Related Content Blog

Bodybuilding.com has some special guests in town for a few days to do some informational training videos, articles and such.

Please welcome Obi Obadike and Kendall Wood to Justin TV for a live chat.

Obi and Kendall will be on Justin TV tomorrow, Friday, June 26, 2009.
Come join the chat and ask any questions you have from 12:30-2:00 p.m. MST.

For more information click here.

To join the chat click here.

Competition Countdown Part 3!

Hey everyone!

As I write this, I’m 13 weeks out from the OBF Spring Spectacular, and one day away from my trip to the Arnold Classic. I should mention that I have all my food for the weekend packed, as I don’t want to take any chances at this point in the competition with not having the time to go grocery shopping for my diet. What IS my diet, you ask?

This is a great segue to introduce what I’m doing in terms of a nutrition plan for my competition.

I’m a Certified bonafide member of the “Carb Haters Anonymous” Club. I know I may receive some backlash for what I’m about to post, but you have to remember that I’ve been dieting for a while now (on and off), and I know what works best for my mind and my body. Yes, I’m 21, and yes, I have a fast metabolism and train hard. So in theory, carbohydrates WOULD BE an okay source of fuel for my body. However, when I’m using them to diet or bulk, I just don’t feel as lean or as energetic.  And so, the majority of my calories come from fats and proteins, with my only carb meal of the day coming from oatmeal post workout. See, carbs add up fast. We know that consuming 400grams of Fruity Pebbles cereal can be done in a heartbeat. This leads to the famous CRASH that occurs when your blood sugar drops after these carbs have come and gone out of your system. This is usually what causes people to have to nap after lunch at their desk at work.

I am one of those people.  I have read enough studies, and done enough self-experimentation to know that for me, Scivation’s CHA (Carb Haters Anonymous) diet provides the finest fuel for my body and mind. I’m about to use a cliché here, but bare with me for a second…For me, comparing carbs to fat for energy is kind of like comparing automobile gasoline. If carbs are 87 octane, then fats are racing fuel! While a racing car can probably run on 87 octane, it will not be running optimally. But on racing fuel, BOOM, pure SPEED AND POWER. The same goes for your fat burning and muscle building and preserving engine. Give it carbohydrates and it will surely run, but then it will CRASH! Give it HEALTHY fats, and you have yourself a lean, mean, fat burning and muscle building MACHINE! I want to be that lean, mean fat burning machine.

I should add, however, that I still consume an abundance of veggies (mostly broccoli, green beans and brussel sprouts) to get my vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. These veggies also help with the acid/base balance in my body, which I consider crucial for optimal health. Not to mention, they really help with satiation!

A typical day’s diet for me:

1600 Calorie Plan

Meal 1       4 Egg Whites
3 Whole DHA eggs
                35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 2 5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
               18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
        ½ cup oatmeal OR 4 ounces sweet potatoe OR ½ cup brown rice
             35g protein, 15g fat, 30g carbs

Meal 3       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 4       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 5        5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 6       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

***I add 3-6 servings of vegetables spread throughout as many meals as I want.

** Meal 2, where I add the carbs, is usually post workout; I  tend to work out in the morning. If I workout later in the day, then I just move the carbs around.

To prevent my metabolism from crashing, and to prevent a crash of leptin/increase in ghrelin, I incorporate a “reefed” meal once a week on Sunday nights. It consists of:

• 1. 1.5 cup steamed green beans or 12 oz asparagus = 15g carbohydrates
• 2. ½ cup oatmeal (measured dry then add water and microwave) = 30g carbohydrates
  2 tbsp raisins = 15g carbohydrates
• 12 almonds or 2 tsp Smart Balance Light butter spread - used in oatmeal = 10g fat
• 3. 8 oz yam or sweet potato = 60g carbohydrates
  2 tsp peanut butter or almond butter = 10g fat

So there you have my nutrition plan in a nutshell. Every Saturday, I sent my weight, measurement and pics to my trainer, who evaluates them, and determines what, if any, changes should be made to my training, nutrition or cardio protocols.

In the next part of the series, I’m going to talk about my cardio regimen and what motivates me inside and outside of the gym. Last night, I had something called my “Phoenix Moment”. In the next installment, I will introduce this concept to those of you who don’t know what it is, and how it could possibly change your life (OK, I may be exaggerating a little, but it will certainly be the kick in the butt you need to start being INWARDLY focused/driven, and get yourself aligned with your personal goals.)
Until then, please feel free to drop by my workout journal, and take a look at what I do, how I eat and what I train on a daily basis: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4701513

Jaime Filers Competition Countdown 4!

