Build Your Dream Body: Breaking the Lies and Myths of the Fitness Industry So You Can Build Lean, Hard Muscle and Shred Fat Using Simple and Proven Techniques That Get Results (2 page)

Refusing to buy into the myths about and avoiding the most common mistakes in muscle building will help you get the most from your workouts.

Here is a list of the most common errors to avoid:

Not Setting a Workout Schedule

If you are only working out sporadically, you are going to confuse your body more than anything else. It needs structured workouts to build on. This does not mean that if you have to skip a workout you should just quit. It means to make it a point to create a plan and do your best to stick to that plan. The best bodies are a result of consistency.

Looking at the "Other Guy"

No matter where you go, you are going to come across the beach body types who make you feel like something is wrong with you because you do not naturally look like them. Do not buy into that baloney. Those guys had to work hard to get the body they got and when you roll up your sleeves and work at it, you will end up looking just as good as them, if not better.

Not Measuring Your Progress

How do you know if you are gaining strength and muscle if you do not track your progress? Results are going to come slowly, but surely. This makes it important to make notes in your workout plan so you can see how you are doing. Not only will this help you stay motivated, but you might also notice that you need to make some adjustments in order to get better results. Get yourself a notebook and keep it in your gym bag. Then use it.

Impatience

You did not get in the shape you are in overnight, and you are not going to be able to change it overnight. Rome wasn’t built in a day. While what you learn in this guide will help you efficiently gain your dream body, it is still going to require some time. Who cares if it takes a whole year? Once you get your dream body, you will be able to keep it by remembering what you learned here.

Besides, something strange happens when you are working out; you might think you are not losing weight, yet find out later that you lost a ton of fat, but gained muscle, which weighs more. Keep your cool when it comes to reaching the end goal you’ve set for yourself and commit to completing and enjoying the small steps that get you there.

Overtraining or Undertraining

Muscles get stressed and damaged; they NEED to rest. If you do not allow them the time to recover, you may actually lose muscle instead of gaining it. On the other hand, not working out enough is not going to help you either. Find that sweet spot, which in my opinion is exercising 5-6 times per week, with one day of total rest. Now, please note that I am not suggesting you lift heavy weights 5-6 times a week. Rather, I am referring to a combination of heavy weight sessions and light cardio (or HIIT if fat loss is a primary goal).

Thinking That Without Supplements You Cannot Build Muscle

This is a ridiculous myth. Nutrition and exercise are what get you in shape, and while some expensive and high quality supplements will get you some results, you can bet it will be less than 5% of the results you would get through good old-fashioned healthy eating and getting ample amounts of exercise. Save your money and give up on trying to find shorts cuts.

Forgetting About Nutrition

If you really want to experience that dream body instead of just fantasizing about it, you must eat right. That means walking away from the garbage and filling your body with the type of fuel that will super power your workout efforts.

Sticking to the Same Routine Every Session

When you constantly stick to the same routine you will build up muscle resistance. This will keep your muscles resistant to the trauma that they need in order to tear down and build back up. It is better to change up your routine consistently to make sure you do not build up muscle resistance. Plus, it keeps your workouts fun and interesting and ensures you’re consistently hitting every muscle group.

Overdoing the Cardio

Do cardio three times a week if you need to burn a lot of fat, and once a week if you are focused more on building big muscles. This will allow you to take advantage of the catabolic benefits without overly breaking down the protein you need to build strong muscles. Cardio is important, so do not skip it altogether, but do not do too much of it.

Everything that you have learned so far sounds simple, right?

That’s because it IS simple.

In fact, beyond a few extremely important secrets here and there, the bulk of fitness boils down to common sense. The magazines and trainers do not want you to know that, though.

Can you guess why the magazines and trainers want you to think that getting a great body is such a complicated effort?

If you guessed money, you guessed right and get a big high five! 

That’s right, dieting and muscle building is big business; we are talking about billions of dollars being poured into this industry every year. The more confused you are, and the more difficult, time-consuming, and intricate you think it is to get into shape, the more money they stand to make.

They give you just enough to see results. Then you lose them; and guess what happens then?

That’s right!

You are spending more money to get more results.

Magazines and trainers are like drug dealers. They want to hook you, give you enough to get a little buzz on, and then have you running back for more.

That is not to say that every trainer is like that; there are a few legitimate ones out there. Consider it your lucky day if you find them, though, because they are not the ones spending millions of dollars in advertising to hook you.

The same goes for magazines; sometimes you can find great information. The problem is that you get crumbs, just enough to keep you coming back and paying for new issues.

From here on out, just say NO!

So far you have learned about the common myths and mistakes of dieting, fat loss, and muscle building. You have also learned about why the magazines and trainers are making it so hard for you to figure out how simple it really is to get that dream body.

Simple does not mean it is going to be easy. It is, however, going to be worth it!

Now it is time to drill down and teach you what it is going to take for you to get that body you’ve always wanted.

Let’s look at your diet first, and then we will get to building muscle. No amount of working out is going to get you the body you deserve if you are not giving it the type of fuel it needs.

Now, before you get all stressed, thinking you are going to have to stick to a limited amount of food, remember that limited food is for fad diets, and as we have already discussed, fad diets do not work.

At the same time, you have to face facts. The fact is, you really are what you eat.

If you want to have that hot sculpted body, you are going to have to choose foods that will help you get it. Fortunately, there are a lot of healthy food choices that will keep you full and satisfied at the same time. Let’s take a look at them.

Food Containing Healthy Fats

Forget all that nonsense about not eating fat. You are a man, and fat helps you boost testosterone. Testosterone makes you stronger and makes it easier to build muscle, at the same time giving you all sorts of other benefits that will boost your appeal, sexually and otherwise.

