Is Protein Powder really necessary? Does it really work? How much do I need? What kind should I take? What is the best? These are the common questions when it comes to any supplement. In our case this the protein powder Vince gives you the basic knowledge you need so that you have a clue what to look for next time you go protein shopping. Vince also besides answering those basic questions he talks about the difference between protein from whole food and the protein powder. In the ends he talks about the different types of protein powder like whey protein, casein protein and soy protein along with a simple guide to help you choose according to your needs.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly reccomended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

Skinny Guy’s Guide To Protein Powder

By Vince Delmonte

So what do you really need to know about protein powder? After all, as a skinny guy or beginner to the whole bodybuilding scene you simply want to know a few answers. Is protein powder necessary? Does it really work? How much do I need? What kind should I take? What is the best? And finally, will any of these answers make a difference when it comes to getting jacked and attracting the ladies?

This article is not meant for you if you want to learn the science behind the ion-exchanged, cross-mutaed, isotopically labeled protein tracers blah blah blah. In this article, I will strip away all the hype, science and confusion that surrounds protein powder. By the time you are through this article and put it to memory, you will become the resident protein powder expert and amaze your friends the next time you visit the sport nutrition store. No more 2-hour shopping trips for protein powder because you don’t really have a clue what to look for!

So, although protein supplements are not an absolute requirement for gaining mass, I have yet to meet any person able to get 400 grams of protein per day from cooking food. If your protein intake is greater than 200 grams per day I will suggest a protein powder – it will make your life a lot easier.

In addition, dollar for dollar, protein powders and meal replacement drinks tend to be more cost effective than whole food. Don’t get me wrong, though. Protein powders are still supplements in my book. Supplement means an addition to the diet. I emphasize this because the focus of any diet should be food. Whole food is often preferable to powders because it can offer a whole spectrum of nutrients that powders cannot.

Most of your dietary protein should come from meat, fish, poultry and eggs. However getting all your protein from whole food is not always practical or convenient, especially if you have to eat 6 or more times a day to get your required intake. I will stress to you, for optimal muscle gains, that you should limit yourself to a maximum of three per day or 40 % of your meals. To some this might sound like going ‘overboard’ and I would not disagree.

The bottom line is that both food and supplements are necessary to achieve a complete nutritional balance as well as the desired level of protein intake, especially if you’re not a big fan of cooking. And I assume that over 95% of you reading this do not have a personal maid at home cooking all your meals while you sit around waiting for your next meal. Do not make the fatal mistake of thinking protein powders can take the place of a solid training and nutrition program.

Does protein powder really work and are they healthy?

I get this question emailed to me almost everyday. I just showed how it ‘works’ as a supplement to help you hit your supplemental protein mark but you are probably still wandering, ‘Yeah, but is protein powder going to help me get muscular or is it a scam?” A better question would be, “Does protein really work?” and the obvious answer is ‘yes.’ You are fully aware that protein is composed of building blocks called amino acids which performs a variety of functions in the body such as build and maintain healthy muscles when combined with diet and exercise. Protein also:

Support red blood cell production

Boost your immune system

Keep your hair, fingernails, and skin healthy

However, not all protein powder is created equal. Most protein powder contains an array of questionable ingredients such as aspartame, saccharin, fructose and artificial colors. It’s interesting to note how unhealthy most of these protein powders actually are. Look for a protein powder with natural ingredients rather than products that are sweetened with chemicals and made with ingredients that are certainly not going to create an environment for muscle growth and fat burning.

Also avoid products with refined carbohydrates such as fructose, sucrose or brown rice syrup. Make sure that the product is made from a reputable company that is genuinely interested in good health. Unfortunately supplement manufacturers will continue to meet the demands of bodybuilding consumers with unknown crappy products because we buy it and it is cheaper for them to create. Do your homework by seeking out unbiased reviews, investigating the companies history, and reputation. And then make a decision and take responsibility!

In the past one of my criteria for a healthy protein product was that it was great tasting and that it should mix easily. Most protein powders mix quite easily, even with a spoon, however I was disappointed to discover that taste will inevitably be sacrificed for a safe and healthy product. I can live with this. You see, once a product is removed of all artificial chemical sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose, and simple sugars it is left almost tasteless and sometimes even gross.

How much protein powder do I need?

A better question would be, “How much pure protein do I need to achieve my goals?”

Protein is an extremely important macro nutrient and should be eaten frequently throughout the day. I recommend at least 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. This means that if you are 150 pounds and 10% body fat (150 x 0.10 = 15 lbs of fat leaving 135 lbs of lean mass), you will require at least 135 to approximately 205 grams of protein per day.

I recommend that protein powder be used primarily for your pre-workout, workout and post-workout shake. This is when liquid food is more advantageous over whole food since it has a faster absorption rate.

I do not recommend protein powder do be used for meal replacements for more than two meals. Here is what a typical day might look like:

Meal 1 (breakfast) – whole food

Meal 2 (mid morning) – liquid protein meal

Meal 3 (lunch) – whole food

Meal 4 (mid afternoon) whole food

Meal 5 (pre and post workout) liquid protein meal

Meal 6 (dinner) whole food

Meal 7 (before bed) whole food

What kind of protein powder should I use?

Before deciding which protein powder is necessary, here is a short protein primer to help you make sense of the thousands of different protein powders from which to choose:

WHEY PROTEIN makes up 20% of total milk protein. Whey is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, high cysteine content, rapid digestion, and interesting variety of peptides. Since it is very quickly digested the best time to consume it is before your workout, during your workout or immediately after your workout. These would be considered the phase in the day where you need energy the most and when your body is in anabolic state.

CASEIN PROTEIN makes up 80% of total milk protein. Casein is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, slow digestion and interesting variety of peptides. Since casein is slowly digested into your bloodstream, don’t use it during workouts or after workouts – you need a fast absorbing protein at these times. Instead, use a casein protein for all other times outside the pre and post workout window.

SOY PROTEIN is the most controversial of all protein types. While the soy groupies have gone to great lengths to label soy as a super food with magical effects, there is also a good amount of research that suggests soy protein may be contraindicated in many situations. BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONFUSION, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, I SUGGEST AVOIDING SOY PROTEIN ALTOGETHER AND STICKING TO THE OTHER TYPES LISTED.

Protein Blends are generally a combination of several types of protein blends such as whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, egg protein, casein protein, and soy protein.

Why would you want a blend anyway? You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein – use this kind at any time of the day but NOT before a workout or after a workout.

Whey hydrolysates (also known as hydrolyzed whey protein, and are also called peptides), are powerful proteins that are more quickly absorbed; more so than any other form, since your body prefers peptides to whole proteins. Hydrolysates are produced through very low heat, low acid and mild enzymatic filtration processes, (those highest in the essential and the branched chain amino acids) and are potentially the most anabolic for short-term protein synthesis such as the the pre-workout and post-workout window.

Whey Protein Versus Whey Isolate:

Most whey protein powders that stock the supplement shelves are made up of whey concentrate and mixed in with a small portion of whey isolate. Comparing the two, whey protein isolate is more expensive than whey protein concentrate because it has a higher quality (more pure) and a higher BV (biological value). Whey protein isolate contains more protein and less fat and lactose per serving. Most whey protein isolates contain 90-98% protein while whey concentrates contain 70-85% protein.

