Posts Tagged ‘muscle gains’

3 Reasons Protein Intake is Vital for Muscle Growth

Friday, April 28th, 2023
building muscle with protein intake

Building muscle is part of every fitness journey. While strength training plays a big role in achieving ripped abs, strong calves, or Popeye biceps, sufficient high-quality protein intake is essential for weight loss and optimal muscle growth.  This is because amino acids in protein act as building blocks to repair muscle tears that occur during exercise, support muscle tissue, and help you feel full longer which fuels muscle mass development.  

Research shows that proper protein intake is important for muscle growth because it increases muscle mass, optimizes the metabolism when consumed at the right time, and burns fat layers under the skin to help with better muscle definition to show off those gains.

Check out the 3 ways adequate protein intake can boost your muscle growth.

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Can Sermorelin Therapy Enhance Mass in Bodybuilding?

Sunday, January 2nd, 2022
sermorelin therapy to build muscle

People have always been attracted to achieving extraordinary strength, but it’s important to have some knowledge on the subject before proceeding on a hardcore fitness regimen. Sermorelin therapy helps in attaining and maintaining such a feat. It is a GH-RH (growth hormone-releasing hormone) with a peptide sequence of 29 amino acids which works by acting on the pituitary gland in the brain and increasing the endogenous release of HGH (human growth hormone). Nobel Laureates R.Guilleman and Andrew Schalley described the necessity of GHRH for the development and growth of the body, it has been used for both therapeutic age-related diseases and enhanced growth purposes since the 1970s. 

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7 Ways to Gain Muscle Mass on a Budget

Wednesday, September 8th, 2021
Gain Muscle Mass on a Budget

Building muscle mass does not have to be difficult or expensive. If we keep our gym membership fee low (or workout from home), grocery shop smart, and make smart nutritional choices, we can minimize our budget and maximize our progress. Keep reading to discover some ways to gain muscle mass on a budget.

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Realistic Ways to Gain and Define Muscle

Wednesday, March 13th, 2019
build muscle

Everyone has a different body type, but very few people have well developed biceps, chisels thighs, tight glutes, and rock-hard abs without putting in at least a bit of work. Having great genetics absolutely helps if you want to become more muscular, but it truly doesn’t matter what body type you have if you are determined enough. Be realistic about just how ‘swole’ you want to become, but more importantly be patient with yourself. Gaining muscle is much like losing fat – major changes are not noticeable overnight. So, take things day by day, step by step, and discover these realistic ways to gain and develop muscle mass.

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5 Ways to Start Building Up Your Body Mass

Sunday, January 27th, 2019
Skinny Muscle

Incorporating more muscle training into your life can be beneficial, and there are numerous reasons you might want to build up your body mass. While it may be a great goal to have, it can sometimes be hard to know where to start. Learning how to balance your diet and exercise plans with the correct supplement intake is crucial for safe and successful mass building. Here are five steps you can take to begin building your body mass in the most effective way.

1. Set Goals

Building up your muscular strength and size is a process. While it can be good to jump right in and get started, it is also vital that you take some time to set goals. Not only can goals give you a way to track your progress, but they can also help you to keep things in perspective. You shouldn’t expect instant results, but you should also be able to enjoy the progress you’re making along the way. Goals help you to keep centered on the end results you want while still being able to identify improvement as it happens.

2. Plan Your Diet

Building up your body mass can require some changes in your eating habits. Incorporating a healthy amount of protein can be one of the most important things you can do. While it’s important not to overdo it, protein can act as the building blocks for your muscles and getting enough of it can make a notable difference in the results you get from working out. You may also need to eat more than you have been normally in order to give your body the nutrients it needs to power you through your workouts and recoveries. 

3. Create a Workout Routine

It can be a well-known fact that weightlifting is generally the exercise of choice for individuals interested in building up mass, but there can be a lot of different elements of a good muscle building workout to consider. You should plan a workout that pushes you to be stronger and capable of lifting more. The number of times you repeat a movement and the amount of weight involved should be designed to push you to new levels of strength without causing injury. Keep in mind that recovery time can be just as important as the workout itself and that overdoing it during training can cause more harm than good to your muscles and joints.

4. Consider Using Supplements

While not meant to be used in place of exercise and good nutrition, supplements can be one more tool for you to use in your journey towards increased strength and toning. Depending on your personal level of health, there are different options for supplements that can be better suited for you. Protein supplements, as well as vitamins and minerals, can all be worthwhile considerations. You should always make sure that any supplements you use are safe and that you only consume them in healthy amounts. 

