Build Muscle With Shawn Lebrun Muscle Building Blog

Weight training is not an endurance event. Once again, if you stay in the gym twice as long, you will not see twice the results.

The only way to build muscle is to keep lifting heavy.

I’m going to give you some simple steps you can take to build muscle mass.

But before I do, I want to ask a question:

Are you tired of training every day, with little or no results to show for it?

If so, then you need to make a conscious decision that you’re going to change.

This is the first step you have to take to achieve a muscular body. You have to realize that a change needs to occur and that you’re not happy with where you are.

So step one in building more muscle is realizing that a change has to occur. The rest is easy, it’s just doing things in a certain way that will guarantee muscle growth will occur.

It’s true. When you’ve made that decision that you really want to build muscle, all you have to do is the right things to make it happen.

To build muscle, you have to understand the process. In order to build muscle mass, you’ll need to:

1) Organize a training plan that leads to building muscle.

You’ll need to organize a training program that focuses on building muscle and strength.
This includes certain equipment that uses resistance needed to stimulate muscle growth.

You can use free weights like barbells and dumbbells, machines, or body weight exercises like push ups.

With lifts like the bench press, shoulder press, rows, squats, and deadlifts, you’ll incorporate supporting muscles as well as the targeted muscle.

When you use compound movements like these, you’ll get more muscle growth in the supporting muscles.

So the key to gaining more muscle from your weight training program is using more resistance.

When you increase the amount of weight you lift, your muscles adapt to these greater demands by gaining strength and size.

This is how muscle mass is built.

2) Organize a proper meal that contains the necessary calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat needed to build muscle mass.

To gain muscle, you need to eat more calories on a daily basis than your body burns.

Proper nutrition doesn’t have to be hard. Just remember to eat 5 to 6 small, well balanced meals a day. Each meal should consist of protein, carbs, and fats. I usually try to make each meal contain 50% protein, 40% carbs, and 10% fats.

There you have the basic formula for building muscle: intense, heavy training followed by rest and consuming quality calories in the form of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
If you train hard and use heavy well, coupled with the right amounts of protein, carbs, and fat, you’ll build muscle.

That is, if you rest enough too.

3) Rest

Rest is one of the most important factors for building muscle. You have to rest in order to allow your muscles to grow.

Your body and muscles need to recuperate from the physical demands of your workouts. By putting constant stress on your body with no rest, you will not be able to build more muscle.

Most people need anywhere from two to three days rest. Depending on your intensity levels, you may need more. If you’re training very intense, you may need four or more days rest.

If you feel any soreness in your body on your training day, you should take another day off. You shouldn’t feel any soreness whatsoever on your training days.

You should feel strong, rested and energized for each workout. If you feel tired, sore and drained of energy, you’re either overtraining or not rested enough. Take the necessary time off, to fully recuperate from your workouts.

Building muscle takes work, but if you follow these simple steps, you’ll gain the muscle mass you want.

If you’d like a more indepth, proven plan for building more muscle in less time, check out Shawn Lebrun’s Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded…

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

Who doesn’t want a lean, muscular body that turns heads and attracts attention?

Well, the truth is, you have to work hard in order to achieve this.  And that starts with using the best exercises for building muscle.

To get the most muscle growth possible, you’re going to have to lift heavy weight and use the most effective exercises.

That includes simple compound movements. Compound movements are weight training exercises that use more than one muscle to complete a lift. Examples include the bench press, because it works the chest, shoulders, triceps, and more.

I’ll give you a list, right below, of all the best exercises for building muscle.

By using these muscle building exercises, you force your body to work harder. And by forcing your body to work harder, you’ll add more stress to the targeted muscles.

Remember to use proper form when lifting heavy weight. Lifting heavy weight for the sake of lifting heavy will result in poor form and could result in injuries.

If you’re a beginner, it’s best if you use a combo of free weights and machines. Again, in order to lift heavy, you need the correct form and balance.

This takes time, practice and patience.

Once you’ve established the correct form and balance, add more weight over time.

If you’re having trouble or not sure about certain weight lifting exercises, always ask for advice. Never attempt an exercise you’re not sure about. Ask a gym member or worker for advice.

If you can’t find a gym employee, ask one of the regulars. The regulars are usually more than happy to provide some guidance and help when it comes to spotting or showing you how to do an exercise.

Before going into a heavy workout, make sure you’re properly warmed up. Never attempt to lift heavy weights when you’re cold. Lifting heavy weight when you’re cold may result in injuries.

