Hardgainers workout » Shaun

34 Of The Best Bodybuilding Motivational And Inspirational Pictures On The Web

Shaun — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:25:54 +0000

I could give you all the hot bodybuilding tips in world!

Post articles everyday and train with you every other day. But I can’t ‘baby’ you every single day of your life.

Now, We all know that motivation and inspiration are hot key drivers that will cause you to stay fit for the long term in this bodybuilding game and they both work hand in hand together.

Motivation – Usually comes in short bursts and will give you an unforeseen energy rush
Inspiration – Often the key driver for that motivation and can actually cause multiple bursts of inspiration over a period of time.

… In general that is.

Inspiration can be drawn from anywhere, and I’ll soon reveal some of the best ways to draw inspiration from any situation. But today it’s all about the pictures/ posters/ desktop wallpapers or what ever you like to call the following.

Also known as…

34 Of The Best Bodybuilding Motivational And Inspirational Pictures On The Web

(Click the images to view full size)

#1 Quadilicious

#2 Don’t Give Up

#3 Uber Drive

#4 You Already Know I Encourage Fitness Fun

#5 R.Kelly Said ‘I Believe I Can Fly’… This Guy Probably Can!

#6 I Would Advise You To Be On Your Guard

#7 Now, That’s How You Pop A Quad… And A Booty To Match!

#8 I Always State The Importance Of Stretching

#9 Let’s Face It Guys ‘n’ Gals. Do We Only Go To The Gym… Just To Workout? Surely Your Eyes Wonder?

#10 Mighty Health Is The Goal

#11 Chicken Leg Syndrome Is Not Cool… But This Is!

#12 Looks Are Sometimes Deceiving

#13 Training Insane =

#14 Female Bodybuilders Are On A Quest To ‘Retain’ A Good Set Of These

#15 I Like The Sight Of Good Gym Equipment… That’s Where My Eyes Are, Honestly

#16 I Always Do Stress The Importance Of This

#17 We Have A Result

#18 Its Not About Where You Are From… It’s Where You’re Going

#19 We All Know The Importance Of This…

#20 And Why You Mustn’t Do This…

#21 Yet, Many Believe In Doing Nothing And Think They Can Build This…

#22 Gotta Give These Guys S0me Support

#23 Strike Down All Negative Associates!

#24 Burn, Shock Or What Ever You Want To Call It… It’s Required!

#25 Working Out Is Not Restricted To The Gym

#26 You Only Have One Option!

#27 A Result?

#28 I Started Out On The Outdoors And Intend To Keep It That Way

#29 Some Women Should Not Be Messed With

#30 It Really Is…

#31 And It Really Is…

#32 I Said It Before, But This Picture Really Is Bliss

#33 Famous Fellas For Fellow Females (Part 1)

#34 Famous Fellas For Fellow Females (Part 2)

Are we inspired yet?

Are we motivated?

I hope so!

Desktop wallpapers
Posters
iPhone backgrounds

I don’t care where you stick them. Just get inspired!

See you in the comments

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How Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers Can Save The World!

Shaun — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:37:56 +0000

The Athletic Way!

We all know that I entered the world of fitness by becoming a fresh out of high school pro athlete, (Ahh… the memories) And that was where I built the foundation of my fitness knowledge, which I now share with you today (100/200meters sprint was my event).

Now, I don’t expect all of you to train at the level I trained at back then (Although some of you insane types will).

Running 4 x 400 metre sprints with only a 2 minute rest in-between (Which often results in throwing up around lap 3!)

However, being a 100 meter sprint runner requires that you focus on increasing your fast twitch muscle fibers (Explosive energy). And explosive energy is just what you need in your weightlifting workouts.

Why?

Because that’s what will make your muscles grow.

Remember this?

1) Start with lightweights – This will allow you to understand how to lift the weights properly regardless of the exercise.

2) Do the exercise properly – Once you have mastered how to do it, focus on control and execution.

3) Lift at moderate speed – Explosive yes! But not fast and not slow.

4) Increase the weight – Do the above 3, but always aim to increase the weight.

Train like that and your muscles will grow. But today I’m going to share with you some of the techniques I used to increase my explosive strength throughout my whole body when I was training as an athlete. Techniques that can actually be used by fitness enthusiasts like yourselves (Not the heavy duty pro athlete stuff).

Some rules

Remember this post….

The Complete Guide To Bodybuilding Injury Prevention

It was there where I mentioned that different stretching techniques are required based on the sport in question. I know you are not a 100 meter runner, but the following warm up, warm down session for this type of training will consist of…

Leg lifts
Short jogging sessions
Walking after jogging sessions
Stretches (Many of which are described in the post above)
Stretches to warm down

Fast twitch muscle fiber building.

#1 Quick Feet (Tap, tap, tap, tap)

Now, I know you aren’t practicing to be a 100m or 200m runner anytime soon. But one of the first techniques you get taught to improve explosive strength is to lift you knees when you run and snap your feet back towards the ground as fast as you can, so that the motion feels like…

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap!

Lifting your knees while running may feel awkward at first, but what you are actually doing here is using the full range of motion that your legs have to offer. And it will look like you are running in a ‘sitting on your butt’ stance.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhsqVfOB9ig

However, once you do this, you allow your legs to be used to their full potential. That means you are using your legs at full extension while practising the fast leg push down to the ground action. This will, in time, activate your fast twitch muscle fibers to the max.

The next stage

Quick feet = quick hands

The other benefit to the high knees/ quick feet technique is that you will also activate the fast twitch muscle fibers in your arms, because your arms will naturally move at the same speed that you move your legs.

The next stage after that

You will find your self running up stairs the same way! Not just walking up them. In fact, you can use running upstairs as a test of your improvement in explosive strength.

Heck… I haven’t trained like this in years, yet I still do this test, on the daily without even thinking about it!

How to perform this technique?

Find a track or open space in a field
Start your sprint in a standing first foot forward position

First stride

Lift your knee up to waist height
Snap you feet back to the ground as fast as you can

Second stride

Same thing

Your back

This is where you make yourself look like a super fast moving human robot. You need to keep your back and shoulders completely stationary as you move your legs as described above.

Your arms

Your forearms are the only part of your arms that should be moving.

Practice

Stand in a stationary position
Lock your arms by your side
Swing them in a running motion, but keep your elbows in the same position

Now start the run

You will notice that your arms and legs will naturally sync together when moving

That’s the full motion. The key thing you need to focus on now is snapping your feet towards the ground as you move in the sprint (sprint training technique described below).

Keep this up and those fast twitch muscle fibers will take you to the moon and assist you in all aspects of your training. Cardio and resistance!

#2 Push Up Position Block Starts

How ironic is this eh?

The training technique that caused my first shoulder dislocation is the same technique I am providing you with now!

Does that mean I’m trying to put you on the fast track to life long shoulder injury?

Of course not!

The main reason why my shoulder popped out was because of bad execution. I moved out of the push up position and into the sprint position far too quickly without controlling my arms correctly.

That was…

1) Push up position

2) Shoulder up and in an outwards motion on take off

3) Then over and forward

And BAM! First time ever my shoulder falls out of its socket.

DO AS I SAY NOW, AND NOT AS I DID THEN!

1) Push up position

2) Use your feet to drive yourself forward in an explosive motion

3) Drive your arms directly forward as you migrate into the sprint position

That is the explosive motion that will begin to activate the effectiveness of your fast twitch muscle fibers. One thing you can do to ensure that you don’t face injury is to practice the technique and start slow. Then speed it up as you get better. Just remember that the whole motion is one explosive movement.

