Friday, November 27, 2009
Eating For Muscle Gains
Eating for muscle gains is obviously one of the most important aspects of my journey to become the biggest natural bodybuilder of all time. My daily nutritional intake for training days (which is almost every day) consists of plenty of carbs... usually generated from oatmeal, rice, potatoes, pasta, and whole wheat crackers. If I avoid these, and even if I take in tons of protein-concentrated foods, I will not gain the size I need to accomplish my goal. Doing cardio about once (and sometimes twice) per week helps keep my percentage of body fat quite low. I have such a fast metabolism that I can quite easily stay lean as I actually increase body weight, which means that most of what I gain is muscle. The high-protein foods I eat vary from egg whites, to chicken breast, to lean beef, to fish (tilapia, sole, tuna), to lean porc, etc. I drink tons of water throughout the day, right up until about 1 hour before going to bed. Two protein shakes are enough for me right now... but starting in a few weeks I will be drinking three shakes per day. I also eat some vegetables and at least two fruits every day. I hope this blog post has given you an idea of what types of food you should take in, if your goal is similar to mine. Good luck, and I will see you guys and gals back here in a day or so.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Weight Training for Muscle Mass
Weight training for muscle mass and weight training for strength, in my opinion, are two very different things. Well, in truth, traditional functional strength exercises are the same as those I am currently using. The difference is I go light. This helps me control the movement and listen to my body... as well as push myself to the max. I usually do not perform more than 20 repetitions. To keep the reps low, the movement is very slow. The pumps I get are better when I train this way, and when it comes to muscle building... achieving a maximum pump is vital.
In my quest to becoming the biggest natural bodybuilder of all time, I have to be careful to not let my ego get in the way of my physical performance. Of course, as I get bigger I will also get stronger... but I have to stay true to the method of weight training that provides consistent results in the mass department. If I begin going heavy, I believe I will slow down my progression as well as risk possible injury. In the gym where I work and train, building muscle is king. Most people have this misconception that the heavier you go, the bigger you will get. So, when other gym-goers see me using light weights they get confused and actually try pushing me to use heavier weights. I simply have to reply to these people to look at the results. They can look anywhere to find out the truth. I have never seen anyone who was natural get seriously huge by using extremely heavy weights. I myself, have made most of my gains following weight training injuries in the past. Because I also used to use insanely heavy weights when weight training for muscle mass, I would end up hurting myself and then be forced to go light. It did not take me long to realize that this slight change in my weight training was what was catipulting me towards bigger gains. It is very difficult to convey this idea to others looking to get similar results to my own, because the mainstreem bodybuilding magazines and science as well will have you believe that more resistance makes muscles grow. All I can say to you is to try it.
Keep in mind however, that weight training for muscle mass is a very complex and mysterious task. To simplify things, just listen to your body at all times. Only you know what works for you. In the end, pushing heavy weights might be YOUR solution to gaining muscle mass naturally.
In my quest to becoming the biggest natural bodybuilder of all time, I have to be careful to not let my ego get in the way of my physical performance. Of course, as I get bigger I will also get stronger... but I have to stay true to the method of weight training that provides consistent results in the mass department. If I begin going heavy, I believe I will slow down my progression as well as risk possible injury. In the gym where I work and train, building muscle is king. Most people have this misconception that the heavier you go, the bigger you will get. So, when other gym-goers see me using light weights they get confused and actually try pushing me to use heavier weights. I simply have to reply to these people to look at the results. They can look anywhere to find out the truth. I have never seen anyone who was natural get seriously huge by using extremely heavy weights. I myself, have made most of my gains following weight training injuries in the past. Because I also used to use insanely heavy weights when weight training for muscle mass, I would end up hurting myself and then be forced to go light. It did not take me long to realize that this slight change in my weight training was what was catipulting me towards bigger gains. It is very difficult to convey this idea to others looking to get similar results to my own, because the mainstreem bodybuilding magazines and science as well will have you believe that more resistance makes muscles grow. All I can say to you is to try it.
Keep in mind however, that weight training for muscle mass is a very complex and mysterious task. To simplify things, just listen to your body at all times. Only you know what works for you. In the end, pushing heavy weights might be YOUR solution to gaining muscle mass naturally.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Let the World Know
Starting today, I'm letting the world know about my journey. Some of you may be confused by this post, as I've already begun my blog over two weeks ago. And before that I posted the promo video on my YouTube channel. Well, what I mean is that I'm going to be letting my close friends and family know about my journey. A good friend of mine once said that I should keep the fire burning inside otherwise it will extinguish. I do agree with him to a certain extent... but once you've gathered enough confidence and believe that you're truly ready to 'receive' your goal, you'll have developed a strong resistance to any kind of negative criticism. So, why not? Nothing could hurt me know. I've learnt too much about myself to be afraid of any obstacles along the path. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, and that's what my journey of becoming the biggest natural bodybuilder of all-time is all about. Nothing is easy, but it does get easier along the way.
