The Truth About Building Muscle

The Easiest Way To Instantly Accelerate Your Rate Of Fat Loss

2011-10-30T14:26:00.001-07:00

By Sean Nalewanyj
Fat Loss Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.HowToBurnFat.com

How would you like to know an astonishingly simple and incredibly easy way for virtually anyone to instantly accelerate their fat burning metabolism and improve their appearance over night?

No, this isn’t some gimmicky weight loss supplement, fancy workout gizmo or “top secret” dieting strategy…

It’s actually very straightforward and seemingly obvious, yet it works like a charm.

Here it is…

Drink more water!

You’ve probably already been told time and time again that you should be drinking “plenty” of water each day... but do you actually realize just how beneficial water consumption is to your bottom line fat burning results, muscle building progress and overall appearance?

It’s hugely important, and if you aren’t someone who pays close attention to the amount of water that you drink each day, you are definitely short-changing your progress.

How so?

Let me lay out the points for you to see…

1) Water increases strength and performance in the gym.

Research has shown that being even slightly dehydrated can decrease strength and physical performance significantly. In fact, merely a 3-4% drop in your body's water levels will lead to a 10-20% decrease in muscle contractions.

When it comes to intense weight training and cardio sessions in the gym, it is critical that your strength and energy levels are always at their best.

2) Water helps to prevent injuries.

Hard weight training and cardio over a long period of time can put unwanted stress on your joints and connective tissues. Water helps to fight against this stress by lubricating the joints and forming a protective "cushion" around them.

3) Water improves digestion.

Large macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and fats require water in order to be broken down into their smaller, usable components.

In order to ensure that your body is properly utilizing all of the nutrients from the foods you eat, you must ensure that your water intake is high.

4) Water directly increases the fat burning metabolism.

One of the primary jobs of the liver is to metabolize fat. However, another one of the liver’s duties is to assist the kidneys, whose main function is to flush out waste products through the urine.

When your water intake is less than optimal, these waste products will accumulate in the body and will force both the kidneys and the liver to work additionally hard to clear out the waste.

When you deprive your body of water, you actually force your liver to divert its “focus” away from burning fat and instead onto assisting the kidneys. As a result, your body's rate of fat burning will decrease.

5) Increased water consumption decreases water retention.

When your water intake is low, your body responds by holding on to a greater amount as a natural survival response. All of that water will end up in the places you want it least: your face, arms, stomach, butt, thighs, and everywhere else you can think of.

You can actually force your body to slim down slightly in just a matter of days by increasing your water intake. Since your body will now be provided with a constant external source of water, it will no longer have any incentive to store excessive amounts.

Everything we’ve covered so far should be plenty of incentive to start paying close attention to the amount of water that you drink every day. If you want to achieve the best results possible, you must ensure that you are adequately hydrated at all times.

So how much water is enough?

As a good general guideline, take your overall bodyweight in pounds and multiply it by 0.6. The resulting figure is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking each day.

It may sound like a lot, but once you get used to it it will simply become a regular habit. For the first few days you'll probably find yourself running to the bathroom quite frequently, but this is simply a result of the body releasing its excess retained water. After a few days this will no longer be a problem.

And remember, if you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. You should never gauge your water intake based on how thirsty you feel.

In fact, if you’re consuming the proper amount of water that your body needs to function optimally, you should virtually NEVER feel thirsty throughout a regular day.

To learn more simple but powerful fat burning tips just like this one, make sure to visit www.HowToBurnFat.com. You can sign up for my free 6-part fat burning email course which contains all kinds of useful strategies and techniques to speed up your rate of progress.

About The Author

Once an awkward, out-of-shape "social outcast", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online fat loss program: "The Real Deal Body Transformation System".

Discover 2 unique exercises and 3 little-known foods that burn fat fast by visiting: www.HowToBurnFat.com.

2 Main Things To Look For When Choosing A Cardio Machine

2011-10-30T14:19:00.001-07:00

By Sean Nalewanyj
Fat Loss Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.HowToBurnFat.com

Set foot in any traditional gym across the country and you’ll find an endless array of different cardio machines... from treadmills to stationary bikes to stairclimbers to ellipticals.

A well structured cardio program obviously plays an important role in any effective fat burning workout plan... but which cardio machines are best and what criteria should we use to determine which machines to focus on?

It need not be a complicated process, but here are the 2 main factors that I would suggest looking out for when deciding which machines to include in your program…

1) The machine should not require very much skill to use.

In other words, stick to cardio machines that are simplistic and mechanical in nature. Your goal during a cardio session is not to aimlessly slave away for a marathon session lasting an hour or more, but rather to keep the session short, concise and highly intensive.

For this reason, you don’t want to have to divert your focus onto balancing yourself on the machine or maintaining a specific form throughout the workout.

Instead, you should pick a cardio exercise that is basic and straightforward to execute so that the majority of your focus can be placed on generating a high level of intensity.

2) The machine should minimize the risk of injury.

One of your primary goals when it comes to both weight training and cardiovascular exercise is to keep your joints and connective tissues strong and healthy at all times. It doesn’t matter how effective and well structured your training routine is... if you end up with an injury, the entire thing will come to a grinding halt.

For this reason, you should try to stick to machines that produce low impact on your joints and that also don’t aggravate any existing injuries you may have.

Experiment with different machines to see how they feel for you. If any specific machine causes you discomfort, make sure to steer clear of it.

Here are a few of the machines I specifically recommend using based on the above criteria…

Upright Stationary Bike

This machine is extremely straightforward to use and will allow you to place all of your focus on generating a high level of intensity without having to worry about your form.

It is also a very low impact exercise and will keep the stress off of your joints. Stationary bikes are also easily programmable and are ideal when performing interval-style training, which is the kind that I most highly recommend.

Recumbent Bike

This is the same as a stationary bike, only your body is in a seated position. The seated position will take some of the stress off of your lower back, which is a nice advantage for those who have previous lower back problems.

Treadmill

Another great choice when implementing an interval-style of training. Treadmills are a great alternative to running outdoors, because the platforms are designed to produce less impact on the joints. If you want to increase the difficulty you can also raise the platform up on an incline.

Stairclimber

A stairclimber can be used by anyone from beginners to advanced. It is another low impact movement and allows you to keep the majority of your focus on putting forth a hard effort. Make sure to avoid leaning on the handle bars as this will reduce the intensity of the workout.

Hopefully this article has helped you understand which cardio machines are the safest and most effective fat burning solutions to include in your program.

To learn all of the details behind structuring an effective fat burning cardio workout, visit www.HowToBurnFat.com. You'll discover everything you need to know about training for maximum fat loss, and can also sign up for my free 6-part fat burning email course to learn even more great tips.

About The Author

A Bodybuilder’s Most Valuable Vitamin: Are You Getting Enough?

2011-10-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

Everybody knows that consuming sufficient amounts of vitamins through their diet is an important way to maintain overall health and to keep the muscle building and fat burning processes functioning optimally.

If you are deficient in just a single vitamin, it can potentially have negative effects on literally thousands of different processes within your body.

While every individual vitamin plays an important role in the overall picture, there is one that definitely stands out among the rest... especially when it comes to the specific needs of a hard training bodybuilder.

I’m talking about the water-soluble Vitamin C; the one vitamin that no serious lifter should be short on.

Here are 6 ways in which sufficient Vitamin C intake will benefit you both in and out of the gym…

1) It is a powerful antioxidant.

When oxygen combines with other compounds as a result of intense exercise and natural bodily processes, it can form what are known as “free radicals”. Free radicals are metabolic waste products that attack cells, mutate cell membranes and that have also been linked with many diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Antioxidants battle against free radicals by either preventing their formation in the first place, or by latching on and neutralizing their effects. Through its effects as an antioxidant, Vitamin C protects the body from free radical damage.

2) It suppresses cortisol production.

Cortisol is a powerful catabolic hormone that is triggered as a result of stress, both from your workouts and from everyday life. Cortisol stimulates the breakdown of muscle tissue for use as energy, increases fat storage (particularly in the abdominal area), impairs nutrient transport into the muscles and inhibits muscle recovery in between workouts.
Vitamin C appears to have a measurable impact on reducing cortisol secretion in the body.

3) It assists in the formation of steroid hormones.

One of the major limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can build is their natural anabolic hormone levels. Vitamin C assists in the formation of these hormones.

4) It enhances the absorption of iron.

Iron is what allows oxygen to bind to hemoglobin in the blood, which is then delivered to the muscles to enhance performance. Low iron levels will decrease the amount of weight you are able to lift in the gym and how long you are able to maintain a high level of intensity during your workouts.

5) It increases the integrity of the immune system.

Those following an intense training program should always be concerned with keeping their immune system functioning at optimal levels. This will help you to prevent sickness and to maintain top levels of performance throughout the week.

6) It reduces muscle soreness.

When taken close to workouts, Vitamin C has been shown to reduce muscle soreness in the days following a training session. While this doesn’t really have any direct positive physiological implications, it can be beneficial for those who would prefer to eliminate that deep aching that is usually felt in the muscles following a hard workout.

It should be clear by now that consuming adequate amounts of Vitamin C each day is an important part of maximizing the results from your program, whether your goal is to build muscle or to burn fat.

The recommend daily allowance for Vitamin C is just 60mg, however, this is a guideline set out for average everyday individuals and not for hard training athletes. Those who are following an intense muscle building and/or fat burning program will obviously require far higher amounts.

On the flipside, there are those who recommend taking “mega doses” of Vitamin C. Although Vitamin C is water-soluble (meaning the body can simply flush out an excess through the sweat and urine), mega-dosing is not natural to our biochemistry and could possibly interrupt other important bodily functions.

All things considered, I would recommend consuming Vitamin C in supplemental form in the range of 500mg-1500mg daily, spread out over 2-3 doses.

Try taking one dose in the morning, and another with your pre-workout meal. Most multivitamins will contain a small dose of Vitamin C in the range of 50-200mg, so purchasing a separate Vitamin C supplement is usually the best way to go.

You can also bump up your daily Vitamin C intake by increasing your consumption of natural foods such as tomatoes, apples, oranges and red/green peppers.

While you probably aren’t going to notice any immediate effects to your bottom line progress as a simple result of Vitamin C supplementation, it still can and should be part of an effective overall plan that will maximize your results over the long term.

If you want to gain access to more highly effective muscle building tips just like this, make sure to visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com. You can read all about my hugely popular natural bodybuilding program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System", and read my unbiased reviews on all of the top muscle building supplements available today.

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

Discover the 1 powerful secret to rapid muscle gains by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

Accelerate Your Muscle Gains With This One Simple Nutritional Technique

2011-10-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

We all know that in order to maximize our gains in muscle size and strength, eating frequently throughout the day is incredibly important.