The benefit

Performing this technique will greatly improve the explosive speed of your entire body, because all the muscles of the body are being used. This may come in handy when exercising in your high intensity (short) cardio workouts. Which of course is great when the goal is fat loss.

How to turn this into exercise activity?

Start practicing very short sprint bursts. Lets say, 30-meter sprints at around 5-6 sprints per session.

Now, there are other techniques you can use to activate your fast twitch muscle fibers, but I won’t describe them here.

Why?

Because they are very specific to actual pro athletes, and that is not what you are trying to be. The main thing you want to do is make your body work so that it looks and feels like a million dollars. That’s your entire body! Not just ‘this bit’ and ‘that bit’. And in this case, the focus is on building your fast twitch muscles.

#3 Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers Are More Important Than You Think

In fact, fast twitch muscle fibers can save the world!

Literally!

How?

Well first a few benefits of fast twitch muscle fibers

Super duper anti aging agent
Excellent at reducing body fat (high intensity short cardio workouts = fat loss!)

Which means you could live well into your 60′s, 70′s or even 80′s and still be fighting fit as if you are still in your 40′s 50′s.

ONLY IF….

You start building and maintaining your fast twitch muscle fibers before your 20th birthday!

Yes, I know most of you are probably well over the hill in this case, and you’re probably thinking,

‘Damn… life really is short’

You see, I learnt very early on that us humans actually start fading away to our deaths once you hit the big TWO-ZERO.

In terms of how this affects you… the fitness freak?

It means that your muscles start wasting away at the start of your twenties. In fact, slow twitch muscles don’t even account for half of the entire muscle mass of your body. That means most of you. Which also means you are all stuffed!! Life over.

Once your muscles have faded, it’s over.

… Well, not quite.

You can always build them back up with…

Plyometrics
Sprint training (Heeeey… that’s what today’s post is about )

It will just take time.

So as you can see, there really is more to building fast twitch muscles than meets the eye. And if the entire world focused on this, health care would be less of an issue and weight related illnesses would cease to exist (Well… nearly).

If you are just leaving your teens, lucky you! You’ve been saved. If you’re over the hill and long past that age, practice the above.

Either way, fast twitch muscles really can save the world, but more importantly,

Improve your performance in your workouts
Help you build lean muscle mass
Retain your youth

See you in the comments.

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The 4 Crucial Steps To Shred ‘Core’ Fat And Build Lean Muscle

Shaun — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:37:25 +0000

Diet
Intensity
Consistency
Workout structure based on goal

Failing at getting shredded?

(I’m not talking about building muscle for bulk. I’m talking about the actual definition of muscle)

If so, it will be because you have lost focus at one of those points.

The Goal

To build lean muscle mass

The Benefits

Will eventually turn into mature muscle.
Mature muscle is muscle that tends to stay, whether you workout or not.
More lean muscle mass means that you burn fat, even when stationary. Because you would have increase your metabolism.
Want to diet down to focus on cutting? (No problem)

Want to train 6 days a week without damaging your muscles? (No problem)
Want to cut back on weight training for extended periods of time to focus on cardio? (No problem)

Now lets explain the points.

#1 Diet

I put this at no.1 because this is probably the core reason why you can’t shift those annoying layers of fat that sits around your hips and lower abs.

The Myth

You need to lose fat first to build muscle

Reality

Not exactly true. Yes, I know that was the headline of this post

You Need To Lose Fat First To Build Muscle!

But that was just to catch your attention . But if you watch your diet, you should be just fine.

Now, I know that you all will have different body types and will be at different stages at your current levels of fitness. But lets focus this explanation based on someone that is…

Of average build (5’10 male, weighs 80kg, has a fair amount of body fat)

The Explanation

A common method of building muscle and get ripped is to split your year into a ‘bulking phase’ and a ‘cutting phase’

The bulking phase – You consume a stack load of carbs and calories.
The cutting phase – You cut back on the carbs and calorie in take.

This can work quite well for some. But there are a few reasons why I wouldn’t recommend this approach.

There’s a good chance that you’ll lose a lot of the muscle mass that you would have built during cutting phase.
You could actually ‘gain’ a lot more fat during the bulking stage (Aren’t we meant to be getting shredded here?)
This technique can put stress on your body and sometimes lead to future health problems.

Does this mean that there is no efficient way to get shredded if you’re already struggling to get ‘shredded’ while eating car?

Of course not.

Before I talk about the actual diet, let me introduce you to the concept of…

Carb Cycling

Now, carb cycling isn’t exactly new and some of you might even know of the concept. Either way, allow me to explain.

The idea is that you consume a certain level of carbs only when needed and only in the morning/ after workouts.

The Benefits

Burn fat and build muscle within the same week
Prevents the slow down of your metabolism
Easy to follow

How to structure a carb cycling diet?

Daily carb intake (5’10 male, weighs 80kg, has a fair amount of body fat)

High(er) carb days = 320g protein, 334g carbs, 30g fat
Moderate days = 320g protein, 255g carbs, 30g fat
Low(er) carb days = 320g protein, 196g carbs, 33g fat

3 Day Workout Week

2 Core workout days = High carb intake
Remaining workout day = Moderate carb intake
Allow one extra ‘non-workout’ day = Moderate carb intake day
Off days = Low moderate carb intake

Now that you understand the concept of carb cycling, it should be pretty simple to structure your diet around this for at least 8-12 weeks.

Here are some nutritional posts

Killer Foods for Fitness (part 1)

The ‘DONE-FOR-YOU’ Hardgainers Workout Routine Plan/ Meal Plan

The Ultimate ‘Done For You’ Bodybuilding Regime (Greek)

After this point you will need to evaluate what you have achieved.

Remember!

The point of all of this to to get shredded. Which still means less carb in-take. So after you have evaluated what you have achieved, you’ll need to drop your daily carb intake by approximately 20 grams every 3-4 weeks.

The example again:

High(er) carb days = 320g protein, 334g carbs, 30g fat
Moderate days = 320g protein, 255g carbs, 30g fat
Low(er) carb days = 320g protein, 196g carbs, 33g fat

Your current carb intake =

334g
255g
196g

Your new carb intake (Minus 20g)

314g
235g
176g

But you only keep doing this if fat loss has slowed then. If it hasn’t then no changes need to be made.

Remember the tweak rule

No drastic changes, because that is one sure way of losing muscle mass during a fat loss diet.

And if your goal is to gain muscle mass:

High(er) carb days = 330g protein, 412g carbs, 121g fat
Moderate days = 330g protein, 330g carbs, 121g fat
Low(er) carb days = 33g protein, 247g carbs, 121g fat

That’s the same example, but based on a body type that will gain muscle mass, yet get shredded.

If you are failing to build mass following the carb cycling technique after a few weeks, do this…

- Increase protein/ carb intake by 25% at the post workout meal stage

Still no gains?

- 2-3 weeks after that, increase protein/ carb intake by 25% at breakfast

Still no gains?

- 2-3 weeks after that

Increase protein/ carb intake by 25% with your post-workout shake (Which you take within one hour after finishing your workout.

All of these stages were described in this post…

The ‘DONE-FOR-YOU’ Hardgainers Workout Routine Plan/ Meal Plan

And this technique is a similar concept to tweak and repeat, which I talked about here…

Find Hardgainer Bodybuilding Success with: Tweak and Repeat

Since we are talking about shredding your core here, you might find this post of huge interest to you too…

12 Best Foods to Burn Fat and Build Muscle For Your Abs

#2 Your Intensity

We all know that I religiously talk about training insane.

