Fitness Program Review

Francesco Castano asked:

Any individual who has pursued bodybuilding with the goal of substantially enhancing lean muscle mass knows that volume is one of the most important factors in producing such results. Most who understand the effectiveness of higher volume weight training workout sessions find themselves addicted to the gym environment, spending large amounts of time with seemingly endless weight lifting sets, trying to blitz their muscles with as much overload as possible.

The problem is, by performing high volume weight lifting sessions on a continuous basis, the body reaches a point where recovery becomes difficult, and this is where negative side effects begin to develop. The bodybuilder feels weaker, the amount of weight used in each exercise declines, and the motivation that once existed for weight training fades, to the point where workout sessions are skipped, and muscle mass soon begins to sharply decline. Some have the discipline to continue performing their weight lifting workout sessions despite these symptoms, and what soon follows is the enemy of any bodybuilder who wishes to produce maximum results; a string of injuries, from joints to muscle strains, and even, in extreme cases, muscle tears that can sideline a bodybuilder for months, and destroy hard earned muscle gains, all can result from a prolonged high volume weight lifting approach.

Those who comprehend the effectiveness of volume techniques for producing muscle gains are weary of making any changes to their routine, especially if the proposal requires volume to be reduced by a significant margin, but this short sighted approach fails to consider the downside of long term volume weight lifting workouts outlined earlier, and, in the long run, overall muscle gains suffer dramatically due to unexpected layoffs.

So, what is the solution that allows a bodybuilder to experience maximum results without injuries, lack of motivation, or emotional breakdown? A concept known as cycling, which many bodybuilders have heard of, but do not implement due to either misinformation as to its importance, or simply not knowing how to properly cycle a weight training workout for maximum results. The key is to embrace a lower volume weight training workload at the point when workouts begin to feel burdensome, as this allows the muscles and mind a chance to recuperate without the customary muscle loss that accompanies skipped workout sessions. In addition, the lower volume bodybuilding workout cycle allows joints and tendons to experience a period of recovery that is extremely beneficial, as the discomfort that many times accompanies extended periods of high volume weight lifting workouts will reduce the amount of weight used, and interfere with the muscle building process.

The other distinct advantage of cycling lower volume weight lifting workout sessions as opposed to a constant high volume approach is muscle preservation, as normally, a bodybuilder who pursues prolonged higher volume finds that he or she must vacation from weights due to mental or physical fatigue, and during this extended vacation, muscle is lost, which takes time to regain once training is resumed, and is essentially wasted effort. This yo-yo approach is eliminated when cycling lower volume weight lifting sessions, as muscle is preserved during a lower set focus, and when higher volume weight lifting sessions are once again implemented, the body will be able to continue building muscle without the prerequisite muscle regain period that accompanies excessive time away from weight lifting.

Bodybuilders who have been using higher volume workout sessions may hesitate to begin cycling lower volume, with the fear that they will hamper long term muscle gains, but if they consider that one major injury, which can easily result from a constant string of high volume sessions, will potentially cost them the majority of the muscle they spend so much time building, then lower volume weight lifting workouts begin to convey their true meaning and purpose, which is to enhance the chance that a bodybuilder will have the ability to consistently train with high intensity, a concept that is vital in producing the best possible muscle gains. The proper weight training and bodybuilding diet routine is crucial in producing maximum results, but even a perfectly constructed muscle building system is of little impact if the bodybuilder is unable to maintain consistent weight lifting workouts, with only occasional vacations (preferably around holidays, for spending time with family and friends, or during unexpected illness). Cycling low and high volume weight lifting workouts will provide the bodybuilder with substantial muscle gains without experiencing periods of fatigue, inconsistency, illness, and injury that accompany prolonged high volume weight lifting.