Always remember to include a warm up using an aerobic activity.

Here is a series of muscle building exercises that you could use for the chest:

Flat Bench press
Flat bench press with dumbbells
Incline bench press
Incline dumbbell press
Parallel bar dips
Decline dumbbell bench press

Muscle building exercises for the back:

Bent over rowing
Wide grip chins
Lat machine pull downs
Low cable pulley rows
One arm dumbbell rows
Dead lifts
Shrugs
Good mornings
Hyperextensions

Exercises for hamstrings:

Lying leg curls
Stiff legged dead lifts

Exercises for shoulders:

Press behind the neck
Seated dumbbell press
Side lateral raises

Muscle building exercises for calves:

Standing calf raises
Seated calf raises
Leg press calf extensions

Exercises for biceps:

Standing barbell curls
Seated alternate dumbbell curls
Standing dumbbell curls

Exercises for quads:

Squats
Leg press
Leg extensions
Hack squats

Muscle building exercises for triceps:

Close grip bench press
Lying triceps extensions
Standing cable press downs
Seated over head barbell extensions
Triceps bench dips

Exercises for abs:
Crunches
Knee ups
Hanging leg raise
Incline knee raises
Incline sit-ups

That was a list of the best muscle building exercises you should use in the gym. Always remember to use proper form on each exercise.

Shawn Lebrun is a fitness expert and natural bodybuilder.

His “Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded” program shows you how to build the most muscle possible in the least amount of time

 Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded”

Anything that we do, we do for a reason. Anything. There may be some times that we dont know the reason behind what we are doing, but you can be sure there is one. If you search enough, you will uncover it.

This is also the case in fitness. We do the stuff we do in the gym for a reason. It may be to look good or to feel good. It may be to have an overall healthier approach to living. It may be to become stronger or more energetic.

In order to completely excel at our fitness endeavors, we need to know exactly what it is we are working towards. Each of our reasons is different. That is why it is extremely important for us to tap into our individual driving forces, the reasons why we go to the gym each day. When you find that reason, take it and run with it. Use it as your prime motivator.

There are many reasons for change. Are you fed up with being overweight? Are you sick and tired of always feeling sick and tired? Disgusted at the person staring back at you when you look in the mirror? You must first have an important enough reason to want to change. Then you must find a method you can use to change.

If you are currently involved in a fitness routine, ask yourself if what you are currently doing is working for you. If it isnt, then you need to get real about where you are and where you want to go.

Make the commitment NOW to change, to stop settling for less. Use these feelings to create power. Use that frustration to create a compelling enough reason for you to take action and change. Make a conscious decision to change the way you look, feel, think, and act. First you must change your mind, then your body. It must be in that order.

Step one is for you to find your driving force, your reason to change. Find out why it is you want results. Make a list of all the benefits you will receive when you start working out and getting in shape. Start thinking, acting, and feeling like you are already enjoying these benefits. How does it feel to be thin, energetic, and full of life? How would you like to feel this way all the time, able to really enjoy the level of fitness youve always wanted?

It’s extremely important for you to uncover your prime motivator for changing. You must want it for yourself, not because your doctor told you or your spouse told you to change. It must be from within you or it will not be long lasting.

Make a list of YOUR top three fitness goals. Your top three most urgent, pressing reasons for wanting to change or reach a certain level of fitness.

Without goals, you are just wandering. You cannot hit a target you do not see, no matter how much you are willing to work. That is like saying you are willing to make it from Maine to Florida, just by driving somewhere, unsure of which way to go.

Think of your top three reasons for changing your body and your life.

Sure, you may want to gain muscle mass or lose body fat, but those are not the real reasons you do a program.

Maybe you want to look better or feel better. Increase your energy or strength.

I guarantee if you do start to change your body, internal motivation and the improved self-esteem you get will indeed change your life.

Set your goals so that there is a 50/50 chance of reaching them. Goals should not be easy enough so that they are guaranteed to be reached. They should also not be so difficult that you will never reach them. If a goal is almost impossible to reach, how hard are you willing to work for it?

When you make this list, look at it morning, noon, and night. Want it bad enough to be willing to put forth the effort needed to achieve it.  We, as humans, were designed to take baby steps towards a known goal, not a giant blind leap into the unknown. A journey begins with the first step, which starts right now by setting your compelling reasons for changing.

