The Diet Plan: The No Nonsense Guide for Safe and Effective Body Transformation!

Neil McTeggart – Personal Trainer – Men’s Health Magazine Online Fitness Editor Neil McTeggart – Personal Trainer – Me...

Author: Neil McTeggart

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Neil McTeggart – Personal Trainer – Men’s Health Magazine Online Fitness Editor

Neil McTeggart – Personal Trainer – Men’s Health Magazine Online Fitness Editor DISCLAIMER ........................................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................6 ABOUT ME ............................................................................................................................................7 SO HOW IS THIS BOOK DIFFERENT? .........................................................................................10 TESTIMONIALS .................................................................................................................................11 MISSION STATEMENT.....................................................................................................................13 WHAT YOU NEED TO DO................................................................................................................14 MEASUREMENTS CHART...............................................................................................................15 MEASUREMENTS..............................................................................................................................16 PHOTOS TAKEN ........................................................................................................................16 MEASUREMENTS TAKEN .......................................................................................................16 THE SCALES...............................................................................................................................16 BODY MASS INDEX ..................................................................................................................17 BODY FAT...................................................................................................................................17 GOAL SETTING..................................................................................................................................18 LONG TERM GOALS .................................................................................................................18 SHORT TERM GOALS ...............................................................................................................18 F.A.Q .....................................................................................................................................................21 CAN I BUILD MUSCLE AND LOSE FAT AT THE SAME TIME? .........................................21 CAN ANYONE USE THIS PLAN?.............................................................................................21 HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE A DIFFERENCE? ........................................................21 MACRONUTRIENTS .........................................................................................................................22 PROTEIN...........................................................................................................................................22 METABOLIC RATE....................................................................................................................22 THERMO EFFECT OF FEEDING ..............................................................................................23 HUNGER......................................................................................................................................23 EGGS ............................................................................................................................................23 FAT ....................................................................................................................................................24 CARBOHYDRATES...........................................................................................................................25 GLYCEMIC INDEX ....................................................................................................................26 FIBRE ...........................................................................................................................................26 PROCESSED FOODS .........................................................................................................................27 PORTION SIZES .................................................................................................................................27 FOOD DIARY ......................................................................................................................................29 FOOD LIST ..........................................................................................................................................31 FOOD DIARY TABLE ........................................................................................................................32 FAT LOSS – GYM DAY......................................................................................................................33 CALCULATING PROTEIN ...............................................................................................................34

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Neil McTeggart – Personal Trainer – Men’s Health Magazine Online Fitness Editor BEGINNER NOTES...........................................................................................................................35 CALCULATING CARBOHYDRATES ...............................................................................................35 CARB TIMING FOR FAT LOSS – ‘THE 3 BLOCKS’.......................................................................35 PRE-WORKOUT .........................................................................................................................36 POST-WORKOUT SHAKE.........................................................................................................36 POST-WORKOUT MEAL...........................................................................................................37 CALCULATING FATS.......................................................................................................................38 FAT LOSS – NON-GYM DAY ...........................................................................................................39 CHEAT MEALS...................................................................................................................................41 FAT LOSS COMMANDMENTS........................................................................................................42 BULKING UP.......................................................................................................................................43 CALCULATING DAILY PROTEIN ...................................................................................................44 CALCULATING DAILY CARBS........................................................................................................45 CARB TIMING FOR BULKING – ‘THE 3 BLOCKS’ .......................................................................45 PRE-WORKOUT .........................................................................................................................45 POST-WORKOUT SHAKE.........................................................................................................45 POST-WORKOUT MEAL...........................................................................................................46 CALCULATING FATS.......................................................................................................................47 BULKING COMMANDMENTS ........................................................................................................49 EATING AROUND GYM TIMES .....................................................................................................50 TRAINING EARLY.............................................................................................................................50 TRAINING AFTER WORK ................................................................................................................52 TRAINING LATER AT NIGHT ..........................................................................................................54 BEGINNER NOTES...........................................................................................................................55 FOOD DIARY UPDATE .....................................................................................................................55 FOOD DIARY TABLE ........................................................................................................................57 SUPPLEMENTS...................................................................................................................................58 FISH OIL ...........................................................................................................................................58 PROTEIN POWDER .........................................................................................................................59 DIET SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................60 WEIGHT TRAINING..........................................................................................................................61 PRINCIPLES .....................................................................................................................................61 FREE WEIGHTS VS MACHINES .....................................................................................................62 FULL BODY VS SPLIT ROUTINE ............................................................................................63 BODYBUILDING ROUTINES ...................................................................................................64 FEMALE ROUTINES..................................................................................................................67 TEMPO.........................................................................................................................................69 GYM MYTHS.......................................................................................................................................70 GETTING ‘TOO’ BIG..................................................................................................................70

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Neil McTeggart – Personal Trainer – Men’s Health Magazine Online Fitness Editor MUSCLE APPEARANCE ...........................................................................................................71 ABDOMINAL WORK .................................................................................................................71 WARMING UP ............................................................................................................................73 EXERCISES – The Good.....................................................................................................................73 SQUAT .........................................................................................................................................73 DEADLIFT...................................................................................................................................75 BENCH PRESS ............................................................................................................................77 ROWS...........................................................................................................................................78 DIPS..............................................................................................................................................80 UPPER BODY MUSCLE - LOCATION ...........................................................................................81 EXERCISES – The Bad .......................................................................................................................82 SHRUGS.......................................................................................................................................82 FRONT RAISES...........................................................................................................................82 DUMBBELL TRICEP KICKBACKS ..........................................................................................82 CONCENTRATION CURLS.......................................................................................................82 EXERCISES – The Ugly......................................................................................................................83 ROLLING SHRUGS ....................................................................................................................83 UPRIGHT ROWS.........................................................................................................................83 PEC DECK ...................................................................................................................................83 SMITH MACHINE ......................................................................................................................83 MUSCLE SORENESS .................................................................................................................84 BELTS ..........................................................................................................................................84 CARDIO TRAINING ..........................................................................................................................85 WHAT IS CARDIO? ....................................................................................................................85 YOU CANNOT OUT RUN YOUR MOUTH..............................................................................86 TORTOISE VERSUS HARE .......................................................................................................87 GOALS .........................................................................................................................................87 CONDITIONING .........................................................................................................................87 E.P.O.C. ........................................................................................................................................88 HAMSTER TIME.........................................................................................................................88 INJURIES .....................................................................................................................................88 FIRST OR LAST ..........................................................................................................................89 HEALTH ......................................................................................................................................89 FITNESS.......................................................................................................................................89 THE SCIENCE, THE ART .................................................................................................................90

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DISCLAIMER By purchasing this E-book you agree to the following conditions. In no way is this material to be resold or redistributed without the express consent of the author. Only those who purchase this e-book legally may have access to free email support and ‘The Diet Plan’ forum. Any printing of information is solely for personal use. You will seek advice from a medical professional before initiating any changes to your diet or exercise regime. Use of the guidelines, herein, is both the choice and risk of the reader. The views expressed are purely those of the author and are not necessarily the views of any magazine or organisation he may or may not be affiliated with. All information is based on the author’s personal study and experience.

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INTRODUCTION In October 2007 I released my first E-book. This downloadable guide was aimed at the newbie lifter who simply did not know where to look when it came to gathering up the correct advice on dieting. With millions of internet sites and more information than ever before you would think finding out what you need to know would be easy buns. Alas it is not. If you already have a good idea of what is right and wrong when it comes to training and dieting then resources such as the internet can be invaluable but, to the untrained newbie, it is easy to drown in a sea of complex gobbledegook! With the E-book and the free email support I provided to all users, I discovered many strengths and weaknesses that I want to improve upon in this revised guide. The main strength and selling point of the E-book was the lack of bodybuilding jargon and dietary calculations. You could get results without the use of a calculator or dictionary. Nutrition books and lifting guides can have some great content but often this content is wasted if you do not understand the basics. I have expanded on many points and included information for the analytical geeks among you but I do sincerely hope I have kept the Layman happy with this new and improved version. The fact that you are reading this book tells me one thing - you want results. The reason people fail to see results? They don’t know how! The average gym user is performing the wrong exercises, on the wrong days, in the wrong order, before and after the wrong meals. With this guide you will learn how to train and eat properly regardless of whether your goal is to bulk up or cut down. You will see why everyone else in your gym still looks the same, yet you will be seeing changes on a month to month basis. For the more experienced readers I would suggest that they too work through this plan as if they have never trained before. Hit the reset button. Forget all the nonsense you have picked up over the years from gym ‘experts’ and let me teach you how to do it right.

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ABOUT ME I began training at just 16 years of age and still attending school. I weighed about 120lbs soaking wet and knew absolutely nothing about pumping iron, working the ‘guns’ or benching heavy. My older brother introduced me to my first ‘circuits’ class which was full of middle aged men with middle aged bodies trying to stay healthy. While this was great as a hobby for those guys, it was not really suitable for us. Soon we found ourselves in a bodybuilding gym which was frequented by scary men lifting scary weights. Like an atheist at a church get-together, you could say I felt out of place. I hated training. Well I did not really hate it, but I did dislike it. My body was sore and I had to put up with comments about my skinny physique and how I should not lift weights in case something broke. Weeks passed and the workouts turned from torture into pleasure. The training was still really tough going but now it seemed I was getting somewhere. My training diary showed strength increases which soon developed into more visual changes. Then it happened. Other people began to see these changes and I was hooked. Training started to consume my life and everything started to revolve around the gym. People now ask me how I added body weight and strength while staying relatively lean and, to be fair, I didn’t really know. I could not answer everybody’s questions so when something came up that I was not too sure about I tried to find out so that next time I would have an answer. My secret was simply eating a lot of food and busting my ass down at the gym. Many areas of my workouts and diet were wrong, but the gains were good enough to spur me on to learn more, and as I educated myself I continued to change the way I looked. My hobby basically developed into my career. I studied for a few years and gathered up the necessary courses and soon I was working as a fitness instructor. I still could not answer all of the questions but I carried on learning and training as much as I could. At the age of 23, I had been training for 7 years and had worked with hundreds of people in the gym, writing programs and building diets. I had bulked up and dieted a few times with varying levels of success and I had produced some great results with clients during my time as a fitness instructor.

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I moved into Personal training and began working as a self employed trainer in Belfast. As my client base expanded, I started to see patterns in progress and concentrated on finding the best possible ways to change people in the shortest period of time. My training and diet was on track. I now not only had my own experiences of what worked and what did not, but also had the experiences of all my clients to refer to. In 2007 I had just finished bulking, which involves eating more food than normal, in the hope of adding on some extra muscle. I was now around 200lbs and wanted to diet down for a competition to appear on the cover of Men’s Health Magazine. This annual competition is entered by thousands and dropping an excess of 30+ pounds in bodyweight I made it to the finals. I did not win the competition (too handsome) but I did get offered the job of Online Fitness Editor for the magazine. Now I work full time as a Personal Trainer and write articles and answer questions for Men’s Health and, more recently, the Gaelic Star. In summary: Personal Trainer with over 10 years experience. Online Fitness Editor for Men’s Health Magazine UK. Qualified and insured through ‘R.E.P.s’ – The Register of Exercise Professionals. Men’s Health Magazine Cover Model Finalist 2007. Poliquin Certified Strength Coach. B.W.L.A. Kettlebell Trainer. Nutrition expert for Gaelic Star Magazine. All this info is not meant as a trumpet blowing session. I want to show you, the reader, that I am not some self proclaimed guru that hides behind a computer screen eating buns and stroking my man boobs. By following this book you will learn from both my experiences and yours. Although named ‘The Diet Plan’ I have included some additional information on workouts and common mistakes people make in their time

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at the gym. Only by combining a good diet and a structured gym plan will you ever expect to see real results. If some of the information clashes with anything I have said before then great. As a student of body transformation I am always trying to learn new things. If I was preaching the same thing every year then I would have to question the amount of research I am doing. Advances in nutrition and training happen daily with the introduction of new supplements, ideas and studies. I reserve the right to change my mind if new information comes to light. Remember – we once thought the world was flat and asbestos was the best thing since sliced carbs. Things change. We must change with them. Enough of the foreplay, lets get stuck in. Enjoy! Neil

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SO HOW IS THIS BOOK DIFFERENT? You will not lose 10 pounds in a day. You will not have 6 pack ‘abs’ in 6 days. You will not look like {insert name of celebrity} after 2 weeks. This is not a quick fix! You do not have to read through hundreds of pages of ‘filler’.