5. Do Personalized Research

The most successful mass building plans should be catered to fit you as an individual. You can do further research into the different aspects of mass building online. There can be a lot of good information available such as this 30 Day guide to mass building. The more knowledge you are equipped with going in, the better prepared you can be to succeed at meeting your goals.

Reaching Your Preferred Mass

Like any worthwhile goal, building up muscle mass can require commitment. While it takes dedication of both time and energy, you should find that reaching your preferred level of muscle mass is a great reward that can make it more than worth the work. By using the steps above and balancing the different aspects involved with healthy body mass increase you should find that you are on the track to success. 

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Choosing the Best Supplements for Bodybuilding

Friday, October 26th, 2018
Lose Fat, Stay Healthy

When it comes to bodybuilding and improving your physique there are many things that can help you. Your workouts and diet are obviously a big part of this but another thing that can help is the right supplements. There are many different supplements you can choose from these days if you want to build muscle and lose fat – all you need to do is determine the best ones for you so you can achieve the strong and healthy body you have always wanted. For instance, one well known and popular supplement is beta-alanine, a non-proteinogenic amino acid that’s naturally produced in the body. However, there are many versions of this supplement from many manufacturers so it’s hard to determine which is the best.

It’s vital to read and learn about these supplements to be well informed about what you need. Whether you are looking for vitamins, testosterone boosters, protein supplements, or HGH, you need to be sure you make the right choices.  Choosing the right supplements is vital for many reasons.

This is not just in terms of achieving the results you want when it comes to your body but also ensuring you don’t adversely affect your health into the bargain. For many people, the cost is important because they want to spend as little as possible but when it comes to supplements there are many other factors you have to consider in addition to the cost.

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The best arm exercises you probably aren’t doing

Wednesday, September 20th, 2017

Arnold BicepsWho doesn’t want bigger, stronger arms? Almost everyone who lifts weights will, at some point, do exercises for their biceps and triceps. Unfortunately, doing the same old curls and push downs won’t produce the results you want. If you are stuck in an arm-building rut, use the following six exercises to breathe life back into your workouts.

 

Biceps

 

Arguably the most famous muscle in your body, if you ask a child to show you a muscle, they’ll probably throw up an arm and do a biceps pose. Make your biceps something to be proud of by adding these unusual exercises to your arm training program.

 

  1. Weighted pull-ups

 

The biggest drawback of most curling exercises is that the amount of weight you can lift is limited by your ability to keep your body upright. Weighted pull-ups eliminate this problem so you are free to focus on curling your chin up to the bar.

 

Start out by strapping on around ten percent of your body weight, so if you weigh 80 kilos, grab a 7.5-10 kg dumbbell or weight plate. There is no need to be exact; round up or down according to the weights you have available.

 

Grab the pull-up bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Without kicking with your legs, smoothly curl your chin up to touch the bar. Slowly extend your arms and repeat. Sets of 4-6 are ideal with this exercise.

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B Vitamins Enhance Muscle Building

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013

Take Your B’s to Build Huge Bis

Few people know the 8 B vitamins by name, but were you aware that they all contribute to the body’s ability to build muscle? They are often referred to as the vitamins that provide immune support and while this is helpful when training hard which can place a stress on the immune system, their role extends far beyond this.

Each plays a role in the metabolism, which is the processing of the foods we eat to ensure the release of energy needed to power muscle function, but also helps to support the nervous system to make co-ordinated movement possible. Here we take a look at each in turn, considering their importance and where they can be sourced from the diet, as well as how else you might be able to top up your intake of these essential nutrients.

Vitamin B1Vitamin B1

Also known as thiamine, this vitamin is needed for the production of ATP, the substance which the body uses for energy release to enable muscle contraction to occur during weight training. It’s therefore no surprise that tiredness can be a sign that you aren’t getting enough of this micronutrient, which can interfere with the effort you are able to put into training.

Thiamine also controls the movement of electrolytes across cell membranes, which is needed for the nerves and the muscles that they control to function. The richest sources of this B vitamin are meats, brewer’s yeast, whole grains or cereals that have been fortified with b vitamins; in many countries it is mandatory that refined flour and white rice have thiamine added to them, as the processing removes the majority of this vitamin.