My friends always seemed supportive about what I wanted to do. Family, on the other hand, often worry about me not making it in this world. They have some objections about what I'm doing because they feel it's a potential risk. The risk is that it might be a waste of time. Nothing good can come out of it. First of all, only good things can come out of my achieving my goal. My only concern is to accomplish it (and document it on film), once and for all. This is going to be my stepping stone, and I know it. Every book I've ever read on achieving success or prosperity points to the fact that these things only come when you take full responsibility for yourself, and just go for it. The hard part, which I've explained in a past blog post, is confronting your fears. It's time to start letting go. It's time to start understanding that the human mind and the human heart are more powerful than reason could ever make us understand. Most people are practical. Every decision is based on evidence that they see in front of them. Well, what if the evidence isn't there? I, for example, have no real way of knowing that I'll be offered some kind of endorsement contract after I reach my goal... In fact, there is not evidence that I will even achieve my goal (or that it's possible for anyone to achieve it). This is where faith comes in. Man runs on two things, and faith is one of them. Unfortunately, it's what most people lack. They think that new technologies enabling ways of multi-tasking will help them save time in order to reach financial independence, or that it will help them sleep better at night. If you want to invent something, in other words if you want to create something new, then I want you to know that faith is essential. The inventor of the radio (before he invented it) was forced into a mental institution BY HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS when he spoke about having an idea to transmit frequencies through the air that could travel to a sound device hundreds of kilometers away from the source.
I don't feel like I absolutely need extra support, but it would help. Also, I don't like lying to people. For example, I don't want to be asked every time I'm eating over at a relative's house why I'm not eating certain foods. At least if they know that I'm attempting something that takes discipline, then I won't get lectured as often. Sometimes I overlook the fact that my family cares about me, and this is why they don't necessarily encourage me towards my goal. They've never laughed at what I wanted to do (which in the past was just to be able to compete in a bodybuilding contest). And they have supported me in other ways. I owe a lot to many friends and family whom have been very patient with me over the years (as it took me a long time to prepare for this moment), but now it's time to show them that my struggles have not been for nothing.
My friends always seemed supportive about what I wanted to do. Family, on the other hand, often worry about me not making it in this world. They have some objections about what I'm doing because they feel it's a potential risk. The risk is that it might be a waste of time. Nothing good can come out of it. First of all, only good things can come out of my achieving my goal. My only concern is to accomplish it (and document it on film), once and for all. This is going to be my stepping stone, and I know it. Every book I've ever read on achieving success or prosperity points to the fact that these things only come when you take full responsibility for yourself, and just go for it. The hard part, which I've explained in a past blog post, is confronting your fears. It's time to start letting go. It's time to start understanding that the human mind and the human heart are more powerful than reason could ever make us understand. Most people are practical. Every decision is based on evidence that they see in front of them. Well, what if the evidence isn't there? I, for example, have no real way of knowing that I'll be offered some kind of endorsement contract after I reach my goal... In fact, there is not evidence that I will even achieve my goal (or that it's possible for anyone to achieve it). This is where faith comes in. Man runs on two things, and faith is one of them. Unfortunately, it's what most people lack. They think that new technologies enabling ways of multi-tasking will help them save time in order to reach financial independence, or that it will help them sleep better at night. If you want to invent something, in other words if you want to create something new, then I want you to know that faith is essential. The inventor of the radio (before he invented it) was forced into a mental institution BY HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS when he spoke about having an idea to transmit frequencies through the air that could travel to a sound device hundreds of kilometers away from the source.
I don't feel like I absolutely need extra support, but it would help. Also, I don't like lying to people. For example, I don't want to be asked every time I'm eating over at a relative's house why I'm not eating certain foods. At least if they know that I'm attempting something that takes discipline, then I won't get lectured as often. Sometimes I overlook the fact that my family cares about me, and this is why they don't necessarily encourage me towards my goal. They've never laughed at what I wanted to do (which in the past was just to be able to compete in a bodybuilding contest). And they have supported me in other ways. I owe a lot to many friends and family whom have been very patient with me over the years (as it took me a long time to prepare for this moment), but now it's time to show them that my struggles have not been for nothing.
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