How to get BIG arms

Best way to get BIG arms

If there’s one thing that will have heads turning in and out of the gym, it’s shirt sleeve stretching arms. Training for bigger and more defined arms is very different to working other larger body parts but I am going to break it down for you as simply as possible, so you can begin sculpting your own guns of glory.

First and foremost you have to give arms their own day in your training split. Yes you will be working biceps as an accessory muscle on back day and triceps on chest and shoulder day however you will not be training them in enough detail to gain size and if your back or chest workout has been taxing, then the arms will be too fatigued to throw in at the end and see optimal results. Therefore incorporate a day dedicated solely to arms.

Another important factor is going to be adequate rest… as I said you will be working arms as accessory muscles on back, chest and shoulder day, so my recommendation would be to have your arm day the day after you train legs, that way you have had at lest 48hours of rest since the last time your arms were worked. Adequate rest is essential for optimal growth.

Another tip is that if and when possible train arms with fatter grips. Some gyms have clip on fat grips that you can put on bars, dumbbells and machine handles and some gyms carry Olympic fat bars, either one is perfect for this. 

Training with fatter grips incorporates the forearms a lot more and this is essential for bigger arms. Two of the muscles that adjoin to the bicep from the forearm are the brachialis and brachioradialis and they both help create an illusion of a larger bicep. Another important factor that is required to work these muscles and the arms optimally is to go through a FULL range of movement.

Too often I see people in the gym curling through about 40% of their range of movement with too much weight… trust me the only thing getting bigger in this scenario is their ego. Start each movement with the muscle you are training at a full stretch and then bring it to a full contraction. 

An example of this would be a preacher curl: the start of the move should have your arm completely straight with the elbow almost feeling like its hyper extended. Bring the bar or dumbbell up and keep the back of your arm against the pad. Keeping that arm against the pad try and create the smallest angle possible with the inside of your elbow joint and at the very top of the move pause for a second and squeeze to exaggerate the contraction, then slowly release and concentrate on a slow and controlled eccentric movement back to the start.

Equally important to the range of movement is working the arms from a variety of angles. The biceps for example require supernation to be worked fully on a dumbbell curl. Have your arms down by your side; palms facing in towards your thigh is neutral, rotate out so your palm is facing forward is supernation and rotate the other way so that your palm is facing behind you is pronation. Incorporating supernated, neutral and pronated movements into your arm workout is essential for hitting each angle and attaining an optimal arm workout.

Next I want you to focus your arm training on high volume… when you train arms for size I want you to train for the pump! Generally for maximal hypertrophy (muscle gain) you want to keep your rep ranges at 12-15. This will have your arms feeling very full and pumped during the workout, which is exactly what we want. Another way to achieve this high volume is to incorporate supersets where you perform 2 different exercises back-to-back without rest in-between to extend the set and fatigue the muscle.

EXAMPLE WORKOUT

TRICEPS

1. Barbell skull crushers 3x12-15 superset with close barbell bench press 3x12-15
2. Cable rope triceps extensions tri-set 3x12-15 each way (The 3 ways you perform this are - 1: straight down with rope spread outwards at bottom 2: straight down with ropes remaining together 3: turn around and extend ropes overhead)
3. Cable triceps pushdowns 3x12-15 superset with dumbbell kickbacks 3x12-15 (go through neutral, supernated and pronated contractions on the dumbbell kickbacks)

BICEPS

1. Preacher curls 4x20,15,12,10
2. Dumbbell supernated curls 3x12-15 each side
3. Dumbbell neutral curls 3x12-15 each side
4. barbell 21’s 3x21 superset with bench dips 3x30

FOREARMS

1. barbell wrist curls 3x15 superset with barbell reverse wrist curls 3x15

So there you have it, simple steps on how to get bigger arms. Other factors that are going to be essential for optimal growth and recovery are adequate protein, especially a protein shake immediately after your workout (1 – 1.5g per day per pound of bodyweight), 7-8 hours of sleep per night, a healthy balanced diet rich in vegetables, lean protein sources and good healthy fats and LOTS of water throughout the day. Adhere to the guidelines I have presented in this article for at least 3-4weeks and I promise you will see gains. Enjoy growing some monster arms!

