Sixteen Rapid Muscle Growth Tips, Part 1
By
Scott H. Mendelson and Eric Serrano, MD
Gaining lean muscle tissue is never as simple as it seems. However, there are
some sure fire ways to increase your rate of progress. You spend maybe an hour
per day in the gym at the most so the other 23 hours must set the table for your
success. The right raw materials are needed frequently and in the correct
amounts to provide the building blocks needed for muscle growth. Experienced
trainees especially must take advantage of all opportunities because gains are
harder to come by as the physique matures.
Our goal is to promote gains in muscle, not an overabundance of fat. Eating
the right foods at specific times along with proper exercise can effectively
feed the muscle. Many of our clients often times lose body fat without even
trying just by cleaning up the diet with a large amount of clean food and
supplementation. How is this possible? Activating anabolic hormones with the
right nutrition strategies have a potent fat burning impact. Gauge your progress
with objective measurements and body fat percentage tests (calipers preferably)
every 4–6 weeks.
Eat often
Consuming large quantities of the proper food choices is a step in the right
direction, but eating and supplementing more frequently is a lost art that is
vital for success. Very few people have the ability to sit down and eat 6–7
meals per day, but everyone can manage at least four in my experience with any
kind of effort. Between meals, you want to use portable snacks such as raw nuts,
Powerbutter high protein peanut butter, organic jerky, Get Lean Protein, and at
certain times, fruits. Remember, bulls graze and pigs pig out!
Eat breakfast like a king
Eat breakfast like a king. Studies show that people who consume a fairly
large percentage of their daily intake during the first meal of the day within
an hour of waking have lower levels of abdominal fat. I think it is fair to make
the conclusion that this is related to elevated anabolic hormone levels.
Breakfast sets the tone for the entire day so make sure you have plenty of
protein, anabolic fats, and some good carb choices to support your goals.
Breakfast choices have a huge impact on your blood sugar levels for the
following 24–48 hours so this meal is an investment in your daily energy!
Remember, you have been fasting over night and your muscles will want energy as
soon as possible. If you are not accustomed to eating breakfast, it will take
some time to build up an appetite so make it a gradual process. If you’re in a
hurry each morning, prepare some easy food choices the night before.
Amino load with 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis before and after training
Taken 30 minutes before training, this powerful stack prepares the muscles to
battle the iron by optimizing hormones and providing the specific raw materials
needed for accelerated growth. The increased energy does not come from
stimulants but rather from a reduction of stress hormones, which zap strength
and motivation. The better you feel the more productive training sessions will
be.
Over the years working with countless powerlifters, Dr. Serrano has observed
significant increases in both muscle size and strength following four weeks of
consistent use. When asked about the product, Dr. Serrano said, “I designed the
MR and
Muscle Synthesis to provide exactly what working muscles need in special
ratios for rapid delivery and utilization. Advanced trainees benefit the most
since improving rates of recovery are crucial to boosting strength.”
Cook food in bulk in advance for the week
Cooking is time consuming, but traveling to find good things to eat results
in even more time wasted. Try cooking a bunch of stuff 1–2 times per week in
bulk so that you have it available at home and work. It will end up saving you
money and allow you to have better control over what you ingest each day.
Sure, your co-workers will want you to join them at a fast food place, but
ultimately you will have to make some tough decisions to support your goals. Do
not let social pressure knock you off course. People around you will want you to
conform to what they are doing as a means to justify their own bad habits.
Man was meant to eat meat
Many vital nutrients exist within red meat that are difficult to get
elsewhere. There is no legitimate reason why you can’t consume this primal
course daily. Grass fed, organic sources are best because there is less crap
stored in the fat cells from antibiotics. Giving the cows grass instead of feed
also increases the amount of omega 3 intake within the beef to levels even with
some fish.
Omega 3 intake is vital for natural anabolic hormone production, and it is
next to impossible to get enough from food alone, which is why we suggest taking
the Alpha Omega with meals a couple times daily. It includes several accessory
ingredients to keep you lean while reducing joint inflammation.
Take a nap every day
Napping for 20–30 minutes approximately eight hours after waking up is a good
way to refresh mentally and collect your thoughts. You can even think about what
you are going to do in the gym that day or visualize a new record such as five
more pounds or one more rep than a previous best with perfect form. These short
sleep sessions can also optimize hormones.
Eat correctly before training
The pre-workout meal is important for many reasons, but do not think this one
meal will make up for poor eating for several days before. The food choices you
have been making for several days will have a big impact on your success. A
bunch of carbs before training or a high sugar sports drink will not positively
impact your training capacity. We want to create a slight elevation in blood
sugar and anabolic insulin levels without overwhelming the digestive capacity to
avoid seeing your food all over the gym floor.
Over the past couple years, we have been researching many different protein
combinations and six months ago arrived at a combination of four proteins that
work very well for both a rapid and prolonged release of nutrients during
training. When taken one hour before training, Get Lean Protein will tackle
hunger, peak energy, and complement amino loading by providing nutrient support
via a different pathway. There are no dairy derivatives, which makes this
formula very easy on the stomach. There are actually elements to improve the
digestive process, and this is vital because the more nutrients you can properly
utilize, the more muscle you can earn. Bloating, stomach distress, and low
energy are a sign that your current protein powder is not agreeing with the
system and your money is going to waste. These symptoms are a strong indication
that the body is not making use of the nutrients.
Make the glass full
Think in a positive manner! Let’s face it. There is a ton of negativity out
there. Just turn on the news or open up the newspaper and you can see a ton of
depressing things. Some negative matters are impossible to avoid. However, you
can separate yourself from negative people who bring you down and distract you
from your goals. Think positively and consistently rehearse your goals daily to
remain focused. It is very easy to lose focus and begin making bad food choices.
You must reinforce proper nutrition and lifestyle habits to earn the best
results.
These statements and products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or
prevent any disease. Fat Reduce, Alpha Omega, Amino Loading, Get Lean Protein,
100% MR and Muscle Synthesis are trademarks of Infinity Fitness INC. Weight loss
and muscle gain are affected by many factors and you may or may not lose weight
or gain muscle. No endorsements of any product or training are intended or
implied by any athlete who may be pictured to illustrate this article. Send
questions to
scott@infinityfitness.com.
Copyright © Infinity Fitness INC All Rights Reserved 2008
Scott H. Mendelson, author of the e-book, 100% Fitness Solution, and
director of Infinity Fitness, is a highly regarded performance nutrition and
training specialist. In addition to his celebrity and executive clients, Scott
works daily with professional athletes from the NFL, NHL, MLB, and NCAA. He has
built an excellent reputation providing effective supplements, cutting-edge
information, customized programs, and unmatched service to thousands of clients
worldwide. Scott is the special assistant to Dr. Eric Serrano, MD, and helps
with the design of training and nutrition programs for Serrano’s family practice
patients in Columbus, Ohio.
For questions regarding this article, email Scott Mendelson at Scott@infinityfitness.com.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products
and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the
industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit
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