How to Get Big and Stay Lean

A Real World Approach to Carb Cycling

As I promised in a previous article, I will now talk about the method I recommend for increasing lean muscle mass while maintaining body fat. Please note that this method is highly effective and should be used by lifters that are already pretty lean. If you need to loose a lot of weight, you should diet down first. If you need to gain a lot of weight (greater than 15 lbs), you should focus on taking in more calories. This approach is perfect for the trainee who is looking to critique their physique while making steady progression. So how is it possible to add muscle mass and not put on any fat? The answer is carb cycling.

Carb Cycling is an approach to eating that manipulates the amount of carbohydrates consumed on a given day. “By fluctuating macronutrients on a daily basis, we can ensure that performance and muscle building can be optimized on the days when it’s most important, while burning fat on the other days”(Starnes). The three possible days that we will utilize include “high carb” days, “medium carb” days and “low carb” days.

“High carb “days are utilized during the hardest training days. On these days, you want to feed your body a ton of carbs in order to put it in a highly anabolic state.

“Medium carb” days are utilized on training days that are less taxing on the body. On these days, the goal is to give your body just enough carbs to fuel your workout but not enough to put your body in a highly anabolic state. These days are maintenance days.

“Lower carb” days are utilized on your off days or days you are performing cardio or light conditioning. On these days, your primary goal is to burn fat. Since you are performing minimal activity, your body will not need carbohydrates. These days are fat burning days.

Now that we understand what carb cycling is and what variables must be manipulated, we need to know how many carbs we should put in our bodies on given days. Since we are varying our carbohydrates on certain days, our fat and protein intake will also vary. Here is an easy chart to follow. Please note that these numbers are based on grams per pound of body weight.

High day

Fat: minimal fat

Carbs: 2-3 grams

Protein: 1-1.25

Medium and low days

Fat: 0.15-0.35

Carbs: 0.5-1.5

Protein: 1.25-1.5

While I recommend you evenly spread out your carbohydrates, proteins and fats over the course of 5-8 meals, in the “real world” most people don’t have the time to count calories. NO WORRIES! If you follow these rules, you will not have to worry about counting calories.

-Have a complete breakfast everyday.

-Always eat veggies/fruit and lean protein with each meal.

-With the exception of breakfast, only eat starches (oatmeal, brown rice, baked potato, whole grain pasta, etc…) on medium and high carb days. Starches are your main source of carbohydrates and thus if you manipulate your starch intake you will manipulate your carbohydrate intake. To understand this fully please see the chart below:

Low Days- No starches! Only exception would be post workout shake after cardio or conditioning.

Medium Days- You will eat starches during your meal before your training session, during and post training, and than your first two meals following your training.

High Days- Eat starches with every meal. While this may seem like a lot of carbs, remember that these are your highly anabolic days. Check this out. If you weigh 200 lbs and you are suppose to take in 2-3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight; that equals 400-600 carbs that day! The only feasible way to get in the necessary amount of carbohydrates is to constantly feed your body starches throughout the day.

In addition to bulking up, please note that carb cycling is a great approach for shedding body fat. While the principles remain the same, you will need to vary how many high days you have vs. low days. Obviously, bulking up will require more high days than if you were cutting. For newbie’s to carb cycling, I recommend you start with 3 high days a week, 2-3 moderate and 1-2 low days. After a couple weeks, you can critique these numbers depending on your goals and what works best for you. The benefit of using carb cycling during a cutting phase is that it allows you to decrease body fat without loosing any size.

Now that you know the secret to putting on lean muscle while maintaining body fat, it is time to take action! For those of you that are still confused, don’t worry about the macronutrient breakdown on high, low and medium days. Instead, focus on your starch intake. Lastly, remember to follow my 8 rules for getting the body you want. Stay tuned for my next article, as I will discuss optimal food selection.

