Category — Mass

So we’ve covered pre-workout snacks, now let’s focus on what you consume after your workouts. This step is arguably the most important part of your workout because when you exercise you deplete your body’s glycogen (the carb stored in your muscles and liver). That’s why it’s extremely vital that you replace what you lose so you can get the most out of your hard work.

Through my own personal experience and speaking with several personal trainers, I have come up with this list of the best post-workout meals:

5.  Piece of fish and baked potato — A muscle-building packed combination of quality protein and complex carbohydrates, this meal is a great way to end your workout. Go for salmon or tilapia as these have the highest amounts of protein.

4.  Chicken breast or steak and rice — Another classic meal that will maximize your workout. If you’re buying steak make sure to pick sirloin or a lean cut which are a lot healthier. Don’t forget the whole grain rice either!

3. Protein bar — This is only third on our list because it is a solid and will take a bit longer to absorb than its liquid counterparts. However, it’s still a very effective post-workout meal. In this instance don’t go for “Low carb” bars, instead buy a protein or meal replacement bar that has plenty of calories and carbohydrates to go along with at least 30 grams of protein. I like the MET-RX meal replacement bars.

2. Chocolate milk — This surprisingly effective recovery drink was almost a unanimous pick for all the experts I interviewed. Two cups of this stuff averages about 310-320 calories, 50 grams of carbs, and 16 grams of protein. Of course the liquid consistency will allow it to be absorbed quickly and carried to your depleted muscles.

1. Protein drink with whey — The original and still the best. No other food or drink can compare to the punch this packs when it comes to optimizing your workout. Whey protein is absorbed the fastest by your body and the liquid form will bring it to your muscles that much faster. If it’s a low carb protein add in some berries or a banana to give it a boost. Optimum Nutrition’s Hydro Whey is a good pick!

All of these foods should all be taken within 45 minutes after completion of your workout for best results.

During these tough economic times we’re all trying to find ways to save money. When looking at your fitness regimen you may want to consider your options. If you’re paying a high monthly membership cost at your local gym, you might want to put a “freeze” on your account and look into a home fitness program, which is great for a couple of reasons.

First, they can provide a change of pace from the monotony of going to and from the gym everyday. Secondly, as discussed above, they can save you much needed dinero.

Here’s a list of the most popular fitness programs on the market today:

5. Nordic Track — Their Personal Trainer III machine is still one of the best ones out there and offers the most bang for your buck. Resistance can be increased up to 220 lbs and there are no ‘rods’ or ‘bows.’ There’s a high rate of customer satisfaction and it comes with specific workout program for each day of the week. Price: $599.99

4. Weider — The Pro Fury home gym is advertised as a ‘complete, total body workout’ and it certainly has the specs to back up that claim. It contains 6 pulleys, a removable bench, and the ability to allow two people to workout at the same time. The machine also has a 100 lb Cast Weight Stack and capacity for over 55 different exercises. Price: $799

3. Nautilus — As part of the Bowflex family, Nautilus’ Freedom Trainer compares favorably to their Ultimate Home Gym, but costs a bit less. It contains weighted plates pulled by cables that can increase by increments of 15 lbs. The trainer’s arms also adjust on two separate planes and counterbalance each other making for simple adjustment in vertical planes. Price: $3,520

2. Bowflex — The Bowflex 2 Ultimate Home Gym is one of the most advanced machines available today. It’s a total body workout with over 95 exercises. It contains up to 310 lbs of resistance (upgradeable to 410). I’ve used this a few times and found it be very effective. However, if you’re not used to training with ‘bows’ then it will take some getting used to. Price: $2,499

1. P90X — One of the fastest growing workout programs on the market, P90X is different because it’s not a piece of equipment but a series of 12 DVDs that contain specific workouts designed to blast fat and build lean muscle in 90 days. I can vouch for this because I’m currently in my fifth week and seeing amazing results. It does require you to have a pull up bar and dumbells (or a resistance band). It also comes with a full nutrition guide. Price: $119.85

It’s football season and that means sitting in front of the television for the entire day on Sunday to watch all the games. It also means eating all of that great food that’s not necessarily great for you. But luckily for you, from Monday to Saturday you can train for your big day on Sunday to soften some of the blow.

You don’t have to run wind sprints in 100 degree heat, or go up against 300-lb lineman, you just have to follow a training regimen that maximizes results from a total body workout. If you’re a guy who plays flag football or if you’re just looking to lose body fat and gain some lean muscle, then you could benefit from a football training regimen.

