So it’s that time of the year again. We already had Thanksgiving and some people are probably experiencing the affects of that day all now, right when another hearty eating holiday is right around the corner. But, because of that, we don’t want to jump off the wagon and not be able to get back on it for a while. So this post is going to be focused on some little techniques you can use, to help keep on track and surviving the christmas holiday. We know it’s not just the day itself that’s the culprit but the days leading up to it and the days afterward, where if you have left over goodies, you are tempted to eat them.

Nutrition is considered the MOST important aspect of fitness training. A lot of people who initially get into fitness training of any type, particularly those who are more focused on the bodybuilding component of it, fail to recognize the importance of nutrition. They focus mainly on what’s happening in the gym and neglect to develop a proper diet or to calculate the right amount of calories they are suppose to consume to get a particular goal they are seeking.

The reason for this, is pretty obvious. People observe the training at the gym but don’t see what these individuals who have the 6 packs, developed pecs and definition in their arms, are putting into their mouth when they leave the gym. It’s a type of illusion that can fool a beginner to be convinced that training is the ultimate component of fitness training and not the diet.

This article isn’t going to focus on what types of diet to consume, because that’s been talked about many times in here and will be talked many times again. But rather, this article will focus on the very EASY way to calculate your caloric intake if you find the link I have under the Useful Links, is a tad bit too confusing.

Ever just feel like munching down on that chicken sandwich at Wendy’s or Burger King, or whoever it is that you get your chicken sammich from? Unfortunately for you and I, we’re on diets. So how can we even consider eating something so tasty, when we’re trying to lose body fat? There’s no way that eating that meal, would benefit us when it comes to cutting. Maybe if we’re bulking, but how can we eat this sandwich and still lose weight?

Well, people eating that sandwich is what is called a cheat meal. I am going to talk about some of the benefits and some of the disadvantages, of including a cheat meal into your overall diet.

One of the worst consequences of dieting under your normal calorie intake, is the dreaded hunger pangs. Those suckers can make the most discipline person, run towards that slice of cake, or that extra serving of chicken, or whatever it may be.

Dieting is a challenging thing and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It’s a mind control game, where you are struggling to succeed and win. Not only that but if you succumb to the temptations that surround you during your dieting, you feel absolutely disappointed in your lack of will power.

If you keep reading, I am going to try to give you some encouragement and some advice, on how to succumb those hunger pangs and keep on your diet!

One of the influences we experience or obtain when entering into the lifestyle of weightlifting, is having someone in mind we want to look like.

Nothing is wrong with this, but you have to be careful with who you pick to be your physique ideal or inspiration.

Continue reading to learn what is realistic and why you should choose certain physiques to idolize.

I am going to make this post a little short and sweet, if I say so myself. This is being done so that you as a reader and visitor of my blog, can really ask yourself the question; “What am I?”

When you’re starting off with weight lifting, you have to make sure that you have an idea of where you want to go because if you don’t, sometimes you end up no where or in places you didn’t want to be in the first place.

To help guide you to that place, where you want to be, you have to ask yourself whether you’re a bodybuilder or a weight lifter.

What’s the difference you may ask? To you, it may seem that they are one in the same. But, in actuality, they are not.

Continue reading to learn the difference, so that you can start setting goals right now, to get to that specific place that you want to be with your physique.

Those unsightly little red marks or lines, that are seen in certain aspects of your body that have you scrambling to find solutions to get rid of it.

Those little suckers actually come with the territory of bodybuilding and weight training. Now, the thing is, you may say “Oh, I already knew that”. But, the thing you may not have known is that certain areas you thought you’ll never experience stretch marks because you’ve experienced stretch marks before, are going to be new playing grounds for them.

In this post I am going to talk about stretch marks, obviously and solutions to combating them when they are occur or even preventing them or at least in the drastic amounts that you would receive if you were unaware of them in the first place.

Throughout my own attempts to become as knowledgeable as I can, when it comes to weight training, especially for women, I came across a website that was speaking about staying on track. What makes bodybuilders and professional trainers different from the rest?

As obvious as it may be, it may not always be so obvious. Keep reading if you feel that when you step forward, you only fall to temptation and move a few steps back.

One of the hardest things that people come across when it comes to weight training, is eating properly. I have already spoken on how important nutrition is, whether it is for bulking or cutting. Certain things you should try to focus on accomplishing no matter what, although there are debates on whether to be sticklers about it or not. Either way, that’s not the topic for today. Today I want to focus on eating for a bulk, but not really focusing on counting calories.

The best way to eat on a bulk, without counting calories is the most logical thing; use one day out of the whole week and count them damn calories!

But if you want some more suggestions instead of that obvious one, then continue reading!

I just want to settle something once and for all, because it’s a huge misconception and falsehood that I am a little irritated by. I think women should know exactly what they are getting into, when it comes to weight training. They have a warped sense of what can happen once they pick up a dumbbell and I think men have it also.

When it comes to weight training and women, the woman needs to know what kind of physique she wants. She’s not going to suddenly turn into a shehulk, if she starts lifting weights. I see girls avoiding weights like it’s the plague because they have a misconception yet again, on what they will look like. You will not look like me, if you’re curling 10 lb weights, or squatting in the 50s. I see them using just the bars, and doing deadlifts and so forth. Fine, that’s cool but you’re not going to get huge like a man, if you lift weights.

Yet, there’s guys who think that if a woman lift weights, she’s going to only start looking like a fitness model. How naive of them to assume just because females have a lower set of testosterone surging through their body, that they wouldn’t have a physique nearly as equal to them? If you have a goal, to look muscular, nearly as much as some dudes, as a female, YOU CAN DO IT! You can also do it, without the assistance of anabolic substances. All you have to do, is lift heavy. Starting lifting in the range that dudes lift in, and you will get an awesome physique. Not even men can get to the massive sized muscular look, without using anabolic substances. So don’t let them deter you from what it is you desire to look like.

