Hugo Rivera New Site » Motivation

Natural Bodybuilding Tip: Change is the Spark of Bodybuilding Progress

admin — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:01:17 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding Tip: Change is the Spark of Bodybuilding Progress

In this natural bodybuilding tip you will learn how change is the spark to making steady bodybuilding gains.

Why are there bodybuilders who always seem to be progressing while others always seem to stay the same, or even worse, go backwards? Chances are the the ones that are not making any gains have kept the same routines for months to an end (or even years).

If you are not experiencing any significant bodybuilding gains the worst thing that you can do is to keep doing what you are doing. Chances are that by doing the same thing you will keep getting the same results you have been getting; which in this case may be none at all.

When your bodybuilding program is not yielding the results that you want you need to stop and analyze why that is the case. All aspects of your bodybuilding program (your goals, training, nutrition, supplementation, and rest) need to be analyzed in order to find where the problem is.

Keep in mind that bodybuilding is typically not a liner process. You will experience periods of great gains, followed by periods of slower gains. The key to always getting the fastest gains possible is to become an expert at troubleshooting your program. Also, you need to remember to always periodize your training program. Most of the time, when someone is not making gains, the issue is that there is no periodization in the training program. Another issue may be that the bodybuilding diet is inadequate. And if you have both issues at the same time, then you can forget about making any muscle gains. Thus, if you have reached a plateau, start by taking a close look at both your training and diet programs.

Here are some resources that will help you with the process of troubleshooting your bodybuilding program:

Is it Important to Have a Training Journal to Achieve Natural Bodybuilding Success?

Ten Muscle Building and Fat Burning Tips For Better Bodybuilding Progress

10 Items That Stop Your Bodybuilding Progress

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness.

Enhance Your Natural Bodybuilding Gains By Using The Power Of Positive Pressure

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:03:27 +0000

In this article I talk about how to enhance your natural bodybuilding gains by using the power of positive pressure.

Positive pressure can be a great ally in your quest to making awesome natural bodybuilding gains. Positive pressure can be created by giving yourself a clear deadline by when to achieve your bodybuilding goals. For instance, setting yourself a goal to lose 20 pounds of fat while maintaining, or even increasing, your muscle mass slightly in the next twelve weeks is a great way to create positive pressure.

Why Is Applying Positive Pressure So Effective For Enhancing Natural Bodybuilding Gains?

Because by doing this, you create a limited timeline by which to achieve your goals. This increases your chances of achieving them since, provided that you wholeheartedly commit yourself to the set date, then every workout and every day that you stick to your diet counts; you can no longer procrastinate.

In addition, this forces you to use goal setting techniques and also to adopt the winning mindset of successful bodybuilders.

Make A Commitment

It is of utmost importance that you commit yourself to the set date by either setting up a photo shoot or just simply telling others about it. Once you share with others what your goals are, that makes you accountable, and thus more likely to follow through. You can even make a small friendly contest out of it with your training partner, or people at the gym, by taking before and after pictures, along with stats such as bodyweight and body fat percentage, so that you and whomever wants to participate can see the progress made, and thus, determine a winner.

In my case, I apply myself positive pressure by either setting up a photo shoot, signing up for a guest posing or even entering a bodybuilding contest.

Make sure that once your goals are achieved you reward yourself by going to a nice restaurant and perhaps having a less than healthy meal. As long as you get back on your program on the next day, such a cheat meal will not have any detrimental effects on your physique.

Additional Techniques That Guarantee Great Natural Bodybuilding Gains And A Successful Transformation

Believe in yourself: As funny as it sounds, there must be no doubt in your mind that you can make this transformation a reality. If not, you won’t be able to achieve your desired results. Believing in yourself is really the first step. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?
Place a calendar on your fridge: Mark a back slash on the days that you followed your diet without cheating. Make a forward slash on the days that you trained. If you trained and followed a good diet on a given day, you should have an X marked on that day. Make sure that you have the number of X’s in your calendar that your program calls for, so if you are meant to weight train 3 days of the week, then you have three X’s. The rest of the days should be back slashes. This is a great method that visually shows you how consistent you are with your program.
Place a picture of how you currently look somewhere that you will be able to see it on a daily basis: This picture should provide you with additional motivation to follow your bodybuilding program. The refrigerator, in my opinion is a great place to put these pictures or by the bedroom mirror.
Take bi-weekly progress pictures: Take pictures of yourself every 2 weeks and place them in the refrigerator next to your “before” picture. That way, whenever you have a craving and go to the refrigerator you will remember the reason that you are doing this and also get motivated by seeing the progress that you are achieving.
Write down the reasons why you are following this program and put them in your refrigerator: Same benefit as item 3.
Keep your house free from any foods that are not good for your program: You can’t cheat if you have no access to bad foods.
Remember to prepare all your meals the day before: In this manner when you are at work, you already have all of the food that you will need for the day with you. That way you limit the amount of times you’ll be tempted.
Finally, remember that it is you who is in control: Only you control what goes in your mouth. Food does not control you!