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Real Facts about Testosterone and Testosterone Boosters

Wednesday, August 28th, 2013

Boost TestosteroneToday we talk about testosterone, which is the “male hormone” in the human body. It may be hard to believe, but the hormone is present in both men and women’s body, so everyone has it.

This article will cover the following key points: correlations between behavior and testosterone, the psychological effects on the human mind, the internal and external changes in both men and women, a series of myths and reality facts and of course, a series of conclusions.

This will not be a post designed to sell any supplements. My purpose is not to defend steroids or testosterone boosters, not to bash them. These are the facts. This is the truth.

Testosterone and Behavior

In terms of behavior, there are some who believe high testosterone levels can cause aggressiveness and irrationality. But the truth is that, like any other hormone found in the human body, it influences our brain activity. This particular hormone intensifies the brain activity and the adrenaline levels in our body, so we become more and more agitated and we lose track of our peaceful calm side.

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The Truth About “Fast Carbs” Vs. “Slow Carbs”

Wednesday, May 29th, 2013

What are the best carbs to help you build muscle or lose fat?
Lean man and woman
More than often, you’ll get this response: “Stay away from simple carbs and focus on complex carbohydrates, since they digest slowly and provide your body with a constant stream of energy”.

I can’t tell you how many “fitness-experts” give this response to their clients on a regular basis. Of course it seems to make sense, but there is actually some science suggesting otherwise.

Many people believe that as long as a carbohydrate digests slowly, it should keep your blood sugar stable and make it less likely for you to gain fat.

But the truth of the matter is that structuring your nutrition program around “slow-digesting carbohydrates” is actually not an effective way to get the nutrition you need.

There are actually 4 primary reasons why this is the case. Let’s go ahead and take a closer look…

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The Importance of Staying Hydrated When Trying to Build Muscle

Monday, April 1st, 2013

Hydrate for Health

Fitness Girl
We all know that it’s important to get eight glasses of water each day in order to ensure that our bodies are properly hydrated and that waste and toxins are flushed out of our systems.

When you engage in intense exercise, a lot of fluids can be lost to through sweat, increasing the need for not only water, but also essential electrolytes that allow your body to retain the life-giving fluids you drink.

While you might not think that pumping iron is as intense as running a marathon or swimming laps, the truth is that lifting weights can make you sweat.

That said, there are other reasons why staying hydrated before, during, and after your weight lifting regimen is important. In case you didn’t know it can have a dramatic effect on the results of your workout, as well as your overall state of health.

Here are just a few reasons why you should definitely strive for optimum hydration.

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Gaining Lean Muscle with Complex Carbohydrates

Saturday, February 23rd, 2013

Fit Cable ChickGaining weight and gaining lean muscle are two entirely different things. While increasing the amount you eat will almost certainly lead to you putting on weight, it will not automatically ensure that you gain lean, aesthetically pleasing muscle mass.

In order to effectively build muscle, you need to combine the right physical exercise with the right fuel for that physical exercise. It is, therefore, vitally important to pay attention to the nutrients you put into your body and to understand the role that carbohydrates play in the muscle building process.

Physical Activity and the Role of Carbohydrates

In order to build the lean muscle you desire, you need to engage in resistance training which specifically targets the major muscle groups in the body. Examples of these types of exercises include barbell curls, bench presses and squats. It is best to avoid working the same muscle groups in consecutive days and working out three to four times a week is ideal.

In order to perform efficiently, you also need to provide your body with the right kind of energy. Although proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals all combine to provide different things, carbohydrates in particular play a large role in muscle building.

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Gain Muscle by Increasing Nutrient Utilization: These 3 Supplements Work

Monday, September 19th, 2011

While navigating a fitness website or browsing through a fitness supplement store, you may notice various muscle building supplements. You may wonder whether any of these 10,000 products really work to build quality muscles and enhance strength, or will they merely flush into the toilet? The answer is both yes and no.

The answer is ‘No’ for people who do not have patience and want fast results while they opt for an unhealthy approach. However, the answer is ‘Yes’ for people who go for the right kind of supplement, use proper exercises and diet, and wait for weeks or sometimes months to see the result.

Fortunately, you have a couple of good supplements which guarantee good results. These supplements for fast muscle growth can deliver the desired result within a short span of time. These include Whey Protein, Nitric Oxide and Creatine. Which happens to be the right choice for you?

