O.T working out or bodybuilding

[fareweatherfan]

From someone who has done it all, literally, don't rely on supplements for your nutrients or muscle building fuel.

Granted I take some supplements targeted for specific ailments (e.g. joint pain) and I do take other vitamins (e.g. a general multiV, fish oil, etc) as a SUPPLEMENT to a diet already rich in these vitamins and minerals. But most body-building supplements are a waste of time and money, esp. creatine. Its the biggest body building scam on the market, IMHO. Any more specific questions feel free to PM me.

[semi-sentient]

Thanks for the tips Tony. I'll give that stuff a shot when I get back to the gym.

And yes, I'm over 30 -- 35 to be exact. Gray hairs, Ginobili bald spot, slow metabolism... I got it all. lol

[DubaLakers]

If you guys can hit a baseball I'm sure Brian Cashman can use a few new players.

[DEEP3CL]

I got "swoll" too off creatine, I was on the old powder crap back in the day. Then switched to the syrup forms which was better because you don't have to do the "load up" thing like you had to with the powder.

But like Kobe24MVP said it might not be for everybody who doesn't understand how to use it.

[DubaLakers]

I prefer cramming a needle into my buttocks between at bats, love Alexa Rodriguez.

[Slava]

Tony, what are your recommendations for Creatine? You must have used it right. I want to start taking it and so far whey protein & protein bars are the only supplements I have taken.

Jay Jay creatine is only a supplment and it will work as supplement. So don't expect wounders from taking it. Also creatine doesn't effect some people as much as others. So you let me know whats your goal???? Mass, are you trying to lose weight etc?

Now this product actually has creatine in it, in fact it both it has glutamine and creatine in it...5 grams of each.

Also whats cool about this company is that even though they are not FDA apporved they are observed by the FDA that means everything they sell of produce has to be safe.

Let me know whats your goal and let me see if I can help. Coooooool. Meanwhile read the reviews on it and it explains a lot about this product.

Tony, I'm 6'1" 164lbs skinny/lanky 23 year old at the peak of my metabolism. My goal is to gain as much muscle and weight as possible. I work out 5 times a week, play full court basketball/volleyball regularly and run/play soccer on weekends.

My work out routine is like this:

Monday: Arms & Triceps, 5 X 5 Squat
Tuesday: Back & Lats
Wednesday: Chest, 5 X 5 squat
Thursday: Bisceps & Abs
Friday: Legs & 5 X 5 squat

Saturday & Sunday: Running

I basically started out 6 months ago with the 5 x 5 strength program working out 3 times a week and then modified it to the current routine. I kept with the squats on alternate days to improve my hops.

Supplements: Whey protein after workout, 3 raw eggs before workout and being a Vegan, I try to get as much protein as possible in my diet.

When I started out I was 158 lbs and now I'm close to 165. Any suggestions or scope for improvement with my workout?

[TonyMontana]

Thanks for the tips Tony. I'll give that stuff a shot when I get back to the gym.

And yes, I'm over 30 -- 35 to be exact. Gray hairs, Ginobili bald spot, slow metabolism... I got it all. lol

No worries brah anytime. Also lollllllll at the age, brah were on the same boat, well except the gray hairs and the bald spot part........ But ya, your metabolisim goes down as you get over 30 so that why I replied about "I use to have a hard time putting on weight and now I cant keep off" remark as well as your complaints about your joints.
But here SS here's a couple of supplements I take for those reason you mentioned.
http://www.nutritionzoneonline.com/page ... ?sc=BF1008
Very good TESTOSTERONE booster specially if your over the age of 30. Also heres another product I use for my joints. Its by the same company Bodyfuel and its called joints. Its not on there site since its a new product but I just got it a week ago and its all natural.
Its has Shark cartilage as well as macro-protein fibres which include six or seven proteins as well as mucopolysaccharides and glycosamenoglycans. I have taken this stuff for a week and it helps a lot. Also its a good for you know................ Increasing your male thingiii........

Heres the catch .......... People can talk all the want and claim certain things are not good for you and I cant sit here and argue about it. Im sharing what I know and what has worked for me. As far as most supplements I take I DONT OVER DO IT. Like for example. If my protein powder calls for three scopes I take 1.5 If my tabs call for 4 a day two in the morning and two after work out. I take one in the morning and one at night.

