Interestingly, when I made the comment that it's easy
for me [to get in shape], Shaun jumped into the
conversation and emphatically stated...
"It's not
easy. No way. It's simple!"
And you know what? He
was right.
It's not easy to get into shape. To eat
better. To train harder. To set a plan in place. Rather,
it's simple. It's simple to make such small changes in
your lifestyle. And as a result, create such incredibly
satisfying and rewarding changes in your
physique.
I told Shaun he was right. Building body
building mass and a better body and getting into tiptop
shape isn't easy.
What I got from our conversation
was a little perspective on this subject. That is,
whenever I decide I am going to get into better shape,
it is easy for me because I know what to do. That's
the difference.
See, most people, when they make
the decision to get into their best shape (whether it's
their first time or a second, third, or forth time trying),
simply don't know what to do. For that reason, for
them, it's not easy.
"It's simple to make such small
changes in your lifestyle. And as a result, create such
incredibly satisfying and rewarding changes in your
physique."As Shaun and I talked more, we found there
were many other things we had in common. One of
which was that we both agreed that most people tend
to make this topic more complicated than it needs to
be. And if people really knew how simple the changes
they need to make to build a better body are, many,
many more people would do it.
So, after dinner I
promised Shaun I would start by sharing my personal
view on building a leaner, healthier, more muscular
body in our upcoming newsletter. To help others
understand how each lifestyle change works
together—along with how simple weight training, diet,
and supplements really can be.
Therefore, what I'd
like to do is take you through a typical day for me.
Using specific examples, I'll guide you through how I
follow my own Maximum Growth Program. Basically, I'll
show you how, when, and what I eat; which
supplements I use; and how I follow the exercise plan.
But before we start, there's something I need to tell
you. There are plenty of ways to gain muscle size and
strength and build a head-turning body, and in no way
am I proclaiming that my way is the only way. (Far too
many self-professed "experts" do this already!) What I
can honestly say is these techniques and tools are
simply what have worked for me—year after year—and
continue to work for countless others. And if you
follow them, for at least four weeks, you will
absolutely, positively achieve greater gains in strength
and size and lose more bodyfat. Results you can be
damn proud of. I promise.
Are you ready? Great.
Let's get started.
First, I can't understate the
importance of planning. Before I even consider
anything else, I always, always make sure I have my
entire day planned in advance. For me, there could be
nothing more integral to my success. In fact,
whenever I don't plan my days, I notice that
everything feels "out of control" the next day. And it
is. (Maybe this has happened to you?) That's why I
always take about 15 to 20 minutes each night, before
I go to bed, and plan out my next day's workout,
prepare my meals, write my most important "To-Dos,"
and as corny as it sounds, pick out my clothes to
wear. I can't tell you how much time the next day this
nightly ritual saves me. I'd bet over ten times.
"...whenever I don't plan my days, I notice that
everything feels "out of control" the next day."If you're
already good at planning, then you'll certainly agree. If
not, then I'd encourage you to start tomorrow and
adopt this results-producing, fantastic habit.
Remember, the only thing that separates those who
are successful from those who are not are habits. It's
easy to see those who follow good habits are much
more likely to be successful, and those who follow
haphazard, free-spirited habits, are usually less
successful. You get the point.
So now let's take a
closer look at exactly how I apply these techniques
and tools to my new, improved Maximum Growth
Program (which, by the way... has been completely
updated and revised with a full 8-week Program, new
diet plans, weight-training routines, and even a
section which provides explanations and pictures of
each exercise. It is at the printers right now, and I
plan to produce only 1,000 to start. So, if you'd like to
reserve your copy today, so you don't get left behind,
please call us at 1-866-688-7679 and tell whoever
answers that you are a regular reader of Real
SOLUTIONS and you want to reserve your copy of
Volume 2 of Maximum Growth. Like I said, there will
only be 1,000 copies printed, and since they are
free—all we ask is a measly $5 to pay for postage and
handling—I expect these will go quickly. Don't get left
behind. Call us now. The number is 1-866-688-7679.
Even the call is free! Or, click here and fill out your
information online: Maximum Growth).
Luckily, a
great deal of the planning "work" has already been
done in my new book. We've laid out the days you
should work out. Pointed out exactly which body parts
to train. We've even planned the exact number of
sets, reps, and time to rest for each workout. On top
of that, we included seven full sample meals—from
breakfast, to pre-and post-workout, to nighttime
meals—so you can easily put together your daily
eating plan.