I talk about it in two specific recent posts

I won’t repeat what was said there. Just go and read them.

But one reason why you could be failing could be due to the level of your workout intensity.

Some Rules

Moderate intensity sessions for 30 – 60 minutes = Lean muscle mass – (What you need right now)
High intensity short workouts = Fat loss

You can actually gauge this based on your current body type. I explain how in the ebook

Build a 6 pac: From flab to flat

You could also add bodyweight exercises to your routine

How to increase your metabolism – The Exercises

And of course

The Unique Bodyweight Exercises Ebook (version 2.0)

#3 Consistency

Of course, all of this testing, tweaking and hard work is useless unless you actually stick to the bodybuilding lifestyle for the long term. Something which is a core goal at Stay-Fit Bug. Helping you stick to the lifestyle!

But it goes back to this goal…

To build lean muscle mass!

Which of course has big part to play when building ‘mature’ muscle. Scroll back to the start if you’ve forgotten the benefits (ALREADY :O ??).

Either way, a lack of consistency could be a reason why you are not yet shredded.

#4 Workout Structure/Plan Based On Goal

Again, I explain how to do this in the ebook Build a 6 pac: From flab to flat

However, I also covered the basics of this here:

How To Find Your Own Bodybuilding ‘Map’ And ‘Route’

But this still may also be a reason why are failing to shred those annoying layers of fat.

The problem covered here is the heart of what the next stayfitbug.com product will try to solve.

But Shaun, this post is so brief. I was expecting so much more!!

Of course you was, and I know that many of you have tried and failed at trying to get shredded. But the underlying reason of why you are failing will always come back to one of these points.

Diet
Intensity
Consistency
Workout structure based on goal

The actual process really is as simple as following the brief information you have read on this page. However…

I understand that everyone’s goals, current levels in fitness, body types and genes are all different.
I understand that you require some true solutions that touch on the emotional connection to the activities you take part in throughout your daily lives (work and fun).

We all have struggles and we all want to be shredded (Men and women). The headline is a common problem that I simply cannot ignore to solve… the Stay-Fit Bug way. A product that will incorporate much of what the Stay-Fit Bug brand represents to the full…

Innovative ways to build muscle (And keep it)
How to have fun and live a great bodybuilding lifestyle

Again, this is the foundation of what needs to be done, And I know that this product will make a difference to your life, and mine too, as you might know… my current goal is to build an 8 pac (Recent progress). I can only do that by shredding fat around my lower abs and following the information that will be provided in this upcoming product.

There is no said date… yet! And the only thing I need from you to ensure that this product rocks is your feedback.

We will lap up the rest of Summer 2010!

Now lets make sure that summer 2011 is a shredded one. FOR YOU!

See you in the comments.

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Do You Workout On Sundays?

Shaun — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:59:48 +0000

It’s always interesting to find out what peoples weekly workout schedules are.

Why?

Well… knowing someones schedule reveals their lifestyle and how they like to live. Their work/ life balance and possible flaws in their system, which may sometimes be the reason why they are not seeing the results that they desire.

E.g

A full weak of strict heavy weights, pushing every set to failure (Which can lead to real over training)

That’s why last Sunday, I decided to pop the question to one of the communities surrounding Stay-Fit Bug. Facebook to be specific. And there were some interesting responses.

Take a look…

The Status Update Thread

Janet Darbey

Who makes Sunday a workout day? Well…..officially no, I am not at the gym…..but yes, I am power walking on the mountain, rocketing up and down the swimming pool or out dancing and having fun…it doesn’t have to be all lifting weights does it?

Shaun Sinclair

Nope. And those are the exact type of activities one should take up when not in the gym. All in the name of fitness fun!
Janet Darbey

I have also invented speed shopping workouts, minimum time racing round supermarket for the weeks shopping….. speed spring cleaning of the house…. if I beat my own time I can watch physique tv for an hour. I can also get showered , dressed and ready to go out in just ten minutes…….. all good cardio…… and a popular one with my husband who hates waiting for people to get ready!

Shaun Sinclair

Some nice additions there for sure.

Brian Zingler

Not I!
18 July at 13:39

Jo Callaghan

My rest day.
18 July at 13:40

Dani Malal

Yeah me too…
18 July at 13:41

Mike R

Cheat day
18 July at 13:42

George PhatBoi Leyva

‎<– workout day
18 July at 13:43

Shaun Sinclair

‎4-1 not in favor of so far…
18 July at 13:45

Mary Ann Donnarumma Kobes

Not only is Sunday a workout day for me, but it is always my day 1. That being said, today may be the exception, lol
18 July at 13:51

Sudipto Ghosh

Add me in to a workout day..
Sunday can never wasted for a drill..a swimming day..nd Cardio punches..
18 July at 13:53

Shaun Sinclair

‎@Mary Stop being lazy!
18 July at 13:56

Shaun Sinclair

Swimming can be seen as fun and fitness
18 July at 13:57

‘Julia Erika Dorantes’

Sunday is the best day to workout!
18 July at 14:23

Shaun Sinclair

And why do you think so Julia?
18 July at 14:24

‘Julia Erika Dorantes’

There is nobody at the gym and I have all the mirrors for me and only me!
18 July at 14:37

Shaun Sinclair

Ah yes.. that is one bonus for sure.
18 July at 14:40

Leo Collins

Sunday is a great workout day for me because I can sleep in a bit longer before going there and can take my time as i don’t have to go to work afterwards! Monday might be a better day to take off instead imo.
18 July at 17:10

Shaun Sinclair

‎@Leo Do you take 2 days off in a row?
18 July at 17:16

Leo Collins

Sometimes… usually its 3 on 1 off and 3 on followed by 2 off. I might spend an off day on the treadmill or just walking somewhere. Usually I listen to my body when it comes to if I need to workout or if another day off is needed.
18 July at 17:18

Brian Ahlstrom

No rest days for this guy!
18 July at 17:20

Shaun Sinclair

You must have 1 at least. Or you truly do have stacks of lean muscle mass. Otherwise you would die…
18 July at 17:23

Shaun Sinclair

Surprise surprise (I just had a look at his profile)… you do… and lots of it
18 July at 17:31

Brian Ahlstrom

Lol, 5 days training, 2 days cardio. I am in precontest mode so no days off completely.
18 July at 18:03

Shaun Sinclair

Makes sense Brian… makes sense. Most people don’t have ‘that much’ lean muscle mass, which you know, can take time to build. But as mentioned last week, once you have it, options are at hand.. such as taking breaks without worrying about losing huge amounts of mass.
18 July at 18:07

Zachary Gfh Newhouse

Heading to the gym in a few minutes!
18 July at 18:20

Shaun Sinclair

Hmmm… looks like a 50/50 split for the Sunday workout.
18 July at 18:21

Ryan Lund

Interval w/ heavy bag workout & kettlebells, of course wearing a MuscleFire shirt too – http://www.musclefire.com (Ryan promoting himself here XD)
18 July at 19:31

Jesus Fuentes

I did today…..
18 July at 21:34

Shaun Sinclair

Off day tomorrow?
18 July at 21:35

Jesus Fuentes

No, played racquetball Saturday. Today was a light workout. Monday starts with a good intense chest workout.
18 July at 21:42

Shaun Sinclair

Good stuff. And as usual. ‘The only way to train is to train insane!’
18 July at 21:45

Josh Dakin

I do, usually just cardio
19 July at 01:47

Shaun Sinclair

A less intense workout for Sunday?
19 July at 01:49

Josh Dakin

Nah i tear it up, lots of running and MMA training. I’m soaked by the time im finished = )
19 July at 01:56

Shaun Sinclair

A bunch of train insane enthusiasts here. Love it!!!
19 July at 01:57

George Poth

I don’t have a rest day. I lift weights on Mon + Thu, running workouts are on Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun, and boxing on Mon, Wed, and Fri. No way to get a rest day here.
19 July at 18:20

Shaun Sinclair

You must also have stacks of lean muscle mass. But didn’t you train at performance level like myself?
19 July at 18:27

George Poth

Mustn’t grumble about lean mass for my 43 years. I do sprint training mainly because it’s the best way to keep fat off and to build some serious lean mass on the lower body. I do some lifting to keep it balanced with the upper body. My actual thing is boxing, but without the other two it’s like having butter with no bread.