Whey protein isolate is the highest yield of protein currently available that comes from milk. Because of its chemical properties it is the easiest to absorb into your system. Obviously with its high concentration, it appears that an isolate protein would be the obvious choice instead of a concentrate. However, this is an individual decision because the isolate is more expensive, and just because it is purer does not guarantee that it will help build bigger muscles. Its extra concentration may not justify its extra cost.

SO WHAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE? WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

For the Pre-workout and Post-workout phases, as long as whey hydrolysate is the first or second ingredient on the supplement label then there is probably not enough in the product to influence protein synthesis to reap the optimal benefits. As stated, whey isolates are also a very extremely high quality whey and for maximal anabolism isolates should be combined with whey hydrolysates for only the pre-workout and post-workout phases of your program. The inclusion of small amounts of whey concentrates will not harm you but this should not be the first ingredient on the tub of protein powder.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE STRONGEST PROTEIN POWDER TO EXPLOIT YOUR FULL GROWTH POTENTIAL DURING THE GROWTH AND RECOVERY PHASES (ANY TIME OTHER THAN PRE AND POST WORKOUT PERIOD) THEN USE A BLEND.

You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying rates of absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an anti-catabolic environment from the casein.

Conclusion

I hope this article familiarized you with the basics of protein powder and gave you a foundation to work from when deciding on your next order. Don’t get caught up in the hype and start becoming a more educated consumer when you take your next trip to the nutrition store. Now you can tell the sales rep exactly what you are looking for instead of starring blankly at the shelves without a clue!

Oh yeah, protein powder will help you get more jacked and attract the ladies but it’s not going to do it in a ‘ultra short period of time’ with the simple addition to your diet.

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

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To defeat your skinny genetics you need to play with different rules. This is one of the main statements Vince stands by in many different topics regarding skinny guys. Vince focus in this article on one of the main training technique most skinny guys forget about (i.e. strength training). Vince explains the six main reasons skinny guys should focus on strength training. After that he give you his 12 weeks strength training program for skinny guys “The 1 + 1 Skinny Guy Strength Program”. I suggest you give it a try and see the results yourself.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly recommended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

Defeat Your Skinny Genetics and Own 2010 : The 1 +1 Skinny Guy Transformation

Program

By Vince Delmonte

It happens every year. The New Year comes and every scrawny twerp on the planet swears this is going to be the year that he slaps on an extra 20 pounds of muscle. But if you didn’t pack it on successfully last year, what makes you think this year is going to be any different? Seriously?

Did you spend hours in the gym with no results? Did you spend the last year blindly following the muscle magazines only to look the same as you do now? Did you spend the year filling your body with mysterious supplements that only make you sick? Did you watch your friends train less than you but get twice as big? Sound familiar doesn’t it? I thought so. So the question is, how are we going to get a different result? The answer is simple. By doing something differently. Would you agree the best way to get the same thing is to do the same thing? And would you agree that the best way to get a different result is to do something different? Give me a amen if you have decided that 2008 is going to be different. Give me a amen-hallelujah if you are prepared to be a different person and prepared to do something different this year. Commit to having your best year, and I’ll take care of you, providing you with the best skinny guy transformation program.

My Own Skinny Guy Experience

Trust me, I know. I was a skinny beanpole all through high school and university and gained the nickname Skinny Vinny. I gawked at my room mates how displayed copious amounts of rock-hard brawn on there frame. I was inspired by the spectacular ‘before and after’ pictures in bodybuilding magazines. I read every piece of bodybuilding literature I could, got misguided by a slew of personal trainers, experimented with every legal supplement I could purchase, but despite my efforts, my 12 week pictures looked nothing like the supplement advertisements. The cruel scale needle stayed the same like it was cast in stone. Perhaps I was doomed to be skinny for life…

Skinny Guys Must Play By A Different Set Of Rules

As a weight training enthusiast, figuring out the most effective workout routine can become an endless source of confusion and frustration. Every single fitness expert and magazine has a different training theory or training angle which becomes more confusing than a trip for Jessica Simpson at Home Depot!

Most skinny guys end up using routines designed and touted by those freaky monsters seen in the hardcore rags who have more than a little chemistry lab going on inside of them. Programs that include hitting the gym more than five times a week, focusing on 1-2 exercises per workout, 12-24 sets per exercise and overemphasizing isolation-type exercises. None of these components of a program helps improve the underlying foundation of a hardgainers success. Training to get bigger and more muscular, that is – your best body ever, must revolve around getting stronger and I mean really, really stronger. Increasing your strength remains the rock-solid foundation for defeating your skinny genetics and getting a head-turning physique for 2008.

Since the vast array of exercise machines came on the market, along with infomercials, instant result programs, and fancy dressed supplement ads, people are no longer willing to spend the time in the gym to build the solid strength foundation that is critical for long-term progress. Since you’ve read this far, you won’t be making that mistake this year!

Six Reasons Skinny Guys Must Focus On The Forgotten Factor: Strength

How many people do you see with skinny arms that can curl 135 pounds? How many people do you see with no chest who bench press 275 pounds? How many people do you see with massive upper girdles that can dead lift 315 pounds? How many people do you see with chop-stick legs who can squat 400 pounds?I would say – not many. There are many more reasons why strength training will help you defeat your muscle unfriendly genes and get the body you deserve this year but I think you get the point. If ever in doubt, just take a look at the biggest guys in your gym. I bet they are lifting 3-4 more times the weight as you!

The 1 + 1 Skinny Guy Strength Program

Cardiovascular and Flexibility Training Tips

Take The Challenge

Give the 1 + 1 Skinny Guy Strength Program a honest effort for the next 12 weeks and commit to making 2008 the year that you defeat your skinny genetics and build a body you can be proud of without spending any more time in the gym than you have to. Believe that you can do it. It can be done and it will!

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

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Dietary fiber is an essential part of any healthy diet. Vince in this article explains why you should not ignore the importance of fiber. Fiber improves the cardiovascular and digestive system along with providing a high degree of satiety. Fiber is also important for lowering bad Cholesterol levels and a main component of successful weight loss diet. How much fiber do you need? How get it? What are the different types of fiber? All these questions are answered by Vince in this article.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly reccomended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

Facts on Fiber

By Vince Delmonte

If you are trying to create a healthy diet for yourself, you cannot overlook the importance that fiber will play. The main benefits you’ll receive from dietary fiber include improvement in the cardiovascular and digestive system along with providing a high degree of satiety.

Unfortunately, in today’s world of overconsumption of processed foods, fiber is often one thing many individuals are really lacking.

Here are the top facts about fiber you need to know.

Promotion Of A Healthy Digestive System

Fiber’s primary role in the body is going to be to help promote a healthy digestive system. It does this by helping to keep the intestines in proper working order and prevent the accumulation of cholesterol along the lining.

Lowering Your Bad Cholesterol Levels

Another thing fiber will do, is help to decrease the level of LDL cholesterol that’s seen in the blood. It does this by binding with the dietary cholesterol you take in while it’s in the small intestine and then removing it from the body.

Therefore, a diet rich in fiber can be a very good defense against the heart disease.

Fiber And Weight Loss

Women who are consuming high fiber diets on a regular basis generally maintain a much lower weight than those who don’t, simply because they typically consume fewer total calories as a result.

