Looking to build muscle? Great! We can help. There are 3 essential keys to reaching your muscle building goals: exercise, nutrition and supplementation. You will get the best results possible by combining all 3 of these aspects together.

Exercise

• Conduct intense weight-training exercise utilizing basic exercises such as the dumbbell bench press, squat, rows, curls, etc. You should train 3-4 times per week for no more than 45-60 minutes each time. Warm up with 5 minutes on the bike or treadmill to loosen up your muscles.
• Perform 15-30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 2 times per week. If possible do your cardio exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Nutrition

• We recommend that you consume 5-6 well-balanced meals per day. Each meal should be roughly equal in calories, protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake. If you start to lose lean muscle, you can increase your carbohydrate intake slightly especially during your first few meals of the day. Eliminate saturated fats as much as possible.
• Try to consume at least 1 gram of quality protein per pound of bodyweight per day. In other words, if you weigh 175 lbs., target 175 grams of protein per day.
• Keep protein and fat intake fairly consistent. Use carbohydrates as your variable. If you feel like you're not gaining enough lean muscle, increase your carbs slightly. If you seem to be adding too much fat, drop your carbs down. Make moderate adjustments for best results.
• Good sources of protein include: eggs, egg whites, fish, skinless chicken & turkey, low-fat cottage cheese, lean beef, quality protein powders, and or meal replacement shakes. Good sources of carbohydrate include: vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, etc). Good sources of fat include: nuts, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish (salmon, tuna), canola oil, low fat cheese, low fat mayo, peanut butter, and flax seeds.
• Drink one-half to one full gallon of water each day.
• Allow yourself a cheat day once a week to satisfy your cravings and eat whatever you want.

Supplementation

• Supplements are a great way to increase your muscle building potential!
• Use a quality multi-vitamin/multi-mineral formula.
• Use 2-3 Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs) per day. This will help insure that you take in enough lean quality protein to support muscle mass gains.
• Use creatine monohydrate. I prefer creatine formulas that you mix with water and drink. These are scientifically developed with ideal transport ingredients to insure optimum cell intake.
• Essential Fatty Acids! EFAs are wonderful, healthy fats that can help support your efforts tremendously.
• Use a protein powder if you have trouble consuming enough protein.

[Note: Specific medical advice should be obtained from a licensed health care practitioner. Consult your physician before you begin any nutrition, exercise, or dietary supplement programs.]