EZ Bodybuilding Tips

Why ‘High Calorie Meal Plans’ are Natural Bodybuilding Nutrition BS

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:08:23 +0000

You see them all over the Internet – ‘high calorie meal plans’ purported as necessary for going from skinny runt to ‘muscular he-man’ with the simple application of a one-workout-per-week bodybuilding training routine. “Experts” tell you to pump heavy iron, eat every three hours, and take in 3,000 to 5,000 calories per day and, voila, those massive quantities of excess calories will miraculously be converted to slabs of powerful and shapely muscle. This simple-minded prescription is one I personally adhered to twenty years ago. The result? I ended up with more body fat than muscle and an eating addiction more intense than what it had been prior to my having official approbation by the “high priests of bodybuilding” for being a downright pig.

Do you need to “eat a lot” in order to build muscle? Are ‘high calorie meal plans’ a necessary component of natural bodybuilding nutrition? Or is there a low threshold to the law of diminishing return in this context: Too much food ingestion requires processing energy by the body; energy traded from the reserves necessary to undergo the muscle building recuperation process itself? If the latter is the case, then body fat accumulation might be the lesser of detriments from excess calorie consumption; the greater being a hindrance to the very muscle building progress that the under-developed natural bodybuilder is seeking.

My Bad Experience with ‘High Calorie Meal Plans’

In the late eighties and early nineties, very high calorie meal plans were the rage in bodybuilding. As high as 10,000 calories-per-day consumption were being encouraged in certain bodybuilding circles. This simple-mindedly ridiculous eating protocol was the fuel behind the marketing machine that promoted “weight gainer powders” that eventually reached the excesses of packing around 1,400 calories in a single serving. Smack-center on the receiving end of those marketing messages was… uh… well… “yours truly.” I was more than happy to hear that my gluttonous habits were justified by the earnest and worthwhile endeavor of building muscle and strength. Consequently, many of these high-calorie, sugar-packed “meal supplements” sat on a shelf in my pantry right next to the high-calorie foods that competed with them for space in my stomach.

Of course, I hit the weights like a madman. I did “compound exercises” (squats, bench presses, dead-lifts, T-bar rows) because these movements were supposed to make me big. Well, actually, it was the combination of these so-called “testosterone releasing exercises” and all the high-calorie healthy protein and carbohydrate foods I was consuming that had been promised to make me “big.”

Did the ‘high calorie meal plans’ put weight on me? You bet they did. But it wasn’t the kind of weight that was typically associated with bodybuilding. I managed to eventually brandish a 38-inch waistline and a tipping of the scale that exceeded 230 pounds. As if the food addiction I’d already had wasn’t bad enough, now I had one that included 1,000 calorie bodybuilding smoothies and a lethargy-inducing, incessant food coma problem; not good.

An Example of Why ‘High Calorie Meal Plans’ don’t make sense for Natural Bodybuilding Nutrition

I’ll never forget an answer to a question I heard at a bodybuilding seminar back in 1990. The two-hour presentation had attendees asking personal questions of a Mr. Olympia competitor who had placed as high as second in that biggest of bodybuilding contests:

“How much muscle can you gain in a year?” asked one of the audience members.

Keep in mind – this was asked of a genetically gifted athlete who admitted to all of us that he was on regular cycles of anabolic steroids and growth hormone drugs.

“When I was in my teens, I could gain up to ten pounds of muscle per year.” He answered. “Now that I’m twenty-seven, I’m lucky if I add on two pounds of muscle per year.”

So with his genetics and pharmaceutical enhancement, he gained ten pounds of ‘solid weight’ (muscle) in a year. This was his fastest rate of muscle growth. When we divide those ten pounds of muscle per year by 365 days, we get nearly .03 pound of muscle per day. Ask yourself: How many extra calories does it take to activate tissue recuperation for gaining .03 pound of muscle each day?

We know the formula for gaining body fat. With 3,500 calories being present in each pound of fat, a mere 500 calories above maintenance is required each day to gain a pound of body fat in a week. That’s a gain of .14 pound of fat each day. If we assume we need as many calories to gain muscle as we need to gain body fat (big assumption), we can subtract .03 from .14 to get .11 and then multiply .11 by 500. This gives us 55, which we can subtract from 500 to get 445.

