Full Body Workouts Or Split Routine? -- QnA

1. When to take weight gainers? Before or after the workout? 

Weight gainers allow you to take lots of calories in a short period of time which will lead to weight gain (and hopefully muscle gain as well). But they are not among the healthiest supplements because of the large amount of sugars and fast absorbing carbohydrates. So if you do have difficulties in putting weight and you do want to take a weight gainer, the best time to take it would be after the workout. Taking it before the workout will lead to a spike in insulin before you even start working out, and by the middle of the workout you will have no more energy left and you will get sleepy as well (carbohydrates also interfere with neurotransmitters and lead to a release of serotonin – source) 

2. Full body workouts or split routine? Which of these muscle building workouts is better? 

This is a very broad question because it involves so many variables. And the most important aspect to consider is your previous experience in bodybuilding. For beginners full body workouts are better because they don’t need the high volume of sets. For a beginner doing full body workouts 3 times a week is going to be better than a split program. But in time your body will adapt, so the routine will need to be changed. It is even better if you follow a specific Fitness program, because it will gradually take you through this process. For example the “No Nonsense Muscle Building” program of Vince del Monte starts with full body workouts for the first 6 months and then it graduates to a split program, because at that point your body needs more volume per body part. 

3. What to eat after a workout to lose weight? Should I avoid carbs? 

No, you should keep the carbs in! First of all you should eat some complex carbohydrates about 3-4 hours before the workout to have plenty of energy for the workout. Then consume a meal consisting of protein and carbohydrates about 45-60 minutes after the workout to replenish glycogen levels. You can’t live without carbs and you do need to consume them somewhere in the day, and these are the best times to do it – 4 hours before and 1 hour after the workout. If you maintain a caloric deficit and you avoid carbs for the rest of the day, you will still lose weight, burn the fat and also maintain your existing muscle mass.

Article by Craig Wilson

Vanessa Tib

Vanessa Tib is a full time Registered Nurse, and a Rising Star in the Fitness and Modeling Industry. Vanessa has appeared on the cover of Natural Muscle Magazine, Iron Man Magazine, and on the International Covers of Muscle&Fitness magazine in the UK, Holland, Italy, Australia, Germany and France. She has been featured multiple times in Planet Muscle Magazine, World Physique Magazine, fitness Gurls Magazine and is quickly making a name for herself by appearing in various fitness product and fitness related commercials. For more info and pictures, check out her website.

Article by Craig Wilson

Frequently Asked Questions About The "Reveal the Steel" Program

In a previous article we wrote a Review of "Reveal The Steel" and because many people wanted to know even more info about this program, we decided to write this article as well. We gathered the most frequent questions we received and answered them briefly. We hope this will help you decide whether to buy the program or not.

Q: What is "Reveal the Steel"?

A: In just a few words, it is a 150+ pages course that covers all the information you need to know for getting in the best shape of your life! It gives complete details about workouts, exercises, routines, nutrition, diets, things to avoid and so much more. As a bonus, it also has color-coded workout charts, allowing you to easily follow the 18 weeks training program.

Q: Is this program only for men?

A: Definitely NOT! It offers a lot of info for women too, showing them exactly how to get fit without getting too big! The knowledge of the author was combined with the advices of Janelle Waters, a Holistic Lifestyle Practitioner from NESHforlife.com.au 

Q: Where can I get "Reveal the Steel" from?

A: You can Buy this product directly from the Official Website. Simply click here!

Q: Who wrote this course?

Do You Even Squat?

Article by Craig Wilson

Leucine Supplementation Improves Protein Synthesis in Older Adults

Aging adults usually suffer from a condition called “sarcopenia” which is a loss in muscle mass. The proteins you eat are stimulating protein synthesis for about 1,5 hours after the meal, but older people usually don’t consume enough proteins. This happens because of a lack in appetite, because of high costs or simply because they don’t like those kinds of aliments and they don’t enjoy a diet that is high in protein. 