A well balanced muscle building meal consumed every 2-3 hours will keep the body in an anabolic state, raise the fat burning metabolism, stabilize energy levels and improve digestion all at the same time.

Maintaining this eating approach is simple throughout the waking hours of the day...

But when happens when we go to sleep at night?

Let’s assume that we consume our last meal of the day one hour before heading to bed... sleep for 8 hours... and then have our breakfast half an hour after awakening…

That’s a full 9.5 hours with absolutely zero muscle building nutrition!

If we place so much emphasis on consuming high quality, growth-supporting nutrients at frequent intervals during the day, why do we simply throw this logic out the window during the night?

Wouldn’t it make sense to ensure that our muscles are receiving all of the protein, carbohydrates and fats that they require during the time period where muscle recuperation and growth is at its peak?

Why would we deliberately allow our body to enter into a starved, catabolic state for such an extended period of time if it is within our control to do something about it?

While this method may not be for everyone, consuming a properly balanced muscle building meal about mid-way through your sleep just might be one of the key ways to accelerate your bodybuilding progress to even higher levels.

It may seem like somewhat of a “hardcore” method that only the most obsessive of lifters would incorporate, but a quick examination of this approach and you’ll see that it’s quite realistic for the majority of people to implement.

Now first of all, this doesn’t have to be a regular solid-food bodybuilding meal that you might typically consume during the day. I’m not talking about waking up and sitting at the kitchen table to eat a plate of chicken and potatoes or a steak with rice.

Eating solid foods in the middle of the night will probably disrupt your sleep quite a bit, and it isn’t really a realistic long-term approach to carry out.

Instead, this meal should be in liquid form so that you can wake up, chug it back very quickly and easily, and then head right back to bed.

My recommendation is to mix 30-40 grams of whey protein (or any other high quality form of protein powder, such as casein or egg) with 1-2 cups of skim milk. This will provide you with a good shot of slow release protein without forcing you to be awake for long or worry about any unnecessary chewing or meal preparation.

You can also mix in a tablespoon of a healthy unsaturated oil source, such as flaxseed oil or extra virgin olive oil. This will further slow down the release of the shake and will provide your body with valuable essential fatty acids that are also critical to proper recovery and growth.

When is the best time to consume this shake?

Ideally I would aim to consume it about halfway through your sleep, but whenever you wake up naturally during the night is fine. I don’t recommend forcing yourself out of bed with the use of an alarm clock, as this will disrupt your sleeping pattern and could leave you feeling fatigued the following day.

Now, is this middle-of-the-night-feeding method for everyone?

Of course not, but I would encourage you to try it out and see how it works. I’ve implemented this method both personally and with my clients and have found that in the majority of cases, the effects have been measurably positive.

After all, if you wake up naturally during the night to use the bathroom anyway, how hard could it really be to make a quick detour to the kitchen to drink a simple protein shake?

If you’re looking for an extra boost to your nutritional program, then that one shake alone might be just what you need. A few hundred calories can sometimes make the difference between maintaining your weight and gaining it.

If you really want to get the most out of your muscle building nutrition plan, this is a method you should definitely try.

If you're interested in learning more highly effective natural bodybuilding strategies like this one, go ahead and visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com right now. You can sign up for my free 8-part muscle building email course to help accelerate your gains even further.

About The Author

Fuel Your Training With Proper Pre-Workout Nutrition

2011-10-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

The saying says, “if you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail”, and the same holds true for each and every one of your workouts.

Every session in the gym should be treated as a battle, and just like any other battle in life you must enter it with proper mental and physical readiness.

This article will deal with the physical side and will teach you exactly how to prime your body before battling the weights with proper pre-workout nutrition.

A carefully planned pre-workout meal will ensure that you always enter the gym at peak strength and will provide your body with the necessary tools to battle the weights as effectively as possible.

The 3 main goals of the pre-workout meal are as follows:

1) Maximize your strength potential.

2) Provide a steady stream of balanced energy for your mind and muscles throughout the workout.

3) Minimize muscle breakdown and provide the raw tools for your body to begin the recovery process once the workout is over.

The first thing to make sure of is that you are properly hydrated before beginning your workout. Water plays a vital role in keeping strength and energy levels peaked, so always ensure that you've consumed an adequate amount of water in the few hours before you train.

Around 30-45 minutes prior to entering the gym you should consume your pre-workout meal. The first component of this meal is, you guessed it, protein. This protein will keep your body in an anabolic state throughout your workout and will help to prevent muscle breakdown as you train.

I would recommend that you consume 30-40 grams of high quality protein, ideally coming from a mix of whey protein and casein. This can best be accomplished by mixing 25-30 grams of whey protein in 300-400ml of skim milk.

Whey protein makes for a great pre-workout choice because it is naturally high in BCAA's, which help to prevent muscle catabolism during your workout. Mixing your whey with milk is a good idea because this will slow down the release of the protein and provide your body with a steady stream of amino acids throughout your workout.

Along with your protein shake you should also consume 1-2 portions of low-glycemic carbohydrates. Low glycemic carbohydrates are ideal before the workout because they are broken down and absorbed gradually in the bloodstream, providing your body with a steady stream of energy throughout your workout.

When you consume high glycemic carbohydrates that are rapidly released into your bloodstream, your body will release a surge of insulin in an effort to level out your blood sugar. This will result in a quick rise in insulin levels followed by a sharp fall.

The fall in insulin levels will leave you feeling weak, tired and sluggish. This is the last thing you want in the middle of a high intensity workout, so choose carbohydrates that won't cause this rapid fluctuation in insulin levels.

Pre-workout carbohydrate choices such as oatmeal, apples or brown rice will provide your body with a steady stream of sugars throughout the workout and will keep your energy levels peaked at all times.

This pre-workout meal should be fairly small to allow for easy digestion and to prevent you from feeling sick when you train. You should never workout without having a meal in you first.

So, just to recap:

30-45 minutes before your workout:

1) 25-30 grams of whey protein mixed with 300-400ml of milk

2) 1-2 servings of slow release carbohydrates (i.e. Oatmeal, brown rice, apple)

I also like to throw in a cup or two of coffee before my workouts as I find that this increases my energy and amplifies my focus nicely.

There are also 3 other highly important times throughout the day to pay special attention to the foods and supplements that you consume. Visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com to find out what they are, and how to properly approach these periods for the best possible results.

About The Author

Multivitamins: A Necessary Muscle-Building Supplement Or A Waste Of Cash?

2011-10-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

One of the most currently debated issues in the supplement industry is in relation to the consumption of multivitamins and the role that they play in enhancing overall health both in and out of the gym.

Can bodybuilders benefit by supplementing with extra vitamins and minerals? Let's review some basic biology as well as the function of each specific vitamin in order to find the answer...

In the grand scheme of things, your body is basically one giant mass of chemical reactions. Each of these individual reactions is fueled by small proteins called enzymes, which work by lowering the amount of energy that is needed for a specific reaction to occur.

Enzymes require the use of a "co-enzyme" which alters its shape and allows it to perform its job properly. Co-enzymes are also referred to as vitamins.

So when it all comes down it, vitamins are needed to fuel the thousands of chemical reactions going on within your body at all times. Not only does this play an important role in overall metabolism and body health, but it also plays a vital part in the muscle-building process.

Here is a list of the major vitamins and the ways in which they will aid you both in and out of the gym...

Vitamin A - Is crucial to the process of protein synthesis where individual amino acids are combined to form new muscle tissue. It also helps the body to produce glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrates within the body.

Vitamin B1 - Also known as "thiamine" and is heavily involved in protein metabolism as well as the production of hemoglobin which helps to carry oxygen around the body.

Vitamin B2 - Also known as "riboflavin" and aids in the fat burning process as well as helping the body to produce energy from carbohydrates.

Vitamin B3 - Also known as "niacin" and increases vasodilation within the muscle tissue, helping you to appear fuller and more vascular.

Vitamin B6 - Also known as "pyridoxine" and is very important because of its effect on protein digestion. Muscle-building diets require larger than normal amounts of protein, and this means that your body needs a higher amount of vitamin B6 than the average Joe.

Vitamin B12 - Also known as "cobalamin", vitamin b12 ensures that the brain and muscle tissue are communicating efficiently and this has a direct effect on muscle growth and coordination.

Biotin - Helps the body metabolize amino acids and produce energy during workouts.

Vitamin C - Heavily involved in amino acid metabolism and the formation of collagen. Collagen is found in your connective tissue and keeps your joints strong and healthy. Vitamin C also plays a role in the production of steroid hormones in the body and also enhances the absorption of iron. On top of all of this, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which flushes out free radicals and prevents damage to your body cells.

Vitamin D - Helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus more efficiently. Calcium is very important during muscle contractions and also helps to maintain strong bones and joints. Phosphorus is involved in the synthesis of ATP, the usable form of energy within the body.

Vitamin E - A very powerful antioxidant which helps to hunt out and neutralize free radicals. This will help to flush out many of the natural metabolic waste products your body produces and maintain the health of your cell membranes.

As you can clearly see above, vitamins play a very important role when it comes to building muscle and gaining strength. Hard training bodybuilders certainly require higher amounts of these vitamins than the average sedentary Joe, as these vitamins are depleted during intense sessions in the gym.

In addition, a calorie-dense diet requires a higher intake of vitamins to aid in the digestion process. In fact, being deficient in just one vitamin can literally affect thousands of small process within the body.

So, are multivitamins necessary for bodybuilders?

Absolutely!

From protein synthesis to energy metabolism to digestion to vasodilation, multivitamins should be an important part of any effective supplementation plan.

For an honest, unbiased review of over 20 of the most popular muscle-building supplements on the market today, visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com. You'll learn which supplements are worth your money and which ones are nothing more than pure marketing hype.

About The Author

3 Reasons Why Bodybuilders Need More Fiber

2011-10-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

Most people understand that fiber plays an important role in the overall health and wellness of the body, but this form of carbohydrate is actually quite beneficial to bodybuilders as well.

Fiber is found in the cell walls of plants and can be obtained from food sources such as fruits, vegetables, oat bran, beans, grains and psyllium.

Because of its chemical structure, fiber is indigestible to humans and remains completely intact as it travels through the body. It is actually a carbohydrate, but acts differently since it cannot be broken down into its basic glucose building blocks.

If fiber can't even be digested, what could possibly make it so important to bodybuilders? Well, even though fiber is considered a "nonessential" nutrient, it still plays an important role in building muscle, gaining strength and maintaining your overall health.

Fiber is most well known for its ability to induce regular bowel movements.

Why is this so important to bodybuilders?

Well, since you are trying to build as much muscle as possible, you will probably be consuming at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. One of the main sources of this protein will come from animal meat such as chicken and beef.

The problem with this is that if meat stays in the digestive tract for too long it can produce toxins that pose long-term negative health consequences. An adequate amount of fiber each day will ensure that foods are moving along smoothly through your digestive system.