Believe me, when you look at how
much of the guesswork we've taken out of building
muscle and gaining strength with the Maximum Growth
Program, you'll realize it doesn't get much better than
this. In fact, if someone had offered me a Program like
this one when I first started out, I would have paid a
couple of hundred dollars for it, easily.
Pure Solutions IGF Ultimate! Growth Factors
Pure Solutions IGF Extreme! Concentrated Growth Factors
Universal Nutrition Rock Solid Animal Flex Training Packs
(To me, it
seems no one wants to really help you like this any
longer... they just want you to buy their supplement,
shake your hand, say "good luck," and send you on
you way. I don't agree with this approach. I feel it's
much more important to provide a plan, a path, and
every bit of assistance I can to help you reach your
goals. I honestly really care about people).
Anyway, let's get back to how I put everything
together as I follow the Maximum Growth Program to
build my best body:
Once I've planned my
Weight-Training journal sheet, I move onto my
nutrition plan. From the first to the last meal, including
the supplements I'll take and how much water I plan to
drink. I don't like to leave anything to chance, and as
a result, I usually stay right on course each day. I've
found the closer you follow your plan, the faster you
reach your goals. There are really no two ways about
it. I've also provided blank Daily Meal Plan Sheets here,
so you can print out copies and use them to plan and
write out your meals each day.
If you read through
the Maximum Growth Program, you'll notice my total
calories are somewhat higher than the examples I've
provided in The Meals section. That's because I weigh
around 220 lbs and the examples I've provided are for
a 175-lb person. You might weigh more or less than
this, so you'll need to calculate your daily calorie and
protein needs for your desired weight. Once you do
that, it's pretty easy to plan your meals.
Or, you
can simply look at the daily sample meal plans we've
provided for you. From there, you can pick and choose
which meals most closely match your likenesses for
particular foods and then adjust the portion sizes to
meet your calorie and protein needs. If you have
trouble figuring out how to do this, I encourage you to
give us a call (anytime), and one of our friendly,
qualified fitness experts will be glad to help you out.
We can be reached from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday (MST). If we don't answer your
call, please leave a message, and we'll call you back
right away. Our number is 1-866-688-7679.
Now
that I've written out the meals I plan to eat the
following day, I'm about 50% done with my planning.
Next I prepare the meals I am going to eat. Since
tomorrow is going to be a busy day for me (and I have
a luncheon meeting), I plan on eating two whole-food
meals and three nutrition shakes... so I'll need to make
the meals in advance. After preparing my tuna pita
sandwich and putting my cooked brown rice in a
Tupperware bowl, I grab the rest of my fruits, bottled
water, and supplements and put them in my shoulder
bag to take to work with me the next day. I always
double-check my supplement case to make sure I've
got enough supplements to last me the entire week.
(If you don't have a supplement case, I'd encourage
you to get one. They are pretty inexpensive and very
convenient to use. You can buy a pocket case online
at WebVitamins.com.)
Because I usually train in
the mornings, I keep most of my breakfast foods, like
oatmeal and condiments like SplendaŽ sweetener, at
the office since that's where I eat after my morning
workout. I also keep a spare container of Eat-Smart
(my favorite meal replacement shake) at the office
too, so I don't need to lug it back and forth—from
home to work and from work back to home. That can
be annoying.
Now that I've written out my goal
weights for my next workout; written out and prepared
the meals I plan to eat tomorrow; made sure I've got
the supplements I need to use, the final thing I do is
prepare my clothes. Since I work out in the morning, I
make sure I've got a comfortable T-shirt, a pair of
track pants, some socks and underwear, and my tennis
shoes and baseball hat laid out. Then, I pack the
clothes I'll wear at work in my gym bag. Last, I make
sure I've got my iPod (a digital headphone/music
system that helps keep my intensity up, while working
out in the early morning), wallet, keys, and cell
phone... all packed and ready to go. After this, I'm off
to bed. It's usually around 10:00 or 10:30 p.m.
"There's nothing more refreshing, and important, than
a tall glass of water first thing in the morning."The
next morning, just like I do every day, I wake up at
5:15 a.m. Without hesitation, before getting dressed, I
head for the kitchen and pour a large glass of water.