Joe Meglio

Performance Enhancement Coach
www.MeglioFitness.com
www.MeglioNutrition.com
Joe@MeglioFitness.com

Sources:

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/a_beginners_guide_to_carb_cycling

How to Warm Up

A Guide to the Complete Warm Up

Most lifters generally neglect the importance of a complete warm up. As mentioned in a previous article, most lifters step into the gym and immediately perform a few static stretches or will hop on the bike for a couple minutes. A complete warm up includes soft tissue work, mobility work, CNS work and basic calisthenics. The benefits of a complete warm up include improvements in mobility, basic health, performance and technique. The foundation that is built from a complete warm up allows the lifter to perform at peak performance and will also help to prevention injuries. Clearly, the warm up offers many benefits that most lifters do not take advantage of. Why is this? Lets face it; the warm up is not exactly the most exciting part about training. However, by no means does this mean it should be neglected. We should look at the bigger picture and realize the long term benefits a complete warm up offers. Below, I will share with you the exact warm up that I created for my college baseball team.

Warm up- 10 reps of everything

Basic Calisthenics

-Jumping Jacks

-Seal Jacks

-Body squats

-Cossack squat

- Alternating toe touch

-Push ups

-Floor wipers

-Supine Leg swings

-Scapula retractions

-Supine bridges

-Prone shoulder taps

-Mountain Climbers

-Groiners

-Arm circles

-Trunk twisters

Movement Prep-20 yards down and back

-Forward/Backward jogging

-Lateral shuffle

-Forward/Backward skipping

-High knees/butt kicks

-1 legged hops

-Walking lunge w/ OH Reach

-Cradle walk/ high knee pull

Static Stretches

-Hip flexor stretch

-World’s greatest stretch

This is by no means the perfect warm up, however it is much better than what most college teams do. The flaws in this warm up include minimal mobility work, lack of activation work and lack of soft tissue work. In a perfect situation, I would have the team perform 5-10 minutes of soft tissue work prior to the warm up. Additionally, I would include fire hydrant circles, birddogs, x band works, TKE’s, the sleeper stretch and so on. We do not perform these movements for a couple reasons. I have 6-8 minutes to warm up the team and I obviously cannot assess 35 guys. I must choose movements that are easy to learn and have a good bang for your buck.

With this said here is a simple template to follow before you train in the gym.:

Pre Warm up- 5-10 minutes

Soft tissue work-IT band, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, calves, lats, pecs, back (lower, middle, upper) and the infraspinatus. You should spend extra time on whatever is especially tight.

Dynamic Warm up- 10-15 minutes

Basic Calisthenics- squats, jumping jacks, lunges, push ups

Mobility work- fire hydrant circles, birddogs, bridges, floor wipers

CNS work- jump training (quick bursts, very short duration)

Static Stretches- Hip Flexor, lat, sleeper stretch,

And there you have it, my guide to a complete warm up. Please keep in mind that your warm up should prepare you for your training session by increasing your core temperature, exciting your central nervous system and improving mobility. It should by no means exhaust you so much that it effects your training. While it should take you more than 5 minutes to warm up it should definitely not take you more than 15 minutes either. If you’re spending more than 15 minutes warming up, cut the bullshit and get to work.

Joe Meglio

Performance Enhancement Coach
www.MeglioFitness.com
www.MeglioNutrition.com
Joe@MeglioFitness.com

5 Tips for Building Serious Muscle

1. Train 3-4 days per week- Unlike fat loss, which requires 6-10 sessions a week (this includes both strength training and cardio sessions), building muscle requires only 3-4 training sessions per week. Not including the warm up, these sessions should last no more than 45 minutes. Also, each workout should be a full body, or upper/lower body split.
2. Perform compound movements- Squats, deadlifts, bench press, military press. Pick one of these movements each session and train it hard. Work up to a 3 or 5 rep max. Keep in mind you will need a few warm up sets to prepare you for your 3 or 5RM. I suggest starting with the bar and making 10 %( of your 1RM) jumps each set until you perform 4-6 reps above 90% of your 1RM.
3. Choose the right supplemental lifts- Supplemental lifts are performed directly after your main lift. The goal of these lifts is to help increase your main lift. For example, supplemental lifts for the bench press would be DB bench, heavy lat work, triceps work and so on. Choose 2-3 supplemental lifts per workout. Keep in mind these lifts are supplemental and they should help build your main lift. These lifts should also be compound! My favorite lifts for the upper body are chins/pull-ups, dips, pushups, rows, db bench. For lower body, I recommend, any unilateral training with a dumbbell or barbell (lunge variations, step-ups, split squats) and movements for the posterior chain ( RDL’s, Good mornings, kettlebell swings, GHR, back XT and pull throughs). Think outside the box for these! Stick to dumbbell, barbell and kettlebell lifts for supplemental work. AVOID MACHINES! They do not recruit as many motor units and those don’t work the stabilizing muscles.
4. Finish your training with a “finisher”- My favorite finishers are barbell complexes, sled dragging and prowler pushes. These are the absolute best when it comes to conditioning. However, when your goal is to build muscle, you should be careful with how much conditioning you are doing because it will limit your strength gains. Instead choose a finisher that will get a tone of blood in the targeted muscles without raising your heart rate too much. For example, perform 100 pushups as fast as you can or perform heavy farmer walks with kettlebells or dumbells. Think outside the box!
5. Add weight to the bar- Last but not least, you must add weight to the bar! This is the only way you will ever get stronger. If you are not adding weight to the bar you will just spin your wheels and get nowhere. This includes adding weight to both your main lifts and your supplemental lifts. Each session you should track your training so you can see how you are progressing and keep track of when you set new PR’s.