You will learn how to build a healthy eating plan to suit your goals. You will learn how to transform your body and maintain your new shape. You will avoid many of the problems that other people encounter.

I currently provide free e-mail support to those that purchase the diet plan and, to this day, I have personally answered every question e-mailed to me. A forum will also be available on my new site for users to swap tips, such as, recipe ideas or workout variations. Many of you will be receiving this plan as a free update to compliment the original plan you have already purchased. Show me another book that provides you with this level of support and I will hang up my lifting boots and start teaching aerobics.

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TESTIMONIALS "In January I tipped the scales at over 19 stone and decided to hit the road until a sprained ankle threatened to derail my regime. I had read over Neil's thoughts on how weight training was the key to fat loss, I was sceptical but gave it a whirl, in less than 5 months I lost just under 6 stones in weight." O.J “The diet and food plan worked and is still working a treat! Cheers. I'm now down to 14.8% body fat and have still retained muscle mass. (I was 18.6%) I'm losing 2 lbs a week which is just perfect.” David “I thought I knew about what I should/shouldn't be eating and when, however I pretty much noticed results in the first week of putting the principles into effect. I went from 16.5% Body Fat > 11.9%BF (goal was to get sub 12) and actually didn't lose any strength, which I was very surprised at. I had never even considered putting carbs in my post work out drink until Neil suggested it (being a bit carbophobic). I am now using the same principles to 'bulk' with minimal fat gains and although it’s only been a week I've got good results.” Marc “When I started Neil’s diet plan in April I hadn’t seen my abs for a good few years. I’d tried other diets and followed advice from various sources, but it all seemed contradictory and overly complicated. Neil’s plan was simple to follow, clear and something I could stick to, without having to abandon all sorts of a social life! I started to notice the fat dropping off straight away, I also felt healthier and had more energy! I was 15 stone in April. I’m now 12.5 stone and my body fat is down to 10%. (August) Thanks Neil I owe you one!” Hywel

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“In April I was 13 stone and 17% body fat, I was disappointed to lose sight of my abs and wanted to get back down to 10%. After 3 months of using Neil's diet plan, I dropped to 12 stone with 10% body fat, which shows I have also gained some muscle! This is incredible and probably due to the absence of planned ‘cardio’ and the very nutritionally sound guidelines.” Ben Stretch “I saw your picture on your blog and the Men’s Health site – great stuff! The diet is very good I have passed it on to a few of my friends! I have lost roughly 9lbs and I have not been that strict with it. As a guideline it is brilliant. I have eaten carbs everyday but have lowered them considerably and only consume carbs in the form of brown bread i.e. scrambled egg on toast or sandwich before gym.” Michael Coady “I e-mailed Neil for a copy of his cutting plan and in the space of 7-8 weeks I dropped 10lb of fat, whilst still improving strength on nearly all of my lifts. Down to 12 stone 10 now and I can see my abs due to the shedding of body fat on the plan. Can't thank you enough mate.” Adam. "The plan set out by Neil keeps cutting simple. A straight forward approach to each meal which can easily be tailored to suit your working day. Using this plan over a four week period I lost half a stone in the first week alone. Most importantly I saw results in the mirror!" Lee

“Your story here . . . . .” To be continued.

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MISSION STATEMENT My Mission Statement “I aim to provide you, the reader, with simple, ‘real world’ advice. I will continue to supply all users with the necessary support they need to achieve their goals in a realistic time frame.” Neil Your Mission Statement “I, the reader, will follow the guidelines the best I can and remain focused on my goals. I will not be good some of the time or all of the time but I will try to be good most of the time. I understand that any exercise/ diet plan requires discipline and I am fully committed to the job in hand. I will track my progress and reward myself when I reach my goals – From today I am all set to change the way I look and how I feel.”

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WHAT YOU NEED TO DO * Visit the doctor. Get the all clear on your new exercise and fitness routine. * Set goals. Holiday, wedding, special event – It doesn’t really matter what the goal is, just that you have one. * Invite someone to join you on your new body transformation journey – It helps if they have the same goal which you can both work towards. * Join a gym – Find somewhere that feels ok for you. Ideally it should have a vast amount of free weights equipment and cable machines. Look out for a squat rack and a wide range of dumbbells / barbells. Sales staff will often negotiate prices on the last day of the month when they are trying to exceed their targets. If, on the other hand, you wish train at home you will need some pretty cool equipment. A power rack would be great, if you have the space, along with the usual barbells and dumbbells. * Look at the list of foods included and go shopping. Preparation is vital for this to be successful. Soon this will become habit. * Buy a notebook – In the front of this notebook you should record your workouts and, as often as possible, aim to get stronger or at least improve in some way. In the back you can write up a daily food diary which you compare to the guidelines included, again, just aim to improve. * Avoid the comfort zone – We are not trying to have the perfect diet and gym routine from day one. Simply make each new day better than your last.

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MEASUREMENTS CHART Date Muscle Left Arm Right Arm Chest Neck Waist Left Leg Right Leg Right Calf Left Calf

/ /

/ / Tense

Relax

Tense

/ /

/ / Relax

Tense

Relax

Tense

/ / Relax

Tense

Relax


MEASUREMENTS The biggest regret I have in the years I have trained is the lack of ‘before’ photos to show my progress along the way. An old holiday photo may show the extra chin or the man boobs sitting pert but I can’t stress enough the importance of good ‘before’ shots. These not only provide you with a visual motivator as you start off but give you something to look back on when you get to where you want to be. If you really want this guide to work then follow each step as we discuss it. So what are you waiting for? Take some brutally honest pictures in some skimpy clothes. Take as many shots as you like and aim to at least include a front, back and side picture (tensed and relaxed). This will give you at least six good shots to compare down the line. PHOTOS TAKEN

YES/NO

Now that the photos are taken you need to get some numbers down on paper. All you need is a measuring tape and a pencil. Use the chart above to record the results. MEASUREMENTS TAKEN

YES/NO

In my opinion photos and measurements are the most simple and effective ways of tracking a change in body composition. Let’s look at some other common methods. THE SCALES

Ask anyone who uses the gym how they measure progress and the odds are good that scales are the weapon of choice. While scales may be of use to a boxer making weight or a jockey on race day, the scales mean nothing when it comes to looking buff. Your weight can vary greatly on a weekly basis as food and fluids pass through the body. The scales can be used to take an initial measurement of bodyweight but should not be used as your main indicator of progression. This figure will give us a rough target to shoot for in the near future as we track grams of macronutrients, such as protein, using simple calculations.


BODY MASS INDEX

Body Mass Index is a calculation based on an individual’s height to weight ratio. As a 28 year old, with a fair amount of muscle, I am actually considered obese according to this method. Here’s why. Scales and the BMI calculation only measure weight and weight in relation to height respectively. Take one guy at 12 stone that drinks alcohol daily, eats rubbish and has a 40 inch waist. His friend at the same height lifts weights daily and lives a clean lifestyle yet he may also weigh 12 stone but sports a 32 inch waist. Now we see that both these guys weigh the same but both the scales and BMI overlook body composition – the amount of lean body mass and the amount of fat on the body. If these measurements cannot tell you how much fat is lost and how much muscle is gained then they are of no use to us as progress indicators. With photographs you can see the visual difference over time by comparing pictures. The measuring tape may show an increase in arm size and a decrease in the waist measurement which tells us that muscle is increasing while fat is decreasing. It is very possible to add muscle and decrease fat while still maintaining the same weight. BODY FAT

Callipers are the most effective form of body fat measurement for two reasons. They can be very accurate when used correctly and are much cheaper than other forms such as hydrostatic weighing. Pinches of skin are taken at various points and the total is calculated to give an idea of body fat percentage. It should be performed by someone with experience in performing numerous body fat tests. Body fat machines on the other hand are generally pretty crap as factors such as dehydration can heavily affect the results given. I have often seen my body fat double within days when using these machines yet results with callipers remain pretty consistent.

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GOAL SETTING After writing the initial book I received an email not dissimilar to this. “I bought your book last week (Thursday) but have not seen any results yet. Any ideas?” Now bearing in mind this was on a Monday I was livid. Even a genetically gifted bodybuilder in prime condition will spend months preparing for a bodybuilding show yet the average Joe expects to be buff by the weekend. If you want to see results you need realistic goals and a realistic time frame. Do not expect to see big changes in a handful of days. Eric Clapton did not become a great guitarist after just one week! Set your long term goals first. These long term goals should always be in the back of your mind. You may be planning a big wedding or a family holiday next year. LONG TERM GOALS

1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2..................................................... 3..................................................... Regardless of the event you now want to break these long-term goals into bite size chunks. Your short-term goals may be things like cutting down on nights out or hitting the gym more often. SHORT TERM GOALS

1..................................................... 2..................................................... 3..................................................... In my own personal experience, the level of focus is directly proportional to the size of the occasion. When I work with females on the build up to their wedding day I may as well be working with a pro-bodybuilder. The level of focus and intensity is almost infectious. If, on the other hand, a

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woman just wants to ‘tone up’ the potential for failure is much higher. A guy trying to lose a bit of belly fat will never train as hard as a guy trying to make it to the finals of a physique competition. It is up to you to create that fire in your belly and decide on a goal which can produce nothing but success. We do not want to waste time with subtle goals and half arsed efforts.

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.” Denis Watley

Diet books will often discuss goal setting in a handful of words or sentences. In fact, my first version of this plan did just that. As someone who now lives for training and all things iron, I overlooked the fact that many of you can not stand working out. Workouts are my drug. I don’t need a goal to hit the gym but I know that goals increase my level of focus. For you, the goal may be the only thing that gets you to the gym in the first place! If you fall into the latter category then you need to think long and hard about this section. No amount of diet or training information will help if you can not even make it through the gym doors. I have provided a few tips to help you realise the goal before you worry about the methods used to reach that goal. 1 – I read somewhere that success leaves clues. I don’t know who said it originally but it always stuck with me. When I wanted to do well in the Men’s Health cover model competition I used the previous competitors as my inspiration. I knew that if I was as disciplined as those guys I could make it to the finals. If I trained harder than anyone else, then I would do well. You need to follow in the footsteps of someone that inspires you. You need to think of someone much bigger, faster, leaner and stronger than you? How do they do it? Why do they do it? What makes them go to the gym even on an off day? What sets that person apart from all the other guys and girls on the field? 2 – Autobiographies are a goal setter’s gold dust. To lead on from my last point, you need to read books by those that have made a

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living surpassing goals. I personally like to read anything by guys that could get by with just one name - Arnie, Bruce, Lance and Ali to name a few. You may draw your inspiration from a different genre and to be honest it doesn’t matter what category your inspirational book falls into. I just want you to get fired up! 3 – Use your critics’ words to flame your success. People love to see you fail. People will go out of their way to beat you down and break apart the goals you have set for yourself. Fuck them. I was told I was too skinny to lift weights. I was told I would break bones if I lifted anything at all. People said I would never make a living as a Personal Trainer or write a book that would sell. Well I did it. I have done everything I have wanted to do so far. I owe a lot to those that said, “it can’t be done.” Without their negativity I would have never felt the need to prove them wrong. 4 – The critics will always be there. While guys like me may feed off criticism, it can be toxic to keep these people close by. Your family, friends and loved ones on the other hand should be kept much closer and know about your goals. It is much easier to reach a target if your partner is working along with you. If you are training hard for your wedding then your partner should also be training hard so that you both look your best on the big day. I don’t know about you but I am busting to work out. Just thinking about Ali quotes has got my feet twitching. If it wasn’t 2 AM I would be hitting the gym right now! This is what you need! Find the switch that gets you going and don’t let anyone else switch it off. If you are not thinking about achieving your goals then the rest of this book is not yet for you. Do not waste time thinking about transforming yourself until you have your heart set on making things happen. For those of you that who pumped up, I am excited for you. This plan will change your life.