Because it takes fiber a long time to be digested by the body, this means you will stay feeling fuller longer than if you would have done without it.
Since it is your end of the day total calorie intake that determines weight gain or weight loss, this is absolutely essential for weight loss.

Getting Enough Fiber

It’s recommended, when it comes to being sure you are getting enough fiber in your diet, to try and average 14 grams per 1000 calories you eat. Most women will have diets consisting between 1500 and 2000 calories, depending on your body weight and activity levels, so that will translate to 21-28 grams of fiber total.

Increase Your Intake Slowly

Be sure that if you have not been eating much fiber in your diet at all in the past few months, increase your intake slowly.

If you go from eating very little fiber a day to getting a very high dose, you will likely suffer from extreme digestive upset and will not feel well at all.

Try and increase the consumption over the period of a few weeks to ease this process.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber is the type that plays the more predominant role in the lowering of bad cholesterol levels and is fully broken down the by the body. Sources to try and aim to consume include oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, and fruits.

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand is not digested by the body and rather, helps to slow down gastric emptying, causing that increased satiety effect discussed above. This is what will provide the biggest benefit when it comes to weight control for you.

Good sources of this type of fiber include whole-wheat breads, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, wheat bran, cabbage, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and the skin of apples.
So, be sure you do not overlook the importance of fiber in your diet. If you do get your consumption levels in line, you will most definitely notice a change in how you feel, and more than likely, a change in how you look as well.

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

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Sprint training become more popular every day.Maybe because it takes very short time compared to traditional cardio, but there is more benifits like the large calorie burn after the workout due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Vince explains in this article the diifrent benifits and Adaptations that result for such a high intensity workout

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly reccomended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

Adaptations To Sprint Training

By Vince Delmonte

If you are looking to improve your physical conditioning, sprint training is one of the best ways to go about doing so.

Many individuals also prefer this type of training because it takes a lot less time than traditional forms of cardio that have you going for thirty to sixty minutes at a time.

Additionally, there are a great many benefits that come along with doing the more intense sprinting type of activity.

EPOC

One of the biggest benefits you’ll get from this form of training is the EPOC effects it creates. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and is where the body will expend a great deal of calories returning the body back to its former state after the workout.

Because sprint training is so intense, this will contribute to a large calorie burn after you have finished the workout.

Metabolic Adaptations

Next, when you perform a number of sprint sessions, the body will upregulate its ability to produce enzymes that are going to work at increasing the storage capacity of the muscle for energy substrates such as ATP.

This then has the corresponding effect of allowing you to work out harder for a longer period of time without fatigue setting in. Note though that this occurs when you are working more on the aerobic side of things, so while it is intense, you are still utilizing oxygen.

If no oxygen is present, you will only be able to last 5-20 seconds, regardless of how well condition you are (the better condition you are though, the harder you will be able to work during that time).

Phosphate Metabolism

The next benefit you’ll get with sprint training is its effect on phosphate metabolism. Phosphate creatine stores comprise a major component of the body’s fuel source for muscular activity, so anything you can do to increase this is going to be beneficial.

Myokinase is an enzyme that is responsible for resynthesizing the energy from phosphate creatine, and with sprint training, it will increase its concentration within the muscle tissue by up to 20%.

Glycolysis

The next adaptation that will occur after you’ve been doing sprint training for a period of time is that of glycolysis. This is the primary form of metabolism used during a 10 second all out sprint and contributes between 55 and 75% towards energy production during exercise. Phosphofructokinase (PFK), an enzyme that catalyses the phosphorylation of the glycolytic intermediate fructose 6-phosphate) has also been shown to increase when sprint training is performed, along with the enzymes of lactate dehydrogenase and glycogen phosphorylase (other enzymes responsible for the glycolysis system).

Intramuscular Buffering Capacity

Finally, the last adaptation that’s seen with sprint training is the buffering capacity of the muscle. During glycoglysis, various byproducts are created such as lactic acid, and when these accumulate, it causes the extreme feelings of fatigue in the muscle tissues.

This then forces you to stop exercising as the fatigue sets in and often will be the end of your workout.

Overtime, sprint training will increase your ability to buffer these byproducts so that you can then workout for a longer period of time while maintaining that intensity.

So, next time you’re debating about whether to do a sprint training session or a moderate paced cardio session lasting for 40 minutes or so, opt for the sprint session.

The benefits you’ll receive are far more numerous and fat loss will be kicked up a notch as an added benefit. Keep in mind that for this these type of benefits to occur, you want your sprints to last somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 seconds to 40 seconds, with a work to rest ration of about 1:2. Repeat this process a total of 6 to 8 times and begin and end with a five minute warm-up and cool-down.

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There are three main different muscle fiber types. The type A Fast-Twitch muscle Fibers, The type B Fast-Twitch muscle Fibers and the Slow-Twitch. As Vince explains in this article that these different fibers are utilized in different situations and has different jobs. It is still important to understand the different types in order to plan your training to achieve the maximum results utilizing different types of fibers. After all our outside appearance, health and strength relay on all of the different types of muscle fiber.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly reccomended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

Learning The Muscle Fiber Types

By Vince Delmonte

One factor that many people overlook when they do all their research about the best type of muscle building strength training program to go on is the various types of muscle tissue and what type of training is best suited to them.

While you can’t differentiate between muscle fibers from your outside appearance, on the inside of the muscle tissue body, there are three main different fibers present.

Type A Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

The first type of muscle fibers are known as Type A Fast Twitch and are responsible for the most forceful contractions generated, however, will fatigue the fastest.

For example, if you were to perform an all out set of 3 reps for bench press, you would predominately be using these type A muscle fibers.

They tend to have very large motor neurons and very low mitochondrial density. They also have a low oxidative capacity, meaning they will not be able to utilize oxygen very well. It is for this reason that they are not suited to endurance type of activities, because during these exercise variations, oxygen must be present in order to sustain the muscular contractions.

The major type of fuel that these muscle fibers are going to rely on is creatine phosphate and stored muscle glycogen (glucose). They will not utilize stored body fat at all due to the fact that they are only able to continually contract for between one and about 20 seconds.

Type B Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

The next muscle fiber is also classified as a fast twitch muscle fiber but not to the extent that type A are.

This muscle fiber type is mostly utilized in activities that are relatively short in duration, but are not at an all out pace.

For example, if you were to sprint 100 meters, you’ll be using mostly type A. If on the other hand, you are to do a running interval at about 80-90% of your max capacity for 30 seconds, this would utilize the type A more.

Some of the characteristics of the type B are that they still have a large motor neuron (not as large as Type A though), they are on the intermediate scale as far as being resistant to fatigue, and they have a high degree of mitochondrial density.

These muscle fiber types are also able to use oxygen to a great extent, as demonstrated by their higher resistance to fatigue and longer duration of contraction abilities.

Slow Twitch

Finally, the third type of muscle fiber that you have in your body is classified as slow-twitch.
This is the muscle fiber type you would use if you were to run a marathon or any other extended duration, medium-to-low intensity activity.

These muscle fibers have a very high ability to resist fatigue and have a large oxidative capacity.

They are also relatively slow to contract, therefore you cannot expect a great deal of force generation from these muscles, thus, will not be intended for exercises requiring a high degree of power.