Lift strong,

Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
www.MeglioFitness.com
www.MeglioNutrition.com
Joe@MeglioFitness.com

How to get STRONG

So You Want to be Strong?

Before you answer this, you must determine what you define as strong. Your sport can have a significant impact on your definition. Powerlifters define strength as your ability to squat, deadlift and bench as much weight as possible. Olympic lifters define strength as how much you can snatch, and clean and jerk. Notice how bodybuilders place little stress on developing strength. Instead they are more concerned with muscle mass and symmetry and that is why they are much weaker than other weightlifters. Non-weightlifting sports, such as baseball, football, basketball etc…, may determine strength as the ability to pick weight off the floor, throw it overhead or carry it for distance. Referring back to one of my prior post, you need to have a goal with your training. So I will ask you again, what do you consider strong? Below I will discuss the three methods used to develop strength.

1. Max Effort- Max Effort training is the primary method used in any advanced athletes training program. Popularized by the Westside Barbell Club, this method is used for the development of the muscular system. It is the primary method used to increase absolute strength

· How to apply this method?

Each Max Effort training session starts with 1 Max Effort lift. For lower body days the athlete will perform a squat or deadlift variation and on upper body days the athlete will perform a bench press variation. The lifting protocol for maximal strength includes very low volume but extremely high intensity (in terms of 1RM). You will only perform 4-6 total reps above 90% of your 1RM. You will notice that this usually requires 1-2 working sets. Each other set before your working set prepares your reps above 90%. Also note that you do not want to burn out during Max Effort training so it is imperative to keep your volume low. I usually recommend that the athlete start with the bar and make 10% jumps each set. For this Example the lifters 1RM is 300 lbs and we will start with 135 on the bar.

Set 1 135 x 5

Set 2 185 x 5

Set 3 225 X 5 @75%

Set 4 255 X 3 @85%

Set 5 285 X 3 @95%

Set 6 285 X 3 @95%

In this example, the athlete performed 6 reps above 90% of 1RM. A big mistake a lot of guys make is burning out quickly. For example, instead of performing 5 reps for the first 4 sets they will train to complete failure or will only leave one or two in the tank. This is a huge mistake because the point of Max Effort training is to get stronger. By burning out early, you will not be able to hit your targeted weights and therefore you will not get stronger! Also note that athletes should “leave 1 in the tank” during there working sets. If you always train to failure you will not get stronger.

· How long should you rest between sets?

The rest period between warm up sets should be relatively quick. Once you reach your working sets, full recovery is recommended. This is typically 3-5 minutes, however more conditioned athletes may require less recovery time.

· How long should you use the same Max Effort lift for?

