#1 GETTING A SIX-PACK THE WRONG WAY

Getting A Six -Pack The Wrong Way
If I could sculpt one  part  of my body 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 there waistline, lose body fat, eliminate that blasted low back pain and develop a jaw dropping set of rock-hard six-pack. If only my  brain had not been poisoned with contaiminated information.http://howtogain-weight.comhttp://howtogain-weight.com


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 mind 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 skeptical of discerning about all abdominal training equipment 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. It is so easy for you to get suckered into these 'ab workout' gimmicks, you will be broke quicker than Ben Johnson sprints the 100 m 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!   http://howtogain-weight.com

 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 is 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 negelets adequate muscle fiber recruitment.
Learning how to get a six-pack does not involve starvation diets.
Starvation diets starve the muscle when instead, you should be feeding the muscle. 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 a maintaining a high metabolism. Starve your muscle - great logic!  http://tiyurl.com/ydhejyl


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 symptons and not the root cause. Without focusing on the root problems of a flabby mid-section, like nutrition, lifestyle and proper training, you will just end up where you started - farther away from having a six-pack for summer instead of closer.
If just landed on earth from the dark side of the moon today, and were able to avoid these four completely wrong ways to build a six-pac, than you will have an advantage over the rest of the world and be one enormous step closer to taking your shirt off with pride!
Vince Delmonte approved this article on"getting a six-pack the wrong way"A FREE VIDEO WITH 10 COACHING LESSONS  AT

As this is # 30 I hope you have downloaded and printed these very informative articles  and make a nice easy reference folder.

+ #2 49 THINGS THAT TOPPED MY LIST

49 Things That Topped My List

Been giving some thought to putting yourself on a muscle building diet has to be a painful process?Making your goal a  fat loss or muscle building, starts with getting proper nutrition of at least 80% of the game. If you hav'nt  figured that out, you are going to be a long time away from seeing results.
The better news is that your tastebuds don't have to suffer if you don't want them to. There are plenty of ways to get in your proper nutrition while keeping things interesting. If you think gaining muscle means suffering through can of tuna after can of tuna or pounding back a protein shake as fast as humanly possible, well think again.
1. Pull ups are better than pull downs. Duh.
2. You don't need a training partner to get huge (but it helps). You should be able to pack on your first 20 plus pounds of muscle alonewithout any problems
3. Bicep curls do not produce bigger biceps. Focusing on increasing your body's overall size is what makes your biceps bigger.
4. John Berardi's G-Flux theory. Also know as energy flux (or energy turnover) is the relationship between energy intake and expenditure. Basically, it's better to train more and eat more than train less and eat less.
5. Alwyn Cosgrove's said this, "A good program performed poorly is worthless. A shitty program done with a ton of effort is worth a lot. But when you get a good program and a tone of effort, the results can be amazing."
6. The Sopranos and 24 are the best damn shows on television. I will proudly admit that I have overdosed on Tony Soprano and Jack Bauer for over 12 hours at a time, on multiple occasions. And I don't regret a single episode!
7. Learn by 'doing' - not by talking about it. I am sick and tired of people who post on forums and ask, "What do you think of this diet or workout etc.?" How the heck do I know? Go try it for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
8. The two man bench press is becoming more popular each year. You know what I'm talking about. Where one guy lowers the bar and the other deadlifts it up yelling, "It's all you, man!"
9. I hate people with no gym etiquette. The guy who does bicep curls in the squat rack. The guy who does a side lateral raise 1 inch away from the dumbell rack, blocking the entire rack of weights. The guy who loads the leg press with 1000 pounds and leaves the plates on. The guy who drips sweat all over the bench without wiping it down. I could go on and on...
10. I really can't stand skinny guys who wear sleeveless tops. Seriously, if your arms aren't bigger than 15 inches, I don't want to see your puny arms. Keep them hidden until you earn the right to show them off.
11. People will pay more money to make exercise easier and easier. Just take a look at late night infomercials and the popularity of group exercise and dance classes...
12. Since I am Canadian-Italian, watching George St-Pierre kick Matt Hughes' butt was the best UFC fight all year and watching Italy win the World Cup was the happiest day of my life!
13. The Smith Machine is useless. Aside from not allowing your body from working through a natural range of motion, it is a perfect disguise for being stronger than you really are.
14. Only results matter. It doesn't matter what you, another person, text book, or research article claims or thinks should happen as far as the training outcome - all that matters is what actually happens, the final outcome. (looking good)
15. It's possible to train for an entire year and look the exact same! The majority of these people will look the exact same next year too.
16. Stand for something or fall for everything. My father taught me to apply this to my physical, intellectual and spiritual journeys.
17. Only take training advice from those who have trained themselves at a high level or make their living training others at a high level.
18. A complete program involves enforcing movement patterns, cardiovascular work, strength work, flexibility work, injury prevention training, core training and recovery enhancement. Most programs, cover 1 or 2 at best.
19. I heard someone say, "Full body workouts are best for 90% of the population, 80-90% of the time. And body part routines are best for 10% of the population, 10-20% of the time." I would have to agree.
20. Speak less and listen more. If you are a true student, you will want to hear the teacher's voice more than your own. You are not learning while you are talking.
21. Over 70% of the supplements on the market have less than 30% absorption rate. This means you are only absorbing about 30% of what is in the bottle. Supplements are about making money. They put just enough in the product for you to feel a slight difference so you buy them again.
22. Hiring a personal trainer is one of the best investments you can make. Yes, I know, not all trainers are created equal. I'm talking about the kick ass ones who have a binder full of before and after pictures and guarantee results.
23. Money is a jealous and deadly god. Money can create freedom but it will not set you truly free.
24. Stretch as least half as much as you lift. If you are lifting weights for at least 4 hours a week than you better be stretching at least 2 hours a week. If not, your body is screaming for an injury.
25. Active Release Therapy (A.R.T.) therapy has been proven, to me personally, the most effective form of therapy available. Find a reputable A.R.T. therapist if you are on the injured list.
26. Competing in my first fitness model show was the only decision that truly motivated me to get the best body i can in my life.
27. I love short emails written in short, concise sentences. Learn how to be time-efficient with your communication.
28. Dead lifts are the best overall exercise of all time. No other exercise produces the same potential of results as dead lifts.
29. Body weight exercises should be mastered before external load is introduced. It amazes me at how many guys attempt a sloppy 200 pound lat pull down but can't pull up their weight once.
30. Impression without expression leads to depression. This means that people get impressed with certain ideas but don't do anything about it so they end up getting depressed.
31. No guts, no glory. If you're not bleeding, sweating and crying at the end of your workouts than I must question your workout intensity.
32. Buy a foam roller and use it daily. Stop fixating on the strength, size and flexibility of a tissue until you increase the quality of the tissue.
33. Write everything down. This will help clarify your goals and use the past to replicate the future.
34. Find a mentor. They will accelerate your learning and take you closer to your goal.
35. Skinny guys will never become bigger until they start spending more money on groceries, spend more time in the kitchen and spend more time cleaning in the kitchen.
36. Stop training with your girlfriend. I attempted this for a few weeks, and as much as I love my girlfriend, this is an impossible recipe to make any gains!
37. Machines are not always better. They are merely alternatives and used for commercial profit to the manufacturer and sales companies which have influenced the masses to believe that the latest, superior machine is worthy of our attention. I don't agree.
38. I never got dumber reading a book (with the possible exception of the Britney Spears' book Heart to Heart). It drives me crazy when someone asks, 'Is this book worth it?' Even if you learned one new thing, would it not be worth it? How can you put a price on knowledge?
39. The majority of people still think cardiovascular is the best way to lose fat. Thanks to programs from Craig Ballantyne, Tom Venuto, and Alwyn Cosgrove, we are now discovering the value of high intensity circuit training for maximizing the 24-hour metabolism.
40. If you are doing three quad dominant exercises such as a leg press, lunge and leg extension, than you better be doing three hip dominant exercises to counteract an imbalance in the pelvis, such as stiff leg dead lifts, good mornings and leg curls.
41. If you are doing three horizontal pushing exercises for your chest like bench press, incline bench press, and decline bench press, you better be doing three horizontal pulling exercises to counteract an imbalance in the shoulders such as seated row, bent over row and overhand row.
42. Unilateral exercises are underestimated compared to bilateral exercises. Don't believe me? Try a one leg squat down to your butt instead of a double leg squat and let me know how it goes...
43. You are the average of the top five people you hang around most. Hang around with pimps and players and most likely you will become a pimp and player. Hang out with millionaires and most likely you will become a millionaire. Hang out with guys bigger and more ripped than you, and you will eventually become the same.
44. In training for pure muscle size, there are two sides to the debate. Higher volume training with sub-maximal load and higher repetitions. And lower volume training with maximal load and lower repetitions. Both will work.
45. Almost every training program will work if the stimulus is sufficient and a quality caloric support is in a surplus.
46. I am still waiting to see the massive amounts of muscle people fear to lose when dieting.
47. You don't know what you don't know.
48. If a supplement has not been around for at least three years to beat the test of time, I give it zero attention and dedicate my time to my training program and nutrition planning.
49. You will get the exact same thing this year if you keep doing the same thing you did last year.
Vince Delmonte approved this article"49 things that topped my list"I HAVE A FREE VIDEO FOR YOU WITH 10 COACHING LESSONS AT http://building-up-muscles.com/
As this is article # 29 i hope you have downloaded and printed these very informative articles and make a nice easy reference folder.

