Pumping iron is all about training, your diet/nutrient timing, mindset, and rest & recuperation. If you can halfway master these components, you can change your body composition, and look great (and be stronger).
WEIGHT TRAINING/Lifting
The weight training/lifting is the visual and obvious part of fitness, and what actually breaks down your muscles so that they can rebuild themselves larger. They key is to workout each body part/muscle group or section the right amount, and properly.
Modern bodybuilders and weight lifters generally slightly OVERTRAIN. That's right; there is an optimal amount of breakdown and rebuilding for muscles. Find your range.
My research suggests that a muscle group/body part should ideally be worked-out hard on a particular day of the week and then light 4 days later, and then repeat the process the next week. An example would be to bomb a muscle with 8-10 heavy duty sets (after light warmup sets) on Monday, then use lighter weights for 6 or 8 sets on Friday, etc.
You can train a body part well in only 12 to 20 minutes, if necessary. It doesn't take anywhere near an hour if you work it right. Take 30 seconds between sets for small parts, 1 1/2 minutes for large ones.
This goes against the grain of training a muscle hard every 3rd or 4th day. Go by FEELING; variate if need be. (Generally increase weights and decrease reps for each exercise, before then doing a final set of higher reps last. Over time continue to increase weights.) Also understand that your weight training is burning calories and burning fat!
DIET/NUTRIENT TIMING/Protein
Diet is at least 60%+ of weight training results. Nutrient timing is about half of that. Why? The body needs fuel to grow and operate correctly, just as a car does to run. It needs these things at certain times to use them best.
The key here is protein. Eat protein and drink water. Eat a good meal with carbs AND protein an hour before working out. Next, drink carbs with a small amount of protein just before working out.
Right after working out/pumping iron (within 30 minutes), drink a protein shake plus carbs and take Creatine plus vitamins A,C, and E and hopefully other suplements. (In other words, just before and after your workout use carbs/protein together as they amplify the results of protein efficiency by 30% this way.)
Then, every 2 1/2 to 3 hours get more protein through small meals or shakes, and eat peanut butter or slow digesting protein at bedtime. Voila!
In total you need to eat 5 to 7 small meals/drink meals a day and drink at least 6 glasses of water (spread out) plus 2 low-calorie carb drinks. Eat at least 2/3 gram of protein per pound of body weight as a 1st year beginner, then at least 1 gram per pound of body weight after your training becomes more intense and serious.
MINDSET/Motivation
To a great extent, your mind controls your body. Mind over matter. Stay focused and positive. This goes for long and short term training. Keep your objectives in mind.
Train your mind to visualize the end result, and feel your way along through every rep of every movement. If by chance the going is too hard, lighten the weight and go through the motions correctly. Just make sure that your lifting becomes automatic like auto-suggestion, a habit. Be a human robot! Results will spur you on.
REST & RECUPERATION
When it seems like you are doing nothing, your body is doing a lot. Sleep and rest are incredibly important. Your muscles GROW outside the gym.
If you lift seriously, make sure you get a minimum of 6 1/2 hours of sleep nightly/daily plus a 30-minute daily nap, or 7 1/2 hours of straight sleep.
A nap works wonders at saving time, a 30-minute nap equals an hour of added-on sleep at night (at least). Napoleon Hill (famous motivational writer) always suggested 6 hours sleep plus a 1 hour nap equalled 8 hours of night sleep, thus saving folks 1 hour a day of waking time. GET GOOD SLEEP TO GAIN MUSCLE.
Should your muscles ever start to seem unusually sore in a lingering manner, or performance drops for 2 or 3 workouts, immediately take 3-4 days off to make darn sure you are not at an overtraining juncture. (Overload on supplements/vitamins, though.)
PUMPING IRON SUMMARY
Train hard and regularly (as a habit), eat right and at the right times, have the right attitude, and get plenty of recuperation time and you will be successful at changing your body in a positive manner by increasing muscle and gaining strength. Count on it!!!!!
~ Jimmy Hall (MS/BBA) is a writer and lifter, and operates Jimmy Hall Writing Services that provides web content, business plans, and resumes among other things (404-580-1501).
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