Depending on the lifters skill level, max effort lifts should be rotated every 1-3 weeks. The higher the skill level of the athlete, the more frequent these lifts should be rotated. Elite level athletes can rotate their lifts each week because they have already mastered each lift. Their bodies need the variation to improve their strength and muscular system. Less experienced athletes should choose only a few max effort lifts for the year. It is more important to get great at performing a few lifts than getting mediocre at training a bunch of lifts. For example, a less experienced athlete can use the bench press, floor press, incline close grip (there are many other variations to use; for the sake of this article we will use these 3 as an example). Each lift should be used for a 4 week cycle. The first 3 weeks the lifter will perform the bench press and work up to a 3-5 rep max. Each week the lifter can try to break new PR’s or simply progress from week to week. The fourth week should be a deload week. After the four weeks the lifter will then rotate the bench press to a floor press. They will then follow the same cycle for this movement. Weeks 9-12 the athlete will then use the close grip incline press as their max effort lift. Additionally, for weeks 13-16 the athlete will rotate back to the bench press and so on.

· So let’s summarize the major points

-Use the Max Effort method 2x a week. 1 movement on upper body days and 1 movement on lower body days

-Start with the bar and make 10% jumps till you reach your working reps. Once you reach these sets make smaller jumps until you perform 4-6 total reps above 90% of your 1RM

-Rotate the movements every 1-3 weeks.

-Do not perform your Max Effort lower body sessions the day before or after your Max effort upper body sessions.

2. Repetition method- For years the repetition method has been popularized by bodybuilders. This method is the absolute best for inducing muscle hypertrophy, or an increase in muscle mass. It is also used to increase strength endurance.

· How to apply this method?

This method should be applied to all supplemental movements directly following your Max effort lift. With this type of training I recommend to generally leave 1 or 2 reps in the bank. While training to failure can be very effective in regards to putting on muscle mass it can inhibit your overall strength gains and your recovery. By leaving 1 or 2 reps in the tank you will not be compromising your Max Effort training.

It is important to remember that you should be using sub maximal weights, no more than 80% of your 1RM. The rep range is highly individualized and varies greatly from person to person. While common body building schemes (4 sets of 8-12, 5 sets of 10, 3 sets of 10-15 etc...) usually induce muscle growth, these sets and rep schemes are not written in stone. My recommendation is to experiment with different rep ranges to see what works best for you.

· How long should you rest between sets?

The rest periods should be fairly short. 1-3 minutes is usually enough time. The goal here is to train the muscle why it is fatigued. However, if your rest is too short you will see your reps drop way down. The idea is to find a medium between the two and keep the rest period short to the point where you could hit the target # of reps for each set. General physical preparation will play a major role in how long the athlete needs to rest. If the athletes GPP is high, shorter rest periods won’t be an issue

· So let’s summarize the major points

-Use the Repetition method to increase muscle mass

-Apply the method to all supplemental lifts following your Max Effort lift.

-Experiment with different rep ranges and sets to see what works best for you.

-Use submaximal loads and leave 1 or 2 reps in the tank.

Dynamic Effort- Dynamic Effort training is used to develop speed strength. Many different methods can be used to increase speed strength including: Olympic lifting, jump training, playing your sport and using non-maximal loads on the box squat and bench press. Olympic lifting is yet another way to increase speed strength. Most strength coaches either love or hate Olympic lifts. However, we will save this argument for another time. In regards to developing absolute strength on the squat, deadlift and bench press, Westside’s version of the Dynamic Method can drastically increase your max effort lifts. How is this possible? By training with non-maximal loads on the box squat and bench press the athlete will learn to accelerate the bar and become more explosive.

· How to apply this method?

Each Dynamic Effort training session starts with either the box squat or bench press. For lower body days the athlete will perform the box squat or speed pulls and on upper body days the athlete will perform the bench press. Elite athletes use chains and bands as accommodating resistance and to reverse the strength curve. Since this method is only relevant for a few elite athletes, we will not be covering it in this article.

-For each Dynamic Effort lift the athlete should use between 50%-60% of their 1RM.

-The protocol for the squat and deadlift calls for 8-12 sets of 2 reps.

-The protocol for the bench press calls for 8-12 sets of 3 reps.

-The set and intensity scheme is dependent on the skill level of the athlete.

*Please note that this method is for advanced athletes only*

As mentioned before, training the box squat and the bench press are not the only way to perform dynamic lifts. In fact, less advanced athletes will respond better to jump training. Since jump training is not as taxing on the body, it will help a great deal with recovery. It is a better option for beginners and intermediate athletes than the dynamic box squat and bench press because it allows the athlete to dedicate more time to muscle development and increasing strength. Additionally, it helps promote athleticism by increasing flexibility, mobility and explosiveness.

