Archive for December, 2005

How To Start A Muscle Building Program

December 31, 2005 at 6:04 pm · Filed under Muscle Building Tips

Beginning a muscle building program can be a little confusing, since there’s so much information out there?   There are so many opinions floating around and most of them come from people who are not even qualified to give you advice.

So if you’re just starting out yourself, you really want to take the time to learn how to weight train and work out correctly. If not, you’ll have to “undo” alot of stuff you’ve done.  So, no matter what you do, learn correctly the first time. 

I feel that one of the main factors people don’t stick with their muscle building routine is a lack of guidance in the beginning. They have no idea where to begin, so they get discouraged before they give themselves a chance to see results.

You need to have some basic understandings about how to work out and build muscle in general. This will make your time in the gym more productive and enjoyable.

In order to build muscle and lose fat, you need a combination of weight training, nutritional/supplementation planning, and cardio.

Let’s take a look at the role each of these plays in your physique development.

Weight Training

Weight training is the stimulus for building muscle. By overloading the muscle with resistance, you send a signal to your muscle to get bigger and stronger to handle the load that’s been placed on it.

When you lift a heavier weight, over time, your body adapts to this by increasing the amount of muscle mass you have.

But weight training is only the first step you need to complete to maximize your results. 

Proper nutrition

Good nutrition is extremely important when getting started on a workout program. 

You can have the most intense muscle building workouts you’ve ever had, but if you don’t have good nutrition, you’ll only see a fraction of the results.

You need to supply your body with the fuel it needs to respond and grow from weight training.  You need protein and carbs in order to refuel your muscles after training.  You also need quality, healthy fats for cell regeneration and organ protection.

Cardio

Cardio is important for getting lean as well as for your overall health. Cardio helps in reducing body fat because it helps you expend more calories than you consume.

Your body burns excess fat to be used as energy throughout the day. So, by eating clean and doing cardio, you create a calorie shortage in which fat is burned.

Start your muscle building program by working out 3 days per week and training each muscle group 1 time per week. It isn’t a good idea to start a weight training program by going to the gym 7 days a week. This can lead to overtraining and stopping all your chances of building muscle.

Use higher reps and lighter weights so you get accustomed to the exercises and the weight you should be using. Start slow and build a strong foundation here. If you’re doing the exercises wrong, you’re going to have to change a lot later on, so start with light weight and learn how to do each exercise correctly. You can always add more weight later.

There’s no need to kill yourself in the gym right now, you’ll have plenty of time to increase the weight and intensity as you continue.

Before you perform your first exercises, you need to warm up by doing 3 or 4 warm ups where you use a heavier weight but don’t tire the muscle.   Once you feel ready, do 2 heavy sets with as much weight as you can comfortably handle for 8 to 10 reps.

Again, you want to start your program with lighter weights, so you can learn the form. From here, you can increase the weight over time.

Only train 2 muscle groups each time, doing 2 to 3 exercises for each muscle group. Your total time spent on your muscle building program each workout should be under 1 hour. Don’t think that more time spent is better. It’s the quality of the time that matters.

This is how you want to set up your muscle building program to start. From here, your main goal is to get stronger on each exercise. Increase the amount of weight and intensity you use and you’ll soon start building more muscle than you ever thought possible.

If you’re just beginning and want a step by step program to build muscle and increase your strength in the gym, check out my newest program:

“Muscle Building 101: “The Beginner’s Guide To Weight Lifting And Bodybuilding”

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-mass.html

In it, I show you how to skip the learning curve and cut out all the trial and error that most beginners go through.

Use it now to gain more muscle and strength in a lot less time:

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-mass.html
 

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You Need To Lift More To Gain More

December 28, 2005 at 10:38 pm · Filed under How To Build Muscle

One of the biggest problems I see as a personal trainer in the gym each day is people not using enough weight.  Look, if you want to build muscle, you have to lift heavy weight.

There’s no getting around that.Many people do not strive to progress upwards in the amount of weight they lift. And if that’s the case, continually building lean muscle and strength is impossible. I often speak with women who are fearful of lifting more weight because they do not want to build large muscles. I explain to them that it’s almost impossible for women to gain muscle mass like men can because of the lack of the amount of the sex hormone testosterone that creates this growth of muscle. Since women do not produce enough testosterone, the likelihood of getting large muscles is virtually impossible. 

