My Personal Meal Plan

Sorry for the lack of updates but I am back. Recently, a lot of you guys have been asking me what to eat, what I eat, or what should I eat. Well I thought, it would be a good idea to show you guys what my weekly meal plan is like. You don't have to follow it but just to give you guys the idea.

Pick one from each category.

Gym Days (3 days)

Breakfast

• Whole Grain Cereal w/ fruit
• Oatmeal w/walnuts, almond butter or peanut butter or

*mashed banana, hard to do but definitely worth it

Lunch

• Turkey/Lettuce/Tomato/Low-Fat Cheese on Whole Wheat, Orange
• Sweet Potato, turkey

Snack

• Granola Bar
• Fruit w/ Peanut Butter

Preworkout

• Apple, Protein Shake
• Apple, Protein Bar

Postworkout

• Protein Shake, Strawberries (or any fruit)

Dinner

• Grilled Chicken Breast, Steamed Veggies, Brown Rice
• Steak, Beans
• Grilled Salmon, Steamed Veggies, Brown Rice
• Salmon/Olive Oil Sandwich, Orange

Bedtime Snack

• Casein, Walnuts

Home Workout Days (3 days)

Breakfast

• Whole Grain Cereal w/ fruit
• Oatmeal w/walnuts, almond butter or peanut butter
• Egg white/chicken/spinach omelette

Lunch

• Turkey/Lettuce/Tomato/Low-Fat Cheese on Whole Wheat, Orange
• Sweet Potato, turkey

Snack

• Fruit, nuts
• Whole Grain Crackers or Cookies, dried fruit (no added sugar)

 Preworkout

• Whole Grain Cereal w/ peanut butter and nuts, milk on the side
• Dried fruit (no added sugar) ,nuts

Dinner

• Grilled Chicken Breast, Steamed Veggies, Brown Rice
• Steak, Beans
• Grilled Salmon, Steamed Veggies, Brown Rice
• Salmon/Olive Oil Sandwich, Orange

Bedtime Snack

• Cottage Cheese w/ walnuts, low-fat granola

Rest Day 

Freestyle It

*Doesn't mean go gorge on cake, cookies, soda and chips.

If you cheat, you're only cheating yourself.

For portion size, just refer to the size of your fist for each item. If you feel full after each "meal" then you've eaten too much.

Big Triceps Big Arms

After you're done with your biceps, time to build the real bulk of your arm. People only flex their biceps these days. The tricep accounts for 60% of your arm's size and it takes most of the load as well, don't take my word for it, check out Mr. Olympia's arms.

Equipment:
Chair
Fitness Ball
Adjustable Dumbbells

Day 1
Push-Up 3X10
Kickback 3X10
Dumbbell Extension 3X10

Day 2
Lockout Push-Up 3X10
Dip 3X10
Overhead Extension 3X10
Day 3
Kickback 3X10
Overhead Extension 3X10
Dumbbell Extension 3X10

How to:

Push-Up
Setup: Get into the push-up position with your feet shoulder width apart and place hands on ball.
Execution: Perform the push-up.

Kickback
Setup: Face a chair with dumbbell in one hand and bend elbow to 90 degrees, place other hand on chair.
Execution: Extend the dumbbell.

Dumbbell Extension
Setup: Lie on fitness ball with both dumbbells in hand and place feet shoulder width apart, press weights over chest.
Execution: Bend elbows and bring dumbbells close to ears.

Lockout Push-Up
Setup: Get into push-up position with feet on ball and place hands to form a slight triangle.
Execution: Perform the push-up.

Dip
Setup: Sit on chair, place feet on ball then roll out till supported by hands.
Execution: Bend until elbows form 90 degrees angle.

Overhead Extension
Setup: Sit upright in chair with dumbbell in one hand, extend arm straight up.
Execution:Bend elbow till it forms a 90 degree angle.

Next time someone asks you to flex, show them your new monster triceps.

Get Bigger Guns!

Who doesn’t want bigger biceps? Even though biceps don’t tell how strong someone is, it’s the first thing anyone looks at so build them up and become well armed.

Equipment:
Chair
Towel/Shirt
Fitness Ball
Adjustable Dumbbells

For each workout, choose weight that allows you to complete entire set, don’t worry, if you have to start light, start light, we’re building to get bigger.

Day 1
Cross Hammer Curls 3X10
Incline Curls 3X10
Seated Curls 3X10

Day 2
Reverse Grip Curl 3X10
Towel Grip Curl 3X10
One Arm Preacher 3X10

Day 3
Cross Hammer Curl 3X10
Towel Grip Curl 3X10
Incline Curl 3X10

How to:

Cross Hammer Curl
Setup: Stand straight with dumbbells in each hand at side.
Execution: Curl one dumbbell at a time to opposite pec.

