3. Figure Out How Much Protein You Need A Day
It's the building blocks of muscle and it's also the only
way you are going to build more muscle or keep the muscle
you already have today.
Even for burning fat, it's proven that getting enough protein
will actually make you leaner.
Again, there's very simple formulas for this that do not
require a degree from MIT to perform. And once you know
how much protein you need every day, it's really easy in
Step 4 to find out if you are getting what you need.
4. You Must Track What You Eat
That's right! Needless to say... not a lot of people do
this. They just bulk so they eat anything in sight. Or they
want to burn fat so they just quit eating. If you don't
track what you are eating, you are just guessing.
And guessing is no way to meet a goal. Once you know how
much you need to eat, you can easily track that and meet
your daily goals. Once you get into a routine (certain foods
and portions) you'll have a very good idea of what you eating.
Tracking what you eat is a must. At this point, in only
4 steps, you've just outlined the foundation for nutrition!
5. Choosing An Exercise Routine
Here's a clue... it involves every major muscle group.
A good basic workout should include:
- Legs (squats, lunges, leg extensions, leg curls, leg
press)
- Shoulders (military press, dumbbell raises, side laterals)
- Chest (bench press, flyes, dips)
- Back (pull-ups, rows, deadlifts, lat pull-downs)
- Arms (ez-bar curls, barbell curls, dumbbell curls)
- Abs (hanging leg raises, incline crunches)
- Cardio (for the heart)
I could go on and on with this question and post 500 routines
and reps and sets and you’d still be confused. So
let me ease the confusion by saying this.
THERE IS NO GOLDEN ROUTINE THAT WILL WORK FOR EVERYONE!
I've tried several routines. Max-OT, Tom Venuto's supersetting,
Optimum Anabolics and I'll tell you something. I've gotten
gains out of all of them and they all have various philosophies.
For less then $100, I have enough programs to try for a
year.
Here's proof.
Do you see the same people in your gym, doing the same
things, and a year later they look the same? It's really
quite simple. If you keep doing what you've always done,
you will keep getting what you've always gotten.
There's many variations on exercises and routines you can
do. And you'll find out a ton of them while browsing around
on forums and reading fitness sites. And while you might
be tempted to stick with just one. Don't. Try it, evaluate
it, and try another one. After about 6 months, you'll know
your body very well and what it responds to. You will have
tried many exercises and you'll know if you like something
and if something else just doesn't work out.
6. Deciding On Supplementation
While 97% of your progress will come from nutrition and
training there are still a few basics to consider. There's
also a point when you might want to go beyond the basics
if you want the optimal amount of gains.
But what are the basics of supplementation?
Daily multi-vitamin Omega 3 and 6 EFA complex (fish oil,
flax seed) Whey protein (specifically for after workouts)
Just that small amount of supplementation is all you should
need to bring your nutrition levels to 100%. Those are the
basics. It's pretty simple.
As you progress down the line, you might want to consider
going beyond the basics.
7. Monitoring Your Progress
I cannot tell you how many people do not follow this rule.
If you don't take measurements, track your progress or inspect
yourself in a mirror, it's pretty difficult to impossible
to know where you've been to know where you are going.
Making small daily goes is a wonderful method of keeping
the momentum moving forward and keeping yourself motivated
to reach your goals. This is difficult when you don't keep
track of what you just did in order to beat a personal best.
It’s also the #1 reason why people get so frustrated
with nutrition and training and progress in general. They
just look at themselves at that very moment and decide immediately
if the last 4 months of effort was worth it. They don't
take into account they did better then the last workout
and they don't quite realize they lost a pant or dress size.
They just make judgments on what they perceive to be reality
at that moment.
Methods of tracking your progress include:
Tracking what you eat Tracking your workouts in a notebook
or other method Taking periodic measurements of standard
body areas using a variety of methods Taking periodic photographs
When you measure your progress on a frequent but not daily
basis, you will soon see that your efforts are paying off.
And if there is a course adjustment necessary you can quickly
correct it before it's too late. This critical stage is
often overlooked because most people barely can figure out
what to eat let alone be bothered to track their progress.
You will start to notice people around you year after year
complaining of the same things they complained about the
year before.
Would you build a house without tracking its progress?
Would you drive your car without monitoring its performance
and getting regular tune-ups? For those of you with children,
you look at report cards and homework quizzes as a method
of tracking your child’s scholastic performance. You
know where there might be a problem and can correct it before
it becomes a major issue. Many of you track the performance
of your portfolio holdings.
So why not track the progress of your workouts?
With just a few simple fundamental steps, you can ensure
that all of your workouts and waking moments are spent on
the right path to fitness. No matter what your goals may
be, male or female, if you follow these steps, you will
ensure your success.
>> Click here for Pete Sisco's Maximum Strength Program (Generate optimum workouts to achieve maximum results. Average
increase in strength of 70.2% in 30days)
>>
Click here for Tom's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program
If you are serious about transforming
your body to its ultimate potential, get Will Brink's Bodybuilding Revealed with
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About the Author
Marc David is giving away free memberships to his Teach
Me Bodybuilding ‘private list’. To get your
own subscription, visit his
site while charter subscriptions last.
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