1. health and fitness
2. disorders
3. sleep disorders

Pre Workout Secrets
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Pre Workout Secrets
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
WARNING: This eBook is for your personal use only. You may NOT Give Away, Share, Or Resell This Intellectual Property In Any Way. All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker All rights are reserved. You may not distribute this eBook in any way. You may not sell it, or reprint any part of it without written consent from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Disclaimer The advice given in this eBook is just that: advice. The author takes no responsibility for the actions taken by individuals as a result of reading this eBook. If you have any concerns regarding your health, please consult your doctor before making any changes to your nutrition, exercise, or lifestyle plan. Don’t do anything stupid; I’m here to help you become superhuman, not dead. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Dedication: I would like to dedicate this eBook to my brother Michael: Thanks for forcing me into the gym when I was 16 and introducing me to a whole new world of possibility; thanks to you I am now closer to superhuman. I also dedicate this eBook to everyone out there who has ever enjoyed weight training in any way, shape, or form, and to those of you out there who, like me, not only want to look awesome but also be healthy on the inside and train until age 100 and beyond! Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS -­‐
Introduction and Definition ……………………………………………………………………….. 5 -­‐ The Seven Pre Workout Secrets that will help you train like a beast, recover like a pro, and unleash your inner superhuman: 1. Wake The Fuck Up: How to sleep effectively for maximum energy levels and faster recovery from training ……………………………………………………………………………… 9 2. Drink Up Buddy: How staying hydrated can make all the difference …………… 15 3. Hungry Like The Wolf: Sports nutrition for maximum performance …………… 19 4. You Wanna Get High? Key supplements to use for achieving maximum results and preventing burnout …………………………………………………………………………………... 36 5. Unleash The Beast: Managing your training load and training schedule for maximum results and minimum down time ………………………………………………… 60 6. Train Your Mind Before You Train Your Body: How a strong mindset and goal setting can make you unstoppable ……………………………………………………………… 66 7. The Biggest Pre Workout Secret: Pre Workout Cycling ……………………………... 74 -­‐ Your Game Plan: How to take the lessons you’ve learned and apply them to your life and your situation ………………………………………………………………………… 77 -­‐ Don’t Be A Stranger: Stay in touch and stay on track ………………………………….. 86 Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Introduction and Definition: What exactly is this eBook about? Let me start with a story: I took my first pre workout supplement in 2009 and, like most people; the first one I ever took was good old “No-­‐Xplode.” The first time I took it I felt like I could lift 1,000 pounds and I would actually get angry at the barbell if it wouldn’t let me complete any more reps. I felt like an animal unleashed into the wild after years of captivity and celibacy, and my workouts had become insanely intense. Then one day the one scoop just didn’t cut it anymore, so I took two and felt awesome all over again. And then came three. And then came…The Crash. I thought to myself “oh it’s totally the product’s fault and not mine, all I have to do now is just get a stronger product and I’ll be all good!” So I took the next latest and greatest product, which at that time was “N.O. Shotgun.” Again I was high off one scoop and was kicking ass all over again. Then came two scoops. And then one day I distinctly remember taking one scoop and loading another one into my shaker, which I was sipping on throughout my 10-­‐minute drive to the gym. When I arrived at the gym and parked my car, I immediately plonked my head down onto my steering wheel and began to have a nap. WTF!? Had my drink been spiked? Was the label legit? Unfortunately, no one was trying to take advantage of me and yes, the label on the product was legit and there was apparently plenty of caffeine in my system. So why was I crashing? It was those two magical words you are going to be very familiar with by the end of this eBook: Adrenal Exhaustion. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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At the time I had no idea what was happening to me, but, thankfully, being in the health and fitness industry I’m always surrounded by geniuses. So I asked über naturopath, nutritionist, friend, and advisor Lenche (pronounced: Lench-­‐
ay) to help fix me up. When I walked into my store to meet her, I didn’t even have to open my mouth before she said, loud and clear: “You’ve got adrenal exhaustion.” “Sounds great, but what the hell is making me so damn tired?” – I asked, completely ignorant of the fact that she had just 100% accurately defined my problem without even having to do so much as look me in my tired eyes. “Adrenal exhaustion” – she replied. “And WTF is that?” – I politely yet impatiently asked. She then went on to explain some really juicy facts, causes, and methods to solve the problem, all of which I will explain in this eBook, plus more. My friends: I have been there, I have been burnt out to the point of napping in my car outside the gym, I have woken up tired every morning and gone to bed wired every night, and I have returned triumphant and can now train harder than ever without burning out. So take my hand (or bicep) and let me walk you through the fascinating world of adrenal