#3 THE TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM FOR THE1+1 SKINNY GUY

The Transformation Program For The 1+1 Skinny Guy

Almost every year. The New Year comes and every scrawny twerp on the planet swears this is going to be my year to slap on an extra 20 pounds of muscle. But if you didn't pack it on successfully last year, what makes this year any different? Seriously?
Did you spend hours in the gym with zero 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 it would.
So how can we 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 this year 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 . I gawked at my room mates how they 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 very confusing.
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
Strength training is incredibly taxing on the body's central nervous system. Increasing your central nervous system's work capacity through heavy and/or explosive movements; you directly increase the ability of your muscular system to produce increased levels of strength.
Strength training releases more growth hormone and testosterone.
Using greater resistance loads than normal will release a greater abundance of these muscle building hormones necessary to maximize your genetic potential which will result in new muscle growth all over - especially on those lagging body parts!
Strength training creates a platform to achieve more sets and reps.
When you build a stronger foundation, your ability to handle heavier loads in the higher rep ranges will dramatically increase, resulting in some impressive muscular hypertrophy.
Strength training benefits the smaller muscle groups as well. The pure strength movements do not just benefit the larger muscle groups such as the chest, back and legs but the smaller ones as well.
An example:
A skinny guy increases the amount of weight he can do on the bent over row from 135 to 225. The heavier poundages will result in significantly strengthening the assisting movers of the upper arm - brachialis and the brachioradialis - allowing him to curl much more weight on his curling exercises.
Strength training involves the maximal amount of muscle fibers. To defeat your skinny genetics you must use the maximal number of muscle fibers in each set. Do you think lifting weights at 60-80% of your threshold is going to stimulate the maximal amount of muscle fiber? Think of your muscles as lazy. They would prefer to sleep this entire next year. They would prefer to stay small. They have zero interest in growing larger. That is something you want to do. The only reason they will wake up (get bigger) is if they are attacked. If they are exposed to an assault (heavy weight) they have not experienced before. Out of survival, your muscles will grow bigger to prevent the same assault from occurring again.
Strength training does not eat up your precious calories. Unlike the 1-2 hour marathon training sessions that involve 12-24 exercises per body part or workout, strength training is much less demanding calorically. It does not burn up the calories your muscles need to grow because of the longer rests and shorter sets.
Strength training leads to progressive overload.
If you are thinking, "But I don't care how much I can lift. All I care about is not being skinny anymore and building a good physique. I'm not a power lifter or bodybuilder." I would reply that strength training is a fundamental principle of muscle growth because it leads to progressive overload. The only way to make a muscle grow is to subject it to unaccustomed stress. Progressive overload basically implies that when a muscle is subjected to an usual amount of unaccustomed stress and effort, the muscle must respond by getting larger to manage and cope with the new stress. Still Not Convinced That Strength Training Is The Answer To Your Best Body This Year?
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 ProgramStage 1: 4 x 4 Strength Phase Week 1-3
Monday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Back Squats
4 x 4
311
2-3 m
Bench Press
4 x 4
311
2-3 m
Bent Over Rows
4 x 4
311
2-3 m
Upright Rows
2 x 20
211
1 m
Calve Raises
2 x 20
211
1 m
Wednesday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Lunges
4 x 12-15
311
2-3 m
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
4 x 12-15
311
2-3 m
Dips
4 x failure
311
1 m
Chin Ups
4 x failure
311
1 m
Weighted Abdominal Work
3 x 30
211
1 m
Friday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Deadlifts
4 x 4
311
2-3 m
Military Presses
4 x 4
311
2-3 m
Wide Grip Pull Ups
4 x 4
311
2-3 m
Barbell Shrugs
2 x 20
211
1 m
Calve Raises
2 x 20
211
1 mStage 2 - 5 x 5 Strength Phase Weeks 4-6
Monday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Back Squats
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Barbell Curls
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Barbell Shrugs
3 x 30
311
1 m
Calf raises
3 x 30
311
1 m
Tuesday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Dumbell Bench Presses
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Barbell Rows
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Dumbell Shoulder Presses
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Weighted Abdominal Work
3x 30
211
1 m
Thursday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Deadlifts
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Lunges
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Close Grip Presses
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Barbell Shrugs
3 x 30
311
1 m
Calve Raises
3 x 30
311
1 m
Thursday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Incline Bench Presses
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Seated Row
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Military Presses
5 x 5
311
2-3 m
Weighted Abdominal Work
3 x 30
211
1 mStage 3 - 6 x 6 Strength Phase Weeks 7-9
Monday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Back Squats
6 x 6
311
2-3 m
Bench Press
6 x 6
311
2-3 m
Bent Over Rows
6 x 6
311
2-3 m
Upright Rows
3 x 15
311
1 m
Calve Raises
3 x 15
311
1 m
Wednesday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Lunges
4 x 8-12
311
2-3 m
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
4 x 8-12
311
2-3 m
Dips
4 x failure
311
1 m
Chin Ups
4 x failure
311
1 m
Weighted Abdominal Work
3 x 30
211
1 m
Friday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Deadlifts
6 x 6
311
2-3 m
Military Presses
6 x 6
311
2-3 m
Wide Grip Pull Ups
6 x 6
311
2-3 m
Barbell Shrugs
3 x 15
211
1 m
Calve Raises
3 x 15
211
1 mStage 4 - 7 x 7 Strength Phase Weeks 9-12
Monday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Back Squats
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Barbell Curls
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Barbell Shrugs
3 x 30
311
1 m
Calf raises
3 x 30
311
1 m
Tuesday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Dumbell Bench Presses
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Barbell Rows
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Dumbell Shoulder Presses
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Weighted Abdominal Work
3 x 30
211
1 m
Thursday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Deadlifts
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Lunges
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Close Grip Presses
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Barbell Shrugs
3 x 30
311
1 m
Calve Raises
3 x 30
311
1 m
Friday
Exercise
Work Sets
Speed
Rest
Incline Bench Presses
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Seated Row
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Military Presses
7 x 7
311
2-3 m
Weighted Abdominal Work
2 x 20
211
1 mWeight Training Program Notes:
You will notice Monday is a Quad Dominant day with Horizontal Pushing (Chest) and Horizontal Pulling (Rows). You will notice that Traps and Calves are opposite movements so have been paired up respectively.
You will notice Friday is a Hip Dominant day with Vertical Pushing (Shoulders) and Vertical Pulling (Lats). You will notice Traps and Calves are opposite movements so have been paired up respectively.
You will notice slight variation on some of the exercise selection. The exercise selection is not as critical as the load and set protocol. Feel free to tweak the exercises based on your personal preference.
For example, if a Trap Bar Deadlift feels better for you than a normal Deadlift - go for it. If you know you will get better results with dumbell's instead of barbells - don't be afraid to follow your instincts and be involved in the training process.
For some, the 6 x 6 phase and 7 x7 phase will be too much volume on muscle groups like biceps and triceps. Feel free to modify these to only 3-5 sets. The goal is to keep the weight the same the entire workout. If your weights start to drop than simply record the number of sets you were able to do and try to beat it next week.
I am guessing 4 x 4 will be your first exposure to heavy lifting. Remember, next phase, you will be focusing on adding one extra rep to the same weight with one extra set hence the 1 + 1 Program. This program is based on increasing the amount of work you are capable of performing over a 12 week period. e.g. Let's say you can do 185 lbs for 4 x 4 in phase one. Next phase, you will be aiming to do 185 pounds for 5 x 5. You might even be able to slip a few extra pounds on the bar, depending on the rate that you super compensate which will be bonus.
For time efficiency, opposing muscle groups like Shoulders and Lats, Chest and Rows and Shrugs and Calves can be super set together. I would not recommend super setting your legs. This is your personal choice though.
The 2 x 20 and 2 x 30 are unique additions I have added from my own personal experience. I have found, generally, that skinny guys responds better to higher rep ranges for the calves and traps.
You will notice that Monday and Friday can be classified as your Heavy days and Wednesday is an opportunity to increase your body weight strength and prevent your metabolic system from de-training. These higher rep exercises will counteract and help balance out the dominance of central nervous system training occurring.
The weighted abdominal work should come from Hanging Leg Raises, Weighted Ball Sit Ups, or Cable Crunches.
You will notice this is a three day program which will be alternated every three weeks with a four day program. I might suggest taking a ? week off at the six week mark if any symptoms of overtraining are suspected. Take at least one week off from the gym at the completion of this 12 week program.
Cardiovascular and Flexibility Training Tips
During phases 1 and 3 while you are doing only three day of weight training per week I would recommend the following:
At least two or three 20-30 minute cardio sessions placed either on your non-workout days on immediately after you weight training workouts.
Use the form of cardio that, in your experience, holds the most muscle on your body. For some, this will mean doing shorter interval cardio sessions. For some, this will mean going for a easy run or swim.
Incorporate the cardio work to enhance your muscle gain goals - not detract. For example, you might benefit from a easy swim workout after a heavy upper body day. You might benefit from a easy bike ride to loosen up from a heavy lower body workout. Use common sense when choosing your cardio activities. For example, don't try out for the soccer team at the same time you are trying to transform your body!
Incorporate your cardio based on your nutrition intake. Remember, your muscles grow on calories so the more cardio you incorporate, the more overall calories you will need to counteract the lost.
Try to stretch at least ? the amount that you lift. Heavy lifting requires long and lengthened muscles to allow full range of motion. Shortened muscles perform weaker and slower and have a higher incidence of injury. If you are weight lifting 4 hours in the week, you should be stretching at least two. This means at least ? hour of stretching before or after you weight training workout. This is my personal recommendation, any less, and your body will screaming for a injury.
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!
Vince Delmonte approves this article on "the transformation program for the 1+1 skinny guy"
A FREE VIDEO WITH 10 COACHING LESSONS AT http://building-up-muscles.com/
As this article is#28 i hope you have downloaded and printed these very informative articles and make a nice easy reference file