They are very high in terms of mitochondrial density and have a large number of capillaries running throughout their bodies. This is to enable sufficient oxygen to get to the muscle tissues so that they can carry on the extended duration of muscular work they are intended to do.
These are also the muscle fibers that will also rely more on fat as fuel, as opposed to strictly using carbohydrates or creatine phosphate

Training The Muscle Fiber Types

So, now that you’re familiar with the three major classes of muscle fiber types, it’s time to recognize how you would train each effectively.
Since type A are your primary force generators, if you wish to get a higher performance from them you’ll need to train using exercises that require you to max out your effort for a short period of time.
Think sprinting at full speed, 1-5 rep sets for lifting, and any type of plyometric activities.

Next, to train your type B muscles fibers, you’ll want to slightly decrease the force with which you are to contract while simultaneously increasing the time over which you contract ever so slightly.

For example, perform 30-45 intervals repeated ten times with about a minute or a minute and a half at a low to moderate pace. For your weight training activities, aim to target the 6-10 rep range to utilize the fact these muscle fibers have a higher oxidation ability.

Finally, to improve your slow twitch muscle fibers, think endurance. This type of fiber will usually require the greatest amount of time to train for improvement because you’ll want to focus on simply going ‘longer’. If you’re a runner, try and run longer. If you’re a biker, bike longer. If you’re a swimmer, swim longer – you get the point. This type of muscle has the ability to go for extended periods of time so this is exactly what you want to train it to do.
So, next time you are trying to sort out your training plan, make sure to take the various muscle fiber types into consideration.

Doing so will allow you to make the most out of your training program so you get the exact results you’re looking for.

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

Popularity: 15% [?]

Big Biceps! I know I want them do you? I can bet that any guy would say yes. Vince explains how biceps training become ‘obsessive addiction’ and lists the main five common problems with bicep training .After that he reveals a step by step program to explode those biceps.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly reccomended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

How To Build Big Biceps

By Vince Delmonte

The “Guns.” The “Pythons.” “Thunder” and “Lighting.” The “Rockweillers.” There is no other muscle group that has earned more nicknames than when describing a bulging and huge set of bicep! Bulging biceps – every guy wants them. Count me in this group.

The days are far from gone when you walk into the gym and see 9 out of 10 guys doing bicep curls all at the same time with the same determination to add even ¼ inch to their biceps. Training biceps has become almost an ‘obsessive addiction’ in the gym. I have seen guys do bicep curls in between sets just so they can ’see’ a little bit of a pump in their arms. I have seen guys spend an entire hour bent over doing concentration curls while starring in the mirror. I have seen guys take weights on vacation so that they can do some bicep curls at their hotel before they go into the club! I have seen guys spend longer amounts of times shopping for t-shirts than girls shopping for a blouse with the hope that one of these shirts will make his arms look ‘good.’ Someone disagree with me that bicep training has become an unhealthy ‘obsessive addiction.’ for many. In the “Skinny Arms” defense, the allure of peaked, mountainous biceps will never go away. Why should it? The ‘guns’ are of a man’s most prized possession and one of many women’s most desired body parts on a man (of course)! My question is if 9 out 10 guys are obsessed with seeing their biceps grow and dedicate so much of their workout volume to isolating their biceps and using every technique from forced reps, drop sets, and 21’s which are ‘promised’ to be the most effective methods confirmed by pro bodybuilders, why do they still have little to show for their efforts? Let’s examine five of the most common problems with bicep training before I offer a step-by-step program to take your bicep peak to new heights.

If doing 4 sets is better than 3 sets, why don’t you just do 10 sets? Even better, why don’t you just train them all day? It has been said before, but it obviously needs to be said again: “Less is often more.” Especially if you are not gifted with “muscle-friendly” genes.

Your goal of each weight training workout should be to simply ‘out do’ your last workout. Once you achieve this with an extra pound or a few extra reps, then it is time to move to the next exercise. Not to Nazi-torture the muscle for another hour. I have found this a hard concept for many skinny guys to grasp because they are fixated on the instant gratification of making their biceps ‘look’ big during the workout and not what they look like when they leave the gym, which leads us to our next problem.

Problem #2 ties in with problem #1. The truth is that the longer you train your biceps, even if the weights are not extremely heavy, you can achieve a fairly decent pump that can turn a few heads while in the gym. This attention and perception that you are doing something beneficial is deceiving. Yes, there is something to say about keeping blood in the muscle as long as possible, but if the workout is done with weights that do not overload your muscles and emphasize an increase in strength, your biceps will quickly deflate back to normal with no true muscle growth.

Some of the biggest guys I know rarely even train their arms. What they do though is put a strong emphasis around increasing their chest, back and shoulder strength. If you simply focus on increasing the weights on your rows, pull ups and chin-ups, rest assured that your biceps will come along for the ride and grow proportionally.

However, if you are always blasting and ’smoking’ your biceps, they will always be fatigued when you train your back muscles and, as you should know, you are only as strong as your weakest link. This is another reason to take a lower volume approach to arm training.

Every pro bodybuilder will put their money on two of the simplest exercises for building huge biceps – barbell curls and dumbbell curls. According to the pros, these two exercises have built more huge guns than any other exercise in the world. I definitely agree that these ’simple’ exercises are a safe foundation to build a program around, but let’s also remember that pro bodybuilders using steroids are going to have a strong response to practically any exercise they do.

I have no problem using these two exercises under one condition – you are getting stronger from week to week. As long as you are increasing the weights and reps relative to perfect form, then your arms should continue growing. Aim to build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds for a few “slow speed” sets and your dumbbell curls up to 50 pounds for a few “slow-speed” sets that involve zero rocking and swaying. Once you build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds, you will be ready to try these two different angles on the bar. You will have to drop your weights a bit, but stick with these two variations until you build back up to 110 pounds: Bicep Exercise 1: “Stress” the outer portion of the bi’s by placing your elbows outwards and using a super-close grip. Bicep Exercise 2: “Stress” the inner portion of the bi’s by taking a super-wide grip on the bar and digging your elbows into your side (and don’t let them move.) Bicep Exercise 3: To “stress” the brachialis and brachioradialis stick to good old fashioned hammer curls and reverse curls. Don’t underestimate these two exercises in the slightest.

I think many weight trainees do not fully grasp the concept of isolating and actually training a muscle. They do not know how to make the muscle work and fatigue. Instead, you see a lot of swinging, momentum and sloppy lifting used to move the weight from every part of the body except the one they are actually trying to train. The biceps have a very strong response to “constant tension,” which means you should never give them a chance to breathe. Keep the bar constantly moving without pausing at the top or bottom. Focus on squeezing the heck out of the bar and never let your biceps relax until the set is over. Your entire goal is to not allow any oxygen into the muscle which creates a spike with your anabolic hormones to promote muscle growth. Resort to a slower 3-0-3 or 4-0-4 tempo to get the job done.

