Ripped Natural Bodybuilding

Announcing the INBA South Eastern USA Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness Championship.

Location: Naples Florida

Date: July 19th 2008.

Contact: mjffitness@aol.com

Be a part of the worlds largest natural bodybuilding organization in the world,we are 40 countries strong and growing.

Divisions: Bodybuilding,Figure,Sports model,Bikini divas,

Teen, Novice, Masters,Open, Physically Challenged.

Dont miss this one this is a Pro Qualifier . Win and have a chance to win a new car at the 2008 INBA Natural Olympia the worlds most prestigious Natural bodybuilding competition in the world.

2008 INBA Iron Gladiator: I’m off to California for the 2008 INBA Iron Gladiator. I took the overall in the Masters division in 2007 and a 2nd in the Open. Hoping to do even better this weekend. I will post the results when I return next week.

2008 INBA Iron Gladiator: I’m off to California for the 2008 INBA Iron Gladiator. I took the overall in the Masters division in 2007 and a 2nd in the Open. Hoping to do even better this weekend. I will post the results when I return next week.

  What’s New: As the  2007 INBA Forever Natural Universe Champion I am looking forward to taking the stage for the first time this year on April 5th  at the 2008 INBA Iron Gladiator in Corona California.I had a great season last year culminating with a win a the Natural Universe and taking home a Silver medal at the Natural Olympia. I have also been very busy putting the finishing touches on my new e-book. The Muscle Maximization Manuscript. The weight training manual for natural bodybuilders. You can find it at musclemaximization.com . It has a great insight into the world of natural bodybuilding complete with training programs and demonstrations for beginers and advanced trainers.It also comes with my Metabolic Burn diet system ,the very same eating program I use and 100’s of my clients use to achieve a detailed ,healthy  and ripped physique.

             Published in Muscle Mag International/ June 2006    
 

    As a die hard fan and true believer in the natural bodybuilding lifestyle I am starting to see a glimmer of light at the end of a tunnel that has taken some devastating twists and turns over the years. Bodybuilding at its core is about living a balanced ,clean, discipline and healthy life . If adhered to the benefits of bodybuilding are endless. Building your body up and creating a stronger more confident individual. Liberating yourself from the chains of physical limitations and always seeking to improve on what you have built. That’s what its all about!
 

       Today physiques like those belonging to superstars of the past such as Steve Reeves, John Grimek, Clarence Ross, and Jack Lalanne would not be taken seriously in the professional bodybuilding arena. Attaining freakish size at any expense has taken precedence over health and the physical perfection governed by mother nature. Is there a chance the bodybuilding world will ever return to its roots, after all it is the foundation of what we know today as the physical fitness revolution.
 

Natural bodybuilding has been a part of my life for thirty years. This past year I turned forty-three and can honestly say I am reaping all the benefits it has to offer in every aspect of my life. I have always believed one day a movement will start that will question the destructive and potentially fatal steps athletes take to achieve a brief moment of fame. From Government investigations to the endless media coverage today we are knee deep in such a movement.
 

  Some say bodybuilding has evolved into what it is today right or wrong and could never change directions and go in reverse. I say lets keep up the fight and get back to what is pure and healthy and give the sport back the respect it deserves. Its not going to happen over night but I’m convinced bodybuilding does not have to go into reverse it’s just coming around full circle.
 

Michael Ferencsik
Naples, Florida

Qualify to take part in the "Ripped Rulez Challenge". Once qualified, You will get My Private, One-On-One, Consultation Services to show you how to get "Ripped!" Then all you have to do is be the individual to lose the largest percentage of body fat and You Will Win a Certified Check for $300.00!

To qualify as a contestant you must first fill out a profile form and agreement document. Up to ten individuals will be chosen. All forms and agreements must be received no later than April 30 2007.

All individuals who qualified will have their profiles posted on my site and the contest will begin at the time determined by me, "the promoter" and continue for a ninety day period. The winner will be posted and the check will be awarded at that time.

Go to http://RippedNaturalBodybuilding.com and Get Qualified Now!

In the bodybuilding arena one of the most disputed topics when it comes to losing body fat is whether or not cardiovascular workouts should be relied upon to control your body fat levels. When to include cardio? How many cardio sessions per week? How long should each cardio workout be? How intense should it be? These are all common concerns of the hard working bodybuilder trying to attain a ripped show stopping physique.

First and foremost understand the reason you want to engage in a regular cardio routine is for the health of your cardiovascular system period! Maintaining the health of your cardiovascular system should be a major priority not only inside the gym but outside as well! With that being said let’s cut to the chase and answer your question. If you are relying on cardio for fat reduction you are at some point going to become a slave to the activity that has the potential if performed incorrectly to cause you to appear flat and even worse lose a degree of that hard fought for muscle mass you cherish so much.