+ #4 LEARN IN 4 SIMLPE STEPS HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE

Learn In 4 Simple Steps How To Build Muscle

Almost everyone is telling you a different way to build muscle? Are you happy with how you look in the mirror? Are you frusturated with your slow progress in the gym? Are you ready to kick these bad habits and learn five simple steps that will teach you how to build muscle safely and effectively?
There is every chance that you are not maximizing one of these four steps. Your problem and solution lies in correcting these essential steps before you have any chance of building a muscular and lean physique.
Get ready to learn how to build muscle in four simple steps, in no time, without any drugs and without bogus supplements.
Step #1
Committ to lifting weights at least three to four times per week. Your goal is to stimulate your muscles with resistance (stress) which results in your muscles growing bigger to avoid the stress from occuring again. Once you go home, let the muscle heal through nutrition and rest, it will grow bigger and you will repeat this process again. Ideally you should hit your muscles once every 72 hours so you could perform 2 upper body workouts per week and 2 lower body workouts per week.
Step #2
Focus on eating at least 5-7x a day with balanced meals from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. If your goal is to build muscle than you should be eating at least 15-18 x your current body weight. Your carbohydrates should equate about 45% of your intake, your proteins should equate about 35% of your intake and your fat should be the remaining 20% of your intake. You should focus on over half of those meals being solid whole food meals and the remainder can be liquid meal replacment shakes.
Step #3
You should focus on stretching at least half the amount that you lift weights. One of the biggest mistkakes I see is people training, training and training with out any stretching. Stretching helps restore normal length to the tissue and if you are constantly training, your muscle tissues will shorten and big to perform weaker and slower and have a higher incidence of injuries. So if you are lifting weights 4 hours in the week, at least an additional 2 hours should be dedicated to stretching. You must counteract the shortening of the muscle tissues that occurs with weights or else you are a injury screaming to happen.
Step #4
Avoid supplements that have not been around for longer than 3 years. I learned this phisophy from an Australian strength coach who recommended not trying any supplement until it has been around at least 3 years to pass the test of time. This will make your life much easier and help avoid all the marketing hoopla in the latest fitness and bodybuilding magazine. If you follow this rule, to discover only a small handful of supplements still standing. Here are the ones you should not go with out: a high quality multi-vitamin, fish oil capsules, powdered creatine and a protein powder. These products will cover your nutritional basis for health, healthy body composition, strength and muscle mass.
Vince Delmonte approved this article"learn in 4 simple steps how to build muscle" A FREE VIDEO WITH 10 COACHING LESSONS AT http://building-up-muscles.com/
As this is #27 i hope you have downloaded and printed these very informative articles and make a nice easy reference file