19 July at 23:12

Shaun Sinclair

Well if you’ve been training for a while and still good with it, you will no doubt be eternally ripped.
19 July at 23:15

Now, I wouldn’t like anyone to miss out on the party. So… today I’m bring the ‘party’ question over to the site.

Do you workout on Sundays?

See you in the comments.

P.S

My personal weekly structure:

Workout days: Mon, Weds, Fri

Rest days: The weekends (Plus fun non bodybuilding, yet complimentary to the lifestyle activities)

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Stay-Fit Bug Anniversary Year In Review

Shaun — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:43:23 +0000

It really has been a quick, intense an eventful year since starting Stay-Fit Bug back in July 2009. And man… have things changed.

Lets observe:

- 3 Website Design Changes (From July to August – in just 6 weeks)

(This is design 2 and 3. No.1 was just a basic design)

Which made the site a lot more usable and the information very easy to find, which I now know is appreciated by many of you as you have come out of your way to let me know directly. In fact, you deserve a direct mention…

Nikki Floodz
Brody (Brodybro1)
Natalie Minh (You can see her video interview here)
Janet Darbey (Check out her nutritional Greek guest post here)
Jack Goodwin Jones
Kris Lynn (Beach body queen!)
Nicholas Williams
Bill Pairaktaridis (Top commentator reaping all the top commentator rewards)
Brighteyes05 (Wishes to keep her real name anonymous)
Sudipto Ghosh (Met a few weeks back and has seen great muscle building progress taking my train insane advice – you might even see his progress here soon.
Ryan Lund (of musclefire.com)

And others…

You know who are. I’ll be here all day if I carry on. Either way, it’s great to know that the site serves a purpose of being a great place to visit and re-visit again and again. But as I’ve mentioned before, I’ll always look for ways to keep on improving.

- The Introduction Of Two Great Ebooks

I blogged

You responded

I listened

And from that came the creation of these two ebooks:

Build A 6 Pac: From Flab To Flat

The Stayfitbug.com Unique Bodyweight Exercises Ebook

The response has been great so far, but as usual I will be creating new and updated versions of these ebooks. In fact, you will be receiving an email soon about version 3.0 of the Unique Bodyweight Exercises Ebook. But this will be more than just a plain old update. Make sure you sign up to receive that email, because what ever we create from there on will truly make a difference in your bodybuilding lifestyle. That much I can guarantee!

- The Introduction Of Video Interviews

Why did I choose to focus on video interviews?

Well, I am far from camera shy. In fact, I love getting in front of the camera. I get to analyze my flaws face on and improve them on the fly (Which is something you should also be doing in your workouts).

Any how, I chose to focus on video interviews because they are authentic, insightful and inspiring.

Text speaks…
Pictures speak 1000 times text
And video speaks to the world

So video is the no brainer, as my intention with anything I do is to get a message across to the masses.

The video interviews so far

Video Interview with Natalie Minh – Learn How She Set Up Life As A Stranger In A New Country And How She Found Success As A Fitness Model In The Process.

Video Interview With Fitness Model Natalia Muntean – A/k/a The Glute Master!

It’s only been a couple of months since introducing them and the production values are constantly being approved upon. But if there is anyone you would like me to interview, or if there is anyone you know of personally who you think would bring truly valuable insights to the audience here, just drop me a line at mailus@stayfitbug.com. Alternatively, you can reach out to me on the social networks.

There have been some other changes around the site. But nothing that would excite you too much. Just know that they are changes that make life that much better while you Stay Fit reading/ watching/ communicating on the Bug.

- Uber Amounts Of Bodybuilding Daily Digest

A/k/a Content!

It’s obvious that the sites content will grow as time passes us all. But many of you would have entered the life of Stay-Fit Bug throughout different stages of the site. Meaning that there will be a lot of content that you will miss. Because of that, I have decided to list some of the stand out articles throughout the past year. That way, nobody misses out

2009

July 12th: Rock, Hip hop or Pop music for improving your workout?

July 17th: Maintaining muscle mass while having sex

July 23rd: How to increase your metabolism

July 31st: Effective 6pac building techniques

August 1st: The Chicken Legs Syndrome

August 5th: 8 Ways to build great forearms (eliminate chicken limbs)

August 7th: Shower at home or Shower at the gym?

August 10th: How to drink alcohol and workout effectively

August 27th: Stay-Fit Bug | Killer Foods for Fitness (part 1)

August 28th: Gym Etiquette: Follow These Rules or Else

August 31st: Forget About The Gym! Play Rockband and Guitar Hero For Fitness

September 1st: The Art of Building a Bigger Butt

September 6th: Getting Your Girl To Do Yoga Will Lead To Better Sex

September 14th: How To Build Muscle Mass With A High Metabolism?

September 17th: Unique bodyweight exercises

September 23rd: Building Muscles for Tall Men vs Building Muscles for Short Men

September 30th: Not Happy With Your Muscle Building Results? Then Workout Like A Barbarian!

October 8th: 10 Great Protein Shake Recipes For Your Weightlifting Workouts

October 9th: 10 Quick Protein-Packed Meals For Your Weightlifitng Workouts

October 15th: Unique Backyard Exercises For Building Muscle Fast

October 20th: The Super Hero Workout – The Weightlifting Exercises

October 27th: Plateau Busters – The Weightlifting Workout

November 3rd: 12 Best Foods to Burn Fat and Build Muscle For Your Abs

November 6th: How To Build A Muscular Back (Part 1)

November 16th: 8 Reasons to Have A Bodybuilding Girlfriend

November 18th: Weightlifting Workout Gear – PowerBlocks

December 8th: How to Develop Great Bodybuilder Skin

December 10th: How To Build Your Small Muscle Groups (Part1)

December 21st: How Bodybuilding Will Help You Get Over Your ‘X’ Partner

2010

January 8th: 3 Day Split Weightlifting Routine

January 14th: 5 Water ‘Alternatives’ For Your Bodybuilding Routines

January 25th: 7 Stress Beating Foods (A Day In The Life At Work)

February 1st: Shock Body Exercise Variations

February 4th: Bodybuilding Mantra’s I Chose – Just For You

February 12th: The Most Important Bodybuilding Supplement… EVER!

February 15th: The Only Exercise That Will Truly Test Your Strength

February 16th: Why Hardgainer Bodybuilders Need Tailor-made Wardrobes

February 18th: The Ultimate Shock Bodybuilding Supplement

February 22nd: Why You Should Get Your Girl To Be A ‘Sexy’ Bodybuilder

February 25th: 15 Things Successful Bodybuilders And Successful Entrepreneurs Have In Common

March 3rd: The Most Innovative And Dangerous Bodybuilding Exercise… Ever

March 8th: Why You Need To Workout Like A Gymnast

March 16th: Radiator Rippled Abs – Workout #1

March 19th: Don’t Be A Spoon Fed Bodybuilder

March 22nd: 8 Great Famous Bodybuilding Bodies From 8 of Your Favorite Sports (Unisex)

March 29th: The Most Important ‘BEST’ Bodybuilding Supplement… EVER!

