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Personal Development: Is it worth the investment?

If someone told me a couple of years back that I’d be spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on personal development, I’d probably just laughed out loud and (maybe rolling on the floor laughing too)

And yet, here I am today sitting on Southwest flight flying over the Grand Canyon on my way to Chicago to attend a business & personal development training seminar, with Dani Johnson, the self-made multi-millionaire. Many successful and multimillionaires agree that we can only be successful and rich if we invest on ourselves to become a better person.

Are leaders born or developed?

Many thinks that leaders are born – some people just have the natural gift to become the football jock, high school class president, and prom king without even trying. But the rest of us, our leadership skills can be developed through life experience and trainings, whether via seminars or personal development books, if we really want to work on improving those skills.

In high school, I was really active in extra curricular activities, but I wasn’t popular, and had difficulties making anyone to listen to me. In fact, I had such a low self esteem, that I tend to stand in one corner of the room without mingling with anyone. I had such terrifying fear of public speaking and couldn’t talk to a stranger to save my life. Not to mentioned that I used to look like Steve Urkel (and can I say Mickey Mouse Safari rocks?)

I know I wouldn’t be who I am today without doing any personal development. The first self-help book that I read was called “The Slight Edge” and 3 months after, I sucked it up and lead a workout class. I mean me, leading a workout session and having people actually liking me! Now, I’m not that fearful anymore to speak up in a room full of people.

In 2010, I was working as an RF Engineer, commuting 50 miles each way for work. Instead of listening to Britney Spears on the radio (that’s a joke btw), I spent my driving time having a drive-time university, where I listened to good audio books. Among the audio books that I listened to were:

• Think and Grow Rich, Napolean Hill
• How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
• From Good to Great

…. And many more. Not only I learned to be more confident in myself, but I learned crucial communication skills that make me become a better leader. In just 3 months after starting the job as RF Engineer, I got promoted to lead a group of 8 people in a project. Not to mention, my side business was booming fast that by the end of 2010, I submitted my 2 weeks notice to become a full-time Beachbody Coach.

Is it worth it to invest in personal development? YES! If you think you’re one of the exception, then I’ve to say that you just have a big ego thinking that what you’re doing is going great for you – I know, because that used to be me, and where did the ego get me to, other than being broke and unappreciated. No one is perfect, and we can always work on improving ourselves.

Whether you’ve on your own business and working from someone else, you can benefit from this. Even if you’re an engineer, working on solving problems – you may find that acquiring new communication skills will help you with marketing yourself and get you that promotion

For anyone who wants to start with their first personal development book, I’d highly recommend to check out:

The Success Principles, Jack Canfield

The first chapter of the book talks is about “You’re 100% Responsible for Your Life & Success”. That was an eye opener for me.

Anyway, stay tune in a couple of days to find out what I’ve learned from Dani Johnson seminar.

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Preworkout Drink: The Good, The Bad, The Instant Gratification?

I first was introduced to a preworkout supplement was when I started my first round of P90X back in 2008. The first brand that I tried was No-Xplode based on a friend’s recommendation. Of course, for the first few weeks, my workout was amazing – pushups seemed easier and pullups were actually possible! The only problem with No-Xplode to me at that time was that the need to cycle 1 month off after taking it for 3 months non-stop.

After a year of taking it, I looked at the other alternatives out there. I’ve tried many brands like Jack3d and PumpFuel but those products made me too jittery and I felt like I was almost having an asthma attack when working out.

I found something that I really like by Gaspari Nutrition called SuperPump250, and now called SuperPumpMax. I had been using this for a couple of years until I switched into Beachbody E&E earlier this year.

So, should you be taking a preworkout drink? Here are the benefits from my very own experience:

1. I can lift heavier and do 1-2 extra more reps. This might not sound like a big deal, but when trying to gain lean muscle mass, even the extra 1 rep helps!
2. I can last longer in cardio and push myself during HIIT. For example, when doing an interval running, I can sprint as fast as I can at a longer rate.
3. It wakes me up and makes me alert when I do my workout in the morning
4. And it helps me with my motivation. Sometimes, I do have the lazy spell but it easily vanishes when I drink my preworkout drink.