Fiber is also beneficial in its effect on slowing down the rate of gastric emptying. Gastric emptying is the process where foods are moved from the stomach to the small intestine.

When you consume foods containing fiber, they become "gelled" in your stomach and slow down this process. The small intestine is where most nutrients are absorbed and pumped into the bloodstream.

By slowing down the transfer of food to the small intestine your body will be able to extract the nutrients much more efficiently. This "timed-release" effect will also keep your body in an anabolic state for longer and decrease the chances of muscle catabolism setting in.

Along with its digestive benefits, fiber has also been known to regulate blood sugar levels. This will result in a more gradual release of sugars into the bloodstream and will decrease the chances of unnecessary insulin spikes and unwanted fat storage.

This will also allow your body to increase its natural production of this powerful anabolic hormone without having to increase the consumption of simple carbohydrates.

As you can see, fiber is a fairly important carbohydrate form to incorporate into your diet. I would highly recommend that you focus on consuming around 25-35 grams of fiber each day for maximum benefits.

To learn the complete inside scoop on proper muscle-building nutrition, go ahead and visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com. You'll learn everything you need to know to structure the most effective nutrition plan possible in order to maximize your muscle and strength gains. You can also download my "Empowered Nutrition Mass-Building Meal Plans" to take all of the guesswork out of your diet.

About The Author

The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System

2011-02-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System
www.MuscleGainTruth.com
By Sean Nalewanyj

Rating: (5/5)

What You Get: The Complete Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System

The Truth About Building Muscle 266-Page E-Book + 6 No-Fail Support Modules + 6 Free Bonus Items

No-Fail Support Modules:

1) 26-Week Workout Plan & Printable Logbook
2) Full Video Exercise Database
3) 12-Week Mass-Building Meal Plans
4) Online Video Lesson Series
5) 3-Month MGT Progress Tracker 6000 Membership
6) My Personal Trainer Software

Free Bonus Items:

Check out Sean's Website for more information on these 6 additional free bonus items.

Delivery: Instant download from website

Money Back Guarantee: 100% Unconditional 8-Week Guarantee

Trial Offer: Test-drive the entire system free for 21 days before paying for it.

Editorial Review:

Let's face it, when it comes to bodybuilding and fitness, there's a lot of crap out there. Go online and take a look around, and you'll find that it's nothing more than an endless mass of "magic supplements", "miracle programs" and "revolutionary breakthroughs".

For those looking to gain lean muscle mass, burn through stubborn body fat and increase their strength, it can often be a nightmare trying to find an honest and credible source of information to follow.

I got an email from Sean Nalewanyj a few months back. I'm sure you already know who he is. He's a lifetime natural bodybuilder and fitness author, and he wanted me to check out his program and give my thoughts. I reluctantly accepted his offer, thinking it would just be another fly-by-night, slapped-together-over-a-weekend ripoff program.

I have to stand corrected, because to be honest...

I was dead-wrong.

In fact, after fully reviewing Sean's entire product, I've got to say that this may very well be the single most comprehensive muscle-building program I've ever come across...that's no exaggeration either, and believe me, I've seen them all.

First of all, we're not just talking about a single e-book here. We're talking about a full-blown, jam-packed muscle-building success package. You're probably getting at least 5 times the tools and information that other programs offer.

It starts with the best selling e-book, "The Truth About Building Muscle"... A well organized, excellently written 266-page e-book covering the muscle growth process from all angles. Training, nutrition, supplementation, recovery; you're going to learn about it all.

You can easily navigate through the book's 9 detailed chapters, which are written in easy-to-follow layman's terms so that anyone can understand and follow it. You can read through the book directly from your computer or print it offtand place it in a 3-ring binder to read wherever you'd like.

It doesn't end there though...

Along with the main e-book, Sean hooks you up with a 26-Week Workout Plan and Printable Logbook, along with a Full Video Exercise Database to show you how to perform all of the exercises in the most effective and risk-free manner.

He then hands you nine 12-Week Muscle-Building Meal Plans, complete with full grocery lists and meal preparation instructions. You won't have to sit around wondering what to eat or when to eat it, as Sean does all the dirty work for you.

We then come to the 6 Online Video Lessons where Sean outlines tips and tricks for training each individual muscle group. You also get the MGT Progress Tracking Software to keep records of all of the different aspects of your muscle-building program, as well as the "My Personal Trainer" database which gives you 24-hour online coaching.

The crazy thing is that all of the items I've talked about so far are just the first half of the package. Sean also hands you 6 more Free Bonus Items, including a hardcore training video of Sean himself performing his workouts in the gym. I'm not going to talk about all the bonuses here... You'll have to check out Sean's Website in order to read about those. But trust me, you won't want to miss them.

After going through all of the different items that come with The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System, I can honestly say that this is the most in-depth, high quality and effective mass gaining program out there today. No other program that I've reviewed has even come close.

Most importantly of all, this program REALLY works!

Thousands of average, everyday people have been using Sean's program with incredible success, and many of these unsolicited testimonials along with some very dramatic before and after pictures can be found on his website. You'll be surprised at the incredible results that can be achieved in such a short time following his principles.

The thing that also stands out is Sean's sincerity to help you reach your goals. He's not interested in taking your money and disappearing with it... He genuinely wants to help you succeed and it's obvious that a huge amount of time and effort was put into creating this product.

The best part is, Sean doesn't charge you an arm and a leg for all of this incredible information. To be honest, I was surprised at just how tiny the price tag is. Let's just say that you can gain instant access to this entire package for around the same cost as a single session with a personal trainer. For the permanent muscle-building knowledge that you'll gain from this program, it's worth that price many times over.

(I did speak with Sean just a few days ago, and he told me that he's going to be raising the price soon... so if you're interested in this package, I'd suggest you take action soon!)

Bottom Line Verdict: The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System gets my full recommendation to anyone looking for a solid, reliable muscle-building program that produces maximum results in the shortest period of time possible.

There is something here for everyone, from the beginner to the novice to the advanced, and it's currently the most popular program available based on Clickbank's ranking system.

In fact, Sean is so confident with the results that can be obtained from his system that he even lets you access the entire program FREE for a full 21 days. This way you can try the entire program out risk-free for yourself before deciding if it's right for you.

Important: When you place your order at Sean's website, you'll have the chance to grab 2 additional upgrade packages: the "Silver Edition" and the "Gold Edition".

Included in the upgrades are a professionally narrated audio version of his e-book, a mind & motivation secrets manual, an awesome recipe/smoothie booklet, a complete fat loss & six-pack ab program, personal email coaching, private forum access and more.

If you're truly serious about building a ripped, muscular body, these additional add-ons are must-haves and can be purchased for only a few extra bucks.

Check it out now...

(Even if you're not interested in spending any money on a muscle-building program just yet, you can still sign up for Sean's free 8-part email course, "Simple Steps To Massive Muscle Gains". You can also read Sean's inspiring story of how he went from an awkward, underweight, 125-pounds "loser", to a renowned bodybuilding and fitness expert in just a matter of months.)

Click Here To Visit Sean's Website For More Information

The Real Deal Body Transformation System

2011-02-02T12:03:00.000-08:00

The Real Deal Body Transformation System

www.HowToBurnFat.com
By Sean Nalewanyj

Rating: (5/5)

What You Get: The Complete Real Deal Body Transformation System

The Truth About Burning Fat 261-Page E-Book + 7 Real-Deal Support Modules

Real-Deal Support Modules:

1) Metabolic Ignition Workout Plan
2) Perfect Form Video Exercise Database
3) Customized Body Sculpting Meal Plans
4) Fat Burning Food Reports
5) Body Progress Tracking Tools
6) 1-Month Private Forum Access
7) Lifetime Product Updates

Delivery: Instant download from website

Money Back Guarantee: 100% Unconditional 8-Week Guarantee

Trial Offer: Test-drive the entire system free for 21 days before paying for it.

Editorial Review:

In a weight loss world dominated by marketing hype, exaggerations and flat-out lies, finding a reputable fat burning program that actually produces results is no easy task.

Even if you're able to dodge past the "miracle supplements", "revolutionary diets" and "breakthrough equipment", how can you know for sure which products are worth your money and which ones are nothing more than hyped up junk?

For those looking to burn body fat, gain lean muscle mass and increase their health and energy, trying to figure out which advice to follow can sometimes be a nightmare.

Well, I'm happy to say that I've already done the dirty work for you.

Best-selling fitness author and fat loss expert, Sean Nalewanyj, has just released a brand new fat burning system that I had the pleasure of reviewing. For those of you who don't know who Sean is, he's the creator of one of the most famous natural bodybuilding programs available on the web today: The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System.

His program has been a top-seller for several years, and he's finally decided to channel his efforts to taking on the fat loss world as well. After spending many hours examining this new package from top to bottom, I have to admit that it's one of the most complete and comprehensive fat loss programs to hit the market as of late.

It's called "The Real Deal Body Transformation System", and contains virtually every single tool you'll need to get into impressive shape fast.

It starts with his 261-page e-book, "The Truth About Burning Fat". This is the main component of the system, and covers the entire fat burning process in detail from A to Z. You'll learn everything you need to know about proper nutrition, weight training, cardiovascular exercise, progress tracking and everything in between.

The book is all written in simple layman's terms, so anyone can understand and follow it. You can read through the book directly from your computer or print it off and place it in a 3-ring binder to read wherever you'd like.

Along with the main e-book, Sean hands you an entire collection of detailed support modules and bonus gifts to help you even further.

You get the "Metabolic Ignition Workout Plan" that shows you exactly how to train for maximum fat loss. Included are 2, 3 and 4-day per week training schedules, so you can be sure you'll find one that fits your schedule.

Next up is the full video exercise database to teach you proper form and technique to use in the gym. Sean personally demonstrates over 100 of the most effective weight training exercises out there, complete with full motion video and written descriptions.

He then hands you 7 different "30-Day Body Sculpting Meal Plans" to remove all of the guesswork from your diet. These exclusively developed plans show you what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat it to turbo charge your metabolism while staying full and energetic.

On top of the meal plans, Sean gives you 2 detailed "Fat Burning Food Reports", where he outlines "The Top 20 Food Sources That Burn Fat Fast", and "The Top 20 Food Sources That Make You Fat Fast". This will give you a detailed analysis of which foods to keep handy and which ones to steer clear of.

He also keeps you organized and motivated by providing you with 5 different printable progress tracking booklets. Included are a workout logbook, daily meal planner, supplement organizer, 12-week progress analyzer and goal-setter.

You can check out Sean's Website to read about all of the individual components that are included in the complete package.

After making my way through all of the detailed items included in this system, I can say with honesty that there are no other fat burning programs currently available that offer this kind of value.

But the real question you're probably wondering is simple...