Make this adventure fun as well; no one wants to work at something that is not fun.

Yes, achieving your muscle building and fat loss goals will be hard work. Hard work pays off; coasting does not produce results.

Hard work makes the results appreciated more. If you are not ready or willing to work hard at changing your body, losing weight, toning up, gaining muscle, getting an improved self-esteem, then please do not waste your time by reading any further.

So what are your top three fitness goals?

The topic of setting goals is one that is talked about so much; it has almost gotten to the point of losing its meaning and importance. It is a very important aspect of weight training, as well as the whole fitness program.

What exactly is a goal? A goal is something that you are willing to achieve at all costs, no matter what you have to do to get it. It is desire to want that which you do not currently have. It is the destination before the start of a journey. Without a clear-cut goal, you are not getting anywhere.

Does this describe your workout regime, going around in circles, getting nowhere? In order to achieve your fitness goals, you need to know where you currently are, what it is you want to achieve, and the steps you are going to take to reach them. Set realistic, achievable goals for yourself, not impossible dreams.

The fun of goals comes when you reach them. Do not set yourself up for failure by setting a goal that is out of reach. So think about what it is that you want to achieve in your fitness program.

Goals must be written down. Something magical happens when you actually write down what it is you want to achieve. They become more concrete, more “real.” If they are not written down, they are just dreams, not goals. Goals need to be specific, like losing a pound of body fat per week, increasing your bench press by 20 pounds in a month, or running a mile in less than five minutes.

These are goals you can write down and set a desired deadline in which to achieve them.

You may be thinking to yourself, “I thought I was going to lose fat and gain muscle with this program, and here you are talking about setting goals. Goals are a very big part of anything you do in life. You need to know where it is you want to go. Do you want to lose body fat, gain muscularity, or both? You need goals to measure your success, or else how will you know if youve achieved success.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step program to get you from where you are to where you want to be, check out my muscle building and fat loss programs here…

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

I’ve tried just about every supplement brand over the past few years because alot of the companies send me their products to sample, since they know that
I sell supplements to my personal training clients.

And in all honesty, I’ve gotten the best results, by far, by using AST Sports Science products than any other brand I’ve ever tried.

In fact, I now use AST Sports Science exclusively, and pay for them out of my own pocket, because I believe in them so much.

It starts at the top of the company, Paul Delia, whom I have incredible trust in.

AST helped me transform my physique more than any other source, so I use their products solely.

I use their NytroPro-40 meal replacements, VP2 whey protein, their micronized creatine, and their glutamine.

AST has given me my best results, as far as muscle gains
and fat loss, than any other supplement company.

I have used Eclipse and I think they are a good company.

Twinlab is good, Weider is okay, so is Sportpharma, Lee
Labrada, Syntrax, and Optimum.

If you want the best results, I’d try AST for a while
and see what you think.

Any of the companies I’ve listed above are pretty good,
any company that’s been around for a while is going to
be pretty reputable or else they would be driven out of
business by angry consumers!

I get asked more about supplements by my training clients and web site visitors than any other topic, so I spent some time building a page that lists my top recommended supplements for people looking to build muscle and lose fat.

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

The days of liver tabs and raw eggs for protein are gone and luckily, with the advance in science has come the advance in supplements.

Now, there is one thing I can say for sure.

There are a lot of supplement choices on the market…

And MOST of them just don’t hold up to claims.

In fact, most DO NOT work and this is coming from someone who uses supplements and also sells supplements to his training clients.

So, I would start with making sure you consume enough protein in your diet. You want 1 and 1/2 to 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, for example, you want to consume 300-400 grams of protein each day.

If you have trouble getting that from whole food sources like chicken, beef, fish, eggs, dairy, etc, than I would say the first supplement you should look into is a whey protein powder or meal replacement powder.

This will ensure enough protein in your diet.

Protein is the most important nutrient for body builders (other than water) since protein is responsible for muscle repair and growth.

You could also use meal replacements as well, which are formulated to take the place of whole food meals. They are different than whey protein powders in that
they also contain carbs and some fat, so they do replace meals.

Whey protein powders are more to supplement your meals.

So, my first supplement recommendation is whey protein or meal replacements for protein requirements.

Next, I would have to say creatine is the next best “proven” supplement for strength and muscle gains. Creatine is safe and its a natural amino acid found in
hamburg and other red meats.