Incline Curl
Setup: Lie on back on fitness ball with dumbbells at your sides.
Execution: Curl both dumbbells up to shoulders.

 Seated Curl
Setup: Sit up on chair, leaning slightly forward with dumbbell in each hand.
Execution: Curl one dumbbell at a time to shoulder.

Reverse Grip Curl
Setup: Stand straight and hold dumbbells in front of you, palms facing thighs.
Execution: Curl both dumbbells towards chest.

Towel Grip Curl
Setup: Fold towel around one dumbbell, grab towel and stand straight.
Execution: Curl your hands towards shoulders.

One Arm Preacher
Setup: Kneel and lie stomach down on ball, grab dumbbell and rest tricep on ball.
Execution: Curl the dumbbell towards shoulder.

What’s Whole?

How do you know something is whole wheat? How do you know the label isn’t lying to you?

Well let me explain what is “whole wheat” and by the time you finish reading this article, you should have a sense how to choose your whole wheat products.

Whole wheat simply means the entire grain. Lately, the government has begun to place these “whole grain” labels on cereals such as Froot Loops, Cocoa Puffs and etc. The Whole Grains Council (yeah they have a council for this stuff) decided that the whole grain label can be stamped on foods that have a minimal of 8 grams per serving and foods that have 16 grams per serving get the 100% whole grain label. Again, those labels are just there to confuse you, it’s all based on the food pyramid serving size baloney. The recommended amount of whole grains per day would be six full servings, now that is way too much if you are trying to get lean, if you are trying to gain mass then you can attempt the six servings. However, the whole grain cereals are better then non-whole grain cereals.

When choosing whole grain products, look for the terms whole grain, whole wheat, stone ground wheat, brown rice and oats, those terms mean you’re getting the real deal. Ingredients such as wheat flour, durum wheat, organic flour, multigrain, or semolina are unclear as to what they actually mean whole grain wise. Avoid ingredients such as wheat germ, bran, or enriched flour, those terms never mean whole grain.

Don't be Food Fooled

People today are always finding another reason to rule out another food. Enough with those lies, I’m going to reveal the truth about some of those unappreciated foods.

1.Egg Yolks
Yolks are good for you, plain and simple. Don’t toss them, eat them.

2.A Day's Water
Research shows 8 cups is not enough for the average man, we need 16 cups a day including the water in the food we eat. But don’t overdose on water, just as you wouldn’t overdose on protein.

3.Raw vegetables
Doctors are recommending to eat your veggies raw but scientist find that the cooking process makes the veggies absorb antioxidants easier. Spinach and carrots have more carotene and tomatoes have more lycopene when cooked. But don't overdo it as well.

4.Dark Chicken Meat
Breast is better, but dark meat doesn’t have as much fat as everyone claims. The dark meat has about the same amount of protein and calories but with a bonus, more testosterone boosting zinc, also dark meat is cheaper.

5.Super Salmon
Salmon has always been the underwater center of attention, there are other fish in the sea you know. Other fish such as herring, mackerel, and sardines all contain the same amount of protein and omega 3 as salmon at a way lower price.

6.Complex Carbs
Complex carbs are not meant to be taken after a workout, they contain slow releasing glucose but some have maltodextrin, a short glucose chain that can be released into the blood quickly, sending your blood sugar levels on a roller coaster ride. Instead you should save the complex carbs for solving hunger and fatigue but use simple carbs for a post workout recovery.

7.Potatoes
Don’t shun white potatoes; the white spuds are great fast digesting carbohydrates, which is perfect for a post workout snack.

8.Goji Berries
The common belief that goji berries, acai berries, or whatever berries contain the maximum amount of antioxidants has no solid evidence. Go for locally grown blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and strawberries, they work just as well.

9.Fat Free Dairy
Fat free milk, fat free yogurt and fat free cheese, all those things have one thing in common, CLA free. When you choose to go fat free, you eliminate the CLA (conujugated linoleic acid), which has been found to protect the heart and increase overall fat burning activity. When you go fat free, you're actually going the opposite way, so choose low fat as opposed to fat free.

Eat Your Yolks

More and more often nowadays, people strain from eating egg yolks because of the high cholesterol. Shameless to say, I was once one of those people. However recently, I discovered that egg yolks are not nearly as bad as people have perceived it to be.