The method I discussed is otherwise known as the conjugate method. Unlike Western Periodization, which trains one ability at a time for 4-6 weeks, the conjugate method allows us to train multiple abilities simultaneously. This is the most effective method when it comes to sports performance because we maintain all abilities (absolute strength, speed strength, muscle mass) year round. As mentioned before strength does not come in one form. Only you can define what strength is. Is it absolute strength? Is it speed strength? Is it endurance strength? Is it a combination of the three or do you have another definition for strength? My mentor, Zach Even-Esh, has had a major impact on my definition of strength. Personally, if you could lift a lot of weight off the floor and throw it overhead, you have to be pretty dam strong! Remember that compound lifts are the key. While Powerlifters, Olympic lifters, and non-weightlifting athletes all have different indicators of strength, there is one common theme. Nobody cares how much you can curl or do on any crap machine. It is all about compound lifts! No one will ever deny that squatting, bench pressing, deadlifting, cleaning, pressing and snatching are all compound movements that display how strong you really are.

Lift Strong,

Joe Meglio

Performance Enhancement Coach

www.MeglioFitness.com

www.MeglioNutrition.com

Joe@MeglioFitness.com

The Truth About Bulking Up

Bulking up Than Cutting Down: Smart or Dumb?

The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to bulking up is eating for size. Most gym rats divide their nutrition into a “bulking” phase and a “cutting” phase. The “bulking” phase is used to put on as much muscle as possible, while the “cutting” phase is used to strip all the excess fat off that was put on while “bulking”.

Unless you are a skinny bastard and need to gain over 20 lbs, there is a better approach to increasing lean muscle mass than using the conventional “sea food” diet to bulk up. Most natural trainees believe that they can put on 10 lbs of muscle in a month or even two months. Before I discuss a more sound approach to “bulking”, let’s see why natural trainees should not go on an all out bulking phase.

The problem with most “bulking” phases is that most trainees use the off season as an excuse to eat whatever they want. While it is true that if you are not consuming enough nutrients your muscle growth will be limited, natural trainees have a limited capacity to build muscle and the amount of muscle they can build is subject to their body's ability to synthesize new muscle tissue through their protein intake. This process, known as protein synthesis, is highly dependent on genetics and natural Testosterone levels, Testosterone to cortisol ratio, insulin sensitivity, and your muscle fiber makeup (slow twitch, fast twitch), along with other factors. Eating any amount of food you want will not change your protein synthesis limit naturally. In fact, by consuming more food than your body can handle, you will have an increase in body fat. (Thibaudeau 2006).

So how much muscle can we build in a month?

As I stated before the natural trainee is completely misguided when it comes to putting on muscle mass. By stepping on a scale and seeing a 10 lb increase in a month, they are convinced that the 10 lbs is all muscle. What they don’t realize is that an increase in muscle mass leads to an increase in water storage and glycogen. In reality, a natural trainee can only gain 1-2 lbs of dry muscle mass a month. The other 8 lbs is made up of fat, water storage and glycogen. The counter agreement to this by the trainee would be that they did not gain any fat. As Christian Thibaudeau has stated, there is a ''lean threshold” for men in which they will appear to look the same regardless of their body fat. For most men a lean threshold would be between 12-16% body fat. 10% would be considered pretty lean and over 18% would be considered fat. Anything in between is very vague and it is very hard to notice fat gains. Over a couple of months this could lead to an enormous increase in body fat with eventually noticeable differences in body fat.

Should we use the tradition bodybuilding method of bulking up and then cutting down or is there a better way to put on lean muscle mass?

By consuming a caloric surplus of just enough nutrients to promote lean muscle growth, you can gain around 1-2 pounds of dry muscle per month. When compared to the tradition bulking phase, the fat gains with this method will be minimal. Let’s take a look at this approach from a year long perspective. After a year you could gain anywhere from 12-24 lbs (1-2 lbs per month) of dry muscle and as little as 6-10 lbs of fat, water storage and glycogen.(Thibaudeau 2006). Like training, the key to increasing lean muscle mass is steady progression. It takes time, dedication and consistency. Do not use a tradition “bulking” phase as an excuse to eat like a fat bastard. Instead be consistent in your eating habits and gain muscle while minimizing fat! Stay tuned for part II of this article when I will discuss what methods to use for a clean bulking cycle.