Follow these tips above and natual bodybuilding success will be knocking at your door in no time.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, choose whatever it takes to make you motivated and committed to a clear and definite date. In this manner, you need to deliver results by a certain date and you will no longer procrastinate and skip cardio sessions, meals, nor training sessions. As a result, you will achieve weekly results that will lead you to your bodybuilding goals faster than you ever thought possible.

Sticking to The Basics For Fitness and Fat Loss Success

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:21:34 +0000

Nowadays there are a number of new diets and exercise gadgets advertised on t.v. or in the fitness magazines that promise you will have the body of your dreams in no time. They state that all you need to do is follow their program for a couple of weeks and presto!

Well, the truth of the matter is that you will need to do much more than use an exercise machine for 10 minutes a day or follow a fad diet on the occasion to get the body of your dreams or achieve your fitness and fat loss goals. However, the good news is that all you really need are the basics. What I mean by the basics are keeping things simple.

So what I would like to do is give 7 basic steps you can follow that will allow you to achieve your fitness and fat loss goals.

Step #1: Follow the 3-D’s

If you want to get the results you have always desired, you must have discipline, dedication and determination. The reason I decided to put this first is because….well, without it you will be nothing. If you are lacking even one of these three key components, then you are robbing yourself from fitness and fat loss success.

Step #2: Set Realistic Goals

Setting goals that are feasible is a must if you are looking to achieve fat loss success. You can’t expect to lose 30 pounds or 8 inches off of your waistline in a month. That is very hard to do, unless you are very over weight. Regardless, make weekly goals that are attainable and yet somewhat challenging. For example, set a weekly goal of losing 1-lb.

Step #3: Follow A Nutritious Diet

Nutrition is one of those things that can make or break you. A nutritious diet can have several health benefits that are discussed in The Fat Extinction Program. If you posses the 3D’s and apply them to consuming 5 to 6 small meals a day, then your fitness endeavors will be fantastic and your results will be guaranteed.

Step #4: Add Variety to Your Training Routines

Many people think that doing the same weight training routines is all they need to achieve their fat loss goals. Weight training must vary and never stay the same for a long period of time. In the Fat Extinction Program I detail exactly what you need to do in the weight room in order to keep incinerating the fat and building the best fat fighting ally which is muscle.

Step #5: Perform Cardiovascular Exercises

Performing cardiovascular exercises can not only help you decrease body fat and burn calories, but it also has several other health benefits such as helping to keep cholesterol and blood pressure levels at a normal range. Cardiovascular exercises are imperative for overall health and is discussed in greater detail in the Fat Extinction Program.

Step #6: Drink Plenty of Water

Water should be consumed throughout the day on a regular basis. Keeping hydrated is crucial. It will allow you to not dehydrate, prevents muscle cramps and acts as a cooling agent when you go through physical activities. In addition, water is essential for fat loss processes to occur and to keep cortisol levels down so make sure you drink up! Optimally, you should consume 66% of your body weight in ounces.

Step #7: Patience Is A Virtue

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not allowing time to be on their side. They immediately want results or they will not continue with a fat loss program. Do not let this happen to you.

Now that you have these 7 steps set before you it is time to TAKE ACTION! Do not sit there and tell yourself you will start a fitness program and get into shape tomorrow or next week. The time is now!

For a free fitness report with fat burning workout routines and diet secrets, visit fatextinction.com today!

Many Talk But Who Walks?

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:01:44 +0000

Do you feel like achieving your weight loss or fitness goals are impossible? If so I would like you to read this article below as I am 100% confident that it will change the outlook of your current situation!

Many Talk But Who Walks?

He is at the 30, 20, 10, touchdown Appalachian State! The mountaineers have done the impossible and have defeated the #5 team in college football. These were the words and thoughts of many on September 1, 2007 as they witnessed what was and still is considered to be the biggest upset in the history of college football.

Anybody who is an advocate of sports or has the slightest bit of common sense would have never predicted that a division 2A school would have been able to pull this unprecedented victory off EXCEPT for the team and coaching staff of Appalachian State.

So how does this relate to fitness and achieving your results? The fact is that if you were to go up to any player or coach on Appalachian State before the game, they would have told you with total confidence they would win the game. Even the bookies in Las Vegas and sports betting fans did not give them a chance but they proved it to the world by not only talking the talk, but walking the walk!

Likewise, there are many people who will doubt your abilities to achieve any of your goals such as losing x amount of pounds or building x pounds of lean muscle. But when you realize that you can control your own destiny by following a few basic principles, you are destined to do what many consider to be the impossible and get the results you desire.

The problem many people have is they talk a mean game but at the end of the day, they really do not believe that it is possible or doubt themselves which leads to their destruction. The best way to avoid this is to change a few things.

With that being said, here are 5 things you can do to walk the walk!

1. Think of Your End Goal and Hold On to That Thought

What I mean by this is to think of what it is you are trying to do such as losing ten pounds. Once you have established that thought, DO NOT erase it or let anyone tell you that it is impossible to achieve that thought. Think of your thought as concrete once it has hardened. You can walk all over it but it will not break. This is the way you need to be when holding on to the thought of achieving your end goal.