#5 GLUTAMINE-ALL THE FACTS FOR THE SKINNY GUY

Glutamine-All The Facts For THE Skinny Guy

When was the last time you read an article discrediting the effects of glutamine? Maybe this one will be your first one? Unfortunately, the majority of bodybuilding and muscle magazines still have this supplement on their "Top 5 Lists." No way am here to convince you to never buy another tub of glutamine again, but if you 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 attension and dates with added 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 all 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:
Just because glutamine has been proven to work in clinical stress testting does not mean it equates to exercise stress that you experience after a killer workout. Clinical stress such as severe burns, AIDS and extensive surgery are good reasons to warrant its, use but you simply don't cause enough muscular damage during your workouts to justify its use.
A 2001 study by Candow et al determined that 0.9g of supplemental glutamine/kg/day during weight training resulted in no considerable effect on muscle performance, body composition or muscle breakdown on healthy adults. Since I am just over 200 lbs that is 80 grams of glutamine a day or over $1000 US in glutamine a year! If 80 grams was shown to have no anti-catabolic effects, why would you waste your money on taking this recommended 5-10 grams per day?
The majority of the research on endurance athletes has revealed minimal contribution in regards to enhancement of the immune system. More significantly, a number of studies disclosed information that glutamine supplementation does not alter exercise-induced suppression of the immune system. Contrary to popular belief, whether your glutamine levels drop or not after training, they have no such impact on immunity. - Hiscock N, Pedersen BK. Exercise-induced immunodepression- plasma glutamine is not the link. J Appl Physiol 2002 Sep;93(3):813-22
Many claim that glutamine helps increase your 'pump' by improving cell volumization. Dr. John Berardi, Ph.D, did some preliminary testing and discovered nothing to support this. Glutamine supplementation has no response on total body water, intra-cellular fluid levels, or extra-cellular fluid levels. - Dr. John M Berardi, Ph.D., Appetite For Construction, JohnBerardi.com 2002 Nov 8
It is still a question whether or not glutamine improves glycogen stores post-weight training. But why should you care? If you are already consuming a post-workout drink with sugary carbs to replenish glycogen (this is mandatory for any skinny guy who wants to build muscle), then further supplementation with glutamine is unnecessary.
In conclusion, studies that tested athletes who consumed an amino acid drink post-workout showed an increase in protein synthesis by 48%. However, when glutamine was added to the drink, no additional benefits occurred. That blows the muscle-building theory out the window!
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:
Glutamine supplementation could prove useful for bodybuilders who decrease their testosterone levels after coming off a cycle improperly. Muscle breakdown is at its highest in these circumstances despite a quality nutrition plan, so glutamine might help.
During a pre-contest training regime that consists of very low calories and high volumes of exercise, protein breakdown is much more likely. Basically, any extreme dieting or fat loss program with the hopes of getting extremely lean can result in increased stress, therefore increased catabolism.
Competitive bodybuilders and fitness models are perfect examples of those who might benefit from glutamine supplementation in this above-normal fat loss situation.
During incidences of extreme weather conditions and/or multi day training, there are situations where extreme stress can be counteract with glutamine supplementation. Triathletes and endurance athletes come to my mind.
" Glutamine supplementation would be beneficial for conditions where catabolic waste is at its peak. Severe burns, severe colds or flu's, severe allergies, alcoholism, chemotherapy, HIV/AIDS, irritable bowel syndrome are a few examples.
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. Saving your money and putting 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
Vince Delmonte approves this article on "glutamine-all the facts fir the skinny guy"
FOR A FREE VIDEO WITH 10 COACHING LESSONS VISIT http://building-up-muscles.com/
As this is #26 i hope you have downloaded and printed these very informative articles and by doing so make a nice easy reference file

