle tissue that has been broken down during exercise.

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The Best Home Leg Workout in Under 20 Minutes

I am sure that you have heard it all before. To get the complete physique that you want, working your legs hard is a necessity. The legs make up the largest part of your body and carry a ton of muscle. If you skip leg day, you are missing out on a ton of growth potential. Not too mention the large hormone release (testosterone, growth hormone), fat burning enzymes and caloric burn that come with working your legs.

Leg day is also the toughest day of the week. It takes high volume, high reps with heavy weight, and mental toughness to get through a true leg routine that gets results. This also means that time becomes a factor.

When we are pressed for time we tend to skip the hard stuff. We will fit in our chest and arm workouts since these are the show muscles and skimp on the legs. This is a huge mistake and it can be fixed. You can still get a solid leg workout in 20 minutes.

With the right routine you can blast the legs in a short amount of time. There are four primary areas of the legs that need to be hit hard; the quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. The key to a good leg routine is to use exercises that hit all those areas so no muscle fiber is left untapped. Front squats, deadlifts, walking lunges and calf raises are the perfect moves to do just that.  Just stay focused and give it your all with this highly efficient, 20-minute leg workout.

Dumbbell Single Leg Reverse Deadlift

So far we’ve trained your quads mostly but no leg workout is complete without the posterior chain training. The single leg reverse deadlifts will really stretch those hamstrings. To perform the exercise, take a dumbbell in one hand (or two dumbbells in both hands) and kick one leg back while bending forward with the weight. Keep your back arched and your active knee locked throughout the movement. Let those hams stretch as much as you can.

Squat 

 Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Extend arms out so that they are parallel with the ground. Flex your knees and hips while sitting back with your hips as if you were going to sit in a chair. Keep your chest and shoulders upright and back straight. Go as far down as your flexibility allows. Reverse the motion, driving your weight through your heels until you return to the starting position.
Hip Raise

 Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms down by your sides or out at a 45-degree angle. Engage your core and squeeze your gluten while raising your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold at the top for 5 counts before lowering your body back to the starting position. 

Elevated Hip Raises

The final exercise will work on your glutes and help you strengthen your lower back. We’ll use a variation with feet elevated on a bench (or a chair) to do the raises. Focus on contracting your glutes throughout the movement and work on that hip thrust.. 

Sumo Squat 

 Stand with feet a bit wider than your hips, feet turned out slightly. Place arms in a prayer position. Flex your knees and hips while sitting back with your hips as if you were going to sit in a chair. Keep your chest and shoulders upright and back straight. Go as far down as your flexibility allows. Reverse the motion, driving your weight through your heels until you return to the starting position. 


The Workout

So the complete workout is as follows:

squats – 3×10
Hip Raise – 3×12 each leg
Dumbbell single leg reverse deadlift – 3×10 each leg
Elevated hip raises – 4×10
Sumo Squat – 4×10

Rest 60 seconds or less between sets.

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The 4 Top Exercises For The Perfect Pec Workout

Anyone can build a big chest, but most guys have no idea how to get the right proportions that will give you that truly unstoppable, masculine look.

Tell me something. Do you want to look drop-dead gorgeous with people turning their heads to check you out on the beach, or do you want to look like an overgrown freak that makes people wanna throw up when they look at you?

If you’re in the game to look great with stone-slabs for a chest that gets women weak at the knees, then today’s exercise is definitely one you should be doing.

See, most guys who work on their chest, end up getting a huge lower chest because the lower chest is just naturally wired to respond to exercise better than the upper chest.

The best chest exercises for MEN focus on growing chest muscle as quickly and efficiently as possible and at the same time, widening the chest to give you that unstoppable masculine look.

When it comes to burning chest fat and losing man boobs, while at the same time, growing muscle and sculpting an unstoppable masculine chest.


Chest Exercise #1: Flat Or Decline Dumbbell Press  To start off your pec workout, perform 3-4 sets of flat or decline dumbbell presses for 5 to 7 reps per set.

Chest Exercise #2: 30 Degree Incline Dumbbell Press  Perform 3-4 sets of incline dumbbell presses for 5 to 7 reps per set.

Chest Exercise #3: Cable Flye (High-To-Low Angle)  To finish off your pec workout, perform 3-4 sets of cable flyes at a high to low angle for 8 to 10 reps.

Chest Exercise #4: Chest Dips  Flat Or Decline Dumbbell Press  To start off your pec workout, perform 3-4 sets of flat or decline dumbbell presses for 5 to 7 reps per set.