• Notice the simplicity of the workout structure. This program will work extremely well for hardgainers. The overall volume might be a little low for someone used to a traditional bodybuilder split program and has more than four years of consistent training.
• The power of the program is found in the principle of prioritization by sequence on the first pull workout. Notice that your prioritization muscle is being sequenced at the start of the workout and the start of the week. This is happening on purpose. We are intentionally giving your biceps an opportunity to train at their two most “fresh” times – at the start of the week and at the start of the workout.
• Focusing on increasing overall strength can still be achieved on the second pullworkout where the biceps will not be pre-fatigued.
• Notice the slow speed movements. Many anabolic hormones are released when your muscles are under constant tension. The tempo’s are set up so that will be forced to move the weight slower and with a greater amount of tension concentrically and eccentrically.
• On a pull day, 402 would mean: 4 seconds to release the weight, 0 second pause at the bottom and 2 seconds to pull the weight. On a push day, 402 would would mean 4 seconds to lower the weight, 0 second pause at the bottom and 2 seconds to push the weight up.
• Focus on adding 5-10 pounds to each of your exercises over the course of the next four weeks while keeping the rep ranges and sets the same. It is not necessary to do more sets or more reps. Focus on increasing more weight under the same set, rep, tempo and rest prescription.

Focus on gaining an extra 5 pounds of overall weight this next 5 weeks. That works out to gaining about 2 pounds of dry muscle accompanied by some water and glycogen weight. An extra 5 pounds of overall weight should lead to at least an extra inch on your arms. Keep the program going for another 5 weeks and you’ll have a whole extra inch on your arm in about 10 weeks! Then tell all your friends to get tickets for the “Gun Show!”

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

Popularity: 1% [?]

Six pack abs is what all guys are after even if they are not after huge muscles in general. Everybody wants to shrink the waistline, lose body fat, and eliminate lower back pain. Vince provides you with a step by step program to develop the abs definition. The first step is to expose the lies, myths and rumors related to six-pack abs development. No worries, Vince does that too in this article. I hope this would help you build the abs of your dreams.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly recommended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

How To Get Razor Sharp Abs Abdominal Exercise Program

By Vince Delmonte

If you could sculpt one body part to perfection for next summer, what would it be? Let me guess – six pack abs! I don’t know anybody who does not want to shrink their waistline, lose body fat, eliminate lower back pain and develop a jaw-dropping set of rock-hard six-pack abs. Building eye-popping abdominals is not the hardest thing to achieve in the world but it’s definitely not the easiest either.

Before you can start learning how to get six-pack abs and discover the truth about what it really takes to build a beach-worthy abdominal section, you must first expose the lies, myths and rumors. Before we talk about how to get six-pack abs, the right way, we must re-program your hard drive and empty the trash can of garbage you have been fed.
Because of all this hyped-up and misguided information – even among so-called ‘fitness experts’ – you should be skeptical of all abdominal training equimpment and programs. Let’s first eliminate the top four ways not to get a six-pack:
Learning how to get a six-pack does not require expensive workout equipment promoted through obnoxious infomercials. You can’t flick on the TV anymore without seeing two new abdominal exercise machines being promoted at once. There are so many of them that if you get suckered into these ‘ab workout’ gimmicks, you will be broke quicker than Ben Johnson sprints the 100 meter dash! And get this: Of the $520 million dollars a year spent on exercise equipment, abdominal machines get a $208 million dollar piece of the pie!
Learning how to get a six-pack does not require thousands or even hundreds of crunches a day. So much for the Brittany Spears ab workout! Crunches are decent but totally overused and associated with more being better. Crunches are a very general exercise, and general exercises get general results. Excessive floor crunches shorten the abdominal wall, pull your head forward and emphasize poor posture. They also involve a very low level of stimulation which neglects adequate muscle-fiber recruitment.
Learning how to get a six-pack does not involve starvation diets. Starvation diets starve the muscle when you should be feeding the muscle instead. Guess what happens when you starve your body? Your metabolism shuts down out of survival and causes your body to store fat. Your body must get energy from somewhere, so guess what gets sacrificed? That’s right, your precious muscle which is, in fact, responsible for maintaining a high metabolism. Starve your muscle – great logic!

Learning how to get a six-pack does not require fat-burning pills. What did the last weight loss pill you bought do for you? The same thing the next one is going to do – nothing! Except give you a thinner wallet but not a thinner waist line. The entire concept of taking pills to ‘burn fat’ is built on a sandy foundation and misleading because diet pills only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. Without focusing on the root problems of a flabby mid-section, like poor nutrition, a crazy lifestyle and improper training, you will just end up where you started – farther away from having a six-pack for summer instead of closer.

Just Because You’re Skinny Does Not Mean You Will Have A Six-Pack

The volume of interest I receive from skinny guys who wish to build their mid-sections is more than enough evidence to disprove the false reality of “I should be able to ’see’ my abs if I have low body fat.” I’m sure you know of a friend who is completely scrawny, yet, without a shirt on he, has zero abdominal definition! To me that would be salt on an open wound.

Abdominals Are A Muscle, Too!

You want your arms to be bigger, your shoulders to be broader and your chest to be fuller, correct? And what is the solution to making these muscle groups increase in size? High intensity weight training, overload, consistency and a healthy surplus of calories. Starting to sound familiar?

The same goes for your abdominal. Your abdominals are a muscle group that requires the same formula and attention and are not any different from other muscle groups. For some reason many consider abdominals to be a ’special’ body part that requires a different set of rules and a completely different formula for training. Abdominals were not given a ’secret code’ to crack. To get thick, dense abs – the ones that ‘pop’ out – you must train them with intensity and overload. Here are some practical tips you can apply to your program so that you can be the ‘man’ or ‘gal’ at your gym with a ripped and muscular six-pack. Then I will provide a sample program!

Prioritize By Sequence

If your abs are your worse body part, then why do you keep training them last, at the end of your workout? Which muscles group will receive the highest priority when you train? The ones done at the start of your workout or the ones done at the end of the workout? Of course, the exercises done at the start of the workout while you have the most energy and focus. If abdominals are the muscle group you wish to prioritize, then don’t be afraid to disagree with the ‘experts’ who say “Never train your abdominals first because you’ll weaken your core muscles for the rest of your workout…”. I completely disagree with this and often reply, “Show me the evidence.” The typical response is “Nobody does abdominals first…”. That is pure BS. This just supports the notion that many people who work out don’t ever question what they hear or do. They want to be spoon-fed answers and follow the trends of others without thinking for themselves. I ALWAYS train abdominals first in a workout if they need the highest attention.

Prioritize By Frequency

What’s going to receive better results? A muscle group that is trained one time a week or two times a week (assuming you recovered prior to the second workout commencing)? Of course, the muscle that is trained 2x a week. The more stimulus on a muscle, the more growth. That is why professional athletes are professional athletes. They have conditioned their bodies to such a high amount of stress that they are able to train more frequently.

How often you train your abdominals is based on the inverse relationship of intensity and volume. The harder you train your abs, the more rest they need. The less intense you train your abs, the more frequently you can train them! If your goal is rehab or injury prevention, then you will be able to train them often with more frequent and lower loads. If your goal is to make your abs more muscular and dense, then a higher load and less frequency would be ideal. If your goal is maintenance, then a medium load and frequency would be ideal. Refer to this table:

If building a sexy six-pack is on your ‘to do’ list for 2008, then start training abdominals 2-4x a week. I will teach you in a moment how to split your abdominals up into two different days based on movement.

Your Genetics and Abdominals

Right now some of you can see a perfectly set of staggered abs that are wide and thick and separated by a line down the middle.  Some of you have the classic four-pack which is four big abs with a smooth lower section.  Some of you have tiny cubicle boxes sitting high on your abdominal wall.  Some of you have the picture perfect eight-pack that makes people’s jaws drop.