Introduction

What am I doing?

As of the writing of this article, I am 100 days-8 hours-58 minutes (Thank you, Facebook Countdown), from the Online Bodybuilding Federation’s Slamming Spring Spectacular Competition (www.obfbodybuilding.com). The competition officially starts March 9 – 13, and ends May 31 – June 3. There are two categories “Bulking” and “Transformation”. I will be entered into the Female Transformation category, as I’m planning a serious, 14.5 week cut. Contest prep style, ladies and gents. Just because I’m not getting up on a real stage doesn’t mean this isn’t a real competition. Quite the contrary. This is serious.

Why am I doing this?

Maybe you’ve thought about competing before. Maybe you’ve thought about taking your physique to the next level. Maybe you want to join the ranks for that 1% of people who take their weight training, dieting and cardio so seriously, that they want to show it off to the public by means of a competition. Or maybe you’re already a competitor, and you’re bitten by “The Bug.” I fall into the last category. I can’t get enough of the stage.

A Little History: Who Am I?

It’s ironic that the pastime that brought me to bodybuilding is the same past-time that
almost killed me 8 years ago.

In the year 2000, when I was 13, I was going through the same thing that most girls were
going through; body image issues, self-esteem issues, boy problems, puberty and all that
fun stuff. My problem was that the body image issues hit me harder than it did most girls. It went from counting calories, to restricting calories, to purging calories through exercise. It was an unhealthy lifestyle that consumed every iota of my being from the time I was 13 until I was 15.

For those 3 years, I was getting progressively smaller and smaller, but no one would say anything because I was still so young and the subject was
taboo. My mother and father begged me to eat, but I was genuinely scared of gaining an ounce. I weighed myself compulsively, and couldn’t walk past a mirror without checking myself out from the side to make sure I was smaller than the last time I looked.

At 15, it got to the point where I was hospitalized for 40 days in an inpatient unit and spent an additional two months at an outpatient clinic. I decided that 3 years of the illness was enough; I thought my demons were banished. Once I got out of hospital, I decided to take up weightlifting. I wanted to turn my new mass into muscle. Unfortunately, I had no
one to mentor me or teach me the rules of lifting. So I did what most women at my gym were doing…cardio.

Every morning at 5am, and every night at 7pm, I would sneak off to
the gym around the corner from my house because my parents didn’t want me burning any additional calories. I also exercised during my lunch hour at school.

Needless to say, it wasn’t the most constructive way to get through grade 11 and start off grade 12. It was in January that I started poking around on bodybuilding.com. I also had to start thinking about what I wanted to major in when I went to university in September. I found kinesiology. It was a match made in heaven. I could learn all day about physiology, anatomy, nutrition, Fitness Assessment and then graduate with a degree that made me a “Professional” Personal trainer. It was around the same time that my friends, who were now worrying about my health, started telling me how lean and small I was getting. Rather than taking this to heart and doing some productive about it, I took it as a compliment, and used it as fuel for my raging fire.

I decided to compete in a bodybuilding show in June of 2005, my graduating year. I was hard as rock and as lean as a twig. The mirror, which was NOT my friend at this point, had convinced me that I looked more like Jay Cutler than Kate Moss, and that it was my
destiny to shine on-stage. I was 5”7, 104 lbs and 5% bodyfat. I won that show, and unfortunately, was bitten by the competitive bug. I wanted more. So I went on to do 7 more shows in the course of 2 years.

It wasn’t until my last show in October of 2006 that I realized something was wrong; one of the highly respected judges, who had taken the effort to get my cell phone number from the contest promoter, called me to ask if I was O.K., and if I was eating. He told me I had amazing potential for this sport, but people couldn’t see past the frail looking girl
onstage. I just sat in my car with tears streaming down my face, because what I was doing finally hit me. My friends had abandoned me, my parents were scared that they were going to lose me and the sport that I loved didn’t have a place for me anymore. It was time to make a change, for real this time. I promised myself that I would not compete for as long as it took to get myself healthy.

I started on a long and arduous journey, otherwise known as, a bulk. From October of 2006 to July of 2008 I ate an average of 3000 calories a day, mostly coming from clean carbs like oatmeal and sweet-potatoes, and complete protein sources like ground beef and
chicken. I subsequently went from my lowest weight of 96 pounds, with 4% bodyfat, to 65 pounds with 16% bodyfat. I was still relatively lean, but nowhere near where I wanted to be for a competition. It was time to enlist the help of professionals who knew that they were doing.