The Perfect Pec Workout: Review

Flat Or Decline Dumbbell Press: 3-4 Sets of 5-7 Reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 3-4 Sets of 5-7 Reps
Cable Flye (High-To-Low): 3-4 Sets Of 8-10 Reps
Chest Dips: 3-4 Sets Of 8-10 Reps

Again, there are an endless number of different ways you could train your pecs for mass gains, but this is particular routine utilizes1 the most effective chest training tools available and at the proper angles to allow for effective, balanced stimulation of the chest, and in a safe and sustainable way.

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Full Body Workout Routine & The Best Way To Build Muscle

It wasn’t so long ago that I was laughed off lifting forums for suggesting full body workouts. Man, times have changed. These days frequency training has become an acceptable method of building muscle, and the body part split is often referred to in a sarcastic manner as a bro split.

Frequency training provides many benefits. The main one, for me, is that it does not leave my joints feeling beat up. I find it’s much easier to perform 3-4 sets per muscle group 3 times per week then to destroy that body part with volume one day per week. I stay healthier and feel better when I am not crushing body parts and movements patterns with set after set on a given day.

How To Structure A Full Body Workout Routine

It’s not a good idea to do exactly the same workout routine every time you go to the gym, as this will soon lead to recovery issues. Instead you should alternate two (or even three if you are more advanced) different routines over the course of the week. Also your workouts should not be too long. A big mistake many people make is doing too many exercises. You can work your whole body very well with just three or four exercises. And six is the most you should do. Doing more than this will only make it more difficult for you to recover, and this will limit your gains.

So for an effective full body workout all you really need is a squat, lunge or deadlift variation, together with an upper body push and an upper body pull. You can add in some additional arm work at the end if you wish, but that’s about it. A routine of this sort, performed three times per week, will give you all the growth stimulation you need to ensure maximum progress.

As an example, a simple, but highly effective full body workout routine might look something like this…

A Full Body Workout Routine For Rapid Muscle Growth

Workout 1
Squat
Bench Press
Bent-Over Row
Barbell Curls

Workout 2
Deadlift
Overhead Press
Chin-ups
Parallel Bar Dips

Simply alternate these two workouts over your three weekly visits to the gym. And then at a later date you may wish to do three different workouts, so each movement is worked just once per week, but each major muscle group is still being worked three times per week. This will further help with recovery, enabling better consistent long term progress to be made.


An example of a three day full body workout program might look like this...

Monday
Squat
Incline Bench Press
Dumbbell Row
Barbell Curls

Wednesday
Deadlift
Overhead Press
Pull-Ups
Parallel Bar Dips

Friday
Leg Press
Bench Press
Pulldowns
Hammer Curls

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs

The success of any training program relies heavily on aspects that are almost entirely out of the control of coaches and trainers, who cannot supervise what athletes do when they leave the training environment. This is where certain behaviors and habits can sabotage everything the athlete has worked so hard to accomplish. Proper nutrition plays a huge role in how the body recovers and responds to training. Eating well provides energy for workouts and the raw materials for building strong bones, muscles, and connective tissue. It also provides the foundation for a healthy immune system, meaning less training time missed due to sickness and a more consistent training effect.
We live in an exciting age where we can access information about any subject with the touch of a button. However, not all the information presented is truthful, reliable, or accurate. Advice about nutrition put forth on television, the internet, in magazines and newspapers is often flawed. It can be overwhelming to decipher and look critically at the information that bombards us on a daily basis.
This informational guide has been created to give you easily understandable information that can be applied in everyday situations to give you the greatest chance of success. A great deal of time has been spent researching the latest nutritional information from the top organizations and individuals in the fields of strength and conditioning, nutrition, and health. However, this guide does not take the place of advice from a licensed nutritionist, dietitian, or doctor.
The goal is that as competitive athletes you become knowledgeable about nutrition. By being a smarter shopper and by preparing your meals the correct way, or by choosing the right foods in the dining hall or when you are out to eat, you can improve your health, energy levels, and performance. I hope that you are dedicated to developing all aspects of healthy behavior. If you follow the guidelines in the pages that follow and continue to develop a greater understanding of the foods that you eat, you will give yourself the best chance of fulfilling your goals and achieving your maximum potential.

 
1 -Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.


2 -Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal.

3 -Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.

4 -Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.

5 -Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).

6 -Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea.

7 -Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).

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The Best 4 Shoulder Workouts For Mass

We all want a good-looking physique. That being said, most of us train our arms and chest hard. But don't forget your shoulders. Broad shoulders fill out your clothes and make you look manly.