Although egg yolks don't contain much protein, it contains most of the egg’s nutrients such as Vitamins from A to D, and it contains choline which is key to a neurotransmitter that helps increase strength, just the strength part alone was enough to get me eating egg yolks. Nonetheless, the yolk contains all the fats, the healthy saturated kind along with old misunderstood cholesterol. The saturated fats in the yolks helps make you feel more satiated and the cholesterol is useful for guys because it aides in the production of the male hormone testosterone and you all know why that’s important. Also the cholesterol from egg yolks aren’t associated with the blood cholesterol levels, rather it is associated with an increase in lean muscle.

So think twice before giving your yolks to someone else, you could be giving them your lean muscle growth.

Watermelon and Amino Acids?

Many of you are probably doubting how such a delicious and simple fruit can even have the potential of increasing muscle mass. Watermelon contains the amino acid citrulline which boosts the levels of arginine and Nitric Oxide. Yep, Nitric Oxide in watermelon, a tasty and cheap muscle mass gainer. Aside from that, watermelon is rich in many other vitamins and antioxidants like lycopene and beta-carotene. But remember to store your watermelon at room temperature, it preserves the effectiveness of the natural nutrients within.

Selenium's Not Only for Dandruff?

When I first heard that eating selenium was good for you, I was a little doubtful, “Isn’t that stuff in dandruff shampoo?”. After a little research, I found out, yes it is in dandruff shampoo. Shampoos with selenium sulfide have an anti – yeast effect which helps to control severe dandruff. I also found out adequate amounts of selenium can actually make you more fit.

Selenium is a not something everyone is familiar with however it has some hidden secrets. It is a trace mineral found in plants mostly due to the soil. Selenium is similar to the other antioxidants that eliminate free radicals and prevent damage done to your body. However, a good amount of selenium can also help improve cardiovascular health, fight cancer and get this; it even helps in maintaining a good physique. That’s not something you hear everyday from drinking shampoo “selenium” (I was just kidding, don’t drink shampoo). The way selenium helps your fitness is by promoting good thyroid health and a healthy thyroid means a healthy metabolism. Research also shows that selenium increases muscle strength due to the leaner physique. So guys and girls, start taking your daily selenium.

The recommended amount of selenium a day is 200 mcg but don’t exceed 400 mcg. I listed some foods below that contain selenium in descending amounts.

Brazil Nuts (1 oz)
Macaroni
Eggs
2% Cottage Cheese
Instant Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Whole-Wheat Bread
Cheddar Cheese
Cooked Meats

My suggestion is go with the Brazil Nuts, they have the highest selenium content and they taste great. So next time you’re in the shampoo aisle, don’t forget the Brazil nuts.

Testosterone Boosting Meal Plan

What is Testosterone?

It is the male hormone that makes us guys big and manly. Testosterone drives muscle growth, promotes fat loss, and makes you stronger and more aggressive. LEAN AND MEAN!

At the Gym:
The 5 Rules of LEAN and MEAN
1. Train Heavy
2. Train multiple muscle groups in each workout
3. Utilize multi - joint exercises
4. Pump up the repetitions
5. Rest less


Workout Day

Breakfast
4 eggs
2 cups cream of wheat
8 oz 2% milk

Snack
12 crackers
1 cheese stick
2 tbsp. peanut butter

Lunch
4 oz. turkey
1 whole wheat pita
½ cup lettuce
1 slice cheese
1 cup applesauce
½ cup humus
1 cup carrots

Preworkout
1 scoop whey protein
1 banana

Postworkout
1 scoop whey protein
1 slice white bread
2 tbsp jelly

Dinner
6 oz. ground 95% beef
1 white hamburger bun
1 slice cheese
1 tbsp mayo
1 cup green beans
2 cups salad
2 tbsp olive oil vinaigrette

Snack
1 scoop casein protein
½ cup dried fruit



Workout Day

Breakfast
4 eggs
1 bagel with 1 tbsp cream cheese
12 oz juice

Snack
½ cup grape-nuts
8 oz 2% milk

Lunch
6 oz. dark meat chicken
2 slices white bread
1 slice cheese
1 tbsp mayo
½ avocado
1 cup grapes

Preworkout
1 scoop whey protein
1 cup oatmeal

Postworkout
1 scoop whey protein
32 oz sports drink

Dinner
6 oz sirloin steak
1 cup broccoli
1 baked potato
2 cups salad (green)
2 tbsp olive oil vinaigrette

Snack
6 oz 2% cottage cheese
½ cup pineapple
1 oz almonds



Rest Day

Breakfast
1 scoop whey protein
2 cups cream of wheat
8 oz 2% milk

Snack
2 English muffins
1 oz mixed nuts
1 slice cheese

Lunch
6 oz salmon
1 cup cauliflower
1 sweet potato
1 cup grapes

Snack
1 whole wheat pita
1 hardboiled egg
1cup applesauce

Dinner
6 oz chicken breast
1 cup black beans
½ avocado
½ cup diced tomatoes
1 tbsp sour cream
2 cups salad
2 tbsp olive oil vinaigrette