Even though I had been eating healthy and working out on a regular basis, I was told by doctors that my blood pressure was a tad high for someone of my age and fitness level. Dont get me wrong, my pressure was still considered normal, but the doctor expected something better from me. This has been going on for few years and puzzled me since I do drink Shakeology, which is supposed to reduce the bad cholesterol and help to reduce high blood pressure.

When Beachbody E&E came out earlier this year, I decided to switch and give it a try after it had been recommended by many of my close friends. Initially, I thought that it was somewhat weak, but it still serves the purpose. Everything works the same although E&E doesnt give me the “pump” feeling that I usually get from SuperPumpMax. I gave it a try and after a month of taking it, my acupuncturist took my blood pressure and she was shocked to see that my pressure had improved significantly the past couple of weeks. The only thing different was that I stopped taking SP and started taking E&E.

E&E is a healthier and natural pre-workout supplement. Read more here.

Is it worth it to risk your future health for instant gratification? Sure, you feel like you’re the King of the World when taking certain supplements like Jack3d or SuperPumpMax, but the long-term side effects are not worth for the short-term result. Be healthy inside and out; your internal organs will thank you for that.

Read more about FDA cracks down on DMAA – an ingredients in most popular preworkout drink:

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Regulation/Updated-FDA-cracks-down-on-DMAA-but-this-is-just-the-start-not-the-end-of-the-debate-predicts-CRN

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Cheating on reps, are they worth it?

First things first, let’s define what cheating on a rep is:

Cheating on a rep is performed by deviating from strict form (leaning, adding extra momentum at the bottom of the movement with whole-body motion) after a lifter has reached the his/her maximum reps. Basically, it allows you to journey beyond the point of muscle failure.

Are they worth it?

The answer is yes and no.

Your experience working out and lifting determine whether you should do cheat reps or not. For newbies, proper form and range of motion is the top priority when working out. The reason being- your ligaments, muscles, joints, etc are not strong yet and you can easily injure yourself if you’re keeping sloppy form and cheating reps.

Also, you need to pay attention to what exercise you’re about to cheat on. For example: Cheating on squats – going all the way down very fast just to bounce, so that you have extra momentum to get back up. This is not a good exercise to cheat on because it can damage your ligaments in your knees and ankles; and because your spine is involved, the high impact of bouncing weight on your back can cause serious injury, throwing you out of the gym for several weeks to several months. No bueno!

Then again, if you’ve been lifting for years and have mastered good, clean form then yes, I would suggest 1 or 2 cheat reps once you’ve reached muscle failure, as this is something Arnold Schwarzenegger preached. The cheat reps will help with the ‘burn’ effect on your muscles.

Certain exercises are easier to cheat on than others, for example ‘pull-ups’! Using a chair or bouncing to get that extra rep or two is good. Why? Because over time your body adapts and builds on what you did the last time you did pull-ups. Since your body went beyond failure last time it will now be a little easier to get those last two reps you never could do before.

By all means, always keep proper form for at least 8-10 reps, and only do the cheat reps when you know your muscles are done. In my own experience of doing pull-ups I used to do a sloppy kip pull-up and can easily do 30 pulls even with weighted vest. But, after the past few months of doing P90X2, I focused on proper pull-up form by doing everything slowly and clean (with 1 sec down, 1 sec up, feet and torso straight down). Even though I can do around 12-15 pulls with this clean method, my back (or should I say Latimus Dorsi) has become more developed than from the past 12 rounds of doing P90X!

So ask yourself if you’re ready to cheat on a rep or not.

Caution: Cheating on reps for extra muscle ‘burn’ is not for the faint-hearted. If you’re looking to gain strength and increase muscle size and/or tone, you might want to get those extra 2 reps in.

And of course, how can we forget the former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s famous quote [PG13]:

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P90X + P90X2 + Mass Hybrid

With less than 90 days until the 4th of July, I decided last week to start a new hybrid workout routine.  This is still experimental, but its goal is to improve both strength and size, so that I’ll look my very best for all the big summer parties this year

I completed my first round of P90X2 in late March. While the program is fantastic with a lot of emphasis on balance, stability, sports performance and core, I believe that the program is more appropriate for someone who wants to improve for better athletic performance, core strength, flexibility. I can definitely say that my performance and form have gotten much better and cleaner from completing X2.

