These are just a handful of emails I’ve gotten from guys complaining about not being able to build muscle.

Not because they can’t stick with a workout, but because they can’t seem to eat enough to gain weight.

They like to blame their “fast” metabolism.

They claim to eat huge amounts of food but the scale still never goes up.

So are these guys right?

The truth about your “fast metabolism”

Let’s cut the crap.

What most guys think is a “fast” metabolism is actually one (or a combination) of the following:

• Small appetite
• Increased activity levels (usually younger guys playing sports or have strenuous jobs), which lead to higher calorie requirements
• Laziness to track how much you’re eating

Small appetite: “But I eat so much and still can’t gain weight”

The high school athlete who trains water polo 3 hours per day?

Sure, they really need to eat a lot to gain weight.

But they’re the exception.

What about everyone else?

The reality behind this phrase is that you are likely eating a lot, but only on occasion.

This is the guy will go out to a Chinese buffet on a Saturday night, stuff himself till he can barely walk, and complain about not gaining weight.

But on Monday, this same guy skips breakfast, has a bag of chips for lunch, maybe drinks a protein shake a few hours later, and has a turkey sandwich for dinner.

Stop saying, “But I eat so much and still can’t gain weight.”

Most guys who eat “a lot,” only do so on occasion, but never on a daily basis.

You don’t have a fast metabolism. You just don’t track how much you’re eating.

Let me ask you something: “Do you track how much you’re eating on a daily basis?”

If you answered anything other than “yes,” then you have no right to complain about having a fast metabolism.

You might “feel” like you’re eating a lot, but the numbers don’t lie.

Until you buckle down for 2 weeks and track how much your calories,  then you really have no idea what you’re talking about.

Use Myfitnesspal, a spreadsheet, your notes app, a notepad, or whatever.

Just track, and be honest with yourself.

To gain weight, most guys need a daily calorie intake of 16-18x their bodyweight in pounds. 

Consistently eating a lot is fucking hard

Knowing and tracking how much you should eat is one thing.

But now comes the hard part, actually doing it.

When I first tried to gain muscle, I literally had to force down peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to hit my calorie goal for the day.

Because I knew if I didn’t, I wouldn’t gain pack on any size.

So if you struggle with getting enough calories, here are some tips for you:

• Do NOT follow something like intermittent fasting. IF works great for cutting and maintaining, but if you need 4000 calories per day, it can be hard to do in 1-3 meals. Don’t get me wrong, it can work fine for gaining mass, but realistically, cramming so many calories into 1-3 meals is tough. It’s much easier to eat 4-6 meals per day.
• Drink MEGA shakes. 1-3 times per day, make a MEGA shake (shakes super high in calories). A couple of these shakes can easily put you in a surplus. Here’s a sample recipe:
  • 2 scoops protein powder
  • 8 oz coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • Spinach, strawberries, or other fruits you want
• Peanut butter. Peanut butter is your friend, or any foods high in fat.

[thrive_text_block color=”note” headline=”How much weight should you be gaining per week?”]

If you start consistently eating enough to gain weight, you should expect a large spike in weight your first week.

But this is largely due to increases in water weight and muscle glycogen (assuming your workout is up to snuff).

But after the first week or so, you shouldn’t be gaining any more than 1 pound per week.

Any more, and you’re putting on more body fat than lean muscle.

[/thrive_text_block]

Here’s what to do if you think you have a “fast” metabolism and can’t gain weight

If you’re really having trouble gaining weight and think it’s because of your fast metabolism, here’s what you do:

Ask yourself: Do you eat a lot every day or just on occasion (e.g. on weekends)?

If you only binge on the weekends, then you’re not eating enough during the rest of the week. Start eating more consistently and track that shit.

Start tracking what you eat

Track how many calories you’re eating per day.

Track what you eat, be honest, and don’t bullshit yourself

No need to lie and act like your food logs will be leaked, Ashley Madison style.

No one cares but your ego.

Track honestly.

If you have a small appetite, try eating smaller, more frequent meals. Drink some mega shakes and eat peanut butter.

I find that your appetite starts getting better once you start consistently eating a lot. So don’t worry, it does get easier.

In the end, it’s a numbers game.

If you know you’re eating X calories per day and not gaining weight, then increase it by 200.

If you’re still not gaining weight, increase by another 200 calories.

It’s not like you’re trying to treat a bullet wound with only dental floss and a bottle of Jack (not that I’ve ever done that).

It’s just math, guys.

You can do it.

Of course, while eating a fuck ton will put on weight, it won’t put on that sexy muscle mass you want.

To do that, you need to lift weights.  And unlike most guys who never see results, you can’t mindlessly bench press and curl your way into a superhero body.

Luckily I cut out all the guess work for you with Superhero Shredding 2.0. All you have to do is follow the plan (and eat enough), and you’ll look like a real life version of that David statue thingy.

The post About Your Fast Metabolism (And The Truth Behind Why You Can’t Gain Weight) appeared first on FitMole.

So total, I’m pulling a raw 323 pounds. Most lat pull down machines only go up to 200 pounds.

