The best gluteal exercises!!

Between my extensive research and my own experiences, I’ve put together comprehensive techniques to help build those muscles in the buttocks (buttocks)!

The butt muscle is one of the largest muscles in your body. That muscle can be worked and enlarged just like any other muscle in your body. Staying consistent on the mission of getting a bigger butt is one of the most important steps in growing that muscle. When I train, my main goal is no longer to “make my butt bigger” (it’s already big enough), my goal is to keep it firm, lifted, and round. But if you want a bigger butt, here are some great ways to work towards it:

1. 5-10 min warm up and light stretching:

The heating makes the blood flow throughout the body. Stretching before a workout helps you get going (at least it happens to me) and prepares your muscles for a great workout. The hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back, and calves are good areas to stretch when working the gluteal muscles because they help with flexibility, therefore a greater range of motion, and also help the tissues stretchier around the gluteal muscles, giving them more room to grow. Stretching during and after a workout is also good. Some people believe that stretching before a workout is not as effective as stretching after a workout. It’s a very debatable topic so in that case I usually do what feels good to my body.

2. Reps and weights:

In building muscle, I’ve learned to keep my reps (how many times I do an exercise) between 6 and 12 reps, while gradually increasing the amount of weight I’m using. Never start heavy, start light and listen to your body! Start with weights that are comfortable enough for you to finish your 6-12 reps with no problem. Gradually work your way up to a weight that you feel is really challenging your muscles. Avoiding injury comes with safety, and safety begins with learning how to strength train correctly. Consult a certified personal trainer if in doubt!

3. Type of exercise:

Exercises I recommend for the glutes: leg presses, squats, hip extensions, lunges, leg curls, kickback/cable kickback, hyperextensions, hip extension, and step ups. All of these are great exercises to strengthen the glutes and also work the thighs. You can start these exercises with little or no weight until you feel your body is comfortable, stable, and in correct form. The amount of weight, number of sets and reps, duration, and sessions per week are always determined by your own personal goals. When in doubt, I always suggest consulting a certified personal trainer.

4. Eat:

I never suggest training on an empty stomach nor do I suggest training on a full stomach. Your body needs fuel to function, and that fuel comes from what we eat and drink. If you are a person who is normally dedicated to eating healthy and balanced meals on a regular basis, then your reserved energy supply will probably help you get through your training without any problem.

Getting healthy and balanced nutrition and not skipping meals is the key to helping build a bigger butt. Building muscle the right way means making sure your body is getting the right amount of nutrients like carbs, protein, and fat (yes, fat). The amount of nutrients required by each individual will best be determined by a nutritionist and/or personal trainer. Each person’s nutritional needs may vary, particularly due to age, gender, genetics, weight, and health history. Nutrition and what you eat doesn’t affect everyone equally, even if two people eat the exact same foods and serving sizes. When you exercise, your body may require a little more nutrients than normal because when you exercise you are depleting more nutrients from your body than when you are not exercising and sedentary. Keeping your body hydrated with fluids (water) before and after your workout is ideal for everyone.

5. Rest and Repair:

After an intense butt pump session, allowing those muscles to rest and repair is just as imperative as the actual training. Not letting your muscles rest and repair after putting them under undue stress is defeating the purpose at hand. When you’re stressing your muscles to make them grow, keep in mind that you’re actually causing microscopic tears in them. Therefore, it is very important to allocate sufficient time for the muscle to heal and repair itself. I usually give myself 2-3 days off, depending on how hard I train, to rest my muscles and let them grow. Trying to go to the gym and work on sore muscles is no good! It’s like hitting something that’s already dead. GIVE THEM TIME TO HEAL TO BECOME STRONGER AND BIGGER!!

***Consulting with a trained fitness professional, doctor and nutritionist is what I always recommend when beginning any exercise regimen or diet program.

Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition Strategies for Kettlebell Training

The correct nutrition plan and the timing of your food or supplements before and after your workouts are some very important components to consider when training with kettlebells. This article will shed some light on these key factors and discuss some nutrition guidelines, so you can get started when you do your kettlebell training. In addition, it will allow you to recover effectively. One key point to consider is that you always plan for a great workout in the kitchen, even before you set foot in the gym.