exhaustion and show you how to beat it once and for all. The underlying issue that this eBook aims to address is the severe increase in cases of chronic adrenal exhaustion throughout the fitness world caused almost entirely by the incorrect use and abuse of pre workout nutritional supplements. And I’m not going to give you a one-­‐size-­‐fits-­‐all solution; I’m giving you seven different strategies. Do one of them and you’ll be kicking ass, do all seven, however, and you may just become superhuman. Before we begin, let’s take a quick scientific look at what we’re trying to overcome here: What exactly is adrenal exhaustion? The following quote is from the Better Health Channel: an initiative of the Victorian State Government of Australia: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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“The human body has two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney. These glands form part of the endocrine system, which works with the nervous system and the immune system to help the body cope with different events and stresses.” Moving on to a latter part of the quote: “Adrenaline is the most well known of the hormones that are secreted by the adrenal glands, in the adrenal medulla (the central part of the gland). The adrenal cortex (the outer part) also produces important hormones, the corticosteroids. They include cortisol, aldosterone and supplementary sex hormones.” Source: The Better Health Channel, Victorian State Government, Australia (www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au) So, what does this mean? To put it in simple terms, the adrenal glands are where you make adrenalin. And do you want to know what makes you feel so full of energy when you get excited, scared, aroused, or when you drink coffee, energy drinks, or pre workout supplements? You guessed it...adrenalin! The following quote will briefly explain the effects of too much caffeine on the body and the symptoms of adrenal exhaustion even further: Ralph T. Golan, MD, describes this unfortunate state in his book, Herbal Defense: "Caffeine forces your glands to secrete (adrenalin) when they don't have much left to give, and they have to keep digging deeper and deeper, making you more and more tired over time. And over the years, it takes more and more coffee to get the same result. Some people reach the point of drinking half a dozen or more cups of coffee to get the same result and it's barely keeping them awake. That's severe adrenal depletion (exhaustion)." Source: Naturalnews.com – “The hidden dangers of caffeine: How coffee causes exhaustion, fatigue and addiction” So if after all that you still don’t get it let me sum it up in one sentence: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Adrenal exhaustion is when you are running on empty, there’s nothing left in the tank, and no matter how much caffeine you put into your body, you don’t feel energized or excited, you only feel tired. Now to see if adrenal exhaustion may be holding you back, take a quick look at the following list and see if any of these symptoms look familiar to you: •
•
•
•
•
•
You get to the gym at the end of the day with zero energy and have a horrible workout. You feel exhausted several times a day, yet wide-­‐awake when it’s time for bed. You feel stressed, anxious, short-­‐tempered, and unfocused. You get dark circles under your eyes and dry eyes. You wake up in the morning feeling sluggish even though you’ve had plenty of sleep. You have low sex drive, low libido, or a low desire and enthusiasm for life in general. If you are experiencing any one of these, it can easily be fixed. If you are experiencing all of these: May God help you! But not to worry, there are millions out there just like you who are experiencing these symptoms. But it’s time to put an end to it all. It’s time to unleash your inner superhuman. Let’s get started. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Wake The Fuck Up: How to sleep effectively for maximum energy levels and faster recovery from training Did you know that we spend as much as one-­‐
third of our lives sleeping? That’s pretty scary when you think about it, so I hope you’re making the most out of those other two-­‐
thirds. When it comes to maximizing your pre workout performance, remember that it is during your sleep that you do most of your recovery; it’s also when you produce testosterone, growth hormone, and, most importantly for our purposes: It’s when you replenish your little adrenal glands and “fill up the tanks.” Take a quick look at the following and see which ones apply to you: · You slept for ages, like 10–12 hours or more, and yet still felt tired for the rest of the day. · You woke up really early feeling alert, but then decided to go back to sleep for another hour because it wasn’t time to get up yet, only to find that one hour later you felt really tired and sluggish. · You slept for only three or four hours, yet somehow felt energized and fresh for the rest of the day. If you have experienced one or all three of the above situations, then you are not alone. I’ve experienced them too, and most people still do on a regular basis. Well, now it’s time to try and understand what the hell is going on when we sleep, and how to sleep more effectively. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Before we explore the solutions to these three common scenarios, we will briefly explore what happens inside the body while we sleep. To put it simply, we experience three different stages while we sleep; they are listed in order below: 1. Light Sleep – This is the first stage and, as the name suggests, is very light and doesn’t really provide much benefit for the body. 2. Deep Sleep – This is a very important stage in which our body does its best work, such as repairing our cells and keeping our body and mind strong. 3. REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep – This is when we have our dreams and where our memories are sorted out or “saved” and filed away in a very similar way to managing files on a computer. Most people take about two hours to complete one “sleep cycle,” in which the body experiences all three stages of sleep before re-­‐entering the light sleep phase and getting ready to go through another “cycle.” The first few cycles of sleep are where we do the majority of our deep sleep and REM sleep, so the more cycles you sleep, the less deep and REM sleep you will experience. So sleeping in for many hours isn’t very useful for increasing recovery or increasing your energy levels if you look at it from this perspective. One more important point: If you wake up during deep sleep or REM sleep, you will feel tired or even disorientated, but if you wake up during light sleep, you will feel alert and energetic. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Therefore your goal should be to sleep in multiples of two hours, e.g. four, six, eight, or ten hours of sleep per night rather than sleeping for three, five, seven, or nine hours, though we might be woken up by our alarm in the middle of the deep or REM sections of our sleeping cycle and thus feel terrible and tired. But that being said, not everyone has an exact two-­‐hour sleep cycle and it will take some practice for you to discover how long your ideal sleep length is. Go experiment with this one and eventually you will find what works best. Now going back to the three points mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, let’s take a look at some solutions for better sleep quality, faster recovery times, and a more effective pre workout experience: The first point: Getting 10 to 12 hours of sleep and still feeling tired; I’ll give you three explanations for why you may be feeling tired after sleeping so many hours: 1. Sleep cycles – As mentioned above, you may be waking up in the middle of one of the wrong stages, e.g. during the REM stage or the deep sleep stage. This usually results in a feeling of disorientation or not knowing where you are and what time of day it is. It can also lead to a feeling of tiredness for the entire day. 2. Dehydration – The body has gone so many hours without water that it now feels dehydrated and is slowing down; the longer you sleep in, the more damage you are actually doing by dehydrating your body. So get up and drink some water. 3. Low Blood Sugar Levels – Over time, your BGL (blood glucose level) begins to drop, e.g. you experience sugar cravings, sluggishness, etc. It happens while you sleep, too. A pre bed snack is a very effective strategy for not only creating a stable BGL, but also for muscle growth and fat loss. It’s best to avoid foods with sugar, as that can lead to a blood sugar crash and a negative impact on recovery through less growth hormone production. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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An ideal snack contains some fats and protein together, as both of these help stabilize blood sugar levels very effectively. Some good examples are: • One tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter (made from 100% real nuts, no added sugar, preservatives, or stabilizers). • One small serving of fatty fish, e.g. salmon. • One small serving of lean chicken breast with a tablespoon of avocado. • Five raw almonds OR three raw macadamia nuts OR three raw Brazil nuts. Eat your pre bed snack 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime and you will definitely notice the difference the next morning. The second point: Waking up early and feeling alert, but then going back to sleep only to be woken up by your alarm an hour later and feeling really tired again. This brings us back to point number one of the previous problem—sleep cycles. If you wake up before your alarm, even if it’s one or two hours before your alarm...STAY UP. You will have more energy for the entire day, and just imagine what you can do with those extra hours. You could do an early morning training session, make plans for world domination, do some extra work, or even start writing your own book on how damn productive you are now that you have more hours in your day. Finally, point number three: Sleeping for only three or four hours yet feeling energized for the whole day. Again, this is the sleep cycles doing their job; you might have set your alarm for three or four hours, but you managed to time it well so that you woke up just after or right near the end of your sleep cycle. I highly recommend experimenting with your sleep cycles until you find the magic numbers that work for you. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Personally, I tend to feel energetic after five and a half to six hours of sleep, and I feel pretty terrible after seven hours. I usually get six hours of sleep most nights of the week, and I might give myself the gift of an eight-­‐hour sleep one or two nights per week. On this routine, I tend to maintain high energy levels all week, even while training with high intensity five to six days per week and working on my businesses five to six days. One more fun exercise to try is the following: Set two alarms in the morning instead of one. What do I mean by this exactly? Say for example you want to get up at 6 a.m. but you find it very difficult and usually end up snoozing several times and getting up at 6:30 instead. Do this: set one alarm for 5:45 a.m. and another for 6:00 a.m. When the first alarm goes off: Get up and out of bed and open some windows or turn your lights on so that it’s fairly bright in your room (natural light is much less harsh, so I recommend the window option). What you'll find now is that when that second alarm goes off at 6 a.m. it will be much easier to get up than it used to be. And this is mostly due to a part of the brain called the "Suprachiasmatic nucleus." Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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If you want a detailed scientific definition then I recommend you Google it, but my job here is to give you the most simple and practical explanation I can, so here goes: “The suprachiasmatic nucleus (or SCN) is a tiny part of the brain that is responsible for controlling your circadian rhythm (your sleeping routine).” What's interesting about this tiny part of the brain is that it is sensitive to light and part of its job is to "fire the body up" once it detects light hitting the eyes so that you can wake up and get ready for your day. To sum it up: Try waking up 15 minutes earlier than you normally do, let the light hit you right square in the SCN, and then you'll be ready to jump out of bed 15 minutes later. So start measuring and managing your sleep patterns now and take note as your pre workout energy levels begin to soar. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Drink Up Buddy: How staying hydrated can make all the difference Drink more water: Live longer and train harder. There, I’ve said it… This chapter is now complete. Well pretty much, but just in case you’re not convinced yet, I’ll throw in a bit more evidence just ‘cause I’m a nice guy. “Researchers at Loma Linda University in California found that people who drank at least five glasses of water each day were less likely to die from a heart attack than those who drank two or fewer glasses per day. “In contrast, people who drank a lot of other fluids were more likely to die from heart attack than those who drank less, with high levels of non-­‐water drinking in women associated with a more than twofold increased risk of death.” Source: http://preventdisease.com/news/articles/drink_water_lower_disease.shtml This sounds almost too simple, right? Just drink more water? Well, you’ll be shocked to learn that more than 90% of all people today do not drink enough water. That’s nine out of ten people...maybe someone you know? Maybe someone you know personally? So, how much water should we drink each day and what will it do for us? Allow me to now present my powerful formula for achieving optimal hydration and Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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maximizing your pre workout performance: The Christian Baker Superhuman Hydration Formula – Take your weight in kilograms x 0.033 OR your weight in pounds x 0.015 – This will give you your daily water requirement in liters. If you want to convert your liters to ounces, use the following formula: liters x 33.8. For example: two liters x 33.8 = 67.6 ounces. I weigh 90kg/198lbs, so let’s do the calculation: 90 x 0.033 = 2.97 liters/100 ounces and 198 x 0.015 = 2.97 liters/100 ounces. Luckily for me, I beat that amount and I actually drink as much as 3.5 to 4 liters per day. That’s 14 to 16 250ml/8oz glasses each and every day. I know what you’re probably thinking right now: “I bet this guy is pissing every 20 minutes,” right? Not true—I only go as much as any other person, because I’ve trained my body to stay really hydrated all day long and use the water to keep my muscles feeling great, my skin looking clear, and, most importantly, my energy levels high for maximum performance in the gym. At this stage, if you’re freaking out and thinking there’s no way you could ever drink the amount that my formula suggests, then just relax and make an easy plan where you just Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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add in one extra glass of water per day until you’re drinking the recommended amount. It might take you one week, it might take you two weeks, but you’ll get there—just take it nice and easy. One quick tip though: Don’t drink with meals. Outrageous, I hear you say? Yes, I know most of us have grown up either drinking juice or water with every meal, but trust me; you’re not doing yourself any favors. I’ll explain why: When you eat food, it eventually travels down into your stomach and gets broken down in a pool of hydrochloric acid, or, more specifically: special little guys called “enzymes” do the job of breaking down your food, getting all the important vitamins, minerals, and energy out of the food before it passes through the stomach and into the intestines. When you drink fluids, you dilute the acid in your stomach and make it really hard for those enzymes to do their job properly, so this means it takes a lot more time to digest your food, which can make you feel tired and bloated. Have you ever felt really tired after a big meal and wondered why? Now ask yourself, were you drinking anything with that meal? I’m guessing that you were. So, if I’m not drinking with meals, when the hell am I supposed to fit in my 14 or 15 glasses of water? The answer is: Sip... Thanks to big companies making bottled water available everywhere, it makes it really easy to measure the amount of water you drink each day. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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All you have to do is carry around a bottle of water with you everywhere, sip it all day long, and then refill it several times. For example, if you carry a 600ml/20oz bottle of water and refill it several times each day, it becomes very easy to measure your exact water intake. One final and very important tip: For every cup of coffee, energy drink, or pre workout supplement you consume, you must count that as MINUS one glass of water. So if you have to drink 10 glasses a day but you also drink one cup of coffee plus take two scoops of a pre workout supplement, that actually means you need to drink three more glasses to meet your daily needs (e.g. 10 – 3 = 7 and 7+3 = 10). If you get started on this strategy today, I guarantee you’ll perform better in your next workout—the effects of proper hydration can be felt almost immediately. So what are you waiting for? Drink up! Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Hungry Like The Wolf: Sports nutrition for maximum performance Having been in the health and fitness industry myself for over eight years, I have watched time and time again as people attempt to “out train” and “out supplement” a bad diet. It simply DOESN’T WORK. No matter how skinny, fat, special, average, talented, untalented, fast metabolism, slow metabolism, low sex drive, sexy beast, black, or white you are, 99% of all human bodies play by the same rules. The 1% I have left out would be people with serious genetic disorders who need medical attention before they can train or diet properly. Assuming you are in the 99%, let me point you towards one simple fact that I want you to get into your head: NUTRITION IS THE #1 FACTOR IN ACHIEVING RESULTS IN AND OUT OF THE GYM. Training is not #1 and supplementation is certainly not #1. The order of priority for what makes the biggest impact on your body is as follows: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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1. Nutrition 2. Exercise 3. Supplementation So by simply making the changes outlined in this one chapter alone, you will achieve massive increases in the effectiveness of your pre workout routine. My thoughts around food are as follows: Food is fuel, food is there not only to keep us healthy, but it can also be used to enhance athletic performance. Unfortunately, most people pursue one or the other. On one hand you’ve got the purists who would never eat a protein bar or a big piece of steak in their lives, and then you’ve got the fitness junkies who don’t know what vegetables are and only believe in protein. HEALTH VS. FITNESS I believe there is a disparity, a divide, and a separation between health and fitness when it comes to most people’s nutrition plans. People typically choose one or the other. I choose both. And I will show you how. Let’s start with the health side of things first. Nutrition For Better Health: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Foods that heal and foods that steal: Let me tell you another story: Hundreds of years ago, all international trading of goods was conducted via merchant ships, e.g. businessmen and explorers who would travel the world on sailing boats trading their goods for the goods of others. Europe was one of the busiest regions for international trade with Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands being four of the most active countries when it came to sending out ships for trade. On one particular journey, a group of Dutch sailors were transporting white sugar from Europe to Asia, and if you know how long it takes to fly there you can only imagine how long it would take to sail there. Unfortunately for the sailors, they had underestimated the supplies needed for this trip and ran out of food with more than a week to go before they reached their destination. Out of desperation and hunger, one group of sailors decided to begin eating white sugar each day to increase their energy levels and attempt to satisfy their hunger. The other group of sailors refused to eat any of the sugar and decided to survive off water alone and no food whatsoever. When the sailors arrived at their destination the difference in health between the two groups was very significant. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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One group looked frail, weak, had dark circles under the eyes, and were showing other signs of sickness, too. The other group was a little tired but they had no real health issues. Can you guess which group was the sick group? … … … It was the group that ate the sugar! Now, you might be thinking how on earth could the group that was actually consuming calories be in a worse state of health than the group that was eating absolutely nothing? The answer? White sugar is an incomplete food. What I mean is this: White sugar does not begin its life as white sugar; it starts out as the sugar cane plant. Any food that grows in nature is considered a “whole food,” therefore the cane sugar not only contains sugar, but it also contains vitamins, minerals, and valuable enzymes which are needed by the body to properly break down food. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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When we refine a food, e.g. turn wheat into white bread or turn sugar cane into white sugar, we lose all of the valuable nutrients needed by the body to properly break them down. So, why did the sailors get sick? If a food does not have its own vitamins, minerals, and enzymes to be broken down properly, have a guess where it needs to steal them from? Your body. So each time the sailors ate the white sugar they were actually losing nutrients and gaining nothing but empty calories that do little good for the body. So, using the above example, take a second to think about the amount of complete or “whole” foods versus the amount of refined or “processed” foods in your current diet. This one little factor alone could be having a huge impact on your energy levels and wreaking havoc on your pre workout effectiveness. Not only do incomplete foods steal nutrients needed for high energy levels and superhuman strength, but they also steal the nutrients you need to build more muscle. The aim of the game is this: when choosing foods, try to consume as many complete or “whole” foods as possible and minimize the amount of refined or “processed” foods in your diet. The difference you feel in your energy levels will shock you. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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The acid and alkaline equation: One other significant factor in the impact food has on our energy levels is the acid and alkaline equation. One of our body’s biggest priorities is to keep the blood at an ideal pH balance of 7.365. Source: http://www.thepheffect.net/ What does this mean? When the pH gets lower, the body becomes too acidic, and when it gets higher the body becomes too alkaline. Unfortunately, the majority of foods we eat today are acidic, and it takes a lot of hard work to keep the blood pH balance when we eat these foods. Some of the side effects of eating too many acidic foods are: • Losing minerals from our bones • Bad skin and looking older than you really are • Storing extra body fat and, worst of all... • Having low energy levels and poor performance during workouts It is very important to eat plenty of alkaline foods to make it easy for the body to keep the ideal pH level and to keep our energy levels high. I’ll give you a brief list of acidic foods and then another brief list of alkaline foods on the following page: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Acidic Foods -­‐ Most fruits and fruit juices, white bread, most meats (especially red meat), butter and margarine, breakfast cereals, cheeses, and most canned foods. VERY Highly Acidic Foods and Drinks -­‐ Artificial sweeteners, pickled vegetables, beer, liquor, chocolate, pork, canned sardines, coffee, black tea, fruit juice with added sugar, veal, and wine. Alkaline Foods -­‐ Almonds (raw), ginseng, lemons, broccoli, lettuce, capsicums/peppers, carrots, onions, cauliflower, tofu, tomatoes, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, and most other raw vegetables and raw nuts. VERY Highly Alkaline Foods and Drinks -­‐ Wheatgrass juice, barley grass juice, avocado, barley, cucumber (Lebanese cucumbers are my favorite, they are so much juicier than the regular green variety), garlic, and ginger. By making more food choices from the alkaline lists and fewer from the acidic lists, you will make it much easier for your body to keep the balance and you will be rewarded with high energy levels all day long. Now that we’ve covered the health side, let’s move on to the fitness side of nutrition. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Nutrition For Fitness: Gaining muscle mass Most guys who train in the gym train for one reason: To look better. This usually means either more muscle mass, less body fat, or a combination of both. So they usually go down one of two paths: •
In their attempt to gain muscle mass they begin taking one extra protein shake per day and cross their fingers hoping that the muscle will just pile on overnight. OR •
They take up a self-­‐prescribed mass-­‐gaining program that involves all you can eat buffets and takeaway burgers as a daily staple and end up looking like a fat slob who has to resort to wearing outdated cotton track suits and telling everyone it’s their “off season” and that underneath all that fat there is apparently some muscle. Let’s take a closer look at what it takes to gain muscle mass and how to personalize your routine for your body type. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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What Is Your Body Type? Endomorph: An endomorph is someone who gains fat quite easily and, although he can gain muscle mass easier than an ectomorph, he must be very careful not to over consume calories, otherwise he will gain just as much fat as muscle. Endomorphs are naturally stronger than ectomorphs mostly due to the fact that they have adapted to carrying around more bodyweight throughout their life. Ectomorph: An ectomorph is the “skinny guy in the room.” An ectomorph is usually lean all year round whether he likes it or not, but can also become “skinny fat” as he ages if he is not careful; this is characterized by a skinny-­‐looking frame with a soft belly and some flab on the upper and lower back. Ectomorphs find it very hard to gain muscle and can also lose muscle very quickly if they’re not careful. Mesomorph: A mesomorph body type is the Holy Grail when it comes to building an ideal male body. Think of the movie “300” or the TV series “Spartacus” and you’ll see plenty of mesomorphs. Mesomorphs gain muscle very easily and are very responsive to weight training; however, they do still gain body fat easier than ectomorphs and therefore cannot be entirely ignorant when it comes to the calories they consume. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Nutrition strategies for gaining muscle mass as an Endomorph: The good news for you is that you probably already have more muscle mass than you think; you’ve just got to lose some body fat so that you can see it. Train weights like a bodybuilder to stimulate muscle growth but be sure to do some cardio exercise to make losing body fat easier. Here is your recommended nutrition breakdown -­‐ Eat plenty of quality lean proteins such as: •
Lean beef •
Chicken breast •
White fish •