April 5th: The Only Way To Train Is To Train Insane

April 12th: Exercise Tweak – The Incline Dip

April 13th: Relax Your Muscles With Radox Herbal Bath Muscle Soak After A Workout

May 1st: Bodybuilding Resources

May 4th: 4 Top Destinations for Workout ‘FUN’

May 13th: Unique Functional Strength Exercises

May 17th: The Ultimate ‘Done For You’ Bodybuilding Regime (INDIAN)

May 19th: Find Hardgainer Bodybuilding Success with: Tweak and Repeat

May 24th: Building Muscle For Bulk Is Un-sexy/ Build ‘Ripped’ Muscles Instead

May 25th: How Shaun Sinclair Has Built Muscle As A Hardgainer

May 27th: Hardgainers vs Easygainers | Building Muscle

June 3rd: Do Not Be A Stiff Bodybuilder

June 7th: 15 Minute Workout For A Few Hours Pump

June 10th: 11 Of The Best World Cup 2010 Footballer Bodies

June 21st: The Complete Guide To Unique Outdoor Exercises (Warning! Designed For The Insane)

June 28th: The ‘DONE-FOR-YOU’ Hardgainers Workout Routine Plan/ Meal Plan

July 2nd: The Complete Guide To Bodybuilding Injury Prevention

July 5th: You Need To Lose Fat First To Build Muscle!

July 9th: The Top 8 Reasons Why You’re Scrawny And The Other Dude Is Not!

Check out the archives for those who truly wish to dig a little deeper.

Like I said in the beginning, the journey will become a lot more adventourous with time… and it has. But it’s still only the beginning.

Here’s to another great year of Stay-Fit Bugging

To all our bodybuilding successes…

Bugs out!

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5 Reasons Why The Bodybuilding Lifestyle Will Make Your Life Better

Shaun — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:50:08 +0000

Training insane
Dieting
Sometimes Obsession!!

Why, why, why do you do it?

(The words from an outsider looking in)

Well for some, the lifestyle can possibly become an unnecessary obsession. But it is highly unlikely in most cases.

We are all fitness freaks in this bodybuilding lifestyle and today I’m putting up a case in our defence for why we do what we do.

The 5 core reasons and benefits of bodybuilding and exercise.

#1 It Deals With Anger Management

The beauty and innocence of the ‘perfect’ life truly is over once you become a teenager, and life becomes even more eventful as the years go on. I always do state that you should try to retain that ‘kiddy’s’ mind frame as long as you can (Which is one way of keeping in touch with the young crowd as you age). But that is always easier said than done as life will take its toll, and everyone’s pain threshold is different.

Any how, my point is this…

Rocky Relationships
Bad friendships
Crappy work colleagues

All of these situations can make your blood boil to new heights and cause serious anger (For years after in some cases). But rest assured. You don’t need to attend any anger management classes. All you need is the gym.

A few screaming weightlifting workouts will be plenty to get that built up anger off of your chest. The best part about all of this is that you will be killing two birds with one stone.

1. No more anger (The initial anger may actually help you push more weight – here’s why)

2. You get to build a better body. Which will obviously make you feel great. Mentally and physically.

Win, win!!!

#2 You Will Look Like A Million Dollars

Pretty obvious one here, but becoming gym fit will make you stand out in a crowd. You will also become more attractive to your friends of the opposite sex. You might only be friends now, but you can bet a good dollar that they will be having thoughts of becoming than ‘just friends’.

The other big bonus to becoming gym fit, is that it will make you look younger. Regular exercise will slow down the ageing process for sure, and everyone hates getting and looking old, so this is a big one.

Tip for guys

Shave that beard off! It’s adding years to your life.

How ‘not’ to look?

Think I’m talking crap?

Well, here’s some examples of two fitness freaks that everyone knows (They’re over 40 too!)

LL Cool J
Tony Horton

Exercise will also improve the elasticity of your skin, which will give off better skin tone. But if you want to maintain it, then be sure to try out products from these guys

King of Shaves

Which literally turned the life of my skin around back in Winter 2008!

#3 The Bodybuilding Lifestyle Will Improve Your Day To Day Life

Key pointers:

Tolerate more pain

Exercise increases the level of endorphins in your body. Which acts as the bodies natural killer of pain.

Child birth will become a breeze (For the ladies)

If you stay fit, shooting out those babies will become less of a traumatic experience.

Ache no more

I’ve talked about the importance of stretching quite a lot on this site, but doing so will nullify those super aches that you tend to suffer from as you age. Especially back pain (Which can be brutal).

You will have super energy (Like me )

I personally know a lot of people that are absolutely shattered after a day at work. But this should not be so. Especially for young people (50 and under). This will not happen once you become gym fit. You will be ready to do so much more in the evening hours which in turn gives you more time to get a lot more done in your day (obviously).

No more stress

Physical or emotional stress!

These:

Rocky Relationships
Bad friendships
Crappy work colleagues

Will affect you no more!

No old peoples home for you

The majority of you here will be aged 60 and under. But for those who are creeping past the big SIX ZERO, get pumping now. You’ll turn into a Duracell battery and keep going like Mr Bruce Forsyth.

You will get beautiful sleep

Working your muscles, the insane way will help you sleep and you will have no choice but to relax in the late hour. It really is that simple. It gets even better when you start taking up (beneficial) non-bodybuilding activities such as meditation and yoga.

Your new alias is now Mr/ Mrs. stamina

Endurance will be fully improved. Once it is, the world is your oyster when it comes to doing what you want, for however long you wish to do it.

Sex
Partying
World cruises
Marathons

And much, much more. You decide!

Enter Mr strong man/ woman

I’ll be specific here and say functional strength. This is the strength that will help you with pushing, puling, lifting every day objects in your every day activities.

#4 The Bodybuilding Lifestyle Will Improve Your Life At Work

We know that exercise will increase your stamina and push you to get more out of your day. But it will also make the day at work more pleasant too.

Moment of Clarity

Exercise
Weightlifting
Cardio workouts
Meditation

All of these are super aids for clearing your head and improving your self actualization once this happens, you will actually start looking forward to the day ahead.

Equals mission accomplished = A happy lifestyle, all from bodybuilding!

You will have Improved self esteem

Countries like the USA are built on confidence. And this is what you will become. People feed directly off of it and they will respond to you in a positive manner. Once this happens the boss man will start shining the green light on you and you will be able to take on greater responsibilities and gain more respect from your co-workers.

#5 The Lifestyle Will Lower Your Blood Pressure

A high blood pressure is the starting point of potentially having a heart attack. You will literally be dead within minutes once pressure bust pipes. Regular exercise will prolong your life greatly. Here’s a visual example of why having a high blood pressure is dangerous.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQVEdFSlUGU

Shocking no doubt!

There are obviously plenty of other benefits to taking up the bodybuilding lifestyle, many of which I have covered across this entire site. But these are the points which will affect you the instant you decide to live the lifestyle, and when you do, just know that people within your close circle will take notice. For the better!

Strike down those who are against the bodybuilding life style. Let them die a miserable an unfit death!

See you in the comments.

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Stay Ripped By Building Mature Muscle

Shaun — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:29:05 +0000

I’ve been training for 12 years now, yet my core physique that I built between September 1999 to March 2000 has stayed relatively the same.