Side note: For those interested, I’m using the Brute Belt which is hands down the best dip belt on the market. It’s slightly more pricey, but it’s arguably the highest quality belt on the market and if I’m going to be using it for years to come, you may as well invest in the best. This was after being stuck at 120 pound weighted chin up since I haven’t invested in a weighted belt yet. I spend the last 3 months of my life simply sticking 120 pound dumbbells between my legs. And let me tell you, sticking 120 pounds between your legs isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world.

Most beginners or most people who follow mainstream fitness advice in magazines, and even bodybuilders tend to promote lifting in the mid-high rep range (8-12+ reps). This is fine for getting the “pump” and building mass but it does very little for real world strength gains.

Look, I love lifting heavy.

I think it’s one of best things in the world, right after pie.

There are so many reasons for you to focus on heavy lifting (3-5 reps).

Here are the top 5 that came to my head while I took a shower last night.

Reason #1: Improved residual muscle tone

Lifting heavy improves your residual muscle tone.

In other words, you look better without flexing or anything like that.

Have you ever noticed how when you do ‘pump’ training in the 10-12 rep range, your muscles look big and swollen after the gym and for the next 1-2 day but then return to their normal size afterwards?

This is called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, an increase in fluid (sarcoplasm) in muscle cells that results in big puffy muscles that look good for a few days but don’t result in long term muscle fiber growth. In other words, when you try to contract your muscles (or flex) it doesn’t look that impressive.

On the other hand by lifting heavy (3-5 reps), myofibillar hypertrophy occurs which is the actual growth of the muscle fibers which allows you to contract the muscle harder, thus giving you better “muscle tone” even without flexing.

Reason #2: Cut your workout load by 21.69%

How did I come up with the number 21.69%?

I completely made it up.

But you will be able to cut down your workout load by a pretty decent amount once you start training heavier.

The fact is, training heavier recruits more muscle fibers and increases the amount of tension placed on the muscle.

This means that you don’t need to do a dozen different exercises for each body part anymore.

Instead just focus on a handful of exercises and focus on getting freakishly strong at them.

I love to tell clients to focus on getting insanely strong at weighted chin ups if they want a big back and to forget about everything else. If you’re the type of guy who likes to do 5 different exercises for his back so your can “hit it from all angles” but still don’t have a big back, then try focusing on just weighted chin ups and progressing on those. You may pleasantly surprised with the results.

Reason #3: You maintain you muscle much easier

If your training plan revolves around the 8-12 rep range, you’ll probably find your muscles becoming soft if you ever decide to take a week off from training.

This rarely happens when you focus on lifting heavy.

Hell, you can even get away with working out only 2x per week if your routine is smartly laid out.

Reason #4: You train with more intensity

Heavy lifting is not for pussies.

Anyone can lift 5 pound dumbbells for 50+ reps but try doing a chin up with 75% of your bodyweight attached for 5 reps.

It requires focus.

It requires the right mind set.

It requires you to actually track your progress in the gym (which surprisingly very few guys do). Most guys just “wing it.”

If you lack any of these qualities, you won’t last long in this game.

Yes, lifting super heavy is not necessarily easy but that’s the point. Anything worthwhile doing is not easy.

Reason #5: It’s perfect if you want a Hollywood physique

If you want a lean and muscular body like Daniel Craig, Chris Pratt, or Ryan Reynolds, the quickest, most optimal way to do it is by lifting heavy 75% of the time. The other 25% can consist of more high rep pump training stuff.

Everyone thinks you need to train 5+ days per week to get a ripped Hollywood physique, but if you just followed the heavy lifting principles on my site and focused on creating a calorie deficit to lose fat, you’ll be so much further along than everyone else.

Next month (Jan 2015), I’ll be releasing my first premium course, Superhero Shredding which will lay out the entire step-by-step blueprint on how to build a lean and muscular Hollywood body. Be sure to keep an eye out for it.

Edit Jan 12th: It’s out!

Are you lifting heavy or are you lifting nothing but high rep pump stuff? Let me know in the comments below.

P.S. I’m on Instagram now. Apparently you’re not hip and cool if you’re not on Instagram so I had no choice. Follow me plz.

The post 5 Reasons You Must Lift Heavy Ass Weights appeared first on FitMole.

If I went through my email inbox right now and sorted out all the questions I got, they would look something like this:

20% – I’m overweight, how can I lose weight?

10% – I’m skinny, how can I gain weight?

5% – Various questions on supplements, training, and nutrition

5% – I’m a hot and sexy single in your area, want to bang?

60% – How do I build muscle and lose fat at the same time?

See something interesting with the above?

The majority of people I know want to lose fat and build muscle AT THE SAME TIME.

They don’t just want to build muscle, and they don’t just want to lose fat. They want to do both at the same time.

And I get it. Everyone wants to get shit done as fast as possible, we want to lose 30 pounds of fat and pack on 20 pounds of muscle in 3 months.

But guess what? That shit ain’t going to happen.