There's nothing more refreshing, and important, than a
tall glass of water first thing in the morning. Especially
considering your body hasn't had any food or liquids for
about seven to eight hours. Typically, most people
would make a cup of coffee at this point—to help them
"get going." But I don't feel this way. I think coffee
actually robs your body of energy, instead of really
giving it to you. As you know, when you drink coffee,
the increase in energy only lasts about an hour, until it
wears off, leaving you feeling worse than you did
before. This is called the "crash." I hate the way this
makes me feel.
That's why I helped create and use
a supplement, instead, called Energize. We developed
this all-natural supplement with Dr. Mark Tallon. He is a
very bright person, earning his Ph.D. in biochemistry.
He even works with Olympic athletes as a nutrition
consultant. Plus, he's an IronMan triathlete himself. To
say this guy is brilliant, and in great shape, is an
understatement.
He formulated Energize to work
with your body's natural ability to produce safe,
long-lasting energy. And it works especially well, either
in the morning to really perk you up, or during the
middle of the day to avoid the fatal midday "crash"
after lunch. I absolutely love using it before I weight
train. I find it clears my mind and cranks up my
workout intensity. This is helpful when you train, like I
do, at 6:00 in the morning!
I take two
time-released tablets of Energize with my water (on an
empty stomach). I head back upstairs to my bedroom,
get dressed... kiss my wife and kids goodbye (while
they're still sleeping), grab my gym bag, and head off
to the gym.
I usually arrive at the gym a few
minutes before 6:00 and, after getting my iPod
headphones on with my favorite music, I'm ready to
start training by 6:00 a.m. sharp. Today I am going to
work out my chest, shoulders, biceps, and triceps.
(See The Exercises section by clicking here for a
detailed explanation and demonstration photos for all
of the exercises I do.)
Today's weight-training
workout should take no longer than my scheduled goal
of 45 minutes. While it's not my goal to always finish
under my scheduled time, it is important to stay within
it by a couple of minutes. After my workout, I sit down
on a bench and take a couple of minutes to record my
final actual reps and then run a quick glance over my
goal to actual planned weights and reps for each
exercise. Today everything was pretty close.
Remember, when you do your workouts, you might use
less or more weight than I do. That doesn't really
matter. What matters most is that you keep a
constant record of the actual weights and reps you
did, and pay close attention to the time you rest
between sets. This way, you're sure to keep your
intensity levels up and make the most of your time
spent in the gym. I also use this time to jot down a
few notes about the workout. For instance, today I
repeatedly noticed how pumped my arms felt. I got a
great burn, and I was very strong. In fact, I'll need to
make a note for the next time I train chest that I
should increase the weights used—since I hit a new
six-rep max today! This is all very important
information to record.
And this is it for the
weight-training portion of my day. Pretty simple, eh?
Not easy, but as you'll see in my new book, it's
relatively simple to follow!
"...there is absolutely,
positively no better way to start your day than with
an intense, focused weight-training workout."After I
finish my early morning workout, it's usually around
6:50 a.m. and it's time to get into the office and focus
on my nutrition. I have to tell you, though, there is
absolutely, positively no better way to start your day
than with an intense, focused weight-training workout.
By the time I walk into my office, my mind is refreshed,
and I'm ready to take on the day's challenges.
Following the weight-training Program from Maximum
Growth Volume 2 means I train with weights four days
a week. I follow the calendar to the letter (which is
contained in the new book as well). In fact, like I said
earlier, the closer I follow my plan, the faster I see
results... and the greater my progress.
Oh yeah,
even though this Program doesn't suggest doing any
cardio exercise, if you want to perform it, I would
encourage you to do it on alternate days. On the days
you don't weight train. Or, if you have the time, you
can always perform cardio after you train with
weights. But remember, never, ever perform cardio
before your weight-training workouts or the day after
you train your legs.
By the way, there is really no
need to do cardio exercise any more than three times
during the week and for no more than 30 minutes at a
time. Any more than this will only be harmful to your
muscle-building progress.