Women that you see on TV or in magazines with large, man-like muscles, either use muscle-enhancing substances (steroids) or they naturally produce more testosterone than most women. It is very difficult for women to grow large muscles.

So for everyone looking to build more muscle mass, you must strive to continuously increase your weights lifted over time. Muscle will only grow if it is forced, or coerced, into growing. You force it by lifting progressively heavier weight. Muscle growth is simply a result of placing demand on your body. When you lift a weight that is heavier than you are used to, your body will start to add muscle to handle the extra demand (weight) you are placing on it.
As you continually lift heavier weights over a long period of time, your body will continue to adapt to the additional demand being placed on it,  by growing more muscle. If you continuously lifted the same amounts of weight over time, the body would become used to that weight and new muscle growth would not need to occur.

It has no reason to build more muscle because the muscle you currently have can handle the demand.   When you start lifting more weight, then your body needs new muscle to handle this additional demand, creating new lean muscle tissue to handle this demand.Any new and additional muscle growth you achieve will have a direct impact on the number of calories you burn.  So, for long term success in weight loss and fitness, continue to lift progressively heavier weights as you continue on in your program. 

How do you know how much weight to lift? 

If you’re just starting a muscle building program, keep it light and easy and learn proper form.  As you progress, start to increase the weights you lift but decrease the amount of times (reps) that you lift the weight. 

Something happens when you do this.  If you lessen the amount of times you have to lift something, shouldn’t the amount of weight you can lift increase? 

Suppose if you had to lift 100 pounds 10 times. You manage it and it’s not that difficult. Now, say you only have to lift it 6 times. If you managed to do it 10 times at 100  pounds, shouldn‘t you be able to increase the weight if you only have to do it 6 times now? 

So, as you progress into your weight training workout, begin to lessen the amount of reps and instead increase the weight. Increase the weight to 150 pounds and lift it 6 times. 

The more weight you lift, the more muscle you need to adapt to the additional weight. The more your body needs to adapt to more resistance, the more muscle growth that will occur. 

The more lean muscle tissue you have, the more calories burned and the more weight loss.This is why weight lifting has a direct impact on fat loss and weight management.  More lean muscle is a future investment in burning off more calories. So if you want to gain more muscle, you need to lift more weight.If you want to lift more weight, check out my proven weight training program “Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded”

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/simple-steps-get-huge-and-shredded.htmlThis program will show you how to drastically increase your strength and muscle gains. It’s the same program I used to get down to 5% body fat and gain 18 pounds of lean muscle mass.

Check it out here:

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/simple-steps-get-huge-and-shredded.html

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For The Best Muscle Building Results, Separate Lifting And Cardio

December 26, 2005 at 8:03 pm · Filed under Muscle Building Tips

Do not try to combine your weight-training sessions with fat-burning sessions.  You need to separate your cardio and weight training if you’re going to have any luck building muscle.

If you do your cardio before weight training, you’re going to be tired and you will not be as strong for your lifting. Less strength means less muscle building potential.

Or, if you do your weight training first and then cardio, you must skip the post-workout protein meal that’s vital for building muscle.

It’s best to separate your weight training and cardio by 6 to 8 hours. So, if you lift in the morning, do cardio in the evening. Or vice versa.

This will have a very positive effect on your chances of building more muscle.

You can lift weights for an hour and you will only burn a minimal amount of calories. However, think of each weight-training session as an investment in future fat-burning efforts.

Muscle takes more energy to maintain than fat. The body expends more calories to maintain lean muscle tissue than it does fat. So the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn, even at rest!

So give weight-training the importance it needs. At least three intense weight-training sessions a week is a good number to shoot for. Its not how many days you work out that matter, it is the effort and intensity you do each workout that is truly important.

Each workout only needs to last 30-45 minutes if done right.  Any more time than that will not bring about better results. There is no muscle building rule that states if you lift longer, you’ll get more results.

The opposite could be true. The more you lift, the more likely you are to overtrain. 

Another thing, never associate lifting lighter weight and higher reps with burning more body fat. It doesnt work that way. For building muscle, keep your weight heavier (more overload) and your reps lower. This will keep you adding lean muscle mass. Start lifting lighter weights for higher reps and you will become weaker, smaller, and less muscular.