“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” Muhammad Ali

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F.A.Q These are just a few of the frequently asked questions that appear in my inbox and on the Men’s Health forum. As the book progresses I will cover other f.a.q’s regarding other areas of diet and exercise. CAN I BUILD MUSCLE AND LOSE FAT AT THE SAME TIME?

Yes, especially if you are a beginner. If you did not train for a while the opposite effect would occur. You could lose muscle and gain fat at the same time. It is often easier to decide on just one goal and switch to the other when you are happy with your progression. A skinny guy, for example, may slowly bulk up by adding excess calories to his diet at the right times. When he is happy with the extra muscle he may reduce his calorie intake and lean out. It can be very hard for a skinny guy to add muscle and stay lean without just ending up looking exactly the same, year in and year out! CAN ANYONE USE THIS PLAN?

I know my target audience will be mainly young guys. However, this plan will be of great use to those outside of this demographic. Males and females of all ages, shapes and sizes will find plenty of great information packed into this user friendly guide. Remember that this plan also includes the free forum and email support to ensure the success of every reader. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE A DIFFERENCE?

Next Tuesday at between 3 – 3.30 PM. In all seriousness you will feel it before you see it. You need to train hard and allow time for changes to occur. The time frame is something I have no control over. As I know you want some sort of answer to this “meaning of life” style question I can only quote from my own experience. You will at first notice an improvement in skill. The lifts will become more co-ordinated and your strength will improve. Small visual changes can occur within 6- 8 weeks with more dramatic results after 6+ months of hard graft. If you are training like a big Jessie and only following the guidelines half heartedly then results will be slow AND minimal.

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MACRONUTRIENTS In this section I want to explain what macronutrients are and how they work so that everything makes sense when we come to the calculations. PROTEIN Protein can be found in animal foods such as fish, steak, chicken and eggs with lower amounts in other foods, for example, nuts and seeds. As a food group, protein is made up of amino acids which are often classed as the body’s building blocks for their role in growth and repair. Protein derived from animal sources will have a much higher biological value than protein found in non animal sources. I do not want any vegetarians calling round to my house to beat me up but the fact of the matter is meat beats wheat! Animal proteins are ‘complete’ in that they contain all the right amino acids, in the right quantities, for growth of human tissue. Incomplete proteins, found in mainly plant sources, do not allow for such growth on their own and therefore need to be combined with other incomplete proteins. Imagine trying to build a house. You may have all the bricks and sand you need but just one bag of cement. You may build something but it ain’t gonna be a fecking house! If on the other hand you have all the materials, like the complete proteins, you will be building houses quicker than I can say, “credit crunch!” METABOLIC RATE

The amino acids that make up protein can be used to build muscle tissue. More muscle tissue not only equates to more potential for power in the gym but an increase in the metabolic rate – the rate at which the body burns energy. If your body has a higher metabolic rate then the rate at which it burns fat, even at rest, is much greater. Therefore a diet with a good supply of protein may aid in both muscle gain and fat loss.

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THERMO EFFECT OF FEEDING

The thermogenic effect of feeding is not something many people know about. When you consume food it doesn’t just go into the mouth and fall out your anus, it instead goes through a process of digestion. Digesting food places demands on the body which again increase the metabolic rate. Let us view an example –

A male weighing 200 pounds may eat around 200 grams of protein per day when trying to build muscle. 1 gram of protein equates to 4 calories so for our guy his 200 grams of protein per day equates to 800 calories.

During the digestion of this amount of food his body may use between 15% and 20% of these calories just breaking the protein down into usable amino acids. * Note – This happens with fats and carbs but not to such a significant effect. HUNGER

One of the hardest tasks in staying lean is hunger control. By eating a diet rich in protein you, not only build muscle and raise the metabolic rate but, also curb hunger. Protein with each meal helps give the feeling of fullness for longer. Don’t worry about protein shakes just now either, I will talk you through the use of supplements soon enough. EGGS

Firstly, raw eggs are wasteful. I remember watching Stallone swallow raw eggs in Rocky. For weeks after I would happily consume a glass of raw eggs in the hope of one day waking up with a body like the Italian Stallion. We now know that eggs need to be cooked for the body to make best use of the protein. It takes no time at all to boil, scramble or poach an egg and, as far as quality goes, eggs are one of the best sources of 23


protein you can buy. I should also mention that the cholesterol in eggs thing is a bit of a myth. Eating cholesterol doesn’t mean your cholesterol goes up as there are good and bad kinds. A stressed out smoker living on sugary foods may have much higher cholesterol than an egg chomping fitness buff. FAT Many people still believe that eating fat makes you fat. This can be true if you are eating far too much or if you simply choose the wrong types of fat. What many people fail to realise is that a low fat diet can actually lead to fat gain! “WHAT?” I hear you cry. We are cavemen, (and cavewomen). Our bodies have adapted to hold onto nutrients that may be required to keep us alive. If the body receives just a minimal amount of fat then it adapts by holding onto any fat it can. A healthy supply of good fats on a daily basis and the body sees no reason for such survival tactics. I will not ramble on about fat just yet as I tend to manipulate protein and carbohydrate amounts before tackling the amount of fat required. The main thing for you to remember -

Oils are usually the best option. Transfats should be avoided – these can be found in deep fried and processed foods.

Again use the food list and always aim for good fats over bad fats.

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CARBOHYDRATES Carbohydrates, or carbs for short, are energy foods. Complex carbs such as granary bread and whole grain pasta are slow releasing. When these are broken down the body receives a steady supply of energy in the form of blood glucose. Glucose is the bodies preferred energy source. Simple carbs, such as, fructose, dextrose and glucose are also broken down but at a much faster rate. When blood glucose gets too high the pancreas works hard to regulate this spike by releasing insulin and other regulating hormones. What does this mean to you? Insulin plays a massive role in shuttling nutrients to the cells. Glucose will be brought to the liver and muscles to replenish glycogen used during exercise – cool! Excessive blood glucose can also be taken up by fat cells and stored as adipose (fat) tissue – not cool! Later we will look at the trick of timing insulin spikes for best results. Carbohydrates have in more recent times been considered both the friend and foe of body transformation. During the days of low fat dieting, carbs replaced the void left by the reduction of fat. People soon realised that a low fat, high carb diet could still leave them fat as the body held on to body fat for survival. A shift occurred and soon diets appeared that had next to no carbohydrates. Increased fats and proteins made up for the reduced quantities of carbs. People did see weight loss but side effects included things like hunger pangs and headaches to name a few. While fat loss can be good on extreme ketosis (no carb dieting where the body uses fat for energy) they are often not designed with the gym goer in mind. Working out with no carbs in the system can be about as much fun as plucking nose hairs.

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GLYCEMIC INDEX

Depending on the speed of conversion to glucose, all carbs can be placed on a scale between 0 and 100. This scale is known as the Glycemic Index (G.I.)

Complex Carbs = Slow releasing = Low G.I. Simple Carbs = Faster releasing = High G.I.

The G.I. has been around for a while but may only be familiar to those with diabetes or the hard core dieters among us. We only want an increase in blood sugar straight after training and not, for example, on a non-gym day when there is simply no need for a massive sugar rush. I will not confuse you anymore by mentioning Glycemic Load but basically you now know that sugar is the enemy except after training – even then it should be controlled. FIBRE

Fibre is found in plant foods. Although sometimes classed as a form of carbohydrate, which is right, it cannot be broken down in the same way. In fact, most of the fibre we eat is unaltered by our digestive systems. Why do we need fibre? Health - Fibre helps keep the digestive system healthy, preventing constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and other such bum related health issues! G.I. - Consuming fibre with meals helps reduce the overall G.I. of the meal. Any reduction in G.I. is a good thing outside of the postworkout window. Satiety –Foods high in fibre take longer to chew. Eating slower helps reduce the amount of calories hitting the stomach before the brain realises you have eaten.

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PROCESSED FOODS I want to use white bread as an example here. This highly processed food is high G.I., low in fibre, proteins and good fats.

White bread - - - Easy to eat - - - Broken down quickly - - - Sugar spike - - Insulin released - - - Excess energy stored as fat - - - Subsequent sugar drop - - - Carb cravings - - - Cycle repeats - - - Fat gain!

That diagram is very basic, I shit you not. It does however give an insight into the problem we face with the increase in obesity and diabetes. Excessive sugars and processed foods are largely to blame. If you want this plan to work I could sum the majority of it all up in one line -

Think like a Caveman! A Caveman would not eat a bag of crisps washed down with a fizzy drink and a bag of sweets. He would however eat some plants, legumes, fish and steak. The human body is the most impressive organism on the world yet it has not evolved anywhere near enough to deal with our modern diets. If you want to stay lean, strong and healthy, eat like our ancestors as often as possible.

PORTION SIZES Just a word on portion sizes. I was checking out labels in the supermarket (boring bastard I know) and reminded myself of the average serving size and how off it can be. On a box of standard cereal it mentioned calories etc based on an average 30 gram serving. I have yet to meet a human being that would consume just 30 grams of cereal in one go.

Be careful when working out your calories. Skinny guys bulking overestimate their calories where as those looking to drop body fat often underestimate the amount of food they are consuming. 27


On this same trip I checked a packet of rice that weighed 500 grams. The label only gave me numbers for half a pack so I needed to double everything to see the true contents of the packet. This is something you must check when working everything out.

500 grams converted to –

- 900 calories - 3.4 grams of sugar - 25.4 grams of fat

900 calories for many people will be half of their total daily allowance on a non-gym day! That’s bonkers. Two packets of this stuff in the morning and you would have already hit your daily calorie target without getting anywhere near your targets for fat and protein. Considering also that processed white rice has a relatively high G.I. and you can see the potential for fat gain. What if the food has no label such as meat from the butchers? If you have 100 grams of meat about 1/5 to 1/4 is protein.

100 / 5 = 20+ grams of protein in 100 grams of meat.

If you need 30 grams of protein per meal then it is not 30 grams of meat but more like 110 grams. In summary –Many people are overweight, not just because of the wrong foods but, due to an excess of even the right foods. Be careful. I cannot stress enough the importance of double checking figures and making sure everything is as it should be. I have my fingers crossed that you are all still with me so far as the next section will get pretty heavy in parts.

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FOOD DIARY The most important stage of your body transformation journey is the food diary. You can train like a pro bodybuilder on amphetamines but no amount of training will cancel out a bad diet. Keeping a daily record of your food intake, even without any help from me, should highlight possible weaknesses and show room for improvement. If you are serious about looking better then your food diary needs to look better – end of! Ok, for this to work you know it’s going to take a bit of planning. Start recording a food diary from today. Get into the habit of including as much detail as possible. This will be an evolving piece of work so try not to get too hung up on the tiny details just yet. Regardless of when you train and the goals you have, everyone should apply the following rules to their food diary. 1 - First off you should be eating at least 5 times per day. If your food diary is showing three square meals then you need to make changes. Eating little and often gives the body what it needs frequently and, in doing so, helps to build muscle and drop fat by increasing the metabolism. Forget eating like everybody else, you need to eat for body transformation. 2– On many of the food diaries I go through, one of my main concerns is skipped meals. A food diary containing large gaps is never a good thing. Following on from point one you need to eat little and often and make sure this includes your breakfast. If you have been training hard and go to bed on an empty stomach, wake up, grab a coffee and hit work before even considering breakfast, your body ‘thinks’ you are out hunting and preserves body fat for survival. Skipping meals is not cool. 3 – Dehydration can make us feel hungry as the body can often confuse hunger with thirst. A glass of water followed by a healthy snack is much better than attacking a larger meal. Dehydration can also prevent the body from performing at 100%. A well hydrated person will train better and therefore improve quicker than a dehydrated individual. These three initial points are ‘no brainers’. Like brushing your teeth or taking a shower you need to tick these three simple boxes daily. These three points apply to everyone regardless of goals. 29


On the next page I have a simple list of foods and a sample food diary layout which you can print out or simply draw up in a notebook. On the food diary try to track the following 4 things every day. - Total grams of protein. - Total grams of carbohydrate. - Total grams of fat. - Total calories. On some meals you may not be able to track anything the way you want to but do your best to be as accurate as possible. It will get to the stage where it will all make sense but, for now, just get used to tracking everything you can.

