Great Sources of Protein

June 27, 2013 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

Have you bothered to think about the great sources of protein that are available to you? Do you know if it is important to change up your sources of protein on a regular basis? What exactly do you know about protein and its role in bodybuilding?

Great Sources of Protein

Protein is a building block for muscles. Having good, lean sources of protein is a must if you are going to build muscle. The table below is a list of the best protein sources available to you.

Lean beef	Elk
Chicken breast	Buffalo
Salmon	Tuna
Cottage Cheese	Turkey Breast
Egg whites	Cod fish
All kinds of white fish	Whey protein powder

How to use protein in your diet

I recommend one gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. I am currently sitting at 245 lbs. and 15% body fat. That means I have 204 lbs. of lean body mass, so I should be getting 204 grams of protein daily. I spread my protein intake out throughout the day. I take in about 56 grams with my breakfast protein shake. I will then get about 30 grams per actual meal after that using chicken or beef. That will get me to about 206 grams of protein, more than enough to build muscle on a daily basis. I eat 5 to 6 meals a day including that breakfast protein shake. This isn't a necessity, but it works for me.

Why change up your sources of protein

Protein contains Branch Chain Amino Acids. To be sure you are getting a balanced amount of each BCAA you should change up your protein sources regularly. I currently use beef, chicken, turkey, egg whites, whey protein and fish. This helps with my BCAA profile by keeping my body full of different protein sources. This and the fact that I supplement with BCAAs helps my body build the muscle I am working on. The results have been good for me so far. I have gone from 240 lbs. and 30% body fat to 245 lbs. and 15% body fat. That's an increase of 36 lbs. of lean body mass in just 24 months time.

Take Your Time

As I stated, it took me 2 years to gain 36 lbs. of lean body mass. It takes time to get big. Don't feel bad because it is taking longer than you expected. All good things are worth waiting for and this is definitely something worth waiting for.

Musclecast Video Program Coming Soon

June 26, 2013 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT 1 Comment

For a long time now I have tried to come up with the the best way to share all the knowledge I have in my head. I use this blog, medium.com and some guest blogging appearances to do this, but it just doesn't seem to be enough. After giving this a lot of thought I have come up with something amazing.

Announcing The MuscleCast!

I have decided to begin recording a video podcast that I will call The MuscleCast. I will secure interviews with industry professionals, share workouts and just give you my opinion on the latest bodybuilding and fitness news. I have not yet determined the location where I will host The MuscleCast but you will always be able to get the latest episodes right here at Fitness Expose.

How Can You Help?

You can help me out by suggesting some topics you'd like to see me cover. Tell me what your favorite topics are. Keep me informed of your interests. By doing so I will be able to provide you with the content YOU want to see.

Interviews and More!

As stated, I plan to secure interviews with some of the top people in the bodybuilding industry. Up and comers will be interviewed so that you can see what it takes to make it in this industry. I will cover topics like training, nutriion, contest preparation and more. I will show you training techniques and explain them to you in detail. I will demonstrate sample workout plans for lagging body parts. Really the sky is the limit with this medium.

Sharing the Knowledge

I have built up a bunch of knowledge over the years. I have had so many people help me out that I just want to pass on the knowledge. It is really simple. I sincerely hope you will learn from The MuscleCast

Frequency

I am currently planning to do a new episode every two weeks. Who knows if that will hold true, but I am going to give it my best shot.

Watch my preview video

I did a very quick Mobli video with my thoughts on the new podcast. You can watch it here.

How an Old Guy Uses Intensity

June 25, 2013 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

How does a guy like me use intensity in my training? To me intensity is the key ingredient. It is a variable that can be manipulated in so many ways that it just has to be used over and over again. Intensity will bring mass and that's the goal right?

Intensity and Repetitions

The more repetitions you do at a given rate the higher the level of intensity. By adding at least 1 repetition with every workout you are slowly increasing the intensity of that exercise. It is completely within your control. You can push yourself harder and harder to gain intensity.

Intensity and Weight

The more weight you move the higher the level of intensity. The Stronglifts 5 x 5 program increases the intensity at every workout by adding 5 lbs. to the exercises. This approach increases the amount of intensity being displayed.

Intensity and Rest Periods

This is my favorite intensity technique. Using the rest period to increase the intensity. By shortening the rest period the intensity naturally increases. I love this technique. I combine it with weight and repetitions for some amazing intensity.

How Intensity Works to Build Muscle

The introduction of intensity into your routine will make you work even harder. The hard work will result in muscle gains. You can make your body go to places you never thought possible by using intense training techniques. Push yourself to do more repetitions and your strength goes up. When your strength goes up you can move more weight. Moving more weight adds to your muscle mass in a big way. Just think about that as you do your workouts.

Dig deep and push yourself to a new level. Don't give up. Make yourself go beyond. You will not regret it when you look in the mirror. For the results of intensity watch my progress as I aim to put on more muscle.

Monday Madness: Ab Altering Moves

June 24, 2013 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT 1 Comment

Core training is an important aspect of bodybuilding that many people overlook. Many people I talk to think they have no reason to train their core if they still have a big layer of fat covering it. The point is to work the core so that when your fat layer is gone you are showing some awesome abdominal muscles.