 

Start to associate burning the body fat with cardio and building muscle with weight training.

The whole “toning” myth of lifting lighter weight for high reps is ridiculous. The only way to tone, and think this through and see if it makes sense, is to increase your lean muscle mass (keep progressively overloading muscle w/ heavier weight) and to decrease your body fat (cardio and nutrition).

This is how you tone the body properly. Work on both sides of the equation. Gaining muscle while losing fat is how you tone. So keep lifting progressively heavier weight for four to six reps to keep muscle mass growing and leave your fat burning to cardio and proper nutrition.

If you want to learn the best way to set up your weight training and cardio for the best muscle building results, check out my “Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded” training program:

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/simple-steps-get-huge-and-shredded.html

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8 Ways To Increase Muscle Growth

December 26, 2005 at 4:30 am · Filed under How To Build Muscle

 If you’re looking to build more lean muscle mass from your workouts, here are 8 proven ways to increase muscle growth.

1. Increase your calorie intake 

If you want to add more muscle to your frame, you’ve got to increase your caloric intake. To increase your muscle mass growth, you need to be in a state of caloric excess.  Excess calories get used for building muscle or stored as body fat if you’re not active.

Gaining quality muscle mass requires a calorie surplus, or excess. If you are not getting enough, it will be tough to gain the muscle you want. 

Looking to shed some bodyfat? The opposite is true: reduce calories or increase energy expenditure through cardio.

2. Increase Protein intake

The benefits of protein are numerous for the bodybuilder: increased protein synthesis, positive nitrogen balance, muscle recovery and anti-catabolism. Protein is the building blocks of muscle. Aim for at least 1.5g to 2.0 grams of protein for every pound of bodyweight when training at a high level. So if you weigh 200 pounds, you want to eat 300 to 400 grams of protein to increase muscle growth.

3. Eat Quality Fats

To keep manufacturing muscle-building hormones, you need to get enough healthy fats in your diet.  Good fat sources include olive oil, flax seed oil, CLA, fish oil, and borage oil. These contain “essential” fats, those your body can’t manufacture on its own. Remember this: overly restricting fat intake will negatively impact growth.

Fat intake can affect testosterone levels. In studies, individuals consuming 20% fat were found to have significantly lower testosterone levels than those taking in more fat.

4. Reduce or eliminate cardio

Too much cardio will make it hard for you to gain muscle mass.  The calories that would have gone to muscle growth are instead burned off through cardio.

 

Stick with 2 sessions a week to start. If you’re not gaining the muscle mass you want, drop it to one session or get rid of cardio altogether.
Sometimes you have to choose more between gaining muscle and losing fat.
5. Get Enough Sleep
This is probably one of the most neglected tips for increasing muscle growth. Rest is when the muscles you’ve torn down from training are allowed to rebuild and come back bigger than ever.
Too much training and not enough rest, and you’ll definitely run the risk of overtraining. The easiest way to avoid overtraining is to get plenty of sleep at night and train right.
Overtraining will have many negative implications on your training. You’ll be tired, sluggish and irritable. Also, your lifts will suffer because you won’t be as strong.
6. Train heavy and intense
Obviously, one of the best ways to increase muscle growth is to progressively move heavier weight. You still need to perform the exercise with proper form. Use as much weight as you can while allowing you to follow strict form.
With respect to reps, when it comes to building muscle and strength, you can aim for 6 to 8 reps for your heavy sets.  Muscle growth happens by forcing the muscle to get bigger and stronger and you force it by lifting more weight over time.
7. Use Basic Compound Movements
Basic movements use your body’s largest muscles such as your legs, back, and chest. Basic movements not only train the target body part, but also the supporting muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
When you use the bench press, you’re also using your shoulders and triceps, not just your chest. So you’re really hitting many different muscle groups.
8. Use Proven, Quality Supplements.
Most supplements just don’t work for increasing muscle growth. But there are a few that truly help you to gain muscle and strength.

Among the best supplements for muscle growth are protein, creatine, glutamine, and a multivitamin.

Of course, these supplements are useless if you don’t train and eat right.

There you have 8 provein ways you can increase muscle growth through proper training and nutrition.