If you don’t have the right nutritional strategy for your kettlebell regimen; then you are doing yourself an injustice when it comes to achieving your goals. If you’re exercising when you’re in a starved state, you won’t have enough energy to maximize your fitness gains. If you exercise for a long time without eating, you are limiting your body’s ability to burn calories and maintain the intensity of your kettlebell training. Plus, if you don’t fuel your muscles and replenish your energy stores after exercise, you won’t have essential recovery tools in your arsenal.

What should you eat before your session?

As mentioned above, the main goal of the pre-workout nutrition plan is to begin your kettlebell session in a fueled state and to ensure that all the food you have eaten has been properly digested and absorbed. The last thing you want to do is eat a meal that is very high in protein and slow-acting fats, because they take longer to digest and can make you feel sluggish and rob you of energy. When you eat, blood is redirected to the digestive system to help with the breakdown of food. This essentially removes blood from the skeletal muscles; therefore, it reduces oxygen supply and waste removal during exercise. Therefore, the kettlebell session will be a much more difficult job when you have eaten a meal that is rich in fat and protein. Most of the time, stomach ache joins this scenario when training.

To ensure you are energized when you perform your kettlebell session, eat a meal that is approximately 300-500 calories, high in carbohydrates and fast-acting protein, 2 hours before you begin your session. Try having a small bowl of porridge, whole grains, or even a small yam or sweet potato, as these are a good example of some fast-acting carbohydrates. If you have to eat 5 to 10 minutes before exercising, have half a banana or a small tablespoon of peanut butter along with a handful of almonds.

Staying hydrated is essential for kettlebell athletes because without proper hydration, your body will have a harder time getting nutrients to your muscles, along with oxygen and water to your cells. This will lower your energy levels and make the session much more difficult. Try to drink at least 2 liters of water per day, but don’t overdo it before your workout or you’ll feel bloated and sluggish. A good strategy is to drink your water intake gradually and continuously before starting your workout!

Regarding supplements, you can take a whey protein shake rich in branched chain amino acids 1 hour before training, as this will ensure the following:

They are a catalyst for muscle protein synthesis and then bind together muscle amino acids to create a stronger muscle infrastructure.

They increase insulin levels to facilitate an anabolic environment during protein synthesis. This mechanism allows for the proper balance of nutrition, hormones, and metabolic actions that are essential for building muscle and burning fat.

They improve human growth hormone levels and decrease stress hormone (cortisol) levels. Cortisol is a hormone that breaks down muscle tissue to be used as body fuel. This is very bad news for muscle building and weight loss.

A post-workout nutrition strategy

Taking supplements after exercise is very important to aid recovery along with growth and repair. Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAS) are again a great option to consume after exercise; the question is why?

Well, BCAAs are broken down quickly and used in working muscle effectively because they bypass the liver. It is this process within the body that stops post-exercise muscle soreness by blocking muscle damage and increasing muscle growth and repair. Additionally, it increases insulin levels after exercise and this induces an anabolic environment which is a major factor in muscle growth and repair.

They should be consumed within 45 minutes of finishing your session and this is a very important time frame as the enzymes and hormones actively repair and rebuild muscle tissue as well as replenish your glycogen stores. This makes your muscle tissues very susceptible to nutrients and muscle building hormones. You should use a simple carbohydrate like maltodexrin because it raises your insulin levels and this will drive amino acids into muscle tissue. This will also increase your glycogen stores and add a banana or orange to boost your lost electrolyte levels as this will promote your recovery.

The latest studies from 2014 state that BCAAs cannot be absorbed without the help of Whey Protein. Previously, we have been consuming BCAAs throughout the day to further enhance recovery. This could be doing more harm than good. Find a good Whey Protein with BCAAs.

A complete lifestyle change with regard to eating is what is required if you need to lose weight. Your diet will surely fail if you don’t take the necessary steps to succeed.

I have come across this unusual diet to help with my own weight problems. The diet does not require you to buy special diet pills, diet shakes, meal replacements, or herbal remedies. It is based on all the normal foods that are readily available. The difference is that in order to lose 2 pounds a week, you need to change your eating patterns.