Here are some shoulder workouts for mass that I recommend for general fitness, not for athletes. (Training your shoulders frequently can take time away from exercises that actually improve athleticism.)

include 4 of my favorite workouts to help you build a massive shoulders.

 UPRIGHT BARBELL ROW          3 set of “8,10” reps, rest 30s.

 STANDING MILITARY PRESS     3 set of “8,10” reps, rest 30s.

 SIDE LATERAL RAISE       3 set of “10,12” reps, rest 30s.

CAR DRIVERS       3 set of 10 reps, rest 30s.

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Fitness Workout of the Day, to start your weekend

It’s FRIDAY, and the fact that my American Peeps are enjoying a long weekend, I want you to do this workout today, and start your weekend off Right! we’re gonna do a short…intense…workout called the 5-3-20 ! Here’s what you need to do:

Here are your 5 Exercises:

1.    Cleans + Press (or High Pulls)
2.    Dead Lifts (Barbell or Dumbbell)
3.    Bench Press (Barbell or Dumbbell)
4.    Squats
5.    Chin Ups or Pullups (on your back, pull your chest to the bar)

Here are the rules:

You do 20 repetitions of each of the exercises back to back. I want PERFECT FORM ONLY, So Use a weight so that you can complete 15-20 repetitions, you will be going all out. Time yourself for the set. You have a total of 3 Sets to do.

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Best Diet For Abs - Follow These 6 Rules For Nutrition

Whether you want to change your body to improve your health, looks, fitness, sex appeal — or just feel better about yourself all over — this plan offers you a simple promise: It can transform your body so you can accomplish all of those goals. And still have the energy you need to make each day a good one.

Principles of the abs diet

Most people who are embarking on a new mission begin with one fundamental question: When do we eat? Good question. Most diets are all about what foods you'll cut out. This one is all about what you'll include. And that's good news, because if you want to emerge on the other side of this plan with a new body, you must have the flexibility and freedom to keep yourself from getting hungry, and the knowledge that you can eat well no matter what.

So let's see what's on the menu.

Guideline 1

Eat Six Meals a Day

Didn't I tell you that this is not about deprivation?

We're so used to hearing people talk about eating less food that it's become weight-loss doctrine. The new philosophy that I want you to keep in mind is "energy balance."

Researchers at Georgia State University developed a technique to measure hourly energy balance — that is, how many calories you're burning versus how many calories you're taking in. The researchers found that if you keep your hourly surplus or deficit within 300 to 500 calories at all times, you'll best be able to change your body composition by losing fat and adding lean muscle mass. People with the largest energy imbalances (those whose calorie surpluses or shortfalls topped 500 calories from hour to hour) were the fattest, while those with the most balanced energy levels were the leanest. So if you eat only your three squares a day, your energy levels are all over the place. That kind of eating plan is great — if your dream is to consistently gain weight. But if you want to look slimmer, feel fitter, and live longer, then eat more often. Simply alternate your meals with snacks and you'll keep your stomach full, which will reduce the likelihood of a diet-destroying binge.

1. Eat Plenty of Protein

Eating enough lean protein promotes fat loss and muscle gain, the two most important elements for developing great abs. It also helps keep you from getting hungry while you’re eating right. You don’t have to gobble down 12-ounce steaks—just eat a normal portion of lean meat, fish, low-fat dairy, or vegetarian protein with every meal, and make sure your snacks contain some protein, too. If you still have a hard time getting enough in your diet, a daily Shakeology shake can be a perfect addition.

2. Reconsider Carbs

Despite the popularity of low-car diets, the average American meal is still too high in sugar and fast-burning starches to bring body fat down to ab-baring levels. It’s time to say goodbye to sweetened soda, ditch the Doritos, and save the cake for your birthday.

3. Get Your Fiber

Something about the word “fiber” just doesn’t sound appetizing. But high-fiber foods can actually be quite delicious: fresh berries and other fruits, salads loaded with colorful produce, your favorite steamed vegetables or vegetable soup, stews or chili made with beans, chewy whole-grain breads and cereals… you get the picture. (These foods just happen to be loaded with nutrients as well.)

4. Don’t Forget to Eat

Tempted to lower your daily calorie count by skipping meals? Don’t. Going hungry can raise your levels of the stress-related hormone cortisol, which research has found can increase belly fat even in otherwise thin women.

Eating too infrequently can lower your metabolism and energy levels, while increasing the chance that you’ll get too hungry and decide to chuck your meal plan entirely. If you’re eating the right foods, regular meals and snacks will keep your body fueled while you’re working toward that strong core.