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How Many Muscle Groups To Train For Building Muscle

December 23, 2005 at 4:03 pm · Filed under Muscle Building Tips

You WILL NOT gain more muscle and strength from just working out more.The more you begin to workout, the less results you will start to see.It’s almost like the Law of Diminishing Returns.Basically, what that law says is this: Anything more than what is absolutely required to build muscle and gain strength will start having negative returns on what you are trying to accomplish.

To get muscle and strength gains, you have to work out to a certain point.

What I am trying to say and what the Law of Diminishing Returns says is anything past that point will not give you back anything worthwhile, in fact, could have negative results.

Think of it as getting a sunburn. When you get a sunburn, you do not want to go right back out into the sun, do you?

Of course not, you’ll get burned even worse if you go out into the sun with a sunburn.

So do only what you have to do—and no more.

This is one of the toughest things to get through to newbies. They always think that more is better when it comes to building muscle and nothing could be further from the truth.

The thing is, in order to keep gaining muscle, you have to keep getting better in the gym. You have to do those things to the absolute best of your ability. You have to give 110% intensity and effort for those few things to work.

If not, it doesn’t matter if you do 8 reps and 3 sets or 50 reps and 100 sets, your muscle gains will be limited if you do not train with your absolute best.

Now, let’s specifically talk about the number of muscle groups to train in order to build muscle.I’m a firm believer in doing only one or two muscle groups per workout. Why only one or two?  Mainly because of focus and intensity.You see, great muscle building results come from intense focus and burning desire.When you start doing too many muscle groups and too many exercises, you will have difficulty staying as intense and focused as you need to be all the way through your workouts.

It’s much easier to focus and work hard on just biceps and triceps than it is doing bi’s, tri’s, chest, and back all together.

The muscle groups at the end of that workout may suffer from not getting worked heavy enough because of the dwindling energy towards the end.

It makes perfect sense that as you progress in a workout, you will become more and more tired, more wiped out.

What happens if you are training many muscle groups when this happens? Like I mentioned before, the ones trained at the end begin to suffer.

I myself used to get the best results from training just one muscle group a day. I’d go in and hammer my chest into oblivion and then leave in 30 minutes.

This short workout allowed me to focus 100% with absolute intensity on just the chest workout—nothing else.

This intensity becomes watered down when you throw in a lot of extra muscle groups and sets.

Now, I understand that not everyone has the time and schedule to train only one muscle group per day.

But I would not go any more than 2 muscle groups a day.

You can do abs a couple times a week as well.

You can see, we’re able to accomplish the entire body in one week and still get two days of quality rest.

People underestimate the importance of rest when it comes to building muscle. All of your muscle gains, or lack of gains, can be traced back to the amount of rest you are getting—or not getting.

Before you go to train a muscle group again, make sure that its 100% rested up from the last workout or else you will not be as strong as you should.

If you’re not as strong as you should be, you will not lift as heavy and as intense and will not get the benefits that each of those brings.

So, if you’re lifting any more than 5 days a week right now, cut it down.  Train no more than one or two muscle groups each time.

Follow this and you’ll see your muscle building results start to increase almost immediately. 

 

 

 

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How To Choose A Muscle Building Routine

December 22, 2005 at 4:08 pm · Filed under Muscle Building Tips


 What type of muscle building routine or regime you select is dependent on several factors, age, sex, goals and overall physical fitness.   There is no such thing as “one routine fits all.”
Without getting too technical for purposes of our overview here, let’s take a very simple, straightforward approach.


Generally speaking, it is recommended to do three sets of ten repetitions on each exercise you select.  Beginners need to stick to a routine for at least 3 months of regular training.  During this time it is important to follow a plan of good diet and nutrition. 
Whatever exercises you plan to follow, you should always start off by warming up.   Warm up exercises should be aerobic in nature which should include running on the treadmill, jogging , or skipping for a period of about  10-15 minutes. The overall warm up time should last between 15-20 minutes. Always remember that a warmed up body responds faster and there is less chance of injury (like muscle catch, tear, pull, etc). Warm up results in an increase in the pulse and the heart- rate.
Many factors go in to the finalization of the routine for a bodybuilder, such as the current health condition, the goal and the number of days in a week the bodybuilder is going to visit the gym.
For example, if the bodybuilder visits the gym 6 days a week, then the schedule will be of one kind. Whereas, if the bodybuilder works out three times a week, then the schedule is likely to be more intense.