A study held by the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston had shown that by adding 4 grams of leucine to each meal, for 3 meals per day and for 14 days, the protein synthesis increases, even though the diet is not high in protein. Leucine is an important amino acid  which triggers protein synthesis and leucine supplements could be a simple and cheap way of preventing the loss in muscle mass on aging people (Clinical Nutrition, 20 Feb 2012).

On the other hand, if you are a younger person that not only wants to maintain current muscle mass but also to increase it, then leucine supplements can help you a lot! If you are looking for a specific leucine supplement or for the biggest variety of Fitness supplements from all the Top Brands, then we definitely recommend you this website.

For aging adults looking for a complex workout guide made especially for their needs, we highly recommend the "Old School New Body Program".

Article by Craig Wilson

From Under-Dog to Elite -- An Interview With Clint Nielsen

1. Tell us something about yourself  

My name is Clint Nielsen, I’m a 33 year old born and bred Australian who runs crudefitness.com. I run my own creative agency for the most part (Pixel Demon), with fitness and health being the other 50% of my work lifestyle. 

2. What determined you to start working out and having a healthy lifestyle?

For the most part, it was peer pressure back in my early twenties. I remember being out drinking with my mates and one of them mocked me by saying “Hey Clint, nice man-boobs”. It was a realization that I had let myself go, and needed to do something about it. So I set about learning and trialing a whole bunch of different methods. Obviously there was a whole bunch of trial and error in my 13+ years of training, but I think I’ve finally found the methods that work best for me and my lifestyle — which at the end of the day, should be the goal for everyone.

3. What progress have you made so far?

Where does one begin! — I’ve come a long way from where I was when I began. The biggest changes and the most notable ones are permanent sub 10% body fat year-round. I’ve found methods and strategies that allow me to have a ‘life’ as well as train hard and keep my body in check.

4. Which is your actual training routine?

I’m currently preparing RTS v2.0, so I’m going back and completing the entire training course from the original and ‘tweaking’ it along the way to make it even better. To give you an idea of what it entails: The entire concept is based around periodization and constant ‘progress’ in one of the three areas at any given time (strength, fat loss and muscle gain). Stage 1 concentrates on Strength, Stage 2 is on Muscle Gain, Stage 3 is on Fat loss with the final stage (Stage 4) concentrating on a 1 week ‘photo shoot’ strategy to get as ripped as possible (not for everyone).

5. Tell us your favorite exercise and your favorite meal!

Fitness Motivation -- Fit & Sexy Girls Working Out

Are you looking for some Fitness Motivation? For something that will truly inspire you and make you get up from the couch and go straight to the gym? Then check out this amazing video! 

6 minutes of the fittest and sexiest girls working out, 6 minutes of strong women who are not afraid they will "get too big" and they do all of those "manly exercises" like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, lunges and much more. Although I'm sure the guys will find the video just as motivating as the girls, I have included some bodybuilders too. All of these on a nice House Track, to motivate you, keep your blood pumping and prepare you for a heavy workout! Enjoy!

Article by Craig Wilson

6 Tips to Get Six Pack Abs & Lose Fat

You must have given enough excuses to get out of your fitness program: hectic work schedule, some friend's wedding or unfinished work. These excuses may have saved you from any fitness program, but they may not save you from your deteriorating health condition due to unhealthy lifestyle, lack of exercise or improper diet. All these conditions result in obesity problems and the development of certain severe diseases. At that point in time, you will regret not having a proper diet, a fitness routine or taking the help of any expert. But it is not too late for you to get yourself enrolled in a good fitness program. Take things seriously and plan your routine accordingly.   

Could you think of any better option than this: six pack abs along with weight loss. We certainly cannot! Six pack abs is the “talk of the town" this season. All the fitness freaks not only want a good mental and physical health but also a six pack abs. If you are also bored from the ugly looking bulging tummy fat and are badly looking out for solutions which can give you not only a sound mind but also a sound body, then you are at the right place. We are going to help you in not only burning the body fat but also converting the muscles into a good shape which is six pack abs. Just stay with us and follow these simple steps.