In today's Monday Madness workout I am going to show you a great abdominal only workout that can be done on cardio only days or on rest days. This is not something you would do after a weight training workout.

The Exercises

Exercise	Sets	Repetitions
Crunches with legs off ground	4	15-20
Leg thrusters	4	15-20
Cable crunches	4	20-25
Decline Reverse Crunch	3	15-20
Plate twists	4	20-25

The Workout Described

This workout is aimed to really hit the midsection hard. We start off with crunches with your legs up off the ground. The video I give you to look at has the legs on a ball. Just picture doing this without the ball and you've got it. Next up are leg thrusters. This is a favorite of mine that works the lower abdominals. You do a knee in and then thrust your legs in the air. This is followed by a standard cable cunch with as much weight as you can handle. Be sure not to rock back and forth on your torso. Make sure your abs are doing all the work. Next set a bench on a decline and do reverse crunches. Finally do plate twists. These work your obliques.

Make sure you do these exercises with intensity. Do not just cruise through the workout. Also, as with the calf workout, don't let the burn fool you. Work through it. You will be successful if you push yourself hard.

The Kitchen

It is true when they say “abs are made in the kitchen” so keep this in mind. You are working hard on your core now so that when the kitchen payoff happens you will be ready. Dont' give up. Give it your all and the sky's the limit.

Will You Do What It Takes?

June 23, 2013 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

So you've decided that you want to step on stage. Have you asked yourself if you are willing to do what it takes? Do you even know exactly what it takes? How much research have you done? These are questions you need to ask yourself before you start down the path. What are the steps for preparing for a bodybuilding competition?

Find a preparation coach

I highly recommend finding a preparation coach. They will help you through the process, making sure that you hit all the relevant places at the right time. They will be there to encourage you when things seem impossible. They will prepare you for what is to come next.

When I prepared for my 2 contests my coach was extremely important. I specifically remember a conversation we had about how my motivation to train was waning. He basically talked me off the ledge by explaining that as a travelling salesman he had times when he was so tired he didn't feel like training, but he had to dig down deep and make it happen. He said that I should focus on the goal and the rest would come.

Your preparation coach will set up a nutrition plan and a training schedule for you. Most of them offer personal training for an additional charge. You would be wise to avail yourself of their training services at least every few weeks. It will keep you motivated and teach you proper muscle building techniques. These things will become extremely valuable for the rest of your training life.

Follow a nutrition plan

As mentioned, all preparation coaches will set you up on a nutrition plan. It may seem “boring” or “tasteless” but stick to the plan as written. The plan is designed to help you move towards your goal of a lean and muscular physique. If you know you are going to do a show, get with someone very early on. I am already planning for a show March 2014 and it is June 2013. That's 9 months. The reason is that your nutrition plan will change to a “cutting diet” 12 weeks out from the show. Prior to that you want to build as much muscle as possible, so your eating will be very different.

The nutrition plan can be a difficult thing to stick to, but by doing so you will see the results appear before your very eyes. You will be amazed at what your body is capable of in a short period fo time. It truly is amazing.

Follow a precise training plan

Your coach will give you a training plan. It will not consist of specific exercises to do, but it will be a guide to how s/he wants you to train. My own coach believes in “instinctive training” and that's how I handle things as I approach the show date. However, when I am trying to build muscle I change things. I stick to a basic split and then add supplemental workouts for lagging body parts. It works for me so I do it. What works for me may not work for you, so pay attention to your body, your need for rest and the results you are producing. They will be your guide.

Train like an animal

I cannot say it enough–give it everything you have. Train hard in the gym and eat right outside the gym. Give every set your all. Don't give up when you still have reps left in you. That's an extremely important rule. Take your training seriously. It is now your job and you must do it well or be fired (ie. look terrible when you step on stage). You will benefit from your training the harder you work. Just get busy and get the job done.

Practice posing

I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice posing. I've done two shows and I am still learning proper techniques for making my muscles show well. It is not an easy task that is for sure. Just do the work. Practice on a daily basis. Use music when you practice. Obviously eating and training are the keys, but if you are in great shape and don't know how to show your body off you will not do well on stage.

Work with your coach on the mandatory poses. Learn them so that they become second nature. Work on being smooth on your transitions from one pose to another. It should look like poetry in motion.

My final recommendation about posing is something that drove my own family nuts, but has really improved my posing technique. I suggest getting comfortable by practicing certain poses while you are out in public. If you are at the grocery store stop for a moment and do a lat spread. If you are shopping at the mall do a double biceps pose while waiting for your significant other. Why should you do this? It will make you comfortable posing in front of a crowd. You should not care what other people think. Just think–if you can't pose with your clothes on in front of strangers how are you going to do it in your posing trunks in front of strangers while on stage?

Enjoy the process

The final part for you to understand is to enjoy the process. You have done what it takes. The show date is approaching. You've taken everything your coach said seriously and have done your best to execute his instructions. If you didn't like the process then it really wasn't worth it. Do your best to enjoy the entire thing. In the end you will feel extremely proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Take lots of pictures so you can remember this moment, the moment you were in the best shape of your life.