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FOOD LIST

Proteins

Vegetables

Carbohydrates

Chicken breast Turkey breast Haddock Salmon Tuna Shrimp Top round steak Top sirloin steak Lean ground beef Fillet Steak Lean ham Eggs Trout Low-fat cottage cheese

Broccoli Lettuce Carrots Cauliflower Green beans Green peppers Mushrooms Asparagus Spinach Tomato Peas Sprouts Cabbage Celery Cucumber Onion

Fats to Include

Fats to Avoid Foods to Avoid / Treats Baked potato Avocado Butter Salt Sweet potato Sunflower Margarine Cans of fizzy Yams seeds Fried or deep drink Squash Pumpkin seeds fried foods Crisps Pumpkin Cold-water fish Mayonnaise Chocolate Steamed brown Natural peanut Sweets Cookies rice butter Whole-fat Doughnuts Steamed wild Low-sodium dairy Sausages rice nuts products Ham Pasta Olives and Vegetable Oil Bacon Oatmeal / olive oil All packaged Rolled Oats Safflower oil sandwich meats Barley Canola oil Baked beans Beans Sunflower oil All cereals other Kidney beans Fish oil than Corn Flax seed oil wholemeal / Strawberries wholegrain Melon Pizza Apple Kebabs Orange Chip shop Whole-wheat fish/chips bread Salted/smoked High-fibre nuts cereal Refried beans Whole-wheat Frozen yogurt Tortilla Alcohol Whole grains

Thank you to Chris Burns for this revised list.

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FOOD DIARY TABLE Day Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Meal Breakfast Snack Lunch Snack Dinner Snack Protein Total Carb Total Fat Total Calorie Total

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Fri

Sat

Sun


FAT LOSS – GYM DAY This section will get heavier than a retired wrestler with a burger fetish. I will provide you with all of the numbers AND give options where you can avoid some of the calculations. Every expert has their own base figures. These numbers are just a starting point. Don’t get your thong in a twist.

Bodyweight in lbs X 12 = Fat Loss Bodyweight in lbs X 14 = Maintenance Bodyweight in lbs X 16 = Muscle Gain

Calculate your bodyweight –

Example - 15 stone. In pounds (multiply x 14) = 210 lbs.

If our guy is carrying 20% body fat then we can say that his lean body weight is 168 lbs.

210 lbs x 0.20 = 42 lbs 210 lbs – 42 lbs = 168 lbs (lean bodyweight)

Find your lean bodyweight now and multiply the number you get by 12 to get a fat loss target.

168 x 12 = 2016 calories.

The average man requires about 2500 calories per day and, in this calculation, we can see that our guy will be coming in at a few hundred 33


below this figure – spot on. If we are above maintenance then fat gain can occur – not spot on! If we had two guys who both ate 2016 calories daily, over time, would you expect the same results? Well no. If the first guy eats lean proteins, good fats and well timed carbs he will look better than the second guy who makes up his calories with junk food, sugars and bad fats. This brings me on to my next point. It isn’t good enough to just know the calories you need but where those calories come from. This is the flaw of many ‘points’ diets that focus on calories and ignore content. So we have a guy weighing 210 pounds and, to lose fat, he needs 2016 calories per day. Here is how we convert calories to grams and vice versa. I will be jumping between these two sets of numbers so you should learn to love them.

1 gram of protein = approx 4 calories 1 gram of carbohydrate = approx 4 calories 1 gram of fat = approx 9 calories

CALCULATING PROTEIN I like the figure one gram per pound of bodyweight and yes, ideally lean bodyweight. We have already worked out that our guy’s lean bodyweight is 168lbs.

Protein intake = 168 grams daily. 168 x 4 = 672 calories per day from protein alone.

It’s ok just to shoot for a gram per lb but I know that many people can struggle with this figure, so yeah, just use the lean bodyweight number as your target. Many of you will be miles below this figure at present. Do not worry. Start working towards your number by spreading protein evenly over each of your small meals throughout the day. Become the grazer, not the binger!

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BEGINNER NOTES You may be stressed at the numbers thus far. Do not worry. I rarely use numbers unless I need to troubleshoot. I have provided all of the possible numbers so that the analytical guys and girls reading the plan can get stuck in. If you are not one of these types of people then you can use these basic pointers. You can build in the numbers when you find your feet. - Aim for close to a gram per pound of body weight of protein. - Carbs are best taken around gym times. - Take fats further away from gym times. CALCULATING CARBOHYDRATES The amount of carbs will vary based on activity for that day. Carbs are energy foods and therefore, should not be taken in abundance when you are sitting in work scratching your arse. Remember that a single gram of either carbs or proteins equates to roughly 4 calories. So, using the same gram per lb equation, our guy’s gym day carbs will come in about 168 grams daily. We can use the same calculation as before to work out our maximum daily carb intake on a gym day.

Gym day carb intake = 168 grams. 168 x 4 = 672 calories from carbs on a gym day.

CARB TIMING FOR FAT LOSS – ‘THE 3 BLOCKS’ Now that you have a total number of carbs required for your day its best to split the bulk of these carbs, around 75%, evenly over three important meals around gym times. This gives us 25% to play with as we organise our other meals.

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PRE-WORKOUT

Taking carbs prior to a workout helps give you a boost. The quantity and timing of this meal does require some trial and error on your part. Regardless of how long you leave between this meal and training, the type of carbs should always be lower G.I. i.e. more complex. Add a touch of protein and some good fats and this should be plenty to keep you going. Studies have shown that it can be beneficial to take high GI carbs here with protein but I find a sugar crash hits me in the gym and therefore I prefer to save my high GI carbs until after training. An example

Granary bread – Boiled eggs – Fish oil capsules. POST-WORKOUT SHAKE

The post-workout window, just after training, is the best time to feed the body with nutrients. Training breaks down muscle and uses up glycogen. At this point a good mix of protein and carbs is essential to replenish this glycogen and repair those aching ‘guns’. The muscles are gasping for the good stuff and will act like a sponge in soaking up the right nutrients. The post-workout ‘window’ will be open for approximately 90 minutes. Ignoring this opportunity is like going skydiving and neglecting to pack a parachute! I do not care if your mum’s mate that teaches yoga recommends a bit of asparagus after training. You need to get this part right! This is one of the few times I recommend a supplement over real food. A quality protein shake with some high G.I. carbs will get into your system much quicker than solid food. An insulin spike at such a good time will help shuttle protein and other nutrients into the muscle. What about fats in my shake? Fats reduce the G.I. of foods and therefore will detrimentally affect your spike – seriously un-cool. I like to keep away from fats immediately after workouts.

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An example

Boditronics Profusion – All-in-one post-workout shake. OR Quality whey protein with simple sugars.

POST-WORKOUT MEAL

The post-workout shake helps take the edge off but you should still consume a meal when you return home from the gym. As the most important meal of your training day it is vital that protein, as with all meals, is kept high. The amount of carbs should be similar to the preworkout meal but can lean towards the higher G.I. varieties. As with the previous shake, fats should remain low here. An example

White bread – Tuna in brine.

Remember, we need to spread 75% of our daily carbs evenly over these 3 blocks. That’s 25% for each meal.

75% of 168 = 126 grams. 126//3 = 42 grams. Our guy’s carb intake may now look like this – - 42 grams of complex carbs before training. - 42 grams of simple carbs after training. - 42 grams of complex carbs in post workout meal. Total = 126 grams for when the body needs them most!

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CALCULATING FATS Now that we have worked out protein and the timing of carbs, we need to find the right amount of fat. Protein calories (672) + Carb calories (672) = 1344 calories so far. Required calories (2016) – 1344 = 682 Remember that one gram of fat equals 9 calories and therefore682 / 9 = 76 grams. So for our guy at 210lbs with 20% bodyfat and looking to lean out should be starting off with something like this – - Protein – 168 grams daily. - Carbs – 168 grams on a gym day. - Fats – 76 grams on a gym day. - Total calories = 2016 calories.

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FAT LOSS – NON-GYM DAY On a non-gym day you still need protein. Your muscles may not be working that day but they should still be recovering from your most recent workout. Protein intake should always be around the same target and again, aim to spread protein throughout the day by frequently consuming smaller meals. Carbs, as I mentioned earlier, are energy foods. A non-gym day requires less energy than a gym day, therefore, we should need less carbs. My diet may not match the needs of a builder or office worker. There is always that element of adjustment until you find what works best for you. Fats on a non-gym day are a bit different. The amount of carbs is reduced dramatically which in turn drops the overall calories. We should only ever want to drop a touch below maintenance for steady fat loss without risking muscle loss or survival mode (the body holds onto fat). Anytime you drop carbs you need to compensate with an increase in fats. This extra fat should still keep you in a calorie deficit if you work it out right. Using our earlier example – Our 210lb guy was eating 168 grams of protein, 168 grams of carbs and 76 grams of good fats on his average gym day.

- Protein - Carbs - Fats - Total

– 168 grams daily. – 168 grams on a gym day. – 76 grams on a gym day. – 2016 calories

If this guy was to consume the 2016 calories on his gym day and just drop all carbs on his non-gym day then his calorie intake would look like this.

2016 – 672 = just 1344 calories. - Not good!

We still want to keep a deficit but it should only be a few hundred calories. Protein is going to stay the same at 168 grams which we know to be 672 calories. 39


Carbs should drop to about 25% of your gym-day intake. Aim for low G.I. carbs and green, leafy vegetables.

25% of 168 = 42grams. 42 grams = 168 calories 672 calories (protein) + 168 calories (carbs) = 840 calories total.

We now need to make up the calorie intake with some good fats. 2016 needed calories minus 840, which is what we have so far from carbs and protein, equals the total calories we need from fat to make up the difference.

2016 – 840 = 1176. 1 gram of fat is 9 calories so. . 1176 / 9 = 131 grams of fat required on a non-gym day.

Even though our non-gym day is higher in fat content it still comes in at less total calories which still leaving us with an overall deficit. To go low carb or no carb without allowing for an increase in fat is like flicking the survival switch for body fat! If you want to experiment with your numbers then you can try a lower carb intake and bump up the good fats. As with all areas of this plan we will have rules and we have guidelines. The guidelines can be tweaked if you feel the need to. If you wish to try lowering your carbs even further (some people will do better on lower carbs higher fats, others may need that bit extra from carbs) on a non-gym day then you can adjust it. I have ended up using quite a lot of calculations thus far but in doing so I hope you can see the method behind the madness. If carbs are dropped then fats go up. If fats are lowered then carbs need to creep up again to balance things out. Regardless of how you play about with your numbers the aim is to remain in that calorie deficit of just a few hundred below maintenance when shooting for long term steady fat loss. 40


CHEAT MEALS Cheat meals are both helpful and hazardous to the dieter. At the right time they can help make you feel great, boost fat loss and help overcome a plateau. At the wrong times they can halt progress and even lead to fat gain. After 3 weeks have a weekend off. Do not train for at least 2 days. During this time it is ok to indulge yourself a little. Do not force feed yourself. Have whatever you like up until the point where you feel full before stepping away from the buffet. You have been good for 21 days. One or two days will not set you back and any weight gained on the scales (which you shouldn’t even be looking at) will be mainly food and water being taken up by the body. As you get leaner it is ok to cheat a little more but again, you need to listen to your body. If fat loss has halted then try a cheat day. If you want to go for more than 3 weeks before a binge then, by all means, have a go and see how you feel. Use wisely your cheats young Skywalker.

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FAT LOSS COMMANDMENTS I have compiled my list of ‘Fat Loss Commandments’ to help summarise the main points. For some people it may be easier to follow these simple guidelines before trying to implement the more technical elements already covered. In any event you/we/me/everyone needs to live by these rules.