Joe Meglio

Performance Enhancement Coach

Check us out on YouTube

Sources: T Muscle

"Working Out" vs. "Training"

Training with a Purpose

Everytime somebody tells me that they are going to "work out" I become slightly amused. This amusment quickly turns into anger. Before you ask me what the hell I am talking about please read on. There is a clear difference between those individuals who "workout" and those that "train". Most people who work out show up to the gym and do 1-2 minutes of b.s static stretches and hop on a bike for 5 minutes and call that a warm-up. God forbid they touch a foam roller or some other form of self massage and then do a dynamic warm-up with mobility work. After their warm-up they continue to do perform completely random isolated exercises that they saw in a Bodybuilding magazine. They proceed to do this for the next hour and half. Why does it take an hour and a half to "work out". In between sets they talk to their friends about how drunk they got last night or how wasted they are going get the upcoming night. You will also find these people texting in the gym or watching the television more than they actually train. If you were to go up to them and ask them why they are performing a certain exercise they wouldn’t be able to give you a legitimate answer other than “today’s chest day”. If you are one of these people SHAME ON YOU!

Take a look at any athlete or fitness enthusiast that trains at the gym. Do these people use the gym as a social gathering? Absolutely not. These guys and gals go to the gym to train with a purpose. Powerlifters train to bring up their totals on the deadlift, squat and bench press, while Olympic athletes train explosive strength. Baseball players and football players train to become better at their on field performance. I think you get the point. Even non athletes train for certain goals. It could be anything from setting new PR’s on their indicator lifts or to just adding muscle mass. Regardless of what their goal is, these guys just flat out love lifting heavy weights!

The point of this article is to call out all those people who “work out”. There is nothing I hate more than seeing someone on their phone in the gym or bullshitting with their buddies. People who "train" are in and out of the gym in under an hour. While there are some exceptions to the rules, Olympic lifters, and maybe powerlifters, most other athletes need no more than 45 minutes to train. While everyone should train with a purpose, goals don’t only have to be physical as in getting stronger or bigger. You can train for your soul or just to get away from all other distractions in life. For most guys, training is the 3-4 hours a week where they can step away from the real world and forget about all their problems and such. So I'll ask you again, do you train or do you workout?

Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
www.MeglioFitness.com
www.MeglioNutrition.com
Joe@MeglioFitness.com

A Tribute to My Athletes

This winter proved to be a very successful off season for my athletes. They trained with me anywhere from 2-4 days a week for their whole entire winter break. These guys knew that if they wanted to compete at the collegiate level, they would need to become better athletes. The work ethic these athletes displayed showed a lot about their true character and what they are willing to reach their goals. I would like to whish the best of luck to all of you.

I will end this post with a question for you. What are you trying to achieve in the gym? Do you go to the gym to “work out” or do you go to “train”. Stay tuned for my next post as I will give you my thoughts on “working out” vs. “training”.

Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
www.MeglioFitness.com
www.MeglioNutrition.com
Joe@MeglioFitness.com

Sick of Your Gym

Okay so this will not be the most popular post I will ever write because it may offend some people. This post is dedicated to the serious lifter or anyone who is truly dedicated to training and cannot stand training at their gym.

First let me describe what your typical gym looks like. Upon entering you notice that there are countless cardio machines with a personal TV attached to each one, hundreds of strength training machines, BUSO balls and every other fitness gimmick known to man. Aside from the fitness equipment, you notice that there is a juice bar and Britney Spears music blasting through the speakers. Before you take another step into the gym you are harassed by the first sales associated that lays their eyes on you. Shortly after that, they attempt to set you up with a trainer who more than likely never squatted or deadlifted properly in their life. Instead, they are too busy doing body squats on a BOSU ball or teaching their clients the anatomy and physiology behind a bicep curl. As if this is not appalling enough, you then see that the gym has a “no chalk” sign on the wall. You then take a look at the rest of the gym and notice that there is only one power rack. While this is completely unacceptable, waiting for the skinny bastard in front of you to finish his bicep curls in the rack is far more nauseating. As you continue to check out the gym you see that there is no Glute Ham Raise, no reverse hyper, no heavy dumbbells and so on.