This program and others like it are very popular right now because it is all about healthy eating. By swapping out your normal 3 large meals for 5 smaller meals per day at 2-3 hour intervals, you can keep your metabolism high if you’re eating the right foods.

You can burn more calories and have a better metabolism simply by eating more often. Knowing when to have which foods is the secret to rapid weight loss.

The Strip That Fat program starts by giving you a list of foods, then you can choose the ones you like. The more you choose, the more varied your 14-day meal plan will be. A diet generator is included in the package. Your personalized diet plan is ready for you to print after you’ve chosen your food groups.

The creators of Strip That Fat claim that their program is sustainable and can be done over the course of several months. However, a diet program that suits one person may not be the answer for everyone, you need to find the right one that you can stick to for your goals. Most crash diets are only for short term fixes as they are hard to maintain because you are restricted to what you can eat. You get bored quickly if you stick to the same foods every day. If you can’t lose weight even though you’re eating low-fat packaged foods, you’ll notice that low fat doesn’t equal low calorie and many of these foods are still too high in calories.

If you don’t exercise more to burn these extra calories, you won’t be able to lose weight. If you need to lose a few pounds, the best time to start is now. A few extra pounds are much easier to lose now. If you wait until you are really overweight, the task becomes more difficult.

Juicing is one of the best ways to get fresh, pure natural ingredients into your body without taxing your digestive system. Juicing requires little digestion and allows your body to absorb valuable nutrients immediately, which is why juicing is a very effective means of fasting.

When your body becomes sluggish and lifeless, this could be a sign that there is a buildup of toxins in your system and that your body really needs a break from all the work it’s doing. The typical American diet is rich in processed foods that are difficult for the body to digest and process. When the body receives too many of these difficult-to-digest foods, it begins to slow down and begins to function less efficiently. This means that there is less energy available to use, because all the energy your body can produce will be used to try to digest the food. Unless your body can catch up and become more efficient at the digestive process, the toxins that have built up can begin to damage the body and cause disease. To prevent this from happening, a juice fast may be necessary. *Please note that if you have any existing health conditions, ALWAYS check with your healthcare professional before starting anything new, including starting a juice fast.

The idea of ​​fasting seems a bit scary, especially since the image one conjures up when hearing the word fast is a long and painful period without food. This does not have to be the case, nor is it necessary for you to take a ton of supplements and vitamins while depriving your body of valuable nutrients. A juice fast can be as simple as giving your body a break for a day, giving your digestive system a chance to recover and become more efficient again. A day of drinking fresh, vegetable and fruit juices will allow your digestive system, including all the organs involved in the elimination process, to take a break while simultaneously giving your body the necessary vitamins and nutrients to restore healthy function.

If you haven’t tried juicing before or don’t have a diet that includes vegetables and fruits, a juice fast may be too much for your digestive system to handle in one sitting. You should consider juice fasting and prepare your body for it. To prepare your body, you will need to consume fruits and vegetables several times a day for at least a week. This is because the extreme dietary change could cause your system to overreact. If your body is not used to vegetables and fruits, it will need time to adjust before overloading it with pure juice and nothing else for a whole day.

To start a juice fast, simply wake up and get ready for the day. For breakfast it may be optimal to try a juice made from a head of romaine lettuce, ½ lemon, 2 carrots, an apple and 4 sprigs of parsley. This will be gentle on your system, fill you up with nutrients, and give you energy to start your day. The clean feeling from the juice will start immediately, encouraging you to keep going throughout the day. Remember that juice fasting only lasts one day, but the benefits to your cells, digestive system, and organs will last a long time.

Throughout the day remember to keep drinking water, lemon water, herbal teas, and fresh fruit and vegetable juices, nothing with sugar or anything artificial. It is best to try to stick to vegetable juices efficiently, but fruits can be included in smaller amounts. Sugar from fruits is not ideal for fasting and therefore should be minimized. As you fill your day with fresh juice and plenty of water, you’re filling your body with energy, nutrition, and rest! A monthly, or even weekly, juice fast is a healthy way to keep your body running at a high rate and a way to decrease the amount of stress and toxins that build up and release in your body. All of that said, it’s a great way to care for your body so it continues to perform and take care of you!