However do keep in mind that no schedule should be for a long term. The long term goal should be broken down in to short and mid term targets – and the routine should be devised accordingly. Thus one short term schedule may be for 3 days a week followed by a 6 day week routine, depending on the condition and the rate of development/growth.
A good beginner routine might be to start off using a bar that is light enough to handle comfortably.  Don’t begin by using equipment that is not appropriate for a beginner.  The only thing that may result is an overall feeling that exercise is “too hard.”  Work up to your routine gradually. 

A beginner’s session should initially cover the major muscle groups.  Start off with the two hands barbell press.  This is productive for developing the upper and lower arms, shoulders and back. 

Because it isn’t the easiest exercise it should begin first when strength is at the highest.  This exercise is intended for the deltoids and triceps.
A second exercise might be the two hands curl with barbell. 

This will work the biceps situated at the front of  the arms , in contrast to the triceps at the back of the arms exercised earlier. The biceps is conventionally the muscle which all desire to develop and is usually already one of the beginner’s strongest.


A third exercise to consider is the bench press.  The lift lies on the back and is handed the bar which is then lowered to the chest.  This exercise primarily works the pectorals but also exercises the triceps and deltoids like the first exercise.
The fourth exercise is upright rowing where the barbell is raised with a narrow hand spacing to the region of the chin, lowered to arms’ length and the movement repeated. This is generally for the trapezius muscles (which lie between the neck and the shoulder socket on top of the shoulders)- so a different muscle is targeted this time.


There are many sources available to help you determine what “routine” is best for you.  Here is one that we found, but be aware that it isn’t the only option available nor the only one you should use. Let us see how a 5 day week routine might look:
Monday


§ Behind Neck Shoulder Press: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Upright Row: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Bench Press: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Crunches: 3 sets 6-10 repetitions Tuesday§ Close Grip Lat Pull down: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Close Grip Seated Pulley Row: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Seated Calf Raise: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Reverse Wrist Curl: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions

Wednesday§ Squats: 5 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Leg Press: 5 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Leg Curl: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions

Thursday

§ Close Grip Bench Press: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Tricep Dip: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Dumbbell Shrug: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Standing Calf Raise: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions

Friday§ Pull Ups: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ E-Z Bar Curl: 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Hammer Curl 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
§ Crunches: (with weight) 4 sets 6-10 repetitions
 

As we said, there are a number of training programs available for bodybuilders and this is just one. 

If you want a more powerful muscle building routine, check out my Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded training program:

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/getshredded.html


There are other factors to look at before selecting one for yourself.  Let’s explore them:
§ Has the muscle building program been experimentally tested?§ Are there specific goals, training loads, progressive monitoring and recovery periods in the program routine?

§ Does the program specify what types of people are eligible for it?

Only after going through them should the bodybuilder enroll for the routines of such a program.

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The Basics Of Building Muscle

December 17, 2005 at 1:34 pm · Filed under Muscle Building Tips

I’m going to go over the basics of building muscle in the next few blog entries. If you’re looking to build muscle from your time spent in the gym, it’s important you keep reading.

There are as many varied opinions on what “plan” one should follow to build muscle as there are people who have those opinions. On one thing they do agree, however. You must have a regimen.

You can begin by defining your objective. Why are you interested in building muscle? What do you hope to accomplish? What is your ultimate goal? To look better, feel better, get noticed more? All of those?

If this sounds like “Goal Setting 101,” guess what? It is! You need to clearly define your “why” before you can move on to “how.”

Building muscle is all about commitment and belief. There is an abundance of information about how to begin and conduct your journey, but without a burning desire to achieve, you’re doomed to inevitable failure. First things first.

-Before you even think about your exercise routine…

-Before you begin researching a nutritional program…

-Before you shop for supplements…

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I believe this is possible for me?

Am I willing to focus, commit and do whatever it takes?

If you answered “yes” to these two questions, the seed has been planted and you’re ready to begin building muscle.

While the details and sequential recommendations for building muscle vary, there are some basic questions that apply to the process no matter what program you choose to follow.

* How do I build muscle?

* How do I strengthen muscle?

* Am I healthy enough to begin a muscle building routine?