Have a look in detail about the three supplements given below:

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Important New Medical Innovations

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

I don’t have the time or patience to write a new article today or for the past week, so here are a couple links you can read with decent info about recent medical advances that might help keep you healthier. These new gadgets range from stem cells that can rebuild damaged heart tissue, to intestinal liners that restrict the absorption of excess calories, to bacteria that will keep you from ever getting tooth decay. As you read this great news, just imagine the kinds of devices and genetic tools we’ll have in just 10 more years.

5 Medical Innovations That Will Build Muscle or Burn Fat
5 Medical Advances That Sound too Good to be True

Also, I’m sorry I haven’t been answering questions lately or posting any good new content. As always I have many great plans in the works, but life is just taking precedence over maintaining a blog right now. Hoping to get back at it full time really soon.

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Xtend Amino Acid Supplement Helps You Build Muscle and Lose Fat

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

History of amino acid supplements

Woman Should Squat Too

The evolution of amino acid supplements have generally been well pronounced since the ancient times. From as early as 1960’s, ancient body builders are known to eat a diet rich in essential amino acids. Wine and meat were the most essential foods used for natural nutrients such as proteins and vitamins.

Nowadays, amino acid supplements are generally used by bodybuilders and other athletes for building muscle, losing fat, and enhancing performance. There are a lot of amino acid supplements that one can choose from, if you are interested in building your muscles, but it’s always advisable to go for the best. In my opinion, based on 17 years of weight training and supplement use, XTEND is the most effective, best tasting, and least expensive amino acid supplement on the market.
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Werewolf Muscle Training with Dumbbells

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Werewolf Muscle Training with Dumbbells

Click here to qualify for free movie tickets to Twilight: Breaking Dawn!
Werewolf Muscle Training
Werewolf Muscle Training

After many requests I’ve gone ahead and rewrote Werewolf Muscle Training without barbells. More specifically, this is a Werewolf Muscle Training style dumbbell routine to gain strength. Don’t get me wrong, you will still need at least an adjustable bench, and some exercises call for bands and medicine balls, but you can work around these requirements if necessary.

I can’t promise that this routine will be as effective as any of the original Werewolf Muscle Training routines, but I’m just giving you what you asked for. Please leave feedback in the comments or on the forum.

What Are Your Goals?

If you’ve come here to lose fat, you are better off using the Full Body Fat Loss Routine for Men or the Full Body Fat Loss Routine for Women. This routine definitely has nothing to do with fat loss, although some folks have adapted the diet to focus on fat loss instead of muscle gain. The choice is yours.

If you came to learn how to bench 700 lbs, you are better off reading Werewolf Muscle Training for Strength Gains. Although, truth to tell, you will get significantly stronger following this program.

Navigating Werewolf Muscle Training with Dumbbells

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An Introduction to Werewolf Muscle Training

Werewolf Muscle Training is not designed to get you ripped, toned, conditioned, or even strong. You will get stronger as a side effect, but that was not the original intent. This is much more of a bodybuilding routine than anything else, but know that everyone using the original routine added weight to all of their lifts.

This is not for Olympic lifting, powerlifting, MMA, strongman training, or CrossFit, but the routine itself was designed for maximum muscle confusion, so you will get a taste of a wide variety of training philosophies. I’ve incorporated some optional HIIT and HIRT training for fat loss; neural activation training for warm ups, force development, and recovery; periodization and muscle confusion are the two main principles used throughout the bulk of this routine.

If you are a skinny guy and want to gain mass, this is for you. If you are ripped up and shredded but want to have more size, this is for you. If you just want to add 20-30 pounds of muscle to your body for whatever reason, this is for you.

I based this training routine off of my experience with personal training and sports nutrition, dating back to 1994. I’m no longer certified, but I know more now than I did back then… go figure.

My research on Taylor Lautner and how he trained to gain 30 pounds for his role as the werewolf Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga: New Moon is what actually prompted me to write up the original Werewolf Muscle Training routine.

Without further ado, let’s get into the principles of Werewolf Muscle Training.

Werewolf Muscle Training Principles

Weight selection:

When you see set protocols that look like 3 x 5, the goal is to use one weight for every work set. In this example you would use the same weight for 3 sets of 5 reps. If you can get the required number of reps for all sets, you should go heavier the next time you use that exercise. If the weight is obviously too light for you that day, feel free to increase it.