Also I WORK OUT I dont sit there and take supplements if I dont workout since thats a waste of money and Im dumping all types of chemicals in my body and not using it for the right reasons.
If you abuse anything in life no matter what it is it will harm you. But if you use it correctly and PUT IT TO USE. It will help you.

But like Kobe24MVP said it might not be for everybody who doesn't understand how to use it.

Yup

Tony, I'm 6'1" 164lbs skinny/lanky 23 year old at the peak of my metabolism. My goal is to gain as much muscle and weight as possible. I work out 5 times a week, play full court basketball/volleyball regularly and run/play soccer on weekends.

My work out routine is like this:

Monday: Arms & Triceps, 5 X 5 Squat
Tuesday: Back & Lats
Wednesday: Chest, 5 X 5 squat
Thursday: Bisceps & Abs
Friday: Legs & 5 X 5 squat

Saturday & Sunday: Running

I basically started out 6 months ago with the 5 x 5 strength program working out 3 times a week and then modified it to the current routine. I kept with the squats on alternate days to improve my hops.

Supplements: Whey protein after workout, 3 raw eggs before workout and being a Vegan, I try to get as much protein as possible in my diet.

When I started out I was 158 lbs and now I'm close to 165. Any suggestions or scope for improvement with my workout?

Your good Jay Jay.
Your young brah and your metablosim is very high and to top it off your basically doing a lot of cardio excerise so that itself is burning a lot of fat and mass that your building. So you have to decide on what you want to do. Get big or be an all around athlete. I dont know if Im explaining that correctly to you.

See bodybuilders dont play soccer or ball or have the type of Strenuous Exercises that your having since not only are you young and you have a high metabolisim but your also involved with a lot of Strenuous Exercises that consume's a lot of your calories and fat in your body that you have a hard time gaining.

Your doing good, but cut out the cardio to one day for maybe 2 to 3 hours. You got to decide on whether you want to get big or stay with a nice toned body. You cant with both. I can cause Im in my late 30s and I dont have a problem losing or gaining weight. In fact when I go to other parks or gyms to ball with my friends people trip on me cause Im pretty big for a ball player or a soccer player. I look like I should be playing football instead of basketball or soccer. People think Im unorthodox or I dont have game, but I have been ballin both soccer and basketball since I was 8 years old so for me I still can perfrome with my size which people at time trip since a guy my size shouldnt be able to do half the ish Im doing on the court and I ball with some young guns too.

So you have to decide on what type of body you want, and focus on that. If you want to get ripped and put on size then shorten your cardio and raise the intencity of your workouts and focus your time more in the gym than on a court or a soccer filed. I hope I explained that correctly so you can understand me.

Now here is a good workout program that I jacked off the website.

Read it and try to stay with it. Its beasically the same routine I use and its a very good write up on building mass.

Copy it and print it since I promise you, you will see some good results if you stay consistant.

# 1 Eat 5-6 Times Per Day

What did you just say? Eat 6 times per day? Yes, that's right! Don't think that you are going to gain quality size eating 3 square meals per day. The only type of mass you will put on eating this way will be the fat type, and this is not our objective. There is no way that you can reach your caloric or your macronutrient needs eating 3 meals per day. If by some magical reason you can eat them in 3 meals, than you will be so full and bloated, you won't be able tie up your own shoes let alone pound out some heavy deadlifts.

Get rid of the mentality that powerlifters can optimize their performance on three meals per day, it's scientifically impossible. Eating 5-6 times per day will also keep your blood sugar levels stabilized and your metabolism elevated. Eating several times per day instead of the "Big 3" that most are used to, will provide your body with a constant supply of nutrients that you need to recover from your hard workouts. This will cause you to increase your lean tissue, while reducing your body fat percentage. Our goal here is to put on lean muscle mass, not take our body fat level to new heights.


# 2 Drink Water

Water is very important for many reasons. Water is good for you believe it or not. It has many health and performance benefits. It keeps your organs functioning properly, clears toxins, reduces excess sodium from your body, and it hydrates your muscle cells. It even liberates fat stores on your body so they are burned off as an energy source. Dehydration will cause a major decrement in performance. Even a 2% state of dehydration will cause your performance to go out the window.

Just because most powerlifting events aren't out in the heat, it doesn't mean that proper hydration isn't important. Water plays a major role in cell volumization. This is where nutrients are pulled inside of the muscle cell causing a multitude of reactions that leads to muscle growth. Water is very important in many processes including digestion, transportation and the absorption of nutrients. So how much water should you drink on a daily basis? You should drink on average at least 1oz of water per kilogram of bodyweight.