"Does the program actually work?"

In short, YES!

Sean has a great reputation in the industry for offering high quality and effective programs, and this one is no exception. Even though this system is still quite new, his members and colleagues are already raving about it. You can check out what they're saying by visiting his website.

Even more noteworthy than the program itself is Sean's obvious desire to genuinely help those who follow his advice. Unlike most junky programs out there that look to have been slapped together over a weekend, it's clear that a ton of time and effort was put in to make this program really stand out.

Best of all, Sean offers everything to you for an extremely reasonable price. The system is currently selling for about half the cost of a single session with a personal trainer, which is incredible considering everything you'll receive. However, this is simply an introductory price, and I suspect that the cost will be increasing in the near future.

Bottom Line Verdict: If you're interested in burning fat and toning your entire body quickly, safely and permanently, The Real Deal Body Transformation System is one of the best investments you could possibly make.

It's an incredible value... is endorsed by top experts in the field... was created by a reputable expert... and more importantly, it is highly effective at producing results fast.

In fact, Sean is so confident with the results that can be obtained from his system that he even lets you access the entire program FREE for a full 21 days. This way you can try the entire program out risk-free for yourself before deciding if it's right for you.

You've got nothing to lose by at least giving it a try.

Important: When you place your order at Sean's website, you'll have the chance to grab 2 additional upgrade packages: the "Deluxe Edition" and the "Ultimate Edition".

Included in these upgrade packages are a professionally narrated audio version of his e-book, a recipe and smoothie booklet, no-nonsense supplement reviews, six-pack ab audio course, a mind & motivation mp3 course, body fat measuring guide and more.

If you're truly serious about achieving a lean, attractive and healthy body, these additional features are strongly recommended and can be purchased for only a few extra bucks.

Go ahead and check it out now...

(Even if you're not interested in spending any money on a fat burning program just yet, you can still sign up for Sean's free part email course, "6 Critical Keys To Rapid Fat Loss Revealed ". You can also read some inspiring before/after stories of people who achieved incredible results using Sean's principles.)

Click Here To Visit Sean's Website For More Information

The Most Powerful Muscle-Building Tool Available

2010-11-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

The muscle-building debates will never end.

The endless arguments over how an effective muscle-building program should be structured will most likely continue until the end of time. Just scour the Internet message boards, flip through any muscle magazine or talk to the sales rep at your local supplement store. No matter who you talk to or what you read, it seems that everyone is an expert these days.

If everyone is an expert, confident in their own ideas and beliefs, how can the average beginner possibly know who to listen to? He or she is instantly confronted with endless questions that seem to have no clear-cut answer.

How many days should I train per week? How many sets should I perform for each muscle group? What type of rep range should I be using? What are the most effective exercises for stimulating muscle growth? How long should my workouts last?

Believe me, there are answers to these important questions, and if you are willing to put in the time and effort you will most definitely find them. But that’s not what this article is about.

You see, amidst all of the confusion and endless debating, the majority of lifters end up losing sight of the big picture. Beyond all of the specific workout principles, such as rep range and exercise selection, remains one crucial principle, a principle that lies at the very heart of the muscle growth process.

If this principle is not given full attention, or even worse, completely ignored, building muscle becomes next to impossible.

The bottom line is that muscles grow as they adapt to stress. When you go to the gym and lift weights, you create “micro-tears” within the muscle tissue. Your body perceives this as a potential threat to its survival and reacts accordingly by increasing the size and strength of the muscle fibers in order to protect against a possible future “attack”.

Therefore, in order to continually increase the size and strength of the muscles, you must focus on progressing each week on all of your exercises by either lifting slightly more weight or performing an extra rep or two. In doing this, your body will continue to adapt and grow to the ever-increasing stress.

Building muscle is all about building strength!

So what is the most powerful muscle-building tool available?

Quite simply, it is a pen and a piece of paper!

The specifics of building muscle are important to understand and implement, but regardless of what style of training you’re currently using the ultimate deciding factor between success and failure is progression.

You can sit around all day obsessing over specific principles, but the bottom line is that if you aren’t getting stronger every week, you absolutely will not be getting any bigger.

Examine your training approach closely. If you haven’t been paying laser-like attention to the amount of weight you’ve been using, the number of reps you’ve been performing, and then striving with every ounce of your energy to improve upon those numbers each week, you are completely ignoring the very foundation of the muscle growth process.

If you want to see the best gains in muscle mass and strength that you possibly can, a pen and a piece of paper is the most important tool you could possibly have in your arsenal.

Once you've accepted and implemented this basic rule of building muscle, you can then move on and learn about the specific principles of how to structure an effective workout. Visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com if you're ready to learn more.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

Learn how to build muscle and gain weight in just 24 minutes a day by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

3 Reasons Why Proper Protein Intake Aids Fat Loss

2010-11-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

If you want to maximize your body’s ability to burn fat, build muscle and take on the lean, athletic shape you desire, then consuming a high quality source of protein with every single meal is a must.

When we think about modifying our diet in order to burn fat, we tend to think only in terms of the foods that should be avoided. For example, “I should minimize my consumption of saturated fat”, or, “I should cut down on my intake of simple sugars”.

While this is a legitimate stance to take, we also need to think equally in terms of those foods that we should increase our consumption of. High quality protein is most definitely one of them.

Protein is a macronutrient containing 4 calories per gram that essentially forms the building blocks for your entire body. Among a virtually endless list of functions, protein plays the critical role of growth and maintenance in the cells of the muscle tissue, immune system, skin and eyes just to name a few.

It is also heavily involved in production of enzymes and the maintenance of blood health. Every single one of the trillions of cells that you are made up of contains protein.

The body does not have a readily available source of protein to use (as opposed to carbohydrates which are stored in the muscle tissue as glycogen), and therefore you must provide your body with a constant stream through your diet.

Here are 3 critical reasons why consuming lean protein with every single meal will aid you throughout your fat burning program…

1) Protein produces a thermogenic effect in the body.

A substance that has a “thermogenic” effect in the body is one that causes your core temperature to increase. The average temperature inside the body is 98.6 degrees, but when this level is increased by even 1-2 degrees, the fat burning metabolism is raised and more calories will be expended even at rest.

Because the amino acids from protein are more difficult for the body to digest than carbohydrates or fats, the body must inevitably work harder to break down the protein into these individual components.

This results in a thermogenic effect that causes the body to expend more calories by simply digesting the protein itself.

2) Protein consumption produces a greater satiety effect from meals.

Those on reduced-calorie diets may find it difficult to adjust to the smaller amount of food they will be consuming, and maintaining a high protein intake is a great way to counteract this.

Including a lean source of protein with every meal will keep you feeling full and more satisfied throughout the day and will keep your appetite and food cravings under control.

3) Protein builds and maintains muscle tissue.

One of the primary factors that determines the speed of your body’s fat burning metabolism is the amount of muscle tissue you have on your body. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, and the more muscle you have, the faster you burn fat.

Not only will sufficient protein intake help your muscles properly recover in between those hard workout sessions, but it will also allow you to maintain the muscle tissue that you already have on your body.

The end result is a fat burning metabolism operating on overdrive, and a lean, athletic appearance that can only be achieved by those with a reasonable level of muscular development.

Clearly, maintaining sufficient protein intake is a very important piece of the fat burning nutrition puzzle.

So, what are the best fat burning sources of protein to include in your nutritional plan?

The following is a list of “acceptable” protein sources to include in your diet. They are all high quality, lean sources of protein containing minimal amounts of fat…

- Skinless chicken breast
- Skinless turkey breast
- Salmon/tuna/fish of all types
- Egg whites
- Lean cuts of red meat
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Whey protein powder
- Skim milk

If you want to see the most explosive fat burning and muscle developing results possible, you should aim to include one of these protein sources at every single meal.

To get the full inside scoop on proper fat burning nutrition, including detailed info about carbohydrates, fats, caloric intake and more, make sure to visit www.HowToBurnFat.com. You'll gain instant download access to a full collection of customized fat loss meal plans, and can also sign up for my free 6-part fat burning email course to learn even more great tips.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Fat Loss Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.HowToBurnFat.com

Once an awkward, out-of-shape "social outcast", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online fat loss program: "The Real Deal Body Transformation System".

Learn how to burn fat and lose weight quickly, safely and permanently by visiting: www.HowToBurnFat.com.

Do Bodybuilders Really Need Supplements?

2010-11-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

To supplement or not to supplement? That is the question, and an important one at that.

"Do bodybuilders really need supplements?"

Let's examine that question.

The first thing to look at when trying to answer the million-dollar question about supplements (with the ever-increasing revenues of the supplement industry I should more accurately call it a "billion-dollar question") is what do we define as "need"?

The question seems to be, "do we really need supplements"? But the answer to that completely depends upon what it is that we do or do not need them for. Let's examine a couple of different definitions.

"Do bodybuilders need supplements to become bigger and stronger?"

The answer to this question? No!

Regardless of what the million-dollar supplement companies would have you believe, supplementation is not mandatory in the pursuit of increased muscle mass and strength.

Anyone who trains hard and focuses on consuming adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats from whole foods can and will see a significant increase in muscle size and strength.

If you want to become bigger and stronger, supplements are not mandatory. Period.

So given this fact, bodybuilders shouldn't use any supplements, right?

Wrong.

Let's examine the second definition.

"Do bodybuilders need supplements to become as big and strong as they possibly can?"

The answer to this question? Yes!

Although supplements are not mandatory to become bigger and stronger, they ARE mandatory if your goal is to become as big and strong as you possibly can. By investing in the right products and using the proper amounts, you can definitely gain an extra edge and see superior gains than a person who has chosen not to go the supplement route.

With the endless hours of hard work and dedication that you put in at the gym and at home on your quest to achieving the physique you desire, it only seems logical that a few extra bucks should be spent each month on a few reputable products in order to maximize your gains.

The question you simply have to ask yourself is, "how much are my muscle gains worth to me?"

If an extra boost in strength at the gym is worth the price of that bottle of creatine, then it makes sense to purchase it. If improving the convenience of your eating plan is worth the price of that tub of whey protein, then it makes sense to purchase it.

"Do bodybuilders really need supplements?"

If you're serious about achieving the most significant muscle size and strength gains that you possibly can, then I definitely would recommend a basic and straightforward supplement plan to maximize your results.

Here are the 4 most basic supplements that I would recommend:

1) Whey Protein
2) Creatine
3) High-Potency Multivitamin
4) Essential Fatty Acids

This is a great place to start and will go a long way in increasing your lean muscle mass, strength and fat burning capabilities. There are definitely a lot of worthless, ineffective supplements out there, but these 4 basic products have been shown time and time again to be both effective and worth the cost.

If you're looking to gain an extra edge and are serious about reaching your muscle-building goals, they are definitely worth looking into.