+ #6 10 TIPS ON NUTRITION FOR THE SKINNY GUYS

10 Tips On Nutrition For The Skinny Skinny Guys

“Give me a 64-ounce steak, double-baked potato with extra sour cream and an apple pie for dessert. No, not a slice – give me the whole pie, please.”
Having had the opportunity to go out with a bodybuilder for dinner, you would know the kind of order given to the distressed waitress. These high-carbohydrate, high-protein, and high-fat diet meals were the popular method for packing on muscle and climbing the scale. “I'll pack on all the weight I can now, then melt off the fat later,” was the common motto.
Many bodybuilders put much focus into the details of their nutritional strategy. A small food scale, calculator, note pad and pencil are common items found in their kitchen. Some competitive bodybuilders go to the extreme of weighing and measuring everything wherever they go and scribbling numbers into their notepad after every meal.
Not every skinny guy has the same aspirations, desire and determination to live the life of a bodybuilder. Skinny guys will be more successful today if they have a quick and convenient plan to follow that involves minimal measuring and minimal number crunching.
The See Food Diet Is NOT The Answer
One of the biggest benefits you’ll get from sprinting 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. To even further increase the EPOC that is seen, consider doing hill sprint training. Since this is even more intense in nature, it will further challenge your body.Metabolic Adaptations The reality is that many skinny guys’ nutritional level does not exceed the See Food Diet, that is, 'see food' and eat it. Not a bad option if you can avoid getting a potbelly in the process. If this is you, then consider yourself blessed with a Lamborghini-style metabolism. Go right ahead and eat whatever is available until you’re ready to audition for Rambo IV.
For the most part, the See Food Diet is typically not the most healthy meal plan since it puts zero restrictions on any food categories and is more a concept to shift a skinny guy’s mind-set than anything else. These days, the majority of readers should know the fallacy of a See Food Diet. Sure, you can eat a super high calorie diet, like the See Food Diet, and add some muscle, but you'll add even more fat. And from personal experience, and I'm sure many of you can personally testify, putting the fat on is much easier than taking it off! Conveniently, bodybuilders now have an “off-season shape” card to flash year-round to excuse themselves of looking like a pregnant powerlifter.
Muscle-Building Nutrition Principles
Mastering the principles of nutrition should be like mastering the principles of training – simple. Master the basics and execute them consistently. Think about the 80/20 rule. 80% of your results will come from 20% of your knowledge. Taking what you already know and putting it into practice consistently is the magic formula. Let's go over the most important nutrition principles you'll need to practice to get your body growing.
Principle #1: Eat Often – Every 2.5 to 3 Hours
Don't expect to pack on quality mass – muscle without body fat – on three square meals a day. This would lead to massive quantities of both protein and carbs at each meal. Your body can only store so many calories per meal, so guess what this results in? Bloating, poor digestion and unwanted body fat.
Your first meal should be consumed within 15-30 minutes of waking up and consumed every 2.5 to 3 hours. Set your stopwatch to beep until you get something in your body. Don't view these meals as burdensome but as opportunities to fuel and grow your muscles. Look at them as growth surges. Think of the next meal as a fuller chest, broader shoulders, bigger arms and rock-hard abs!
And if you miss a meal, visualize a sea of piranhas eating up your muscle tissue like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet. And those deadly piranhas are eating up your CURRENT muscle that you are not even satisfied with. They are actually making your muscles smaller. No, you will not lose an inch on your arms if you miss one meal, but once you start averaging 3-4 instead of 6-8 meals a day, don’t be upset when people look surprised when you tell them you work out with weights regularly!
So how many meals should you be eating? That’s easy - just divide the time you’re awake by 2 or 3. I would suggest mastering eating every 3 hours before you consider every 2 hours. So if you’re awake 18 hours a day, eat 6 meals.
What if one of those meals falls right before bedtime? Then eat up! Take the opportunity to eat. If we went to the extreme we would eat every 3 hours throughout the night as well. No matter what you have heard on this (never eat after 7 P.M. garbage) ignore it. Trust me!
Also, don’t view these feeding opportunities as ‘snacks.’ This is a wimpy word mentality that should not be in your vocabulary if you are going to build muscle. Do you think Ronnie Coleman says, ‘Hey, I think I’m going to go eat a snack?’ Every 3 hours you should be eating decent size meals that will make your body better.
Principle #2: Eat A Variety Of Foods
It's so easy to get into a robotic state of nutrition where we eat the exact same foods every day, ingesting the same breakfast, lunch and dinner and the only time we eat differently is when we go out for dinner or someone else cooks for us. It is easier to choose convenience over variety.
Just like our training that we rotate around to prevent boredom, you should rotate your food selection. Normally, you will eat whatever is in your house, so the best strategy to eating a healthy variety is to shop for different foods each week. This will balance out your diet and help you measure the response to a variety of foods. Don’t go for the boring and easy route.
Principle #3: Eat Enough Calories
Building muscle is an eating game because your muscles grow on calories. Not eating enough calories is like an attempt to buy a $50,000 car with only $25,000 in the bank. It's not going to happen. If you are not gaining at least 1-2 pounds per week, then add some extra carbohydrates and proteins to your breakfast, pre-workout meal or post-workout meal.
THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THIS STEP. Even if you have the perfect training routine, you will never grow unless you provide your body with the proper amount of nutrients. It’s like saying you want to build a house but you do not have enough bricks, cement and wood. It will be impossible to build that house. It’s like saying you want to race a car as fast as possible but you don’t have any gasoline or oil. It’s downright impossible.
