Great fall weather provides numerous opportunities for muscle building feasts. However, make the wrong choices at the tailgate and you will also pack on unwanted body fat fast. Eat too little for months and your hard earned muscle will be gone. Go to your next BBQ or tailgate with a plan in hand to maximize muscle growth and rates of recovery from training, performance, and fat loss. Follow our multifaceted post-workout nutrition plan and watch your strength and physique improve quickly!

Eat big at least one time per week

In addition to great cookouts, warm weather also brings out the diet demons. There is less clothing to cover up our body fat levels, making many trainees more self-conscious about their food choices. Taking the desire to be as lean as possible too far can have negative consequences because consuming a low caloric intake for an extended period of time will backfire. Those who are more physically active during the warmer weather months for both work and play can lose muscle quickly if they aren’t careful, and eating too little over time will actually increase body fat levels due to numerous primal fat storing survival instincts, which will also cause lean muscle tissue to deteriorate. Quite simply, over time the body catches on to a low food intake and will down regulate metabolism and anabolic hormone levels accordingly to preserve body fat in case of starvation. Fighting these mechanisms is a losing battle. Make hormonal and metabolic factors work for you, and all of your hard work will be even more productive.

Effortless fat loss and muscle growth by eating more?

Making use of a rigorous fat loss plan is perfectly fine, but make sure that at least one or two days per week your food intake increases dramatically in comparison to a normal day from high quality food sources. A calorie is not a calorie! Our point is to focus on high quality sources that will feed muscle, not easily convert into stored body fat. So don’t go for a couple extra bags of chips thinking this will be in any way helpful. The metabolic and hormonal response to quality food sources is drastically different than when consuming junk food. The uptick of food intake can send anabolic hormone levels along with metabolism through the roof. Have you ever noticed that you feel hungry the next morning after a day of increased food intake? You might have wondered how this is possible since you were so stuffed just hours before. The body responds quickly to changing circumstances, and the large influx of food sends your metabolism through the roof for the next 12–48 hours, creating a great fat burning opportunity the following day. Return to your normal level of food consumption the day following the feasts to support nearly effortless fat loss as your fat burning machine rages on.

Opportunity knocks for macronutrient cycling

As creatures of habit, most trainees who focus on nutrition fall into monotonous routines of eating the same amounts, the same foods choices, and the same macronutrient percentages for months on end. What would happen if your training routine did not change for extended periods of time? Results would come to a grinding halt as the body catches on quickly to stimuli. Think of macronutrient percentages as being equivalent to your set, rep, exercise, and rest periods. Just like training, your nutrition plan requires strategic changes in your macronutrient percentages to prevent metabolic staleness, increase anabolic hormone levels, and activate fat burning enzymes. Dr. Serrano’s patients and my clients have experienced break through results with macronutrient cycling plans. Read more on dietary fat loading.

The ultimate pre-/post-training nutrition plan

Thirty minutes prior to training, prime the training environment with Amino Acid Loading. Dr. Serrano's unique amino acid ratios within the 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis provide rapidly delivered growth factors in the exact proportions the muscles demand while priming the hormonal environment for training. These proprietary ratios were determined based on years of research working with elite strength and professional athletes. There isn’t any better combination for maximizing strength performance. The tremendous demands on the nervous system require agents to support rapid recovery, and Amino Loading is the ticket!

Setting the stage to stoke the fat burning fire—training timing is everything

Position an aggressive training session early on the feast day to take advantage of the increased food intake. This session can have the highest work volume of the week as your recovery rates will increase dramatically versus normal food consumption days. Weight training creates a unique opportunity to stuff muscles with building blocks and increase the metabolic rate and has a unique impact on the hormonal environment. The special conditions created by training are not a secret and we will not waste time on what you already know. However, the best way to capitalize on these conditions for your specific needs is the key to accelerating progress. Thirty minutes (9:30 a.m.) before training start Amino Loading and sip throughout the training session to help saturate working muscles with crucial building blocks. Use 2–4 scoops of 100% MR and

10–20 Muscle Synthesis caps.