* What should I eat?

* How often should I eat?

* Should I eat at different intervals throughout the day?

* Is there a specific diet for building muscle?

* How many calories should I eat?

* Should I take supplements?

In the forthcoming blog entries, I’ll give you an overview that will help you set up your muscle and body building lifestyle. It is indeed a lifestyle and you must be prepared for the rigors of change, not only to your body, but mentally as well.

You should always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Lifting too much weight (especially for people with high blood pressure) or doing too many repetitions can be extremely harmful.

So, step one is choosing and defining your muscle building goals. Soon, we’ll get into the nitty gritty of building muscle.

If you don’t want to wait, check out my step-by-step blueprint for building muscle:

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/getshredded.html

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How To Build Muscle And Lose Fat in 2006

December 14, 2005 at 12:10 pm · Filed under Burn Fat

So, do you want to build more muscle and lose more fat this year and develop a lean, toned physique? One that makes you feel better about yourself?

Well, if getting a “new and improved” body is one of those goals, I want to help.

I think one of the main reasons people don’t achieve their muscle building and fat loss goals is because they’re confused about what they really need to do.

So I’ve found that it helps to take a step back and look at each part of fitness as “pieces to a puzzle”. What I mean is, instead of becoming overwhelmed and confused about all you have to do, break it down into bite-sized chunks.

And there are 3 main “chunks” to look at if you want to build muscle and lose fat.
If I had to give just 3 areas to focus on in 2006 that will help you achieve more results in less time, here they are:

1. Your nutrition

It’s first because it’s most important. We gain and lose weight based upon what we eat, so it needs to be the first thing you consider.

Basically, you want to be eating a small, well-balanced meal every 3 to 4 hours. That comes out to around 6 small meals a day you want to be consuming. Breaking meals down like this is one of the most important things you can do to increase your metabolism.

Try and make each meal contain a lean protein source, (chicken, fish, lean red meat) a starchy complex carb (whole grains, brown rice) and a vegetable.

If you can’t find the time to make all these meals from regular food, meal replacements can be a valuable option. These shakes have come a long, long way.

Most now taste good and have a great nutritional profile. They’re pretty cost-effective as well. I usually use a couple of them a day, in between my whole food meals that I eat. Meal replacements can be a very useful tool if used correctly.

So, as you can see, nothing extravagant here. In order to build more muscle and lose more fat, start eating better.

2. Your weight training

This is one area that I see so many people doing wrong. They head into the gym without a plan of attack. Failing to plan, planning to fail.

Either that or they’re armed with the wrong information that they grabbed from the pages of a muscle and fitness mag. Train like the pros and you’ll be killing your results.

In all simplicity, building muscle comes from lifting heavy weight. It’s that simple. It doesn’t come from variety, body positioning, or doing a ton of reps with light weight.

To build muscle, you must force it to grow. And you do this by lifting more weight over time. So if you’re using a lot of reps, sets, and exercises thinking that more is better, you’re missing the boat.

*** Side Note***

For more information about how you must set up your weight training to gain the most muscle possible, I still consider my “Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded” program to be one of the most powerful muscle-building systems developed.

It literally forces you to concentrate on those things that lead to muscle gains. It’s a step-by-step diet and workout guide that produces more results in 9 weeks than most people will achieve in years.

I’m proud to say that over 15,000 have invested in the program and have “bought” into my philosophy on training.

Here’s more info on “Simple Steps”

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/getshredded.html

3. Your cardio

Like a lot of things in life, “short and sweet” fits the bill here. You don’t need to run for hours or walk for days to lose fat. All it takes is conditioning your metabolism to burn at a faster rate.

And intense cardio raises your metabolic rate so that it becomes more efficient. You start burning more calories at rest. You burn very few calories during the time of performing cardio.

The benefits of cardio come long after you’re done your session.

So, to eliminate fat, you want to raise your resting heart rate and metabolism so that its working for you around the clock. Even while you’re sleeping.

Keep your cardio sessions brief yet intense. 15 to 20 minutes tops. This “quality over quantity” approach will yield a lot more results.

In closing, it’s important that you separate each of the phases of fitness. When you’re trying to lose fat, focus just on doing that. Do cardio to the best of your ability.

When you’re attempting to build muscle, work on that the best you can. Try and become stronger and more intense in your weight training routine.