Like every muscle group, all you can do is train them as heavy and hard as possible and hope your genetics take care of the rest. You can’t change the shape or alignment or separation of your abs.  You can’t move them around and place them where you want them.  Your genetics will affect to which degree they “pop” out and to which degree they stay smoother or flatter.

The good news is that abdominals are abdominals and when your body fat levels are around 5-7% you are guaranteed to impress people, including yourself, with a set of hot-looking abs.  Even though genetics play a huge role in how they look, it’s important to know how to train them to make them look their best.

Divide Your Abdominals into Two Separate Workouts for Best Results

To train your abdominals safely and effectively you must know the basic movement patterns of your abs and train them within all sub-categories:

• Truck Flexion (upper abs)

• Hip Flexion (lower abs)

• Rotation (obliques)

• Lateral Flexion (obliques)

The majority of books and articles you have read revolve the bulk of the ab exercises around the trunk flexion that is better known as ‘upper ab’ exercises. A full sit up is a perfect example of this.

Bill Starr in his 1976 classic ‘The Strongest Shall Survive’ wrote that the abdominals “…can be strengthened in a wide variety of ways. Sit-ups of all types, leg raises, truck rotation movements all involve the abdominal muscles to a different degree…”

I wouldn’t be surprised if the abdominal program you are following right now is based on one movement – trunk flexion. I am guessing that your primary goal is actually to have a well-defined and sculpted six-pack, so I have provided a sample abdominal program to break it up into a four day program:

Even though you are training each movement twice per week, you will perform different exercises for each workout.

Use a Variety Of Functional Exercises

The Top 3 Hip Flexion Exercises:

1.   Lying Hip Raise

2.   Incline Hip Raise

3.   Hanging Hip Raise

The Top 3 Trunk Flexion Exercises:

1.   Swiss Ball Crunch

2. Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches

3. Weighted Cable Crunches

The Top 3 Rotation Exercises:

1.   Russian Twist

2.   Weighted Russian Twist

3.   Weighted Cable Crossover

The Top 3 Lateral Flexion Exercises:

1.   Lateral Flexion on back extension machine

2.   Lateral Flexion with medicine ball over head

Lateral Flexion with medicine ball and twist

Each of these exercises progresses from basic to intermediate to advanced. I suggest you master the first exercise of each before commencing to the next.

Razor Sharp Abdominal Workout 1:

Hip Flexion and Trunk Flexion

Perform this workout at least two times a week separated by at least 48 hours rest.  You should experience a deep muscle soreness after each one of these workouts.  Focus on using a load that causes failure within 8-12 reps and then move to the next exercise.  This is a non-stop circuit.  Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat until you reach 4 sets total.

Razor Sharp Abdominal Workout 2:

Trunk Rotation and Lateral Flexion

Perform this workout at least two times a week separated by at least 48 hours rest.  You should experience a deep muscle soreness after each one of these workouts.  Focus on using a load that causes failure within 8-12 reps and then move to the next exercise.  This is a non-stop circuit.  Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat until you reach 4 sets total. 

Conclusion

As said earlier, buiding razor sharp abs is not the easiest task in the work but nor is it the hardest. The above abdominal exercises will help you build a deeply separated and evenly placed set of abs in little time. The truth is that if you can’t see your abs, then the best exercise for your abs will be better diet.

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

Popularity: 29% [?]

Muscle gain without getting fat is one of the goals we all hope we can achieve. Sometimes going for muscle gain and fat loss is walking into opposite directions in the same time. Vince wants you to accept the fact that to maximize muscle gain you have to accept some fat gain. Vince also explains how to minimize the fat gain during the bulking phase. Vince tells you how much muscle gain to expect and what is realistic in terms of muscle and fat gain.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly reccomended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

Can You Gain Muscle Weight

Without Getting Fat?

By Vince Delmonte

There are two common fitness goals – to gain muscle mass and to lose body fat. Unfortunately, for the most part, the two goals are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Building muscle mass is going to require you to take in a surplus of calories because, well, let’s face it, you can’t build muscle out of nothing (unless of course you have some chemical help going on). Losing fat mass on the other hand is going to require you to be in a negative calorie balance because that is what will get your body burning off additional body fat as fuel for its tissues. Striving to accomplish both goals at the same time is rarely a good approach because more than likely you will just end up spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. Most weight lifters will have to accept some fat gain when they are looking to gain weight, however how much fat gain they need to add is question. It is this variable that we are hoping to influence.

Can you really gain weight without getting fat?

When adding muscle mass there are two approaches you can take.

Some take the approach of just eating as much food as they can possible cram into themselves. Their life suddenly becomes one long 24-hour buffet in their quest for muscle mass as they are under the thinking that the more food that goes in, the more muscle synthesis that will go on. This thinking is heavily flawed. The body can only assimilate so much muscle tissue at once and after it has done so, any remaining calories are simply going to be stored as body fat. Plain and simple. You my friend, are no exception to the rule. For those guys who are out there taking in five thousand or more calories per day, this is obviously going to be way more than they need and will result in a considerable amount of unwanted fat weight over a period of three to six months (how long most people will ‘bulk’ for).

The second option is to adopt a more moderate approach and only eat so many additional calories to support this muscle growth and that’s it. This will allow you to hopefully get as much lean tissue gained as possible without the accumulation of a monstrous rise in body fat. So that leads us to the next question you’re probably wondering. How much muscle can you build? How many calories over maintenance should you be eating?

You’ve probably already heard of the guy who claims he’s added 20 pounds of muscle in the short timeframe of six weeks. While this may be a very rare occurrence among an individual who is brand new to weight lifting, has insanely good genetics and utilized an excellent training and nutritional program, the fact of the matter is that most guys are simply not going to be able to come even close to adding this much muscle tissue. A natural trained individual can hope to achieve about half a pound to one pound of muscle per week – if he’s doing everything correctly. If he doesn’t have the greatest genetics or isn’t feeding himself optimally, this will decrease even further. So as you can see, at a measly two to four pounds of muscle growth per month, you aren’t going to be needed to eat insanely high calorie intakes. The higher your intake is, the more you risk putting on additional body fat. As a general rule, keep it to about 250 to 500 calories above maintenance in hopes of putting on mostly muscle without too much body fat. Keep track of your current body fat levels and appearance and if you see that too much of your weight gain is coming on as fat mass, reduce your calorie intake slightly.

It is always best to go by REAL WORLD results since you are in the real world after all. You can read as much as you like as to how many calories you should be eating, but this does not mean that’s going to be the exact number that will produce results. Different people have different metabolisms that will respond to an increase in calories in various ways. So as you go about your bulk, adjust according to the results you are getting. Remember that the more patient you are with your muscle gains and the slower you go, the more time you can spend adding muscle mass and the less time you have to spend dieting off the additional fat you gained – which as I’m sure many of you already know, is not a pleasant experience. So next time you decide you are going to do a ‘bulking’ phase, take a slower approach. Not only are you much more likely to maintain a favorable appearance this way but your mind will thank you as well. Nothing kills confidence levels faster than seeing all muscle definition go out the window in a matter of weeks, so keep the weight gain under control so you don’t have to deal with this.

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

Popularity: 1% [?]