Healthy cooking and eating Part 3. (final installment)

Create a Lifestyle part 3: Healthy Cooking & Eating

So you have mapped out your day and tackled the grocery store, now the final part of the puzzle is preparing and eating your food. Similar to dedicating a day of the week to shopping for groceries, I encourage you to dedicate 1 or 2 evenings per week to food preparation. If you live with a partner or spouse make this something you guys do together and make it a fun experience that will help you to grow your relationship. My wife and I like to throw on some music and try cooking something brand new each week to broaden our array of foods and avoid getting bored of the same things over and over again.

As far as your protein sources from the grocery store, you are going to cook them either in the oven, on the grill or on the skillet. I am a big advocate of using the oven for food preparation because it’s simpler, has the least mess and allows for a large amount of food to be cooked at once. Each type of meat varies, so you will have to do a quick Google search for how long to cook a certain cut and type but I recommend cooking each protein source at 425 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid it drying out. (For example a thawed chicken breast, I will cook at 425 for 25-30minutes and cut after cooking to ensure they are cooked all the way through)

To prep the meats for the oven I will take them out the night before or morning before to thaw. Then I will take a baking tray and line it with aluminum foil and spray the foil with my extra virgin olive oil spray. Then I will season the meats with my choice of seasoning and/ or marinade and arrange them onto the baking tray so that they are not touching and give them room to expand in the oven. Then when the oven is preheated I throw them in and set the timer for required cooking time. This method will allow you to cook multiple amounts of meat at once and then you can throw them into tupperware and freeze them for later in the week, then you simply take the tupperware out of the freezer the morning that you head to work and reheat it in the microwave to eat.

For carbohydrates such as rice there are instructions for how to cook those on the packets… make sure to read the serving size to ensure that you do not eat too much per meal. Vegetables can be cooked by steaming on the stovetop, grilling or my personal favorite; roasted in the oven. Again I will prepare a baking sheet just like with the meats and throw on the vegetables I want to cook. (Broccoli and asparagus are some of my favorites) I will cook the vegetables at 425 Fahrenheit for around 20minutes so when the meats go in for 30 minutes, I will add the vegetables after 10minutes of the meats being in the oven.

My fats come from egg yolks in the morning, almonds as a snack during the day or a little olive oil, or coconut oil with my other food preparation. Finally my supplements are all taken with breakfast in the morning, with the exception of my whey protein, which I use immediately after my afternoon resistance training and sometimes as a snack during the day maybe between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner.

So as you can see from this article and the 3 previous articles, changing your lifestyle and becoming the best version of you possible isn’t difficult, in fact it’s very simple however it does require discipline and organization. Temptation is going to creep in more than once but the key to your transformation is going to be having the mental strength to ignore it and be relentless in your journey to greatness!

Healthy lifestyle eating and shopping.

Create a Lifestyle part 2: Healthy Shopping

So in part 1 of creating a new healthy lifestyle, we spoke about your new healthy lifestyle day! Like I mentioned, a massive part of being the best version of you is the food you eat. The saying goes; ‘you are what you eat’, so shopping for groceries is one of the most important activities you will do. If you purchase a Ferrari and use regular gasoline, then the car will not perform at 100%. However if you use premium gasoline and treat the car well, it will perform at 100%... our bodies are no different, we have to use premium fuel for our bodies to perform optimally.

First and foremost, schedule a day every week that you (and your partner/ spouse/ family) will dedicate to refilling the house with groceries that you will need for the week ahead. If there is always necessary food in the house, then you have no excuses for ‘cheating’ on your new healthy lifestyle.

Your shopping is going to be separated into categories: Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Seasonings, Supplements and Others (‘others’ would be bathroom accessories, dish soap etc). And make sure to have a list of what you need refilled each week when you go to the store. Like I said in the last article, preparation is the keys to success especially in your healthy eating habits.

• PROTEINS:

Your main source of proteins will come from fish such as Salmon, tilapia, flounder, trout and lean meats such as lean ground beef, lean ground turkey, Turkey breast tenderloin, Chicken breast. Stay away from fried, marinated and seasoned meats as we will be seasoning and marinating the food ourselves. You will also get proteins from egg whites and milk.

• CARBOHYDRATES:

Your carbohydrate sources are going to be vegetables, sweet potatoes, rice, fruit, whole grain bread and oatmeal. Again go for fresh unflavored options as these are going to contain less calories, sugars and poor fats.

• FATS:

These get a bad name but are essential to a healthy body and healthy lifestyle. Your fat sources are going to be RAW nuts, whole eggs, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil.