2. Immerse Yourself in the Culture

Simply surround yourself around things that will get you closer to your goal such as reading a new fitness or weight loss article. Even go as far as hanging posters on your wall of the model body you want. Whether it is a strong muscular physique or a toned beach body, make sure to do this important step.

What you are doing with this is immersing yourself around the culture of your end goal. It will serve as a constant reminder of what it is that you are trying to do and eliminate any thoughts that may sway you into thinking it is not possible.

3. Forget About Failures of The Past

Regardless of how you may currently feel, think of today as a new beginning. Forget about your past failures and realize that they can serve as a lesson for achieving your end goal. These lessons can be looked at as things NOT to do when you travel along your new path of success.

Going back to holding on to that thought of what you want, thinking positive goes hand in hand with this as the energy you feel within you will release a sense of self-empowerment. And anyone who has achieved their set goals knows that feeling like you are in power of the outcome is important!

4. Energy + Motions = Emotions

Always remember that your emotions play a key role in determining whether or not you will achieve your set goals. When you allow your energy to move in the wrong direction or allow the thoughts and actions of others to determine your very own thoughts, it is then that you self-destruct and become your own worst enemy.

With positive thinking and surrounding yourself around the right people, you will allow your energy to move in the right direction and you will be one step closer to your end goal.

What I like to do when I feel that I am not in power or control of my very own emotions is to think of a simple analogy. That analogy is that you can take a room filled with complete darkness and with the strike of a match, the room is instantly filled with light, truth and wisdom. But you cannot do the opposite! You cannot take a room full of light, truth and wisdom and make it pitch black.

5. Write Down The Things That Make You Happy

To help prevent negative thoughts from entering in your mind, it is a great idea to write down the things that bring joy and happiness to your life. For instance, for some it may be writing about your pet dog which may bring happiness to your life. For others it may be a son, daughter, boyfriend, girlfriend, occupation or the fact that you lost 3 pounds.

Regardless of what the things that bring happiness to your life may be, write them all down on a daily basis if needed until you have mastered your emotions.

Conclusion: Once you have reached the point of mastering your emotions with a combination of all the things mentioned in this article, you will be untouchable! There will not be a single person that will cause you to think that you are not in control of your own destiny!

Yours In Health,

Anthony Alayon

Are You Frustrated Because You Have Not Reached Your Set Bodybuilding Goals?

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:02:07 +0000

There are many reasons why people fail to achieve their bodybuilding goals. Unfortunately, when goals are missed, many people get frustrated and toss the whole bodybuilding program and never come back to it. However, if you are frustrated with your progress, the best strategy is to regroup, take a look at your training journal (I am assuming you have one), analyze the reason the goals were missed and create new goals.

Perhaps the reason for not reaching your bodybuilding goals was unrealistic expectations. Expecting to gain 30 lbs of solid muscle in 30 days is unrealistic, especially for those of us who are well past our teenage years. Expecting to go from 17 inch arms to 18 inch arms of solid muscle in 2 weeks, is also unrealistic since a 17 inch arm is already pretty developed, and thus, taking it to the next level will take longer. So when you set bodybuilding goals make sure that your goals are realistic as otherwise you are setting yourself up for failure. For beginners, the first and second year you can gain a good 15-20 pounds a year. Teenagers a bit more perhaps and all of this depends on the genetics of the bodybuilder. For more advanced athletes, 1/2 lb to 1 lb of muscle a month is a good gain (6-12 lbs/year). However for really advanced natural bodybuilders, 2-3 lbs per year is a good goal.

With that said, another important thing to realize is how you deal with failure. There were many times during my bodybuilding journey in which I did not achieve the goals I wanted. Regardless of the reasons (and 8 times out of 10 the issue was unrealistic goals), when I failed, I would simply assess the reasons why and just keep moving forward. The way I saw it, I had just lost a battle but not the war. And of course, my philosophy of war is: “No retreat, no surrender!” You need to approach your bodybuilding endeavors with this sort of success mindset.

In closing, if you haven’t achieved the bodybuilding goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year, do not get frustrated! Instead, analyze your bodybuilding training and diet plan. Also, make sure that you are getting enough rest because recovery is as important as training and nutrition (hint: it is during rest that you grow). Make sure that you are following everything in your bodybuilding program to the letter. If you are and things are not working, then change your training routine. More than likely, your body has gotten used to your current one. If you are looking to gain muscle weight, make sure that you are taking in enough nutrients in the form of good carbs, proteins and good fats. If you are looking to lose fat, then make sure that you are creating a slight caloric deficit without starving yourself in order to keep the muscle as you lose the fat. Furthermore, make sure that you are using some way of tracking your progress. Good ways are a combination of methods, like the scale, the skinfold calipers, and the tape measure. Digital pictures are also valuable (and a great motivation tool as well) to help you see your progress over weeks.