5. Enjoy More Yogurt

Packed with protein, crammed with calcium, popping with probiotics, yogurt has all the makings of the best weight loss foods. How would you like to take all the great weight-loss results you’ve just read about—and double them? That’s what happens when you supplement your diet with a combination of vitamin D and calcium, according to a Nutrition Journal study. Just four weeks into the 12-week experiment, subjects who had taken these two nutrients—found in abundance in some yogurts—lost two times more fat than the other group! To get similar results at home, start your day with one of these 25 Best Yogurts for Weight Loss!

6. Drink More Fluids

Hydration is important when you’re on a fitness plan, but drinking plenty of water has particular benefits for your midsection. It helps keep your stomach full, so you don’t overeat, and it helps flush out excess sodium to prevent belly bloating. (Eating more potassium-rich foods, such as tomatoes and bananas, will also help in this area.)

Plain ol’ water can’t be beat, but you can also switch it up with flavored waters, iced tea (unsweetened), and anything else you like to drink that isn’t full of sugar. How much do you need? The old rule of eight glasses a day is a good start, but everyone is different: Drink more if you’re exercising or it’s hot out, and drink less if you’re running to the bathroom every five minutes.

BEST FOODS FOR 6-PACK ABS

EGGS
BANANAS
FORTIFIED MILK
GREEN
TEA
LEANPOULTRY
LEGUMES
BLACK BEANS
OATMEAL
CHERRIES
SWEET POTATOES
GREEK YOGURT
SPINACH
BROCCOLI
NUT

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5 Best Ways To Boost Testosterone Naturally

If you're looking for ways to boost your testosterone level, start by looking at your daily habits. "I never prescribe testosterone alone without talking to men about their lifestyle," says Martin Miner, MD, co-director of the Men's Health Center at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I.

Some changes that are good for your overall health could also provide benefits in helping to maintain a healthy level of this important male hormone.

There are countless different methods you can use to naturally boost testosterone. Testosterone is so valuable to us men, that there have been hundreds of different scientific studies into what kind of foods, activities, lifestyles, etc., impact testosterone.

Different methods work better for different people, and it can depend a lot on your circumstances. If you are greatly sleep-deprived and live a stressful life, then improving sleep and reducing stress will elevate your testosterone levels a lot. As I mention below, good sleep is a very important factor for boosting testosterone, but if you are already sleeping well 8 hours a day, then you need to look to other methods to help boost your testosterone further.

From all the research I’ve done, here are some of the most important and potentially most powerful ways to naturally boost your testosterone levels. 

1. Heavy Weight Strength Training

Few things are going to boost your strength level like strength training will. But, in order for it to be maximally effective, you need to hoist the heavy iron. This is what builds more lean muscle mass an in turn, creates a flurry of anabolic hormones running through your body.

Studies have found that regardless of your age, you can still see improvement in testosterone through heavy lifting. Don’t ever think you’re too old to make a difference. With some hard work, you can see noticeable results. 

2. Choose Your Exercises Well

Okay, so we’ve established that heavy lifting is a must if you’re going to flood your body with testosterone. But to that, you also need to choose your exercise well.

Hit the gym for a good ol’ guns workout and you won’t be creating much of an anabolic effect. On the other hand, if you push yourself with heavy squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and rows, you’ll be creating an impact on your physique.

The more muscles you can work in any given second, the more testosterone you release.

And ditch the machines. Studies illustrate you get more testosterone release from squats than leg press for instance.

 3. Stress-Less

Life can get stressful at times, there’s no denying that, but if you would call your life as one big stressful merry-go-round, it’s time that you got off that ride.

Stress is going to wreak havoc on your testosterone levels, not to mention causing your body to secret another hormone in its place – cortisol. This hormone actually primes your body for lean muscle mass loss along with fat gain, especially in the abdominal region while decreasing testosterone. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470424/)

The more you stress, the more you move away from your goals. It’s that simple. Get control over your stress levels and you’ll see noticeable results.

4. Have More Real Sex

We know that testosterone boosts a man’s libido, but does it work the other way round? Could it be that having more sex can boost testosterone levels? Tell me this is so!

Well, a study back in the 1990’s suggests it is. The study looked at four couples on days that they did and did not have sex. Testosterone levels were found to increase on intercourse nights after sex, and did not increase on nights without intercourse. The study suggested it was sex that caused high testosterone, and not high testosterone that resulted in sex.

Other studies suggest that just the anticipation of sex leads to increased testosterone levels. And looking at it the other way round, studies also show that lack of sex leads to lower testosterone levels.