To learn the details of these 4 supplements including proper dosages and product recommendations, visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

You can also access my honest and unbiased reviews of over 20 of the most popular muscle building supplements on the market today. This could potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars, so I would strongly urge you to check it out.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

About The Author

How To Build A Ripped, Rock-Solid Chest

2010-11-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

Everyone wants a huge chest, plain and simple.

It is all too common to see inexperienced lifters slaving away on endless sets of bench presses and cable crossovers in search of full, thick pecs. The reality is that there is nothing complicated about building an impressive chest.

The bottom line for huge chest gains is consistency, effort and steady progression in weight and repetitions.

To stimulate the chest using weights you will be using one of two motions: a press or a flye. If you want the greatest bang for your buck from your chest workouts, the true gains lie in your pressing movements.

Flyes may have their place from time to time, but nothing can compare to the overall anabolic effect of high intensity pressing movements. I’m talking about the basic, bread-and-butter lifts such as heavy barbell presses, dumbbell presses and wide-grip dips.

There are no secrets, magic formulas or killer techniques that will "shock" your chest into massive growth. Stick to your basic presses, focus on overload and progression, and I promise that you will see impressive gains.

Here are the most effective lifts for packing muscle onto the chest:

Flat/Incline/Decline Barbell Bench Press

A standard barbell press is the meat and potatoes of any effective chest routine. This basic compound movement will allow you to handle the most weight through the given range of motion.

The incline press will shift more of the stress to the upper region of the chest while the decline does the opposite, targeting the lower/outer region. The flat bench press works the upper and lower regions equally. I highly recommend a standard barbell press as a basic component of your chest routine.

Flat/Incline/Decline Dumbbell Press

Dumbbell presses are another basic and highly effective movement for stimulating chest development. The main advantage that they have over the barbell is that they allow you to move through a more natural range of motion, helping to prevent shoulder injuries.

They also prevent strength imbalances from occurring since one arm can't cheat for the other. The only drawback is that you are not able to handle as much weight. In any case, a standard dumbbell press is an awesome movement that allows for great chest stimulation.

Wide-Grip Dips

An amazing movement for the chest that is often overlooked. Make sure to use a wider grip and lean forward to shift the stress from the triceps onto the pectorals.

If pressing your own body weight is not sufficient then you can always add resistance using a weight belt. Dips are an excellent compound movement for overall chest development.

Sample Chest Routines

Chest Routine# 1

Flat Barbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Wide-Grip Dips: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps

Chest Routine# 2

Incline Barbell Bench Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Wide-Grip Dips: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps
Flat Dumbbell Press: 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps

All sets should stay within the 5-7 rep range and should be taken to concentric muscular failure. Write down the details of each workout you perform and focus on progressing in either weight or reps from week to week.

To learn the proper methods for training all of your other muscle groups, make sure to visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com. You can gain instant access to a complete online video lesson series outlining the most effective techniques for training your shoulders, arms, back, legs and abs, all in step-by-step detail.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

Discover the 1 powerful secret to rapid muscle gains by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

Catapult Your Muscle Gains With Proper Post-Workout Nutrition

2010-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

The post-workout period is without a doubt the most critical time to take advantage of proper muscle-building nutrition.

We’ll define the post workout period as the 3 hours that immediately follows an intense workout. It is during this time when the body is most primed for nutrient absorption and the muscles will literally act like a sponge, soaking up everything you present them with.

By feeding your body with the proper nutrients from both whole foods and supplements during this all-too important time frame you will greatly increase your muscle gains and improve your recovery time.

Let’s take a quick look at what needs to be accomplished after an intense workout:

1) Muscle breakdown must be minimized and the body must be put back into an anabolic, muscle-building state.

2) Blood sugar and glycogen levels must be restored.

3) Free radicals must be neutralized.

4) The muscles must be fed with proper nutrients to facilitate recovery and growth.

This can be accomplished by consuming 2 special “post-workout meals”.

The first meal should be consumed entirely in liquid form. Your body is in a high state of stress, literally starving for nutrients, and you need to replenish this imbalance in the fastest way possible. A liquid meal will be digested quicker than any other and will allow your body to start rebuilding itself immediately.

This post-workout shake should ideally contain the following:

1) 30-40 grams of whey protein.
2) 70-80 grams of simple sugar. (Dextrose is a great sugar to use)
3) 5 grams of creatine.
4) 5-10 grams of glutamine. (Optional)

All of these ingredients should be mixed in water and consumed within half an hour of completing your workout. I would also suggest taking a high-potency multivitamin along with the shake. This simple liquid meal will go a long way in accelerating the muscle growth process and helping you to recover.

About 45 minutes to an hour after your post-workout shake, you should consume your second post-workout meal, which should come from whole foods. This meal should be rich in protein and high glycemic carbohydrates.

High glycemic carbohydrates are those that are broken down rapidly into the bloodstream. Some examples include, potatoes, white rice or rice cakes. Here are a couple of examples of what your second post-workout meal might look like:

1) 6oz steak, 1 potato, 1 glass of orange juice
2) 1 can of tuna, 100g rice cakes, 1 glass of grapefruit juice

This meal will continue to provide your starving muscles with the nutrients they require in order to synthesize new muscle tissue and restore glycogen levels.

After this second meal there is still about 2 hours or so to take advantage of as best you can. Your goal in this 3-hour window is to consume as much high quality protein and high glycemic carbohydrates as you can.

Most lifters highly underestimate the value of the post-workout period and hinder their gains as a result. One of the biggest mistakes you could possibly make would be to ignore the value of this 3-hour period and to slack off on your protein and carb intake.

Treat the post-workout period with respect and prepare for a noticeable boost in your muscle size and strength gains.

There are also 3 other highly important times throughout the day to pay special attention to the foods and supplements that you consume. Visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com to find out what they are, and how to properly approach these periods for the best possible results.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

Discover the 1 powerful secret to rapid muscle gains by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com

Watch Video: The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

2010-11-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

Watch Video: Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

2010-11-08T11:40:00.002-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: 5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

2010-11-08T11:40:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

2010-11-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video:Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

2010-11-08T11:37:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: 8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

2010-11-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

2010-11-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: How To Build Big Arms

2010-11-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: How To Get Six Pack Abs

2010-11-08T11:33:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

2010-11-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

2010-11-08T11:30:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

2010-11-08T11:29:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

2010-11-08T11:28:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

2010-11-08T11:27:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: The Importance Of Leg Training

2010-11-08T11:26:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: The Importance Of Body Composition

2010-11-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

2010-11-08T11:23:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

2010-11-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Watch Video: How A Proper Sleep Aids Muscle Growth

2010-11-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

Click on the links below to watch more videos

Work WITH Your Biology; Not Against It

The Most Powerful Muscle Building Tool

The Importance Of Body Composition

The Importance Of Leg Training

Protein's Effects On Fat Loss

Why Low Fat Diets Never Work

Natural Testosterone Boosting Tips

The Fallacy Of Spot Reduction

The Top 4 Bodybuilding Supplements

How To Get Six Pack Abs

How To Build Big Arms

How Many Calories You Need For Fat Loss

8 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Want To Build Serious Muscle? Be Prepared To Train HARD

The Only 4 Muscle Building Supplements You Really Need

5 Simple Ways To Track Your Fat Burning Progress

Why Everyone Is DEAD WRONG About Achieving 6-Pack Abs

The Key To Effective Fat Loss: Work WITH Your Biology

Bodybuilding Beginners: Build Your Foundation First!

2009-10-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

Let me ask you…

Have you packed on at least a good 15-25 pounds of clean, muscular body weight since you began your muscle building program?

Are you moving poundages on your squat, deadlift, bench press, row (and every other major compound exercise) that all feel substantially heavy for your body?

Have you added at least a couple of inches or more to all of your major muscle groups?

Are your clothes fitting significantly tighter? Are your friends and family noticing measurable changes in your physique? Are you generally beginning to gain a reputation as a muscular guy that people aspire to look like?

If you didn’t easily answer “yes” to all of the questions I just outlined above, then worrying about the smaller details of your physique is quite simply a waste of time at this point.

As a well known muscle building author, I receive all sorts of emails every single day from aspiring natural bodybuilders around the world. They’ll ask me questions such as…

“What can I do to target my inner chest?”
“Which exercise is best to build up the lower biceps?”
“My rear delts are lagging behind my front delts. What should I do?”

If you’re still in your bodybuilding “youth” and don’t already have a considerable amount of muscle mass to show for your efforts, I would strongly suggest taking these types of questions and eliminating them from your mind until you do.

Why?

It’s because diverting your focus onto these small and trivial issues will only serve to distract you from the most important and immediate task at hand.

And what is the most important and immediate task a hand?

It is to pack as much raw muscle size and strength onto your frame as humanly possible!

That’s right; forget about the nitty-gritty details of whether your biceps match your triceps or whether your chest is on par with your back. These are issues that you can worry about later on, but until you’ve thickened up your entire body as a whole to a significant degree, it’s simply not worth worrying about.

If you’re still a beginner and have been training consistently for less than a year, then stop obsessing over the details. Instead, place all of your focus on the most basic and obvious issues at hand…

Get yourself onto a sensible, rational weight training schedule and stick to it religiously.

Write down every single workout that you perform and place every ounce of energy you can muster on adding as much weight to the bar on a consistent basis as you possibly can.

Grind out all of the biggest, most difficult compound exercises and blast through those discomfort zones with passion and intensity.

Get yourself into the kitchen and pack in at least 5 or 6 properly balanced muscle building meals every day of the week, every week of the month and every month of the year.

Drink your water, get your rest and take your supplements whenever necessary.

In other words: PAY YOUR DUES FIRST!

If you’re in this for the long haul (and you should be, as there are no temporary fixes to be had here), then get yourself on to the most efficient path possible. And the most efficient path possible is the one that focuses on the fundamentals first and the details later.

This is the mentality you need to bring to your bodybuilding program. Just as you wouldn’t attempt a complex guitar solo without learning basic chord shapes first, you also should not attempt to fine-tune and balance out your physique until you have a considerable amount of foundational muscle to work with first.

Building muscle is not rocket-science, but it is a task that requires consistent willpower and determination. And until you’ve been “in the trenches” and have earned yourself an impressive and muscular body... Stop over-analyzing... Stop obsessing... Stop spreading out your focus onto every single minute issue that pops up…

Get into the gym and TRAIN! If you want to "build your foundation" in the fastest and most efficient manner possible, make sure to visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com. You can gain instant access to my renowned "Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System" and get all the tools you need to start building your dream body in record speed.

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

Learn how to build muscle and gain weight in just 24 minutes a day by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

Ignite Your Fat Burning Metabolism By Eating MORE Often

2009-08-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

When most people begin a weight loss program in order to burn body fat and get into shape, the notion of eating more often throughout the day would probably be the last thing on their minds.