• SEASONINGS:

Within reason anything is fine here… sea salt, ground pepper, cayenne pepper, extra virgin olive oil spray and garlic salt are some I use a lot. Also any of the Mrs. Dash seasonings are fantastic for cooking with.

• SUPPLEMENTS

These are going to be essential for your new healthy lifestyle in order to become the best version of yourself possible, so you will need a daily multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin D, a probiotic and whey protein isolate. (see my previous article top 5 supplements you need to take daily for more in depth information on each of these supplements and what they do/ why you need them to become the best version of you)

You will notice that the greater majority of your grocery shopping is going to be spent on the perimeter of the store. 

This is where we find the healthiest foods that are going to be the best fuel for your bodies. When we were created we simply either grew our food, or killed it! That’s what our bodies were built to eat and thus that’s the optimal fuel for our bodies to perform at 100%. Of course the candy isle, or the ice cream isle may lure you in but is that 5 minutes of pleasure worth it versus the lifetime of pleasure you will get from knowing you are in perfect health and looking the best you could possibly look? I’m also aware that there is going to be a variety of options for each of the foods I have recommended, so I want you to get used to reading nutritional labels.

 Go with the option that has the lowest sugar and avoid anything high in trans fat and saturated fat. Experiment with seasonings to spice up the flavor and enjoy the learning experience of becoming better and better as each day passes.

Create a Lifestyle part 1: Healthy Living & Exercise

Well you have taken the first step in creating your new healthy lifestyle in reading this article, so congratulations. The benefits of a healthy lifestyle go far beyond just looking good… you will feel better in yourself, you will live longer and healthier lives, you will save money and most importantly you are now going to be inspiring and motivating your friends, family and peers, through transforming your body and passing on your experiences and knowledge to them, in order to better their lives also.

‘Healthy living and exercise’ is not about doing unusual things in an extraordinary fashion but instead it’s about doing normal things in an optimal fashion, to create the best version of you. I will take you through a day, from morning until night and how your healthy lifestyle is going to be and before we go on I would like to say; that I’m not promising you this is going to be easy! However I am promising you it going to be worth it!

First and foremost your healthy lifestyle is going to start with optimal sleep. Optimal is going to be 7-8 hours and upon waking from your sleep you are going to be taking a walk.(not a run, or jog) Now some of you are going to be able to do this around your neighborhood or local town and others are going to have to head to the gym but 30minutes of brisk walking is what I am asking for here. If you have a dog, go ahead and make this 30minutes a morning ritual to give them and yourself some exercise.

 Obviously the time you go to bed the night before is going to depend on when you have to wake up. For example I have to be in work at 8am during the week, so my alarm clock for a morning walk is 5:50am, I am out the door at 6am and home at 6:30am with just over an hour to get showered, changed, cook breakfast and off to work. So the night before, I make sure to be in bed between 9:50pm and 10:50pm in order to get my 7-8 hours of sleep. Also before I head to bed, I have my clothes laid out ready for the morning walk, I have my coffee & breakfast prepped to eat when I get home and my bag prepared for work… If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail!

Now the next key to a healthy lifestyle is going to be a balanced healthy diet. I will go in depth in the next installment on HEALTHY SHOPPING & COOKING, but my advice is to eat about every 3 hours which means if you work a typical 9-5 and have eaten breakfast before heading to work, you will need to pack 2 meals and a snack to stay fit and healthy throughout the day. Food preparation is all about organization but it will be a primary key to you and your transformation.

After work I want you to perform 45minutes to an hour of resistance training. Optimally this will be done at a gym; however you can also do this at your house, with a number of bodyweight exercises. (I will do an article on how to stay fit and toned without a gym membership, so keep an eye out if this interests you)

Finally I want you to relax and spend some time with your loved ones. Being the best possible version of you is a lifestyle but it has to include socializing, personal growth and time with spouses and family.

Like I said at the beginning of this article living a healthy lifestyle is simple but takes discipline. Is it going to be easier to hit the snooze button and skip the morning walk? Is it going to be easier to pop to the fast food place for lunch at work? Is it going to be easier to skip the gym after work and just head home? Of course the answer to all of these questions is yes... because it’s easier to live an unhealthy lifestyle than it is to live a healthy one. I encourage you to live outside of the norm and be part of the 1%... if it was easy everyone would do it but I promise you, once you have experienced the benefits of this change of lifestyle, you will never feel the same again and the world around you will begin to change for the better.   