5. Compete In Something

You can benefit from testosterone boosts of 20-30% and more, simply by developing a competitive mindset.

Though testosterone is produced down below in the testes, your brain ultimately decides how much testosterone your testes will produce. It starts with the hypothalamus in the brain, which secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). GnRH signals the pituitary gland in your brain to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH), which goes to the testes and stimulates testosterone production.

When the brain thinks you need more testosterone (e.g. in anticipation of sex), it releases more GnRH, and more LH, and hence you get more testosterone. One thing your brain sees as a cue for stimulating testosterone production, is competition.

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The 5-day holiday & workout schedule

With the holiday season upon us, many of you are thinking the same thing… “I’ve worked so hard and come so far! How can I avoid putting on the typical 5-10 pounds this holiday season?” Did you know that between Thanksgiving and Christmas 5-10 pounds is the average weight gain in the US? Well not this year! This year we’re going to start fighting back! We’re going to hit it hard and we’re going to hit it early so when it comes time for the holiday season we are ready for it!
This 5-day “Weekly Workout Plan” is actually a 5-day Workout Guide that will provide you  great workouts a week all the way  ! We’ll hit calories so hard those holiday meals won’t even see us coming! Keep reading for more…
Of course, we all know that working out is only a small part of the battle. In order to realize your healthy goals you need to supplement your workouts with healthy eating. Lucky for you, I’ve got you covered here, too!

DAY 1

1 TRAP-BAR DEADLIFT
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

2 BENTOVER DUMBBELL ROW
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

3 PUSH PRESS
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

4 WEIGHTED PULLUP
Sets: 5 Reps: 5-10 Rest: 0-30 sec

DAY 2

1 BODY-WEIGHT SQUAT
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

2 CLOSE-GRIP PUSHUP
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

3 LEG RAISE
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

4 HAND CRAWL
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

DAY 3

1 FRONT SQUAT
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

2 CHEST PRESS
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

3 DIP
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

4 SIDE LUNGE
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

DAY 4

1 KETTLEBELL SWING
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

2 KETTLEBELL CLEAN
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

3 GOBLET SQUAT
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

4 WEIGHTED SITUP
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

DAY 5

1 SQUAT
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

2 LAT PULLDOWN
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

3 INCLINE DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

4 DUMBBELL FRONT SQUAT
Sets: 5 Reps: 10 Rest: 0-30 sec

 

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Getting To The Goal in 6 Steps

Achieving goals is powerful and affects our success in life. When we dare to dream about what we truly desire and set goals in that direction, a powerful shift happens. Life is now lived with greater direction and purpose. And once those goals are achieved, confidence builds, and not only do we feel a sense of accomplishment, but we want to succeed even more.
Goals that we properly set, write down and focus on daily can be achieved faster and easier. Here are six steps to help you succeed in fulfilling your desires:

Here’s how to get to your goal in 6 Steps:

Step One: Only One At A Time

When you’re feeling motivated, and decide to set a goal, it’s tempting to become over-ambitious by setting multiple goals. While it’s great that you want to improve many things about yourself, the pressure of trying to achieve more than one goal at once will cause you to drop all the goals and go back to status quo.

Focus in on the one goal that you really want to achieve first, and focus all of your efforts onto this goal with laser-like force. There will be plenty of time in the future to see to your other goals, but for now see your number one goal all the way through to completion.

Step Two: Start Slow

Another pitfall that often results in dropped goals is the act of starting out too fast and too strong. If your goal in fitness is to drop 6 pant sizes and to exercise 5 times a week, do not (I repeat, DO NOT) go out and hit the gym hard for the next 5 days in a row. You’ll be so sore that I guarantee you’ll stop all progress the following week and your goal will be put back on a shelf.

Take a deep breath and remember that this isn’t a race. This is your life, and it’s you against yourself. Start out slow and steady and gradually build as you progress toward your goal. Don’t allow self-induced fatigue to get in your way.

Step Three: Know Your Reasons Why

Why is this goal so important to you? There are probably many reasons, and you should know every single one of them. Write down each and every possible reason you can come up with as to why your goal needs to be met.

Intimately get to know the ‘reasons why’ this goal is so important to you. You should have them memorized and should recite them every single day. Remember what Ford said – when you take your eyes of your goal you’ll see loads and loads of obstacles. Keep your eyes locked onto that goal by filling your mind with all of the ‘reasons why’ you’re going to see this thing through.