This is a figure that can be increased depending on many factors that affect your hydration level. This amount will start as your baseline from which you can build upon. A 220-pound (100kg) powerlifter would need to drink 100 ounces or slightly over 3 quarts of water per day as his minimum daily water intake. There are also many benefits to drinking water. They include lowering your chances for high blood pressure and kidney stones. Both of these nice little health problems can really cause havoc on your training. Try banging out some box squats when you're passing kidney stones the size of jawbreakers. It's not going to happen

Use the form below to find out how much water you need daily!


Enter Your Bodyweight In The Appropriate Box Below:

Your Bodyweight In Pounds: OR In Kilograms:


# 3 Sleep

Sleep is not considered a food group so why am I talking about it in my nutritional column you ask? The reason why sleep is going to be discussed here is that it is essential in gaining lean mass. Your body repairs and recovers from your workout as you sleep. During this time, your muscles grow! Remember this, if you aren't sleeping you aren't growing and getting stronger. Think back to a time when you couldn't get optimal sleep either during university exam time, or another time when sleep was of the essence.

Think back how your strength level was, or how you were actually losing size. So how much sleep do you need per day? You should be getting at least 8 full hours of sleep per day. If you can get a 1-2 hour nap per day on top of this it would be even better. Getting proper sleep is a must for muscle growth. Without it, you can kiss gains in strength and size goodbye!


# 4 Consume Enough Protein

"I eat enough protein. I probably ate around 50 grams today." Now if this sounds like you, we are in some serious trouble. That is unless you are a 60-pound child whose major energy expenditure for the day is playing with your Tonka Trucks. Ok, down to the serious stuff here. If you don't eat optimal amounts of protein, you will never put on the muscle mass that you so much desire. You are also hindering your strength gains as well. If you are going up a weight class and you aren't eating the proper amount of protein, guess what?

You will put on a nice extra layer of fat around your waist, instead of gaining lean muscle tissue. When trying to put on size, you have to make sure you constantly supply your body with essential amino acids throughout the day. You should consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. I have some of my athletes consume between 1.25-1.5 grams of protein per pound when trying to pack on size. If you just jack up your carbs and fat without supplying your body with the protein that it needs, you will end up looking like "Mr. Marshmallow" instead of a strength athlete.

Amino acids are the building blocks that you will need to gain lean muscle tissue and to ensure that going up a weight class will be muscle, not fat. Protein helps in the recovery of your muscles from the intense training you perform as a powerlifter. As you probably already know, protein is the main nutrient responsible for increasing lean muscle tissue. You can work out all day long but if you don't eat the right amount of protein for your specific needs and activity expenditure, than you will never reach your peak in strength, that's guaranteed!


# 5 Maximize Your Carbohydrate Intake

Carbohydrates…you got to love them. Yes we all know that they are definitely the tastiest of all the macronutrients, but how do we incorporate them in putting on size. Make sure that when you are trying to gain solid weight, you consume plenty carbs. Now don't think that there is only one way to do this. I have had great success with my clients using diets that include both carbs on a daily basis, and plan that restrict them for a certain number of days and then are super compensate for a specific number of days. What you need to know is that there is more than one way to get the job done.

Now when trying to put on size with a nutritional plan where carbs are going to be consumed on a daily basis, you should consume 1.5-3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight per day. You must be thinking, how can I eat all that? This doesn't all have to come from food, as there are many good glucose polymer drinks available that can help you fulfill your daily requirements. One glucose polymer drink can supply 100 grams of carbohydrates in as little as 12-16oz of water. I just made this a lot easier didn't I?

The majority of carbohydrates that you should consume when you are trying to go up a weight class should come from complex carbohydrates. These include oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, potatoes, yams, brown rice, ancient grains including quinoa, amaranth, millet, and teff. I gave you an in depths look into these ancient grains in the last issue of PL USA. What's nice about these grains is that they provide variety in your diet and are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates.

Let's not forget your fibrous carbs including your salads and vegetables. These are very important and should be consumed with at least 3 of your daily meals. Fiber is very important in the digestion process and eliminating toxins from the body. If you are not getting adequate amounts of fiber in your nutritional plan, it is now time to increase your daily intake. It's hard to pack on size if you have a severe case of constipation. You may laugh, but this is one of the first things that happen to someone trying to gain weight. Many individuals increase their caloric and protein intake yet; they forget to do the same with their fiber and water.