Glutamine is a “No Brainer” supplement. This is the common belief amongst bodybuilders. Vince disagrees with that and presents what could be the first article discrediting the effects of glutamine. Vince believes that Glutamine has no muscle-building effects whatsoever and stands by that. Now before you give up on Glutamine just read till the end to know what benefits of Glutamine have been proven. Yes benefits ! Glutamine still effective in certain situations. In the end it is your own choice.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly reccomended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

The Skinny Guy’s Guide To Glutamine

By Vince Delmonte

When was the last time you read an article discrediting the effects of glutamine? Maybe this will be your first one? Unfortunately, the majority of bodybuilding and muscle magazines still have this supplement on their “Top 5 Lists.” I am not here to convince you to never buy another tub of glutamine again, but if stay with me, I will do my best to debunk some of the common myths that have led you to believe that this expensive supplement is necessary.

But I Thought Glutamine Was A “No Brainer” Supplement?

Creatine is a ‘no brainer’ supplement, protein powder is a ‘no brainer’ supplement, multi vitamins and fish oils are ‘no brainer’ supplements. Sorry, Glutamine, you did not make the team – despite the fact it gets its own message boards, chat rooms, magazine articles and its own section in the supplement store. I don’t need to remind you that the supplement industry is a billion-dollar industry. Since I used to be a skinny guy myself, I know how badly you want to build the perfect body – or at least one that gets you more dates and more respect at the gym!

Since I have already wasted thousands of dollars on certain, not all, supplements myself, I feel an obligation to tell you the other side of the story. To reveal the glutamine research that NOBODY wants you to read. But this is obvious – nobody makes money disproving the credibility of a hot selling supplement!

So here is where I will make my stand. Glutamine has no muscle-building effects whatsoever. Now before we get too deep, remember that I am not a PH.D student or a research geek. I will pass along the information and let you decide for yourself, and, in the process, do my best to make this fun and interesting.

Glutamine 101

Here is a quick introduction for you skinny guys who have never heard of glutamine. Glutamine makes up 2/3’s of the amino acids in our body, which could make a strong case for it being the most important. Understand that glutamine is also a non-essential amino acid which means your body produces it by itself. This does not mean you do not need it – only that external consumption is not mandatory. The most interesting fact about glutamine is that during times of stress (which is not clearly defined), our amino acid pool is depleted which can prevent muscle growth since glutamine makes up the greatest percentage of amino acids. Hence, the theory for supplementing with glutamine if you weight train.

Glutamine Claims

I cut and pasted these right out of random chat room just to show you I am more in tune with the word on the street:

“…glutamine helps with weight training and prevents muscle soreness…”

“…you need glutamine to repair your muscles.”

“…supplemental glutamine can help prevent your body from losing muscle.”

“…glutamine is not worthless. I train with bodybuilders every day and they recommend it.”

“Glutamine is the most important supplement for bodybuilders…”

“It boosts immune function which helps you recover from colds much quicker..”

“Taking large amounts of glutamine before a workout contributes to huge pumps…”

“Glutamine assists in situations of trauma which contributes to faster recovery…”

What Glutamine Sales Reps Are Afraid Of You Discovering

Although the majority of glutamine supplementation hoopla praises its contribution to increased muscle size and strength, decreased chance of overtraining and the other claims above, current research today gives no evident benefits for the skinny guy who wants to build muscle – never mind for any weight trainer in general.

Recently I received an article from a fellow colleague, David Barr MSc., who collected a large batch of research with an exhaustive reference list supporting the notion that glutamine is useful for only very specific conditions (which we will discuss shortly).

Here is a list of some of the most interesting data that David Barr found in his research with my extra commentary:

So Is Glutamine A Worthless Supplement?

Well, if you stopped reading right now you would think so! And you are probably confused as heck right now because everything you have heard on glutamine before today praised its holiness. Remember, the supplement industry is a billion-dollar industry and nobody makes money by disproving the effectiveness of supplements. In the end, you must decide for yourself what you wish to believe.

When Glutamine Is Worth Using

David Barr fingers a few situations when glutamine supplement will prove useful for the bodybuilder, so here is a chance to see if your glutamine should still be in your budget:

In Conclusion

At the start I stated that, “Glutamine has no muscle building effects whatsoever.” After reviewing this article, you will notice that is not as black and white as that. However, the take home message, especially to you skinny guys, is that if you are on a proper muscle-building meal plan and using solid post-workout nutrition strategies, glutamine is not a worthwhile supplement for you. Save your money and put it towards food if you are motivated to gain muscle weight.

Save your money and put it towards food if you are motivated to gain muscle weight.

I hope this supplement was a good example of looking at the evidence rather then the hyped-up muscle rags and advice from the ‘expert’ at your gym. In the end, you are free to believe what you wish, but remember that the current research today does not support the spectacular muscle-building effects supplement companies claim.

References

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. Barr, David J., CSCS, MSc. Candidate.

Glutamine Destroying the Dogma,

Part 1

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=461188

Part 2

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459884

2.Berardi, Dr. John M, Ph.D.

Appetite For Construction, JohnBerardi.com 2002 Nov 8

http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/qa/afc/afc_nov082002.htm

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

Popularity: 1% [?]

Weight lifting and skinny guys have been a hot topic for a long time. By skinny guys I mean anyone having trouble packing on muscle mass. Whether it’s a hormonal imbalance or genetics cause. Vince explains that these guys can achieve their goals the just need to do weight lifting in a different way. Vince continues to explain the main rules a skinny guy should follow to not just to gain mass but to maximize their gain. The main points are to avoid volume work and isolation exercises.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly reccomended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

Weight Lifting Rules For Skinny Runts

By Vince Delmonte

You wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. Pleased with your appearance? If you more resemble the appearance of a long distance marathon runner than a world class sprinter, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. You just need to start following these weight lifting rules.

There are quite a few guys who simply have trouble packing on the lean muscle mass. Whether their hormonal environment isn’t quite as favourable or genetics was just out to get them at birth, one thing is for sure and that’s that they need to follow a slightly different set of weight lifting methods than those who seem to grow muscle overnight.
Luckily for you, you’re taking the time to do your research about weight lifting so you won’t be destined to a life where it seems like a strong wind might knock you over.
First, one of the key factors that skinny guys need to remember is that they must avoid volume work at all costs.

Get in the gym and get out! That should be your motto from this day forward. Repeat it. Breathe it. Live it. Weight lifting is a calorie expensive activity and you need all the calories you can get at this point. If you are burning it up in the gym every single day, how do you expect to grow? You won’t.

You grow when you are resting and generally, the skinnier you are, the more rest you are going to need.
Now, that doesn’t mean you should park it on the couch for a few days in between your workouts. It simply means that each weight lifting should not consist of set after set after set. Followed by a rest break to talk to that hot receptionist and then back to another twenty sets.
No, you’re workouts need to consist of ten-twelve or fewer sets where you are pushing yourself to the MAX. There is no room for sissy, light-weight work in your weight lifting program.

Ditch the isolated exercises. Who needs them? You certainly don’t.

If your workouts normally include bicep curls, followed by tricep kickbacks, followed by leg extensions, followed by chest flys, followed by… you get the picture, you’ve got to change this pronto. Remember, you’ve only got so much time you are allowed to be in the gym for. Don’t you want to get the biggest bang for your buck? Likely you do, so that means focusing on compound lifts only. This includes weight lifting exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, rows and military presses.