For the majority of individuals, the prospect of eating a greater number of daily meals in order to lose body fat would seem counter-intuitive.

However, what may seem logical on the surface isn’t always the correct way to go…

What if I told you that the generally accepted approach of “3 square meals a day” is actually one of the primary reasons why so many people fail miserably when attempting a fat loss program?

In fact, when you don’t eat often enough throughout the day, you actually program your body to become a low-energy, food-craving, fat storing machine.

How could this be?

All it takes is a very basic biological explanation to understand why this is so…

From a purely physical standpoint, your body is only concerned with one ultimate goal: to keep you alive and healthy at all times. The body is absolutely riddled with all kinds of fancy “defense mechanisms” to aid in accomplishing this. These defense mechanisms automatically kick into action during times of stress.

One of these mechanisms is referred to as the “famine response”.

You see, although your mind is consciously aware that you could sit down for a meal at any time, your hardwired genetics are not. They simply act in a mechanistic way and automatically make adjustments in the body based on certain conditions.

Since your body has no idea when its next meal is coming, and since our bodies evolved and developed during times where food was scarce and eating patterns were uncertain, it must take the proper precautions in order to preserve energy in between meals.

If you go for too long in between “feedings”, the famine response kicks in.

What happens as a result?

To put it simply, the two major adjustments made are the 2 things that are the most harmful and counterproductive to your bottom line progress…

First of all, the fat burning metabolism slows down.

Remember, body fat is simply a stored form of energy. If your body is not provided with an external source of energy through the food that you eat, it will do whatever it can to preserve and maintain its stored forms for when it needs them most.

In other words, when you don’t eat frequently enough, you stop burning fat at an efficient rate.

Secondly, you lose muscle tissue.

The body requires a certain amount of protein in order to carry out its regular daily tasks, and when you fail to provide it with a steady stream of protein through your diet, it will enter into a state of “muscle catabolism”.

Housing a large amount of muscle tissue is low on the body’s list of priorities, and when dietary protein is insufficient, it will literally begin eating away at your muscles in order to obtain a useful source.

If you didn’t already know, the amount of lean muscle tissue that you have on your body has a direct effect on your metabolic rate. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn.

The muscles basically act like giant furnaces where fat can be burned around the clock, and any properly structured fat burning program places its emphasis on maintaining as much muscle tissue as possible.

To sum up what we've covered so far: when you don't eat frequently enough throughout the day, the body's famine response kicks into gear, which in turn causes you to burn less fat and to lose muscle tissue.

How long does it take for this famine response to kick in?

It depends on the contents and size of your previous meal, but as a general guideline, it will take about 3-4 hours to settle in.

The solution?

Aim to consume a small meal at least every 3 hours!

Your overall daily food intake does not necessarily have to change, but you should simply aim to spread out all of your meals over this set interval.

This means that on any given day, you should be consuming around 5-7 small meals. It may sound like a lot, and the truth is that it will require some discipline and willpower to initially get started on.

That being said, frequently grazing on small meals throughout the day truly is one of the real “secrets” to developing the lean, energetic and healthy body you’re after.

Not only will this method keep your fat burning metabolism working on overdrive and allow you to preserve a high amount of lean muscle tissue, but it will also:

- improve the digestion process
- keep your blood sugar levels balanced
- control your food cravings
- keep your strength and energy at top levels

If you really want to see dramatic results as quickly as possible, this is one fat burning guideline that you cannot go without.

To learn more details about structuring an effective fat burning nutrition plan, visit www.HowToBurnFat.com. You'll discover everything you need to know about proper fat loss nutrition, and will also gain instant download access to a full collection of customized body-sculpting meal plans.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Fat Loss Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.HowToBurnFat.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, out-of-shape "social outcast", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online fat loss program: "The Real Deal Body Transformation System". Learn how to burn fat and lose weight quickly, safely and permanently by visiting: www.HowToBurnFat.com.

The Only Personality Type That Can Achieve Muscle-Building Success

2009-08-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

There are 3 types of people in this world…

1) The ones who say they're going to accomplish something yet they never even attempt it.

They talk the talk and never walk the walk. They spend their lives making excuses for their problems and never actually getting off of their asses to do something about it.

They will waste their years wishing but never having. They will resent and criticize those who succeed because they know that they will never succeed themselves.

They lack willpower and discipline. They are doomed to a life of mediocrity but will never accept responsibility for this.

2) The ones who say they're going to accomplish something, attempt it, and quit soon thereafter.

They talk the talk, begin to walk the walk, but fall down in exhaustion, never reaching their goals or enjoying the fruits of their labour on any kind of long term basis.

They lack patience. They lack perseverance. They too will never stand among the elite and will struggle time and time again but continually fall short.

They deserve some credit for their attempts at success, but simply do not possess the tools needed to follow through.

3) The ones who say they're going to accomplish something, form a blueprint for how they will get there, and then, quite simply, they get there.

They make firm decisions that contain no hints of “maybe” or “try”. They understand that there are 2 possible outcomes in any decision: success or failure. They crave success, and they will do anything they have to do to achieve it.

When they make a decision to accomplish something, they already know that they will succeed. They don't question their ability to achieve a goal, they only question the time that it will take to get there.

They understand that within their minds lies all of the tools necessary to accomplish anything in the external world. They have faith in their talents and beliefs and truly feel that they can accomplish anything they want.

They make no excuses. They understand that they are in complete and total control of their destiny, and that every man and woman is responsible for their own lives.

They are ready and willing to battle through setbacks, physical and mental pain, discomfort and exhaustion. They know that anything worth having does not come easy, and that no man or woman ever achieved anything great without a struggle.

They are willing to struggle to be great.

They never fail in the long run. They only experience momentary setbacks and bumps in the road. When a setback or bump in the road presents itself, they form a plan for how they will get past it.

They don't stop, stare and question whether to quit or keep going. Quitting is not an option in their minds, and they thrive on the battle and understand that setbacks and mistakes serve no other purpose than to make their inevitable victory that much sweeter.

They see the big picture.

And when the smoke clears and dust settles, they stand among the elite. They soak up the satisfaction of their victories and look back on their accomplishments with a feeling of pride and fulfillment. They gain the respect and envy of others and know that they deserve it.

Which category do you fall under?

True bodybuilding success is only reserved for category 3.

It is an ongoing battle that does not lend itself to those who seek instant gratification. It will not be had by those who are unwilling to dedicate themselves to a goal and work hard to achieve it.

If you have any doubts about your ability to succeed, eliminate them.

Dissolve your questioning, your fears and your wondering.

Make firm decisions for what you want to achieve, create a map for how to get there, and then… quite simply, get there.

Only when your decisions contain questions of “when can I reach this goal” rather than “will I reach this goal” will you ever truly succeed both in bodybuilding and in life.

I can't make the decision for you, I can only teach you how to get there. Your choice comes from within, and not a single person in this world can make those choices but you.

Take the leap of faith.

If you've got the will, I've got the way.

Visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com for step-by-step details on how you can put your energy and willpower to work and finally develop that head-turning dream body you deserve. You can gain instant access to my renowned "Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System" as well as sign up for my free 8-part muscle building email course.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System". Learn how to build muscle and gain weight in just 24 minutes a day by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

A Critical Bodybuilding Truth: No Journey Is Perfect

2009-08-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm a perfectionist.

When I want something done, I want it done right. I want to pour all of my focused effort into it until it's perfect and without flaws.

When something goes wrong, I get frustrated. I'll still be willing to work hard at it, but when things don't go exactly as planned it can drive me crazy.

After years and years of serious and consistent training in the gym, I've realized that this way of thinking can be disastrous for a natural bodybuilder.

If you're serious about achieving a strong, muscular physique, leave your perfectionist attitude at the door. Perfectionism does not exist in bodybuilding. Bodybuilding is not a project that you work hard on for a set amount of time, finish, and then sit back and admire.

Bodybuilding is an ongoing, lifelong process filled with ups and downs, triumphs and setbacks, peaks and recessions. You're never finished working. There is no point B. It takes hard, focused effort to build muscle, and it takes hard, focused effort to maintain it.

Hard work in the gym and dedication to your eating plan is a continual price you must pay in exchange for the dream body you want to build or maintain.

So if you're getting ready to begin a bodybuilding program or have been training for some time now, you must sit back and make some realizations about your awaiting/continuing journey.

You must realize that no journey is perfect.

If you're expecting to eat and train consistently without any problems or setbacks, you're in for a huge disappointment. Those who expect perfection from their programs are doomed for frustration, because a perfect program does not exist.

This is one of the fine lines that separates the champions from the wannabes; the line that separates those who experience long term success from those who die and fall off along the way. You must treat your setbacks as an inevitable part of the entire muscle-building process.

Sometimes you'll be at your peak and will be marching your way to new grounds of success, and other times your progress will be receding and moving backwards because of various factors, many of which will be beyond your control.

All kinds of bumps in the road will present themselves along the way…

There will be times when you catch a cold or flu and lose 10 pounds.

There will be times when you go on vacation and have limited access to a gym or to proper bodybuilding foods.

There will be times where you are struck down with an injury and will have to take time away from the gym.

There will be times where you skip meals.

There will be times where you skip workouts.

There will be times when you give in to temptations that will harm your bodybuilding progress.

There will be times when your motivation dips down and you'll question your entire purpose and whether or not the whole bodybuilding thing is even worth it.

This is the reality of it all, and as a serious natural bodybuilder for many years I can say with certainty that all of the above scenarios have presented themselves to me on many, many occasions.

The difference between a successful bodybuilder and an unsuccessful one is in the way that they handle adversity.

Both your progress and motivation will rise and fall along the way, but will you make a stand and accept these swings for what they are, and continue training hard despite them? Or will you piss and pout and toss in the towel when things don't go your way?

You must accept that no journey is perfect. You are a human being, and you will make blunders along the way.

Whether or not you choose to accept and implement this way of thinking will make the difference between long term success and failure.

Successful lifters get thrown into holes and dig themselves out. Unsuccessful lifters get discouraged and remain buried.

After years and years of training, I've seen more people come and go in the gym than I could possibly begin to count. But despite this, I'm still here.

Will you be?

If you've got what it takes to make a stand and take control of your body, visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com. I'll teach you exactly how you can accomplish this as quickly and efficiently as possible using a simple, step-by-step system I've devised over many years of successful training in the gym.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System". Learn how to build muscle and gain weight in just 24 minutes a day by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

Maximize Your Fat Loss With These 5 Simple Progress Tracking Methods

2009-08-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to lose body fat and get into shape is failing to properly track their progress.

They simply carry on with their program each week without taking any concrete measurements in the hopes that they’re on the right track.

If it’s serious results that you’re after, this is an obvious and costly error.

After all, if you don’t have an objective way to measure your overall changes in body composition and appearance, how will you know for sure if your program is even working?