If you wish to ensure that your muscles have enough fuel to support your workouts, lift heavy weights for high reps, recover from workout to workout and, let’s not forget, GROW NEW MUSCLE, then you have to keep track of what you are eating every day. There is no way around it. This is the reason why skinny guys never gain weight or why anybody for that matter will not make quality gains that they so desperately strive for.
Keeping track of what you eat is a lot easier than it sounds – it’s probably why most people avoid it, because they perceive it to be difficult.
Sure, you’re going to have to take some extra time to read containers and labels, but if this method will promise another 20 pounds in a few months from now, is it not worth it? And the good news is that your brain will create a new file to store all your new nutrient calculations, and since you are eating from the majority of the same foods, your ‘memory food bank’ will expand quickly.
Principle #4: Eat 40-60 Grams Of Protein Per Meal
Building muscle is not on your body’s 'to do' list – simple survival is. Not getting enough protein for your internal organs results in your body robbing it from your muscle tissue. Your body cannibalizes itself for the amino acids it needs! This is the polar opposite of what skinny guys want.
Proteins should make up at least 35% of your overall caloric intake. This translates to 40-60 grams of protein per meal for males less then 200 lbs and will be enough to maintain your appetite, increase your muscle mass, accelerate recovery and keep body fat levels low. Hit this level and you’re doing well.
It is better to get your protein from whole, complete, and lean protein. Remember that protein is a costly food and burns twice as much energy as carbs and three times as much energy as fat. You need protein to maximally turbo-charge your metabolism, improve your muscle mass and accelerate recovery.
Aim for lean meats such as ground beef, chicken, turkey, etc. Aim for fish such as salmon, tuna, orange roughy, etc. Aim for Omega 3 eggs and pasteurized egg whites. Aim for dairy from cottage cheese, yogurt and partly skimmed cheeses. And if you have to resort to supplement shakes, go for whey, casein or milk protein blends.
Principle #5: Eat 60-80 Grams Of Carbohydrate per Meal
Not getting enough carbohydrates will make you feel like you’re carrying a bear on your back throughout your workouts. Your body’s gas tank is comprised of carbohydrates. No carbs and don't expect to get that car too far.
A lack of carbs in your diet can slow the muscle-building process because your muscle tissue can be used as energy if your body’s preferred source of energy, carbs, are not available.
It is best to get your carbohydrates from a variety of high-fiber, complex and low-glycemic carbohydrates as opposed to simple carbs (sugars) found in fast food, fried food, processed food and junk food. Complex carbs release a slower and longer lasting energy that is critical for your intense training workouts.
Complex carbs will rarely get converted to fat unless you are clearly eating too many of them. If you are gaining more fat around your midsection as opposed to muscle, then you know you should cut back on your complex carbs or add a few cardio workouts.
Aim for high-complex, muscle-building carbs such as bran, barley, buckwheat, beans, brown rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, pasta, potatoes and whole grains.
Principle #6: Eat 20-30 Grams Of Fat Per Meal
About 30% of your diet should consist of fat - this number should remain pretty consistent for everyone. And as a skinny guy or anybody who wants to maximize muscle growth, then eating 30% of your intake from fat is critical for boosting testosterone levels. However, the key is to balance out your intake between saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. If you achieve 1/3 in each of these, then you will optimize your health and muscle gains. No way is this as complicated as it looks.
Since North Americans are harshly deficient in mono (olive oil) and poly fats (from fish oils) and get enough of saturated fats as it is, your job is to simply include more olive oil and fish oil into your diet. This is something that can be recommended for every man and women and has no potential side effects. Again, don’t worry; the meal plans included have got you covered.
The only fats you MUST avoid at all costs - for so many reasons - are trans fats.
Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fat, is an artery-clogging fat that is formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening. It is found in many other foods besides margarine and shortening, including fried foods like French fries and fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers. In the United States, typical French fries have about 40 percent trans fatty acids and many popular cookies and crackers range from 30 percent to 50 percent trans fatty acids. Doughnuts have about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fatty acids.
To determine the amount of trans fat in a food you must know what to look for on the food labels. Whenever you see shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil higher up on the list of the ingredients, the more trans fat.
Principle #7: Eat Vegetables With Every Meal
How are vegetables supposed to promote muscle gain? Your mom was right when she told you to eat up all your vegetables if you wanted to grow big and strong. Finally, the ‘muscle-nerds’ are catching up. Not only are vegetables loaded with vitamins and minerals but they also contain important plant chemicals called phytochemicals that are essential for optimal physiological functioning.
The most neglected benefit of eating vegetables is their role in recovery. Sure, you need calories to grow, but you also need these veggies for their high antioxidant profile that will help reduce the amount of free radicals from heavy training, and they will accelerate recovery by healing damaged muscle cells.
Most people are unaware that proteins and grains create high levels of acid loads to the blood, and if this is not balanced out with alkaline rich vegetables and fruits, then too much acid can result in a loss of bone strength and muscle mass. So it is important to keep these acid levels balanced by ingesting vegetables (and fruits) for their alkalinity to the blood.
The best way to get your vegetables is to cut them all up at the start of the week. This will make life easier and make them more accessible. Aim for at least 2 servings, which is the equivalent of 1-2 cups per meal. Yes, every 2-3 hours you must be eating veggies.