However, at the same time I do feel that my overall strength has dropped a bit. By the end of the round, I could not curl or shoulder press as much as I did 4 months ago when I was still doing the regular P90X. Don’t get me wrong.  X2 is a hardcore workout that will have you doing your bicep curls while holding a plank on a Swiss ball, or doing shoulder presses while balancing one one foot and sweating profusely while doing it.

But you should gear your workout to what you want to achieve. For me, as usual, I want strength and size and I have to admit that I enjoy lifting heavy.  That’s how I work and I’m going to work and motivate myself around it. There are some routines on X2,which I really love, and there are some routines in the P90X that I really love and feel like a badass after doing them.  So for me, combining P90X and P90X2 into one workout routine should give me the best of both worlds  

Week 1-2 (X2 Foundation)

Day 1 : X2 Core
Day 2 : Plyocide or [ 4×10 Back Squat / 4×10 calf raise / 40 min of Muay Thai ]
Day 3 : X2 Recovery + Mobility
Day 4 : X2 Total Body & X2 Ab Ripper
Day 5 : X2 Yoga or any Yoga
Day 6 : X2 Balance + Power or [ Beach Workout ]
Day 7 : REST

Week 3-5 (Strength 1)

Day 1 : X2 Chest + Back + Balance + X2 Ab Ripper
Day 2 : Plyocide or [ 4×10 Back Squat / 4×10 calf raise / 40 min of Muay Thai ]
Day 3 : X2 Recovery + Mobility
Day 4 : P90X Shoulder & Arms + X2 Ab Ripper
Day 5 : X2 Yoga or any Yoga
Day 6 : 4×8 Bench Press + 1/2 [Base + Back & X2 Ab Ripper] or [Beach Workout]
Day 7 : REST

Week 6 (X2 Recovery Week)

Day 1 : X2 Recovery + Mobility
Day 2 : X2 Yoga or any Yoga
Day 3 :  Extreme Abs Workout
Day 4 : X2 Recovery + Mobility
Day 5 : X2 Yoga or any Yoga
Day 6 : X2 Recovery + Mobility or/and [Beach Workout]
Day 7 : REST

Week 7-9 (Strength 2)

Day 1 : P90X Chest, Shoulder & Tricep + X2 Ab Ripper
Day 2 : Plyocide or [ 4×10 Back Squat / 4×10 calf raise / 40 min of Muay Thai ]
Day 3 : X2 Recovery + Mobility
Day 4 : P90X Back & Bi + X2 Ab Ripper <— Use pullup movements from X2 like V pullup, Crunchy Lever Pullup, X pullup etc
Day 5 : X2 Yoga or any Yoga
Day 6 : 4×8 Bench Press + 1/2 [Base + Back & X2 Ab Ripper] or [Beach Workout]
Day 7 : REST

Week 10-11 (X2 Performance)

Day 1 : PAP Lower
Day 2 : PAP Upper
Day 3 : Yoga
Day 4 : X2 Recovery + Mobility
Day 5 : PAP Lower
Day 6 : PAP Upper
Day 7 : REST

Week 12 (SIZE & STRENGTH?)

Day 1 : 5×5 (Bench Press/ Back Squat/ T-Row / Shoulder Press / Barbell Curl / SkullCrusher)
Day 2 : Extreme Abs Workout
Day 3 : Yoga
Day 4:  5×5 (Bench Press/ Back Squat/ T-Row / Shoulder Press / Barbell Curl / SkullCrusher)
Day 5:  Extreme Abs Workout
Day 6 : Yoga
Day 7 : Rest

Week 12 is still undecided as everything depends on how I feel at that time. For all I know, I might just repeat X2 Recovery Week again or do the 5×5 routine. Either way, I will “listen to my body”, and so should you

Related Blog: Gain Lean Muscle Mass with P90X

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Why Starving Yourself Doesn’t Work

So here’s the deal on why starving yourself doesn’t work and you’re probably not seeing any results from those diet pills you had such high hopes for. You, I, and everyone else has this thing called a metabolism, the chemical processes that occur within our bodies that help us sustain life. People with high metabolisms tend to be able to eat more and not gain any obvious weight, while people with low metabolisms have bodies that tend to hold on to what’s being consumed.