Eggs: four whites with one yolk is ideal for your body type Make sure you have a small serving of healthy fat with each meal to help limit the amount of insulin—aka the “storage hormone”—that gets released; by limiting insulin you are limiting fat gain while promoting gains in muscle mass at the same time. Some good suggestions are as follows: •
Six raw almonds •
One tablespoon olive oil •
One tablespoon coconut oil •
One quarter of an avocado Limit your intake of carbohydrates, as unfortunately your body type cannot deal with them very well. It is OK to eat a small serving of “safe” carbs with breakfast, as your body’s insulin sensitivity is very high at this time of day and you are less likely to store the carbs as fat; have another small serving with lunch if you think you absolutely need it for energy, and under no circumstances (other than a weekly cheat meal or cheat day) are you to eat carbs at dinner. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Here is the safe carbs list: •
Rolled oats and oatmeal •
Sweet potatoes •
Lentils •
Black beans Eat every three to four hours to keep your blood sugar levels stable and prevent sugar and carb cravings, try to include protein in every single meal, and make raw salads and green vegetables your best friends. Using the above strategies and tweaking them to your personal taste will result in significant muscle gains and fat loss when combined with an appropriate training program. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Nutrition strategies for gaining muscle mass as an Ectomorph: The good news for you is that you possess an ability that fat people all over the world wish they had: The ability to eat a ton of food and barely gain any weight. Unfortunately, this also works against you when it comes to building muscle. The trick for you is to eat so much food to the point where you are full and then jam even more food down your throat until you feel sick. No, I’m not joking. Eventually your body will catch up and it will become easier, but it’s going to take some practice if you’re serious about building muscle. That being said, you cannot jam just any shitty foods down your throat, as we want to build quality lean muscle and not gain any fat with it. For your training routine you want to train weights hard and heavy with a focus on maximum TUT, or “Time Under Tension,” to really torture and break down your muscle fibers. That being said, you want to cut back your training frequency to only two to three times per week at the MAXIMUM to leave you with plenty of time to recover and grow. And unless you absolutely have to do it, it’s best to lay off the cardio, at least for now. Here is your recommended nutrition breakdown -­‐ Eat plenty of quality proteins such as: •
Fatty beef such as beef mince, burger patties, and steaks with all the fat left on •
Chicken thighs rather than chicken breast •
Fatty fish such as salmon and swordfish •
Whole eggs: At least five at a time and keep ALL the yolks Make sure you have a serving of fat with every meal to help limit the amount of insulin—
aka the “storage hormone”—that gets released, but also to maximize the amount of calories per meal; even if you are eating fatty meats and whole eggs, it doesn’t hurt to throw some extra fats in for the ride. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Some good suggestions are as follows: •
Eighteen raw almonds •
Three tablespoon olive oil •
Three tablespoon coconut oil •
One whole avocado Carbs are your friend, and make sure you include them with most meals; eating too many with a salad or other vegetables is just a recipe for bloating, so keep your dinner portion of carbs reasonably small, but every other time of day go nuts. That being said, you still want your carbs to be “clean,” e.g. mashed potatoes instead of fries, etc. Here is the clean carbs list: •
Rolled oats and oatmeal •
Sweet potatoes and white potatoes (does not include fries or any fried potato products) •
Lentils •
Black beans •
White rice •
White sourdough bread (if you have bread cravings, some white sourdough is ok, as it is easily digested by the body, but try to avoid all other types of bread, even “healthy” varieties that contain grains, as most of these will bloat you and make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients properly) Eat every three to four hours to keep your blood sugar levels stable and to keep your body in “growth” mode rather than “self destruct” mode when it comes to building muscle. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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I definitely recommend eating green veggies and raw salads but, as mentioned earlier, try to have them mostly with dinner and avoid combining them with too many carbs, as this can lead to bloating and discomfort. Using the above strategies and tweaking them to your personal taste will result in significant muscle gains while still staying lean when combined with an appropriate training program. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Nutrition strategies for gaining muscle as a Mesomorph: If you are reading this part then I must say: Congratulations you lucky motherfucker, you have been handed the Holy Grail when it comes to building an ideal physique, so use it wisely. The good news for you is that your body wants to gain muscle mass, and it doesn’t particularly want to gain fat either. So let’s take a look at how to maximize this golden opportunity to build serious muscle mass and get as shredded as mozzarella cheese on Columbus Day. Train hard and train often; you should be able to train damn hard for up to five or six days per week and still be able to gain muscle mass as long as you’re eating enough quality calories. You can even do cardio if you want, as it will help keep you lean as you make more gains. Here is your prescription for nutritional awesomeness -­‐ Alternate your protein choices between the two previous lists, so that means alternating between lean protein and fatty protein to give you enough calories for growth without over doing it: •