Choose a weight to start each exercise. If you think you can add weight and still complete the number of prescribed reps for the number of prescribed sets for that exercise, you may increase the weight between sets. HOWEVER – you should not have to decrease the weight at any time during the exercise.

Example: When doing bench presses, 4 sets of 5 reps, you start with 185 and get 5 reps easy. If you choose to go up to 200, you should use 200 for the rest of the exercise.

The max effort:

When you see set protocols that look like 5, 2, 1, 1, 1,… this is max effort attempt. The goal is to increase the weight for every set. Your 5 rep and 2 rep sets should not approach failure. For each 1 rep set you want to add at least 5 pounds to the previous set, until you believe you will fail if you add just 5 more pounds.

If possible you don’t want to ever fail at a max effort attempt, so it is advisable to stop short of a true max effort if it means you might not complete the rep, especially if you have already beat your numbers from the previous max effort workout.

Varying weights and reps:

Taylor didn’t stick to a 3×5 or 5×5 or 3×10 type of routine. He worked all of his muscle fibers equally by varying the volume from week to week. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that strength can be increased by 28-43 percent just by varying rep counts and training different muscle groups.

It is still good to stick to a certain rep range based on your goals, but it is even better to occasionally change it up to force your body to adapt to new stimulus.

Number of sets:

When doing higher reps with lighter weight, you typically need fewer sets. Two sets of 10-12 reps is not uncommon.

When doing lower reps with heavier weight, you often need more sets. If is good practice to use four or more sets when training in the 1 to 5 rep range. A max effort attempt can use as few as 4 sets or more than 7. It all depends on the person and the day.

Reduce cardio to maximize muscle gains:

Taylor’s main goal was to gain 30 pounds of muscle mass. His metabolism was going to keep him ripped no matter what, so in order to gain muscle he had to cut back on cardio. If your only goal is to get ripped, HIIT cardio and HIRT are great schemes, but skinny hardgainers should minimize endurance training during a bulking phase. 20 minutes is the limit.

Note: For those who wish to add cardio, there is one HIRT session scheduled after every upper body workout. Using the HIRT session might decrease your overall muscle gain, but it will also minimize your overall fat gain and keep you in better cardiovascular health. Remember, the HIRT session is OPTIONAL.

Neural Activation Training (NAT)

Click here to learn more about NAT.

NAT workouts are optional, non-fatiguing, and will not lead to overtraining if used properly. NAT workouts will add to the effectiveness of the routine if you choose to use them.

Abdominal Training

The rules of weight training apply to the abdominals. It doesn’t make any sense to train your abs every day, if fact you need only train your abs a maximum of 3 times each week. For each ab workout we’ll pick a set of exercises that works the whole core and limit ab training to twice a week.

Abdominal workouts are scheduled on NAT days, but instead you can train your abs on any non-consecutive workout day. I recommend training abs on leg day if not on NAT day, but it’s your choice. All NAT and abdominal training options are listed in the routine and on the spreadsheet. Do whatever fits your schedule and recovery ability.

I have tried to limit the exercise selection to dumbbells and inexpensive equipment, which includes a box or bench, an ab wheel, resistance bands, and a medicine ball.

Resistance Bands, Chains, and Tension Training

Free weights are best, but we also want to occasionally added tension with bands. The added tension increases the difficulty of the easiest portion of each lift, which is usually at the top, by accelerating resistance at the end of each rep. Recruiting additional muscle fibers using this method definitely adds to the growth potential of each and every set.

Incidentally, bands are used in elite powerlifting circles like Louie Simmons’ Westside Barbell and Dave Tate’s Elite Fitness Systems. You may use them in conjuction with your exercises, to warm up, or as extra workouts to aid in recovery.

Click here to learn more about Resistance Bands.

You can find resistance bands at some gyms, but typically you will have to buy them on your own. Do not buy the resistance bands they sell at WalMart or Target, those are garbage. Go online and find real resistance bands that you can attach to free weight machines.

I have not specified more than one or two exercises that require bands, but you can use them with nearly every exercise if you desire. Bands are best used with the first couple compound exercises of the day. They can also be used with many of the other exercises. Your limitations will be set by your own creativity.

Varying planes of movement:

Most people train up and down, front to back. but side-to-side training is important too. Diagonal and sideways movements help to make a versatile training plan.