The Derek Charlesbois section in the bodybuilding.com forums always struck me as something like an Elite club of friends. Everyone was so helpful, encouraging and
dedicated, I was almost scared to approach them, but I did, because I knew that Team Scivation was the best, and I needed the best. Within weeks of my working with Derek, my physique was undergoing changes that I’d never have expected. I couldn’t stop talking about how happy I was to be working with such a solid, genuine Team. I competed in my first show in 2 years at a LEAN 138lbs with 8 – 10% bodyfat.

Jaime Filers Competition Countdown 2!

I know what your probably thinking but before you write it off as a joke check out the article by Marie Spano from Bodybuilding.com.

It goes without saying that plenty of people are looking for a job right now. But, there are also many places looking for good people to hire. If you don’t believe that then that’s the first hurdle you must overcome. Your second step is landing that job of your dreams. Bodybuilding will help take you there.

[ Read the whole article here ]

By: Chris Higdon

Getting to the gym may be hard for a teenager for several reasons, school takes up a lot of time, maybe a sport, club or even a after school job and some may not have a gym near by or have money or a way of getting there. Some teenagers aren’t fortunate enough to live in a area where a gym is available or to even have a car or gas money to be able to get to one.

Doing all the things that you should be doing as a body builder may be very difficult as a teenager for these reasons. But don’t worry, if you just get a little creative and have your heart set on lifting and bodybuilding, you’ll be fine.

If you already have most of the things needed for lifting, you should do fine, especially if you read this article, but if you don’t have any, then it will take a little more time. Before you start taking any supplements or working out, make sure you do your research to see what you should do, when you should do it and how you should. This will prevent a lot of confusion and possibly some injuries over time.

What do I need? This may be a common question you have if you are just starting or don’t have the equipment of room that you need to be lifting weights. Usually you can find some pretty good deals on equipment and weights if you check your sporting goods stores or you local department stores. You really don’t need that much.

• Barbell
• Dumbbell
• Weight Bench
• Weights (concrete weights are the best, try to avoid water or sand weights)
• Dedication (Not available in stores)

** Hint – If your low on money but have weights, don’t buy 150lbs of weight that you may not use at once. Just buy enough to get started and buy weight over time as you increase your strength. This will save upfront money that you may have or may need to keep

If you don’t have room for a weight bench or can’t afford one, all you need is a little creativity. Use your bed or find something. Put some pillows on the floor to elevate you high enough to allow your arms to function as they should on a weight bench. Make sure you have somewhere to set your barbell!!!!!

Some people may have a question of “What if I need to upgrade my barbell for squats but I need the barbell for curling and I’m not ready to add weight to curl” or questions somewhere along that line. All you need to do is get either another bar or get a different kind of bar that functions for that specific muscle part.

• Tricep Bar (French curl bar)– The tricep bar is a special curl bar that has a specific purpose, to workout your triceps. It can be used as you would a regular curl, but instead of working your biceps, it works out a park of your forearm.
• Curl Bar – A curl bar is pretty much a barbell that has curves in it for your hand so you can do curls or even a press.

So if you need to upgrade your weights but are not ready to upgrade for a different exercise, one of these may be the answer for your bodybuilding. If used right, you can workout the same muscles and maybe even a couple more workouts with these instead of having to worry about switching the weights so you can keep upgrading to what your muscles needs are.

Make sure you know how to use these products before using to avoid injury. Try to find some articles on the internet, if you can’t, feel free to contact me. I will be more than happy to make a video or take pictures of the different workouts and uses for them.

** Note: The tricep bar is a little difficult to use at first, start with low weights so you don’t injure yourself.

Supplements

If your just starting out on lifting weights I really wouldn’t worry about supplements. Supplements should only be used after you get a feel for weight lifting and so you know if your going to stick with it or not. It could be a waste of money of you spend $100 on supplements to only use $5 worth. Try lifting weights for at least two or three months before even thinking about supplements.

When your ready to take supplements you need to remember some things. Don’t leave out your necessary vitamins and minerals, such as multivitamin, vitamin c and calcium. Don’t forget to do your research as well so you know whats best for you, especially as a teen and so you know what each supplement is responsible for and so you know when the best time to take them is.