Top 5 Obstacles to a Lean Body

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:01:34 +0000

Are you ready for this week’s “lesson in leanness?” I hope so ’cause right here and now I’m going to reveal the top 5 obstacles you must overcome if you want to get that Lean Body you’ve always wanted! (These aren’t in order of importance-they’re all important!)

5.) Complacency: Believe me, if you lose your desire to have a lean and muscular body you can pretty much hit the showers ’cause the game is over! Don’t settle or make excuses for that spare tire around your waist! Take action! Get motivated! Get “unstuck” and raise yourself to new heights! How?

Cut out a picture of a lean and muscular physique from your favorite magazine, and tape it to your refrigerator door to remind (and “program”) yourself about what you want to accomplish. Then, picture yourself with this dream body on a daily basis! (It really helps if your mind can “see” the direction you want to take your body).

Learn from people who have achieved what you want to achieve and let their good habits rub off on you. (This also means you stop hanging-out with friends when they invade the nearest fast-food joint!)

Stop and really think about all the “pain” you experience (or will experience) from those pounds of unwanted, accumulated, body fat. ( It can affect virtually every area of your life). Then, imagine the positive things improving your body will bring you-unstoppable confidences, improved self-esteem, and maybe even a few admiring glances from the opposite sex! Now let this unstoppable desire propel you towards your new goals each and every day!

4.) Failure To Set Goals: You’ve heard it before, “Fail to plan and you’re planning to fail.” But please don’t disregard this powerful statement. It’s 100% true! Look, let’s be realistic. Rarely in life do great things just happen to you out of thin air. You’re not going to wake up one morning and discover you’ve won the “bodybuilding lottery” complete with a well-defined midsection and vascular arms and legs. Nope… it ain’t gonna happen.

So, my advice to you-something I do on a weekly basis- is to constantly set goals and deadlines. Then, hold yourself accountable to these deadlines. (I don’t get to take part in my cheat day of “forbidden foods” if my weekly goals aren’t met.)

For example, if you want to lose 10 pounds of body fat in the next six weeks then write this down on a piece of paper and review it every night and morning. By doing so you’ll be “programming” your mind (and body) for success! (Trust me, this single tip alone helped me place in the top five of every single professional bodybuilding contest I ever entered!)

3.) Failure To Follow A Quality Program Consistently: Amen! Look, let’s get to the point on this one. If you set goals and fail to design a plan to attain these goals you’re pretty much spinning your wheels and can scratch the idea of ever looking great on the beach (or anywhere else for that matter). Sorry, but it’s true.

Now you may say, “Okay Lee, no big deal. I workout pretty hard, take a few supple-ments, and try to eat right so I’ve got my bases covered.” If so, let me ask you a question. Are you making spectacular gains all the time? I hope so. But if not, I can hardly blame you.

You see, the task of designing an optimal program can be down-right confusing. You have dozens of self-proclaimed “experts” telling you what to do. (Be careful whom you listen to. There’s nothing more damaging than bad information!)

Now, I don’t have room to tackle this entire subject right now, but check out the next installment of the Labrada News and I’ll reveal an easy-to-follow nutrition program that you can use to dial-in the nutrition component of your program once and for all!

2.) Being A Fat-Loss-Idiot: My definition of a fat-loss-idiot is someone who keeps doing the exact same thing over and over but expects a different result. (Okay you caught me. I admit it. I’ve been an “idiot” a time or two in my life but the key is to always learn from every mistake right?)

Here’s the problem: let’s say someone tries some crazy starvation diet and loses a few pounds but ends up gaining them all back a few weeks later. Why on earth would they ever try this diet again and expect a different result and why do so many keep repeating these defeating patterns?

One answer: they haven’t taken the time to learn a more effective approach, which leads us to the next thing you must overcome if you expect to ever have a head-turning Lean Body…

1.) Failure To Implement The A.B.L Approach: What the heck is the “A.B.L approach,” you ask? It stands for Always Be Learning. Believe me, if you aren’t continuously filling your mind with accurate and useful information to help you achieve your goals, all kinds of muck and garbage will “seep” into your brain and fill the void. (i.e. Endless hours of T.V.!)

Now, I’m not talking about going to your library and reading an entire text book on nutrition or metabolic processes (Boring). But what I am suggesting is that you learn from your mistakes and continue to seek out real experts on the subject-experts who can explain the process in a clear and user-friendly manner! (Clarity can be very powerful.)

That’s why I encourage you to keep reading each and every installment of my weekly tips and monthly newsletter. This way, you can avoid the trial-and-error approach to results (ugg!) because I’ll do my very best to provide you with clear and easy to follow tips to keep you moving on the right path no matter what your physique goal may be. (Unless, of course, you want to become an emaciated long distance runner. If that’s the case, I’m not going to be of much help. No offense to you distance runners out there!)

So, in review, if you want to achieve a truly sensational Lean Body you’ll need to:

1. Avoid complacency and continuously fuel your desire!
2. Set goals and deadlines and hold yourself accountable!
3. Follow a quality plan to achieve your goals!
4. Notice if the plan is working and if it isn’t try something new!
5. And always be learning new and better strategies to achieve your goals!