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Maximizing Recovery

Recovery is so important to growth. Without recovery, you just can’t grow.

You will have the option of taking a day day off after every 2 workouts and an additional day on the weekend. Or if you have the time and resources, and if you are up to the challenge, you can use the prescribed NAT routines to enhance your recovery.

Follow these recovery tips to ensure proper muscular adaptation:

  • Take every third day off from vigorous training. No max efforts or approaching failure.
  • Limit intense training to 4 days a week. This does not include NAT or ab workouts.
  • Weight training sessions should be kept under 60 minutes.
  • Sleep for 7-8 hours each and every night unless you’ve mastered polyphasic sleep.
  • Eat to gain, eat to recover. If you don’t eat right, your body will grow weak.
  • Stretch for 10 minutes every every workout.
  • Warm up for at least 5 minutes before every workout. No static stretching before intense training!

Recovery is important within a workout as well. We want each set to receive maximal intensity and muscular facilitation so we want to make sure your muscles are fresh for each set.

For regular weight training, follow these rest protocols:

  • Supersets require no rest between sets. They will be denoted by a), b), and c). Only rest before a), never after a).
  • 60-120 seconds rest between sets depending on your recovery ability. 90 seconds rest is generally enough.
  • 2-4 minutes rest between exercises, as necessary.

Always end your workout with a 10 minute stretching session. Post-workout stretching increases both recovery and flexibility. This is a good thing.

Use these stretching principles:

  • Read about Flexibility Training.
  • Stretch every muscle group for at least one minute.
  • Hold each static stretch for 20 seconds and repeat at least twice.
  • Never use static stretching before you train.
  • If you must stretch before you train, use only dynamic stretching.
  • Think of your stretching session as a cool-down.
  • Stretching does not count towards your 45-60 minute workout limit.

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Nutrition – Eating to Grow!

You gotta feed the machine or it won’t grow. Here’s how.

Choose your goal weight.

For example, lets start with a 160 pound man who wants to weigh 180 pounds.

Calculate your metabolic co-efficient (M) based on your body type and past history of gaining muscle and losing fat. If you need help determining your body type, read A Body Type Analysis

  • Endomorph (hard to lose fat, easy to gain muscle) – M = 8.5
  • Mesomorph (moderately easy to gain muscle or lose fat) – M = 9.5
  • Ectomorph (easy to lose fat, hard to gain muscle) – M = 10.5

Let’s consider that our 160 lb man is an ectomorph. He has always been thin with little to moderate muscle development, but it is difficult for him to really gain considerable muscle mass without drinking weight gain shakes all day long. His metabolic co-efficient (M) is 11.

Calculate total number of hours of training weekly.

If you are a busy guy you might be limited to three 45 minute sessions plus some warming up and stretching, which will come out to about 3 hours a week. For this example, at 5 days a week and 60 minutes a session, our man will be training 5 hours a week.

Daily Calories

Daily calories = Goal Weight X (the number of hours you workout per week + M)

Example: 180 lbs X (5 hours + 10.5) = 2790 calories per day

Daily Protein

You should get 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day.

Example: 180 lbs = 180 g protein per day (180 g protein X 4 calories = 720 protein calories)

The best protein powder you can choose for your Werewolf Muscle Training routine, is Optimum Nutrition. They have the highest quality protein for the cheapest prices. Click on this link to get some Optimum Nutrition protein powder now.

Daily Fat

You can estimate about half of your goal weight in healthy fats each day.

Example: 180 lbs = 90 g fat per day (90 g fat X 9 calories = 810 fat calories)

Daily Carbohydrates

The rest of your calories should come from high quality carbohydrate sources such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

Example: 2790 calories – (720 protein calories + 810 fat calories) = 1260 carb calories (1260 carb calories / 4 calories = 315 g carbs per day)

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Supplements to Enhance Your Workouts and Assist with Recovery

First let me say that you don’t need any supplements to succeed with Werewolf Muscle Training. Just eat a ton of the right foods, and you will grow. That being said, I know many of you will want to make the most of this routine by increasing your body’s capabilities with supplements.

Therefore, I am going to recommend a handful of the best supplements for you to use to gain muscle.

  1. Post Workout Nutrition – P90X Results and Recovery Formula

    P90X Post Workout Formula

    Studies repeatedly show that you will recover from an intense workout twice as fast if you use a post-workout drink within 20 minutes of finishing an intense workout. It is a known fact at this point, so if you’re not using a specially formulated post-workout drink in that 20 minute window, then you’re throwing 50% of your gains right out the window.