Where should I buy supplements? Online or at a drug store? Most people would say online as most department and drug stores rip you off. You can find way better deals online at BodyBuilding.com’s store, which has some really good deals, especially on top brands.

So there you have it, everything you need to know about lifting from home. As a teenager myself, I know how hard it is to be able to lift in between school, a job, homework and a homelife and a girlfriend as well. Over the past two years, I have done a lot of research and came up with a lot of creative ways to lift in my bedroom, which is sort of small.

All you really need is dedication and a litle creativity and you’ll become a bodybuilder in no time. Good luck to everyone and good luck on transforming your bedroom into a home gym

Author Info:
Age: 17
Years Bodybuilding: 1
Favorite Bodyparts: Biceps, Chest
Favorite Exercise: Squat, Press
Favorite Supplements: Creatine (any brand), Whey Protein

BACKGROUND INFO
When I was in 8th grade, I wanted to be a little stronger and more stronger looking. I borrowed a weight bench from my uncle and bought some dumbbells, barbell, a curl bar and some weights. I lifted on and off until the beginning of my junior year when I got serious about wanting to be a body builder. With about 3-4 years of healthy eating and trying new things, I now know alot of what to do and what not to do to lift weights and get cut.

Hey New Guy: Bodybuilding Advice for the Beginner in all of Us

Squats. Suck.

You know it, I know it, and—unfortunately—the dude with Will Harris wheels repping them out in the corner knows it.

He’s doing them, and he doesn’t need to.

You, on the other hand…

Manning up to leg day isn’t easy for the biggest at the gym; for the rest of us, its murder.  Unfortunately, bodybuilding is one of those ‘get what you put in’ clichés.

And every training article you’ve ever read wasn’t lying when it told you that, hands down, nothing gives you a total body gut-check like spending time parallel to the floor.

So suck it up, call your mother to tell her you love her, and get under that rack.  

There’s things to consider, sure, when you line up your shoulders under the bar—whether or not you’ve upped your life insurance premium, how long it’ll take for your girl to move on—really, though, the only secret to getting the dreaded squat right is actually doing it.

It doesn’t matter if you’re racking a plate a side or ten; as long as you’re breathing right, tightening that Transverse abdominus, and dropping low, you’ll have the respect of everybody around you for giving it a go.

And therein lies the magic—sooner or later, even if you’ve just got a naked bar draped across your delts—you’ll find that ‘sweet spot,’ the point in the descent when you can feel your entire body say “THIS. IS. WORKING.”

Going heavy isn’t the trick; remember, a standard Olympia bar is forty-five pounds, and you’re pushing all your upper body weight into your wheels when you work your way down.  

Whether it’s six reps or twelve, going full-bore and getting your ass parallel to the floor is all it takes to turn little-girl stems into the kind of proportionate-to-my-upper-body quads, hamstrings and glutes you (probably) so desperately need.

So the next time you see that rack free, pick up your cell phone, make the call, and give it a shot.

One of the most neglected and hard to train muscles on the body is your calves. Every body wants a pair of nice diamond shaped calves to show off to the world but most don’t have the right knowledge to get them.
These days, many inexperienced bodybuilders see ads and hear people talking about supplements and think that these are some kind of miracle in a bottle. In reality these supplements are no more that items you can pick up at the grocery store or even find around your house.

To begin with, many people don’t have the knowledge and proper training techniques it takes to get monster calves. Some may believe that they can go to the gym and pump out 1 or 2 sets of around 10 calve raises then walk out of the gym sipping down a protein shake and expect to get big calves. Well this is simply the wrong approach to building this muscle. Calves are one of the most difficult muscles to train on your body but your journey to diamond shaped calves can be a lot easier with the right knowledge and understanding of the muscle.

You may have heard that you will never have great calves if you don’t have the right genetics. This statement is about half true. You may never have calves that are as good as people that have great genetics but you can still a nice pair of them. These people that have great genetics hardly have to work to get nice, defined calves. They can walk around and have bigger calves than people that train calves 24/7. You either have calves or you don’t. If you are one of the people lucky enough to have them, this article isn’t for you. But if your one of the “have nots” then keep on reading.

As with any muscle, you have to train hard to get the results you want. Most people have the wrong approach to calve building. You have to train your calves just as you train arms and your chest. If you neglect them you’re never going to get anywhere.
One reason that people don’t train calves as hard as other muscles is because they train hard for a couple of weeks and barely notice a change. Not noticing a change, they just give up. Calves aren’t like other muscles. Training will improve the muscle but the improvement will almost always be slower and less noticeable than other muscle groups.