Try this simple plan and I guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results!

Keep Yourself Motivated to Grow

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:01:47 +0000

“If you can’t measure your progress, you can’t stay motivated.” Write this into your workout log, scribble it on a piece of paper and tape it to your bathroom mirror, or just memorize it. Whatever it takes. It’s one of those immutable laws of nature that you don’t want to forget in your quest for a bigger, more muscular body. It hit me right in the face once again just the other night, while I was working out in our corporate gym here at Labrada Nutrition headquarters in Houston. I was on my third set of Smith machine incline presses when one of my Team members brought in a large, muscular bodybuilder who wanted to meet me.

It was obvious, even through his warm-ups, that this young man was extremely muscular and ready for competition. He was 5’10″ and over 235 pounds. Upon speaking with him, I learned that he would be competing in an upcoming Nationals qualifier in a few weeks.

After introducing himself, he asked me if I would take a few moments to look at his physique and give him my opinion.

Of course, I obliged, as I really enjoy helping people get into their best shape. I didn’t know if there would be much that I could do to help him, with just a few weeks to go, and I knew instantly that what he wanted was what many of us crave and need – constructive feedback.

In moments, the young man had dropped his warm-up pants , taken off his shirt and was striking pose after dynamic pose, his muscles rippling and striations bursting forth. After giving him a few pointers, we spoke at length. I learned that he had followed my bodybuilding career for a number of years and uses many of the same training techniques that I do—including consuming three packets of Lean Body MRPs each day, religiously. I wished him luck and I moved on, thinking about how essential it is for us to have a barometer of our progress.

This barometer that I refer to is constructive feedback, and this feedback can take many, many forms. Constructive feedback is measurement, plain and simple. And it is measuring our progress that helps to keep us motivated and progressing.

The most obvious form of feedback is the sight of our image in the mirror. Nobody is more familiar with our bodies than we are, obviously. But, we must be careful because this of itself can be a pitfall.

How so? Because we see our bodies on a regular basis, we can become oblivious to the progress that we are actually making. In short, we don’t realize how much we are actually improving!

There are psychological factors which are directly tied to the self-image that come into play when we look at ourselves in the mirror. What we see in the mirror and how it measures up to the mental self-image that we have of ourselves impacts how we feel about our appearance. Pitfalls: we can either be: (a) too hard on ourselves, not giving ourselves enough credit for our progress or (b) unrealistic about what we see in the mirror, giving ourselves more credit than we deserve. Seeing ourselves objectively is important.

Sometimes it helps to supplement what we think by soliciting the opinions of those we trust. Now what I would suggest is that you neither go looking for a “yes” man, who will tell you that “you look great” no matter what, nor someone so critical of you that he/she gives you unwarranted bad progress reports.

Getting feedback on your progress is essential if you want to keep improving the shape of your body. Most of the time, progress doesn’t happen fast enough. I know, we are all impatient and that’s why I say that we must learn “to live with progress”. Learning to live with progress means accepting the fact that progress can only come so fast. And for that progress to be satisfying on an ongoing basis, and therefore provide you with motivation, you must measure it.

If you don’t measure progress, you won’t get satisfaction from your training and dieting efforts, and you’ll lose motivation. Using measurement to gauge progress can keep you on course, and headed in the direction of constant physical improvement.

There are other ways besides looking in the mirror or asking for opinions to measure your results. Measurement techniques include (a) measuring body fat, (b) weighing, (c) using the tape measure, and (d) using photography.

Body Fat Measurement

Let’s look at body fat measurement first. You must have access to good body fat calipers (or another reliable body fat measuring tool) or a trainer/clinician that has them. At the start of your program, you establish a “base line” body fat measurement and then, on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, measure the body fat to gauge the rate at which the body fat is being dropped.

Weighing

The second method by which you can gauge progress is weighing. The disadvantage of weighing is that the scale does not discriminate between lean body mass (muscle) and body fat (adipose tissue). While weighing will give you the number of pounds that you are losing on a weekly basis, it will not tell you whether it’s from muscle or fat.

By combining body fat measurement with weighing however, you can get a clearer picture of what your “lean body mass” is and what you “body fat mass” is. This is accomplished by comparing the relative change between the levels of body fat from week to week with the change in weight from week to week. It is then easy to calculate lean body mass and fat weight.

Measuring Tape

Yet another method of tracking progress is to use a tape measure. This involves using a simple tape measure such as the ones that are used in tailoring and dressmaking. You can measure the girth of your arms, upper thighs, calves, waist, chest, and shoulders easily and track the measurements in a chart from week to week.

Photography

The last method of tracking progress, and one that I highly recommend in place of using a mirror for self-examination, is photography. By taking photos at regular intervals during your training program, you can gauge progress. By the way, if you don’t have a training and nutrition program, and would like one, just go to www.leanbodycoach.com to get your FREE copy of my 12 Week Lean Body Program. (You’ll also begin receiving my free weekly e-newsletter packed with training and nutrition tips.)