If we need as many calories each year to gain ten pounds of muscle as we do to gain ten pounds of fat – we’d need approximately 445 daily extra calories (above maintenance) to make it happen.

Wow… approximately four-hundred fifty calories each day? That’s about half a serving of dessert at the ‘Cheesecake Factory.’ More nutritionally speaking, it’s a small can of tuna, a half cup of oatmeal, a banana, and an apple; not exactly a ‘high calorie meal plan’ if you’re currently maintaining your weight on a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet.

Conclusion

Energy is required of the body to digest and process the mega calories from a “high calorie meal plan.” This is often wasted energy that could have otherwise been utilized to actually build some muscle. When we consume food that amounts to 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 calorie per day “meal plans”, the simple fact that muscle tissue grows at a slower pace than these calories can be utilized for their contribution to its growth makes the meal plans prescriptions for fat gain.

Twenty five years of natural bodybuilding has shown me this: Utilizing an effective muscle building schedule/routine is higher in importance for progress in “solid weight gain” (muscle) than is following a supposedly tailor-made plan of natural bodybuilding nutrition. After all, if your muscle breakdown/recuperation timing ratio is not optimal, all those well-timed bodybuilding meals will contribute little to that .03 pound-worth of recuperation needed each day. In other words: the calories could end up on your waistline while your solid flesh remains underdeveloped.

That’s from a guy who’s speaking from experience.

Scott Abbett is the author of HardBody Success: 28 Principles to Create Your Ultimate Body and Shape Your Mind for Incredible Success. To see his personal transformation, visit >www.hardbodysuccess.com

Read More EZ Bodybuilding Tips

More Body Building Tips

Bodybuilding Diet – Ripped Abs

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:32:37 +0000

RippedRulez.com – Have Abs that “Shock and Awe” with the “Ripped Rulez Diet System”!

Read More EZ Bodybuilding Tips

More Body Building Tips

Outgames Bodybuilding competition

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:05:11 +0000

In Montreal I met Chris and Francois. I had been in touch with them online already. I went to the prejudging of the Bodybuildng competition where Chris had to compete. He blow me away with his routine. No surprise he won the overal competition. This is his routine.

Read More EZ Bodybuilding Tips

More Body Building Tips

What you recommend Casein protein for an ectomorphic bodybuilder?

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:56:50 +0000

we all know whey is the best for post workout, ect.

but casein is a slow releasing protein, should I take this instead of Whey?

Also GNC is WAY to expensive… is there anyplace cheaper?

Read More EZ Bodybuilding Tips

More Body Building Tips

Discount Bodybuilding Supplements – Where Can You Get Them?

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:03:18 +0000

People who are just starting out in their bodybuilding regiment often look to discount bodybuilding supplements to aid them in their goals. Discount body building supplements are not all bad, but bodybuilding supplements are not something that you want to go cheap on.

Purchasing them cheap can be harmful to your health because the quality could be poor or the ingredients could be untested. In order to receive the safest and most effective results, bodybuilders have several options for getting the best one at discount prices without sacrificing quality.

One way to get discount bodybuilding supplements without risking quality or effectiveness is to buy your products in bulk. By buying in bulk, you can get discount them without sacrificing the quality or safety of the ingredients.

Buying in bulk is also cost-effective because stores and online companies often offer a price break the more you buy. One of the negative sides of buying them in bulk is that they often come in powder form. For some, this is not a problem because you can just add the powder to you normal protein shake.

An alternative way of getting discount body building supplements by buying in bulk is to get your favorite supplement through one of the many online wholesale companies who offer brand names for bargain prices. Other companies will also allow you to take advantage of the company’s clearance items as well as specially selected free items that go along with your order. So you can be sure you are getting quality products at a discount price.

Planning your workout can be the most cost-effective way to get discount body building supplements. If you know your specific goals and what you will need to achieve those goals, you can purchase the exact bodybuilding supplements that you need.

Oftentimes, vitamins are one of the best ways to achieve your bodybuilding goals. Lifting weights and following proper nutrition is a great way to achieve your goals without trying to acquire discount bodybuilding supplements.