There is always going to be a controversy on how to train your calves. Some bodybuilders believe that you need to do high reps because in a normal day that what the calves do- withstand thousands of reps through walking. Other bodybuilders say that low reps with heavy weight are the way to go. Both of these approaches are valid but both of them have their flaws.

MY RECOMMENDATION

Personally, I believe that calves grow best when trained in sets of high reps in the 50-100 range. For me I try to get the most reps I can in a short amount of time while maintaining good form. Here are some tips to help you get the best out of your workout.

• Always get a good range of motion when training calves. It helps to stand on the edge of stairs or a platform with heels hanging off the edge.
• Do different exercises at ever workout. Calves adapt faster than other muscles so they need to constantly be hit with new exercises.
• Make sure that your calves are stretched well while doing your workout.

CALF BUILDING ROUTINES

• Standing Calf Machine
• Seated Calf Machine
• Leg Press Calf Presses

I like to have all of my machines ready before I start so that I can go through the workout without stopping. It’s best to go through each machine, doing as high reps as possible and without resting. Do about 3 cycles of the giant set and your calves should be burning. I love to feel the burn when working my calves. It lets me know that they are being worked. A good idea is to take a supplement that reduces recovery time after completing a calf workout. The worst thing you want is to have to wake up with sore calves especially if you have to walk on them all day.

CONCLUSION

All in all, calf building should not be taken lightly. You really want to feel each rep and feel the muscle working. If you’re not feeling the exercise then you’re probably doing it wrong or need to be using a heavier weight.
Have fun with your journey to monster calves. Do your best and try hard and someday you will have the calves of your dream.

Be honest. Every body has seen that one kid that stands out from the rest. He usually gets made fun of because he’s skinny. His characteristics are tall, long arms, small muscles, thin wrists and ankles. The classic ectomorph. Well if your one of these kids or you want to get big and gain mass this guide is for you.

WHAT IS AN ECTOMORPH?

In the 1940’s psychologist William Herbert Sheldon began associating body types with human temperament types. Sheldon proposed that the human physique be classed according to the relative contribution of three fundamental elements, somatotypes, named after the three germ layers of embryonic development: the endoderm, (develops into the digestive tract), the mesoderm, (becomes muscle, heart and blood vessels), and the ectoderm (forms the skin and nervous system).  From here he got Endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph. An endomorphic body is characterized by increased fat storage, a wide waist, and large bone structure. While the mesomorph is characterized by large bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide shoulders and narrow waist. So obviously the mesomorph is the perfect body for bodybuilding. Here are some examples of an ectomorph.

• Definitive “Hard gainer”
• Delicate built body
• Flat chest
• Fragile
• Lean
• Lightly Muscled
• Small Shouldered

An extreme ectomorphic body is a delicate and fragile one. The bones light, joints are small and muscles are slight. The limbs are relatively long compared to a mesomorph or endomorph. The ectomorph is not naturally powerful and will have to work hard for every ounce of muscle and strength he can get.
Some ectomorphs have long fingers, toes, and neck. The neck may be classified as a pencil neck. The features of the face are sharp and defined. The hair is fine and grows very quickly.
A famous ectomorphic bodybuilder is Flex Wheeler. He has very thin ankles and wrists but that’s not stopping him. These features actually make his forearms and calves look bigger. And that’s not so bad, now is it? Flex Wheelers wrists measure a measly 6 inches. Yet his arms are almost four times that. If you are every in need of some motivation to help you get started on your path to gaining mass and getting huge, all you have to do is remember this guy. Look him up and read his story. Just because you may be described as an ectomorph, doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance at gaining muscle. You are just going to have to work a lot harder.

DIET TIPS

If you are an ectomorph that has trouble gaining weight and muscle, you’re known as a hard gainer.  I’m guessing you have probably tried before to gain weight and muscle but have had no success. Does this mean you’re never going to get bigger? Of course not! If you eat big you will get big. If you’re eating around 4,000 calories a day, your body is going to have no chance but to grow.
A hard gainers diet should consist of about 50% carbohydrates, 25% protein, and 25% good fats. Most people do best by taking their lean body mass and multiplying it by 12. While, hard gainers benefit the most off 24 calories for ever pound of lean mass. So if you weigh 100 pounds, a good diet should consist of about 2400 calories. (100 x 24)
If you are trying to get up to 200 pounds a good rule is to take the weight and multiply it by about 2. This means if you want to get to 200 pounds, you are going to need to consume around 400 grams of protein. Your protein should be coming from steak, eggs, chicken, protein shakes, and milk. These protein sources are dense in calories so they are great for bulking.
Protein shakes are one of the greatest assets when trying to gain size fast. They are quick, easy, and can usually be finished very quick. But, protein powder and milk alone, will not give you many calories so you are going to have to find other sources to get the rest of your protein and calories from. An easy way to add a lot of calories to your protein shake is to add a tablespoon or two of olive or flax oil.
When trying to gain weight there are several items that could be added to a shake to make a homemade weight gainer. Some of these items include:

• Oatmeal
• Fruit
• Peanut Butter
• Cottage Cheese

All of this food would be a lot to eat in a meal. This can be made a lot easier by blending them in shake. Therefore you would have a homemade weight gainer shake.

PROTEIN SHAKE RECIPES

Protein-Carb Almond Blast
Ingredients:
-2 scoops of 100% Whey powder
- About 12 ounces of skim milk
-1 cup of dry oatmeal
-1 cup of raisins
-12 shredded almonds
-1 tbsp of peanut butter

Berry Blast
Ingredients:
-2 scoops of 100% Whey Powder
-4 strawberries
-15 blueberries
-16 ounces of nonfat milk
-1 cups of ice cubes

Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffle
Ingredients:
-2 scoops of Chocolate flavored whey powder
-1 teaspoon creamy peanut butter
-16 ounces nonfat milk
-1/2 cup of ice cubes

Strawberry Nut Shake
Ingredients:
-2 scoops of vanilla flavored whey
-1 cup of fat-free strawberry yogurt
-6 shredded macadamia nuts

Creatine Catalyst
Ingredients:
-2 scoops of vanilla flavored whey
-5 granny smith apples
-5 grams creatine powder
-1/2 cup of ice cubes

At first it may be hard to eat this high amount of calories but it is a good base to build off of. The ectomorph body has an incredibly high metabolism that is constantly burning calories. This means that the body needs more calories than normal to gain weight. A high metabolism is the normal cause of low weight in hard gainers.

MEAL PLANS

• MEAL 1 (7 AM)
-1 ½ to 2 cups of dry oats
-3 egg whites
-Banana
       Supplements:
       -Protein Powder
       -Multi Vitamin
• MEAL 2 (10 AM)
-Weight Gainer shake such as Cytosport Cytogainer mixed with 16 ounces of skim milk. Mix this with 1 scoop of Natural Organic peanut butter
• MEAL 3( 12 NOON)
-1 ½ cups of brown rice
-6-8 oz Chicken
-2 cups of preferred vegetable
• MEAL 4(3 PM)
-Another Weight Gainer Shake as mentioned before
• MEAL 5(6 PM)
-Baked Potato
-2 cups of preferred vegetable
-6-8 oz Fish
• MEAL 6( 8 PM)
-Banana
-Protein Shake
• MEAL 7(10:30 PM)
-Slow moving protein shake such as MHP Probolic

SIDE NOTES

At first this may seem like an excessive amount of food to eat. It is easiest to work up to this amount. Say, adding 500 calories each day until you reach your desired calorie intake. But remember, if you’re eating this amount of calories your body will have no choice but to grow. Like I said before, you have to eat big to get big. However, this does not mean eating sugars and sweets. This may seem like an easy way to bulk but in the long run a clean bulk will pay off. If you bulk off just eating sugars and junk food, you will become flabby instead of defined.
Some people may say that when an ectomorph is trying to bulk, they should cut out all cardio. Just because ectomorphs have a hard time gaining weight, doesn’t mean they should cut off cardio. If cardio is not enforced, they person will get a fatty bulk and not have that nice, toned, defined look. Many ectomorphs have abs just from being so skinny and if you don’t have a clean bulk you will easily lose these.

QUICK TIPS

• Keep drinking water. Even if you’re not thirsty keep drinking the water. And other liquids don’t count.
• Avoid Processed Foods
• Avoid diet drinks
• EAT, EAT, AND EAT. But eat healthy.
• Train Heavy For Short Periods. Not long with light weight. Hard gainers need to lift heavy to build muscle
• Avoid sodium intake. High salt intake can be harmful to the body.

TRAINING

When training, your focus should be mainly on lifting heavy for low reps. Make sure you have proper form for every rep. Never sacrifice form for more reps. An exercise done improperly is just like not doing one at all. You may find that while lifting heavy weights, you find your body jerking back and forth. In reality this is doing you no good what so ever. I would advise that you never go under 8 reps in a set.