For everyone that wants to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, let me save you years of frustration, IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

Okay let me rephrase that, it’s not going to happen the way you want it to.

The 2 (most realistic) ways you’ll gain muscle and lose fat at the same time

1) You’re a complete newbie to training

2) You cycle your calories (eat more on training days, eat less on rest days) and accept that gaining muscle/losing fat simultaneously will take a VERY VERY long time

Look at #1. When you’re a total beginner and you’re just getting into working out, pretty much anything you do is going to spark a change in your body. So a lot of guys go through what’s called the “newbie effect” where they tend to gain a decent amount of muscle and lose fat at the same time even if they’re eating in a calorie deficit.

Note: If you are a complete beginner to building muscle, read this post: The Ultimate Guide To Building Muscle

For #2, it’s very possible to lose fat and build muscle with calorie cycling. The concept being you overeat on your training days to gain muscle and undereat on your rest days to lose fat. Like I said, this does work but the results are exponentially slower than traditional bulking and lean bulking so most guys just get too frustrated and give up which is why I rarely recommend it.

This is one area where I actually agree with professional bodybuilders. During the on season, they try to get as ripped as possible and during the off season, they try to gain as much muscle as possible.

Some get super fat during the off season (you should never do this), but the main point is that they are able to maximize their fat loss and muscle building results because they only focus on one thing at a time.

How to stop being frustrated and build the body of your dreams

There are a few things you need to do:

• Stop trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, especially if you’re not a beginner.
• Even though it’s possible to do both at the same time via calorie cycling, most people do not have the patience to do it successfully. It’s an extremely long process.
• If you’re looking for a more badass physique with a sleek v-taper, chances are you need to gain more muscle.
• If you’re dead set on having a body like Brad Pitt in Fight Club, you can probably get away by just gaining a bit of muscle and focus on leaning down permanently.
• But….if you want a more powerful/muscular physique like Chris Evans, Henry Cavill, or John Krasinski, you need to put on a substantial of muscle so getting a ripped six pack shouldn’t be your #1 priority right away.

What do you guys think? Have you successfully gained muscle and lost fat at the same time? Let me know in the comments.

The post Stop Trying To Build Muscle And Lose Fat At The Fucking Same Time appeared first on FitMole.

Updated 08/07/2015: I just updated the article below to include more detailed information on how to structure your calorie surplus while lean bulking plus included more information for women as well..

So lately I’ve been getting a bunch of emails and they look something like this:

• “Hey Keith, what’s the best way for me to gain muscle without fat. I want to pack on the size but I don’t want my six-pack to disappear.”
• “Dude I need help gaining muscle but I don’t want to get fat. Is there any way to gain muscle mass without any fat?”
• “I’m not really looking to lose weight anymore, but how do you build muscle without getting fat?”
• “Neglected and lonely housewife. Looking for company. Interested?”

So if you’ve ever wondered what the best way to build muscle with minimal fat is, then this is the article for you.

And my best tip for responding to sex messages on the internet? Don’t respond to sex messages on the internet.

Stay safe.

A note to beginners

If you’re a complete beginner who has never weight trained before, then you have no business reading this article.

Read this article instead.

Beginners can get away with eating more calories since they have never been exposed to weight training, thus any extra calories will primarily be used to build muscle.

Whereas on the other hand, intermediate and advanced trainees need to be more careful. They tend store any excess calories as fat since they’ve already gone through the initial “beginners growth spurt.”

Structuring your diet for maximum muscle and minimal fat

Gaining muscle with minimal fat is a relatively simple process.

You simply need to eat more on your training days, and less on your off days.

That’s it, in the simplest explanation possible.

By increasing your caloric intake on training days, you’re ensuring that the excess calories are used to build new muscle tissue.

And by eating less on off days, you’re ensuring that you don’t gain any weight.

Make sense? Cool.

Let’s get into more detail.

Calculating your calories for training days and off days

If you already know your maintenance intake then great, use that.

But if you don’t then here is a crap shoot formula that you can use.

I call it a crap shoot because there are simply too many variables to say any formula is 100% accurate. No matter how complex a formula may seem, in the end, it’s just a formula.

Formula to estimate maintenance intake: 15 kcals x bodyweight in pounds.

Women can start a bit lower and a 14x multiplier.

Like I said, the above formula is a crap shoot but it’s a good starting point.

For example, if you’re a stripper and doing your thing on a pole all night, then you’re going to need more calories than some who’s um…not a stripper.

But if you’re sitting at a cubicle for most of the day, then you’re obviously not going to need that many calories.

Basically the more active you are, the more calories you need.

For lean bulking, here’s what your calorie intake is going to look like:

Training day intake: maintenance intake + approx. 500 calories

Off day intake: maintenance intake + approx. 100 calories 

Why approx. 500 calories  more on training days?

On training days, I want you to eat approximately 500 more calories than your maintenance intake.

I say approximately because it depends on a handful of factors including sex, age, activity levels.

Older guys and women typically need less calories to build muscle. If this is you and you’re only going to the gym and not doing much else, then use a 500 calorie surplus.