Step Four: Think About It

Along with thinking about your reasons for accomplishing your goal, it’s also helpful to focus your mind on how you’ll feel once you’ve done it. Dedicate some time each day to picture your new post-goal life.

How awesome are you going to feel when you’ve accomplished this goal that’s been on your mind for so long? Pretty amazing. Fill your mind with that feeling of accomplishment well before you’ve finished the work. The more you feel connected to the end of the race, the more likely it is that you’ll make it through.

Step Five: Put It All On The Line

It’s time to put your money where your mouth is. Invest in something that will help propel you toward your goal. When you shell out some of your hard earned money to aide in your progress, then you are going to take this process that much more seriously.

It’s time to seriously commit yourself to seeing this goal to completion. If your goal is to lose weight and to get into amazing shape then invest in one of my proven fitness programs.

Step six: Focus on Goals Everyday

Focusing daily on our goals helps us succeed in reaching them because it’s a constant reminder of what we desire in life. Two ways to keep goals present in the mind are:
Think from the end – Dr. Wayne Dyer, internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development, in his book The Power of Intention, says that to manifest what we desire, “continuously contemplate yourself as being surrounded by the conditions you wish to produce.” Imagine what life will look like once the goal is realized and the joy and satisfaction you will feel.
Visualize – Create a vision board with pictures, symbols and words relating to goals, or even a simple daily visualization practice where you imagine yourself having achieved the goal as mentioned above.

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Top 6 Dumbbell Exercises For Chest

Bursting out of a shirt tends to be a priority on most male’s “to do” lists, especially during Summer. No-one can deny seeing the crowds queuing around the bench press every Monday in their local gyms…

Yet, despite the determination, not many develop this muscle group to its full potential. The most common reason behind the pecs crisis is poor “mind-muscle” connection – inability to “feel” the muscle working while performing an exercise. This can be the case especially for various barbell presses, and means poor muscle activation leading to poor growth. If that sounds familiar read on and find out how to up your game with top dumbbells exercises for chest and finally fill that shirt out.

Dumbbell exercises for the chest target the inner, outer, lower and upper pectoral muscles.

1. Dumbbell Bench Press
2. Twisting Dumbbell Bench Press
3. Crush-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press
4. Dumbbell Flyes
5. Dumbbell Pull Overs
6. Incline Bench Press

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3 Tips & Shoulder Workouts for Mass

Increasing mechanical tension is a key to adding muscle. Increase the tension by lifting more weight for a specific exercise. One of the ways you get bigger is by getting stronger.

How to do it: Use a compound movement such as the Barbell Military Press. Progressively increase the amount of weight you lift.

A fairly good set and rep scheme would be 6 sets of 3. Once you manage to hit all 6 sets of 3, increase the weight and repeat.

Increase Metabolic Stress with a Superset of Compound Movement and Isolation

Another key factor for muscle growth is metabolic stress. Metabolic stress is caused by the buildup of a variety of metabolites such as lactate, hydrogen ions and creatine.

One way to tell if metabolic stress is happening is to create a "pump" in your muscle. The pump is basically caused by fluids building up in the cells and the accumulation of metabolic by-products. Also, more metabolic stress can be created during the lowering portion of a lift, which is why doing isolation exercises is useful.

How to do it: Pair a compound movement (e.g., Arnold Press) and perform it for 8-10 reps, followed by an isolation movement (e.g., Lateral Raises) for 8-10 reps, with emphasis on the lowering portion.

Perform a Shoulder Isolation Exercise 4-5 Times a Week to Increase Frequency

An increase in exercise frequency can further promote muscular hypertrophy. But don't get carried away. Performing Overhead Presses every other day might cause you to have banged-up shoulders.

Opt instead for an isolation movement and perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps 3-5 times a week to increase frequency and total volume. The Lateral Raise fits the bill perfectly because it's joint-friendly. Start with 3 times a week and slowly increase to 5 as you progress.

How to do it: Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps of Lateral Raises 3-5 times a week.
The Shoulder Workout

1. Barbell Military Press
Sets/Reps: 6x3

2a. Dumbbell Arnold Press
Sets/Reps: 3x8-10

2b. Lateral Raises
Sets/Reps: 3x8-10

( 3 to 5 times a week)

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How to Barbell Row And Benefits: Your Guide to the Proper Form

The back is a complex muscle group with no shortage of possible exercises, so many that an overeager newbie armed with a Flex magazine and a belly full of ambition could easily hammer away at his back for hours, yet still barely scratch the surface of available options.

The Golden Age of bodybuilding was a decidedly simpler time. While there were many exercises for bodybuilders to use, the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) was usually first in mind, and for building back thickness, one didn't have to look any further than the barbell row (along with the deadlift).