So why the dispute when so many are successful using cardio as a tool to burn fat? The reason not enough emphasis is placed on diet and too much emphasis is placed on creating a caloric deficit. True, athletes are successful using marathon cardio sessions to burn fat but the energy you burn up while on a clean diet turns them into very unhappy , lethargic, miserable human beings. All that misery can be avoided and better yet you can gain total control of your fat loss if you spend the months that are required to slowly dial in your eating program.

Don’t misunderstand cardio does. It should play a role in your training program but it’s much more limited than most choose to believe. Remember this rule when it comes to metabolic stimulation, cardio is a short term fix, diet and weight training is long term. What that means is after a good hard cardio workout you have about a four hour window, within that time frame you are still burning calories but after that the metabolic stimulation you got from all that hard work it’s over. Weight training and diet on the other hand are 24/7. Common sense should prevail, when there are twenty-four hours in a day why place so much faith in an activity that is only working for you no more than four hours a day?

Gain control of your fat loss and use cardio as a way to increase your endurance levels for better weight training sessions and of course the health of your heart. Use a proper diet to slowly reduce your overall percentage of body fat. You will be consistently much more successful in your attempt to lose body fat, not to mention much happier and pleasant to be around.

It’s not often in bodybuilding circles that someone speaks of getting big while staying ripped. What you normally hear about is a two phase process that one needs to BULK-UP first and then diet down to showcase the hard earned muscle that is hidden by unsightly layers of fat. The idea is that by eating an abundance of carbs and fat you will put on the extra pounds that are needed to lift heavier and therefore add muscle to your frame. Then a tremendous amount of effort goes into losing all that body fat to acquire the look every bodybuilder ultimately desires.  For years this has been the norm but does it really make sense when you take the time to think about it?

Let’s look at most individuals’ ultimate goals when undertaking a more serious bodybuilding program. First everyone is looking for size that’s a given. Once a certain amount of mass is acquired at some point for most it’s all about getting ripped. If it’s your ultimate goal to be ripped to shreds why then would you create more work for yourself by adding useless body fat? Let’s see, excess body fat slows you down, kills your endurance, stresses the cardio system, and overall makes you a less efficient bodybuilder. Notice I said bodybuilder if you are looking to enter a Strong Man competition you don’t really care about excess body fat and probably won’t be reading this article. As a bodybuilder you are concerned about a bulging gut and ripples of fat. So is there hope? Can you build and gain strength while maintaining ten percent or less body fat? You bet your _ _ _ there is!

Maintaining a lean physique and gaining mass requires a much more educated and well thought out approach to your training. Nutrient timing, proper warm ups, perfect execution of each individual motion and of course a well thought out and planned training program that allows for proper rest and recuperation. Let’s discuss each of these beneficial components. First nutrient timing is a must if you are going to ask your body to perform at an elevated intensity level. Consider the fact that you are eating a clean well balanced bodybuilding diet. High protein, moderate carbs and low fat. The one fact that you need to deal with is that you really only have about an hour of juice in your tank for high intensity workouts. The leaner you get and the cleaner you eat the faster that energy reserve is used up while training. Your objective should be to fuel up an hour or so before your heavy routine with quality complex carbs and feed your body a quality post workout protein supplement that is mandatory for proper muscle regeneration. You must plan your day accordingly to accommodate for your workout .Nutrient timing takes a little bit of trial and error to find the right food source that works best for you. Once you have zeroed in on the timing and fuel loading that you will need to do to get through those rigorous heavy sessions you will notice your strength and mass increasing even though you are ripped to the bone.

Proper warm ups are a must for anyone especially for those who are walking around at 10% or less body fat. Joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments are all more susceptible to injury when there is less cushion for the pushin. By proper warm up I mean for you to bring the muscle and joint you are addressing through the entire range of motion that the exercise requires. Remember you want to save all your energy for those grueling heavy sets you don’t want to waste energy on doing multiple high rep sets. One maybe two, very, very slow sets with little or no weight that addresses the correct form so that the proper neuromuscular stimulation takes place when the big wheels are placed on the bar. Most importantly once again your body should experience the entire range of motion which will help lubricate the joints and increase the blood flow to the muscle being addressed.