Immediately after your last set

Yes, waiting even ten minutes has a negative impact on recovery. You want to Amino Load right away to help knock down catabolic hormone levels and deliver the necessary raw materials. Some raw honey in combination with the 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis will peak insulin levels efficiently and begin to replenish glycogen. Trainees wanting to reduce body fat levels must not load the system with sugar post-training because while this may surge insulin levels it will also prime the body for fat storage. The essential fats found within the Alpha Omega help optimize insulin levels, pushing more raw materials into muscles while making body fat accumulation much less likely through several pathways. Fat cells that are saturated with their ideal essential fat sources will not seek to suck up as much excess material in the bloodstream, allowing the muscles to have access to a wider pool of growth materials. Consuming Alpha Omega on a daily basis will enable cells to make use of the correct dietary fats while rejecting bad material that interfere with proper cell function. Additionally, the ideal essential fat combinations will optimize communication between the nervous system and muscles to reach the highest possible levels of performance. This supports an ideal scenario, as no one wants their fat cells to expand!

• 2–4 scoops 100% MR
• 10–20 Muscle Synthesis caps
• 2 tablespoons raw honey

Post-workout meal one—fast acting food 30 minutes after training

Eating real food thirty minutes after training provides enough time to let 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis do their work quickly, providing crucial raw materials to hungry muscles and taking advantage of increased blood flow within muscles trained during your training session. To make a long story short, the increased blood flow is like a 50 lane super highway delivering raw materials. If you introduce food too soon following training, you will draw blood away from the muscles and into the gut to assist with digestion, reducing the size of your highway.

At this juncture, the body needs easily digestible food sources, which is why leaner choices are necessary due to their lower dietary fat content. Glycogen replenishment is also heightened at this time, making this the best slot for a large percentage of your daily carb consumption. The higher end of the carb consumption scale is more appropriate for those wanting to maximize gains of lean body mass.

• 6–10 oz lean protein sources (skinless chicken, fish, seafood)
• 50–150 g carbohydrates from rice, potatoes, or oatmeal
• 3 Alpha Omega

Post-workout meal two—increasing testosterone!

Now the body has returned to more normal metabolic status, but the system is still primed to make great use of raw materials. The need for carbs at this point has diminished and we have another mission in mind—boosting testosterone. The best precursors to do this are a high dietary fat intake with plenty of protein. Organic grass-fed sources are your best choice because their dietary fat make-up is much better than commercially raised animals.

• 6–10 oz beef/steak, lamb, buffalo
• Salad with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and vinegar
• 25–60 g carbs from rice, potatoes, or oatmeal
• 3 Alpha Omega

For the rest of the day, consume meals similar to the second post-workout meal 2–3 hours apart. For those wanting to dietary fat load, great choices to include are avocados, organic butter, cheeses, and raw nuts.

The next day—the best workouts of your life

The day following your multiple feasts the muscles will be packed with glycogen and anabolic hormones will remain elevated. There should also be a huge mental lift along with reduced joint pain, especially if dietary fat loading is properly executed. Take full advantage with another aggressive training session on this day to capitalize on the full tank of fuel and burn up any excess raw materials so they can’t be converted into stored fat.

Infinity Fitness INC provides training, fitness, and nutritional information for educational purposes. It is important that you consult with a health professional to ensure that your dietary and health needs are met. It is necessary for you to carefully monitor your progress and to make changes to your nutritional and fitness program to enjoy success. Infinity Fitness does not employ dieticians or health professionals and assumes no responsibility or liability for your personal health and condition.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. SST™, Superior Supplements and Training™, 100% MR™, Muscle Synthesis™, Muscle Synthesis Powder™, Alpha Omega M 3™, Amino Loading™, Fat Reduce™, and Zero Tolerance Fat Loss Plan™, are Trademarks of Superior Supplements and Training LLC, OHIO USA. Your results may vary and depend on many factors. No Endorsements of any product or training system is intended, expressed or implied, by any athlete who may be pictured in illustration of this Article. Copyright © Infinity Fitness & Training Inc, OHIO USA 1999-2010, All Rights Reserved.