Principle #8: Eat Your Biggest Meal At Breakfast, Pre-Workout and Post-Workout

No matter what anyone says, I believe this is the safest and most effective way to
maximize your muscle:fat gain ratio when bulking. In this article we will not discuss the topic of nutrient timing.
Shortly we will discuss the benefits of packing the bulk of your calories around the most catabolic and anabolic times of the day so you will have sufficient energy to train hard and heavy without any risk of muscle breakdown, not to mention enough calories to support muscle growth. How much food you eat at a particular time of the day should be based on the NEEDS OF YOUR BODY AT THAT CURRENT MOMENT.
Principle #9: Plan Ahead
This principle could easily be number one because oftentimes it is not a shortage of information that creates a roadblock but our lack of CONSISTENCY and CREATIVITY. I bet if you did not change anything about what you are currently eating but ensured food was there when it was time to eat, you would experience a growth surge.
I strongly agree with the famous cliché that states, ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail.’ It is so true. You must have a plan that will ensure you have the food prepared and cooked in the right selection and amounts every time you eat. This might require you to spend a few hours on Sunday evening cooking and storing all your food in Tupperware containers. This might mean waking up half an hour early so that you can cook all your meals for the day. This might require you to carry a lunch bag wherever you go. This might mean packing a few shaker bottles if you know you will be on the road most of the day. Bottom line - be prepared.

Principle #10: Eat Whole Foods 60% Of The Time and Liquid Meals 40% Of The Time

I often have my clients use as few supplements as possible for the first few months of training. You will be amazed at the results achieved by simply putting all your efforts into following your meal plan, proper training and sleep. It’s a very eye-opening experience when they see almost immediate changes in body composition, health and energy levels.
Your food intake should come from high quality food at least 60 % of the time, which means at least 4 of the 6 meals you are eating.
This will ensure more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber that supplements and pills lack. Whole food is loaded with digestive enzymes as well that help the absorption of food instead of eating too much ‘ground up’ food in the form of powder. Power shakes will make your life much easier and will remove some of the inconveniences of having to cook and prepare food all day. Aim to use these at least 2 out of your 4 real meals a day and never more than three power shakes unless your life is extremely hectic and unmanageable.
Conclusion
Dedicate the next 12 weeks to putting these muscle building nutrition principles into action. Building muscle is really quite simple and exciting because you get to indulge in large quantities of food, try new recipes and become a master chef since you'll be spending more time in the kitchen. Taking these principles and applying them consistently over time and making them a part of your lifestyle is the secret.Vince Delmonte approves this article on "10 tips on nutrition for the skinny guys" FOR A FREE VIDEO WITH 10 COACHING TIPS VISIT http://building-up-muscles.com/