Continue reading if you require a visual recap of what was said. I am writing this because I want you women, to recognize your worth and not let generalizations get you down, thinking you can’t achieve something because of some unaware individuals.

“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but don’t nobody want to lift no heavy-ass weights.” – Ronnie Coleman, IFBB Mr. Olympia 8 times in a row from 1998 to 2005.

I couldn’t have said it any better than him. Everyone wants to build muscle but don’t no one want to actually lift heavy to do so. You can’t expect to stay at 25lbs with your bicep curls, and expect to gain any significant mass. Not only that but compound workouts are very good for building overall mass also; military press, squats, bench press, bent over rows. All these help with overall mass gains. But, you also have to go heavy. A lot are afraid to go heavy on the bench press exercise and this is with reason.

Why remain intimidated, when you could be pushing more than you’re currently lifting?

One of the hardest things to do, for many interested in gaining muscle mass, is eating.

They tell you this time and time again that the only way to gain muscle, is to eat in excess. We already went through how much you’re suppose to eat over and that’s just the easy part. Once you’re at least consuming 500 calories over your maintenance, you will gain muscle mass. Of course you have to consume your 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and 2 to 2.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight. But you already knew this, right?

If you want to learn how to eat to bulk, I suggest you keep reading.

These are just some basics that have to do with healthy living. The reason I am writing about it is because you can use it to incorporate into your diet plans, to understand how just the basics can help you gain muscle, lose fat or maintain a physique. Sometimes nutrition is the most complicated part of weight training and becoming fit, because like mentioned in my previous article, we’re living on a budget. We don’t always have the luxury to spend money we don’t have, on the foods that we need. It’s unfortunate that the foods most affordable, are the ones that are the tastiest and bad for us.

If you’re interested in learning the 9 steps to a healthy diet, that I am going to break down to help make you understand how doing these things can eliminate fats from your diets, and simple sugars, then keep reading!

Not all of us have the luxury of having sponsors providing us with our supplements, or helping out with the food purchasing. We don’t have the 6 figure salaries that allow us to spend money like there’s no tomorrow. If you’re a struggling college student, who wants and loves weight training; yeah you got access to the gym but if you’re not eating properly you can pump iron till your face turns blue, but you’re not going to gain any significant muscle or any at all!

If this sounds like you, the struggling individual, whether a teenager, college student or just broke adult, but you still want to get fit or build muscle, then I got some personal suggestions for you.

Keep reading if you’re interesting. They’re not miracle suggestions and are more commonsense based but sometimes we’re so frustrated, we need to be told what to do, even though we can figure it out by ourselves!

One of the obstacles anyone has to face when it comes to attaining their ideal body, is losing motivation. Sometimes stress in our life makes us stumble and not want to get up. Other times, certain situations causes us to become down and depress, not having the desire or the will to do the things we once enjoyed doing. Not only that, but it prevents us from meeting our daily activities when it comes to our individual fitness goals.

When one is down and depressed, the last thing they want to do is go to the gym or prepare a protein shake or that particular meal for the day. The feeling of bewilderment just overcomes them and they are just overwhelmed with negative emotions.

Emotions aren’t the only things that demotivates us from succeeding or acquiring the physique that we want. Sometimes we find that our gains aren’t coming fast enough, or that we see someone else losing weight quicker or gaining muscle faster. I am sure you have at least seen or heard of someone who could eat absolutely anything they want to from burgers from fast food joints toice cream, cake, cookies, etc., and not hinder their gains what so ever. Either they keep building muscle while you’re there struggle to get a 1 lb of muscle, or they are losing weight and you’re there running on the treadmill for hours, certain amount of times per week and can’t even lose that extra 10 lbs you’ve been trying to get rid of for how ever long.

All these things, in some way or fashion, can lead one to become demotivated and giving up. It’s sometimes easier to give up, rather than to carry on because it’s the option that requires the least amount of energy. But, if you give up, what happens then? All you have done is failed yourself and the day you decide to get back into training or pursuing that physical fitness goal you’ve always been dreaming of, when it comes to your physique, what is there to stop you from becoming demotivated again?

Read on if you want to learn some personal methods I have used, to help me keep motivated.

Generally, any fitness trainer would recommend a complete removal of any type of Soda or soft drink from one’s list of items to consume. The high sucrose levels in them, aren’t even healthy and only promotes the increase cases of diabetes in today’s society. It’s not an unwarranted suggestion, and it’s not even inconceivable that the topic of taxing sodas to prevent consumption has be coming up recently in various governments. But, we as people have a sweet tooth. We like our soft drinks, our sweet juices, etc. Drinking only slightly flavored water, or water only, sometimes isn’t always a desirable option, especially out at events, etc. Maybe at a restaurant, you would like to have some type of flavored drink, that is conducive to keeping to your diet.

If it fits my what? If it fits your macros. Remember those macronutrients that I had spoken about, some time ago; carbs, proteins and fats? Well this eating protocol basically tells you, that once something fits your macros, you can eat it!

Basically, if you’ve consumed all your daily macros; 1 g of protein per LBM, 2 g of carbs per lb and 90 grams of fat (depending on if you’re on a cut or bulk and how much you’ve ganished for your fat distributions), but you still have more calories to meet your daily intake, you can fit the rest of those calories with anything you want. Some people even consume ice cream, pizza, cake, whatever it may be. Once it is fitting your macros; carbs, fats or proteins, and supplementing on it to make 1.5 g of protein or 2.5 of carbs, then you can eat it! Got 50 more grams of fat to consume to get to 150 grams? Or 30? Then you can eat whatever it is you want, to fill in those numbers.