I arrive at my office at
7:00 a.m., and the very first thing I do is head for the
kitchen—to eat. But not any meal will do. Because I
just worked out, my body is primed for quality
nutrients to help it recover and start rebuilding new,
lean muscle mass. (Besides that, I haven't eaten now
for nine hours, so I'm extremely hungry too!) This time
is called my "open window." My muscles will literally
suck up anything I feed them during this state. That's
why it's critical we combine our post-workout meal into
a specific three-to-one ratio of carbohydrates to
protein.
I start off by making an Eat-Smart meal
replacement shake. I simply combine 20 oz of water
into the blender, add three ice cubes and two rounded
scoops of my Eat-Smart Base formula. Then, because
I'm going to have my favorite post-workout Fruit
Smoothie Maximum Muscle Shake, I add one
Strawberry Cheesecake Flavor Enhancer packet to the
blender. Now, for added carbohydrates, I add one-half
cup of frozen strawberries. And to top it off, I add two
scoops of our orange-flavored lean-mass-building
supplement, Meta-CEL. Each serving of Meta-CEL
provides an effective dose of creatine and D-pinitol,
two compounds which have been shown in a recent
study to increase absorption and retention of creatine
within the body. (The more creatine you have in the
body, and the longer it stays there, the more likely you
are to experience greater gains in muscle size and
strength and retain it for longer). The reason I use
orange is because when it's mixed with the strawberry
flavors already in the blender, it gives the shake a
fruity taste—a lot like one of those frozen tropical fruit
smoothies you get while on vacation in Mexico or
Hawaii.
While blending my special Maximum Muscle
shake, I heat up a bowl of water in the microwave and
stir in one-half cup of old-fashioned oats. After it's
heated up, I stir in two packets of Splenda sweetener.
And now, for my "post-workout" meal, I've got a
chilled, thick, rich nutrition shake... and a bowl of
complex, heart-healthy oats... in less than a minute.
That's what I call convenient. I've now provided myself
with the perfect three-to-one ratio of carbs to
protein, which is essential for supplying my body with
the precise nutrients it needs to reach my goals. This
"meal" will keep me satisfied for another two and a half
hours, at least. So, I take a shower, get dressed, and
start my work day by 7:30 a.m.
In between my
first and second meal, I'm continually drinking water
from a large bottle I keep at my desk. It is really
important to stay hydrated, especially since I just
trained as well (and lost a great deal of water through
perspiration).
At 10:00 a.m. I'm ready for my
second meal. I take a quick look at my nutrition plan,
and I've got "tuna pita sandwich, brown rice, and half
an apple" written down. So, I head back to the kitchen
to eat just that. (I like to take paperwork back with
me to read while I eat. This way I can be more
efficient.) With this meal, I make sure I drink two tall
glasses of water as well.
I have a luncheon
meeting today, so I won't need to prepare anything in
the kitchen for lunch. At 12:20 p.m., my appointment
arrives 10 minutes early. We head to lunch at a
favorite nearby restaurant of mine in Golden, called
Blue Sky. I like this place because the servers,
managers, and owner know me very well. (Keep this in
mind the next time you go out to eat. Try to choose
places where you can visit regularly and employees
can begin to become familiar with your healthy eating
habits.) I find this helps. A lot. They don't look at me
like I'm crazy when I ask for egg whites and extra
chicken, with no butter. This is important, because
you don't want to miss out on being able to socialize
and have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with your family,
friends, or people you work with. It's easier to become
familiar with restaurants that will happily accommodate
your "healthy" eating requests. If they don't, then I
wouldn't eat there any longer.
Today, just like
most days when I visit Blue Sky, I order the Rambler
Skillet. This dish consists of sliced potatoes, diced
chicken breast, egg whites, topped with roasted
pecans. It's a perfect combination of complex carbs,
good quality proteins, and even essential fats (from
the nuts). With lunch, I drink a glass of iced tea with a
packet of Splenda and a glass of water as well.
About 30 minutes after lunch, I typically take another
two tablets of Energize. This way, I am certain I won't
get hit by the "mid-day crash," which no matter how
hard you try, sometimes seems inevitable. I don't
always need this extra dosage of Energize, but I know
I still have a lot of work to do, and I'm going to be
working late. Besides that, I have several more
important meetings today, and I really want to be
refreshed, clear-minded, and focused for them.
Energize does that for me and keeps me going strong
all day.