Accurately tracking your progress will allow you to see if your program is being carried out as efficiently as it could be, and will help you to identify areas of your fat burning approach that could possibly be improved.

Here is a very basic overview of 5 progress tracking methods that every serious fat loss trainee should be integrating into their program…

1) Changes In Bodyweight

This is the most common method of fat loss progress tracking that is used, and while it should definitely be included in your box of tools, relying on it as the sole means of analyzing your results is an obvious mistake.

The reason is simple: tracking your overall body weight does not take into account your body composition.

When it all comes down to it, changing your body composition is the ultimate goal of any effective fat loss program. Your goal is not merely to lose body weight, but rather to lose body fat while maintaining muscle.

For this reason, overall bodyweight is better used as a variable to accurately determine the following two changes...

2) Changes In Body Fat Percentage
3) Changes In Lean Body Mass

Since your ultimate goal is to lose body fat while maintaining muscle, measuring your body fat percentage and lean body mass is easily the most tell-tale sign as to whether or not your program is taking you in the right direction.

There are a ton of different methods that can be used to measure body fat, but for the majority of individuals, skin-fold measurements are going to be the most practical and accurate procedure.

Most of the body fat that you’re concerned with losing is located directly underneath your skin. By pinching and measuring the thickness on different sites of your body with a caliper, you can get a pretty reliable reading as to your overall body fat levels.

Once you have determined your body fat percentage, you can then combine it with your overall bodyweight to determine your body’s overall fat mass and lean body mass.

The formula to calculate this is simple…

1) Multiply your bodyweight by your body fat percentage. (This will give you your fat mass in pounds)

2) Subtract your fat mass from your bodyweight. (This will give you your lean body mass in pounds)

Here’s an example…

We’ll use an individual who weighs 200 pounds at 16% body fat.

200 X 0.16 = 32
200 – 32 = 168

This individual has 32 pounds of fat mass and 168 pounds of lean body mass.

This is definitely the most important method of progress tracking as it will show you exactly how much body fat you are losing and how this is affecting your lean body mass from week to week.

4) Bodypart Measurements

If you’re trying to lose body fat, then most likely you’re aiming to decrease your overall body size as well. In order to determine if your body shape is actually changing, you can use a basic measuring tape once per week to check on all of your major body parts.

These are the bodyparts I would recommend measuring:

- Chest
- Waist
- Hips
- Upper arm
- Thigh

If you want to get really detailed you can also measure your forearm, calf and neck, but these bodyparts will most likely not show any significant change in measurement from week to week.

As an overall guideline I’d stick to the 5 body parts listed above.

5) Overall Appearance

If you’re like most individuals, then your ultimate bottom line goal in losing body fat is to change the way you look. For this reason, you should certainly use your changes in appearance as a gauge for our progress.

There are 3 ways I would recommend using this tool…

a) Appearance in the mirror
b) Before/after pictures
c) Objective opinions from friends and family

I would recommend making use of the majority of these progress tracking methods on a once-per-week basis, first thing in the morning before any meals or workout sessions. It’s important that you keep the same conditions each time you measure, as your activity level and diet can affect the readings quite significantly.

If you haven’t been tracking your progress up to this point, I would strongly suggest getting started on it. If you don’t have an objective way to measure your results each week, you can never know for sure if your program is working as well as it could be.

I've made the whole process easier on you by providing an exclusive collection of printable booklets that you can use to track your progress with. These booklets are just one small component of my full-blown "Real Deal Body Transformation System", which you can gain instant download access to by visiting www.HowToBurnFat.com.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Fat Loss Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.HowToBurnFat.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, out-of-shape "social outcast", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online fat loss program: "The Real Deal Body Transformation System". Learn how to burn fat and lose weight quickly, safely and permanently by visiting: www.HowToBurnFat.com.

Losing Body FAT Versus Body WEIGHT: Do You Understand The Difference?

2009-08-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

So much focus and attention is placed on the idea of “weight loss” and “losing weight” that most typical beginners seem to lose sight of the actual concrete goal of achieving a lean, defined and healthy body…

Here's a hint...

It's NOT a simple matter of "losing weight".

In fact, let’s go ahead and remove the term “weight loss” from our fitness vocabulary altogether.

Why?

It’s because “losing weight” is NOT what you should be concerned with!

If you’re reading this article right now, then chances are that you’re looking to achieve at least one of the following goals…

1) Improve your appearance to feel more confident, attractive and sexy.
2) Enhance your overall health to increase longevity and quality of living.
3) Boost your energy levels and mood to feel better about yourself on a daily basis.

Surely there are other reasons as well... but for the majority of you out there, these are probably your primary concerns.

Am I right?

If so, it is absolutely critical that you understand the following…

Losing body weight on its own will NOT allow you to achieve these goals. Instead, all of your focus must be placed on changing your body composition.

The reason for this is simple…

Your body is made up of various different “types” of weight, all of which contribute differently to your overall appearance and health.

There are very “heavy” individuals who are in excellent health with lean and impressive bodies... and there are very “light” individuals who are in poor health with soft, flabby and out-of-shape bodies.

Your overall body weight is made up of various different components, such as body fat, muscle tissue, water and glycogen. The haphazard approach of simply aiming to “lose weight” is incredibly misguided as it does not take these specific types of body weight into account.

In order to achieve your goal of a lean, energetic and healthy body, your goal is to get rid of the excessive amounts of “bad” body weight while maintaining as much “good” body weight as you can.

To put it simply, the underlying goal of your entire program is as follows…

Burn off body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass.

This is truly the only way to get into the shape you desire and to set yourself up for permanent, positive long-term results.

Stop obsessing about the number on the scale!

Instead, start worrying about gradually dropping your body fat percentage while holding on to your lean muscle mass.

There are three primary reasons why you should focus on this...

First of all... one very important factor that determines your body’s basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn at rest) is the amount of lean muscle tissue you have on your body. The more muscle you have, the faster your fat burning metabolism operates.

Secondly... maintaining a reasonable level of muscular development will allow you to achieve the shapely and athletic appearance that the majority of you are probably striving for.

A low body fat percentage may be the ultimate goal, but without a decent amount of muscle mass your body will simply take on a small and smooth form without those “cuts” and “lines” that are considered so desirable.

Finally... those who simply place themselves on “crash diets” and attempt to drop large amounts of body weight over short periods of time are inevitably doomed to fail. Such an approach places the body into a starved state and actually programs you to store more fat over the long run.

The body will react to severe calorie deficits by slowing down the metabolism in an attempt to conserve energy, wasting away lean muscle mass, and increasing the production of hormones that inhibit fat loss.

The end result is an unhealthy, out of shape body that, while being temporarily “lighter” than it was before, has now been programmed to store fat and will inevitably end up returning back to its original weight and more.

The way to avoid all of the negative effects listed above is simple...

Structure your “weight loss” approach in such a way that you aim to gradually reduce your body fat levels while keeping your lean muscle tissue levels in tact.

This is the ONLY realistic way to burn fat, keep it off over the long run, and achieve the kind of lean and athletic appearance that you strive for.

Forget about this obsession with trying to lower the number on the scale as fast as possible, as it is only one small piece of a much larger and more important puzzle.

To equip yourself with the rest of the pieces to that puzzle, go ahead and visit www.HowToBurnFat.com. You can gain instant download access to my renowned body makeover program, "The Real Deal Body Transformation System", as well as sign up for my free 6-part fat burning email course.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Fat Loss Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.HowToBurnFat.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, out-of-shape "social outcast", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online fat loss program: "The Real Deal Body Transformation System". Learn how to burn fat and lose weight quickly, safely and permanently by visiting: www.HowToBurnFat.com.

You Ain't Squat 'Till You SQUAT!

2009-08-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

Simply put, squats are the most difficult, intimidating and painful exercise you could possibly have in your arsenal. They require massive amounts of discipline and willpower to perform correctly.

After you have performed a set of squats to failure, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. They are also a challenging exercise to master from a technical standpoint.

All this aside, squats are one of, if not THE most effective, growth-producing exercises you could possibly include in your workout routine.

They will pack more size and strength onto your lower body than any other exercise out there, and due to their high level of difficulty, they also force your body to release higher amounts of important anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone. This increased secretion of hormones will pack muscle size onto your entire upper body as well.

In addition, squats cause what is known as a "spillover effect": a strength gain in almost all of your other exercises. When I started squatting to failure, my bench press virtually increased by 20 pounds overnight. If you're looking for serious muscle gains and you don't already squat, you'd better get started.

Quite simply, they really, really work.

Unfortunately, many people have yet to experience the benefits of heavy squatting. It seems that people will come up with just about any excuse they possibly can in order to steer clear form the squat rack.

How many times have you heard the all too common "They're too hard on my knees", or "I heard they stunt your growth." What do I say to that? Nonsense!

If you're in the gym with the goal of maximizing your total body muscle gains, squats are an absolute must.

Proper Squatting Technique

For safety reasons you should always perform your squats in a power rack or cage. This way you can adjust the height at which you clear the bar, and you can drop the bar on the safety pins if you need to bail. The safety pins should be set at just below the depth you are squatting and the J Hooks should be set at about the level of your nipples.

At all times during the squat your head should be pulled back, your chest raised and you should have a slight arch in your lower back. You should always be looking straight ahead, and at no time should you be leaning too far forward, or be looking up or down.

Step up to the bar, placing your hands at about the same width as a bench press. Before clearing the bar, make sure it is placed evenly along your traps. The bar should rest on the lower portion of your traps and across your rear delts. It should almost feel as if the bar is going to roll off your back.

Now that you have cleared the bar, take only as many steps back as necessary. Most squat injuries occur when backing up, so make sure that you only back up as far as you need to. Your feet should be placed about shoulder width apart or slightly wider, and they should point out at a 45-degree angle.

Take a big, deep breath, and make your descent. You should not lower yourself straight down, but rather as if you were sitting in a chair behind you. At all times your knee must remain in line with your feet, and they should never bow in. Lower yourself until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground.

As soon as you have reached the bottom position, rise up immediately. Do not relax in the bottom position! Drive up with your heels and straighten your back as quickly as possible.

Once you are in the upright position again, take another deep breath, and continue the lift until you have completed the desired number of reps.

Final Thoughts

You have all the reason in the world to get into the squat rack, so go ahead and do it. Treat this lift with respect and you'll be shocked at the resulting muscle gains. I would recommend performing your squats once per week, for 2 sets of 5 to 7 reps. Focus on pushing yourself hard on this exercise and continually strive for more weight and more reps.

To learn about more highly effective, growth-producing exercises that you can include in your routine, visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com. Most trainees have no idea how to pick and choose the proper exercises and they dramatically limit their gains as a result.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System". Learn how to build muscle and gain weight in just 24 minutes a day by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

5 Reasons Why Alcohol Will Destroy Your Muscle Gains

2009-08-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

I receive emails every single day from aspiring muscle-builders all over the world, and one of the most common questions I’m asked is...