1 – LEAN MEATS = LEAN BODY. 2 – THINK CAVEMAN. 3 – SAVE CARBS FOR WHEN YOU NEED THEM. 4 – FOOD FIRST, SUPPLEMENTS SECOND. 5 – SUBTLE CALORIE DROP - NOT A SKY DIVE. 6 – NEVER SKIP MEALS. 7 – SMALL CHANGES OVER TIME. 8 – RECORD CHANGES EVERY 6 WEEKS. 9 – ALLOW TIME FOR CHANGES TO OCCUR. 10 – ADJUST THE GUIDELINES TO SUIT YOU.

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BULKING UP To increase in size you need to eat more. You cannot build a house without bricks and other such bodybuilding related slogans should be inserted here. Skinny guys don’t eat enough. They think they do but in reality they don’t. In the same way that those carrying weight underestimate their calorie consumption. To add lean muscle you need to exceed maintenance by a few hundred calories daily. Remember.

Bodyweight in lbs X 12 = Fat Loss Bodyweight in lbs X 14 = Maintenance Bodyweight in lbs X 16 = Muscle Gain

Calculate your bodyweight –

Example - 11 stone. In pounds multiply x 14 11 stone x 14 = 154 lbs.

If our guy is carrying 10% body fat then we can say that his lean body weight is about 140 pounds.

140 x 16 = 2240 calories.

The average man requires about 2500 calories per day. In this calculation we can see that our guy will be coming in at a few hundred less than the average maintenance figure. While it may seem strange to shoot for a below average calorie count this number is just a starting figure. If our guy normally consumes around 1800 calories and switches to 2240 calories then they should add mass. If, on the other hand, he tries to suddenly consume double that amount then fat gain will increase in direct proportion to his food bill. Bulking should be a slow but steady process if your goal is maximum muscle gain with minimum fat gain. If he consistently consumes 2240 calories daily but fails to see gains then we 43


simply bump up the quantity of food. If a builder is constructing a wall then you give him just enough bricks for the job. You do not bury him under a shit load of bricks! No amount of calculations can actually tell us how the individual will respond – you need to set off on the bulking journey and tweak as you go. If our guy hits a goal of 180 pounds of lean bodyweight then 2240 will actually become more of a dieting figure for him and his diet will again need to be tweaked to force changes.

Adjust / measure / adjust / measure / etc

CALCULATING DAILY PROTEIN So we have a guy weighing 154 pounds and to gain size he needs 2240 calories per day. Here is how we convert calories to grams and vice versa.

1 gram of protein 1 gram of carbohydrate 1 gram of fat

= approx 4 calories = approx 4 calories = approx 9 calories

As with the fat loss calculations we still use 1 gram of protein per lb of lean bodyweight.

140 x 1 = 140 grams. 140 x 4 = 560 calories.

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CALCULATING DAILY CARBS We can multiply lean bodyweight by 1.5 to give grams per day of carbs. Remember this is a starting figure that can help initially but may need ‘tweaked’ later on.

140 x 1.5 = 210 grams of carbs. 210 x 4 = 840 calories.

We should also consume this amount of carbs on non-gym days. CARB TIMING FOR BULKING – ‘THE 3 BLOCKS’

Now that you have a total number of carbs required for your day its best to split the bulk of these carbs, around 75%, evenly over three important meals around gym times. This gives us 25% to play with as we organise our other meals. PRE-WORKOUT

Taking carbs prior to a workout helps give you a boost. The quantity and timing of this meal does require some trial and error on your part. Regardless of how long you leave between this meal and training, the type of carbs should always be lower G.I. i.e. more complex. Add a touch of protein and some good fats and this should be plenty to keep you going. An example

Granary bread – Boiled eggs – Fish oil capsules. POST-WORKOUT SHAKE

The post-workout window, just after training, is the best time to feed the body with nutrients. Working out breaks down muscle and uses up glycogen. At this point a good mix of protein and carbs is essential to 45


replenish this glycogen and repair those aching ‘guns’. The muscles are gasping for the good stuff and will act like a sponge in soaking up the right nutrients. The post-workout ‘window’ will be open for approximately 90 minutes. Ignoring this opportunity is like going skydiving and neglecting to pack a parachute! I do not care if your mum’s mate that teaches yoga recommends a bit of asparagus after training. You need to get this part right! This is one of the few times I recommend a supplement over real food. A quality protein shake with some high G.I. carbs will get into your system much quicker than solid food. An insulin spike at such a good time will help shuttle protein and other nutrients into the muscle. What about fats in my shake? Well fats reduce the G.I. of foods and therefore will detrimentally affect your spike – seriously un-cool. I like to keep fats away from immediately after workouts. An example

Boditronics Profusion – All-in-one post-workout shake. OR Quality whey protein with simple sugars. POST-WORKOUT MEAL

The post-workout shake helps take the edge off but you should still consume a meal when you return home from the gym. As the most important meal of your training day it is vital that protein, as with all meals, is kept high. The amount of carbs should be similar to the preworkout meal but can lean towards the higher G.I. varieties. As with the previous shake, fats should remain low here. An example White bread – Tuna in brine.

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Remember, we need to spread 75% of our daily carbs evenly over these 3 blocks.

That’s 25% for each meal.

75% of 210 = 157.5 grams. 157.5/3 = 52.5 grams. Our guy’s carb intake may now look like this – - 52.5 grams of complex carbs before training. - 52.5 grams of simple carbs after training. - 52.5 grams of complex carbs in post workout meal. Total = 157.5 grams for when the body needs them most!

CALCULATING FATS Now that we have worked out the level of protein and carbs, we use the difference to calculate the required amount of fat.

Protein cals (560) + Carb cals (840) = 1400 Target calories (2240) – 1400 = 840 calories from fats. 840 / 9 = 93 grams of fat per day.

These are baseline numbers. This is your starting point. It’s been 2 weeks and I don’t look like Arnie. What am I doing wrong? There can only ever be one Arnie. How dare you use the Lord’s name in vain! If you have been going for two weeks and fail to see gains then you may need to tweak your digits.

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Here is my quick fire troubleshooting guide, for ‘pec’ popping gains. 1 - Double check your numbers. Have you been keeping a food diary and getting the most accurate figure possible or are you just guesstimating? 2 - Measure yourself and take some pictures. A fortnightly photo session could highlight subtle gains that you overlook when posing in front of the mirror. 3 – Do not get hung up on the scales. Anything up to 2lbs a week should be considered a positive result. Anymore and you risk adding an unacceptable amount of chins/moobs. 4 - Your base figure may be too low. Re-work the sums using x18. Go again for a minimum of 2 weeks and, if still no improvement, re-apply all points.

Once your Lean Body Mass (LBM) has increased then your original maintenance figure needs to go up. It’s a bit of a vicious circle. As you add muscle your metabolism increases. To continue adding muscle you must stay one step ahead of your metabolic rate. So our guy has successfully bulked up and has calculated that he has added 10lbs of LBM to his, not so skinny, frame. Original Calculation

140 x 16 = 2240 daily calorie requirement

New Calculation after adding 10lbs of muscle

150 x 16 = 2400 daily calorie requirement

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BULKING COMMANDMENTS I have compiled my list of ‘Bulking Commandments’ to help summarise the points so far. I did the same for the dieters so I thought hey, why not give you a summary to top off this section.

1 – BIGGER MEALS = BIGGER BODY. 2 – THINK CAVEMAN. 3 – MORE CARBS AROUND GYM TIMES. 4 – LEARN TO COOK. 5 – SUBTLE CALORIE INCREASE – DON’T GET FAT! 6 – EAT EVERY 2 – 3 HOURS 7 – SMALL CHANGES OVER TIME. 8 – RECORD CHANGES EVERY 6 WEEKS. 9 – ALLOW TIME FOR CHANGES TO OCCUR. 10 – ADJUST THE GUIDELINES TO SUIT YOU.

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EATING AROUND GYM TIMES You now know what to eat, how much and roughly when. This section will look at how your gym times will affect your daily diet and how you should adjust things accordingly. Please read all sections, even those that may not apply to you. If you understand the reasoning behind this section you will know how to adjust things if your day changes at short notice. TRAINING EARLY OK so a gym day for someone training at 6.00 AM may work like this.

BREAKFAST – PRE WORKOUT MEAL TRAIN SNACK – POST WORKOUT SHAKE EARLY MORNING BREAK – POST WORKOUT MEAL LUNCH – PROTEIN / VEG / GOOD FATS SNACK – PROTEIN / VEG / GOOD FATS DINNER – PROTEIN / VEG / GOOD FATS BED EARLY

The hardest meal here tends to be the pre workout meal. Some people will literally roll out of bed brush five teeth and hit the gym before work. This is not only very hard to do, as your workouts will suffer, but your body will still be in a catabolic state. In simple terms training on an empty stomach is detrimental for both fat loss and muscle gains. If you want to be successful in your ventures then get up earlier and try to get some food down the hatch before your workout. The type of food and the amount you can consume here is pretty individual. Let’s use two guys as an example, both hoping to lean out. The first guy, Man ‘A’, may struggle with breakfast which is common for many people, 50


especially so early in the morning. The second guy, Man ‘B’ may be a morning person, wide awake and ready to tackle the day at 4.30 AM.

MAN ‘A’ – BREAKFAST – PROTEIN SHAKE AND HALF A BANANA TRAIN SNACK – POST WORKOUT SHAKE EARLY MORNING BREAK – POST WORKOUT MEAL

MAN ‘B’ – BREAKFAST – 3 GRANARY BREAD AND THREE EGGS TRAIN SNACK – POST WORKOUT SHAKE BREAKFAST – POST WORKOUT MEAL

So Man ‘A’ may just be getting 10 or 15 grams of carbs before his workout while our Man ‘B’ could be up around 55 grams. If both guys require 180 grams of carbs per day maximum on a gym day we need to juggle the other meals accordingly.

Remember 75% of our daily carb intake fits around gym times

75% of 180 grams

= 135 grams

Man A = 15 + 60 + 60 = 135 grams Man B = 55 + 40 + 40 = 135 grams

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Man ‘A’ could have 60 grams of carbs in both his post-workout shake and following meal. Man ‘B’ needs to reduce his carbs slightly as he consumed more at breakfast time. He could instead opt for about 40 grams in his postworkout shake and subsequent meal. Both guys are hitting the same total of carbs but have juggled the quantities to suit them best. We have used the ‘3 Block’ principle here and adjusted it to suit the individual. TRAINING AFTER WORK Now let us consider those of you who work out that bit later i.e. 5 or 6 PM.

BREAKFAST – PROTEIN / VEG / GOOD FATS SNACK – PROTEIN SHAKE WITHOUT CARBS LUNCH – PROTEIN / VEG / GOOD FATS SNACK – PRE-WORKOUT MEAL TRAIN AFTER WORK SNACK – POST-WORKOUT SHAKE DINNER – POST-WORKOUT MEAL SUPPER – PROTEIN / VEG / GOOD FATS

We can see that even with the later workout we just shift the carbs to a later time. Once again the principle of the ‘Carb 3 Blocks’ works well.

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For many of you training after work, an average day may have looked something like this –

BREAKFAST – CEREAL SNACK – COFFEE LUNCH – SANDWHICH SNACK – COFFEE, BISCUIT TRAIN AFTER WORK SNACK – NONE DINNER – CHINESE SUPPER – TEA, BISCUIT

If your diet still looks like this then I cannot accept responsibility for your love handles. Get the finger out! Using the ‘3 Block principle’, the same guy looking to lean out could now have this -

BREAKFAST – 3 SCRAMBLED EGGS SNACK – PROTEIN SHAKE LUNCH – TURKEY BREAST, PEPPERS, FISH OIL CAPSULES SNACK – TUNA, GRANARY BREAD TRAIN AFTER WORK SNACK – POST WORKOUT SHAKE DINNER – GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS, SMALL PORTION OF PASTA SUPPER – LEFT OVER CHICKEN BREAST AND SOME FISH OIL 53


TRAINING LATER AT NIGHT Many people will put off training until later at night as the gym is much quieter. Others may simply have to train later due to work or family commitments. Either way you just need to juggle your meals to suit your pattern.