Yes… I have lost and gained weight a few times over during that period. But still, my core physique has stayed the same, which means that right after a bad period and with hard work, insane training, strong mentality and disciplined nutrition, It will take just 3 months (Max) to build muscle mass… the way I like to!

How am I able to do this?

By building mature muscle mass!

In other words

Stacks of lean muscle/ Muscle that sticks!

Once you have that you should be able to maintain the core physique that you build.

Regardless of whether you workout or not.
Regardless of your body type (Lean muscle mass will burn calories for you – At you low metabolism body types)

Some Steps To Take On Your Journey To Building Mature Muscle Mass

The first thing you need to understand is that the process of building huge amounts of lean muscle mass will take time. (2 years on average). And will require consistency on your part.

Experience and life has shown that you will face challenges during that time period and no one knows for sure what the future holds. All you need to is ‘go hard’ every time adversity creeps in.

You can do that by…

#1 Focusing On Your:

Mental strength
Level of focus
Determination (Ante up, even when you’re on a mental high. Doing this will take you to heights that even you thought were unattainable)

Mastering these points will make the journey so much easier down the road, because you would have become conditioned (Where focusing on the above becomes the norm).

#2 Work Your Ass Off

Inspirational people exist everywhere and in every industry. But know this…

99% of those individuals achieved what they have because they worked their asses off!

Mental
Physical
Personal

Strengths… and others.

They have taken the time to perfect those attributes. And that couldn’t be any truer for bodybuilders (famous/ non famous) that have left you feeling inspired.

If they are insanely ripped, it’s because they trained insane for a good period of time. I would go as far as to say that it’s an obsession in some cases.

Does that scare you?

Well… don’t let it!

Great things happen when you take risks and step outside of your comfort zone.

Are you scared of what other people will think of you?

Well don’t be! F**k ‘em.

This is your life, your body, and you WILL get what YOU want out of it!

What they think is not important. So don’t delay and work your ass off.

#3 Start As You Mean To Go On

”Excellence is never final. You will need to keep tweaking, testing and nurturing your excellence”

Don’t be fooled!

You will still need to workout to maintain the body that you develop. Just know that building huge amounts of lean muscle will give you options.

Example

Want to diet down to focus on cutting? (No problem)
Want to train 6 days a week without damaging your muscles? (No problem)
Want to cut back on weight training for extended periods of time to focus on cardio? (No problem)

Sounds great doesn’t it?

Well, if you like the sound of that start training insane today and start focusing on building mature muscle.

Remember!

Champions up their game and rise in the face of adversity!
Have fun and enjoy the journey. Because you need to look back at these events one day and have no regrets. Just memories of pure gold!

See you in the comments.

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7 Key Pointers To Barbecue Abs (The 8 Pac Builder!)

Shaun — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:24:36 +0000

It’s still summer people, and that means there’s still room for plenty of barbecues. However, barbecues will be present with super unhealthy food, snacks and munchies, and could lead to a waist line like this guy, if consumed over the whole summer period.

…

And that will kill the (What I have now found out) overall goal of carving out those lower abs (Which is something I’m currently working on too).

How many of you are hardgainers?

How many of you are easygainers?

It’s a 50/50 split (I’ve been doing some research on your a**es )

And no, this post isn’t targeted at easygainers. You high metabolism hardgainers need to watch those calories too.

Why?

Yes, you can probably eat whatever you like and not gain an ounce of weight. But I can bet money that you too suffer from having that annoying layer of fat below your two bottom pacs.

And…

Because of your insulin intake.

It tells your body what mode it will be in (Burning fat mode/ building muscle mode)
Controls the rate at which you age (Stay young and read this – 10 Top Foods To Keep You Young)

Anyhow, today is all about learning how to enjoy the summer barbecue the ‘healthy’ way. Or at least in a way that will be beneficial to your weightlifting and 6 pac building efforts.

We begin…

The Goal = Less unnecessary fat intake

#1 No White Bread

White bread will cause a spike in your insulin levels which will make your body store fat.

The solution

Eat
Whole wheat
Rye
Sourdough buns

If on offer of course.

#2 Cut The Crappy Foods

Even more ways to stay on the good side of insulin.

Crisps
Ice cream
Flavoured beers
High-fructose corn syrup sodas
Energy drinks (Looks down at Lucozade)

In fact, Lucozade was the first thing I had to abandon from my diet back as an athlete, because it will build you up. But then break you back down.

Either way, these are all things you should try to avoid.

#3 Munch On Good Meat

Now, It really is not cool to be the health conscious bore at any party. But just remember, no one is going to care if the meat you guzzle down will start putting layers of fat around your gut. That will be the last thing on anyone’s mind.

But you need to be eating grilled meat without the excess fat. Now don’t go poking and picking at the food and start feeding the excess to the pets.

That will just look wrong. But doing simple things like removing the skin from a piece of chicken won’t make you a party pooper. It’s all about choosing the lean cuts. After all, you’re the one that wants the 8 pac.

Also

No hot dogs
No sausages

That processed stuff is no good!

#4 Eat Grilled Vegetables

Why?

Well, they are less boring than generic veggies, are healthy, yummy and have that grilled taste to them.

#5 Eat Before You Party

This is actually rule no.1 for any party that you attend. Because drinking alcohol on an empty stomach really can f*** you up. No kidding there!! (You could always align your stomach by drinking milk before hand).

Any how, this is barbecue time. The head line is the same, but the rules are different. The reason you need to eat is because you will inevitably want to stuff your face if you arrive on an empty stomach. The food might be tasty, but almost anything tastes good when you are hungry and you’ll probably eat even more from being in beastly feast mode. So make sure you snack up before the party gets started.

# 6 Don’t Drink Fat

What I mean here is that you need to stay away from crappy beverages. Here’s a few pointers:

Fizzy drinks = Drink diet coke ( I know you’re not fat, but you don’t need to be drinking unwanted calories)
Beer = Go for the light stuff (Drinking water is best, but again, being a party pooper is un-cool)

Last But Not Least

Rule

You can’t change your circumstance over night (Mr or Misses fat guts ), but you can change your direction (That’s with anything)!

It’s very easy for me to sit here and point these tips your away. But it will be of no use to you if not applied to a long term plan. Meaning that these pointers need to become automatic behavior on your part. Also known as conditioning… which will take time. Obviously summer only lasts three months. But take these pointers, adapt them to each season and I can bet money that you will have radiator abs by next summer!

See you in the comments.

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The Ultimate ‘Done For You’ Bodybuilding Regime (Greek)

Shaun — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:58:16 +0000

Hello all!

And welcome to yet another addition of the ultimate ‘Done-For-You’ bodybuilding regime.

For those who are new to this, here’s a brief reminder to what this series is about.

Pre workout meal/ Post workout meals (Culture specific). Meaning that each of these articles will contain a meal plan based on the food from a specific culture, for that day only.
Workout Routines
Live out the plan as if you are there.

And today’s theme…

Greek

In the previous posts (Indian/ Thai) I wrote about meal plans that I had first hand experience with, as I have travelled to both of those countries.

Now, I have travelled to Greece before (Corfu), and I loved every bit of it. But I didn’t really get a good taste of ‘real’ Greek culture and a real taste of the Mediterranean, other than a greasy kebab (Which was the best I’ve ever had!)

(Shaun ‘Bugmeister’ Sinclair doing Greek – Click to enlarge)

That’s why I am now aided with a helping hand from someone that,

Has lived in Greece for the past 15 years
Is a female bodybuilding competitor
And a professional writer

A guest post by Janet Darbey. You can connect with her over at http://www.musclemania.webs.com/

A few things before we begin…

The Golden Rule For Building Muscle

To increase body mass you need to consume more calories than you use.