It is important to take your picture under the same lighting conditions each time, to ensure uniformity and create accurate comparative photos. While sometimes we forget, photographs don’t. It’s easy to get down on yourself and think that you are not progressing fast enough, when the truth is that you’re actually making great progress. By taking “before and after pictures” along the way, you can compare pictures side-by-side to accurately gauge how much you have improved.

Putting it all together

Combining the use of photographs with body fat measurement and weighing can be an invaluable combination of tools with which to gauge your progress. As we discussed, gauging your progress and gathering feedback is essential to your continued progress in the quest for that lean body you’ve always wanted.

When I was competing on the Mr.Olympia stage, I always charted my progress using all of the methods described here. I would use the mirror to gauge my condition daily, get feedback from my training partners Craig DeSerf and Tom Deters, take photographs weekly and compare them with the previous week’s photos, and have my body fat measured and monitored by nutritionist Keith Klein.

The valuable feedback that I received from these measurements invariably put me into one of two states of mind: if the feedback was less than desirable, I immediately swung into action to correct the problem. If the feedback was positive and I was on track, it gave me a feeling of elation as I “knew” that I was on the path to success. In either case, I felt MOTIVATED to sustain the Herculean efforts necessary to walk onto the Mr.Olympia stage and stand next to the giants!

Get into the habit of measuring your progress. It will be an invaluable tool for you as you build and refine your physique. And when the going gets tough, review all of the progress you’ve made by looking at your pictures and measurements, drawing the courage and motivation you need to continue from your log book. Remember, ““If you can’t measure your progress, you can’t stay motivated.”

Simple Changes Make All The Difference

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:01:01 +0000

What would you say if I told you that your level of “self-discipline” might not be quite “up to snuff” when it comes to building a lean and muscular body? Before you answer, consider this: no matter whether you’re an elite body builder or a “couch potato,” you still have the same amount of self-discipline.

How is this possible? The difference lies in which habits you’re disciplined to.

An elite bodybuilder is disciplined to working out regularly, eating frequent and nutritionally-dense meals, taking quality supplements, and getting plenty of rest. All of these habits propel him towards his goal of gaining muscle and losing fat. On the other hand, a “couch potato” is disciplined towards his habits of watching endless hours of TV and stuffing down as much junk food as his artery-plugged heart desires. See what I mean?

My point is this: everyone is already disciplined to their current habits. The real breakthrough comes when we can alter our habits to push us towards our desired goals!

But you first must set a specific goal! Question: Right this second do you know what your current physique goal is? If not, how are you ever supposed to attain it? Good question, right?

So here’s the first part of your weekly “assignment.” Write down your specific physique goal and the date it will be accomplished by.

Example:

I will gain 5 lbs. of muscle and lose 5 lbs. of fat by – let’s say April 1, 2006.

(Grab a pen and paper and actually do this. C’mon – you want results don’t you?)

Next, identify and write down four of your “bad” habits that are keeping you from your physique goal.

Examples:

Skipping meals because I don’t take the time to prepare healthy meals during the week.
Hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock in the morning until it’s too late for me to get in my morning workout.
Forgetting to take my supplements at the correct times during the day.
Robbing my body of sleep by staying up late watching the boob tube / surfing the net. (Could this have something to do with that snooze button problem?)

Now it’s time to replace these “bad” habits with “good” ones by identifying and writing down four new habits.

Examples:

Spend one hour on Wednesday and Sunday nights preparing healthy meals to eat during the week. (Try freezing meals in advance.)
Be asleep by 10 PM each night so I can get the rest I need to recuperate from my work outs.
Skip hitting the snooze button so I can make my workout before work each morning.
Create a supplement schedule so I can “check-off” each time I take my supplements.

Once you have completed writing down your new habits, hang them somewhere where you can read them everyday. (Otherwise you will slip back into your old habits in a day or two.)

You will experience tremendous resistance (from yourself!) when trying to develop your new habits. Warning: It’s not easy. Good habits are hard to form, but easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to form but hard to live with. Remember that successful people do things that unsuccessful people aren’t willing to do.

It will take you one month to form a new habit, but once it’s “ingrained” it feels more uncomfortable not doing the activity than doing it.

Remember how uncomfortable it was when you first started working out with weights? But soon this discomfort turned into pleasure when you started becoming stronger and more muscular? Believe me, the same thing happens when you stick to new habits!

Start your new habit list now, and make the commitment to those habits that will pay you in rich dividends for years to come.

Skipping meals because I don’t take the time to prepare healthy meals during the week.

Hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock in the morning until it’s too late for me to get in my morning workout.

Forgetting to take my supplements at the correct times during the day.

Robbing my body of sleep by staying up late watching the boob tube / surfing the net. (Could this have something to do with that snooze button problem?)

Lose Body Fat – Not Your Mind!

admin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:01:24 +0000

As you probably already know, losing body fat has to be one of the most challenging , if not most misunderstood, endeavors that any bodybuilding aficionado can undertake. Losing body fat is not rocket science, although in our society you’d think it was, with the legion of rip-off infomercial shape-up gizmos, the monthly “diet of the month” book releases, and the abundance of weight loss pills being pushed by pharmaceutical companies.