But it wasn't a case of "happily ever after." Cautious critics would target the barbell row due to the propensity for technique errors and the trainee's inability to fully recruit the lats – not to mention that "safer" alternatives like dumbbell rows and lat pulldowns allowed for greater range of motion and more focus on the targeted back muscles.

So we labeled it as dangerous, ushered in a host of "safer" alternatives, and the barbell row faded into relative training obscurity.

Let’s talk about how we can best use barbell rows in our training routines.

Benefits of Barbell Rows

Bent over barbell rows might not be as hard as squats or deadlifts, but they certainly are harder than bench presses. Typically when your barbell row strength increases, you will see an increase in your other lifts. When you can barbell row with perfect form, as much weight as you can bench press, you know you have a balanced physique.

Here are some of the great benefits you’ll get when you incorporate barbell rows into your training:

Back strength. First and foremost, barbells rows strengthen the muscles in your upper back – lats, traps, neck, rotator cuffs, and all those little muscles that you don’t really know about. Back strength is important for all those exercises you love, like squats, deadlifts, overhead press, Olympic lifts, and even the bench press.

Better posture. A strong back will help you keep your shoulders in line with the middle of your body. Too much chest training and too little back training causes your shoulder to slouch, which leads to muscle imbalance and injury.

Grip strength. When you train barbell rows without letting the weight hit the floor between reps, you keep constant tension on your forearms and it can help build your grip strength for those heavy deadlifts.

Trunk stabilization. Barbell rows force you to use your abs, hips, glutes, lower back, and hamstrings to stabilize your body while you suspend the weight in front of you. This is a great way to teach posterior chain stability with heavy loads under constant tension.
 
 Common Barbell Row Misconception

Many people are led to assume that the barbell row puts too much strain on your lower back and it is unsafe to do. As it so happens, that is not true. Yes, there will naturally be effort exerted by your lower back, legs, and abdominals to stay in proper position. However, when you learn to perform any exercise the right way and only increase the weight as your strength increases, then you minimize the chances of hurting yourself.
 
A Lesson On Barbell Row Form

Attempting anything for the first time poses its challenges. Learning to perform the barbell row correctly is essential to any training routine. The barbell row is not as challenging as it may look. With time and dedication you will be lifting weights off the floor with ease.

This lesson will cover the proper form used for a bent-over parallel barbell row. I will begin by assuming you currently know nothing about rows and are eager to learn. However, even if you are a seasoned lifter a good refresher course never hurts.

I cannot advocate enough the importance of proper form. Learning to row correctly without any weight will instill the correct motor patterns in our body and will assist in our efforts.

Note: Smith machines are great inventions and have their purpose. However they are not beneficial for this workout. Barbell rows on a smith machine puts the body in a fixed path and does not allow the stabilization muscles to engage. Always row with free weights.
 

The Setup

A few things will come into play when performing the row. However a proper setup is key.

-Begin the row by approaching an empty or loaded bar on the floor.

-Ideally if the bar is weighted and raised off the ground you would step to the bar and allow the middle of your foot to be directly under the bar. If you are beginning with no weight at all you can simply hold the bar in your hand and let it hang as if it were weighted resting on the floor.

-Approach and foot placement will be similar to the setup of a deadlift.

-Bend at the waist using an overhand grip, gripping the bar slightly wider than shoulder width.

-You can vary grip width the more advanced you get. To begin we will keep a similar grip to our bench press, since the barbell row movem is a mimicking movement of the flat bench press.

-With your hands firmly placed on the bar and the bar directly over the center of your foot, keep your knees slightly bent and slightly elevate your chest so your back is parallel to the floor.

At this point you will look almost like a runner at the starting line. Head in a neutral position. Back parallel with a slight arch. Hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Legs slightly bent depending on flexibility. The key is to keep the back flat throughout the movement.

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6 Best Tricep Exercises For Mass

The triceps muscle is composed of three heads - and these need to be trained in a very specific way.

This is because the triceps make up 2/3 of your overall upper arm mass, and the long head is the largest of the three individual heads it contains.

For that reason, the best tricep long head exercises are those that begin with the shoulder in a flexed position, as this lengthens the long head and causes it to take on the majority of the load during the lift.

5 Best Tricep Exercises For Mass (Long Head)

#1 – One-Arm Overhead Cable Extensions: This is my favorite lift to build tricep long head mass since it places the triceps under constant tension and lets you train each arm independently. Just grab onto a cable and face away from the machine, and then extend your arm overhead, contract the tricep, and lower the cable behind your head before repeating.