Snack
1 cup oatmeal
1 scoop casein protein



Rest Day

Breakfast
1 scoop whey protein
3 slices bacon
12 oz. juice
12 English muffins
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp jelly

Snack
½ cup grape-nuts
8 oz yogurt

Lunch
4 oz roast beef
1 whole wheat tortilla
1 cup lettuce
½ avocado
2 tbsp olive oil vinaigrette

Snack
1 cup tomato soup
12 crackers
2 oz turkey

Dinner
6 oz pork tenderloin
1 cup white rice
1 cup Brussels sprouts

Snack
6 oz 2% cottage cheese
1 oz almonds

Bring Back Home

An easy workout to build that back without ever hitting the gym.

Equipment:
adjustable dumbbells *
sturdy stick (broomstick, rake, shovel, and etc.)
fitness ball
two stable chairs
*An alternative for the adjustable dumbbells could be regular dumbbells but choose a weight that you can manage.
For each exercise do 3 sets of 10 reps each.

Workout Plan

Day 1
Horizontal Pull – Up
Dumbbell Row
Seated Dumbbell Shrug

Day 2
Rest

Day 3
Horizontal Chin – Up
Dumbbell High Row
Straight Arm Back Extension

Day 4
Rest

Day 5
Dumbbell Row
Seated Dumbbell Shrug
Dumbbell High Row

Day 6
Rest

REPEAT Cycle. *Increase Weight

How To:

Horizontal Pull - Up / Chin – Up *Muscle Group - Lats

Setup - Place two chairs near each other, then place stick on top of both chairs (use towels or clothing to stabilize stick). Slide under bar so chest is right beneath bar and grip bar in overhand for pull - up or underhand for chin - up. Bend knees and place feet flat on floor about hip width apart.
Execution - Arch back and raise hips off floor, then drive elbows down to make your upper chest touch the bar.


Straight Arm Back Extension *Muscle Group - Lower Back

Setup - Lie face down on exercise ball with hips and chest in full contact while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Let your spine extend and your feet spread out behind you.
Execution - While keeping belly button on ball, arch and raise chest off ball while pushing weights behind your hips.


Dumbbell Row *Muscle Group - Lats

Setup - Face a chair with dumbbell in one hand, bend at your hips and place other hand on the chair so your hand with the dumbbell hands straight down. Place foot opposite of dumbbell hand forward and maintain a slight bend at the knees and a arch in your back.
Execution - Contract your lat to bring the weight to your hip parallel to the hand with the dumbbell.


Dumbbell Shrug *Muscle Group - Traps

Setup - Sit on a chair while holding a dumbbell in each hand and lean slightly over.
Execution - Lift shoulders straight up and squeeze your traps.


Dumbbell High Row *Muscle Group - Inner Lats / Traps

Setup - Stand with bent knees and hold a dumbbell in each hand, keep natural arch in back and push hips back so weights hang in front of your knees.
Execution - Bring dumbbells up and apart so your elbows point outward making a right angle.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Revealed

Just the other day, my friend asked me why I stay away from high fructose corn syrup products, “aren’t they the same?”, and NO they are most definitely not. Not all sugars are the same and your body certainly can tell the difference.

Let’s start with the too often used term “natural”, ok high fructose corn syrup is natural but there wouldn’t be a natural without man, the corn had to be processed to become the corn syrup but so is sugar, so natural doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. However, the label “organic” on most foods means there was no high fructose corn syrup involved.

We all know that too much sugar in a diet is bad, but there is a difference in the composition. High fructose corn syrup has a higher fructose to glucose ratio while sugar is 50/50. Fructose is not metabolized the same as glucose, the labor of fructose goes entirely to your liver. The liver converts the fructose to fatty acids at a greater rate than the glucose. Also the fructose increases the uric acid in your body thereby decreasing the nitric oxide in your blood. The reduction in the nitric oxide isn’t good because nitric oxide gives you that extra push when you pump iron but that’s an article for another time.

Finally and most importantly, high fructose corn syrup makes you FAT! The fructose tricks your body’s metabolism by shutting down the fullness signals sent your brain. An experiment down by students at Princeton saw that lab rats with a high fructose diet gained more weight and were more prone to obesity. The increase in fructose in the body will inevitably lead to weight gain and worst of all an increase in your body fat percentage! There is also evidence that corn is damaging our DNA, you can learn more about that through KING CORN. But my main focus here is the fattening powers of high fructose corn syrup.