Now here is the part most of you don’t know and that is, ‘Why’?

You have to eat!

That’s the answer – as simple as that.

Explanation: Lets say you just got out of bed from a nice 8 hour sleep. You shower, get ready for work, and what’s next….. you run out the door with some coffee and maybe a piece of toast? When you wake up, your body has literally fasted for 8 hours. It needs nutrition, and when your body doesn’t get nutrition first thing in the morning, it goes into something called starvation mode.

So the next time you eat, which would be lunch, your body will consume and hold on to any piece of nutrition, good or bad, that it can get its hands on, because your body simply doesn’t know when it is going to eat again. That is why you need to be consistent with your meals. The more consistent you are, the higher your metabolism will become that day. A good rule of thumb is to eat once every 3 hours. So eat 3 regular meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and eat 3 snacks in between those meals. You might be thinking it is expensive to eat all these snacks. But by snacks I mean as simple as a stalk of celery, or an apple, along with some organic nuts or almonds on the side. A healthy snack, just enough to get you through to the next meal.

Now back to the diet pills and why you’re not seeing any results. Some diet pills suppress your hunger and that’s not the answer. Suppressing your hunger will only puts your body back in starvation mode and I just explained why you don’t want THAT to happen. Because every time you eat when your starved, your body will hang on to it and store it in the form of fat — fat that you’re working so hard to get rid of!

So when you wake up, start off with a glass or two of cold water to wake your body up and the blood flowing. Trust me, you’ll feel better! Then eat a good breakfast! There is more than some truth to the saying to breakfast being the most important meal of the day, because it is!

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It’s that TIME of the year again! Get your Beach Body ready for the Summer!

Get Your Summer Beach Body Ready by 4th of July! (with the Santa Monica Beach Workout crew)

If you’re like many people, you have probably done a few weeks of the Beachbody workouts but soon stopped because of one reason or another, but let’s face it, usually it’s lost focus and a simple lack of commitment. A  challenge might be just the focus you need! Imagine, celebrating this 4th of July weekend by proudly showing off your new Beach Body at the beach or pool party for the great American holiday! Come on, it’ll be a fun way to stay focused and we can look forward to a healthy, hot summer body!

The challenge is simple:

1) Pick a 90 days Beach Body program, commit to the full 90 days. Choose either P90X, P90X2, Les Mills PUMP,  Turbo Fire, or Insanity
2) Eat clean and healthy through out spring
3) Drink Shakeology DAILY
4) Post your accountability on the Facebook Group

Email me directly at rippedlikenick@gmail.com if you’re interested to join the challenge.

* Not applicable to those who have an Independent Team beachbody Coach already that is not in the Ripped Republic. 

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I just discovered how I can save millions of lives…

I have to make a confession: I feel embarrassed and ashamed about this…

1.5 Billion people don’t have clean drinking water right now, and 5,000 children die every day, while I’m worried about buying brand name, alkaline, ionized, structured water that’s expensive as heck. Something is wrong here.

Dirty Water is the leading cause of death in the world right now,

AND I JUST DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

I just became a RainCatcher Ambassador, just like Tony Horton, and Darin Olien.

You can check my page out here:
http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?is_new=1&fcid=192230

And you can make one for yourself too: http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise/create?eid=7616

RainCatcher is an international non-profit committed to providing clean drinking water to those who go without.

RainCatcher has already donated thousands of water filters, wells, and Rain water harvesting systems saving over 500,000 lives in Africa, India, Haiti and South America. They donate Clean Drinking Water, the source of life, to schools, orphanages, hospitals, and villages around the world.

RainCatchers go to the most desperate places in the world, where many families have never even seen clean drinking water, while I have taken water for granted all my life.

This is the Goal:

Raincatcher is committed to reach their goal of providing 10 million people with clean drinking water over the next five years.

Just over a year ago, Carl Daikeler, Beachbody CEO, made a pledge to donate $10 to RainCatcher for every coach that joined the network from October to December 2010. I was very inspired by Carl, and Beachbody’s commitment to make a positive impact in the world.

Carl completely redefined Success in Life for me!!!