But if you’re more active…for example, if you go to college and walk around a lot between classes or have a hard labor job like construction, then you’re probably going to need more than a 500 calorie surplus.

In cases like these, make sure to bump up your calorie surplus anywhere from 700-1000+.

Why approx. 100 calories more on off days? Why not just eat at maintenance levels?

So why do I still want you to eat 100 calories more on off days instead of just staying at maintenance levels?

Because it’s dangerous.

To maximize protein synthesis, you need to be in at least a slight calorie surplus. I have no problem with someone staying at maintenance levels while lean bulking on off days but by doing so you’re being too risky and have a higher chance of being in a deficit than anything else.

This is why you should still aim to be in a slight surplus (i.e. about 100 calories) to reduce any risk.

And no, you won’t get super fat. 100 calories isn’t very much but it’s enough to ensure you’re not in a deficit.

But also remember, if you’re more active on off days, you need to eat more to compensate for whatever extra activity you do.

For example, if you go for a hike on off days, be sure to eat a few extra hundred calories to compensate for the calories burned during the hike.

How should you train?

There is no right or wrong way to train, although most people respond best to hitting each muscle twice per week.

This can easily be done with a 4 day upper/lower body split which has been shown to be incredibly effective with people.

The Titan Series (my intermediate workout series) in Superhero Shredding 2.0 has exactly that.

What’s wrong with traditional bulking?

There are 2 problems with traditional bulking:

1) You get fat as fuck (aka you look like crap)

2) Gaining excess body fat is unhealthy

From a psychological point of view, traditional bulking is 100x easier than losing weight.

You don’t have hunger pangs, you always have energy in the gym, and you can go out to eat stress-free.

This is why people get so excited to bulk. They see it as an excuse to eat whatever they want and rationalize any fat gain with the need to bulk.

Don’t be like most people.

Stay lean and gain muscle.

Patience my friend. Lean bulking takes time. A lot of time.

Remember, the whole point of lean bulking is to gain muscle with minimal fat.

And when you’re not gaining a lot of fat like most people, you’re going to think that you’re not progressing.

If you’re like most intermediate trainers, you shouldn’t expect to gain more than 1 pound of muscle per month.

Sounds pretty shitty, huh?

But what were you expecting?

Everyone has a genetic muscular limit and the more muscle you continue to gain, the slower the gains will come.

And the “1 pound per month” refers to pure 100% lean muscle tissue. If you add 1 pound of muscle, especially if it’s to your arms or shoulders…the differences in your physique are going to be pretty massive.

Conclusion

Basically here’s lean bulking in a nutshell:

• Traditional bulking for non-beginners is unnecessary, sloppy, and unhealthy.
• Eat approx. 500 more calories on your training days depending on your sex, gender, and activity levels.
• Eat approx. 100 more calories on off days depending on your activity levels.
• Train each muscle group 2x per week with a well-structured program.
• Don’t expect to gain more than 1 pound of muscle per month (yeah, muscle growth is painfully slow once you past the newbie stages)

Have a question on lean bulking.  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

The post The Lost Art of Lean Bulking: How To Gain Muscle Without Fat appeared first on FitMole.

Note: This guide has just been updated in 2015 with brand new information regarding tracking, a new workout split, and new info on nutrition. 

Note #2: This guide is intended for the absolute beginner who has never touched a weight before or the person who has been screwing around the gym for the past 5 years and hasn’t seen any progress at all.  

Step #1 – Find your motivation (exactly why do you want this?)

The first step of achieving any goal is to ask yourself “why?”

Why do you want to gain muscle? Why do you want to transform your body?

Did you get bullied as a kid and want to be more intimidating?

Do you want to impress women and get laid more? <—– 90% of male population

Whatever your reason, just make sure that you understand why you’re doing this. Dig deep.

Peel back the onion layers (like Shrek told Donkey) and reveal the root cause of why you’re putting in all this hard work. And every time you feel like quitting, remind yourself of why you’re doing this.

Remember, the journey of building muscle is just as important as the end result. It’s on this “journey” that you grow not only physically, but mentally as well.

This is why so many guys struggle with building muscle – because they don’t have the mental “toughness” to pull it off.

Step #2 – Reprogram your mindset, set realistic expectations

• Gain 50 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks…
• Our proprietary blend of armadillo amino acid milk and cow liver extract is guaranteed to increase muscle mass by 117.54%…
• Scientists have recently discovered an ancient muscle building trick used by the Aztecs, just pay $97 to learn all about it….
• Learn how to get jacked without spending any time in the gym (sit on your couch and watch tv to get jacked)…

You see, ridiculous, “too good to be true” claims are usually just that, too good to be true.

They sound sexy, and prey on the minds of the uneducated and the sad thing is that it works. People believe in these shady marketing tactics and wonder why they aren’t seeing results after dropping $100 on that new “revolutionary” supplement.

If you want to have success with building muscle, you need to reprogram your mindset.

This is one of the fundamental concepts of the non-fitness lifestyle I teach on FitMole.

