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We all know the key to
bodybuilding and working out especially for competitive bodybuilders, is to make
progress and to continually improve. The emphasis being on the word "building".
So, how do we do that? The answer is this. Basic and compound movements,
rest/recovery, proper supplementation and Food!
These things are needed to grow and pack on the muscle.
Your off-season training,
a.k.a. the bulk phase, should consist of hard and heavy training,
rest- enough recovery time for your muscles to repair, key supplements, and most
of all- lots of FOOD.
In order to grow and put
more muscle on you will need a constant flow of protein in your body. This will
keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance and keep your body from going into
a catabolic state (muscle wasting).
In addition to protein
you'll need plenty of carbohydrates, the complex variety- potatoes, yams, pasta,
brown rice, oatmeal, and whole grain breads.
Eat every two hours and aim
to have protein and carbohydrates at each meal. Eat five to six meals a day. Two
or three meals can come from protein shakes and/or bars. The ones that have a
mixture of carbohydrates and protein are better for gaining muscle and growing.
More dietary factors of
concern are fats and water. Fats are key to getting stronger and growing. Don't
get too excited though. I am speaking of the "good fats". Fats, such as nuts(raw),
natural peanut butter, virgin olive oil, egg yolks, and fish oils are the ones
you want to aim for.
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Water, try and drink at
least two gallons of water a day to stay well hydrated and keep your organs
healthy from all the food, especially from the high protein intake. Not to
mention, water helps lubricate joints(a particular concern when getting bigger
and stronger) and helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their
natural ability to contract.
Cheat meals: This is my
favorite part of the bulk phase. Cheat meals should only be planned during
periods of the year when you are trying to grow and gain mass. During this time
cheat meals eaten one or two times per week are fine- depending on your goals on
body fat percentage. Basically, the leaner you are, the more you can and should
eat.
Cheat meals can be a very
good thing during the off season and the time when you want to gain mass. These
meals will give you the extra calories, sodium, and fat to assist in growth.
A cheat meal now and again also helps with the good old burn out syndrome from
months of hardcore dieting.
But don't force feed to gain mass. Eating a bunch of junk food is not the way to
get big and muscular.
Now let's speak about
your training. Basic and compound movements are the movements for growth and
thickness. You should be training hard, heavy, and intense with basic and
compound movements. Some examples of these exercises are bench presses,
squats, and rows.
Do these exercises
with heavy weights, more rest in between sets, and with less sets and reps. A
rep range between 6-8 is what you want to shoot for. You should hit each body
part once a week. Each exercise should be done heavy, or at least moderately
heavy, to build the most strength in the muscles and connective tissue. For
larger muscles do 3-4 exercises only and for the smaller muscles do
2-3 exercises.
Another mindset is, allow
the off-season to be a time of trying new training techniques and foods.
Experiment with your diet and new training methods. Do not be afraid to change
things up every so often. Off-season training times are good days to learn.
One big goal of your
off-season training program is to bring weaker developed body-parts up
proportionally. This can be accomplished without gaining too much weight in the
off season.
Rest and Recovery: Include more rest in your program. Muscles grow during
recovery. If you don't make time to recover, your muscles just won't grow that
much and you will be so tired that you won't be able to train hard during your
next workout.
Generally speaking, the harder you hit a muscle during a workout, the more
recovery time you will need. Keep in mind that muscles don't grow from training,
they grow while recovering from training.
However, don't rest too much. Tension and hard work are the keys to building
larger muscles and growing.
Supplementation: Supplements give the body what it might not be getting from
foods. They help the body function properly and reach maximum growth.
However, do not look at supplements as the "solution" to your lack of progress.
Yes, some of them do provide an extra boost in strength or fat loss BUT if you
do not have a solid diet & training program as the foundation of your
bodybuilding goals, supplements will do very little for you.
Here are some to consider.
Glutamine
L-Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid and the most abundant amino acid in
the body. L-Glutamine plays an important role in protein metabolism and helps in
energy recovery, muscle rebuilding, fueling the brain and strengthening the
immune system. It also encourages the production of Human Growth Hormone.
10grams 3 times a day. Upon waking in the morning. After your workout and before
bed.
Whey
Protein
Building muscle mass quickly requires a protein supplement and there is no
better source than whey protein. It is pure protein from cow's milk. Whey
protein contains little if any fat, lactose or cholesterol and is a rich source
of essential amino acids. Whey protein isolate is the purest form and is an
ideal supplement for a bodybuilders use.
Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are the 'good fats' omega-3 and omega-6. EFAs help boost
the immune system and have been claimed to improve a number of conditions
including arthritis, depression, brain function, dry skin and hormonal balance.
Like all fats, they are a source of energy but unlike saturated fats which we
try to avoid while building lean muscle, they are a good source. EFAs can
provide adequate energy levels for good performance and ensure metabolic
function.
Creatine
Creatine is synthesized in the liver which produces sufficient amounts for
normal activities. The function of creatine is to help supply energy to the
muscles. It is found naturally in skeletal muscles and studies have shown that
ingesting creatine increases the level in the muscles. They have also shown that
supplementing with creatine does increase performance and help build muscle mass
and strength.
So all of you hardcore meat heads, gym rats, beach built boys, and competitive
bodybuilders. Don't be scared to pack on some size and make some improvements to
your physique.
Treat yourself to a few nice cheat meals a week, go have my favorite- Chinese or
Grandmom's homemade Italian. Train hard and get stronger, get plenty of rest and
take the recovery time necessary for growth, take your supplements, and eat lots
of food to keep a constant flow of protein in your body and you will definitely
GROW!
John Antorino is a bodybuilder/model/actor and nephew of former bodybuilder Mike
Antorino. A great from the 1980's, former Mr. America and Mr. Universe. John is
Personal Trainer certified and Nutrition Consultant certified.
His website is: www.JohnAntorino.com
Feel free to contact him for guest speaking, modeling work, and TV work:
Superman530@yahoo.com
Antorino