You can get a discount body building supplement through a variety of ways, but cheaper does not always mean better. Sometimes, discount body building supplements mean that quality or effectiveness has been sacrificed in order to provide a cheaper price.

In some instances, safety might even be a factor because untested ingredients are used when manufacturing the product. Doing research and consulting trainers or experts is the ideal way to get specialized information and find the best products to help you safely achieve your body building goals.

For your free course teaching you exactly how to succeed with bodybuilding using simple and effective bodybuilding nutrition and workout simply go to http://bodybuilding-guru.com

Read More EZ Bodybuilding Tips

More Body Building Tips

How to Build Muscle Mass, Bodybuilding Tips to Continue Your Growth

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:04:26 +0000

Over time you may start to notice those gym workouts not necessarily doing what they supposed to do. If you’re starting to have issues when trying to build muscle mass, it is definitely something to be concerned about.

In fact, this is one of the most frustrating bodybuilding issues individuals just like yourself go through every day. This is a huge culprit to sucking out all the motivation from your body, which eventually leads to little or no results at all. Today, let’s go over a few ways you can keep this from happening to you.

1) Calorie intake is where it all begins, and a lack of it could be causing your loss. The best thing you can do is keep track of the amounts you take in throughout the day. So load up on high calorie meals.

The recommended eating frame is every 2 hours. If you can stick with this, we also recommend adding certain foods during snack periods. Things like yogurt, protein bars, and dried fruits are a great option. You might need a protein shake as well, or a few of them throughout the day. This way your calories will be covered.

2) While calories are important, you can take your muscle mass to new height with protein. Those who build muscle mass through bodybuilding will enjoy taking this route to a shorter period for new growth. Try adding plenty of chicken, fish, turkey, and dairy products to you daily regimen.

What it comes down to is that you need excess calories so you can grow. Eventually you will want to cut out all the unhealthy calories and specifically target the good ones. For now however, you need to look for quality protein. The best place to find it is through purchasing large tubs of whey protein.

3) Then of course you can’t forget about your workout. If you have spent a ton of the time in the gym doing the same routine over and over again, it’s going to create a little dullness. In fact, it could be the difference between you actually enjoying your bodybuilding workouts, or simply going through the motions to build muscle mass.

The best thing you can do in this situation is mix it up a bit. Try utilizing different variations and create a different routine. Maybe doing your normal one backwards will help. Then again, maybe your body just needs some time off to completely recover.

4) Time off is important, and we want to make sure one little section is dedicated to these points. The truth is, no one can build muscle mass just going to the gym. You have to take breaks, rest the body, and then go heavy with your workouts once more. The truth is your time at home is the most important.

If you just can’t get enough of the gym, try to at least drop your sessions per muscle group. We recommend trying to focus on 3-5 intense workouts per body part. Even if you feel the need to do more we still want you try this option. It will definitely help.

5) Last but not least it could be as simple as adding more water to diet. Bodybuilding can take a lot out of you, and in order to build muscle mass, you have to keep the body replenished with plenty of aqua.

So take a few moments and reflect on the tips and information we’ve provided today. All you have to do is implement the ones that you haven’t considered, then just let the rest take its course.

Bodybuilding can be as easy or as difficult as you make it. However, in order to build muscle mass you have to stick to a strict regimen.

Get the best selling natural bodybuilding program, the Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail Method and achieve the best results in a few weeks. Visit us to read more Muscle Building Articles

Read More EZ Bodybuilding Tips

More Body Building Tips

Female Bodybuilder Mandy Blank on Spin City

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:01:43 +0000

Female bodybuilder Mandy Blank looking hot and flexing her muscles on Spin City Episode 610 – Fight Flub.

Read More EZ Bodybuilding Tips

More Body Building Tips

Natural Bodybuilding Workout Program for Beginners – week 14 of week 16 (upper)

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:01:41 +0000

Grab Your Bodybuilding workout program for beginners at www.IntroToBodybuilding.com I have rights to upload this video. Grab Arnel’s bodybuilding program for BEGINNERS. If you are just starting about bodybuilding, this is the perfect workout for you. In less than 16 weeks, you…

Read More EZ Bodybuilding Tips