Stop dieting and start a lifestyle

Over the past 8 years I have had enormous fluctuations in weight gain and weight loss. I have tried just about every diet out there: Low carb, high carb, low fat, high protein, juicing, gluten free, paleo, the list could go on for hours and I'm not going to sit here and tell you that some of these diets didn't achieve the weight loss that they promise because they did, however when the time period of the diets ended there was a rebound effect that would have me right back where I started in the first place if not even further back. It took me some time to realize what some of these diets were doing to my body that had long term negative consequences and finally about a year ago I found the answer and it was the simplest solution to what I was unnecessarily making a complex situation.

When we search for popular diets or see commercials for them on the TV, what do they all promise?... massive weight loss right? Well let me ask you this: What if I told you that you lost 20lbs but your body fat stayed identical, so you would look exactly the same, just the scales would change? Of course you wouldn't be happy! This is what happens when we go to low on carbohydrates for a prolonged period. Not only does our body go into a state called ketosis but it also starts burning lean muscle when our goal here is to burn fat. Also ketosis has negative effects on our insulin sensitivity so when we do eventually reintroduce carbohydrates into our diet down the road (which is going to be absolutely necessary for our own health), then we are going to be massively sensitive to them and gain back a lot of weight and body fat. This happened to me multiple times throughout my first few years experimenting with various diets.

The key to losing fat and transforming your body versus just 'losing weight' and looking exactly the same is balance! First and foremost our primary goal should ALWAYS be to improve our health and that requires us to create a lifestyle, not start a diet. We want to implement ways of shopping, cooking, eating and living that are sustainable for as long as we live and allow us to continuously improve our health and our body's aesthetics.

That being said I will be following this article with 3 articles on HEALTHY LIVING & EXERCISE, HEALTHY SHOPPING and HEALTHY COOKING & EATING. It's important that you first throw away the concept of embarking on a journey that has a deadline. Instead set goals but realize that the journey to true health and fitness is infinite. Fulfillment comes from sharing your successes with others and motivating family, friends and peers to embark on their own journeys. We rise in life by lifting others, so don't just give to get... give to inspire others!  

Top 5 supplements you need to take daily?

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A question I get asked a lot is: “do I need dietary supplements?” Today we will take a look at what they are, how they work and the top 5 ones I recommend you to use for optimal health and fitness in both men and women. Dietary supplements are defined as: “a product taken orally that contains ingredients that are intended to supplement one’s diet and are not considered foods.” Part of this definition that I would like to highlight before moving on is the fact that they are; “intended to supplement your diet” and “they are not food.” This is important for you to acknowledge because they are meant to be used to ‘supplement’ a healthy and balanced diet not replace it.Today’s supplements range from vitamins and minerals, to fish oils, amino acids and proteins, so which ones do I recommend as the top 5 essential for you optimal health and fitness? Well absorption and bioavailability are two of the most important factors when it comes to intake of micronutrients and part of the reason that I feel the following 5 supplements are essential to you reaching your optimal health and fitness.

1. Multivitamin – A daily multivitamin is going to be rich in the vitamins and minerals your body needs to perform optimally throughout the day. The important thing here is going to be for you to find the multivitamin that is right for you. Take into account how active you are, your age, gender and any history of illnesses in your family so that you pick a multivitamin that is rich in the specific minerals and vitamins you need. For example if prostate cancer is a concern in your family history then look for a multivitamin specifically rich in boron.
2. Fish oil – These are rich in omega-3’s which are linked to higher levels of HDL (HDL is what is commonly known as the “good cholesterol”) and better nutrient absorption (which of course is going to be important when paired with the other supplements I am recommending). Fish oils are also essential in aiding weight loss due to improving your metabolism and they have been linked to massively reducing our risk of heart disease.
3. Vitamin D3 – This vitamin is 100% essential when it comes to obtaining optimal health and becoming the best version of yourself. Low vitamin D has been proven to cause several cancers, depression, weight gain, low bone density and poor nutrient absorption so it’s a MUST have in your daily diet.
4. Protein – Proteins are what the human body needs for growth and repair. I am assuming that as you want to be the best version of yourself and have optimal health and fitness, that daily exercise and resistance training is a part of your everyday life. There are a variety of proteins on the market but the 3 main proteins I want to talk about are whey isolate, whey concentrate and casein. (if you are vegan then there are also protein supplements on the market that will fit your criteria) Isolate is a fast absorbing protein that digests quickly in the body and is a great option for a post workout drink to help repair the muscles used during your workout. Concentrate is a slightly slower absorbing protein that is a little more calorie dense and should be utilized as a meal replacement or a snack between meals during the day. Casein is the slowest digesting protein taking around 9 hours to fully digest in the body. Due to this slow absorption it keeps you feeling fuller longer and also keeps the metabolism active when sedentary so it is a great option for a bedtime shake to aid in weight loss. Find your specific health and fitness goal and use the protein that will most effectively fit you.
5. Probiotic – These are "friendly bacteria" that aid in optimal digestive health. Certain strains or types of probiotics have been linked to all sorts of health benefits, from helping with irritable bowel syndrome and travel diarrhea to boosting the immune system. Having a healthy gut and digestive system is absolutely essential in obtaining optimal health and fitness, hence why a daily probiotic made my top 5 daily supplements list.