BREAKFAST – PROTEIN / VEG / GOOD FATS SNACK – PROTEIN SHAKE WITHOUT CARBS LUNCH – PROTEIN / VEG / GOOD FATS SNACK – LEFT OVER LUNCH DINNER – PRE-WORKOUT MEAL TRAIN LATE SUPPER – POST-WORKOUT SHAKE

If possible also try to consume the post-workout meal before bed. If not then you could split your carb intake over two meals and not three. There is a myth that eating carbs after a certain time is the worst thing you can do when dieting. In reality this is not the case. While stopping carbs later in the day might be ok if you train early, it does not suit the night time trainer. If you train at night then you simply need to put your protein and fats in earlier in the day. Shift carbs to a time when you really need them. Try your best to stick to the ‘3 Block Principle’.

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BEGINNER NOTES Keep carb timing simple. If you are struggling to work with the numbers or percentages just remember these simple points. - Carbs are energy foods. Eat them when you need them. - If you train later. Eat carbs later. - If you train early. Eat carbs early. - Non gym day carbs are minimal. Eat veggies and lots of them.

FOOD DIARY UPDATE At the start I asked you to keep a food diary and, yes, you should still be keeping one. Remember this is a process. There needs to be progression and positive evolution until the desired outcome is reached. Your diet at the start probably sounded a bit like this –

Carbohydrate fuelled Lack of protein Fried foods Sugar everywhere No good fats Large gaps in between meals Skipped meals Non optimal calorie intake Processed foods

Your diet should now look more like this -

Protein based Timed carbs Good fats away from gym times Well hydrated 55


No skipped meals or gaps Calorie and nutrient intake to suit goals Sugar rarely taken except when needed Natural foods

Body transformation is dependant on the effort you put in at the early stages. Soon all of the carb timing and protein consumption will become habit and your body will transform without you even having to think about it!

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FOOD DIARY TABLE

Day Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Meal Breakfast Snack Lunch Snack Dinner Snack Protein Total Carb Total Fat Total Calorie Total

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Fri

Sat

Sun


SUPPLEMENTS I cannot stress enough the importance of a good diet and a hard training routine. People often ask me about the benefits of C.L.A. (conjugated linoleic acid) or Caffeine for fat loss when really they would see more benefit by not reading the paper during sets. Green tea will do nothing to cancel out a daily trip to the burger van. Supplements can be a great addition to a plan. However, they should only be introduced as you improve in both the gym and the kitchen. If you have not yet managed to fully implement this plan do not bother spending money on more than the basic supplements. FISH OIL Some coaches have been known to recommend as much as much as 30 – 40grams per day while others recommend 5 – 10 grams per day if your goal is fat loss. I have tried various intakes (1 – 30 grams) and can say that fish oil helps. I now recommend between 10 and 20 grams everyday. No I don’t have gills like Kevin Costner in that film that cost a fortune. “Delarue et al (1996) showed that fish oil supplementation (6g/day added to the diet) dramatically changed the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. During an OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test - drinking a big 75g whack of liquid sugar and measuring the subjects for 2 hours afterward), the fish oil group burned 27g of fat vs. 20g in the placebo group. The fish oil group also burned 28g or carbs while storing 36g and the placebo group burned 51g of carbs while storing only 14g. In addition, baseline insulin was 30% lower and insulin responses to OGTT were 50% lower in the fish oil group. What this tells us is that fish oil allows the body to burn more fat and store more muscle glycogen, redirecting fuel away from fat cells toward muscle cells.”

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Some people have tried taking large doses of Cod Liver Oil. This contains extra vitamins which, in large doses, could be doing more harm than good. With regard to fat intake, one gram of fish oil is still one gram of fat, so make sure you fit this in to your daily requirements. PROTEIN POWDER Protein powder is everywhere. You can pick it up online or even at your local supermarket. With so much choice it is easy to see why people get confused when it comes to picking what they need. First off, what does it do? A quality protein powder will provide you with an abundance of amino acids which help build and repair muscle tissue. For many, it is much easier to drink a quick shake than it is to grab a bite to eat. Protein powder should not replace food but often it can fill a gap when you do not have time to eat real food. Is it expensive? Nope. If anything it works out a lot cheaper than food. Buy in bulk where possible to keep costs down. Online shops have a serious amount of variety in both cost and quality. Here’s what you should look out for – Whey concentrate – Whey protein concentrate is one of the most common forms of protein. It has a high biological value and plenty of amino acids to help build muscle. Whey isolate – This is a more expensive form of protein. Bodybuilders may use more of this coming up to competition but for us, it is not necessary. Whey blend – A lot of research has indicated that a blend of protein is the best option. Rather than giving the muscle a blast of protein in one go as with normal whey, a mix of protein will digest at different rates. It is as if you are drip feeding the muscle over a longer period of time. Casein – Casein is more of an old school supplement. Although in more recent times casein has made a comeback. Having a slow release protein such as casein is excellent before bed time. I 59


personally like to mix a bit of casein in with my normal whey blend to help keep me fuller for longer when working. Many guys particularly will focus on protein shakes after training. Do not forget to add carbs around gym times or look for an all in one shake containing simple sugars.

DIET SUMMARY You should now have an idea of how to tailor your diet to suit your lifestyle. The biggest difficulty for many people is working through the initial sums. Once you have done this part you will know the make up of all your main foods. If you use an online calorie counter it is vital that you make sure that the food you eat matches exactly to the food options given in the online database. A difference of a few grams here and a few hundred calories there can all soon add up and could leave you way off the mark. In the next section we will cover training and by the end of this book you should be all fired up and ready to go!

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WEIGHT TRAINING A true change in body shape can only be the result of both a sound gym routine and diet. When I provide e-mail support the same questions keep coming up. In this section I hope to answer the most frequently asked stuff about getting buff! PRINCIPLES Every successful person in the field of body transformation has applied these four great principles. If you apply them, you will succeed – simple!

Structure – A structured routine is vital. Going to the gym and doing a bit of this and a bit of that is pointless. You need to get a plan and stick to it for a number of weeks to monitor change. Every workout should be recorded.

Progression – Now that you have a structured routine you need to progress on it. If you always aim to beat your previous workout in some way or other then the body has to change. More advanced trainers need to consider deloading at designated intervals. This ‘2 step forward 1 step back’ approach may seem counter intuitive but is absolutely necessary for advanced strength athletes, such as, Powerlifters and Olympic lifters. For the purposes of this book we will not be delving into these advanced techniques.

Variety – Your routine is structured and progression is good but soon you hit a wall. Once you reach a plateau double check your food diary and make changes were necessary. If all is well then you should consider mixing your training up. The body adapts to rep ranges first. A routine where you always use 3 sets of 10 should be altered to maybe 5 sets of 5 or some higher rep stuff. People will often seek different exercises when they may just need a change in tempo, grip or rep range.

Consistency – A great body is the result of time spent under the bar. It is the old tortoise and hare scenario. Get stuck in at every 61


workout, every month and enjoy the process. Results will come to the guys and girls that go the slow and steady route over the quick fix weekend warriors. FREE WEIGHTS VS MACHINES The free weights section of the gym should become your second home. Ignore the fancy changing rooms and Salsa classes on a Friday night. You need to spend time lifting iron. Free weights – Barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and other such pieces of kit are classed as free weights. They are not attached to pulleys or fancy machines. Machines – Gyms kit themselves out with machine weights for a number of reasons. First off they don’t need much expertise. You just read the attached instructions and plod away. From the gyms point of view this removes the need for extra paid staff having to show you what to do. Many people will be intimidated by the very thought of lifting free weights. Having some form of resistance machines in place lets the user dip their toes in the crazy world of strength training without fear of looking stupid. Cables – Cables are actually pretty good. They allow for variety without trapping the user into just one fixed plane of movement. The correct cable exercise in the right place can complement a sound free weights plan. So what do I need to do? There is a myth that you need to use machines before progressing to free weights. Nonsense. You need to use free weights from day one. If you strengthen individual muscle using machines and then switch over to free weights you will struggle as the muscles try to work with each other for the first time. As a beginner you will need to work all the muscles with less volume and greater frequency using a full body routine.

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FULL BODY VS SPLIT ROUTINE

Ah, internet debates, how I love thee so. If you frequent online forums you may have came across the FB vs Splits debate. Both have their pros and cons Full Body – All muscles are worked during a single workout. Chest, legs, back, shoulders and arms will all be worked within the allotted time frame.

Mon – Full body Wed – Full body Fri – Full body

Split routine – A split routine is anything that involves working the muscles over a number of days. Examples include - upper body/ lower body split and a bodybuilding split.

Mon – Upper body Tue – Lower body Thur – Upper body Fri – Lower body

Mon – Chest and Triceps Wed – Back and Biceps Fri – Legs and Shoulders

I will start by saying this. There is no perfect routine. There are however times when a split may be more suitable than a full body routine and vice versa. If you train just twice per week then a full body is a must. If you would like to train more often then a full body may lead to too much overlap. The upper / lower split is a worthy alternative. From my own experience I see far too many guys performing advanced split routines when really a full body would be better. Other guys are using full body workouts when a split routine would allow for them to tackle lagging areas such as the arms or rotator cuffs.

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BODYBUILDING ROUTINES

Millions of young guys the world over have tried and failed to look like Arnie. The routine used by a pro athlete or a bodybuilder just is not suitable for 99.9% of the population. They are blessed with great genetics that allow them to excel in sport early on. Combine genetics with quality coaching, supplementation, text book nutrition and the ability/time for recovery. While ‘ole skool’ bodybuilding has given us some great routines and even better exercises. It is often more appropriate to choose low volume/high frequency for maximum gains. In many cases guys take bits of routines and throw them together in the hope of making something better. For example – Take a young guy who has just joined a gym. His routine may look something like this –

Monday – Chest, Triceps Flat bench press Incline bench press Decline bench press Dips Fly Triceps pushdown Overhead triceps extension

Wednesday – Back, Biceps Lat pull down Hammer curls Dumbbell alternate curls Cable curls Wrist curls

Friday – Legs, Shoulders Leg press Leg extension 64


Overhead press Front raises Side raise

The problems with this type of routine –

1 – Excessive volume on chest. You do not need to perform a flat, incline and decline press in one workout. Young guys always overwork the ‘disco’ muscles which can lead to posture and shoulder problems.

2 – Leading on from the first point. This routine has a tiny amount of back work in relation to chest. We also see that bicep work far outweighs the amount of back work. Smaller muscle groups like the arms already get worked with the larger moves. It is always better to work the back slightly more than chest.

3 – This routine is also quad dominant and lacks any single leg (unilateral) work. It is important to train muscles you cannot see in the mirror! Without any hamstring work this guy will be heading towards a host of imbalances and possible injuries. The leg extension can also lead to knee problems down the line. While the leg press is a compound move it works the legs without using the core muscles. Work the legs with power lifts such as the squat and deadlift.

4 – Shoulders get hit a lot with the large compound moves. Shoulder work should comprise of an overhead press and external rotation work. Bin the front raises.

5 – Beginners should be learning the technique of each lift. Training chest just once per week only equals four chest workouts per month. To attain strength quickly and improve co- ordination it is better to train with less volume while increasing the frequency.

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Our young guy would benefit more using a full body routine like this-

Monday – Full body (heavy) 6 – 8 reps Squat Bench Deadlift Row Military press

Wednesday – Full body (medium) 8 – 10 reps Squat Bench Deadlift Row Military press

Friday – Full body (light) 10 – 12 reps Squat Bench Deadlift Row Military press

This is just one way of organising a simple full body routine for a beginner. It is much more effective than the initial example because –

1 – Less volume/More frequency. This type of workout gets the beginner stronger in a shorter space of time. On Monday our guy might manage to squat 40kg for 8 reps. His goal by Friday is to squat 40kg for 12 reps. This simple way of increasing reps also gives the beginner a target to shoot for. If he makes 12 reps on Friday then the following Monday he can start heavier and again shoot for 6 – 8 reps.