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Francesco Castano asked:

One of the most important factors in achieving bodybuilding success is muscle definition, which is directly linked to body fat percentage, and a factor that makes bodybuilding a challenge for many. In the hunt for the perfectly defined physique, carbohydrates receive a fair amount of criticism in the bodybuilding world, with articles regularly written on how carbohydrates contribute to excess body fat, and because of this widespread negativity, many bodybuilders pursue muscle building with a higher fat, lower carbohydrate approach, with hopes of maintaining a reasonable body fat percentage. But is there a point where carbohydrate consumption can decline excessively, reaching a level where muscle gains become extremely difficult, if not impossible? For those who ride the current bodybuilding bandwagon, the answer to this question would seem to be no, but reality is often far different than what popular bodybuilding notions will have us believe.

There is truth to the claim that excessive carbohydrates will cause body fat levels to rapidly increase, blurring muscle definition, and many find themselves battling a rotund mid-section and love handles due to haphazard carbohydrate consumption. But stripping carbohydrates to very low levels with the hope of avoiding the common bulge battle is a serious blunder, as although body fat accumulation will certainly decline using such an approach, the potential for muscle gain will inversely follow, with dramatic declines in future muscle size improvements, to the point where no further muscle gains are possible. Of course, a bodybuilder not only has the goal of minimizing body fat levels, but also maximizing muscle gain, therefore bringing carbohydrates to either extreme will interfere with one of the two goals, leaving the bodybuilder with a frustrated, bitter experience as he or she attempts to produce a balance between muscle size and low body fat levels.

What proponents of the low carbohydrate diet fail to realize is that muscle gains rely upon carbohydrates to fuel certain hormones in the body, namely insulin, which is extremely anabolic, leading to massive muscle increase, but also fueling quick, significant body fat gains when utilized improperly. Because insulin is directly linked with carbohydrate consumption, in order to produce the most dramatic muscle gains, carbohydrates must be present in the diet, but to prevent body fat from spiraling out of control, both the level of carbohydrates and time of the day in which such nutrients are consumed must be systematically implemented in order to offer muscles sufficient carbohydrate nutrients for growth, while minimizing negative impact on body fat percentage.

In addition to boosting insulin for anabolic impact, carbohydrates offer an immediate source for energy, and since the body must generate explosive output, carbohydrates offer the fuel for maximum effort during weight training workouts. When following a low carbohydrate focus, the body is unable to generate maximum torque during each weight lifting set, and therefore future muscle gains are negatively impacted, and already built muscle is also at risk of being lost. Those who follow a low carbohydrate focus tend to lose weight lifting workout motivation, as a lack of sufficient carbohydrates can negatively impact mood and motivation, leading to very poor weight training performance, which directly impacts muscle building in an extremely negative way.

One additional detrimental factor with a low carbohydrate diet focus is metabolism reduction, and although initially a low carbohydrate diet plan may shed body fat and produce greater definition, the long term impact of such a diet will not only burn muscle, but will also reduce metabolism (the rate at which the body burns calories), which means that the body will require less food to maintain a particular body fat level. Because of this, fat percentage will begin to increase when food intake reaches a muscle building intake due to this metabolic slowdown, and the net result is a greater fat level than is otherwise possible through properly balancing carbohydrates with protein and fat.

When attempting to improve muscle size and definition, please ignore the misconception suggesting that carbohydrates are the evil companion that interferes with success, as by banishing this vital nutrient from your weight lifting diet routine, you will no doubt experience far less muscle size and definition than is otherwise possible, but by integrating carbohydrates at strategic times and in proper quantities, you will allow the body to build muscle mass without the customary body fat surge that accompanies common weight gain routines. Carbohydrates, if used correctly, are one of the muscle building and fat loss keys to success!

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Chris Strogilis asked:

Building muscle mass is not a luxury.It is a necessity!!

Chris

Whether you are a 20 year stallion or a 60 year housewife you will need muscle mass to confront small everyday challenges and fulfil your duties however humble might they be!

I consider strength training and muscle mass development as an absolute must for every man and woman of whatever age!

The reasons are firm:

-better physical appearance(any volunteers?),improved posture.

-better physical performance.

-enhanced self -confidence,self-esteem,self-worth!