Become friends with those exercises and you will have new muscles in the picture soon enough. Toss the five day split program, get yourself on a good upper/lower or full body workout program and you have found the key to unleashing new muscle mass.
Now onto the next significant point. Cardio.

I know, I know, you want to be big, but you don’t want to be fat. Let’s not worry about that at this point, because you and I both know you are a long ways from fat.

Gaining fat weight is going to be more a concept of diet than anything else so as long as you are being smart in the kitchen, you don’t need to perform hours of cardio to remain lean. Cardio is just going to further burn off precious calories that could have gone towards building you new muscle mass. For you, calories are a hot commodity and should not be spent on the treadmill.
If you want to keep up some cardio for general health sake, fine, but limit this to two or three twenty minute sessions per week – TOPS. And make it low to moderate intensity as well. The only place you are to be intense is in the weight room.

REST! You’ve put in your effort at the gym, fed your body with some good food and now what? Plans to go out partying all night with your buddies? You might want to rethink that. While you definitely want to maintain your social life while trying to gain weight – and you should – it should not come at the sacrifice of sleep.

Sleep is primetime when it comes to your body repairing itself and growing stronger so short-circuit sleep and you are short-circuiting your results. Just don’t do it. Period. It’s that simple.

Technique. Ever seen that guy in the gym who is hoisting so much weight on his barbell for barbell curls that it looks like he’s got more momentum going on than the Gravitron at the fair? He’s pretty much working every muscle in his body except his biceps. Not so beneficial. Not only that, but give him two weeks and a hundred bucks says he’s out with back pain.

You must maintain proper form throughout your weight lifting, not only to prevent injuries but also to see the muscular gains you are looking for. If you cheat form, you are only cheating yourself. If you don’t know what proper form is yet, book a session with a trainer or find yourself a spotter who can help you.

Find a mentor. You want someone who’s been there, done that. They used to be a skinny bastard just like you and they’ve managed to overcome the curse and now tip the scales and dominate the weight room. This guy will do wonders for your motivational levels. Don’t feel like lifting? Have a good look at his body. You’ll want to pick that weight up after that. Furthermore, he can let you in on some of his tried-and-true secrets that just might be key for you as well.

So to sum up your new approach to your weight lifting sessions – get in, train hard and with proper technique, get out, eat and rest. Repeat this process over a few months without getting distracted or becoming too much of a party animal and you will make this the year you change your dreaded skinny image.

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

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Choosing a GYM is one of the essential tasks you start just after taking the first step (i.e. the commitment to starting your workout program).Vince explains in this article the essential factors (e.g. location, cost , demographic, hours of operation, Personal Training, Equipment, etc…)to consider finding the GYM that would help you get closer to your goals.

Vince’s program, No-Nonsense Muscle Building, makes you a master in muscle building dieting, training and all other factors. It also has a version for females (Body Sculpting for women). This version addresses the concerns of the females and helps them build the fitness model body they want. Great stuff and highly reccomended for those serious about making a dramatic change in there physique.

Choosing A Gym – 10 Things To Look Out For

By Vince Delmonte

Now that you’ve made the commitment to starting a workout program, the next step is choosing a gym that you will feel comfortable going to on a regular basis. If it isn’t, chances are you aren’t going to stick with any type of regular plan and will eventually just stop going altogether. By being sure your gym is a good fit for you, you help take yourself one step further to realizing your health and fitness goals.

Who really wants to spend twice as long driving to and from their gym as it takes them to do their workout? After a long day of work you are not going to want to spend a good hour fighting traffic, another hour working out and then another half an hour driving home. Think about either choosing a gym that is located close to your house or else on the drive to or from work. This is a great option since if you have to pass by it every day, you’ll be reminded of the fact that you should be working out if you choose to skip it.

Gym memberships can really vary in costs so it’s a good idea to shop around before making that final commitment. Also consider how long you are signing the contract for as this can vary too. Many gyms like to rope you in for years and if you aren’t quite sure it’s going to be a long-term arrangement, you’re better off finding something that is more short-term.

Additionally, if you can wait until around late summer or New Year to sign up, you will find that often many gyms will have special promotions going on at this time.

Another factor to consider is the membership demographic that goes to the gym. Some women will prefer going to an all-ladies gym as it increases their comfort factor. For others, a mixed gym is the perfect solution because half of the reason they go there is to socialize and perhaps even find a date. Whatever your needs, make sure you enquire about this and take it into consideration.

You will want to ask if the gym offers any additional services or benefits along with your basic membership and if there is a fee for these. Such examples would be daycare services, physiotherapy, massage therapy, nutritional counselling, and fitness testing.

Always be sure to check the hours of operation of the gym. If you are an early morning exerciser you will want to be sure they are able to cater to this preference. Additionally ask about their holiday policies. Many people enjoy working out on the holidays because it is a relaxed day for them when they can really get in a good workout. If you are looking forward to this and then go and find out the gym is closed, you are going to be more than disappointed. Similarly there are some people who prefer working out late at night so you need to be sure that if this is the case you will be able to do that.

Having some good, qualified personal trainers on hand is critical to helping you realize your full fitness potential.

Even if you are fine with your program right now, consider that in a year down the road you might be plateauing and in need of a ‘check-up’ so to speak on your current regime.
Having the option available of knowledge staff cannot be stressed enough. Unfortunately many gyms hire almost anyone who has a basic interest in fitness, so be sure to enquire about the actual certifications these trainers hold.

Be sure to ask about all the various group fitness classes that are offered at the gym you are considering. Often, when boredom kicks in on your workout plan, this is just the thing to get you going again.

These days there are currently thousands of different fitness class styles available, so there is sure to be something that suites your interest.

When checking up on this, again inquire if there are any additional fees associated with it so you are prepared for when you go to sign up.

One very important factor you want to look for is the cleanliness of the gym. You do not want to be working out on equipment that is not clean as gyms are a place where germs can be in high concentration. Also make sure they have towels and spray bottles in various places around the gym to clean up after workouts, and have a look at the bathrooms and change rooms to make sure they are up to your standards.

Looking at the type and quality of the equipment offered in the gym is another thing you must factor in. If you prefer free weights, make sure there is a large number of dumbbells present because during rush hours, these could be hard to come by.

Likewise, if you prefer doing your weight training on guided machines, you’ll want to be sure they have enough variety that you can work all the necessary muscles on your body. If you find yourself doing a lot of cardio training as part of your workouts you will want to be sure there are ample machines available. Nothing is more frustrating than getting to the gym after work to find out that there is not a single machine in sight available for you to use. Ask if they offer a sign-up list where you can write your name and time down to reserve a machine. This is a great solution that many gyms have now come up with to make sure their members can get their workouts in.

Finally take a look at the gym’s cancellation policy. If you sign up for a 3 year membership and then end up moving after a year due to work, are you going to be partially refunded? It will be a bad situation if they offer no refund or transfer membership. Some gyms are good about this and some are not so you will have to weigh the likelihood of your cancelling among other things that are discussed above when making your decision.

So, be sure you are considering all of these essential factors when looking for a gym membership. Overlooking just one could lead you to being less than happy with your workout facility and this could end up being the reason why you do not stick with your program.

More about the Author Vince Delmonte

Popularity: 8% [?]