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2 – We stick with compound moves rather than having excessive arm work. Bench press, chin ups, dips etc all involve the arms so there is no need, at this stage, for any extra.

3 –Due to their technical demands, Olympic lifts, such as the Snatch and Clean and Jerk, should always be a done first in a workout. Large compounds such as the squat should also take precedence over the smaller muscle groups or isolation exercises. We have left Olympic lifts out as competence usually requires coaching.

Each of us will respond differently to the amount of volume and frequency we can deal with. The alternative routine I have suggested will work for the vast majority of newbie trainers. For more help with routines I recommend the great - T nation The awesome - Men’s Health forum And for the ladies - Figure Athlete FEMALE ROUTINES

The average female routine is about as effective as an ashtray on a motorbike. I see most women follow this type of schedule every week-

Monday – Spin Class, Workout, Treadmill, Abs Spin class – 1 hour Light machine weights - 15 minutes Treadmill – 30 minutes Abdominal work – 10 minutes

Wednesday – Aerobics, Workout, X trainer, Abs Aerobics – 1 hour Light machine weights, light dumbbells- 20 minutes X trainer – 30 minutes Abdominal work – 5 minutes 67


Friday – Legs, bums and tums LBT class – 45 minutes Treadmill – 45 minute walk Abdominal work – 25 minutes

1 – Steady State Cardio – Women think it is great for fat loss. We know that it can actually give women bigger bums and fatter legs. This shifting of body fat from one place to another is a phenomenon commonly known as- ‘Chunky Aerobics Instructor Syndrome’ (Google it to find out more). You can also check out the cardio section later in this book. Cardio should be kept short and sweet. Sprinting is awesome; walking for an hour is crap – end of.

2 – Small weights = small results. Muscle will not change unless it is forced to change. Use the principles. You need a structured routine with plenty of progression.

3 – Lack of compound of moves. Compound moves use more muscle and act over at least 2 joints. The squat is a typical compound exercise. The muscles surrounding the ankle, knee and hip all work as you move up and down. Isolation moves primarily target just one muscle group and act over just one joint. Less muscle used equals fewer calories burned- not cool! Tricep kick backs are a great example of an inefficient isolation exercise. Free weights beat machines hands down.

4 – As the old saying goes - you can train long or hard but you cannot do both. Workouts should stay under the hour mark. If you are arsing about in the gym for two hours then you are not really training. This applies to lots of guys too but with women devoting so much time to ‘walking’ and other such pointless pursuits, I thought I’d point it out.

A few sets of squats in 10 minutes will do more for you than a collection of leg machines that stabilise muscles that shouldn’t be stabilised. If I was looking to train lower body with a female client I would opt for something like this – 68


A – Squats B – Stiff Legged Deadlifts

These two exercises would cover every muscle group from the calves to the core. A female training by herself will often train the muscles in isolation, using machines, like so –

A – Glute machine B – Adductor C – Abductor D – Tummy crunch E – Leg extension F – Leg curl

An efficient workout will hit the greatest number of muscles in the least amount of moves. This is the best option for fat loss and for remaining injury free. Muscles work best when you use them in conjunction with other muscles.

Women can be strong, fit and look great. The problem is the sheer amount of crappy advice out there that holds them back. For helpful advice I recommendFigure Athlete This awesome site will provide the female reader with many ideas that I simply do not have space for in this guide. However, I have provided plenty of information in the myths and cardio sections that apply to both male and female readers. TEMPO

Back to our Man ‘A’ and Man ‘B’. Both are meant to do 8 - 10 reps per set. Man ‘A’ steps up first and blasts out 10 reps pretty quick. He bounces the bar, kicks the legs and has his set finished in 15 seconds. Man ‘B’ steps up and, he too, performs 10 reps but he uses text book technique and a 4,0,1,0 tempo.

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But what is tempo? Let’s use the bench press as an example-

On the bench press he takes 4 seconds to lower the bar. The first ‘0’ is the length of pause at the bottom, in this case none. Pushing the bar up takes ‘1’ second (muscles should usually contract at speed – there are exceptions). The final ‘0’ refers to the length of time spent at the top of the rep before lowering again for 4 seconds.

We can see that Man ‘B’ takes about 5 seconds per rep and therefore his 10 reps take a total of 50 seconds to complete. This longer time under tension (TUT) is more suitable for muscle growth and therefore Man ‘B’ should see better gains than the first guy.

GYM MYTHS In this section I would like to clear up a few of the myths regarding training and highlight the common mistakes. Here are some of the main ones that come up time and time again. GETTING ‘TOO’ BIG

Fact - Weight training does stimulate muscle growth! What it will not do is make you look like ‘Arnie’ after a handful of sessions. Many individuals will avoid lifting heavy in case they wake up muscle bound the next day. They fail to realise that, even with the desire to add a lot of muscle, it is simply not that easy. If I were to take up golf tomorrow it is highly unlikely that I will be beating Tiger Woods a few weeks from now. Weight training is pretty much the same. Lifting weights will not turn you into a bodybuilder overnight. Even if you wanted to become a bodybuilder you would need perfect genetics, at least a decade of daily training and a textbook diet etc etc. When I introduce clients to free weights, especially female clients, they cringe at the 70


thought of looking like a female bodybuilder. If this sounds like you, don’t worry. You simply need to stay away from a few grand’s worth of steroids each month. A woman has a fraction of the muscle building hormone found in men and can only become muscle bound through the injection of illegal drugs and hormones. All of my clients, both male and female, lift relatively heavy weights -

“I have lost 2 stone, gone from a size 14 to a 10 (8 in one outfit!) – My shape has changed considerably “ – Judith

“The thing with Neil is that he keeps it simple so that you can’t fail. I have lost 35 inches … I look better now than I did before my children came along! “ – Julie

“I have lost at least 4 stone and come down 4 dress sizes. I feel fantastic! I’m strong and bursting with confidence “ – Joanne MUSCLE APPEARANCE

I should also say that you cannot tone, shape, sculpt, firm, rip up or cut up a muscle. When you train a muscle it either grows or it doesn’t. The length and shape of the muscle is all thanks to genetics. You can make the muscle bigger or smaller but you can not change its origin or insertion. To drop fat and build muscle you should have a mix of rep ranges but don’t get sucked into all that ‘high reps to lean out’ rubbish. Leaning out comes from diet. ABDOMINAL WORK

Most people get their fitness ‘knowledge’ from suspect sources. I have often sat in the hairdressers and overheard girls talk about how many sit ups they do to try and ‘tone’ their abs. Most people go to the gym and 71


spend time working their abs in the hope of getting a dream ‘6 pack’. Do not get me wrong, ab work can be a great addition to a structured plan but it should not BE the plan. If you can’t afford my new “super duper turbo 2000 wash board abulator nebuliser” (available at all good car boot sales) then follow these pointers for exactly the same results-

1 – Abs are made in the kitchen. To have a flat stomach or abs you need a clean diet. No amount of training will give you abs if your diet isn’t up to scratch.

2 – No such thing as spot reduction. Your body will take fat from where it wants to, so working an area will not specifically remove fat from that region. When have you ever seen a fat guy with a 6 pack?

3 – Body fat low – abs will show. Body fat needs to be pretty close to single digits for abs to really appear. The leaner you are the better your abs will look. It’s that simple.

4 – Have you even got abs? Even with low body fat we need to have some sort of muscular development for these to show. The best way to work them is by training with compound moves. While sit ups may give you the burn, some heavy ass squats with a bar on your shoulders will place a lot more stress on your abs.

5 –200 .. .300 . . ZZZ . . It amazes me when people talk about doing 3 sets of 10 on their squats and bench presses yet they will do 500 sit ups per day. Like any other muscle group you need to apply the same principles – Structure, progression, variety and rest!

6 – Genetics. Even with low body fat, a great diet and a good strength routine some guys and girls will still struggle to see their abs. As with male pattern baldness and height there are some things we have no control over.

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So what can I do apart from buy the super duper turbo 2000 wash board abulator nebuliser? It may seem like I dislike training abs. Well I do not. I just have issues with the sheer amount and type of direct ab work I see many people do. The main role of the abs is in helping to support and stabilise the torso. Lying on the ground doing crunches is ok but nowhere near as good as barbell rollouts and woodchoppers. WARMING UP

The best way to warm up at the gym is by copying your initial workout. If you warm up by running before squats it will only serve to tire you out. Before squatting it is best to simply squat and by that I mean squat LIGHT. Even strong trainers should initially use light weights to prepare the muscles, joints and nervous system for the battle with lactate and his evil minions – cramp and fatigue.

EXERCISES – The Good A routine is only as good as the exercises you use. The majority of your workout should consist of compound exercises. This section focuses on the most important lifts and their relevant technical points.

SQUAT– The squat is often considered the daddy of the big lifts. This

compound move targets all of the leg and core muscles. To perform this lift you place the bar on the back of the shoulders. With toes pointing out slightly, the goal is to slowly lower yourself as deep as you can before exploding back to your starting position.

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Common mistakes – 1 – Ego a go go - I have just reminded myself of the travesty that is the partial squat. Guys will stop half way because to go the full way would require them to drop the weight. It is all ego with those numpties. They will tell you deep squats are bad for the knees – myth. They will make excuses about old injuries picked up during Vietnam, motorbike accidents etc etc. If you are going to squat leave the ego at home and do it right.

2 – Extra padding - A neck pad is not required and can actually set the bar up too high on your shoulders. Your neck may be sore when you first learn to squat but you will soon get used to it. If you have the bar really high it will put pressure on the cervical vertebrae at the top of the spine. Just shift it down to the meatier part of the upper back/top of shoulders.

3 – Suck it up - Do not hold your breath for the full duration of the set. While it may be ok to suck in some air and squat without

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breathing you should breathe in again before attempting another repetition. Remember kids – your muscles like oxygen!

4 – Tippy toe squats – When squatting it is best not to wear high heels. This includes fancy trainers with a built in step at the heel. Flat shoes are best for balance. Push through your heels as you come out of the squat. If you are rising up on your toes, even with flat shoes, then you need to keep practising.

DEADLIFT– Deadlifts are the true test of strength. Getting strong on this

move will help improve everything from your neck muscles to your calf muscles. Start with the bar on the ground and your toes under the bar. Using a mixed grip (one hand over and one under) aim to lift the bar until you stand up perfectly straight. Lower the bar to the ground, breathe and pull again.

Starting position for the deadlift.

Finish.

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Common mistakes –

1 – Hips not high enough - The hips should always be above the knee. This is a deadlift and should therefore look like a Deadlift, not a squat.

2 – Body follows the eyes - Looking at the ground can lead to a rounded back. To help keep the back flat you should always keep your head up. Getting this wrong will lead to injury.

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3 – T-Rex arms -. Bending the arms can leave you open to injury and actually make it harder to lift a dead weight. No bicep flexing should occur at any stage. Bend elbows take the power away from the lift and can cause you to lift with your back and not the legs. Think gorilla arms not T-Rex arms.

4 – No gymnastics. There is no need to lean back and hyperextend you lower back at the top of each rep. Simply stand up straight and puff the chest out as you arrive at the top.

BENCH PRESS – If you train alone it is advised that you use dumbbells

instead of a barbell. Lying under a bar while pushing heavy weights can be dangerous if you have no spotter. To bench press correctly simply lift the bar out from its hooks and lower under control until. Touch the chest and explode back up.

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Common mistakes1 – Peacock chest - Guys will often try to lift weights that are much too heavy in the hope of impressing other people. As with all the lifts, technique and a controlled tempo are more important than the weight on the bar.

2 – Trampoline machine - Bouncing the bar off the chest is usually combined with peacocking (see point 1 above). It is always better to briefly pause on the chest and explode up.

3 – Hot coals - Lifting the feet makes the body less stable. Never a good idea when you have a heavy barbell over your face. The feet should remain firmly planted on the ground.

ROWS – The dumbbell row is a unilateral exercise. With unilateral work

we train one side then the next. It is best to start on your weak arm before moving onto the stronger arm (both sides = same number of reps). Place one hand and knee on the bench. Grip the dumbbell with your other hand and place the free leg out to the side to provide a stable base.