-higher basal metabolic rate since muscle mass is much more metabolically active than fat!

-fat reduction usually accompanies muscle gain

-muscles are the engines of our body!With stronger engines we are bound to have a better performance in our work,common daily duties and chores,beloved hobbies and sports,sexual activities (I have just blushed scarlet!),etc.

With a more efficient powerhouse we can feel and be more alive!

-stronger and denser bones,stronger tendons and ligaments.Reduced danger for osteoporosis.

-improved cardiovascular health.Strength training has been found to help reduce Low Density Lipoprotein or LPL (the bad guy,what we call bad cholesterol).At the same time it is beneficial for the good guy:LDL

-lower blood pressure

-as we age-we won’t be young for ever,shall we?-muscle loss and body fat increase are inevitable consequences as long as we are not engaged in some kind of strength training. I strongly urge you to keep this in mind since years flow like water!

Muscle loss decreases life quality in a dramatic way!

I have a strong conviction that all people can enjoy a vibrant life until their very late years!But they will have to include strength training in their every day rituals!

-stronger muscles and joints will function as shock absorbers to prevent from injuries. This is critical for aged people

-improved balance ,stability and coordination

-strength trainining shows an inverse correlation with obesity.

As one can easily conclude strength training is not an option but a must!

Muscle development needs mainly two things:

- the right supportive nutrition

-an effective strength training program

Nutrition is a domain that many people ignore.Nutritional mistakes halt the progress towards muscle development for many fitness enthusiasts.

What’s more, nutrition is by far the most important parameter for novices at muscle building.These people could achieve spectacular results with only minor adjustments to their nutrition strategy and tactics!!

Muscle development and nutrition

1. If you need to gain some muscle mass your first concern is to create a slight caloric surplus.

Though,you will have to move very cautiously if you want to minimize the possibilities of fat storage.

Thus,while some fat gain is inevitable in this phase, you could control it by taking the appropriate measures:

-the caloric surplus should be slight

-the caloric surplus should be gradual :start with a 10% increase over your caloric maintenance level and make it bigger when and if you reach a plateau.

2. Meals frequency is of strategic importance.

Spread your daily caloric intake into 5-6 equivalent meals and try to eat every about 3 hours.Include a premium protein source in every meal otherwise your body might cannibalize its own muscle tissue!Some benefits of frequent eating-among many else-are:

-your metabolism is boosted into high gear

-you are never hungry and the danger to pig-out is minimal

-you have a constant flow of nutritional constituents and energy

-your blood sugar and insulin levels are kept under control

-there are less possibilities for fat storage

3. How much protein? For an average fitness enthusiast-who is actually the “target group” of my articles-2gr of premium source protein per kg of body weight will suffice.

If you are a bodybuilder you will definetely need more (but these articles are not addressed to bodybuilders anyway!)

4. Protein sources:just good plain food.Please refer to my article:”Fitness/exercise:nutrition to boost your results”.

I am a strong opponent of any kind of supplementation and a fervent advocate of feeding only on unprocessed,unrefined,natural foods!!

5. Supplementation:

I will put it explicitly: don’t be suckers!Don’t even touch the chemical,man-made supplements!

You can perfectly -and you should – receive all the necessary micronutrients from whole,real foods amply provided by mother nature.

A real food is something much more complex than the total of its constituents.It is a unique combination of nutrients which work synergistically to satisfy our nutritional needs in the most efficient and idoneous way.

You don’t have to part with your hard-earned money only to buy garbage that eventually will harm you!

Eat abundant quantities of vegetables and if you have some money to spare go for organics.

6. And what should my nutrition base be?

We have touched on this subject many times. Please take a look here:

FITNESS/EXERCISE:NUTRITION TO BOOST YOUR RESULTS

I will limit myself here to the biggest no-nos and yes-yes.