# 6 Bump Up Your Fat Intake

If you read my article in the June Issue of Powerlifting USA "Fatten Up Your Total", then you already know the importance of fat in the powerlifter's nutritional program. Fat is where it's at, especially if you are a strength athlete. I know you get as sick and tired as I do of all those aerobiczers telling you that you should eat 10grams of fat per day. Your fat intake is definitely associated with how strong you will be. Now don't get the wrong idea here. This doesn't mean put extra Mayo on your tuna sandwich, or a quart of gravy on your turkey breast.


Nor does it mean to put some extra non-dairy creamer in your coffee, or load up on fatty cuts of bacon and sausage. Yes, you want to increase you saturated fat intake slightly when trying to pack on size for your new weight class, but the majority should come from your polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Fats should consist of 30% of your total caloric intake. This is not written in stone, as I have had my clients on programs that were higher and lower than the above. By the way, fat has 9 calories per gram, so this will help you out with your calculations.

Good sources of Omega 3 fats are salmon and other cuts of fatty fish. In the past, athletes and bodybuilders avoided these fatty fish. Now, they realize the benefits of these fish fats and understand how beneficial they are not only for your health, but your performance. You can get some good sources of monounsaturated fats from various nuts and avocados. With this all said and done, you now know that fat is a very important nutrient in your quest for strength and size. Without it optimized in your plan, you are giving your competition more than a "Fat Chance" of beating you on the platform.


# 7 Drink Milk

Milk…It does a body good! You should have known this would be on the list. Milk is the drink of all strength champions throughout history. Let's take a look back into the past. Paul Anderson, a man whose strength feats have gone down in history used to drink several gallons of milk per day. I read that he used to drink a gallon of milk just during his workout. If you look at the eating habits of the strongmen and powerlifters of the past, milk was a major part of their diet.

Even the old school bodybuilders used to drink large amounts of milk. It supplies the body with an excellent source of protein. Its main source is casein protein, which is a slower released protein source than whey. It also supplies simple carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals to help round things out. Milk has different caloric rates depending on which type you consume. Powerlifters should drink 2% or whole milk, as it will supply you with valuable calories when looking to gain weight. The best time to consume milk is with your protein shake as it can really help with the taste. When trying to pack on mass, milk should definitely be part of your plan!


# 8 Increase Your Meat Consumption

I knew you would like this one. What true powerlifter wouldn't? Now again, don't get me wrong here. The point is that you should increase you lean meat consumption during a mass phase. Note I said lean meat consumption. This doesn't include bacon, ham, sausage, deli meats, beef jerky, or pepperoni sticks.

I know you wish that is what I would be recommending, but your ever visibly growing waistline and your tryglyceride rating wouldn't be thanking me down the road. The types of meat that you should be consuming should include skinless chicken breasts; lean cuts of steak, extra lean ground beef, turkey, and veal and lean cuts of pork. When trying to put on size, you should consume lean red meat on a daily basis.

At least one meal of the day should consist of red meat and the other meals can be comprised of fish and lean white meats like turkey and chicken. Make sure that the cuts are lean and you cut off any visible fat. Sorry about that, but if you consume all the fatty meats the only thing that will go up is your cholesterol level, not your performance. Lean cuts of meat should be a staple in all powerlifter's diets.

Here you have the first part in this three part series on how to go up a weight class while making sure that the weight that you put on is lean tissue, not just another roll around your waist. After reading the first installment of this series, you are realizing that going up a weight class doesn't mean it's time to load up on your favorite junk food to help fill out your new weight limit.

To properly gain quality weight you have to make sure that your nutritional plan is on the money, otherwise you can forget about going up a weight class while retaining your current body fat level.


Keep me posted brah.

[TonyMontana]

Tony how much did they pay you for the advertisement?

My bad Tommy I missed your post yehbar.......... But no I dont get paid for this.... you know me better than that. In fact Im cool with certain peps that are represented/sponsered by a few companies like Muscletech etc, and I can get EVERYTHING I WANT FROM THEM for free, but go back and read my I wrote about muscle tech.

[BigAaron909]

Best creatine out now is Controlled Labs Green Magnitude

[Tommy Trojan]

LOL just playing with ya. After I finish school which is a month away I will start on my diet.

Tony how much did they pay you for the advertisement?