Losing body fat is easy once you know the simple rules, but it does take a little discipline, often more than the hapless, average soul possesses. Those who are incapable of applying a little discipline to their eating habits are condemned to fail time after time, wandering from one weightloss quick-fix to the next. Frustration builds, leading to resignation or worse, cynicism.

This is why I hate infomercial companies. I think that they are full of deceiving, heartless marketers selling false hope to naive people. Their diet and exercise gizmo infomercials are the worst. They prey on people desperate to try anything to alleviate their deplorable overweight condition. I delight every time the Federal Trade Commission jumps all over one of these infomercial companies. Chalk one up for the consumer.

But it’s not just infomercial companies who are guilty of misleading overweight consumers. Misinformation rears its ugly head in many forms, even in the sports supplement business. Take a look at some of the recent lawsuits brought on against well-known supplement companies by state attorneys general and consumers alike.

To a ruthless marketer, weightloss product consumers are the dream target market; consumers who are willing to shell out big bucks, then all too willing to blame themselves, and not the product they purchase, when they don’t lose weight. Imagine buying a refrigerator, having its motor burn out the first week, then throwing it away, figuring “I must not have done something right!” Insanity.
My disdain for misinformation, and worse, misinformation fabricated to deceive consumers, stems from the fact that every time someone gets burned by a weightloss quick-fix, it makes it that much harder for me to get through to that person with the real deal, the correct information, the key that will turn their life around.

And what is the “real deal”?

Let’s start by defining fat loss and weightloss. They are not one and the same. You’ll note that I began this article with the mention of fat loss, then ranted about weightloss and the ugly state of the weightloss products market.

Fat loss, as the name implies, is the loss of, or reduction of, body fat. Fat loss may or may not result in weight loss. For example, if you lose three pounds of fat and gain four pounds of muscle at the same time, you experience a net weight gain of one pound. Weightloss, on the other hand, is the loss of body weight, irrespective of whether it is fat weight or lean tissue (read “muscle”) weight.

Lean muscle tissue is the body’s metabolic engine. It is the most energy intensive tissue in the body, requiring more calories for maintenance than fat tissue. There is a direct correlation between the amount of muscle mass you have and the number of calories you burn at rest (basal metabolic rate). Loss of any muscle tissue results in a loss of metabolism, making it harder to burn fat.

Achieving fat loss while preserving lean muscle tissue should be the overriding concern of any individual wanting to lose fat and unwanted inches without destroying his metabolism.That being said, let’s outline the ideal way to drop body fat while preserving lean muscle tissue.

The bottom line on body fat (adipose tissue) is that it is a storehouse of excess calories. To get rid of fat, you must burn more calories than you take in on a daily basis. So being in a caloric deficit is important. Being in a caloric deficit is the one thing that both fatloss and weightloss programs have in common, but that’s where the similarities end.

While weightloss programs often focus on caloric restriction to the exclusion of all else, fat loss programs go further, addressing the composition of the food calories in the diet. This is vital to the proper nourishment of that all-important lean muscle tissue.

Here are some guidelines to follow on a fat loss program:

Do not restrict total dietary intake by more than 500 calories per day. This is particularly important because you do not want to lose weight so fast that you alarm the body into thinking it is in a starvation mode. Severely restricting calories will cause your body to respond by slowing its metabolism to conserve energy. A pound of fat contains 3500 calories. A daily caloric deficit of 500 calories per day will result in a weekly caloric deficit of 3500, or the equivalent of one pound of fat. Keep in mind that simply cutting calories does not guarantee that the weightloss is coming from stored fat; to ensure that the loss comes from fat, other considerations must be addressed, including food composition, meal frequency and exercise.

Do not lose more than two pounds of bodyweight per week. This is yet another good rule of thumb to ensure that no lean muscle tissue is lost during the dieting phase and that the metabolism is not slowed. Remember that it is easier for your body to break down muscle tissue for energy than fat tissue. The rate of weightloss is a key indicator to watch.

Take in at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Remember, “Feed the muscle first.” You must feed muscle tissue with high quality protein to nourish it and protect it from breakdown, especially when you are in caloric deprivation. Protein is the most energy-intensive macronutrient to digest. That means it takes more calories to digest a gram of protein than either a gram of carbohydrate or fat. For protein to be converted to fat, it must first be broken down into amino acids, converted to glucose (blood sugar) in the liver, and then to fatty acids. What all this means is that it’s hard to get fat by over-eating protein! Protein intake should make up about 30-40% of your daily calories. Try chicken, turkey, fish, or a high quality protein powder like ProV60®.