Supportive nutrition:biggest no-nos

-white flour

-table sugar

-high fructose corn syrup

-artificial sweeteners

-hydrogenated oils(trans fats)

-sodas and all typical sugary refreshments

-visible fat in red meats

-processed meats and fish that contain sodium nitrite.Also sausages,hot dogs and the like

- all candies and pastries

-white bread

-white pasta

-white rice

-fried oils

-margarin

-all foods that contain substantial amounts of monosodium glutamate

-all deep fried foods:French fries,potato chips,doughnuts etc.They are full with acrylamide and trans-fats

-all types of canned soups

-mayonnaise and similar oily condiments and dressings

-all commercial baked foods:biscuits,cookies,cakes,bagels,croissants etc.

Supportive nutrition:biggest yes-yes

-all kinds of vegetables in season.I eat broccoli nearly every day.

-all fruits but in moderation due to their high sugar content.Prefer to take your antioxidants from vegetables which are nutritionally denser

exceptions(you can eat more from these):cranberries and most types of berries,pomegranates

-whole eggs:you can eat at least two yolks/day.Yolk protein is really valuable.

Additionally yolk contains precious choline for your mind as well as lutein and zeaxanthin which can play a serious role in the prevention of macular degeneration.

Don’t buy into the myth of high cholesterol! This myth has been debunked from the findings of multiple studies.

Try to find omega-3 eggs.

-sunflower and pumpkin seeds(I keep a reservation for flax seeds)

- mixed raw nuts

-avocados(they belong to fruits!)

-extra virgin(cold pressed) olive oil

-turkey and chicken breasts

-low fat cottage cheese

-low fat plain yogurt with active live cultures.Avoid funny alternatives as frozen yogurt,yogurt with fruits and tons of artificial sweeteners etc.

If you have a creative imagination you can try endless combinations with yogurt,raw nuts,seeds,fresh or dried berries etc.

-wild fatty fish and especially the miraculous,humble sardines.

Sardines are a real food treasure: they contain omega -3 fatty acids, the much rare coenzyme Q10,selenium,calcium,phosphorus ,iron,potassium vitamin D and premium quality protein.

The best thing is that they contain practically zero mercury, a poison that has completely changed our tuna-eating habits.

6. In the third part of this comprehensive article on the appropriate nutrition for muscle building we recited very succintly and explicitly the big nutrition no-nos.

It’s much easier to fight an enemy if you can see him!

But what happens if the enemy is lurking in the durk seeking to devour on first chance your precious muscle earnings?

And-much worse-if he is disguised as a caring friend?

This is our subject for today!

Unhealthy foods disguised as healthy

6.1. Tuna fish:

I quote its name and my heart pains because tuna is -or better was-one of my most favourite dishes.Cheap,convenient,available everywhere and highly nutritional.

The big concern with tuna is its relatively high content in toxic mercury. Recent research both in Europe and in the USA have found mercury levels in tuna fish to be alarmingly high.

I suggest that you should do your own research because mercury levels differ from sea to sea and from kind to kind.Depending on your weight, check your safe consumption rate.

I have switched to sardines. Luckily in Greece they are abundant,cheap and of excellent quality.

Sardines practically contain zero mercury because of their small size and their short life. They are a gift from the sea for us.Humble but of inestimable value!

6.2. Protein bars or energy bars

While you can find few products with a decent quality and nutritional value ,most of them are mere rubbish.

They are full with table sugar,artificial sweeteners,high fructose corn syrup,highly processed soya protein isolate,hydrogenated oils(trans-fats) and the like!

Search very carefully in order to find bars of acceptable quality. Double check the labels!

Most producers market energy/protein bars as nutritionally sound alternatives of meals with real food.

Alas,this is far from the truth!

Unprocessed,unrefined,natural food is what our bodies really need and deserve!Our human engines need the right kind of quality fuel in order to function well and to their maximum potential.

Why eat a bar with added protein and fiber of questionable quality when we can have the real thing naturally packed with excellent quality protein while accompanied by tenths of indispensable micronutrients?

Keep protein or energy bars only for emergency situations and plan ahead so as these emergency situations should be kept to a minimum.Don’t use them to justify your lousy eating habits!!