These are just some of the issues that are prevalent throughout most gyms you will see in your lifetime. Now for what you all have been waiting for…How to avoid these gyms? First, keep looking for a new gym. If there are none in your local area, keep looking within a certain distance. You will be doing yourself a huge service by finding a serious place to train at! Not only does the atmosphere at typical gyms suck, but you are also surrounding yourself with people who do not share the same passion for iron as you do. Get your ass over to a serious gym and start training with people who are stronger than you! For those of you who live in New Jersey or New York City, and are willing to step your game up, and are ready to train at a private club where only animals train, contact me for more info. I am a strength coach at the Underground Strength Gym and I am always looking for serious lifters to train. If you think you are a beast training at your local gym or university, you haven’t seen jack yet!

Joe Meglio
Performance Enhancement Coach
www.MeglioFitness.com
www.MeglioNutrition.com
Joe@MeglioFitness.com

So You Want to be Ripped?

8 Principles for Getting the Body YOU Want

The following guidelines are simple guidelines to follow, however for some reason most people fail to follow these rules and thus wonder why they cannot lose body fat. There is no magic bullet or supplement when it comes to loosing body fat but instead like most things in life it takes dedication and consistency. Now without any further ado:

1. Eat every 2-3 hours. This means you should be eating AT LEAST 5 meals a day and up to 8 meals. I do not want to hear you do not have time, because we both now that’s bullshit. Prepare your meals ahead of time! Plan meals for the times you know you will be on the go or at work.

2. Eat like a caveman. Avoid all processed and refined food, hence any food that comes out of a box or wrapper. If you need to be convinced by a commercial or an advertisement that a specific type of food is healthy, you must avoid it! Do you hear the media try and convince you that water, fruits and vegetables are healthy? No, this is because it is common knowledge and most people are looking for easier solutions than eating their greens. So what type of food would a caveman eat? Lean meat, eggs, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables. The list does not end here however it is a start!

3. Eat, lean protein, fruits and/or vegetables with each meal. Any meal that does not contain lean protein, vegetables and or fruit should be considered a cheat meal. Don’t cheat yourself!

4. Cycle your carbohydrates. First let me say if you need to lose 20 or more pounds diet down first before you cycle your carbs. Carb cycling is an excellent approach for anyone who is already pretty lean (10-12%BF) and is looking to lose those last 10 pounds that are covering their abs. In a nutshell, carb cycling divides each day of the week into either a low, medium or high carb day. Your activity level for each day will determine how many carbs you will take in. For more in dept information please check out this article from T Nation.

5. Drink only water. Cut out all soda, Gatorade, and any beverage with calories in it. Once you do this try to cut out all diet soda. Get use to drinking water!

6. Eat whole foods. Avoid consuming a ton of protein bars and shakes. There is a time and place for shakes (see below), but whole foods are the way to go.

7. Be sure to eat a big breakfast and consume a during and post workout shake. I mention breakfast, during workout/post workout shake, in the same rule because these are the times of day where our bodies can actually handle carbs. Upon waking, our muscles are desperate to take in large amounts of calories and are less likely to store carbs as fat. Furthermore having a big breakfast will speed up our metabolism for the rest of the day. The same goes for during and post workout. During this time our glycogen stores are shot and we need quick digesting carbs and protein to refuel and build muscle. For Post workout the best carbs include a combination of Dextrose and Maltodextrin or Waximaize. Personally I use Advocare Post Workout Recovery for during and post workout.).

8. Avoid mixing foods high in fat and carbs. The only time fat and carbs should be mixed is when the carbs are coming from fruits or vegetables. AVOID mixing starchy carbs with saturated fats at all times!

There is your list of 8 rules to follow. Until you follow all 8 rules there is no need to use a “fat burner” or to try and other magic diet. In reality, most people know how to lose body fat however they believe there is some sort of unknown secret. While I said these rules are simple to follow, simple does not mean easy. It takes a lot of dedication and consistency to reach your goals.

Joe Meglio

Performance Enhancement Coach
www.MeglioFitness.com
www.MeglioNutrition.com
Joe@MeglioFitness.com