Most of the exercises focus on lifting a low amount of reps through a high amount of sets. This is due to the fact that you want “explosive” muscles because the movements in the game football require that.

Give it a shot and see if you notice some improvements in both your body and your game.

A few years ago I hit a rut in my workouts. I wasn’t seeing any considerable gains and I was stuck in the same routines. Then I called my brother, a personal trainer in New Jersey, and he suggested I try the pyramid technique for my large muscle groups (chest, arms, back). It totally transformed how I workout.

The pyramid technique allows you to get a maximum amount of reps through multiple sets and still allows you to finish off with a “failure set” so you get a major “pump” with each exercise.

For instance, let’s say you start off with dumbell flys for your chest. You’ll start off with a weight that allows you to do 12-15 reps comfortably. Then you slightly increase the weight and do 10-12 reps for your 2nd set. Then for your 3rd set you increase the weight a bit more and do 8-10 reps. For the 4th set you increase again and complete 6-8 reps. Then, for the 5th and final set you go back up to the 1st set weight and drop it down slightly and pump out 20-25 reps (or until failure).

That’s the technique in a nutshell. There are many variations and expert weight lifters can do 6 or 7 sets if they wish. Just make sure you finish off with a high rep set on a lighter weight than the 1st set.

When you’re focused on hitting the gym and pumping some serious iron that last thing you’re usually worried about it stretching your muscles. Well, you might want to think twice about that for your next workout.

The science of muscle building really revolves around the small tissue strands that make up your muscles called fascicle. When a muscle contracts, the fasciciles constrict. The more you workout the more the muscle fibers breakdown. Stretching helps to speed up the recovery process from this breakdown by realigning those fibers.

Simply put, stretching is good for you and your muscles! It will expediate recovery after a strenuous workout and decrease lactic acid.  In the end you’re going to reap the benefits by allowing yourself to workout longer and recover more quickly from soreness.

Tip: Make stretching a part of your workout (like a bicep curl or lateral pulldown). If you keep a log of your exercises make sure you include stretching before and after your regimen. If you usually do cardio after the exercises then stretch afterwards.

According to Men’s Fitness magazine (April 2008, page 18) it’s safe to train to failure as long as your training volume is low. That is, you’re not doing more than 12 sets per workout.

For those of you who are new to the world of muscle building, training to failure is when you get to the point where you cannot complete another repitition of a particular exercise without sacrificing good form.

If you’re doing more than 12 sets per workout you are risking serious damage or injury. So, although training to failure can get those muscles pumping you need to exercise caution and make sure you’re not putting yourself at risk for injury.

Hitting plateaus can be frustrating, especially when it seems like you’re not making anymore gains. For me, my shoulders have always been an area that has needed constant “shocking” and exercise variation. We’ve all done military presses and shoulder rows, but MensHealth.com has come up with a variation on the pushup that will help you breakthrough those stalemates and experience serious shoulder gains.

It’s called a jackknife pushup and it works by training your chest and shoulders while maintaining core stabilization throughout. It trains each shoulder individually which also helps to eliminate any imbalances you may have.

They also offer a modified version of the exercise so you can slowly work your way to mastering it.

Creatine has been used for years by athletes and bodybuilders alike in an attempt to gain muscle mass and strength. It’s one of the most time tested and widely approved supplements on the market today. Despite its success, there’s always been a certain negativety that has come with creatine. Mostly due to the fact that it promotes dehydration and muscle cramping.

However, a new type of creatine called Kre-Alkalyn is gaining more popularity. It’s a “buffered” type of creatine that does not convert into creatinine prior to reaching skeletal muscle tissue. What this means is that it doesn’t carry any of the side effects of traditional creatine due to having higher PH levels. This allows for better abosorbtion and therefore less creatine is needed to achieve the desired effect.

Bodybuilding.com provides answers to some FAQs regarding Kre-Alkalyn.

Ian Lee at AskMen.com outlines 10 simple rules for putting on muscle mass. He stresses the importance of using free weights as opposed to machines and experimenting with different exercises and combinations.

Some people want to make bodybuilding into rocket science when it’s really just plain science. The main factor in any weightlifting regimine is variation. If you can “keep things interesting” for your muscles so to speak then you’re going to see growth.

Always change your routines up to shock your muscles so they never get comfortable with any single exercise. That’s when you’ll experience the most growth.