6.3. Sports drinks:

Most sports drinks are nothing more than artificially colored,sugary water.

The only established fact with these products is that they bring crazy profits to their producers!

Ah,another one is that they make your wallet lighter!

Or is it the same thing?

It doesn’t stop to amaze me how easily,evidently sane people leave themselves to be deliberately misled!!

Is it a kind of collective paranoia the fact that we deny to discern the obvious , namely that we are overtly suckered?

Or is it our illogical,extravagant desire for quick and easy fixes?

In a future entry we will see simple recipes for nice,homemade sports drinks.

6.4. Breakfast cereals

Despite their pretentious and highly pompous claims many breakfast cereals are nothing else but well concealed cereal killers.

Those marketed more heavily have most often the poorer nutritional value.

The majority of the products :

-are based on refined grains and the quantity of fibers is minimal

-have excessive sugar content

-use fancy artificial colorings

-contain big amounts of salts(sodium)

-contain saturated or/and hydrogenated fats

Be very careful to select breakfast cereals of the proper quality. Leave taste aside and search for nutrition.They should be based on whole grains with minimal salt ,sugar and trans fats content.Don’t fall victims to the marketing hype!

6.5.Many fat free products:

To compensate for the lack of taste these products are loaded with sugar,high fructose corn syrup-brrrr!- or artificial sweeteners.

6.7. Many sugar free products:

They are packed with saturated fats or trans fats from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

6.8. Commercially packaged fruit juices:

Though generally they won’t harm you,they have very little to offer you either. No fibers,very few vitamins and quite a lot of empty calories.

You can instead opt for homemade, freshly squeezed juices. By far the best option is to eat the whole fruit .

This will give you valuable fibers plus a satiety feeling.

In general try to avoid liquid calories.

6.9. Fruit smoothies:

Usually they won’t differ a lot from a milk shake,packed with sugars,fats and dead calories.

6.10. Liquid meal replacements:

Use them sparingly and only in case of emergency. One or two meals at the most per week. If you want real results go for real food!

Till now in this series of articles devoted to effective muscle building we saw :

- that muscle building concerns the general population and not only certain groups of people.We saw in other words that it is not a luxury but a real necessity.

-some strategic principles of supportive nutrition which we accepted as a very important determinant for proper muscle building.

-that supplementation is a real waste of money-at least for the ordinary fitness enthusiasts.

-the biggest nutrition no-nos

-the most important nutrition yes-yes

-and finally the top nutrition traps which are unhealthy foods disguised as healthy, usually for humble profit seeking reasons.

Now it is high time to speak about the training part of the equation.

Strategic principles of strength training

1. General axiom:aim for simplicity.Learn to appreciate the magnificence of simplicity.

2. Prefer free weights which can tax the totality of your muscles in the most appropriate way. A pair of adjustable dumbbells would be fine.

3. Keep your workouts short:20′-30′.But they should be really intense:decent loading of the muscles and minimal breaks.

4. Aim for three workouts per week.If it is hard for you, go at least for two and never for less.

5. Forget about split workouts.You are not a bodybuilder!Go for total body workouts.

6. The best range of repetitions if you want to build some muscle mass is 6-8 per set. So you will have to adjust your weights accordingly.

If you aim for strength development you should go for less.Conversely ,if you seek muscle endurance you should go for more repetitions.

Attention!:a big number of repetitions won’t bring muscle definition as many people erroneously thing.

Muscle definition is mostly a matter of low fat percentage.

Make sure that you read my article: “Muscle definition:the absolute article”.

7. Prefer to perform only compound/multijoint exercises which tax big muscle groups and more joints .These exercises are the best investment for your limited time.

The best movements are the classic ones: squats,lunges,deadlifts,presses and rows.

Things are simple and it’s contrary to our interests to make them seem more complex!

8.Don’t forget symmetry.If you train one group of muscles don’t forget to train the antagonists as well.