What creatine does is attract more water into the muscle cells. When the muscle cells hold more water, they get bigger and so do muscles, as a result.

Creatine is one of the most researched sports supplements currently on the market and all studies have shown it to be safe and effective.

Those are my top 2 picks for supplements.

If you want to prevent overtraining from occurring, you could look into taking glutamine, which will assist in your recovery and recuperation.

Finally, if you’re interested in boosting your testosterone, I would have to say DHEA and andro are the 2 safest and most researched supplements that have shown to increase natural testosterone production.

There’s no doubt that as we age, we decrease our production of testosterone and testosterone is the primary hormone responsible for muscle growth.

I would only recommend DHEA or andro as safe and proven testosterone boosters.
DHEA is 2 conversion steps away from testosterone and andro is 1 step away.

DHEA has to be converted to androstendione, which is then converted to testosterone via an enzymatic reaction in the liver, whereas andro can be converted
right to testosterone when taken orally.

So, if you want to try something more likely to be converted to testosterone, I’d go with andro, but DHEA is cheaper and has also been shown to raise
testosterone levels.

Other than these, I would skip the rest. I just don’t think many others are worth the money.

You can also add a good multi vitamin and maybe some EFA’s (essential fatty acids) to this group, but those are things that you can get more from your whole foods.

So, to recap, I would say:

1. Protein (either through meal replacements or whey)
2. Creatine
3. Glutamine
4. testosterone booster
5. Multi vitamin and essential fatty acids

The page I refer my personal training clients to that have the list of supplements I use and recommend is:

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/supplements.html
–Shawn Lebrun
 

If you’re just starting out in the gym again, because you’re new or you’ve taken some time off, I’m going to give you the best plan of attack if you haven’t been working out for a while.

As I always try and stress to clients, the most important part of training and working out to build muscle is to use your head.  Train smart and approach fitness with common
sense. Believe me, this will get you further ahead.

The reason I bring this up is I often hear of young guys trying to go all out the first time back in the gym.  They literally spend hours in the gym, doing as many exercises, reps, and sets as possible.

Big mistake.

More times that not, this will lead to either injury or such soreness that working out for the next few days will be impossible.

So that this does not happen, you’ll definitely want to approach this program slowly and build up a solid foundation.  After all, I’m sure you’re going to be looking at this as a long-term approach to building muscle, gaining strength, and getting in shape.

But by all means, you can definitely jump in and start lifting. But go light the first week or two. Use weights that are not real challenging.  Just use this time to find the weights that are right for you. 

This starts to build positive momentum.  And you’ll use this momentum to keep you progressing in the gym, each and every week.

Remember, the only way to build muscle is to lift progressively heavier weights over time. And by going slow at first, building up a good, solid foundation of strength, that will help ensure you keep progressing in the amount of weight you lift.

After the first couple of weeks, go up in weight and intensity.

In fact, now you want to find the weights you should be using for your heavy sets of 4 to 6 reps. Find a weight heavy enough were you can get at least
between 4 to 6 reps.

If you can get more than 6 reps with a weight, go up a bit.

If you cannot get 4, go down a little.

You want to fall between this rep range for all of your heavy sets, forever!

This lower rep range, which I talk about in-depth in my Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded training program….

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/shred3.html

Will lead directly to more muscle growth in less time. Lower reps means you can lift more weight. The more weight you lift, the more muscle is stimulated. The more muscle that’s stimulated, the more muscle growth that will occur.

So, feel free to get back into the gym and play around with the weights the first few weeks, but definitely don’t go all out the first week. You have years and the rest of your life to lift and get stronger.

By slowing easing into it, you’re less likely to suffer extreme soreness, or worse, get injured.

Think of building muscle and bodybuilding as the rabbit and hare analogy.

By going slow and steady (hare) you sooner or later will get exactly what you want.

But go too quickly (rabbit) and you may set yourself up for trouble.

Go light and test out how things are going. Then you can go nuts

Best of luck and let me know how you make out.

–Shawn, http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com

Although I feel the best approach to losing fat is a
long term one, there are some simple things you can do
to drop fat quickly.

You primarily do it by increasing the amount, duration,
or/and intensity of your cardio sessions while slowly
decreasing your calorie intake.

If you try and shed fat too fast, whatever you did to
lose it will not be permanent and you’ll more than
likely end up gaining the weight back.

So, the best way to lose any amount of fat quickly is
to focus on creating more of a calorie deficit in which
your body is forced to burn more fat for energy.

