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Beginning-Bodybuilding e-Newsletter
Nutrition For The Soul And A Weight Room For Your Mind
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In This Issue - July 13, 2006
- Featured Article: It's My Way Or The Highway!
- Marc's Update: How About Some Meal Plans?
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A Note From Marc
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Do you know EXACTLY what to eat every day?
Many people, including myself, find it very difficult to
create a meal plan every single day. While I don't need a
custom plan for every single day, it sure would be nice...
If somebody told me what to eat for the next 7 days and a
way to exchange out foods when I get bored of them.
You know what I'm talking about right?
A baseline template... a map ... something I can use today
and keep on creating plans for the future?
But not just any meal plan. One based on my calorie needs
AND based on my goals.
Here's what I'm talking about specifically.
A vegan bodybuilder at 3600 calories a day is going to eat
different foods than a wheat free bodybuilding at 3600
calories a day.
You see, they both want to build mass but I can't simply
just give some standard plan for 3600 calories and except
them both to eat the same things right?
My idea...
Individual (not truly custom of course) but calorie
specific, goal oriented and even to a user's preference
(vegan, lean bodybuilding, wheat free, weight loss, mass
gain, etc).
If this is something you'd jump at... YOU HAVE TO TELL ME!
:-)
If meal plans sound like something you can really use, with
a grocery list and a food exchange guide...
You can give me your comments:
http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com/contact.htm -----------------------------------------
Beginning Bodybuilding Editorial
with Marc David
http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com -----------------------------------------
It's my way or the highway!
I mean, if you don't do exactly what I'm telling you, you
might as well pack it up, quit the gym and go home. You'll
never make any progress doing whatever you are doing if
it's not what I say.
[Sarcasm intended]
Come on... you know those damn absolutists?
They (website, gurus, articles, companies) that tell you if
you don't do something precisely like they tell you, you
won't get the progress you want.
Have you heard this before?
* if you don't lift heavy, your muscles won't grow
* if you do 45 minutes of regular cardio over HIIT, good
luck with the fat loss
* if you do 15+ reps, it's for endurance and ballon like
arms aren't in your future
* you must do at least 12 sets for chest, 12 sets for legs
and 8 sets for arms
* if you train any body part more than once a week, you are
overtraining
* if you don't drink a protein shake IMMEDIATELY after your
workout, your body is just using it's own muscle for repair
* and the list goes on with the rules you must follow or
else you are just blowing it every time you step food in
the gym
PLEASE... spare me the absolutists.
Listen and listen closely.
The person that says you must do it this way or else...
Is the list, website, CD, book, tape or show that you want
to walk away from.
There are rules and fundamentals that generally apply to
people like performance nutrition, or recommended rep
ranges, weight to be lifted and recovery times.
Fundamental = Of or relating to the foundation or base
Rule = A generalized statement that describes what is true
in most or all cases
For example, a fundamental or rule is:
* eating 5-6 times a day enhances your metabolism and
provides your body with a continual flow of nutrients that
is essential to any performance program (weight loss or
mass building)
* if you don't eat enough calories per day, you will find
it impossible to put on weight
* if you don't get enough protein to support muscle
growth, you will find it difficult to gain muscle mass and
preserve the muscle you already have today
* improper form can lead to injury. You should know how
to do an exercise before attempting to do it
As you can see, that generally applies to us all, no matter
our goals or situations.
It's hard to argue that point but technically you still
can. There's evidence to suggest that even Arnold
Schwarzenegger in his Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding only ate
3 meals a day.
Worked for him. He's an exception to the rules but my
point is...
Nothing in bodybuilding and fitness is so set in stone that
it must apply to you under all circumstances.
Nobody is the same and nobody responds to the same stimuli
the same way 100% of the time.
Without going into great details on those vast subjects
(not because I don't want to or cannot but because that's
not the purpose of today's lesson) there's a different with
rules and fundamentals and absolute theories.
Here's a real shocker!
* you can build some serious muscle by doing a lot of reps
AND you can use relatively heavy weight
- Do you know Tom Platz? A quick Google image search will
reveal his pictures (granted the guy is s genetic freak)
but the point is... he used to do squats at 225 lbs for 10
minutes. Not all the time but as a variation for his
training.
- Do you think Platz followed a set standard of RULES for
his training? He followed general principles and
fundamentals but he didn't always lift heavy and he didn't
always do 12 sets for his chest.
- Have you ever seen a picture of Tom Venuto? He does
plenty of supersets, tons of variation, higher reps, unique
movements and he's a mass of muscle. Doesn't sound like he
follows the lift heavy or die mentality. I'm sure he's
done his fair share of heavy lifting but he's making
strides and gains I'm jealous of and he's not sticking to
the rules.
Before I get ahead of myself, this isn't any bash on
lifting heavy or any routines whatsoever.
In fact, I hope you see that VARIETY is really the key.
One more example and I swear I'll lay off. :-)
* Max-OT is a very popular program by a company called
AST. The likes of Skip LaCour use it. It preaches heavy
lifting, 4-6 reps and only 6-9 heavy sets per body part.
- This program worked wonders for me! It was different
than anything I'd ever done before. I've never used it
again and I'm still making phenomenal gains and breaking
personal bests.
Again, I hope you get my point that variety is the key.
Doing something like a routine or a set rep/weight scheme
or lift heavy or go home mentality is the quickest way to
long term injury and burn out.
Use ALL the principles you are leaving about (heavy weight,
supersets, variable rest intervals, HIIT training, moderate
cardio, free weights, machines, dummbells) to make the best
gains.
Sometimes you need to break the rules.
If it works for you, great! Keep doing it. If not, throw
the theory out and try something else. Just because Tom
Platz can squat 225 lbs for 10 minutes doesn't really help
me in my situation.
But the fact that he did, tells me that great gains can
come from hard workouts that challenge your body.
The next time somebody tells you "it's my way or the
highway," tell them to take a hike.
You can learn more about the fundamentals and rules of
bodybuilding and fitness and when to break them in
the Beginning Bodybuilding program:
http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com Train hard and expect success,
To Your Health,
Marc David
Beginner's Expert
http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com Contact:
http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com/contact.htm -----------------------------------------
HOW TO SEND IN YOUR QUESTIONS
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If you have a health, fitness or bodybuilding
question for Marc, send your comments to:
http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com/contact.htm **Important**
While every effort is made to answer each question
personally, please understand that I do receive a high
volume of email. A personal response is not always
possible. However, every effort will be made to respond to
your questions and some will make it into this publication.
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