In the book, Better Than Steroids, Dr. Warren Willey proposes that a NATURAL trainer can actually achieve superior results than a steroid user IF the natural trainer follows a proper training and nutrition program.

In this article, I will let you know if the doctor delivers or if this book falls short of the hype.

Dr. Wiley says that part of the reason steroid users get such great results is because you tend to eat better and train harder while on steroids. On page 21 he states…

“I’m going to teach you how to mimic anabolic steroids using diet and exercise!”

List a success story from one of these clients below. No names are given, and no before-and-after photos are featured. The client simply appears as “LD”

In just 12 weeks, LD went from 182 pounds at 16.1% body fat to 177 pounds at 5.5% body fat. Which means that LD not only lost 19.56 pounds of fat, but also gained 14.57 pounds of muscle AT THE SAME TIME!

Here’s the kicker: Dr. Wiley says that LD was 60 at the time of this study and that he has had other clients gain 30 pounds of lean muscle WHILE losing 60 pounds of fat following the same principles.

Now, at this point, I’m smelling something funny. It smells like bull shit.

But let’s continue. Doc goes on to talk about the importance of water and that food can actually be used as a drug. I liked this part of the book because too often we forget how powerful food can be. Food can be used to increase or decrease insulin, just like a drug. And by timing your food intake—eating high-carb foods around the time of your workout and cutting back on carbs for the rest of the day—you can take advantage of the drug-like qualities of food. Good stuff here.

Willey then talks about how to calculate your recommended daily caloric intake and even provides 4 different eating plans. The meal plans are as follows:

Isocaloric: Divide daily caloric intake evenly between fat, carbohydrate, and protein.

Keto Run: Eating ultra-low carbs for 7-14 days at a time.

The Modified Carb Drop: Going on a Keto run, then following up with a carb load.

The Zig Zag: Eating a lot of calories one day, then a few calories the next.

In general, nothing innovative here. In fact, I saw many similarities between these recommendations and Dan Duchaine’s recommendations in his book Underground BodyOpus. They both talk about using an isocaloric approach at first, then a super low-carb diet when the weight loss stalls, and then adding carbs on the weekends to allow you to gain muscle while shedding fat.

The following chapters cover meals before and after training.

Then we come to Chapter 12: Glycogen Supercompensation.

For me, this is where the book falls apart.

Willey opens with the following case study detailing “CV’s” experiences (Again, full name and photos not shown.)

CV started at 200 pounds and 8.9% body fat. She then did 10 days of super low-carb diet followed by 48 hours of high-carb eating.

He finished at 212 pounds and 8.0% body fat. On the surface, this looks impressive. And Dr. Warren Willey exclaims…

“There are no typos in the graph above! CV gained 12.8lbs of muscle in a 48 hour charge and actually lost some body fat!”

But this is completely wrong. He didn’t gain 12.8 pounds of muscle. She’s just holding water. Because that’s what happens when you slash carbs and then flood your system with a high dose of carbs: Your body ends up retaining extra water.

And that’s okay, many times this is a good thing. But you can’t confuse retaining extra water with building muscle. Willey is a doctor; he should understand the difference between muscle and swelling.

But apparently he doesn’t because he goes on to list yet more examples of successful clients. In each case, it’s clear what happens: The client ends up retaining excess water for a couple of days, and Willey notes this as “muscle gain.”

But is not. You don’t gain 12 pounds of muscle in two days. No one does. Not even steroid users.

From there, the rest of the book offers some bodybuilding routines that sound like something out of a Joe Weider magazine: giant sets, super sets, 21, pre-exhaustion workout, etc.

Oddly enough, this style of bodybuilding training generally works better for steroid users than natural trainers.

Overall, the book falls short of its main promise: Willey shows that you can retain extra water for a few days on a carb load, but he doesn’t prove that his strategies can help you gain muscle, and he certainly doesn’t prove that these strategies can work. Better results than steroids.

So I would save your money and skip this book. If you want to learn more about carb loading and glycogen supercompensation, pick up a copy of Dan Duchaine’s Bodyopus Underground. The book is now 15 years old, but Duchaine does a better job of outlining the principles behind glycogen supercompensation.