Meals, Food Types And When To Eat Them

Core Meals

Breakfast (Carbs and Protein)

Protein – Tuna, Chicken, Egg whites.

Carbs – Fruit to restore glycogen stores, oatmeal, all bran cereal, grits, sweet potatoes and pancakes with no syrup.

Post Workout Shake (Carbs and Protein)

The shake described here. Then add a plate of rice to make up for the carbs needed.

Post Workout Meal (Carbs and Protein – 2 hours after your workout)

Protein - Chicken, fish, shrimp, lean meats.

Carbs – Sweet potatoes, brown rice, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, grits.

Remaining Meals (Protein and Fat)

Protein - Meat, turkey, tuna, fish, chicken, eggs, ham and cottage cheese.

Fat – Protein foods as previously listed, flax seeds and fish oil.

Green vegetables: 100-200 grams

Read this post for the detailed version

The ‘DONE-FOR-YOU’ Hardgainers Workout Routine Plan/ Meal Plan

Breakfast

Greek Delight

Like so – But with strawberries /nectarine and banana chopped or sliced

One tub of Greek yogurt
Strawberries /nectarine and banana chopped or sliced
Chopped walnuts
Cinnamon and ginger
Little honey

How to prepare

Put layers of the fruit in the bottom of the bowl and cover with a layer of yogurt
Continue to do this till they are all used up.
Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top of the last layer and ooze a little honey onto them
Sprinkle with ginger and cinnamon to taste.

With honey and walnuts

Alternatives

A buffet of lean meats, fish, fresh bread, yogurt, fruit, nuts and honey, with feta cheese.
An omelette with spinach and feta in it.

Spinach omelette with broccoli

The Pre-workout Meal

Oven baked garlic chicken with lemon potatoes.

Simple to make, just prepare and leave to bake in a moderate oven for around one hour.

Large chicken portion
Three medium potatoes peeled and cut into chunks of about one and half inches long
Lemon juice
2 Cloves of garlic cut into quarters
A little olive oil
Water
Oregano and sage
A little salt and pepper to taste.

How to Prepare

Take a large oven dish , arrange the chicken portion and the potatoes in the bottom.
Add about three quarters of an inch of water to the dish.
Cut small slits in the chicken and put the pieces of peeled garlic clove just under the skin. Pour a dash of olive oil and plenty of lemon juice over the chicken and potatoes.
Sprinkle with the herbs and cook in the oven till the chicken is done and the potatoes are cooked. Enjoy!

The Workout Routine

As usual, you can stick any routine here that you wish. But instead of providing you with one myself, you can take your pick as you will all have different current goals.

Bugs workout routines

The Post Workout Meal(s)

Bourdetto

A wonderful spicy fish dish , a bit like a stew, which is a traditional winter dish in Corfu.

Unique selling point?

It’s simple to make!

1kg of firm fish such as cod, skate, monkfish, hake etc
One ounce of olive oil (Greek olive oil is lighter than Italian olive oil)
4 onions
One tablespoon of cayenne, hot pepper or paprika……or chilli to taste
One tablespoon of tomato paste or one wineglass of pureed tomatoes.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Plus – A plate of brown rice

How to Prepare

Clean and cut up the fish into serving sizes
Grate the onions and fry gently in the olive oil. add the hot pepper and fry to release the aroma.
Add two wine glasses of water.
Add the tomato paste or one of water and one of pureed tomatoes.
Bring on a lively simmer, put in the fish and cover and cook for around 15 minutes.
The sauce should be reduced and thickened.
Allow to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Alternative

Feta and Prawn Saganaki

Large piece of feta
4oz prawns
Two large chopped tomatoes
Chopped garlic
Chopped red pepper
Half a chopped onion

Take an oven proof dish and put the feta on the bottom
Place the prawns on top and surround with the peppers and onions
Put the chopped tomato on top of it all.
Bake in a hot oven for around ten to fifteen minutes till the feta is hot and soft… kalee orexi… good appetite!
Can be served with a fresh green salad, or if you are not watching the carbs, try crispy fresh bread dipped into the sauce and to scoop up the cheese.

In Greece it is traditional to go out for a meal with all your friends. You have the table for the whole night, and everyone paces their eating with conversation, laughter and much story telling. People share starter dishes and give each other tastes of different dishes. The evening is often punctuated by Greek dancing….where talent rates second to enthusiasm!

Greek food in traditional restaurants and grill rooms is almost always top quality. Fresh fruit and veg are usually locally grown and fresh that morning if served in Greek family restaurants. Fish will be freshly caught, they may not know the name of the fish, but will know the best way to cook it so that it is delicious. Most meats and fish are grilled over charcoal when you order them, but in traditional villages many foods are cooked in just one casserole or slow cooked in the oven. This makes for very moist and tender meat. You can use this method of cooking to ensure your own cooked meat is tender and moist. Just cook slowly in the oven and add an inch or so of water to the meat dish before you put it in the oven.

Simples…..

And that’s how we build muscle, guzzle great food and have fun… The Greek way!

See you in the comments.

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The Top 8 Reasons Why You’re Scrawny And The Other Dude Is Not!

Shaun — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:22:08 +0000

Warning… This post may cause extreme motivation!

A lot of what you are about to read might not exactly be news to you, and most of it might even be familiar territory. However, even iconic pro competitors need a good reminder and smack upside the head to keep them on track at times, and that’s exactly what this is.

Either way, building muscle can be is as simple as ABC/123. But if you are still failing to get ripped, even after all the advice you’ve consumed from being on this site, then it is most likely going to be because of one of the reasons listed here.

Take notes or bookmark… it’s a long one!

#1 You’re Over Training Your Muscles

I know it’s good to watch your muscles pump away while you are in the gym. Veins are busting out and your muscles will look ‘ready’. However, this won’t last long and they will deflate shortly after that. So don’t get too happy.

Muscles grow during non gym activity, not when you’re pumping the hell out of them.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but some people simply forget that and end up training every single day.

That doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. But 5 day routines will only work if they are properly planned.

Example workout

Monday - Weightlifting/ Lower body
Tuesday – Cardio (Low intensity)
Wednesday - Weightlifting/ Upperbody
Thursday – Cardio (Low intensity)
Friday - Weightlifting routine / Lowerbody

Note:

You could call this the A, B, A workout if you wish, with Day 1 being workout A and Day 3 being workout B. You can alternate this routine in the 2nd week if you wish. Instead of doing A, B, A just do B, A, B. All this is in aid of keeping your muscles ready and surprised for something new

If you aren’t training as described above, there’s a good chance that you are probably over training your muscles by performing exercises that overlap and work the same muscle groups. If so… do the above and fix it!

#2 You’re Not Focusing On Your Weaknesses

Scenario

You build huge shoulders/ arms with ease, yet have scrawny legs… and keep on neglecting them. :s

Why, why, whyyyyy?

Especially you daddy long legged bodybuilders (Looks at Shaun Sinclair s body type)

Did you know, that building strong and powerful legs will actually complement your upper body, making you appear larger in size… and more proportioned?

Of course you knew that.

So why do you keep on focusing on what you’ve already achieved. Move the hell on. Put some meat on those chicken legs. Give the man eating piranha fish something to chew on already!

You’ve already mastered your strengths (A good start). Now focus on the areas where you are the weakest. Do that and your body will improve!

