If you are serious about lifting weights and looking to gain some muscle mass then no doubt you are using some form of protein supplement. If you’re not then you probably aren’t making the muscle gains that you could be. Protein is essential for gaining muscle mass.
I’ve read a few articles that recommend a daily intake of around 0.7g - 0.9g of protein per pound of body weight. Without using a protein supplement I do not think this would be easily achieved using only your diet as you would need to eat a lot of chicken and egg whites to get that level of protein in your daily diet.
A 200 pound man would be looking at a daily intake of 160g of protein. This equates to roughly,
592g of roast chicken
or 571g of tuna
or 1600g of egg white
And this is all on top of your daily carbohydrate and fat requirements.
Well here it is, my first, and undoubtedly not my last mistake. I have been lifting pretty
regularly now for the last two months. I am making gains that I am pretty happy with but would
like to see more.
I sat down a couple of weeks ago and worked out roughly what I am eating per day in terms of
carbs/protein/fat and the total number of calories. I currently weigh about 275 pounds (125
kilograms). I worked out that I am consuming about 1700 calories or 7140KJ. I didn’t think this
was too bad, perhaps a little low.
After doing a bit of research last night I discovered that I should be eating more carbs than I
currently am. At least as many carbohydrates as protein if not slightly more. I should also be
eating more fat.
The reason I should be eating more carbs is that at the moment when I burn up all the energy
from the carbs I have eaten I start to burn up the protein for energy. Obviously if I am using it
for energy I am not getting the muscle gains that I could be from the protein.
Name: Victor Martinez “The Dominican Dominator” Age: 34 Height: 5′9″ Weight: 270lb (off season) 240lb (contest) Birth place: Dominican Republic Current Residence: New York Trainer: Victor Munoz Pro debut: IFBB Night of Champions, 2001
The Dominican Dominator was born in 1973 and was raised in Washington Heights New York after his family immigrated to the U.S. from San Francisco de Macoris (Dominican Republic) in the 70’s. A keen sportsman from a young age Martinez gradually moved into weight training and then set his sights on professional bodybuilding. In 1997 he took out the National Physique Committee New York Metro Championships - Men’s light heavyweight title and after four years of success at an amateur level he made the transition to Pro in 2001.
2007 has seen Martinez continue his rise to the top of the pro-rankings with victory in the Arnold Classic and second place at Mr Olympia in September.
Martinez is the perfect blend of mass and symmetry and this coupled with his determination and drive has made him a formidable competitor.
The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), also referred to as yam or kumara, in various parts of the world would be a great addition to any diet.
Sweet potatoes contain,
vitamin E which is an antioxidant and protects against the damage cause by free radicals
carotenoids which inhibit the cell damage caused by the stresses of everyday life
potassium which is important for muscle contraction and nerve impulses
fibre which keeps you feeling full and regular
copper
Sweet potatoes are a goldmine of nutrients and definitely something to consider as an alternative to the regular old potato for a source of complex carbohydrates.
I discovered an article the other day which discussed a number of ways to break plateaus and make new size and strength gains. One of the methods discussed was a technique called triple sets.
I have tried this out over the last couple of weeks at various times during my workouts. I have found it to be very effective for getting the maximum effort out of a particular muscle group and also provides a good “pump”.
Triple sets require you to select a moderate weight (something you can get 10-14 reps out with) and perform the exercise quickly but without sacrificing proper form. Start off by pumping out a set in a fast but controlled manner. As soon as you feel yourself starting to slow down, stop. Wait 30 seconds then start another set. Again stop once you feel yourself starting to slow down. Wait 30 seconds more then start set 3. Once you have completed 3 sets wait 3 minutes then do it all over again.
Mr Olympia was held in Las Vegas from the 27th-30th of September. Ronnie Coleman was gunning for his 9th crown to surpass the great Lee Haney, while Jay Cutler was looking for back-to-back victories.
This years competition brought together a strong field of competitors from all around the world.
In a close contest Jay Cutler managed to make it two in a row edging out Victor Martinez, the Arnold Classic winner, by a single point.