If you want to get a strength advantage over your competition and don’t have a lot of fancy equipment, don’t worry. Here are 3 tried-and-true “one-off” strength training exercises that can help you get stronger for the mat – FAST!

1. Lower Squats: Lower squats are amazing for building hip and glute strength. In layman’s terms, that would be working your ass off. Ok, have a quick laugh and then get to work. These are a perfect addition to your wrestling strength training routine. This is what you do. Using an Olympic bar, perform a regular full-depth squat. This means that you lower yourself until your upper thighs are parallel to the ground. Instead of standing up straight, you rise only halfway. You pause in the midway position, lower down to below parallel, and repeat. I would shed them about once or twice a month, to keep the muscles “confused.” This forces the muscles to respond by becoming stronger. In fact, you may want to perform a regular barbell or machine squat during your first workout. In the next workout, you can perform a barbell or trapeze deadlift. The third workout could be a lower squat. Simply perform each exercise at 100% intensity (with a spotter at all times) and look to improve strength in successive workouts.

2. Negative Solo Chin-ups: This one is fantastic for building the kind of upper-body strength you need to hit the mat very quickly. Why? Because performing negative repetitions incorporates many more muscle fibers than the positive part of the repetition. In other words, you are 40% stronger lowering a weight than raising it. To apply this to pull-ups, do the following: Grasp a pull-up bar with a close, supinated grip. (Using this grip is much more effective than a wide grip for building the latissimus dorsi muscle. The “lats” work the biceps when you’re performing a one- or two-legged takedown.) Standing on a high bench or chair, jump up so your chin is on the bar and hold for 2 seconds. Slowly lower under control until you reach a hanging position where the lat muscles are stretched. This reduction should take 8-10 seconds. Jump back to the starting position and come back down in 8-10 seconds. Repeat until it is impossible to lower with control. You may need to wear additional weight around your waist if using body weight alone becomes too easy. Keep an arch in your mid-back area when performing to force your back muscles to work more than your biceps.

3. Negative Only Dips: Just as the last exercise hits your back muscles and biceps hard, this one hits the antagonistic (opposite) muscles to them. This one will build your chest, shoulders, and triceps quickly. To perform it, lock your arms and lean on top of a dip bar. Keep your chin tucked into your chest to put more work on your chest muscles and less emphasis on your triceps. Lower until chest is fully stretched. This will take 8-10 seconds. To repeat. When you can’t get down for at least 6 seconds, the set is over. At this point, take a much needed breather and have a drink.

Negative only training is very demanding on the body. You would do this for no more than 3 weeks at a time, about 4 times a year, to help get over a sticking point in your training. These 3 exercises can be performed by any fighter. If a fighter is young and has not reached physical maturity, he squats with only body weight. For the older and more mature fighters, go all out. If he’s not huffing and can’t wait to get out of the gym, he didn’t work hard enough.

Discover the power of negative training and watch your performance improve almost overnight.

Although the reasons may vary, veganism is on the rise. Some do it for health reasons, some do it for environmental reasons, and some do it for ethical reasons. Regardless of the reason, going from a kitchen that includes meats and dairy to one that is devoid of any substance produced by animals can be extremely difficult. While some of us can stop eating cold turkey, most of us need to take our clothes off and this includes meat and dairy. Here are some great ways to start working towards a completely vegan kitchen.