I was on the Fence about making Beachbody and the network my full time job…

but I quit my engineering job 2 weeks later… and committed to Beachbody for Life.

With the big $150,000 donation to Raincatcher, I knew that BeachBody was going in the direction that I wanted.

I have been in the coaching network for a couple of years now and was just named as an Elite Coach – one of the top 34 coaches in the network. I have helped countless individuals transform their body while helping several coaches on my team to achieve financial freedom, by no longer being enslaved to a 9-5 job. While what I am currently doing is great and is certainly to help others, I do feel that I can do more..

I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

I now Enjoy a life changing career with BeachBody, and…..

I Save Lives.
with Shakeology, and now, with RainCatcher too…

One thing that I really admire about RainCatcher is that 100% of donations go toward humanitarian projects. In June, I am committed to going abroad with RainCatcher as part of the team– location TBA. This mission abroad will be 100% paid for by me, but the experience my group and I will have is priceless.

We all like to do charity work and help others, but before we can do that, it is also important for us to help ourselves — particularly regarding our own health.! Over the past 2 or more years, I’ve been drinking Shakeology daily, which has helped me to gain strength, and improved my general well being. Studies show the essential ingredients in Shakeology can help people with diabetes, even relieving them of their prescribed medication. Shakeology can and will help you achieve your fitness goals (along with my coaching), no matter what those goals might be.

Learn More About Shakeology

I want you to join me in a mission not only to improve yourself, but at the same time, to make a difference in the world. Join my team today; embrace the benefits of what Shakeology will provide you.

As a token of my appreciation, I pledge to donate $1 for every Shakeology purchase made through me, and another $1 for every coach that joins my team in its efforts to help others to get fit & healthy.

A $1 donation to RainCatcher is enough to provide clean water for 1 person for around 1 year or more!

By purchasing Shakeology, not only will you help to improve your health but you will also help to improve the health of another person in need of one of life’s necessities — clean drinking water.. So, will you help me to help yourself and others with this mission?

If you are already a Team BeachBody Coach reading this, I invite you to join me in this mission.

HELP ME SAVE LIVES!!!!!

Create your own RAINCATCHER AMBASSADOR PAGE HERE:

http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise/create?eid=7616

When you do amazing things, you will become an amazing individual, and attract more and more amazing individuals and experiences into your life.

THIS IS AN AMAZING MISSION.
I CAN’T DO IT ALONE.
PLEASE JOIN ME.

Become a RAINCATCHER AMBASSADOR:
http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise/create?eid=7616

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Shakeology Tropical Strawberry is HERE & VEGAN!

Tropical Strawberry Shakeology is the most delicious vegan shake ever created. Crafted with a mouthwatering mix of strawberries, bananas, papayas, pineapples, coconuts, plus whole superfoods from around the world, you’ll love the refreshing fruity flavor of our 100% VEGAN, SOY and DAIRY-FREE Tropical Strawberry shake.

You don’t have to be a vegan to love a vegan shake. Many people digest plant proteins better than animal proteins. And Tropical Strawberry Shakeology contains vitamins and nutrients your body craves in a more readily assimilable form to help keep you strong, healthy, lean, and focused.

Tropical Strawberry Shakeology is a Nutritious and Delicious Meal That Can Help You:*

• Lose Weight
• Reduce Cravings
• Stay Regular
• Feel Energized
• Experience Vitality

For the First Time, 100% Vegan is Creamy and Smooth.

Delivering vegan benefits without the grittiness of vegan proteins was a challenge, but we succeeded by blending ultra-fine, bio-fermented, raw sprouted brown rice protein with sacha inchi, quinoa, chia, flax, amaranth, and spirulina. This proprietary vegan protein blend enabled us to create a shake that both tastes good and is outrageously good for you.

Why We Use Raw Sprouted and Bio-Fermented Brown Rice Protein.

When a seed sprouts, it transitions from being dormant to active, catapulting a metabolic explosion of nutrition. Vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants all skyrocket, creating more amazing stuff for your body. Sprouting also synthesizes healthy enzymes and increases the quality of the proteins. And it reduces phytic acid, a substance that interferes with a body’s ability to absorb minerals. Bio-fermenting further breaks down the rice grain, releasing enzymes to make it easier for your body to absorb its vitamins and other nutrients. IT’S AMAZING!