    This post-workout shake contains four parts carbs to one part protein, which is exactly what you need to ensure speedy muscle recovery after intense workouts. It tastes great, is all-natural, and contains no artificial flavors or sweeteners. Mix it with water in a shaker bottle right after your workout – quick and easy.

    This specially designed post-workout shake contain a perfect blend of:

    • Dextrose for optimum glycogen replenishment, a necessity after an intense workout.
    • An easily digestible protein blend, providing critical amino acids to immediately restart protein synthesis.
    • Antioxidants and vitamins, which help to reduce soreness and assist in tissue repair and muscle growth.

    Click here to get some P90X Results and Recovery Formula for your Werewolf Muscle Training routine!

  2. Nitric Oxide (NO) Supplement

    Nitric Oxide

    N.O. supplements are some of the most popular bodybuilding supplements. N.O. will increase your pumps and, more importantly, increase your strength endurance. I find myself getting an extra 2-3 reps on every set when I’m using an N.O. supplement.

    • This N.O. supplement is a Hemodilator, which gives you extra energy by pumping more blood through your body.
    • N.O. supplements give you incredible pumps… you will look and feel stronger than ever.
    • N.O. supplements increase levels of Nitric Oxide in your body, increasing both strength and endurance.
    • By increasing your metabolism, N.O. supplements helps you avoid typical bulking-phase fat gains.

    Click here to get some N.O. for your Werewolf Muscle Training routine!

  3. Shakeology or Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein

    Whey protein supplements can help you get the strong, powerful, lean, healthy body that you dream of. Hard-gainers can make higher carbohydrate protein shakes, while mesomorphs and ectomorphs can opt for the low-carb protein recipes. Click here for a list of more than 100 protein shake recipes.

    First, check out Shakeology – it’s not just your average protein shake. Comes in two great flavors.

    • Whole-food ingredients curbs cravings and burn stored fat
    • Over 20 phytonutrients and antioxidants
    • Reduces risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke
    • Probiotics to assist digestion and nutrient absorption

    Click here to purchase or learn more about Shakeology.

    If you are looking for a pure protein powder, check out Optimum Nutrition. Optimum Nutrition protein powder comes in about 20 different flavors, and is available in 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb containers.

    • Make protein shakes to supplement your daily protein intake.
    • Mix with foods you eat everyday to increase your daily protein intake.
    • The amino acids in protein are the building blocks of muscle tissue.
    • More calories = more muscle!

    Click here to get some Optimum Nutrition whey protein.

  4. Xtend Amino Acid Supplement

    Xtend is a scientific blend of amino acids consisting of the proven 2:1:1 ratio of energy BCAAs (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine), Glutamine, Citrulline Malate, and Vitamin B6 that will give you the energy you need to maximize your training and enhance recovery.

    The components in Xtend have been scientifically proven to:

    Scivation Xtend
    • help speed recovery
    • enhance ATP production
    • promote cell volume
    • avoid fatigue
    • increase protein synthesis
    • improve immune function
    • improve digestive health
    • elevate growth hormone levels
    • and promote vasodilation, which can lead to better assimilation and absorption of protein

    Remember, Xtend is full of glutamine, which is an important amino acid for energy and muscle recovery. You can take a serving of Xtend before, during, and after any workout, as well as right before bed and first thing in the morning. A steady supply of amino acids can only do a body good. Just don’t drink so much that you make yourself sick of it! Trust me, I’ve been there.

    Click here to get some Scivation Xtend for your Werewolf Muscle Training routine!

  5. Creatine – Kre-Alkalyn

    The purpose of creatine supplementation, is to build up the creatine levels in your muscles in order to increase strength and long term muscle gains, by more efficiently rebuilding ATP levels during your workouts. If you don’t know, ATP is what muscles use for short intense muscular contractions like weightlifting, sprinting, throwing, and jumping.

    Creatine Kre-Alkalyn
    Kre-Alkalyn

    The good news is that Kre-Alkalyn has a higher absorption so it doesn’t require front loading and reportedly causes less creatine bloating and stomach problems. Kre-Alkalyn offers you a brand of creatine that is 100% stable, will not break down into creatinine, and will absorb efficiently into the bloodstream. Each gram of Kre-Alkalyn is equivalent to 10 grams of creatine powder.

