I like to eat a half an hour before I train. Some protein and carbs is a good idea. Like a piece of whole wheat bread with peanut butter. Or egg whites and half bowl of oatmeal. Post workout I would eat a bagel or 2 pieces of whole wheat bread with a protein shake immediately after training. For pre workout aim for 15-24 grams of protein. Carbs 30-50 grams. Then for post aim for the same amount as the pre. If your trying to lose weight I would recommend not eating fruit before or after so you don't spike you blood sugar. If you are maintaining or want to add muscle then eat fruit before and after but just make sure you watch it so you don't add unnecessary fat.

You should try to eat something every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. When doing this you are keeping you blood sugar at a constant level which in turn helps with weight loss. When you go a long time without eating and then eat you spike your blood sugar level which in turn promotes fat storage. I like to prepare my meals at night for the following day. Cooking for the whole week is just to much all at once. I recommend when you get home make your meals for the next day. This way you have your food and don't have to worry about what you are going to eat. Also I weight and measure and write down everything. Get into the habit of keeping a food journal. Just mark how much protein and crabs you are consuming. Keep it simple so you stick with it.

Going out and having a social life is a good idea. Just because your training doesn't mean you can't have a drink or two. or a cheat meal. I would recommend having a cheat meal once a week. Or every other week. When you constantly eat clean your body will get use to it and your metabolism will actually slow down a bit. So throw in a cheat meal and this will actually rev up your metabolism. As long as you don't over eat or have a cheat meal everyday you won't gain weight.

Your body is a testament of your will, motivation and discipline. If you don't take care of it who will!!

Cottage cheese is an ideal bed time snack. It provides a steady stream of aminos to help fight off catabolism while you sleep.

Today's topic is chest... Enjoy the read !!!!

Choose a slight decline over a flat benching

Its all explained including a good chest workout

First of all how many people do you see benching big weights with big delts, hunched up shoulders and lacking chest.. A lot but that's enough talk of what I call the HUNCH backs :)

So the primary thing especially with chest is not necessary the amount of sets or weight you do but the quality of the movement the quality of each repetition making sure your chest is doing the primary work.

DECLINE bench not fat bench and we will explain why

For chest, start with a decline bench only a very slight decline, be careful not to use one that is too steep ...

Lots of people think that decline barbell press as a lower-chest exercise, but when done properly and on a slight decline angle it involves the whole chest far more than a flat bench.

Envisage the elbows on the flat bench imagine how far they come back, then in your mind think about a slight decline the elbows come further back it pulls on the whole chest far more than a flat bench therefore logic again prevails a slight decline bench is more effective across the who pecs than a flat.

Have you even got off doing a flat bench and the next day you feel your front delts... You will have done because a Flat bench hits the front deltoids as well as put the pec tendon area in a very vunerable position

Over the time in this sport we have known many people with pec tears and almost all of them were done of on the flat bench thus supporting what we have just said about the excessive amount of stress on the Pec-tendon in relation the amount of weight used.

This is not to say the FLAT is not a good exercise but we are saying its not the BEST !!!

People get all hung up on flat benching because the first thing people say is HOW MUCH CAN YOU BENCH... So what, are you in it to build muscle or be a power lifter...

To aim for one single rep on flat bench we will tell you straight has no interest or real benefit to your chest, the only thing it does is kisses ass to you and your mates EGO !!

DECLINE bench.

Set the bench at the lowest Angle possible just enough to shift you from slightly horizontal and shift the stress from your front delts to your pecs

On the negative movement of the decline bring the bar down around 1-2 inches away from your nipples towards you neck you will then get the greatest benefit from the decline..

Incline Bench

Keep the incline again very shallow 20-30 degree when its too steep you are hitting front delts NOT chest - SIMPLE !!!

Dumbbell Flies

You can alternate these between flat and a a slight incline you alter then as you see fit there is no set rule.

Because of the stretch factor inherent in flies it can be dangerous when done with heavy weights, so concentrate more on control. As you lower the weight, bend your arms slightly then maintain that bend throughout the whole movement.

At the bottom get a good stretch at the tip always ensure you get a good squeeze but don't actually touch the dumbbells stop them short by touching but a couple of inches, as this lessens the time under tension!

So no banging of the dumbbells at the top leave that to those that don't know the meaning of keeping the muscle under tension.

Keep laying those bricks in the wall of the physique you want!!! Finish the week strong and give your all!!!!

CRAP

C- carbonated junk
R- refined sugars
A- artificial stuff
P- processed foods

After the gluttonous binge that likely occupied your holiday, you are probably in detox mode, trying to rid your body of toxins and generally clear everything out. Contrary to what you may have heard, a detox doesn't have to mean starving yourself, drinking only glasses of lemon-cayenne water. A good detox will mean eating clean -- avoiding the processed, sugary and fat-filled fare of Thanksgiving or Christmas time -- and getting yourself into the mindset of moderation and health.

The first thing to tackle, then, would be your diet. Instead of surviving on juices and detox drinks alone, simply fill your plate with fruits and veggies, which are filled with water and help to flush out your system. Add a few whole grains and avoid anything processed, nixing sugar alltogether. A few awesome detox foods:

Dark, leafy greens
Watercress
Beets
Artichokes
Ginger
Garlic
Apples

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go."

-Bruce Lee