Separating all phases of your “attack” will help you focus on each one more and help to clarify exactly what needs to be done with each. This way, you don’t become so overwhelmed with everything you need to do. Instead, you can just concentrate on one area at a time.

There you have 3 simple but powerful things you can do this year to build muscle, lose fat, and make it your most productive year in the gym.

If changing your body is one of your main goals this year, I want you to take action to go get it. And like I mentioned earlier, if you need help along the way, I think you’ll find one of the programs to be extremely valuable to you.

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/programs.html

Best of luck in 2006 and I wish you all the best in health and life.

Shawn

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A Sample of A Muscle Building Diet

December 12, 2005 at 10:23 am · Filed under Muscle Building Tips

I get a lot of emails from people wanting to know what they should eat to build muscle. And that’s a good question, because a quality muscle building diet is often the most neglected part of muscle building training.

Building muscle requires the right nutrition and the right diet. Make no mistake, it’s an essential part of weight lifting and if you want to build muscle, you have to get it done.

Don’t know what to eat? Don’t know how much to eat? Try these sample menus to get you started. The following body building menus are meant to help you design your own muscle building diet.

Sample 2,500 calorie per day menu A

Breakfast

½ cup bran flakes
1 cup 1% milk
1 medium peach
1 whole wheat toast
1 tbsp peanut butter

Mid morning meal

½ cup strawberries
½ cup low fat yogurt
1 scoop (2oz) vanilla protein powder
1 cup 1% milk
½ cup orange juice

Lunch

Peach Chicken and Rice

2 oz skinless chicken breast
½ can sliced peaches
½ tsp of cornstarch
½ tsp peeled and grated ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water chestnuts
½ cup rice (uncooked)
½ cup snow peas
½ tsp extra virgin olive oil

Mid afternoon meal

3/4 cup 1% cottage cheese
½ can (4oz) can peaches- sliced
1 English muffin
1 tbsp peanut butter

Post workout meal

Power Drink

1 scoop protein powder (2oz)
1 cup orange juice
1 medium banana
1 cup 1% milk
½ tbsp honey
Dinner

Chicken Teriyaki

4 oz skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup low sodium teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp cornstarch
1/3 tsp ginger
½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cup small broccoli florets
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts
1/4 cup rice (cooked)

Cooking Instructions

Peach Chicken and Rice.

Cook rice according to package directions. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning to brown evenly, until tender, usually 8-12 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Meanwhile, drain peaches reserving juice. If necessary, add water to the juices to equal 1/4 cup. Stir in cornstarch, ginger, and salt. Add to the skillet and cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Cook and stir in the peaches and water chestnuts and heat through. On a plate, arrange the rice, snow peas, and chicken. Spoon sauce over the chicken and serve.

Power Drink
Mix all ingredients in blender.

Chicken Teriyaki

Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/4″ pieces; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine teriyaki sauce, orange juice, cornstarch, and ginger; set aside. In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat.

Add the chicken pieces and stir fry until they are lightly browned, about 3-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl, leaving the drippings in the skillet.

Reduce the heat to moderate. Add broccoli to the skillet and stir fry for 3-5 minutes. Stir the teriyaki mixture and pour it into the skillet with the broccoli. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it is thickened and bubbly, about 2-4 minutes. Add water chestnuts and the cooked chicken. Continue cooking until heated through, serve over cooked rice.

Sample 3,500 calorie per day menu A

Breakfast

1 sliced peach
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1 scoop (2 oz) vanilla protein powder
½ cup blueberries
½ whole wheat bagel
1 tbsp light cream cheese

Mid morning meal

1 cup strawberries
1 cup low fat yogurt
1 scoop (2oz) vanilla protein powder
1 cup 1% milk
1 cup orange juice

Lunch

Tuna Sandwich

½ cup tuna
2 whole wheat slices of bread
1/4 cup diced celery
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
1/4 cup brown rice
1 tsp light mayonnaise
2 romaine lettuce leaves
1 cup cucumber
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 cube soup base

Mid afternoon meal

1 whole wheat bagel
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup cottage cheese
½ cup strawberries

Post workout meal

Power Drink

1 scoop protein powder (2oz)
1 cup orange juice
1 medium banana
1 cup 1% milk
½ tbsp honey

Dinner

Chicken Teriyaki

4 oz skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup low sodium teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp cornstarch
1/3 tsp ginger
½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cup small broccoli florets
1 can (8oz) sliced water chestnuts
½ cup rice (cooked)

Cooking Instructions

Tuna Sandwich

Cook brown rice according to label instructions but add a cube of soup base to taste once the rice and water start to boil.