#3 You’re Doing Too Much Cardio

It was on page 7 in the ebook, ‘Build a 6 pac: from flab to flat‘ where I showed you how to structure your workouts based on your body type and goals. If you haven’t read that already, go get the ebook. It’s FREE.

Anyhow… the conclusion for hardgainers is that you need to focus less on cardio in the early stages of building muscle. Focusing too much on cardio really will hamper your muscle building efforts because building muscle is hard enough as it is for hardgainers. Why make it harder for yourself by shredding calories needed to build that muscle?

Cut Back On Your Cardio

By how much?

I’d say one day a week consisting of low intensity workouts (Jogging/ Slow cycling)

The rule

High intensity short cardio workouts = Fat loss
Moderate intensity long cardio workouts = Building lean muscle (Increases metabolism)

Having Too Much Fun Partying?

This could potentially be another reason why you aren’t building any muscle. We all like to party and dance the night away, and I highly recommend that you should (Come and party with me one day… I’m an animal!). But too much cardio activity (even though fun) will put a strain on your ability too build muscle.

Why?

1) Alcohol (Causes dehydration)

When you drink alcohol in excessive amounts it damages your muscles and dehydrates the body, which leads to a lack of water in your muscles. Water is the very thing that your muscles need in order to grow and be maintained. So you may find that after a few weeks of drinking on the binge, you feel a lot thirstier after working out.

This will lead to days lost to workout due to a hangover.

2) Often ends up in sexual activity

Less food consumed (Too much time in bed) and even more calories burned.

Now, partying is one of the core things you need to be doing to enjoy the lifestyle, the way that know you should. And it doesn’t necessarily need to consist of all of the above (although it is often the case). But the amount of partying you do needs to be kept under control, because it makes you lose focus, can age you and worst of all prevent you from building muscle mass.

#4 Too Much Sex

This could be a key reason to why you are lacking in the muscle growth department. However, the thought of having less sex to maintain muscle mass when a man is in a healthy sexual relationship is near impossible to carry out.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you decrease your sexual activity to main muscle mass. No, no, no!

In fact I would encourage more sex. And here’s why…

Testosterone

Testosterone is one of the biggest muscle building hormones out there. It is partially responsible for allowing muscles to gain so much more weight than females do.

Testosterone is also one of the main sex hormones as well, meaning that when you are physically turned on, your testosterone levels will be higher.

Therefore, having an active sex life can actually enhance the testosterone release in the body and work with your workouts to help you gain more muscle mass.

What you must not do

Have sex right before a workout

Why?

Because testosterone release tends to drop after sex, therefore having sex right before a workout isn’t the best idea. If you are, then stop and fix it!

#5 You’re Not Eating Right

The rule

To increase body mass you need to consume more calories than you use.

Fail to do that and you wont grow. Simple.

You maybe eating well. But the food you are eating may not contain enough nutrients to feed your body of what’s required to build muscle.

If so you may have to take supplements to fill your body of those extra needed nutrients, depending on your diet.

Rule

Your meals

80% should consist of REAL Food (At least)
20% supplements

(Read this post for the types of foods and when to eat them)

The ‘DONE-FOR-YOU’ Hardgainers Workout Routine Plan/ Meal Plan

(Read these posts for specific foods and meals)

Stay-Fit Bug | Killer Foods for Fitness (part 1)

How To Build Muscle Mass With A High Metabolism?

Remember!

You need to eat food, yes! But you also need to enjoy it. You need to enjoy the journey, because one day you will look back on all of this and you really will be an unhappy and miserable bunny if the memories are of you acting like a processed computer the whole time. Have fun with it!

Which supplements do you ‘need’?

I’ve ‘tried’ a few in my time, just to see what the fuss is about. But in terms of what you actually ‘need’, it’s as follows…

Whey Protein (Protein intake boost -- ON Whey Protein, Muscleology Nitro Pro)

Glutamine (Scivation Xtend)

Helps with muscle recovery

Multivitamin (Animal Pak)

Fish Oil (Helps get rid of muscle soreness -- Optimum Fish Oil)

There are some others that do work great, which I have listed on the bodybuilding resources page. But in general, these are the ones you ‘need’

#6 The Other Dude Honors His Game (Like his balls and his word)

The underlying reason why the other dude has monster sized muscle and you don’t is because he has been working his ass off and training insane!

I really would like to give you a personal demonstration of this, but I currently am not in a position to do this as of this post (Not the way I’d like to… COMING SOON!)

That is…

Intense reps/ sets
Short rest periods
35 minute workouts

Consistently over a period of time… to keep it simple.

Muscles will speak out loud and grow only when you force them to explode.

The reason why you are puny and he is not, is because he is disciplined, persistent, focused and understands the meaning of sacrifice.

If you follow this through you will be puny and pathetic no longer.

Are you pumped yet?

What was that?

… No?

Well, I can’t provide you with any video from yours truly ‘today’, but I’ll let my favorite fictional friend help you out.

Kratos of God of war 3

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hiieqlgbn2c

Workout like a barbarian!

As you can see, the guy is intense. He might not be real, but I don’t think he needs to be. Take his aggression and intensity into the gym and you will happily say bye-bye to the puny YOU!

*#7 You’re Just A Lazy B*****d!*

If so, then let me do the honours of exposing your traits.

You instigate mindless conversations in the gym (You don’t actually workout while you are there. Dumb socialite)
You go into things half hearted. Not just in the gym, but in everything you put your mind to.
You have a whole lot of mouth, but show no action (You could be a politician). You start your workout session and then give up when the going gets tough. And no, you are not tough. Because you don’t get going (Even your lady says so XD).

You’ll eventually get exposed!

There are probably more traits for you lazy b*****ds, but I’ve made my point. You are still puny because you are full of sh*t! You want, but don’t want to do what’s required to ‘get’.

You lazy f****rs have no right to complain about looking like a skinny rat.

This may well be the reason why the other dude has monster muscle and you don’t!

Fix it!

#8 You Smoke Too Much Weed (AKA Marijuana)

Now you can agree to disagree with what you’re about to read, but first read my disclaimer.

Disclaimer

I have not personally smoked marijuana. The views expressed here are from those who have had first hand experience smoking marijuana and some of which, blame the inhaling of weed for there lack of muscle building results.

Quotes from the experienced

I workout, smoke marijuana and I feel great!

Before a workout – Helps me to keep better form and concentrate on specific muscles more effectively.

After a work -- I get a epinephrine high from the workout plus the high from the marijuana smoke, which leads to an overall better performance.

- Running or biking after smoking marijuana allows me to keep up excellent rhythm and push myself harder than usual.

I can’t workout and smoke marijuana. It makes me feel awful!

- I wouldn’t recommend smoking while, before, or after working out, as I’ve done that twice and thrown up both times. It really is not a pleasant experience.

- If I smoke before I work out I get really lazy and cannot get motivated. Besides, smoking marijuana produces oestrogen and by having that in your system you cannot get that solid muscle feel from a workout that the non-smokers get.

I’m no expert on legal/ illegal substances, but like alcohol, it seems that weed affects different people in different ways. And smoking weed might just be the reason why you are struggling to build muscle as a skinny guy.

There probably are many other reasons to why you might be struggling to build muscle as a skinny guy. But I bet you the reasons will probably come back to one of the points listed above.

Hopefully you took notes like I told you too, or just bookmarked the page, because you will need to be reminded of these points every time you find yourself struggling to build muscle.

The Simple Version

Eat well

Train insane

Sleep

(Man… I could have saved myself a whole load of typing! Never mind, you humans like to complicate things, so I gave you long complicated version instead )

See you in the comments.

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