The Superpowers of Sacha Inchi.

This high-quality, easily absorbable, organic vegetable protein is remarkable in so many ways. First, it’s naturally rich in good fats and fiber, which helps control your appetite. It also helps promote the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response to keep you healthy. And sacha inchi has a very high concentration of omega fatty acids—providing a perfect balance of omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9.

Whole Foods Are our Holy Grail.

All the key nutrients in Tropical Strawberry Shakeology come from 100% whole foods. And what’s so great about whole foods? Because they’re unprocessed and unrefined, whole foods deliver vitamins and nutrients to your body in the most holistic and easily assimilated way—the way nature intended.

More Superfoods Mean Super Nutrition.

Superfoods, simply put, are super foods. They’re healthy, delicious, and contain all kinds of health-improving nutrients your body desperately craves and needs. And we packed these four NEW superfoods into our Tropical Strawberry shake:

Luo Han Guo Fruit

This low glycemic fruit has been used as a powerful and healthy way to lend natural sweetness to foods in Asia for nearly a millennium. Its antioxidant properties help with immune health, and the fruit has also been used in Asia for medicinal purposes, such as respiratory support and to soothe sore throats.

Himalayan Salt

Our bodies need salt, but only the good kind. Because Himalayan salt is minimally processed, it contains more than 70 trace minerals from the Earth that our bodies need. Plus, it may help detoxify the blood and stabilize cells’ pH balance.

Konjac Root

When used as a soluble dietary fiber, this superfood helps promote healthy blood sugar levels, makes you feel full quicker, promotes healthy cholesterol levels, and helps clean the digestive tract of excess fat and toxins.

Coconut Flower Nectar

The flower of a coconut tree produces nectar that’s sweet, has a round, earthy flavor, and is low on the glycemic index (GI). It’s high in potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron; is a natural source of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and C; and contains 17 amino acids. It’s also rich with inulin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds our intestinal flora and helps boost digestive and immune functions.

Order NOW!

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Supplement simplified, Part I

I’ve been asked this question many times, so I figured now was the time to explain what supplements you need even on a tight budget to help you reach your fitness goals faster.

Goal: To gain muscle mass & get ripped

I’d say the 3 main things that you need are whey protein, P90X Recovery Drink, and Shakeology – in that order. Most guys protein intake is too low to begin with, and thus, and so, when working out, an additional protein supplement is a must. You can read more on the protein here.

As for the P90X Recovery Drink, I noticed that most guys focus TOO much on destroying their muscles, but not nearly enough in rebuilding them . Let me explain: When you workout, you’re breaking down your muscle cells; to make the muscle grow back bigger and stronger, the muscle fibers need to rebuild  which, in layman’s terms, is what makes them bigger and stronger. Imagine your muscle is like a sponge – a muscle that’s been seriously worked out would look like a dried up sponge. You can bring the sponge back to life by sprinkling it with water (which will take some time), or by soaking]it in a basin of water. In the same way, if you drink a recovery drink after every intense workout, that’s how you’re helping your muscle to bounce back to its original state faster than it would on its own. You will prevent extreme soreness and can perform well the next day. Read more on recovery drink here.

If you’ve been following my blogs, I’m sure you know that I’m a big supporter of Shakeology due to own my personal experience with it. It is not a meal replacement shake, or a weight loss shake, but a superfood shake, which helps to optimize your performance and health.  For example, the Suma root, one of the 70 ingredients in Shakeology, is known as the natural anabolic steroids, without the bad side effects. Read more here.

So realistically, how much do you need to budget for supplements?]I’ve seen many guys in on my team who are spending around $200/month on supplements, which should cover all 3 of the above mentioned supplements + along with other things like such as creatine or preworkout drink. Although that sounds like a lot, it’s only about $7/day for a total caloric intake of 500-700 cal. That’s no different than buying a healthy food at the store or, “a healthy lunch at a restaurant”. But with these supplements, at least you’re hitting the right nutrient ratios.

If you can only budget $50-100 per month for supplements, then get the whey and P90X Recovery Drink. Anything less than that could mean that you’re sacrificing your results.