You need to understand that:

• There are no quick fixes.
• If proper training and nutrition is taken care of, a beginner can expect to gain anywhere from 15-30 pounds in their first year of training depending on your current height, weight, age, and various genetic factors. That might not sound like a lot but trust me, it is. If you need a visual, just think of a 20 pound steak, and imagine that being added to your body
• Unless it involves sticking a needle in your body, most muscle building supplements are bullshit. Anything that claims to be “revolutionary” usually is not and anything that markets itself to be the reason you’re not gaining muscle should be ignored entirely.

Stick with the basics – train hard, eat well, and get enough rest, limit the amount of stress in your life and it’s pretty much impossible to fail

Never try to cheat the system, because it NEVER works.

Step #3 – Track yo’ shit (weight, tape measurements, progress pics)

If you’re not tracking then you’re just guessing.

Sure, you could just go lift, eat a crap ton of food and hope for the best…but why would you do that when you have a wide variety of methods to help track and optimize your progress so you make sure you’re gaining actual lean muscle mass and not just a bunch of fat.

Here are the various methods I recommend you to use to track your progress when building muscle.

I recommend using all of these methods.

Method #1 – Measure your weight via a scale

Recommended Frequency: 1x per week right after you wake up and take a piss. Do not eat or drink anything before weighing yourself.

This is the most commonly used method to track progress.

But what most guys don’t realize is that the scale measures your weight, that’s all.

It doesn’t measure your body fat or lean muscle mass, it measures everything in your body. So if you get boob implants, the scale would effectively go up.

Also the scale is heavily influenced by water weight which constantly changes depending on the types of food you eat. High carb foods, excess sodium, and supplements like creatine monohydrate make people hold more water.

This is why the scale should be used as only one measuring point.

Measure yourself 1x per week, on the same day, preferably in the morning after you piss and before you eat/drink anything.

In terms of how much weight you should be gaining, the first week is typically more due to spikes in water and glycogen, but after that, you should be gaining about 0.5 pounds per week.

Method #2: Tape measurements

Recommended Frequency: 1x per week right after you wake up and take a piss. Do not eat or drink anything before measuring yourself. 

Tape measurements are another way of measuring progress.

As you workout and eat more, body parts including your waist, shoulders, arms, and legs will grow bigger.

A good indication that you’re progressing in the right way is when all other body parts excluding your waist is getting bigger.

If only your waist gets bigger but other parts of your body remain the same, then that’s an indicator that you’re gaining way too much fat.

Here are the body parts I recommend taking weekly measurements of:

Notes: Obviously take off your clothes when measuring and make sure to use soft (not hard) measuring tape so you can easily wrap it around your body. 

• Shoulders (at the widest point)
• Chest (right across nipples)
• Legs (at widest point)
• Waist (at belly button)
• Arms (take measurement with biceps flexed at widest point)

Method #3: Progress pics

Recommended Frequency: 1-2x per week right after you wake up and take a piss. Do not eat or drink anything before taking a pic. Take front and back pics.

This is my favorite way to measure progress because the mirror will never lie to you.

The majority of you are here to visually improve your body, and there’s not better way of measuring that than by simply looking at yourself in the mirror and taking pictures.

Take a picture at the start of your muscle building journey and 3-7 days, take another picture.

This shouldn’t be hard especially with how easy it is to create photo albums on smartphones.

Slowly over time, you should see your body get bigger, leaner, and more muscular and within a few months you’ll have a badass photo collection of your transformation.

Step #4 – Use the sample 3-day muscle building workout below

There are A LOT of different muscle building workouts out there.

But which one is most popular and will yield the greatest results for a beginner?

While single body part splits can work (giving a body part its own dedicated day), research has shown that natural lifters respond best when hitting a muscle group multiple times per week.

This is why I recommend beginners to perform a 3-day full body split like the one below.

And no, this isn’t a basic “bench, squat, deadlift” workout. I find routines like those too be overly complex and unbalanced for beginners as most don’t even know how to execute those 3 movements properly.

Here’s the workout…

Note: If you’re not a beginner and want something more challenging, check out this ultimate guide on upper/lower workout splits.

Day 1

• Back squat/front squat/leg press (pick one) – 3 sets x 5-7 reps, rest 2 min between sets [SS]
• Dumbbell Lunges – 3 sets x 6-8 reps per leg, rest 1.5 min between sets [SS]
• Incline barbell press/incline dumbbell press (pick one) – 3 sets x 5-7 reps, rest 1.5 min between sets [SS]
• Seated cable row – 3 sets x 6-8 reps, rest 1.5 min between sets [SS]
• Cable crunches – 3-4 sets x 10-15 reps, rest 1 min between sets [SS]

Day 2

• Conventional deadlift/sumo deadlift/trap-bar deadlift/rack pull – 3 sets x 5-7 reps , rest 2 min between sets [SS]
• Dumbbell lunges – 2 sets x 6-8 reps, rest 2 min between sets [SS]
• Seated dumbbell shoulder press – 3 sets x 6-8 reps, rest 1.5 min between sets [SS]
• Chin-ups – 3 x 6-8 reps, rest 1.5 min between sets [SS]
• Barbell curl & triceps extension superset – 3 x 10-12 reps, rest 30 seconds between supersets [SUS]