+ #7 GAINING WEIGHT THE SKINNY GUY'S WAY

Gaining Weight The Skinny Guy's Way

Have you ever given it a thought on how to gain weight fast? If the title of this article caught your attention, there is a good chance you are sick and tired of not seeing the weight on the scale budge. Most likely you just got home from the Mandarin buffet and still can't budge the scale. You could live on McDonald's and Pizza Delight and your Ferrari style metabolism would simply burn it off. In a world that is obsessed with losing weight – you are interested in gaining weight!
Are You Sick and Tired Of People Telling You How To Gain Weight?
It probably sounds like this:
“All you have to do is eat, eat, and eat some more to gain weight...”
“Weight gain is just a matter of eating...”
“You just gotta overload your metabolism to gain weight fast...”
“You can't build a house without the bricks and mortar for gaining weight...”
Don't throw me to the wolves just yet.
There is certainly truth to these statements and some of these analogies can prove quite powerful. I'm even guilty of preaching a few! But the problem with this advice is that it's usually followed up with the same old regurgitated blah, blah, blah advice that only tells you what to do and does not reveal real-world, practical how-to action-steps.
If you are someone who has struggled their entire life, trying to pack on extra muscle mass and still consider yourself underweight, then you are not alone. I was once skinny and underweight myself...
People, predispositioned to skinniness, are commonly referred to as “hard gainers.” This is the cool way to label your scrawny frame despite the fact that your body turns into a Number 2 pencil when you wear yellow!
It's Not Totally Your Fault You’re Skinny
In the skinny guy’s defense, the reality is that you have been cursed with traits like Lamborghini-type metabolism, giraffe like limbs, and the strength of a senior citizen. You have to fight with every bone in your body to do something about your small frame and to keep up to your male buddies who seem to grow muscle just by sneezing – those muscle freaks piss me off just as much you!
Even though you might think your genetic deficiencies have sentenced you to a life of frailty and surprised looks when you tell others you lift weights, I am living proof that hard gainers with very ‘muscle-unfriendly genes’ can fight back against their genetics and gain muscle weight. I defeated my skinny genetics just after college and I am about to show you four tips that helped me climb from a 149 pound weakling to a rock hard 190 pounds in six months.
Trust me, no body has worse genetics for building muscle and gaining weight than an ex-long distance runner who abused his body with 60-80 miles of running a week (for over 10 years).
Skinny Guys Must Play By A Different Set Of Rules
If you are underweight, than your first step to gaining weight is to understand that you must play by a different set up rules. I have said this before and will say it again,
“Taking advice from someone who can gain muscle weight easilyis like taking money advice from someone who inherited a fortune or is making money illegally.”
You must think outside the box and give up the excuse of being a “hard gainer.” It is time to stop listening to all the naysayers who have told you that is impossible to gain weight because of your genetics. Regardless of what you have been led to believe, you do have the potential to build an impressive physique that turns heads and even intimidates!
If you have read this far, I am guessing you are ready to longer resemble a microphone stand! You are prepared to overload your metabolism for muscle growth, to ensure you are never referred to as 'underweight' or 'skinny' ever again. Start following these simple steps and don't be surprised if you gain an extra ten pounds of muscle weight in the next four weeks.
Simple How To Gain Weight Action Steps To Start Growing Like A Skyscraper!
1. Double It Up
One of the most practical and easy steps you can take is to double whatever you are currently eating in the kitchen right now. If you are eating one chicken breast per meal, then cook up two. If you are only eating two slices of bread, then make it four. If you are eating one handful of nuts, then make it two. If you are using only two scoops of protein powder, then make it four.
Most likely you are only a few dozen meals short of filling out your underdeveloped body parts and attracting the attention of that sexy girl at your gym. I assume you are already in the kitchen and have the food out. So would you agree, you really have no good excuse not to shovel down a greater percentage of calories by doubling it up?
2. Live Your Life Around Food
Sure, you know that you must eat every 2-3 hours, but how well do you execute? Set your clock on a countdown timer to go off every 2 and ½ hours so that you reinforce the habit of eating literally not a second late for each meal! No way do you turn off the damn beeper until you start chowing down.
Ensure you are eating your first meal within 15-30 minutes of waking up - absolutely no later. This first meal of the day should always consist of REAL food to flood your body with quality nutrients. I would question anybody’s commitment to gaining weight if they are too lazy to wake up 15 minutes earlier to eat a real meal.
Lastly, don’t be surprised if you are not gaining weight if you do not find yourself spending more time preparing food, more time eating food and more time cleaning your kitchen. You should notice you are spending more time in the grocery store and you should also notice a larger grocery bill each week!
3. Use BIG Eating Equipment
If you want to bulk, then you have to eat like Hulk. Do you think Hulk eats out of a small plate, or a small bowel, or a small cup? If you are aiming to get big and huge, you are going to require large amounts of food, most likely close to double of what you are currently eating.
So get BIG eating equipment! Get a BIG cup, get a BIG bowel, and get a BIG plate. Surround yourself with BIG. Most of the time hard gainers are nothing more than “under eaters.” If you struggle to complete a meal, then a bigger serving on a bigger plate will look small!
4. Never Train Hungry
How many times have you woken up, whipped up a protein shake and than headed off to the gym? Or maybe you had a long afternoon and missed a few meals and then attempted a weight training workout after work?
We would think this was common sense to avoid, until a few of my skinny clients confessed that they were showing up for their workouts having only eaten a piece of fruit and some crackers within the entire day!
After dropping the 45-pound plate on my foot out of shock, they reassured me: they were not hungry. I sometimes screamed back, “Yeah, that's because your metabolism is in starvation mode and shut right down, you skinny pencil neck!”
I understand that training in the morning is the only time for some, however, I recommend to aim for a minimum of at least three solid meals in your system prior to training. Or eat the biggest meal of your day immediately after your AM workout. Would you take your car out on a long trip with a half empty fuel tank? Not unless you wanted the car to die and you push it the rest of the way. So why would you take your body through a grueling training session on an empty stomach?
5. Eat Nutrient Dense Foods
Focus on caloric-rich foods that are loaded with nutrients. Avoid foods with empty calories, which means there is little or no nutrient value in the calories you are eating. Why would you consume a 500-calorie plus meal that is loaded with fat and sugar which does nothing but make you feel sluggish and soft? Instead, eat a high caloric meal loaded with slow releasing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Here are some of the best choices:
Carbohydrates – Oatmeal, rice, breads, yams beans, potatoes, fruits and veggies.
Proteins – Steak, chicken, lean beef, cottage cheese, whole milk, eggs and salmon.
Fats – Olive oil, flax oil, avocados, nuts and peanut butter.
Extras (high calorie cheat food) – Ice cream, raisins, dried fruit and trail mix.
6. Drink A Carb And Protein Drink While You Workout
How hard is to sip on a calorie-rich drink during your weight training sessions? Simply mix up a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein with one liter of water and you instantly have a few extra hundred calories per day. Now have an extra workout drink before your workout and extra workout drink after your workout and that's easily an extra one pound per week. Only use this technique if you are weight training at a very high intensity.
7. Live the motto, “Never Stop Eating”
Did I hear you say, “But I'll throw up if I eat all day?” Maybe... Is it necessary? Of course not. But this is a part of pushing your body’s threshold. Don't worry, you will get used to it and your body will require more food as you gain more muscle on your body and your metabolism increases. Just think that if you are not eating, then you are not growing, and if you are not growing then you are staying the same. Is that what you want?
Conclusion
There you have it and as I promised, learning how to gain weight fast is quite simple. Executing is a whole different story. It will really come down to how truly committed you are to defeating your skinny genetics and gaining the muscular body you deserve!
Here is my promise to you. You have the ability to gain at least another ten pounds of solid weight in the next four weeks by simply applying the advice above. If you are truly committed to your goals of gaining muscle weight and no longer being known as underweight, then I believe you will rise to the challenge and take action! Are you with me?Vince Delmonte approves this article on"gaining weight the skinny guy's way"I HAVE A FREE VIDEO WITH 10 COACHING LESSONS AT http://building-up-muscles.com/