Foods loaded with healthy fats include seeds and nuts, coconut oil, avocadoes, butter, egg yolks, block cheese, olives, extra virgin olive oil, and more. With the variety of choices, you can add plenty of these fats into your diet every day and not get tired of eating them.

See how simple this is going to be? Let’s look at the rest...

Protein

Getting enough protein is crucial for a healthy testosterone level. You also need to get enough protein to repair red blood cells, transport nutrients to and from cells, and carry the optimal amount of oxygen throughout your bloodstream. If you do not get enough protein, your body will use your muscle tissues instead. As you can imagine, when you are trying to build muscles, the last thing you want is for your body to eat all your hard work.

The best sources of protein are red meat, poultry, pork, and seafood. Other sources can be found in foods such as buckwheat, quinoa, nuts, legumes, and seeds such as hemp seeds and chia seeds.

Spices

Spices are not just to make your food taste better; they are the ultimate secret weapon. For example, piperine, found in black pepper, stimulates a reaction called adipogenesis, which inhibits the formation of fat cells. Cinnamon contains polyphenols, antioxidants that improve insulin sensitivity and assist with appetite control. Capsaicin, found in cayenne pepper, also suppresses the appetite and boosts thermogenesis. When thermogenesis is increased, you will burn a great deal more fat.

Carbs

Not only do legumes such as black beans, kidney beans and chickpeas offer a good source of protein, but they are also high in fiber. This fiber is crucial because it helps spike insulin levels, which is immensely important. You need this to transport nutrients to damaged muscles after workouts to promote healing. Carbs also help your body absorb other important nutrients it needs to gain strength and muscle.

So, you have four food groups to keep in mind in order to lose the fat, gain the muscle, and look like a god: healthy fats, proteins, spices, and carbs. That is all! While you may think fruit is a healthy food because it does contain plenty of vitamins, it is best to limit it to one serving a day due to the sugar content.

A quick word about beverages; coffee, green tea, and water are the best choices. Avoid fizzy beverages and fruit juices entirely.

You are going to be amazed at how ridiculously preparing your meals will be. Just eat those healthy fats, proteins, spices and carbs at every meal.

Seriously, that’s it

If you need more to wrap your head around, here is a great equation you can use:

P + V + F/C + S = Losing fat and gaining muscle.

P = Protein

V = Vegetables

F = Fats (healthy fats that is)

C = Carbs

S = Spices

In other words, for every meal you should choose a protein-packed food, one or more of your favorite vegetables, healthy fats, and a carb. Finally, load on the spices.

Not only can you create a literally unlimited amount of meals following this formula, but they can also be delicious and filling, and, most importantly, they will get the job done. The job, of course, is the achievement of that amazingly strong and appealing body that you have always wanted.

It is critical to make sure that the carbs you are choosing are low on the glycemic index (GI). In other words, choose complex carbs, which are found in foods such as legumes, whole wheat and whole grain pastas, bulgur, quinoa, brown rice, and so forth.

To keep it simple, when it comes to breads, pastas, and most carbohydrates, just remember this:

“If it’s brown, scarf it down, if it’s white, it just ain’t right!”

This holds true for potatoes as well. White potatoes are not a great choice and should be avoided when possible. Sweet potatoes and yams, on the other hand, are power foods that you can load up on. This is because white potatoes are higher on the glycemic index. They also digest faster, so you end up feeling hungry very quickly.

Try to load up on carbs that are high in fiber as well as low on the GI. These foods include legumes such as kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas. This will increase the speed of amino acids getting absorbed into muscle tissue.

Finally, get creative when you cook to get the most bang for your buck. An example of this would be to cook with butter rather than oil. This will give you a healthy fat and help boost your testosterone. Heating oils such as olive oil and coconut oil also breaks down a lot of the benefits they offer. This makes butter the top choice for cooking. For example, try frying your eggs in butter. It tastes great, too! Keep your oils for making dressings and other sauces.

Also, whenever possible, go raw as your first choice, steaming for your second choice, and then other types of cooking. The highest quality nutrients will be found in raw food, and while eating nothing but salads would be counter-productive, try to include some raw food like raw vegetables, raw seeds, or nuts.

The chances are high that you already know what to avoid. Fast food, prepackaged food, and foods filled with chemical additives, unhealthy fats, high sugar content, and high fructose corn syrup are all well known for creating the type of body you do
not
want to have.

The best trick in deciding if you want to make an unhealthy choice is to think about if the new body you are trying to accomplish is going to be helped or hurt by your choice.

Not many people know that you should even avoid eating too much of a good thing, however. Consider protein, for example; most bodybuilders will make suggestions that will leave you overdosing on protein, and when that happens whatever is left over gets stored. And what do you think it gets stored as?

If you answered “fat”, you are correct and just earned another high five!

You need protein to promote a process called protein synthesis, which is a fancy way of saying that protein helps your muscles get bigger. This is where the confusion comes into play because some will claim that the more protein you consume, the bigger your muscles get.

That would be false.

Adequate protein will help build your muscles. Too much protein will build your belly fat, butt fat, and all other types of fat you do not want. So how much is right for you? We will get to that soon.

I do, however, suggest you consume 25-50 grams of a whey protein supplement daily (via a shake). This is your protein safety net and will ensure that you are consistently getting enough protein. Just do not make the mistake of replacing meals with shakes because “they have lots of protein”. Supplements are SUPPLEMENTAL to your diet and cannot replace whole foods.

If you are vegan or have problems getting an adequate amount of protein from the foods you are eating, you may want to consider increasing to around 75 grams of whey protein daily.