Day 3

• Leg press – 3 sets x 5-7 reps, rest 2 min between sets [SS]
• Leg curl machine (seated or lying down) – 2 sets x 8-10 reps, rest 1 min between sets [SS]
• 1-arm dumbbell row – 3 sets x 5-7 reps per arm, rest 2 min between sets [SS]
• Incline barbell press/incline dumbbell press (pick one) – 3 sets x 5-7 reps, rest 1.5 min between sets [SS]
• Dumbbell lateral raises & dumbbell rear lateral raises superset – 2 x 10-12 reps, rest 30 seconds between supersets [SS]
• Cable crunches – 3-4 sets x 10-15 reps, rest 1 min between sets [SS]

Notes about the workout:

• [SS]: Straight Set, meaning you pick a weight you can push for the specified rep range. For example, if you’re told to bench press 3 sets x 5-7 reps, you need to pick a weight you can only lift for 5 reps. Then you keep working this same weight until you can easily do it for 7 reps. Once you hit 7 reps, then you increase the weight by 5 pounds or so.
• [SUS]: Super set, meaning you perform both exercises in the SUS without any rest in between. For example, if you’re told to SUS push ups and dips till failure then you perform one set of push ups until you can’t do any more and you immediately move to dips and do as many as you can. Once you’re done with the dips then you’re done with one SUS.
• Make sure you’re lifting with proper form. If you’re performing an incline dumbbell press but feel it more in your shoulders, then chances are you’re not using correct form. Make sure the exercise you’re doing is working the intended muscle.
• The workout is done on an alternating day schedule. So for example, you can do Day 1 on Monday, Day 2 on Wednesday, Day 3 on Friday. Just make sure you have at least one day of rest in between each workout.
• You should be getting stronger every single week. If you aren’t progressing in either the amount of reps or the amount of weight you’re pushing, then something is wrong. Without progressing, there is no way you can grow new muscle tissue.
• You can do this workout for at least 6 weeks before making modifications. But if you continue to continue to get stronger and see results, then just keep doing the program.

5) Rest and don’t overdo it on your off-days

You’re training 3 times per week. Do you understand? I said 3, not 4, not 5.

Don’t be like most guys who try to squeeze in a an extra gym session because you think it’ll help. Trying to do more will just impact recovery, making your next gym session feel like shit. Remember, you’re a beginner so you need to rest. The time you rest is the time you grow.

Doing more simply because you “feel” like you need more is almost never the answer.

If you’re training with the right amount of intensity and as long as you’re not trying to cheat the workout by doing less sets or reps than specified,  then you should be begging for those rest days.

Structure your rest days so you’re not doing anything that’s terribly high intensity. You can do some light walking, foam rolling, mobility work, stretching, etc… just don’t overdo it.

6) Determine your calorie needs

You need to eat in a calorie surplus to gain muscle, meaning you need to eat more than you burn.

It’s the exact opposite of going on a fat loss diet.

But will you get fat from eating so many calories?

Yes I’m not going to lie, you might gain a few pounds of fat, but that’s nothing compared to the amount of muscle you will gain. And once you’ve gained enough muscle, you can easily lose the fat in a matter of weeks.

To calculate daily calorie intake: Multiply your bodyweight in pounds by 16-18.

Start at 16 if you’re very inactive, meaning all you do is sit in front of the computer.

Start at 18 if you’re already very active and your daily life involves a lot of moving around

But also remember – if you’re super active on your off-days (e.g. you walk around the office or campus a lot) you might need to use a number even higher than 18. In these cases, just throw in an extra 200-300 calories on those specific days to make up for whatever calories burned. 

Once you use the formula above to calculate your calorie intake, you need to adjust accordingly. No matter how complex a calorie formula is, it’s always just a crap shoot.

For example, if you use a 16x multiplier but don’t gain any weight the first 2 weeks, then it’s time to bump up the calories by 200-300. The same goes for gaining too much weight. If you go 2 weeks and gain too much weight, then it’s time to lower calories by 200-300 calories.

So you need to learn the art of dynamically adjusting your calorie intake.

7) Determining your macronutrients

After calculating your calorie intake, the next step would be to calculate your macros (aka your proteins, carbs, and fats).

First off we have protein. Protein is necessary to build muscle and at a minimum, aim to consume a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. There’s no problem with eating more protein, but 0.8 grams should be the minimum.

Then we have carbs which are absolutely crucial to help fuel training and refuel muscle glycogen stores.

And last we have fats which are needed to to keep testosterone and hormone levels up.

In the end, it’s best to have a balance of all 3 macros. You don’t want to sway too heavy in any one direction because then you’ll start experiencing negative consequences of going too high or low in any one macro.

While there are formulas to help calculate the exact carb and fat intake you should be getting, I recommend you to focus on your overall calorie and protein intake.