• Say goodbye to sugar: You are worried? Did you think you had to face a life without the sweets that get you through the day? While processed sugar is a big “no no” in the vegan lifestyle, you can still satisfy your sweet tooth with natural sweeteners. One of the best vegan-friendly sugar substitutes is agave juice or syrup. Agave is almost one and a half times sweeter than sugar, which means you’ll have to use less to get the same sweet effect. Like honey and maple syrup, it can be used as a sugar substitute in desserts, main dishes, and drinks. Guava nectar is chemical-free and has a low glycemic index, making it a great sweetener for those with Type II diabetes.
• Be a snack expert: Believe it or not, many of your favorite snacks are not vegan friendly. A great way to stock your pantry with snacks that follow the rules is to visit gourmet food stores or organic food stores or centers. These places often have a great selection of healthy and vegan-friendly snacks, as well as other neat organic stuff. It’s often hard to give up your favorite snacks, but there are some great substitutes. For example, if you love chips with dip or vegetables with dip, try soy chips or vegetables with hummus or vegetable pates. If you like nachos, try using black beans or refried beans topped with vegan cheese instead of the regular toppings. For a sweet tooth substitution, look for soy milk ice creams, as well as some of your favorite cookies made to fit your diet.
• Minus the meat: Thanks to the modern marvels of food science, there are tons of great meat substitutes that come very close to the taste of meat. The veggie burger is no longer a tasteless piece of cardboard. In contrast, many vegetable, tofu, soy, or bean-based meat substitutes, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and even luncheon meats, taste great. Experiment with different brands, flavors, and types of meatless alternatives early in your vegan days to help you find what you like and make transformation simple.
• Get rid of dairy: Like I said, there have been a lot of advances in the world of food science, which means you can find great substitutes for your favorite dairy products. This includes milk and dairy products like cheese, sour cream, and butter. The only thing left for you to do is pay attention to the ingredients and read the labels. Most grocery stores will have a section dedicated to organic and vegan foods, so look there first.

By introducing these substitutions into your diet, you will eventually find that you can satisfy most of your cravings safely. If you find that you’re having a hard time staying on track, or if you’re afraid of making a quick jump to veganism, try changing your diet in stages. Eliminate a different animal protein each week. Eventually you will, and when you do, you will feel better and be healthier. To make sure you stay healthy, make sure you eat a diet rich in calcium, zinc, protein, and vitamin C.

I have to share with you an amazing tip for both fat loss and muscle building. It’s called the zigzag nutrition strategy.

It’s pretty simple to put it simply.

Just adjust your calories in a zigzag diet pattern over days, weeks, or months, even years. I don’t recommend you do the yearly or even the monthly as it will be too late to tell if it is working for you or you are just getting fatter with less results and your hard body underneath is freaking out. for a long walk on the dirt road.

What I DO recommend is that you follow a zigzag pattern of nutrition on a weekly and possibly daily basis. I prefer to do it weekly.

It works like this (once you know your lean body mass requirements).

First you ZIG. So you ZAG.

You first need to determine how many calories you currently consume, or better yet, how many calories you need to maintain your lean body mass (LBM). That’s the sexy shape and muscle tone that hides under your layers of fat and water. Once you determine what the machine needs to power, start planning your ZIGZAG diet strategy.

Now, this is all assuming you’re eating clean, low glycemic, moderate protein and good essential fats to begin with. We can even zigzag your primary macronutrients as well, but more on that later, since we’re focusing on zigzag calories for now.

Start your ZIG by reducing your total calories by 200-500 per day. I suggest you do this during the week.

Now the ZAG is to use the required daily amount and add 200-500 calories per day for 1 week.

This will provide you with the necessary calories to maintain your lean body mass, but surprisingly you will have a leaner body by following this method after 1-2 months. Bill Phillips wrote about this with Dan Duchaine, Mauro DiPasquali, TC Loma, and a few others many years ago (almost 20 years ago). Dan Duchaine reported that this “cycling” trick resulted in +1 to 2 pounds of lean body fat and -1 to 2 pounds of body fat every 2 weeks for months.

That alone is amazing, as it means you could be the same weight you are today in a year, but you actually have 12-24 pounds less fat and 12-24 pounds more muscle than you do today. This is a GREAT opportunity to change the way you perform, look and feel without changing anything in your diet.

If you had the opportunity to NOT diet and do what you do today, just change the amounts you eat today versus tomorrow by following a ZIGZAG nutrition strategy, you should at least consider it.

Anecdotal reports on this have come from many, including the guinea pigs with the original Dr. Jekyll team above, myself, and many of my clients, and they are as follows:

• energy boost
• reduced fatigue
• Increased healing and recovery.
• pain reduction
• Increase lean muscle
• decreased weakness
• Increased fat loss
• Decreased loss of muscle mass
• increased strength

And the list goes on, its pretty amazing but you will need to experience it for yourself to be a true believer, trust me you will become a believer in this ZIGZAG diet strategy.

Remember that all this starts with a good nutritional base. If you need to do that, there are resources on the internet, but you need to start with a great nutrition game plan for this to be truly effective in the shortest possible time.