    The theory behind Kre-Alkalyn is: scientists discovered that the higher the pH of your creatine, the slower it is converted to creatinine. Pure Kre-Alkalyn has a pH of 12, the highest pH product on the market. This particular product also claims to use an enhanced delivery system, which gets the product into your blood stream even quicker.

    Click here to get some Kre-Alkalyn for your Werewolf Muscle Training routine!

    Your other options are to get regular old creatine monohydrate or creatine malate, which are both good, but reportedly not as good as Kre-Alkalyn. Just please do not get scammed by liquid creatine or creatine ethyl ester, or any of the other ‘advanced delivery’ creatine scams. That liquid stuff never works.

That’s just about all you need for supplements, although there are many other options available if you have the cash. The number of supplements you use depends highly on your budget and your willingness to drink shakes, juices, and take pills all day.

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The Werewolf Muscle Training with Dumbbells Routine

Werewolf Muscle Training
Werewolf Muscle Training

Here is a 3 week, 21 day, 18 session workout routine designed to build muscle. It consists of 12 resistance training sessions, 6 neural activation training (NAT) sessions, and 6 ab workouts.

The latest version of Werewolf Muscle Training with Dumbbells is 1.0. I would like feedback on this routine if you try it.

First I’m going to list each exercise, then you can click on the link to view a printable HTML version, download an Excel spreadsheet, and hopefully in the near future I’ll be able to provide you with a PDF.

List of exercises:

Box jumps
Chin ups
Concentration curls
DB alternating lunges
DB bench press
DB deadlift lockouts
DB deadlifts
DB incline bench press
DB neutral grip bench press
DB one arm clean and press
DB one arm rows
DB pronated bent over rows
DB push press
DB reverse flyes
DB seated calf raises
DB shrugs
DB side raises
DB single leg Romanian deadlift
DB standing alternating bicep curl
DB standing alternating shoulder press
DB standing bicep curl
DB standing calf raises
DB standing OH triceps press
DB standing shoulder press
DB step ups
DB stiff leg deadlift
DB triceps OH press
DB walking lunges
Dips
Donkey calf raises
Glute-ham raises
Hammer curls
Lying DB cross-body single arm triceps press
Lying DB French press
Pistol squats
Pull thrus with bands
Pull ups
Reverse hypers
Seated calf raises
Single leg Romanian DB deadlift

Ab Training

Ab wheel roll outs
Bicycle maneuver
DB side bends
Flutter kicks
Fold ups
Medicine ball sit up toss
Reverse crunch
Russian twist
Sit ups
Vertical leg raise or captain’s chair
Windshield wipers

NAT Training

NAT Box jump
NAT Diamond plyo push ups
NAT Incline plyo push ups
NAT Inverted rows
NAT Jump squat series
NAT Plyo depth push ups
NAT Plyo push ups
NAT Pull downs with cables or bands
NAT Speed DB deadlifts
NAT Speed squats
NAT Vertical jump series

HIIT and HIRT Exercises

DB hang clean
DB hang snatch
Inverted rows
Jump rope jumps
Kipping pull ups
OH DB Squats
Push ups
Squat thrusters
Tabata Body Weight Squats
Wall balls

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Printable Werewolf Muscle Training Workout Routines

A printable HTML document and an Excel spreadsheet is available for Werewolf Muscle Training with Dumbbells 1.0, and each update from this point forward. You can download them all at the link below.

Use these spreadsheets to track your progress. Either keep track of your numbers on the computer, or take the print-outs to the gym with you. A clipboard works great to hold your workout logs if you decide to print them out. I recommend using pen to record your numbers, as pencil fades over time.

Click this link to access the newest updated printable training logs.

Expected Results

I haven’t tested this program out over a long period of time, so I’m going to need a couple people to try it for at least 3 cycles, or 63 days.

I’m guessing a solid 10 pounds of muscle could be gained in less than a half a year using this program, as long as you stay disciplined with the routine, use proper recovery, eat right, and make good use of the supplements I’ve listed above.

After using this program for 3 cycles you should take one full active recovery (little to no weight training) week. Read more about active recovery here. You can also fill your week with NAT exercises, which make great active recovery workouts.

Happy gaining!

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Werewolf Muscle Training
Werewolf Muscle Training

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