“Does drinking really affect the muscle growth process?”

I’m sorry to say it, but yes, too much alcohol will almost definitely have a significant negative impact on your muscle-building results. Alcohol is far more harmful than most people think, and it’s very important that you understand how this drug (yes, alcohol is a drug) is affecting your progress.

This is not an anti-drug speech, but if you’re serious about achieving a truly impressive physique, you should definitely be aware of the 5 main ways that alcohol is slowing down your gains…

1) It negatively affects protein synthesis.

Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids are joined together to form complete proteins. Excessive alcohol consumption slows this process down by up to 20%, and since your muscles are made up of protein, you can see how this is a problem.

2) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.

Testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body. One of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can gain is their level of free-flowing testosterone.

3) It causes dehydration.

The kidneys must filter very large amounts of water in order to break down the alcohol, and this can result in severe dehydration within the body. Water plays an absolutely crucial role in the muscle-building process, and being even slightly dehydrated is a recipe for disaster. The muscles alone are comprised of 70% water.

4) It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.

Alcohol consumption causes vitamins A, C, the B's, calcium, zinc and phosphorus to all be drained at rapid rates. Vitamins and minerals keep every little process in your body functioning properly, and many of these processes involve muscle growth and maintenance.

5) It increases fat storage.

With 7 empty calories per gram, alcohol can actually be quite fattening. Alcohol also disrupts the Kreb’s Cycle, which plays an important role in fat burning.

It’s important to have fun in life, but too much fun can lead to problems. If you’re serious about achieving significant muscle-building results, you definitely need to monitor your intake of alcohol and make sure that you are consuming it in moderation.

A few drinks here and there shouldn’t be a problem, but if you find yourself drinking every weekend you can almost certainly kiss your muscle gains goodbye.

If you do decide to go out and party, make sure to drink plenty of water and to properly nourish yourself with vitamins/minerals and a protein rich meal.

I don’t recommend revolving your entire life around your muscle-building program, so don’t be afraid to go out and have a good time once in a while. Just make sure to keep your drinking nights infrequent (no more than once a month) and properly nourish yourself to lessen its effects.

As long as you monitor what you’re doing you can achieve an impressive physique and have a social life at the same time.

Learn how to avoid other common, counterproductive mistakes both in and out of the gym by visiting www.MuscleGainTruth.com. You can sign up for my free 8-part muscle building email course to help get you on the path to the powerful, head-turning body you deserve.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System". Learn how to build muscle and gain weight in just 24 minutes a day by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

8 Sure-Fire Mental Techniques For Blocking Out Training Discomfort

2009-08-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it; intense weight training is no easy task.

It’s no secret that if you want to see dramatic results in both muscle size and strength, you must be willing to push yourself to the limit every time you enter the gym.

This is one of the biggest reasons why most people don’t see the muscle-building results they desire; they just plain don’t train hard enough. And why don’t they? Here’s why…

It’s painful. It’s uncomfortable. It’s downright gut wrenching.

Too bad, so sad, my friend, because if you want real muscle gains then you’ll have to rise above and conquer the natural feeling of pain that is associated with intense sessions in the gym.

Luckily there are a few special techniques you can use to “mentally numb” these feelings and to blast through the pain barriers that separate you from the gains you deserve. Give some of the following methods a try and I think you’ll be pleased with the results...

1) Life-Threatening Situations

In the middle of your set, transport yourself to a life-or-death situation where your life or someone else's life depends on your ability to move the weight. For example, when performing chin-ups you could pretend that you are hanging from a cliff, or while deadlifting you could imagine that you are rescuing someone who is trapped underneath a car.

2) Magnetic Force

Pretend that the weights you are using are powerful magnets that are being attracted in the opposite direction. If you're performing a bench press, imagine that the bar is a magnet being attracted to the ceiling.

3) Envision Your Muscles

Remember that your purpose in the gym is to break down your muscle fibers in order to trigger an adaptive response from your body. While performing your sets, visualize what is happening inside of your muscle tissue. Imagine the fibers tearing and being engorged with blood and nutrients and realize that these processes will equate to muscular growth.

4) Have Someone Watch You

I'm not talking about using a spotter here, I'm simply talking about having a friend or training partner watch you perform your set. We usually tend to push ourselves harder when we know that someone is watching.

5) Positive/Negative Force

For pushing exercises, imagine that you are moving something negative away from yourself. You can associate anything with this: someone you don't like, a negative emotion or something material. For pulling exercises, imagine that you are bringing something positive towards yourself. It could be money, someone you love or a positive feeling.

6) Set Ridiculous Goals

If you need to perform 7 reps on a given set, imagine that your goal is to perform 100. Don't just tell yourself this; believe it. As you begin to perform your set, truly convince yourself that you will perform 100 reps.

7) Close Your Eyes

This should only be applied on certain exercises that are very simple to perform. You definitely wouldn't want to employ this technique when squatting or deadlifting. On other, simpler exercises, try closing your eyes. This will block out all of your visual stimuli and will allow you to focus 100% on performing the exercise.

8) Pretend It's Someone Else's Pain

Training to failure is physically discomforting. While you are approaching muscular failure, pretend that the pain you are experiencing is also being felt by someone that you dislike. The harder you push, the more pain you will transfer to them. It may seem like a cold-blooded technique, but it works.

If you're ready to put these techniques to use in the gym, visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com. I'll teach you several more of these psychological strategies and will provide you with a step-by-step workout plan that you can follow.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System". Learn how to build muscle and gain weight in just 24 minutes a day by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

From Skinny To Muscular: My Bodybuilding Journey

2009-08-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

If there was ever one thing that I wanted to change about myself, it was my body...

At a mere 125 pounds I felt insecure, weak, and would do just about anything to pack some muscle onto my skinny frame. I would look at other guys and think, "why can't I just feel average?"

Forget being strong and muscular, I just wanted to feel like I wasn't a toothpick compared to everyone else!

I probably took things too far, and maybe I wasn't as thin as I imagined, but it didn't matter. In my eyes I was nothing. Afraid to show my arms, or take my shirt off, my confidence was down in the dumps.

...But then it happened.

One day when I was looking in the mirror, I realized just how unhappy I was with the way I looked. I realized that I could never be truly happy on the inside until I was happy with myself on the outside. Something inside of head just sort of "snapped".

It was as if my mind had taken a 180 degree turn.

It was on that very day that I decided it was time to change. This time I meant business. No more sitting around whining to myself and complaining about my small frame; it was time to put all the talk aside and get to work.

Talking builds no muscles.

No matter how difficult it was, how long it took, or how many obstacles came my way, I was going to change. I was going to get huge, and there was nothing that would stop me. It was there that my journey from point A to point B began.

After filling my head with every possible piece of bodybuilding literature I could get my hands on, I started putting the techniques to use. After several months of trial and error experimention, I was finally able to narrow it down and figure out what worked and what didn't.

It was really hard at first, but I stuck with it. There were many times when working out would be the last thing I felt like doing, but it didn't matter; I dragged my ass to the gym and lifted. I remembered the promise that I had made to myself, and that was all I needed to keep going.

I started gaining weight. After the first few months I'd put on a solid, muscular 15 pounds. My hard work and persistence was already paying off.

So I pressed on.

I kept on training and I kept on eating. I refused to be defeated; to give up and go back to the way I was. Workout after workout, week after week, month after month, and I was still training.

Sure, I experienced bumps in the road. Inevitably there were obstacles, but I rose above them. When I felt like it was time to pack it in, I dug down deep and kept going. I wasn't going to quit no matter how tough it was.

I did the things that I hated doing the most in order to reach my goals.

Training when I wanted to sleep, eating when I wanted to rest, going to bed when I wanted to stay awake. I watched as months went by, and my size continued to improve. I was finally walking around with my head up high. I kept on training and I kept on improving.

There was no letting up.

Even to this day, I'm still training, and I'm still improving. I can truly say that bodybuilding has been the greatest choice I've ever made in my entire life. It has changed me from the inside out.

I am now confident with the way I look. I don't hide behind baggy clothes anymore, nor am I reluctant to take my shirt off. I feel strong, powerful and healthy.

My life has completely changed for the better. Words cannot describe the feeling of being in great shape. I now know that I am able to set a goal and reach it.

If you're thinking about getting into bodybuilding or if you're just starting out, one piece of advice I can give you is do not quit. No matter what happens, do NOT quit.

Bodybuilding will do so much for you, and you will be eternally grateful if you continue.

There is nothing like it.

It teaches self-discipline, builds character and pushes you to your utmost limits. There is just so much you will get in return, I can't even tell you.

If you're ready to take a stand and finally achieve the powerful, muscular body you desire, go ahead and visit www.MuscleGainTruth.com. I'll show you exactly how I did it, and how you can follow the same path.

By Sean Nalewanyj
Natural Bodybuilding Expert & Best-Selling Fitness Author
www.MuscleGainTruth.com

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online muscle building program, "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System". Learn how to build muscle and gain weight in just 24 minutes a day by visiting: www.MuscleGainTruth.com.

Sean Nalewanyj, Fitness Expert and Natural Bodybuilder

2009-08-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy this collection of Sean Nalewanyj's articles, training videos, free PDF reports, free 30 day meal plans and free printable daily nutrition and workout journals to get the rock-hard body and chiseled abs that will turn heads everywhere you go.

The information in these articles are for both men and women depending on your goals....they can help you build muscle and burn fat or they can help you lose weight.

Sean Nalewanyj is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, has written articles for dozens of the top muscle-building and fat loss websites across the Internet and is recognized as an expert authority on the subjects of building muscle and burning fat fast.

Once an awkward, out-of-shape “social outcast”, Sean is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert, best-selling fitness author and success coach.

Through his mega-popular websites and his information-packed online email lessons, Sean has helped tens of thousands of average, everyday people from all over the world burn fat, build muscle and get into the best shape of their lives.

He is also the creator of 3 best-selling online programs:

The Real Body Transformation System: A step-by-step fat loss program that teaches people how to burn fat and tone their bodies safely, quickly and permanently without supplements or fad diets.

The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System: A renowned natural bodybuilding program that details the most effective ways to build muscle and gain strength by training for an average of just 24 minutes a day.

In a fitness world where intense marketing hype and exaggerations have become the norm, Sean is well respected for his direct, no-nonsense approach. He admits that getting into impressive shape is no easy task, but firmly believes that his widely acclaimed programs can help anyone achieve the body of their dreams as long as they are willing to put forth the effort.

Welcome aboard, and I hope you enjoy these information packed articles to help you learn the honest truth about building muscle and burning fat to achieve the lean, sculpted and sexy body of your dreams!