To make a ZIGZAG nutrition strategy work for you, first determine how to create a solid, clean nutrition program. A game plan if you will.

If your goal is to lose fat, then you need to know how much to feed the body. Cut that down by 200 calories and that will give you a baseline to start your Zigzag nutrition formula.

If your goal is to gain muscle, know what you need to fuel the machine and work above your baseline by 200 calories and start your ZIGZAG diet game plan.

Let me make it easy for you.

ZIGZAG for fat loss with 2000 calories

2000 calories – 200 calories = 1800 reference calories
1800 calories – 200 calories = 1600 calories on ZIG restricted days
1800 calories + 200 calories = 2000 calories on ZAG recovery days
The net average is 1800 calories, the fat loss is much greater than that and so are the lean body mass gains in the process.

ZIGZAG for muscle development using 2000 calories

2,000 calories + 200 calories = 2,200 baseline calories
2,200 calories – 200 calories = 2,000 restricted ZIG days
2,200 calories + 200 calories = 2,400 ZAG days of recovery
The net average is 2,200 calories; the lean muscle gain is greater than that along with the side effect of fat loss

This is all well done for you, but you still need to know what ratio of primary macronutrients works for you. That is different for everyone and it will change from goal to goal, from season to season.

Simple fat loss math will suggest that you eat less carbs than you do today to lose fat. You can slightly increase your protein and healthy fat intake to offset the calories from carb restriction and experience greater fat loss while eating the exact same calories you did last week.

I would only suggest swapping 100-200 carb calories for protein and fat at a time and give it 1-2 weeks to assess the net results. Once you feel that you are satisfied with your fat loss results or that you are at a sticking point, you should consider a ZIGZAG strategy.

If you are just starting out and have no idea where to feed your machine or what ratios to eat and how to implement the ZIGZAG nutrition method, try this simple math:

200 pounds – 20% body fat = LBM (Lean Body Mass)
200 pounds – 40 pounds of body fat = 160 pounds LBM
160 pounds LBM x 10 calories per LBM = 1600 calories
ZIG days (-200 calories) = 1400 calories
ZAG days (+200 calories) = 1800 calories
This may sound lower than what you’re used to, but remember that the goal is fat loss and maintenance of lean muscle and you can’t lose fat while eating too many calories.

The ratio I would recommend starting with is 40% protein, 30% carbs, and 30% fat.

1400 calories ZIG days
Protein = 560 calories / 140 grams
Carbohydrates = 420 / 105 grams
Fat = 420 / 46.6 grams

1800 calories ZAG days
Protein = 720 calories / 180 grams
Carbohydrates = 540 / 135 grams
Fat = 540 / 60 grams

Now that you know how to do this for fat loss, you can do the same process for muscle building, but instead of multiplying your LBM x10 calories, you’ll use x12-15 calories per LBM. To stay lean try the same ratios, this will ensure a lean body muscle building experience without adding unwanted fat.

Of course there are those who claim to be hard gainers, many are too lazy to work hard enough on their nutrition, exercise and supplementation programs, but even they will be surprised by using a ZIGZAG method for lean body gains. Gone are the days of raw MASS dropping all lean attributes, but if you need that kind of program, there are places and merits for that too.

I love knowing that it all comes down to 2 things with nutrition. Simple Science = Math and Personal Choices = Art of creating a program that works for you. Most of the simple science is available to you, just choose wisely and make the right ratio, meal times, and food choices that work for you.

Put ZIGZAG programs to work for you. You can go between the fat loss, muscle building, MASS program every week or month and notice incredible fat loss and lean muscle gains.

I mentioned ZIGZAG from the primary macronutrients and this can have amazing results for you too, but it’s a bit trickier to suggest here and leads me to another article to increase your lean body lifestyle, fat loss and muscle building goals.

Remember that when 90% of the world uses ZIG at the rate of 1 strategy, it is time for you to ZAG and make a difference. 90% of the time, the 10% who run the wrong way are successful in their endeavors.