At 3:00 p.m., I head for the kitchen to
make an Eat-Smart nutrition shake. Only this time, I
make a different flavor. See, that's the great thing
about Eat-Smart: you can choose from a wide variety
of flavors so you never get bored with them—like I did
with regular chocolate and vanilla from other shakes I
used to drink. This time I'm going to make a Cinnamon
Roll flavored shake. And to get another 50 grams of
carbs, I'll add a banana to the blender while I'm mixing
it up. Man, these shakes are tasty. I know I'm a little
biased, but they're almost too good if you ask me! A
lot of people have emailed to tell me how much they
love the flavors of Eat-Smart and that it contains such
high-quality ingredients, like fiber and flaxseed oil. That
makes me feel good—because we worked really, really
hard to develop such a fantastic supplement.
As
you can see, it's important to feed your body with
protein, carbohydrates, and essential fats it needs.
That's why I eat every two and half to three hours
during the day.
At 5:30 p.m. I have what I call a
"snack-meal." It's not really a full meal, and it's
definitely more than a snack. It's not really a part of
the Program I've put together for you, but I do this
differently because I know I'm going to be heading
home from work in about an hour to 90 minutes, and
my wife Julia... well, let's just say she's from the South
and loves to cook. So, while I don't want to spoil her
fantastic dinner, by eating too much too soon before
we eat dinner, I don't like to go home starving. My
snack-meal consists of a bowl of low-fat cottage
cheese, some fruit, and a overloaded spoonful of
Power Butter's peanut butter. This gives me just the
right amount of protein, carbs, and some healthy fats.
This type of meal will also digest more slowly and
therefore I won't feel as hungry when I get home,
which keeps me from overeating (which, if you ever
come over to visit and eat at my house, is easy to do,
with my wife's glorious cooking).
I usually arrive
home near 7:00 p.m. That's when we have dinner as a
family. Although my wife is a great cook, she is also
very cautious of how our food is prepared. While she
doesn't douse our foods in butters and unhealthy oils,
she uses plenty of spices and healthy oils to really
make our food taste great! Plus, one of our goals as
parents is to help our children learn healthy eating
habits, early on, so they can live healthier lives too.
Julia always makes sure protein is the center of our
meals, whether it's chicken, fresh fish, or red meat.
Tonight she has prepared her famous tuna steaks with
fat-free wassabi mayonnaise. A side dish of wild brown
rice and asparagus accompanied the meal. (For more
of Julia's meals, you can read her regular column, by
subscribing to our Real SOLUTIONS magazine, or find
them in The Lean System Nutrition Guide.)
Finally,
at 9:30 p.m., I have another Eat-Smart shake. Only
this time, I use less water than the label recommends,
which makes it into a creamy pudding. I use the
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup flavor. This is my
absolute favorite flavor, only to a close second
Cookies and Cream. After I mix it up with a spoon in a
bowl, I let it sit in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Voila! It's instant dessert, only I know it's good for me.
After I finish my Eat-Smart pudding nutrition shake, I
drink another serving of Meta-CEL, mixed with eight
ounces of water. I always use a second serving of
Meta-CEL on the days when I weight train because I
know my body needs it (and will use it!). Now, with my
Meta-CEL, I take a multivitamin and mineral formula
(it's made by GNC, called Mega Men).
"...there is
nothing overcomplicated about my workouts, my
eating habits, nor the supplements I take. There is no
magic."Now, it's close to 10:00 p.m., so I sit down and
review my notes from today and start my planning for
tomorrow. The next day, however, I won't be weight
training, so I only have to plan out my meals.
And
that's it! That's how I put all of the basic pieces
together for body building techniques to build the best
body my genetics will allow. It's pretty simple, and
best of all, it's worked well for me, and I'm certain it
can work for you too!
As you can plainly see, there
is nothing overcomplicated about my workouts, my
eating habits, nor the supplements I take. There is no
magic. To be honest, I'd say most people make it way
more complex than it needs to be. Now, make no
mistake about it, I'm not saying it's easy. Rather, I
believe it's simple. It's simple to follow a plan—as long
as you've carefully thought it out. The most important
thing is to be consistent and treat each day as
another step closer toward reaching your ultimate
goals. Put enough steps together and you will not only
begin to feel better about yourself and the changes
you're capable of making, but you'll certainly look
better too... as you steadily increase your body's
ability to build muscle size, strength, personal power,
and confidence.
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