This is primarily achieved by:

1. Slowly cutting your calorie intake.

2. Slowly increasing your cardio input.

Notice how I put “slowly” in front of both.

If you start reducing calories too quick, you’ll force
your body into “starvation mode” in which it starts
holding onto stored body fat instead of burning it for
energy.

And if you start doing too much cardio too soon, you’ll
run the risk of overtraining or getting injured.

And what about weight training?

The weight training remains a constant in this
equation. It has little to do with losing fat fast.

In fact, you may want to lessen the weight training the
next few weeks and instead focus more on the cardio,
which will have more of an impact on the fat burning.

If you want to know how to set up cardio for maximum
fat burning, you can check out the article I wrote on
cardio here:

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

—————
Reduce calories
—————

Bottom line, to lose any amount of fat fast, you have
to burn more calories than you consume.

The best way to do this is by dropping your daily
calorie intake while increasing your daily cardio
output.

The first week, start getting rid of extras that you
may eat, like dressings, oils, butter, sugars, syrups,
and desserts.

Then the next week, reduce your calories again by
150-200 calories.

This slow, methodical drop in calories will not trigger
“starvation mode” in which your body will start holding
onto fat.

—————
Increase cardio
—————

Also, you’ll want to start upping the amount and/or
intensity of your cardio.

If you’re doing 2 or 3 sessions of cardio a week, add
another session.

If you’re already doing 4 or 5, then increase your
intensity more so than your time.

The combo of slowly dropping your daily calories
while also increasing the intensity and amount of your
cardio will get you in a fat-burning stage.

Then, continue on with this approach and soon you’ll be
staring in the mirror at a leaner, more muscular you.
If you’d like more help in losing fat in the fastest amount of time possible, check out my Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded program…

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

What are variable resistance machines and are they any good when it comes to building muscle mass? Think Nautilus® or Bowflex®. Both are variable resistance machines that provide an alternative to free weight training.

They will help you build muscle mass, but probably not as good as free weights like dumbbells and barbells. That’s because free weights offer more overload to the muscles. And more overload means more muscle stimulation, which means you’ll build more muscle.

You see, when you use a machine, a lot of the work is done for you. The machine balances the weight for you, so all you have to do is lift it. But with free weights, you have to do more of the work. You do all the balancing AND lifting, so they overload the muscles more and will help you build muscle mass faster.

Now, machines do have some benefits when it comes to weight training and building muscle mass.

The primary advantage is the constant resistance in the range of movement for the muscle group you are training. Another huge advantage over traditional weight training is that by working with constant resistance, you make the joints and ligaments stronger and you do it much faster than the traditional method.

This type of training also lets you deliver exactly the amount of exercise you desire to whatever specific muscle group you are working. There is the benefit of working that resistance through a greater range of movement as you can reduce your training time.

Variable resistance can be added to your weight training routines to gain muscle mass.  Stick with the basic, proven free weight exercises like squats, bench press, deadlifts, and others like them. Then use some of the variable resistance machines towards the end of your workouts.

After all, there will be times, in a busy gym, where all you have available is machines. So instead of just waiting around for the free weights to become available, use a machine.

Believe me, resistance is resistance and you’ll still build muscle when using machines.

Portability can be another advantage. These pieces of equipment tend to take up less space and many can be easily broken down in just one or two steps for storage convenience when not in use.

So if you’re going to make your own home gym, you could use a combination of free weights like barbells and dumbells, as well as some machines.

As far as which is better, free weights or variable resistance, it all depends on what your personal preferences might be. If you have established your budget and your goals, throwing variable resistance machines into the mix might be an option.

Regardless of which options you choose, let me remind you to shop around before spending too much money. There’s a good chance you can find used equipment that is just right for your purposes.

But if you want a good, old fashioned gym you can use at home to build muscle, go down to your local store and get a barbell, some dumbells, a utility bench, and enough free weights where you’ll have some difficulty using them all.

Total cost will only run you a couple hundred bucks, which is a lot less than what most machines cost.

No matter which you use to work out and build muscle, just take action and do something.

If you need a plan to get you going, check out my Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded program…

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/shred2.html

It shows you everything you need to know in order to build the most muscle possible in the least amount of time. I reveal which exercises are best for building muscle, how many reps and sets to do, how to eat to gain muscle and lose fat, and more.

For more information on this proven muscle building program, check out Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded here…

http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/shred2.html