Beginners who try to track all 3 macros (protein, carbs, fats) tend to stress out a bit too much and that’s totally understandable. Tracking protein and overall calories is much easier and as long as you’re getting a nice variety of food, you should get a good amount of both carbs and fats.

Random thoughts

If you do 90% of what I say in the above 7 steps, then I guarantee you’ll have success with gaining muscle. And with that said, here some concluding thoughts I have on the muscle building:

– Get 6-8 hours of sleep every night. You’ve heard it all before but without adequate sleep you’ll risk limiting your muscle growth and a lack of sleep almost always translates to shitty training sessions.

– Don’t be fooled by supplement marketing. Supplements are one of the most controversial and shady markets around. There is very little legal control as to what you can put on the label, so supplement companies are known to stretch the truth, a lot. When building muscle stick with the basics – a multivitamin, fish oil (6-10 grams per day), creatine monohydrate, and whey protein.

– Fill the majority of your diet with nutrient dense foods. Eat foods like fruits, veggies, oatmeal, fatty meats, fish, whole eggs, and nuts…you know typical health food stuff.

– Don’t be afraid to eat your favorite foods. Even though your diet should mainly consist of nutrient dense foods, there’s no reason why you can’t have some ice cream every night. As long as the majority of your calories are coming from whole nutrient dense foods, then feel free to throw in a doughnut, some french fries, or whatever you fancy.

– Pre-workout nutrition isn’t necessary. It’s entirely okay to train fasted, but if you find yourself low on energy, then try a cup of coffee or something with caffeine before you workout.

– Enjoy the process. When it comes to building muscle, I would say the training is harder than the diet, so be sure to bring your A-game to the gym. Eating is relatively easy. You almost never go hungry since you’re in a caloric surplus but the important thing is to just be consistent.

Be sure to leave any comments or questions you have about building muscle as a beginner and I’ll answer them below.

Photo credits: bouche, brtsergio, Dawn

The post The Ultimate 7-Step Beginner’s Guide To Building Muscle appeared first on FitMole.

Most people lift weights without a care in the world about rep tempo. And this is absolutely fine, especially if you’re a beginner.

If you’re a beginner, I wouldn’t even worry about your tempo. Just move the weight up and down in a normally paced, controlled manner.

But for more intermediate/advanced lifters, I would suggest changing up your rep tempo every now and then to stimulate more muscle growth.

Muscles respond to tension

First off understand that the size of your muscles is dictated by the amount of tension you place on them.

The more tension you place on your muscles, the more they’ll grow.

This is why it’s so important to constantly increase the amount of weight and reps you do, because if you keep lifting the same amount of weight, it means you’re constantly applying the same amount of tension on your muscles and thus they will remain the same size.

Why you should change your rep tempo

While increasing the amount of weight and reps you do is an incredibly effective way to gain more muscle, there will come a point where you won’t seem to progress anymore. This is when switching your rep tempo can definitely help.

You should switch your rep tempo if:

• You hit a plateau in your muscle building journey
• You lose motivation and you’re simply looking for a different way to train.

One of the most effective rep tempos out there is the 1-0-4-0 tempo.

What is a 1-0-4-0 tempo?

Put simply, a 1-0-4-0 tempo is:

• 1 second on the positive movement
• 4 seconds on the negative movement
• With 0 second pauses at the top and bottom

By going much slower on the negative movement, exploding on the positive, and not resting at the top or bottom, you’re greatly increasing the amount of tension you place on your muscles.

Also note that when using the 1-0-4-0 temp, it’s best to stick around the 8 rep range at approximately 75% of your 1-rep max (1RM) since that will place your muscles between 40-60 seconds of constant tension, which is the most effective amount for muscle growth.

So for example on the bench press, you would take 4 seconds to lower the bar and 1 second to push it up. And remember, you can’t rest at the top or bottom of the movement.

Give it a try in your next workout

Changing your rep tempo is simply another tool to help you build more muscle. In no way, shape, or form am I telling you to stop lifting in heavier (4-6) rep ranges. I’m simply saying that changing your rep tempo every now and then isn’t a bad idea for those experiencing plateaus or training boredom.

So in your next workout, try lifting with a 1-0-4-0 tempo. I guarantee you’ll feel a difference in your workout, especially if you’ve never played around with rep tempo before.

Give it a shot and let me know what you think in the comments.

Photo credit: Ben Harrington

The post Using a 4-0-1-0 Tempo To Gain More Muscle appeared first on FitMole.

What if I told you that constantly shoveling 4000 calories down your throat isn’t necessary to build quality muscle? Interested? Then  keep reading.

The only time to overeat for muscle growth

No matter what your age, overeating by 500 calories seems to be the norm for muscle gaining diets, but I believe that the only time you should be consistently overeating for muscle growth is when you lift weights for the very first time in your life.

When you lift weights for the very first time, you are exposing your body to a brand new stimulus. This is the only time that your body will be able to effectively use the excess calories to build muscle.