3 DAY WEEK- SPLIT WORKOUT

Chest, Shoulders, Triceps:
• Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
• Incline Dumbbell Flys
• Smith Machine Flat Bench Press
• Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
• Arnold press
• Standing Front Laterals
• Shoulder Shrugs
• Dips
• Skull Crushers
• Tricep Puchdown
Arms and Back:
• Preacher Curls
• Hammer Curls
• 21’s
• Standing Barbell Curls
• Pullups
• Lat Pulldowns
• T-Bar Rows
Legs:
• Leg Extensions
• Leg Curls
• Leg Press
• Calf Raises

A lot like the meal plan this is just a base to build off of. You can change around which exercises you do because there are several variations of each. Bodyweight exercises should be done regularly. I would not recommend doing deadlifts because they can easily be harmful if done incorrectly.
You should include abdominal workouts at least 3 times a week in your workouts. Your going to need to not only do ab workouts but also workouts that work your core. A strong core is the base of any bodybuilders. You will be consuming a lot of calories so you want to keep nice, defined abs.

CONCLUSION

All in all, gaining weight and achieving the body of your dream will take a lot of work but if you try hard it can definitely be done. You may have had problems with weight gain in the past but that will all change now. Have some, confidence and everything will fall in place. Now what are you doing here? Go eat!

By: Kasey Esser
8/10/08

At first thought bodybuilding and college don’t seem to gel together.  As you know, living the bodybuilding lifestyle requires eating consistently and frequently throughout the day, hard lifting at least an hour per session, and 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  Living the college lifestyle usually requires eating frantically and sporadically throughout the day, hard studying at least a couple hours a day and a maximum of 4-5 hours of sleep a night.  Leading these lives simultaneously can prove to be difficult and frustrating.  As a collegiate bodybuilder myself, I know the many pitfalls that college poses in regard to achieving bodybuilding goals.  However, the 4 or so years you attend college can be one of the most fruitful times of your life in regard to both your bodybuilding goals and life in general.  This is not an article on how to bodybuild in college it’s all about finding a balance and remembering always to have fun and enjoy the unique, abundant experiences college has to offer.

My first year as a collegiate bodybuilder had its ups and downs.  How was I supposed to be a self-proclaimed bodybuilder and still give all I had to the fun times of college?  At first I struggled, as expected.  I had made up a list of bodybuilding goals I wanted to achieve in my first semester of college and I intended with all my might to meet those goals.  When I arrived naïve and awe struck on that first day on a new campus in a different state I was amazed at how many opportunities lay before me.  The first week I had made so many friends I couldn’t even remember all their names.  So many new things were being thrown at me that bodybuilding was one of the last things on my mind.  I didn’t even lift that first week I was there.  Once the initial whirlwind died down though, I got down to business.  Bodybuilding had risen back to the forefront of my mind along with school and all my new friends.  As my first year of college flew by I learned quite a bit about what it takes to maintain a life as a bodybuilder and a normal college kid with an active, exciting social life!

Nutrition
As bodybuilders, nutrition is the number one priority in our world.  As a college student, eating right and eating frequently was tough.  I did my best though, routinely being one of the few who showed up to breakfast at our dining hall.  One of the best tips I can give to other collegiate bodybuilders in regard to nutrition is like a Boy Scout, to always be prepared.  Pack numerous bodybuilding snacks and drinks in your backpack so if you ever end up in a rush (as in every day) and can’t make it to the dining hall to eat you’ll be ready.  As far as what the dining hall offers, just be sensible and choose wisely.  For example, if you have a choice between what looks like a fatty cut of beef and skinless chicken breast what are you going to choose?  Most schools offer a wide variety of protein rich food and as a bodybuilder you probably have the supplements needed to make on your own.  Don’t freak out about splurging, have fun and drink that chocolate milk or eat those cookies you’ve been eyeing for the past week.  Contrary to what many bodybuilding sources tell you, it won’t undo weeks of gains you made.  I promise.  Because you eat like a bodybuilder you will get made fun of and teased about it.  It’s usually not hurtful, other people just can’t understand why you eat the way you do or why you have to drink all those protein shakes.  Just laugh it off and if a guy is questioning you about it just flex your bicep at him and he’ll be quiet.  Trust me, I’ve done it.  