Adding lean mass to your frame is not an easy task – it requires sizable investments from you in terms of time, proper food, and of course money. Bulking is no different than adding an extension (or additional room) to your house. In order for you to add to the sq ft of your home, you need to buy materials to build the addition; same goes for your muscles. But once you’ve reached the size that you want then it is easier to maintain it, although, of course, the process of improving your body should be a lifetime process, and not just a 60 or 90 day event.

To be continued……

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Protein Timing, PART 2

Ooops…. I was supposed to write this post a few weeks ago, but things happen (like craziness during the holiday season) and I figured this blog is due. You can read on the first post here: Protein Timing, PART 1

You should know that there are many types of protein supplements out there in the market. The more popular types are whey, casein, and veggie-based.

Whey

Whey is a byproduct of cheese production, so it is natural. It’s that pseudo-clear liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained, and used to be tossed aside as waste material before its discovery as a protein source.  It is useful for people trying to build muscle as it contains higher levels of branched chain amino acids than any other natural food source.

As for whey protein powder, you’ve got a couple options. Whey-protein products with concentrates of 90% and above are referred to as whey-protein isolates. Whey-protein isolates are the best choice for those trying to maximize whey consumption without the addition of other nutrients such as carbs, fats and fiber. On the other hand, whey protein concentrate contains some fat and lactose but is less processed and more whole. Bodybuilders are drawn to the “purity” of whey isolate, lured by the moderately higher protein counts. Isolate is also considerably more expensive than concentrate, but the purported boost in beneficial effects on protein synthesis are overstated; drinking any kind of whey protein shake will have a beneficial effect on your muscle recovery and protein synthesis. If cost is not an issue, or you’re mildly sensitive to dairy, then isolate is your best choice. Otherwise, it’s probably fine to go with concentrate for most applications.

Another popular type of whey is Hydrolysate, which is predigested whey protein that’s easily absorbed and virtually free of any potential allergens, but it is (in my opinion) horribly overpriced. Whey generally is already highly bio-available and easily absorbed by our bodies, so absorption is rarely an issue.

Casein

This other type of milk protein is digested slower than whey protein and helps provide the body with a constant stream of proteins throughout the day. Having casein protein sources at meal times can be more beneficial. Many people also like to take a casein protein supplement before bed to keep the muscles growing well throughout the night.

Veggie Based

The old school veggie based protein–like soy–is very famous among vegetarian/vegan folks and also to those who are lactose intolerant. However; there are arguments that discourage the use of soy protein, which you can research more for yourself. The other two types of veggie based proteins that are gaining popularity are Hemp Protein and Sprouted Brown Rice protein.

When is the best time to eat protein for maximum muscle growth?

Protein timing is as much an art as it is a science. However, the key rules are:

1. Start the day with protein. Your body is in a catabolic state when you wake up and therefore you are at risk of breaking down muscle tissue for energy. A 2008 study published in the journal “Nutrition and Metabolism” showed that a whey protein drink consumed before breakfast was effective at helping participants lose body fat and maintain lean muscle mass. Whey protein is best in the morning.
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2. Eat more protein as snacks in between your meals. Casein protein is a good choice throughout the day because it is a slow-release protein, which means protein will remain in your blood longer to keep replenishing muscle supplies. I do encourage that you eat protein from whole food for snacks versus relying too much on shakes.
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3. Protein after your workout. Most people are in agreement that this is the most important time to consume protein. Research has shown that protein should be consumed within 30 minutes of exercise for maximum benefit. This is to inhibit a large build up of the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ as this puts the body into a catabolic state which prevents muscle growth. The best way to take this protein is as a shake. Whey protein is an excellent choice. As for me, my post workout ritual consists of drinking the P90X Recovery Drink right after working out and a whey shake about 30 min after drinking the Recovery Drink.
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4. More protein before bed. As you will ideally be sleeping for at least 8 hours to give your body every chance to recover and rebuild, you need to stock up on protein before you sleep. A late night protein snack is a good idea here. You can drink a combo whey-casein shake, or even some fat-free cottage cheese or any whole food protein.

With proper protein intake in your diet, and taking it at the correct time, you should see a significant increase in strength and muscle size. Good luck!