Meanwhile, mix tuna, celery, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Mix well until creamy. Add chives and parsley. Spread on whole wheat bread. Add lettuce. Serve with cucumber and rice.

Chicken Teriyaki

Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/4″ pieces; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine teriyaki sauce, orange juice, cornstarch, and ginger; set aside. In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat.

Add the chicken pieces and stir fry until they are lightly browned, about 3-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl, leaving the drippings in the skillet. Reduce the heat to moderate.

Add broccoli to the skillet and stir fry for 3-5 minutes. Stir the teriyaki mixture and pour it into the skillet with the broccoli.

Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it is thickened and bubbly, about 2-4 minutes. Add water chestnuts and the cooked chicken. Continue cooking until heated through, serve over cooked rice.

There you have a sample muscle building diet you can use to ensure you’re getting the calories you need each day to build muscle.

A powerful muscle building diet is just one of the things you’ll learn in “Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded”.

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/getshredded.html

Comments

Here’s my muscle building equation

December 9, 2005 at 1:18 pm · Filed under Muscle Building Tips

Okay, we all want a lean, muscular physique, right? We must because one of the goals I hear most from my clients is…

“I want to build muscle, lose fat, and tone up.”

But many people I talk with really have no idea how to do it — correctly. They think that lifting light weights for high reps will help them tone.

Wrong.

If you’re unsure how to go about toning to get that lean, muscular body you want, here’s my simple muscle building and toning equation.

——————————————-
The Muscle Building And Toning Equation:
——————————————-

Losing Body Fat + Building Muscle = Toning

Both sides of the equation need to be worked on, simulataneously, for any real results to be achieved. Let’s cover each side…

————
Losing fat
————

This is primarily achieved by:

** 3-4 INTENSE Cardio Sessions of 20-30 minutes per week.

** 5-6 small, well-balanced meals (each consisting of 50% protein, 40% carbs, 10% fats).

** Drink AT LEAST 1 gallon of water a day. You will also FEEL better!

** Reduce daily caloric intake by 150-200 calories until you see/feel the results.

For a more in-depth look at how to shed body fat fast, check out”Fat Loss 4 Idiots”

http://lebrunfit.4idiots.hop.clickbank.net

It’s claimed to be an “idiot-proof” program and from all the feedback I’ve seen, it really does work.

Let’s cover the next part of the muscle building and toning equation:

——————
Building muscle
—————–

This is done by…

** 3-4 INTENSE Weight-training sessions per week. Strive to progressively increase resistance each week.

** Keep your rep range lower on heavy sets.

** Perform just a few heavy sets per exercise.

** Keep workout under 1 hour.

** Keep protein intake high. Protein (amino acids) builds muscle.

** Shoot for 1.5 to 2 grams per pound of bodyweight.

** Consume a high protein/high carb meal or shake right after training.

For a step-by-step “how to” guide for building muscle, I can honestly say that my “Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded” training program is the best online.

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/getshredded.html

In fact, it was recently referred to as “The Most Trusted Program Online” in a popular bodybuilding message board.

Here’s more on “Simple Steps”…

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/getshredded.html

In closing, in order to tone up properly, you must work on both losing fat and gaining muscle… at the same time.

And that’s done with an approach to:

1. Proper weight training
2. Proper nutrition
3. Proper cardio

Think of a combination lock.

In order to open the lock, you must get the three numbers exactly right. Even if you’re off by just one, you do not get what you want.

Well, the same is true in toning.

You must get weight training, cardio, and nutrition just right or you will not get what you want.
Again, you want to work on both sides equally. If you just focus on dropping fat, you’re going to look frail and thin, without any muscle mass.

If you just focus on gaining mass, it could cause you to look bloated and bigger than you want.
Gaining muscle and losing fat can be achieved at the same time. I know, I personally did it for my bodybuilding show and I see it with clients all the time.

Comments

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