My bad Tommy I missed your post yehbar.......... But no I dont get paid for this.... you know me better than that. In fact Im cool with certain peps that are represented/sponsered by a few companies like Muscletech etc, and I can get EVERYTHING I WANT FROM THEM for free, but go back and read my I wrote about muscle tech.

[Slava]

Tony, thanks for the article and I'll keep you posted.

[shortodom]

Best Creatine = NO-Xplode, taken it with good results, check youtube video reviews on this... really works, gets you pumped and you don't get tired when you work out and when im done with my usual set, i even do a little extra just cause i can on this stuff

Your kidding right.
I tried NO-Xplode and Im not alone on this. It defiantly is a powerful product and they recommend to take it on an empty stomach but here's the problem. When the caffeine hits you it freakin gave me headaches like crazy the entire time I worked out on it. I work out after work around 7 to 8 pm if you work out later or in the evenings like most people do the recommended amount is just WAYYYYYY too much caffeine. I remember once I was benching and almost passed out. What I learned though is if I would eat an apple or a protein bar I would be fine but still it jacked me up with headaches, but a very good product.

Thats why I like aftershock ............. Not too much sugar, a good break down of aminos and glutamine as well as protein and heres what good about it. It tastes pretty good but lets say if you get the Berry Blend all you have to do is add the V8 berry blend juice to it and it tastes and some ice you can sit there and sip it like a dam smoothie.

Is aftershock for before your workout or after? does it give you that extra boost? Cause thats why i loved Noxplode, the Boost and never getting tired, i never got headaches from it but i did get nauseous a couple of times, probably didn't drink enough water...
well i'm going to start working out again and im trying to cut weight, whats the best product out there today i can take? i usually take lipodrene, the original one with 25mg ephedra and it works pretty good. I wouldn't recommend it cause if you don't know how to take ephedra products, it could kill you. Even if you do know how to take it, it could kill you. You guys know any better products? Does lipo 6 work? i think i tried it but it didn't work as good as lipodrene so i went back to lipodrene

[El Hardee]

Whaddup TM, I got a question for you. I am a competitive BJJ/Sub Grappler, I really want to get stronger without loseing any flexibility, also I want to implement strength training but I am scared of gaining weight, i actually would like to drop down a weight class and increase strength, any tips?

[TonyMontana]

Is aftershock for before your workout or after? does it give you that extra boost? Cause thats why i loved Noxplode, the Boost and never getting tired, i never got headaches from it but i did get nauseous a couple of times, probably didn't drink enough water...
well i'm going to start working out again and im trying to cut weight, whats the best product out there today i can take? i usually take lipodrene, the original one with 25mg ephedra and it works pretty good. I wouldn't recommend it cause if you don't know how to take ephedra products, it could kill you. Even if you do know how to take it, it could kill you. You guys know any better products? Does lipo 6 work? i think i tried it but it didn't work as good as lipodrene so i went back to lipodrene

Well they say its a post workout drink but it can be taken both before during and post workout. I usually take it as Im working out.

As far as Noxplode the reason you have so much boost and energy is because of the caffeine in it, I personally think it has wayyyyyyy too much caffeine and they recommend you to take it on an empty stomach which is the main reason I almost black out.
As far as Lipo like I said it didnt go well with my stomach. But I posted on the aftershock only because I saw good results as well as a lot of other users have had the same results like I had.
It all depneds on your body and what you can get out of it.

Whaddup TM, I got a question for you. I am a competitive BJJ/Sub Grappler, I really want to get stronger without loseing any flexibility, also I want to implement strength training but I am scared of gaining weight, i actually would like to drop down a weight class and increase strength, any tips?

Whatup brah.......... been a while we talked. I hope your woing well brah.

Well there is a problem with your goal. Basically to get stronger you have to work with heavier weights, so you are obviously going to get a lot bigger and you are going to put on more mass.
But I think you can still get a bit more stronger and ripped if you work out with lighter weights at higher reps. So basically do more reps with lighter weights, as well as take shorter breaks during your sets. As far as this product I found it actually tones you down as well as burns more fat that normal protein drinks.

Also I posted this on the offtopic section as well and I figured I drop some info in there and go about my business but apparently someone who claims is a bodybuilder is calling me out on my posts (even though he isnt reading my posts correctly as well as he has no clue what he is talking about) but I have posted a few good replies and I think it will help out with your question.

Here's the link on it. I think I have provided a few more details on there that would help.

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=956790&start=0