There is an easy solution to this all, simply avoid high fructose corn syrups. Try to avoid soda and even some juices that are high in fructose. If you must drink juice dilute it with water or better just drink water. As for sweeteners, why not try using an organic honey or maybe PureVia , spending a few extra bucks to stay fit sounds worth it. Personally, I just prefer less sweeter things, why sugar coat the natural goodness.

Natural Muscle Repair

I am sure everyone who works out has some idea that your body needs certain things to repair muscle.

Creatine is king , yeah I am sure you have heard that its a steroid or it's just temporary, however your muscles need creatine to repair itself. Creatine is part of your skeletal muscle system and basically it supports healthy muscle activity.

How to get your creatine supply without dishing out cash for supplements, well its simple, if you eat meat then you are taking creatine. Fish and meats all have a high amount of creatine. Normally you need roughly 5 grams of creatine monohydrate and thats the equivalent of 5 -7 pounds of meat or fish. Creatine is more effective in foods when the foods are eaten raw because the cooking denaturalizes the creatine making it not as effective. So if you like sushi, you are on the right track. Taking about raw foods, there is also this great raw foods diet plan, check it out. However, meat and fish is not the only way to get creatine, your body also naturally synthesizes creatine from the amino acids available such as methionine, arginine and glycine which are obtained through other foods.

Now for those who want to increase their creatine levels the easy way, eat more sushi, sashimi and fish. If that is a challenge then i would recommend thinking about creatine supplements.

Everyday Foods

Foods To Eat Everyday:

1. Beef
2. Chicken
3. Salmon
4. Shrimp
5. Eggs
6. Beans
7. Cottage Cheese
8. Greek Yogurt
9. Potatoes
10. Oatmeal
11. Spinach
12. Red Bell Peppers
13. Apples
14. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
15. Walnuts
16. Dark Chocolate

It is amazing how chocolate is even on a list that suggests a healthier lifestyle.

This is just a general list of what people should eat daily to maintain a healthy body but it doesn’t imply that you can only eat these foods and nothing else. This is only meant to serve as an outline of what to try to incorporate into your daily diet.

Each of these foods has their own unique effect on your body that helps it stay in tip top shape. When taken properly, they can even support muscle growth provided you are working out and not just sitting at home watching television.

However, keep in mind that simply eating these foods alone will not magically make you fit, you have to regulate the amount you eat and balance the meal with proper exercise.

Staying Fit

As a fellow pursuer of the ultimate body, I have come across many common pills or techniques to get thin quick. Don’t believe those advertisements, how do you think our ancestors kept in shape? with weight loss supplements? I don’t think so.

These tips are not for someone who is going to eat healthy and workout for a day expect results, sculpting your body takes time and your body needs time to adjust as well.

There are some easy and quick tips that anyone can follow to begin sculpting their dream body today. Most importantly you have to eat, starving yourself is not going to make you lose any weight, what happens when you starve is you will binge eat, which is actually the worse way to go. How do you eat more one would ask, well first you have to eat more properly, eating at least 5 – 6 meals a day will get your metabolism fired up and it even helps to satisfy your daily cravings. However, when you do eat, the meals should be small and portioned, try to eat foods that are high in fiber so it makes you feel fuller.

Upon waking in the morning, it is important to remember to eat within one hour to get your body going. I find it is helpful to start the day with a cup of green tea or black coffee to kick start your metabolism in the morning. Throughout the day, I try to make sure each meal has a protein source (meat, fish, beans, and etc.) along with fiber. The general rule is to eat slow and chew thoroughly, which allows your brain to process your stomach’s fullness response.

There are certain types of food that everyone should eat and there are places to shop at the supermarkets. When shopping for groceries, never buy products that have things you can’t pronounce. Try to stay away from the inner aisles, which tend to have the more processed foods. Foods that will go bad eventually mean they are good for you because if bacteria can settle in then there aren’t any harmful preservatives in the foods.

Now as for the exercise, everyone thinks you have to go to the gym and take massive supplements to gain muscle, but you don’t have to. If you can go outside and simply jog for roughly 30 minutes a day, that is almost enough to speed up your metabolism. Now if you have access to a gym with weights that is even better. Studies have shown that lifting weights help burn calories faster than just cardio alone. Nonetheless, one can manage without a gym; go buy resistance bands a yoga mat. Then you can do many things at home for free such as workouts for your chest, back, legs, abs and more.

Overall, if you eat more but small meals, and maintain a regular workout schedule, you should see results within a few weeks. These are just some free and easy ways to stay fit without breaking your piggy bank.