This means that 16 year old teens who first sets foot into the gym should be overeating for muscle growth. But 40 year old dudes who have been working out for 10 years and fantasize about having a body like Taylor Lautner should not be doing the same thing as the 16 year old.

I guarantee that the 40 year old guy who tries to overeat everyday in hopes of gaining muscle will just end up looking like Taylor Lautner’s dad(and I literally mean that. See below).

The law of diminishing returns

For those of you who didn’t paid attention in economics class, the law of diminishing returns basically says that beyond some point, each additional unit of variable input yields less and less additional output.

In this case, the variable input will be the calories you eat and the output will be your muscle growth. Overating for muscle growth will only work well once in your life, but after that, it’s game over. If you continue overeating, you’re still likely some gain muscle, but you’ll also gain a ton of fat.

So what’s my advice.

• Do a traditional bulk ONLY once, until you’ve gained about 20 pounds of noticeable lean muscle mass. Train hard, and eat plenty of calories and protein. Be sure to measure your body fat and waist size to make sure you aren’t gaining too much fat. If you are gaining fat, lower your calories by 200 per week until your body fat levels stabilize.
• After bulking up, diet down to a level where you are able to see your abs(<=10% bodyfat)
• Analyze your body. Determine if you are happy with your current physique. Do want even more muscle? Even less fat?
• If you want to build even more muscle, overeat on your training days by just enough to compensate for the energy expended in the gym and eat at your maintenance levels on your non-training days. From this point on in your life, you should never purposely go on a muscle gaining diet again.
• Gaining muscle is more about getting stronger in the gym than it is about eating more food. Increase the weight, not the calories.
• Keep this in mind: constantly bulking not only makes you unattractive, but also incredibly unhealthy. Under NO circumstances should you ever purposely gain exccess body fat.

A few guys making a difference

The guys over at the Adonis Index really hit stride with the concept of “not overeating for muscle growth.” Every year, they host multiple body transformation contests for those who use their product, and all the winners reveal that they never do any sort of bulking.

They solely rely on getting stronger and stronger in the gym to gain muscle.

Oh and BTW these guys are ripped, head over to their site to see what I mean. It’s guys like these that are making the fitness industry a better place.

Yes I know you probably hate me

You know what, if you hate me for saying that going on a muscle gaining diet doesn’t work, then that’s fine.

I understand.

99% of  fitness sites/magazines out there say that you need to eat big to get big. But think about it, those sites make huge amounts of money from selling muscle building supplements, so you can’t really blame them for constantly promoting this whole bulking thing, right?

So I’ll leave it up to you, are you going to be smart and use your only opportunity to bulk once with little consequence or are you going screw it up like most other guys and constantly rationalize your decision to overeat by saying you’rethey’re trying to gain muscle.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

The post Does Bulking Really Work? appeared first on FitMole.

1) Find a random person on the street.

2) Knock out the person with chloroform or with a judo chop and take their body back to your place.

3) Cut open their body with a ninja sword and remove their heart.

4) Kindly ask a friend to put the person’s heart inside of you.

5) Dispose of the body by feeding it to your pet tiger or by throwing it into an alligator lake.

I might be wrong, but last time I checked, the average person only has 1 heart, so what does having 2 hearts do for you? I don’t know if you know, but about 80% of your metabolic rate comes from your organs such as your heart, liver, and kidney.

The other 20% is made up of bones, fat, and muscle. So if you had an extra heart, your metabolic rate would shoot through the roof. NOW THAT’S HOW YOU SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM.

Getting ready to steal your heart

Does having more muscle speed up your metabolism?

Okay, I get it, you’re not into kidnapping people and stealing their hearts. That’s cool. Well… you can always try to gain muscle to speed up your metabolism like all the fitness pros say. But there’s a slight problem with that.

One pound of muscle only increases your metabolism by about 5 calories according to a study done by the American Council On Exercise. That’s a lot less than the typical 10-15 calories that most fitness pros say.

So if a person gains 10 or even 20 pounds of muscle, that only increases their metabolism by 100 calories, which grants them the ability to eat 1 extra slice of bread per day. Hooray!!

Oh and BTW, did you know that gaining body fat increases your metabolism as well. It’s true, gaining one pound of body fat increases your metabolism by 2 calories, so in a sense, you can lose fat by gaining fat(but don’t do that).

Don’t try to lose weight by gaining muscle

When you try to lose weight, you should ONLY be focused on losing weight, nothing else. Many people think that gaining muscle speeds up their metabolism and allows them to eat anything they want.

In fact, you would have to gain 100 pounds of lean muscle in order lose 1 pound of fat per week, and this is impossible to do even with steroids. Bottom line: Use muscle to shape and strengthen your body, not burn fat.

So the next time you’re asked “How do you speed up your metabolism?”, you know what to say:)

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

**Note: Please note that kidnapping a person, stealing their heart, and having your friend put it inside of you is illegal in pretty much every country and planet. Doing so will probably get you arrested and killed. I take no responsibility for any of your actions.

The post Does Gaining Muscle Really Speed Up Your Metabolism?? appeared first on FitMole.