Restrict fat intake. While protein is the most energy intensive macronutrient for your body to digest, fat is the least energy intensive. When you eat fat, your body will either immediately use it for energy, or deposit it as bodyfat. While this is a very simple, very efficient mechanism from an evolutionary, and a survival view point, it’s very bad for modern man trying to maintain a lean body! Minimize fat in your diet to no more than 20% of daily calories. More than that is unhealthy, not to mention unproductive, for body fat loss (remember, that’s not the same as “weight loss”). Do not misinterpret this as an outright condemnation of all fats. There are fats that are not only essential for life, but helpful for fatloss. These are called essential fatty acid (EFA’s). You can get your EFA’s by supplementing your diet with one or two tablespoons of flax seed oil daily, or try EFALean™ Essential Fatty Acid Blend.

Restrict simple carbohydrate intake, focusing instead on complex carbs for energy. This is one of the most common areas in which dieters screw up. Not all carbohydrates are created equal. While all carbohydrates are broken down to blood sugar, the point of differentiation is the rate at which they are converted to glucose. Simple sugars like sucrose (table sugar) are quickly broken down to glucose, eliciting a massive insulin discharge from the pancreas. Glucose that is not immediately used for energy is converted to triglycerides and deposited as fat. Insulin “spikes” bring fat breakdown to a grinding halt, and signals the body to deposit fat. Complex carbohydrates such as starches take much longer to be broken down to blood sugar. This more gradual conversion of complex carbohydrates to glucose gives your body a chance to use the glucose for energy; it also eliminates the insulin spikes that are anathema to fat loss. Carbohydrate intake should be kept to no more than 50% of calories.

Eat five to six small meals per day. Every time you eat, your metabolism is stimulated, especially when your meals contain protein. Frequent feeding also eliminates over eating, helps in the management of insulin levels (read, “keeps blood sugar steady and insulin levels low”), and provides a steady stream of muscle nourishing amino acids and nutrients. Each meal should contain protein, carbs, and fat in the same ratio as the overall daily ratio of protein, carbs, and fat. A good meal replacement like Lean Body® is an ideal way to ensure compliance with a rigorous 6 meal per day program.

Train with weights… but of course, you are already doing that, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this!

Be consistent. Dieting for fat loss is not an on again, off again thing. For your program to work, you must be consistent with it. This is where discipline comes in. You must want to lower your body fat strongly enough to stick with your program. Set short term and longer term goals, and measure your body fat composition to gauge your progress and give yourself that invaluable feedback that is necessary to keep you motivated. Unfortunately, they don’t sell willpower in a can yet!

This program comprises the “real deal” that I spoke about before. Exercise and good nutrition are the only way to lower, and more importantly control, body composition and keep body fat in check over the long haul. Simple, powerful, and effective! Of course, there are more details to a complete body fat reduction/management program, but these are the most powerful ideas, and they should serve you well as a foundation to build on.

Ask, Believe, Persist and Achieve

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:01:56 +0000

Guess what the biggest threat to your bodybuilding success is? I guarantee that nine out of ten of you will get the answer to this question wrong and that is the reason why I want to expose this huge threat. The biggest threat to your bodybuilding success is: your own mind!

What I notice happens with most people who are starting out in bodybuilding, and even with many people who have been practicing it already for a long time, is the fact that in their minds they really do not believe that it is possible to achieve their bodybuilding goals. Typically, the mind creates a thousand reasons why this could be the case. (And by the way, this is not only true of bodybuilding goals, but also of any other life goals you may have.)

However, ask yourself the following question: If other people can achieve their goals, why can’t you? I know that unfortunately, when you start out with bodybuilding, a lot of people may make fun of you. You may get criticized by the way you eat, or by the fact that you may be training at the gym on a Friday night, when everyone else is out partying and drinking. Some people may even tell you that you do not have the genetics to grow muscle or be lean.

However, using myself as an example, if you looked at pictures of me when I was young and seriously overweight, no one could have ever predicted that I could become a bodybuilder; much less one that has placed 4th at bodybuilding competitions like the Mr. USA. To be quite honest with you, that last accomplishment is something that completely surpassed any initial goal I had set for myself when I started bodybuilding.

Always keep in mind that genetics in bodybuilding only apply to top national level bodybuilding competition and, of course, definitely at the professional level. However, anyone, and I repeat, anyone can use bodybuilding to grow much bigger muscles than usual and achieve a level of leanness and definition that will be admired by everyone.

Therefore, stop letting your own mind and others put you down. Ask yourself what sort of physique you want to have and set a realistic goal. You must absolutely believe that you can achieve this goal and there can be no doubts in your mind that your goal is possible. In other words, you need to re-wire your thought patterns and have the proper mindset.

Then break your goal into smaller short term goals and set a bodybuilding plan to get each one of them. Once you have the goals and plan in place, then you need to have persistence and execute it day in and day out. If your bodybuilding plan is not working, don’t become discouraged and give up. Just troubleshoot it and fix it! And like I said, whatever you do, never ever give up! Words like “quitting” or “giving up” should be taken out of your vocabulary permanently to the point that your brain cannot even comprehend them. Be like the Spartans in the movie 300: “No retreat; no surrender!”

If you do all of this, I guarantee you that you will achieve your bodybuilding goals and possibly even surpass them like I did. I also guarantee that if you apply this same philosophy to other aspects of your life, you are simply bound to be a huge success!