For years and years I've been struggling to build up muscles to last, especially in my legs which can be quite skinny in comparison to my waist. I'm now 44, weigh 128lbs, 5ft7 tall and have about 32% body fat (way too high) of which most is located around my waist/belly, extremely stubborn fat. Now I do realize that to gain muscle one needs to consume a good amount of food on a consistent basis (protein/complex carbs/fiber/good fats). I am not a big eater so I have trouble sometimes eating 5 meals a day next to the fact of having to train really heavy to build up muscle. I am certainly not afraid of hard work, I love it and always in for a challenge and I'll go 100% for it to reach my goal. Somehow along the way I just miss that extra edge to get there. Are there any suggestions/tips you can give me for muscle build up/fat loss?
Answer
You hit the nail on the head in describing your situation. 5 to 6 moderate, high protein meals per day. Of all the eating plans that exist out there (and there are many) the 5-6 small meals per day is the daddy! I won’t get too scientific on you, but bear with me as I quickly touch on the subject of human evolution. Early man ate opportunistically. Hunter gatherers would eat food as they found it all day long. This way, we evolved to shed fat when we had a continuous, if meager, food supply. Our bodies didn’t want to carry fat around all day while hunting and gathering because it was a burden. So, if we eat modestly often, we get lean. The opposite applied to early man during times of famine. When food was scarce and we ate once or twice a day, only when we found something, our bodies learned to store fat for survival as an energy reserve. So if you eat two or three big meals per day, your primitive self preservation mode kicks in and you store fat easily. Eat like a hunter gatherer, who was always on the move eating modestly, the reverse applies. This is why meal replacement formulas (MRF’s) are such an important part of getting into great shape. Sci-MX have several depending on your goal and training workload. It sound like you should be looking at a low carb MRF and I would suggest Pro-Plex. It contains the equivalent nutrients as a modest, high protein meal plus a whole package of extra muscle building agents. Have a serving between your solid meals, up to three times a day and make sure your solid meals have protein, complex cabs and are low in fat. Xedra-Cut MX helps a lot to shed that extra fat quickly. You are only 44 years young so the world is your oyster. Go for it!
Question
I use an N02 supplement, cycling it 6 weeks on 6 weeks off. while on the N02 I experience really good pumps in the gym and they tend to last from one session to the next. However, in between cycles I tend to lose muscle mass. Is the N02 just a temporary boost to make me feel good at the gym or can it actually help with building lasting muscle development?
Answer
Hi Peter, NO2 will give you a temporary boost for training, but it is also useful for building long term muscle. Losing muscle mass quickly between cycles is often a result of training principals. If your training is too focused on achieving a “burn’ every time you workout rather than a structured training regime that includes changing your program every 6 weeks, focusing on eccentric movements (negatives) and reciprocal inhibition (training opposite muscle groups in super sets), you may just be pumping your muscle with fluid and not real new muscle. So make sure you have incorporated the three aspects into your training. I find that when I’m ‘off cycle’ N02 or creatine for that matter, I often get bigger in the week or so after stopping the cycle. This is a result of seriously well structured training. I would suggest on your 6 weeks off NO2 to try stacking Sci-MX’s 17 Testo-Methox with Creatine. The 2 work together really well. This will prevent muscle loss and I bet it will help you add even more. Good luck mate and train hard.
Question
Hi there, I just need to know how many different exercises I should be doing on each body part to gain size and definition, how many sets, how many reps and how I should do each rep? Do I bring the weight down slow and up fast, or do all of it slow and heavy, or all fast? I really don’t know. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Answer
I recommend 3 exercises of 3 to 4 sets per exercise. Stick to basic movement like military press, bench press etc… Perform all exercises slowly and strictly, emphasizing the ‘down’ or concentric movement (muscle lengthening) with a rep range of 6 to 12 per set, with 12 being your warm up and then tapering down to 6 as your final, super focused set. Follow Good nutritional habits eat high protein, low sugary carb meals every 2-3 hours. Try Sci-MX’s supplements range, you will definitely notice a difference if you train correctly. Most importantly be consistent, and don’t over-train. Good luck Mate.