Although a tight abdominal area is a common aesthetic goal, many women and men find it difficult to achieve, even with a commitment to strict diet and exercise. Certain factors such as extreme weight loss, pregnancy, age, and heredity can make toning the abdominal area more of a challenge. Tummy tuck surgery or abdominoplasty is a viable option for people who want a flat, well-contoured abdomen. This body contouring treatment will give you the model body you’ve always wanted. The benefits of this incredible plastic surgery procedure are more abundant than most people realize.

Repair the Abdominal Area

For many people, pregnancy or extreme weight loss can stretch the skin on the stomach. When this happens, a tummy tuck can be performed to repair the abdomen and remove loose skin. Skin can also lose its elasticity as people age. This popular plastic surgery procedure will give you a healthy-looking body contour.

Increase your confidence in yourself

If you have a physique that you are not proud of, it can prevent you from living your life to the fullest and participating in certain activities. Many tummy tuck patients feel better about themselves after undergoing this procedure. They feel more secure in their daily lives.

improve your appearance

Do you feel self-conscious in bathing suits? A tummy tuck offers many cosmetic benefits. This procedure will remove excess fat and skin from your stomach, reduce your waistline, tighten your abdominal muscles, tone your abdomen, and reduce your overall weight. It will give you a flatter abdomen and a leaner, more sculpted physique. You will look fit and fabulous after undergoing this cosmetic surgery procedure.

get rid of stretch marks and scars

Are you embarrassed by stretch marks on your stomach? Many people have stretch marks on their stomachs due to weight loss or pregnancy. Stretch marks occur when the skin and muscles are stretched and no one enjoys looking at them. Stretch marks can be erased with a tummy tuck surgery. This surgical procedure can also get rid of unsightly scars in the abdominal area.

lasting benefits

The duration of the results of this body contouring treatment is limited by how well you take care of yourself after surgery. The results of this plastic surgery can last for many years. Living an active lifestyle will protect the benefits of your surgery. It is also worth noting that many patients find that their tummy tuck gives them the motivation to live a more active and healthy lifestyle.

Whether it’s loose skin, stretch marks, scarring, or excess fat in the stomach area, a tummy tuck can help you achieve the stunning look you want. Everyone wants to look sexy and a tummy tuck will help you achieve that goal. A flat stomach will also give you a youthful appearance that you will love. If you want firm abs and a slimmer waist, schedule a personal consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon today. You’ll be glad you did!

Marriage is not easy but it is through committed relationships that we grow the most. I have read before that relationships are really about us. The person we have chosen to be with is really a mirror of ourselves, but many times we cannot see it. Have you ever noticed that when people leave a relationship, the next person they end up with is very similar to their previous partner? We all probably know at least one person, or know of at least one person who has had multiple relationships with the same person; just a different face. Barring the obvious deal breakers in a relationship, it’s usually worth working out your issues in an open and honest way so that you both grow and learn.

Here are 7 ways to help get your marriage back on track if it’s starting to go off the rails.

1. Commit not to blame your partner for everything that goes wrong in the relationship. Learn to ask yourself, “How am I contributing to this problem?”

2. Create a life of your own outside of your marriage to make yourself a more fun and interesting person. Many times we let small things bother us when in reality the problems are more about us than about the other person.

3. If you insist that your way is the only way, learn to accept that there are many “right” ways and insisting on doing things your way all the time creates resentment. Ask yourself, if your partner had it your way, what’s the worst that could happen?

4. Commit to a weekly or bi-weekly date night. This is especially true for people who have small children. It is absolutely necessary to take some time as a couple. Remember the reason you got together in the first place. Find a babysitter you can trust and take care of the parents of her children.

5. Every day tell your partner at least one thing that you appreciate about him or her. Everyone wants to feel appreciated. Even if you don’t reciprocate right away, kind words will strengthen your marriage. Even on days when you don’t really like the person, find something nice to say. It will also change your mindset.

6. Accept your partner for who he or she is. Nobody wants to be someone’s project. If it really bothers you that your husband eats junk food, let it slide. If you can’t stand your wife watching so many reality shows, let that happen too. We are all human and we all have strengths and weaknesses, funny habits, crazy moods, and passions for things that are sometimes not shared by our partners. It’s okay.

7. Take 5 minutes out of your day to say a few kind words over email to your partner. It will make their day to see “I LOVE YOU” in the subject line of their inbox. It takes minutes to make a significant difference.