#2 – Overhead Rope Extensions: This is the same motion as the previous exercise but done using a rope attachment and both arms at the same time. Another great way to get a strong tricep long head workout and build bigger triceps, and for added results, pull the rope apart at the top of each rep.

#3 – One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extensions: This is my top free weight variation and is done by holding a single dumbbell in one hand and performing the exercise seated or standing.

#4 – Two-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extensions: Use both hands and grip the inner plate of a dumbbell and perform the tricep extension behind your head. This is best done seated.

#5 – French Presses – This tricep long head exercise is done using an ez-curl bar or straight bar from a seated position, performing a regular tricep extension overhead with it.

#6 – Dips – are considered one of the few compound exercises that can be applied to triceps training in general. The triceps take up two thirds of your arm – therefore, if you’re looking to improve the overall size of your arms, it’s important to target these muscles individually.

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What are the Best Carbs toHelp you Build Muscle or Lose Fat? Fast Carbs VS Slow Carbs

More than often, you’ll get this response: “Stay away from simple carbs and focus on complex carbohydrates, since they digest slowly and provide your body with a constant stream of energy”.
I can’t tell you how many “fitness-experts” give this response to their clients on a regular basis. Of course it seems to make sense, but there is actually some science suggesting otherwise.
Many people believe that as long as a carbohydrate digests slowly, it should keep your blood sugar stable and make it less likely for you to gain fat.
But the truth of the matter is that structuring your nutrition program around “slow-digesting carbohydrates” is actually not an effective way to get the nutrition you need.
There are actually 4 primary reasons why this is the case. Let’s go ahead and take a closer look…

Here are 4 of the main reasons why this is so…

First, carbohydrate absorption speed is based on the glycemic index, which is a highly flawed tool for bodybuilding nutrition.

The glycemic index (GI) is a chart that ranks carbohydrates from 0 to 100 based on how quickly or slowly they raise blood sugar levels in a 2-hour period after they are consumed.

Here’s the problem: GI rankings are based on the glycemic effects of specific foods that are consumed isolated and in a fasted state.

Aside from first thing in the morning, you’ll never be consuming your carbohydrates in a fasted state. And even then, a typical bodybuilding nutrition plan always combines carbohydrates with fats and proteins. Consume your carbohydrates as part of a complete meal and the glycemic response can be dramatically altered.

Second, the glycemic ranking of a carbohydrate source is not necessarily indicative of its effects on insulin.

Certain “fast carbs” may produce a smaller insulin release, while certain “slow carbs” may produce a larger insulin release. You can compare the “insulin index” to the glycemic index to see this for yourself.

For example, brown pasta has a GI ranking of 70, while its insulin score is only 40. An orange has a GI ranking of 39, but an insulin score of 60.

Third, carbohydrates are not the only food source that produce an insulin release.

Most people don’t even know this, but most protein-rich foods that you find in a typical bodybuilding nutrition plan elicit just as high (or higher) an insulin response as most of the carbohydrate sources.

Fish has an insulin score of 59, which is nearly identical to that of brown rice, and 20 points higher than brown pasta. Beef has an insulin score of 51, about equal to rye bread and nearly half that of a white potato.

When you factor in the insulin index, and the fact that most proteins cause a significant elevation in insulin levels, the whole notion of controlling insulin by eating “slow carbs” goes straight out the window.

Lastly, even in the rare case that you did consume a high glycemic/high insulin producing carbohydrate source alone in a fasted state, it still won’t affect you to any meaningful degree.

Unless you have a pre-existing health condition, your body is incredibly efficient at keeping your blood sugar levels and insulin levels within a fairly precise range.

Slam 300 grams of pure sugar first thing in the morning, and yeah, you might run into some problems. But in a practical, real-world scenario this is never going to happen, and having your blood sugar/insulin increase to higher than normal levels isn’t going to have any measurable impact on your muscle building or fat burning goals.

At the end of the day, the issue of “fast carbs” vs. “slow carbs” has no practical relevance to your bodybuilding nutrition plan.

All you really need to focus on is 2 things:

1) Getting the bulk of your carb intake (80-90%) from high fiber, minimally processed sources. This includes foods such as oatmeal, rice (brown or white), potatoes, pasta, pita, ezekial bread, fruits and vegetables.

2) Consuming your carbohydrates as part of a complete meal.

As long as you do these 2 things, you’re good as gold, and there’s no need to analyze the fast carbs vs. slow carbs issue any further.

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