So there it is; my personal recommendation of the top 5 supplements you need to take daily. In today’s supplement industry there are literally thousands of different pills and powders available but these 5 are the ones that I believe are absolutely essential in you achieving optimal health and fitness. Remember to always consult with a doctor before starting any supplement regime and make sure you are pairing them with a healthy, balanced diet rich in the fats, carbohydrates and proteins you require to hit your specific health and fitness goals.

 

Proven easy steps to get a flat stomach in less time.

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How to get a flat stomach

Everyone wants to know the secret of how to get a flat stomach and today I’m here to show you how simple it is to achieve in as minimal time as possible. When it comes to getting a flat stomach and those eye catching abs that everyone wants, there are two main factors to consider; your diet and your exercise.

DIET:

As far as what diet to follow for a flat stomach, my recommendation is a low fat, moderate carbohydrate and high protein diet that’s about 500 calories below your base metabolic rate (See my previous article “what is the best way to lose fat” for more in depth information on calculating your base metabolic rates and transferring them in daily fats, carbohydrates and proteins). I encourage you to stay away from fad diets and do not give yourself a deadline. Instead create a way of eating that is sustainable for many years to come and promotes all round better health and fitness, as well as continuous progress towards a better body and the best version of yourself you can possibly be! Your primary drink MUST be water; try and drink at least 10-16 cups of water per day if not more. Stay away from alcohol (special occasions are ok but keep this limited to a few times a year if you want to be the best version of yourself). Coffee and tea are also ok once or twice a day but stay away from sugars and creamers as they are detrimental to what the goal is here; a flat stomach. Finally DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF, this will have an adverse effect and have long term consequences that will make achieving a flat stomach even more difficult than when you started… we need food to fuel our bodies, the key to achieving a flat stomach is just making those foods the right ones, at the right time and the right amount.

EXERCISE:

When it comes to exercising for a flat stomach we are going to keep it simple. You are going to perform light cardiovascular exercise 3 times per week, you are going to perform an abdominal workout 3 times per week and you are going to get a rest day every week. Here is an example of how you can split your week for that flat stomach you have always wanted:

Monday, Wednesday & Friday:

AT HOME: 30-45 minutes of fast paced walking (you should not be so out of breath that you cannot talk but you should be out of breath to the point that holding a conversation is difficult)

AT THE GYM: Choose any piece of cardio equipment and perform 30-45minutes (hold onto the heart rate monitors and keep your heart rate between 130-145BPM) {if heart rate monitors are not available, you should not be so out of breath that you cannot talk but you should be out of breath to the point that holding a conversation is difficult}

Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday:

AT HOME: (hold each pose for 30seconds, 45seconds or 1 minute depending on ability level. Perform each exercise as a circuit with no rests and repeat 3 times with a 90second rest between circuits)

• Planks
• Side plank left
• Side plank right
• Rear planks

AT THE GYM: (repeat each exercise as a circuit for the repetitions listed with no rest. Repeat the circuit 3 times with 90 seconds rest between each circuit)

• Cable crunches x30-40repetitions
• Oblique decline twists x30seconds-1minute
• Hyperextensions x15-20repetiotions
• Leg raises x10-20repetitions

Sunday:

REST

So there you have it; how to get a flat stomach! Subscribe to my Facebook channel for more information and updates on exercises and tips for achieving a flat stomach. Remember this isn’t something that happens over night, it takes hard work and discipline but the end result is worth it; “the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step”… let’s take the first step today!

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