Tip #1: Be in a Caloric Deficit

The first and most important rule of weight loss is to be in a caloric deficit. That means to burn more calories than you consume and to be below maintenance level (you can easily calculate this here). You can achieve this by eating less, by exercising more and by eating low calorie foods…or even better, by combining these 3 methods.

Tip #2: Schedule Your Workouts

Do I Really Need a Fitness Program?

Let’s be honest right from the start: if you are a Fitness expert, a Pro Bodybuilder or a Fitness Model you don’t need any Fitness Program or E-Book. But if you are an average person that has been struggling to improve your physique, or even better if you are just starting your weight loss or muscle building journey, then YOU DO NEED a Fitness Program!
 

But there is a ton of free information out there…why should I pay for it?

Well if you have A LOT of free time and you just love browsing through the thousands of Fitness websites and putting all the puzzle pieces together yourself, then you don’t need to pay for any product. But if you are like most of the people and your time is LIMITED, then a Fitness guide is just what you need! This is because it will guide you step-by-step, giving you ALL the info you need to know in one place. So stop wasting your time and trying to mix all the info you get from all kinds of sources! Just choose ONE program and follow it exactly as it is!

There are lots and lots of programs out there and most of them were written by Experts and people who transformed their bodies themselves. The best ones have a lot of useful information and the best thing is that they guide you step-by-step, from point A to point B (that means from your actual body to the body you desire). Many of them also come with instructional videos and some of them even have printable workout charts, making your life so much easier! All you need to do is follow the plan and stick to it until the end.

What program should I choose?

Whether your goal is to lose weight, to gain muscle, to eat healthy or who knows what other goal you may have, there is a program out there for you. And to save your time and energy, we browsed through all of the programs and selected THE BEST ones! Check out our collection of Top Fitness Programs by visiting this page or see the programs we reviewed.

Article by Craig Wilson

Sorry I Only Do Cardio

Article by Craig Wilson

What To Wear At The Gym?

What you wear at the gym is just as important as what you lift in the gym! And there is a lot of science behind getting the right set of clothes according to the muscles you are working! 

Article by Craig Wilson

Nutrition VS Exercise -- QnA

1. If I want to build muscle, when is the best time to take a post-workout drink/meal? Should I take it immediately after the workout or should I wait some time?

Right after your workout the blood flow is still increased to working muscles so you need to take advantage of this opportunity and fuel your body with the nutrients it needs. These are proteins (to begin muscle repair and rebuild) and carbohydrates (for muscle recovery and replenishing glycogen). So the sooner you take your post-workout shake the better, and your first meal should be around 1 hour after the workout. Don’t delay and take the post-workout window seriously! 

2. How often to change workout routine and in what manner? (reps, sets, exercises)

If you are a complete beginner you should change your workout routine every 3-4 months and then have a week off to recover. From the variables that you can manipulate, the most important ones are reps and sets. The one variable that needs to be changed the LEAST (whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced) is exercise selection! You don’t need to rotate your exercises around on a regular basis and it’s more important to stimulate your body with different rep ranges (for example 3 sets of 15 with 30 seconds rest, 4 sets of 10 with 60 seconds rest, 5 sets of 5 with 90 seconds rest) to stimulate all the different muscle fibers.

3. What is more important to get in shape? The food you eat OR the amount of exercise?

Whether your goal is to be lean and ripped or to get big and muscular you can’t separate nutrition and exercise and they are both equally important. It is not a matter of which one to focus more on because they both play a role on how you look! Many people say that looking good is “30% gym and 70% diet”, but it’s actually 100% exercise and 100% nutrition!

More Questions & Answers will be coming soon, so make sure you come back to our website! For a more complex muscle building program that will have the answers to all of your questions, check out “The Muscle Maximizer”.

Article by Craig Wilson