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Common mistakes – 1 – Lawnmower man – The dumbbell should never be jerked up and down like some guy trying to start a petrol lawnmower. As with all lifts, we need to see smooth repetitions from start to finish.

2 – Go strapless - Straps are often used by the bigger trainers when performing rows. Using straps all of the time can lead to a weaker grip. Therefore, by avoiding straps you will improve your grip and forearm size.

3 – Frightened cat - If you are lifting and then twisting at the top you need to reduce the weight and work on your technique. Your back should always stay flat.

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DIPS – A super awesome exercise for the chest and triceps. Start high and

slowly lower your weight down until your arms are below 90degrees.

Common mistakes –

1 – Dropping too quick. Your first rep should really be for testing depth and judging distance. A quick drop could lead to an even quicker shoulder or chest injury.

2 – Wide grip. I like to use a closer grip on dips. A wide grip increases the risk of injury and offers nothing extra. Keep it close.

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UPPER BODY MUSCLE - LOCATION

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EXERCISES – The Bad In reality, any great exercise can be performed badly and therefore lose its effectiveness. I want to cover common exercises that I consider less than effective even when done right.

SHRUGS - I rarely train my trapezius (traps) directly with shrugs. My

traps are quite big already and large traps can often give the illusion of smaller deltoids which I don't want. Traps also grow quite easily as they are in direct contact with the great blood flow to the brain. If you do not have this problem, feel free to keep some direct work in.

FRONT RAISES - Due to the amount of chest work people do it is rare

to find someone with overpowering rear delts and poor front delts. Front delts get hit with dips and pressing moves so I tend to leave this exercise out. Overworking the front delts could lead to muscle imbalances down the line.

DUMBBELL TRICEP KICKBACKS – This appears on almost every

cookie cutter gym routine. If you are a female and you have a gym membership, I wager that you have performed millions of these! Not a terrible exercise but not a great one either. There are so many more exercises available to you that beats this move hands down.

CONCENTRATION CURLS - When I train I tend to pick the biggest and

best exercises with very few isolation moves. I simply feel there are better exercises for biceps such as heavy curls and weighted chin ups. Skinny guys always do these along with wrist curls. Bent over rows or chins would be of more use. Big body = Big arms!

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EXERCISES – The Ugly Bad exercises are just inefficient. Ugly exercises may actually lead to injury. We want to keep well away from any exercise that has the potential to injure the user, even when performed correctly. ROLLING SHRUGS – This shrug variation was once recommended for

improving the traps. Rolling the shoulders was thought to help in the development of the traps. It turns out that any rolling here just leads to shoulder problems. If you want to perform shrugs, work up and down - no rolling back!

UPRIGHT ROWS - I tried these a few years back and never liked them. I

have since read that they can lead to shoulder problems. If you are having similar issues consider using a wider grip or a rope attachment to a cable. If you still feel any pain just leave these out.

PEC DECK - Machines can force you into unsafe shapes due to their

fixed pivots. This particular machine puts the shoulder in a less than ideal position. While it may not hurt everyone, there are better alternatives. The pec fly has hinged arms giving better mobility. Both machines are poor cousins to their free weight variations. Dumbbell flys will work the same areas and allow the stabiliser muscles to come into play.

SMITH MACHINE – With this machine the bar is on runners and slots

into safety hooks. If you can’t find it, look for 4 guys taking turns performing a thousand variations of every possible chest/shoulder press known to man. The idea behind the Smith machine is that it makes it safer for the user to train alone. The problem here, as with other machines, is the restricted movement. As you push out from the bottom the bar can only travel along a singular fixed path. This is not a natural path. While there may be a few exercises I am not a big fan of, there is nothing worse than someone using free weights badly. While a pec deck may give you shoulder problems it will be nothing compared to blowing out your shoulders trying to lift far too much weight on the bench press. 83


Regardless of your exercise choice always use perfect technique as you execute each lift. MUSCLE SORENESS

DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness) describes the pain felt in the hours and days following a workout. If you are excessively sore then you should, without weight, mimic some of the exercises that you did in your previous workout to help blood flow to that area which can alleviate the soreness.

You should be sore when starting a new routine. You should not be sore after every session.

If you start a new routine and are that bit tender it is ok to repeat the workout a few days later. Generally speaking it’s best to avoid training the same muscles 2 days in a row – the exception being competitive strength and power athletes following particular protocols. Some people love DOMS. It can be a nice feeling to know that you worked hard at the gym. In reality, muscle soreness only means one thing – your muscles are sore. Pain junkies may seek DOMS during every workout; others like me will instead aim for progression over time.

“Muscle soreness is not a sign of progression - progression is a sign of progression!” BELTS

The belt is a useful tool if you are a competitive lifter. Powerlifters and Strongmen will often wear belts during heavy lifts to add support when lifting. When an average Joe trains with one on all the time he is teaching his core muscles to push against the belt. This is not their usual role. The core muscles are designed to contract and stabilise the spine. The day average Joe lifts something when not wearing his belt is the day he’s most likely to get injured. Do not wear a belt. If you feel you need to use external supports then you need to ask yourself if the weight is simply too heavy for you. By training without supports such as straps, knee

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wraps and belts you will actually become a lot stronger and reduce the risk of injury.

It is very hard for me to show you how to lift weights through the medium of an E-book. I did however help out Men’s Health Magazine by transcribing every exercise on their websites video section. If you need more help with technique check out Men's Health TV.

CARDIO TRAINING When it comes to fat loss cardio machines, such as treadmills and cross trainers, are usually busy with people trying to ‘burn off’ fat. I’d like to cover a few cardio pointers that you must read for maximum effect. WHAT IS CARDIO?

When I talk about cardio I am often referring to steady state cardio or aerobic work. There are different types each with their own pros and cons. Steady State Cardio – The majority of gym users will perform low intensity/long duration cardio. This type of activity includes walking or jogging and is considered the most ineffective form of cardio for fat loss. Most cardio equipment will have some chart displaying the benefits of the cardio and fat burn zone. Straight away you may think the fat burn zone is best but in reality the numbers just don’t favour this type of exercise. Fat burn zone – 50% of calories come from fat. Cardio zone – 30% of calories come from fat. Inferred conclusion – walking is better for fat loss. If you burn 200 calories walking and 50% comes from fat then you have used up 100 fat cals.

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If on the other hand you perform sprint work, you may burn more total calories in the same amount of time. Let’s say you notch up 400 cals. 30% of 400 equates to 120 cals. Conclusion – Sprint work leads to better fat loss. High intensity interval training (H.I.I.T). – This is a much improved version of steady state cardio. The individual switches between low intensity walking/jogging and much quicker sprints. This constant change of pace is better for both fitness and fat loss. Sportsmen and women will often use H.I.I.T as it mimics sport much more than steady state training. A footballer will never run continuously in a straight line during a match. They will however, run at different speeds and in different directions. H.I.I.T is ideal if you play sport. Tabata – In my opinion Tabata training is the hardest form of H.I.I.T. The trainer performs an exercise at full blast for 20 seconds and then rests for 10. This is repeated up to 8 times. Sounds easy right? Well it isn’t! Tabata is simply a timing protocol and can be applied to everything from Kettlebell swings and pad work to front squats and push presses. As it lasts no more than 4 minutes it can easily be added onto the end of a weights workout. Sport and other longer forms of cardio are best left for non-weight training days. YOU CANNOT OUT RUN YOUR MOUTH

It is a simple case of cause and effect. If you eat too much and get fatter then you should eat less to lean out. People are fat for that simple reason. Their diet sucks! No amount of training can negate a poor diet. In fact, studies have shown in real world training that it takes about 50 hours of steady state cardio to drop a pound of pure body fat. We have evolved from hunter gatherers into sitter bingers. It is much easier to limit your food intake than try to fool a survival machine. Think cause and effect.

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TORTOISE VERSUS HARE

I often get asked about runners and how they have skinny bodies. Here’s the way I see it. Let’s first consider the distance runner - The majority of distance runners will have been skinny and fit all of their lives. - Their goal is to cover a large distance in the shortest time possible. - On average, a distance runner may clock up over 100 miles per week. Now the sprinter - Sprinters too will have started out skinny but will have developed much more aesthetic physiques through their sprint work and gym training. - Sprinters aim to run fast over a shorter distance. - All training is short and sweet. - The leanest athletes in the world are often the sprinters who run for seconds, not hours. GOALS

The goal of any runner is to cover some form of distance in the fastest time possible. Their primary goal is not fat loss. Our main goal is not to cover distance quickly but to look good naked. We need to put the majority of effort into boosting the metabolism and cleaning up the diet. Cardio work should only be considered supplementary to an otherwise structured body transformation plan. CONDITIONING

A guy with a big belly and man boobs trying to train like a long distance runner or sprinter will most likely develop sports injuries. In many cases those that train for long distances can expect muscle loss. This in turn reduces the resting metabolic rate. While sprinting may be a better pursuit it still has the potential to cause injury to the overweight/ unconditioned individual. Fitness is something that should improve your quality of life. Damaging your knees in pursuit of a healthier heart makes as much sense as buying a Porsche with square wheels. Only consider adding cardio into your plan when you have addressed the bigger problems.

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E.P.O.C.

Weight training and H.I.I.T not only burn calories at the time of the workout but continue to burn them long after you have finished. This phenomenon is known as EPOC.

EPOC – Excess Post Oxygen Consumption. It also occurs in steady-state but not to anywhere near the same extent. I don’t want to get into anymore detail on this phenomenon at this point. It is suffice to say that –

Intense workouts = Raised metabolism = Fat loss

Try to get out of the mindset of burning fat specifically in your gym sessions. Instead, think of becoming a fat burning machine 24/7. When you look at it this way steady-state cardio just gets in the way. HAMSTER TIME

I do not get it. People drive to the gym and park in the disabled bays just to walk for an hour on the treadmill. This really winds me up. Get off the cardio machines and get outside. Play some footie or go for a hill walk. Not only is this better for you but the time will fly quicker than gym based hamster antics. Floating on a belt is just not as effective as outdoor sprints from a static start. If I catch you on the treadmill walking and arsing about I will flick the off switch and send you flying through the air. I shit you not. INJURIES

Do not get me wrong, training of any kind carries risks. Shin splints, knee problems and other such injuries can affect even the leanest endurance runner and will cripple your fat loss attempts if you fail to listen to your body. If you are heavy then it is not a great idea to throw on some trainers and head off jogging. While Tabata training and intervals may be great to add in as you reach your goals they should not be used by very overweight individuals.

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FIRST OR LAST

We mentioned earlier that light weights before heavy weights warms the muscles you are going to use in the way you are going to use them. Cardio before your heavy lifting will only serve to tire you out. Train with weights for 50 minutes and then maybe add in 5 minutes of Tabata at the end. HEALTH

While some forms of cardio are worthwhile the whole health thing is a balancing act. Working the muscular system improves the cardiovascular system. Training with compound moves and timed rest periods forces positive adaptations of the heart and lungs. I have a resting pulse about 30 beats below average through weight training alone. Touché cardio touché! FITNESS

I just want to be fit?

If you want to get fit then you first need to consider this –

Fit for what exactly?

Fitness is very specific. Jogging on a treadmill will not help you to spar in a martial arts class. Doing circuits twice per week will not improve your long distance swimming. This lack of crossover is technically known as the law of specificity. Your fitness training should mimic the event.

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THE SCIENCE, THE ART Stop me before I ramble on anymore! Hopefully this contradicts the information your hairdresser has provided you with over the years in regards to diet. Many of my training ideas will clash with that of skinny Dave down the gym. I can only hope that you approach this guide with an open mind. Forget all the nonsense you have picked up in casual gym conversations. To throw in a quote from a course I recently attended -

“We have the science of training and the art of training.”

You now have the tools to build a great diet and workout plan. Always be willing to tweak the details when necessary. I hope you have enjoyed this plan and make full use of the content – before long you will have mastered the art of training and nutrition. If you are unsure of any part please post your question on my new Diet Plan forum on my home page. This service along with continued email support is all included in the one off cost of your download. Good Luck! Neil.

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