9. Don’t fall into the trap of overtraining.Balance quality with quantity.

10. Challenge yourself to brake some records.Excellent motivation indeed! You will need to coordinate body and mind. Make full exploitation of your most powerful weapon:your mind!

11. Pay due attention to the basics:excellent style,warm up and cooling down with some static stretching,blah blah blah..

..

12. Last but not least:if you are struggling to build muscle you will have to limit long ,strenuous cardio.Opt instead for short but real intense HIIT workouts.These workouts will help you save muscle while shedding fat.Sprints are excellent!

Conclusion

Lousy nutrition habits are a conspicuous violation of the muscle building laws.

Eat right ,train smart,watch your cardio ritual and muscle development will be a logical consequence!

Chris Strogilis

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Francesco Castano asked:

Many bodybuilders who wish to build significant levels of muscle mass aim to achieve a muscle pump or burn during their weight training workout sets, with the feeling that such a sensation is indicative of muscle fatigue and breakdown, therefore improving the chances for muscle gain. Bodybuilders will even specifically seek out the muscle pump or burn by modifying certain weight training workout factors in order to encourage such a feeling, and often tell other bodybuilders how their workout was extremely potent or describe a specific weight lifting exercise as feeling superior specifically due to the muscle pump or burn that accompanies each set.

But, is there a serious flaw with this bodybuilding concept? Certainly, any individual who has lifted weights is well aware of the muscle pump and burn fascination, as bodybuilders often speak of this phenomena, but how exactly is the muscle pump or burn achieved, and are the techniques that foster such a sensation actually conducive towards muscle gain?

The muscle pump and burn are a function of high rep ranges, where a bodybuilder uses less weight in order to fail using a much higher number of repetitions, which causes the muscles to fatigue in a far different way than higher weight and lower reps. Because a muscle is able to function for longer periods during a weight lifting set when using higher reps, there is a muscle pump and burn that accompanies the latter portion of a high rep range, as the muscle begins to approach failure, but by virtue of using less weight in order to achieve the muscle pump and burn rep range, muscle building is adversely impacted, and although the workout session may actually feel more intense and effective due to the muscle pump and burn, the type of fatigue, which is more endurance related than muscle building in nature, is not the most effective for those who wish to focus upon accumulating the greatest amount of muscle mass.

When using a lower rep range and higher weight, the workout set will usually not experience anywhere near the level of muscle pump or burn as compared with higher rep, lower weight workout sessions, but because the weight used is greater when reps are lower, the muscle receives a larger level of overload and shock, therefore causing superior bodybuilding results in most muscle groups. Therefore, although the muscle pump and burn is far less in heavier weight lifting sessions, since muscle growth is superior, there is no legitimate reason for a bodybuilder to aim for muscle pump or burn during a workout session that has as its primary intension muscle building.

Higher rep and lower weight workout sessions are helpful for muscle recovery, overtraining prevention, and joint recuperation, but are far less effective at building muscle mass in most areas as compared with heavier weight lifting workouts that do not offer any substantial muscle pump or burn. There are also certain exercises that tend to cause a greater sense of muscle pump or burn, especially those that stretch the muscle significantly (such as pec deck), but they also function in the same method just described, in that the muscle pump and burn will greatly increase with lower weight and higher reps, but, the most important point to remember is that the greatest level of muscle growth will not occur by aiming for a muscle pump or burn, but rather through structuring weight lifting workout sessions to function within a lower rep range where greater weight will be used to produce a higher level of workload.

If you enjoy a muscle pump or burn, then you can always perform one set at the very end of each weight lifting workout exercise that is comprised of higher reps and lower weight (a burn out set), as this will not interfere with muscle growth assuming that all prior workout sets are structured using a lower rep range and heavier weight, which is conducive towards maximum muscle gain. The goal is not to feel as if a muscle has grown in size during the actual weight lifting workout session, but rather to achieve weekly measurable muscle gains, so do not make the mistake of believing a muscle pump or burn during a workout will translate into any extra sustainable muscle growth unless you have structured your weight lifting session with heavier, lower rep workouts for maximum muscle stimulation.

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