Coinciding with a proper warm up set is the issue of proper execution. Sloppy, fast, jerky motions are only going to lead to certain injury once the weight dial is turned up. Concentration and focus is a must! One rep at a time should be focused on and every ounce of energy should be put into each rep. Most importantly form should never be sacrificed especially when multiple plates are on the bar. Also think about the muscle that is going to be engaged for each particular motion and maintain complete and total concentration on maintaining that muscle engagement throughout the entire motion.

A well thought out training schedule is imperative if you are going to attempt to gain mass and maintain your ripped condition. The main emphasis should be placed on rest and recuperation. A good way to go about building a routine that will accommodate for growth and stimulate definition is to create a two phase workout program and split your week. The first part of the week should concentrate on heavy strength moves and limited sets and reps. The second part of the week should be devoted to sharpening the physique, bringing out the separation and details with higher reps and lower intensity. This approach will give you the much needed rest periods your body demands maintaining an anabolic state within your body that will keep your workouts in a constant state of progression and your physique looking and feeling like all that hard work is paying off.

No matter how you eat or how you train you will always have to deal with your genetic make up. That fact of life is what makes body building so addictive to so many individuals. Being the very best you can be is what the lifestyle is all about. A successful bodybuilder does not look at their genetic make up as a limitation but rather a challenge to overcome and perfect. Easier said than done you say. Let’s go through some basic do and don’ts and examine how basic it can be once you know what and how your body type responds to diet and training.

The Ectomorph: If you have heard it once you have heard it a thousand times, HARD GAINER! The definition of a ectomorph is one who is delicately built, fragile, lean, lightly muscled, small shoulders , ok you get the drift. But that’s why you took up body building to begin with. So how as an ectomorph can you speed up your progress? First as always we need to look at your diet. Your protein needs are going to be higher. I would suggest 2 grams per lb of lean muscle mass. Second don’t be afraid to add a few more complex carbs into every meal. You need to be eating every two hours, that’s a must. Remember the cleaner you eat the more efficient your body will become at synthesizing all that protein you are ingesting. As for your works outs HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY, that’s the key to success. A word of caution! Getting caught up with trying to add an extra wheel or two to the bar before you are ready is something everyone is guilty of. Don’t fall into that trap. Proper execution and slow deliberate reps go much further than sloppy uncontrolled injury prone reps. No more than 6 to 8 reps and give your body extra time to recovery. As for your cardio keep it brief and intense, twenty five minutes to half hour max, three times per week as an interval routine. You, more than anyone need to live, eat and breathe the lifestyle. Do so and it will pay off sooner than you think.

The Mesomorph: athletic, mature muscle mass, well proportioned, and has a very good foundation for bodybuilding. Gains seem to come easier to the mesomorph but a word of caution you gain body fat much easier than the ectomorph so keep a watchful eye on those extra pounds. You need to show the same attention to your diet though your protein requirements per my suggestion would be more in the neighborhood of 1.5 grams per lb of lean muscle mass and your carbs could stand some moderation. Your training approach can be much more diversified in the beginning paying attention to the fine details as well as the mass building. As for your cardio you are the lucky one who does not need to depend on the extra caloric deficit it creates to drop body fat. Use your diet as your most effective tool for that. You have been genetically blessed with a good start. This is the time to imagine yourself as a sculptor and use the tools you have been given wisely. Potential is simply that, it still takes patience and dedication to realize that potential.

The Endomorph: Your shorter arms and legs along with your ability to hold onto mass very easily give you the illusion of being very stocky. I say it’s an illusion because a tapered look is hard to come by but not impossible if you use illusion to your advantage. Be objective when critiquing your physique and pay attention to those body parts that will give you a more tapered look. A wide back will make that waist look smaller pull ups, pull ups, pull ups, are a must and controlled high rep lateral raises will help add that width to your shoulders. Your legs, chest and arms seem to fill out very easily, so easy on the mass building in those areas. Concentrate rather on higher reps, and do exercises that shape and define, and the mass will come. Creating thickness is not your issue, therefore special attention needs to be paid to your diet. Your metabolism seems to always be sluggish; therefore constant stimulation is a must. LEAN, LEAN protein 1 to 1.5 grams per lb of lean muscle mass every two hours for you and go easy on the complex carbs. You are very carb sensitive and don’t need to let that get to far out of hand. Dropping it once you have over done it is more difficult for you. Cardio is a useful addition to your fat burning arsenal. You might need to create an extra caloric deficit on a daily basis. Again go for the interval training one minute on two off and realize that you have the mass everyone wants you just might need to work smarter to attain the ripped look that everyone is looking for.

No matter what your body type, if bodybuilding becomes your passion simply visualizes the end result you desire. No one is perfect, that is the addiction. We all must deal with some sort of limitation but with the proper consistent approach success will be yours.