Also, with all those new friends I made, there were a lot of opportunities to eat out.  Don’t pass on these chances!  Just because it is not on your diet to eat Hooter’s wings doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.  Never put bodybuilding ahead of developing relationships with friends.  It’s not worth it.  In the end, it really isn’t impossible to eat like a bodybuilder and eat like a normal human with your friends provided you make the effort to plan ahead and take advantage of the all you can eat buffets!

Training
The other obvious priority in a bodybuilder’s life is actual bodybuilding training!  This is one of the easiest aspects of bodybuilding to manage while in college.  Believe it or not, you won’t need to study all day like your parents or whoever may have said.  There will be time to lift.  It just depends on your schedule and your school gym’s hours.  Lucky you if your gym is open 24/7.  Mine isn’t so I have to account for that.  Late afternoon around 3 or 4 is usually the best time to lift because classes are over and there’s really not much to do around this time so take advantage of that window.  If you are busy around this time, you will have to go in the evening or God forbid early in the morning.  There were days when I knew I wouldn’t be able to lift at my normal time so I would go at 6 a.m. to get in my lifting and breakfast, and sometimes a shower before my 8 a.m. class.  You just got to do what you got to do.  If it comes down to it though, never put studying behind lifting.  If you only have 1 hour in the day to lift or study, make sure you study.  I know it sucks because you would rather lift but I made this mistake a few times and it cost me.  And keep in mind that your parents are most likely funding your education so keep that in mind too.  Getting an A in a class is much more important than missing a day of lifting.

Sleep
From my experience and stories I’ve heard from my bodybuilding-conscious friends, sleep is the hardest piece of the puzzle to come by in college.  It’s just the nature of college.  There are so many people to hang out with and so much studying procrastination that the hours after 10 o’clock are always eventful.  For a bodybuilder, this can be a tough pill to swallow (no pun intended).  When I arrived at school I was used to going to bed early and I quickly found out I could not maintain this early to bed philosophy if I was to maximize my college experience.  So I made a little sacrifice and started staying up later, especially on the weekends and it made a big impact in terms of the amount of fun I had and the enriching of those all important college friendships.  The conversations you have w/ people after 11 o’clock are the ones that really stick with you.  Granted, I usually didn’t get the full 8 hours recommended by almost everyone but I did my best to maintain a balance between staying up late with my non-health conscious friends and getting the sleep needed to maximize my bodybuilding gains.  You can make gains on less than 8 hours of sleep so go ahead and stay up late (but not too late) with your friends and have fun!

Drinking
This is a topic that is shied away from by most collegiate bodybuilders because they are either afraid to admit that they drink every now and then or afraid to say that they don’t (for coolness reasons).  This is a big topic though because no matter what school you go to drinking will be present, even at a  “dry” campus like mine.  Most likely, you know drinking doesn’t have a place in a serious bodybuilding program because of its testosterone inhibiting effects and empty calories.  I, for one, don’t drink and am not afraid to admit it.  I did receive a lot of questions about why I didn’t and answered them truthfully.  If they don’t like the answer don’t worry about it, bodybuilding is not an endeavor for those who desire to please others.  There will be temptation and if you do give in don’t beat yourself up about it, but if you have any serious bodybuilding aspirations then you likely will not have any desire to.  You can still have fun at parties without drinking because I have a lot of fun at every party I go to.  The fun part is about being around your friends and the music and the dancing.  Most likely, if you don’t drink then you will have friends who don’t drink so try to spend time with them if you start to feel left out at a party because everyone else is drunk.  And it’s always fun to make fun of the people who are way too drunk with your other sober friends.  

For me, bodybuilding and college go hand in hand.  The college life gives me a break from the disciplined life I lead as a bodybuilder and bodybuilding gives me a refuge from the hectic college life.  It’s all about finding a balance and staying true to yourself.  Use my experience as a guide and do what works best for you.  Realize college is such a unique opportunity and take advantage of it in the short 4 years you’re given.

As bodybuilders, we can tend to get caught up in ourselves and our lifestyle a little too much.  We have to always have an eye on the big picture and realize that bodybuilding is not the be-all and end-all of our existence.  Try to live the bodybuilding lifestyle as best as you can in college but remember not to take yourself too seriously and to always have fun.  The day bodybuilding feels like a job or chore is the day I stop.  After all it is college and it is supposed to be the most fun part of your life and so far I believe it has definitely lived up to that billing.  So take in all the opportunities it has to provide and grow and have fun at the same time!