Lean beef or fatty beef •
Chicken breast or chicken thigh •
White fish or fatty fish •
Always eat whole eggs, but try four at a time rather than the ectomorph’s five Have a serving of fat with every single meal; this also includes the fat from your protein sources. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Say, for example, you eat a chicken thigh; you will not have to add extra fats to this meal, but if it were chicken breast, make sure you add a serving from the list below: •
Six raw almonds •
One tablespoon olive oil •
One tablespoon coconut oil •
One quarter of an avocado Just like your ectomorph buddies, carbs are your friend, but make sure you keep them clean and don’t eat them with dinner unless you feel you absolutely have to. Clean carbs list: •
Rolled oats and oatmeal •
Sweet potatoes and white potatoes (does not include fries or any fried potato products) •
Lentils •
Black beans •
White rice •
White sourdough bread (if you have bread cravings, some white sourdough is ok, as it is easily digested by the body; try to avoid all other types of bread, even “healthy” varieties that contain grains, as most of these will bloat you and make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients properly) Eat every three to four hours to keep your blood sugar levels stable and keep the muscle mass coming; don’t be afraid to throw in an extra meal or snack from the above lists if you get hungry. Using the above strategies and tweaking them to your personal taste will result in significant muscle gains and superhuman shredded-­‐ness when combined with an appropriate training program. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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*One important note for all body types: It is OK to take one day per week as your “cheat day” where you eat anything and everything you like. I recommend choosing Sunday, as this helps you be more sociable and less stressed on weekends. That being said, if you want more fat loss it’s recommended you have only one “cheat meal,” such as a Sunday night dinner, and keep the rest of your day clean. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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You Wanna Get High? Key supplements to use for achieving maximum results, enhancing your performance, and preventing burnout 4 This is the longest and definitely one of the most exciting chapters of this entire eBook, but before we jump headfirst into it like a junkie cracking open a fresh batch of pre workout supps, you should heed one warning: If you don’t have your sleep cycles, hydration, nutrition, mindset, and training load on track first, then you will NEVER get the most out of your nutritional supplementation, period. In this chapter I will teach you how to get the most out of the supplements you are already taking, and also what other supplements you can add into the mix to enhance your results even further and truly achieve the superhuman performance that I have promised throughout this eBook. I know for a fact that if you are reading this eBook there is a 99%+ chance you’ve taken a pre workout supplement in your life. If you haven’t before, you’re gonna want to try one after reading this chapter. But before we look specifically at Pre Workout supplements, let’s take a look at the history of nutritional supplements. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Nutritional supplementation has been around for years and started with primitive methods such as bodybuilders eating desiccated animal livers for extra protein and minerals in the ‘70s and ‘80s, to the first whey protein powders which tasted like ass (and some still do), to the more advanced application of performance enhancing nutritional supplements such as the introduction of creatine monohydrate to increase muscular strength and power in professional sprinters in the late 1980s. It is no secret that certain nutritional supplements do in fact help to increase muscle mass, improve athletic performance, increase energy levels, assist with fat loss, and many other types of benefits. Some work better than others and some simply do not work at all. Before we move on to the specifics of selecting nutritional supplements, I will first start with a small disclaimer similar to what I mentioned earlier: No matter how effective your nutritional supplement regime is, you will never get the most out of it in the long term if you do not have a healthy, purpose-­‐driven, and effective diet. What I mean by this is that most nutritional supplements help you get the most out of what you already have and help you reach your goals faster, but you MUST be on the right track to begin with, otherwise you will end up nowhere. So let’s get started on the wonderful world of supplements. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Creatine Entire books have been written on this supplement alone and it is one of the most widely used and talked about nutritional supplements in the entire world. I will get to the point for you as quickly as possible, and if you are still hungry for more there are thousands of books out there explaining creatine in further detail. What is Creatine? Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the human body and we all have it; yes, even skinny little guys and girls have creatine stored in their body. Creatine is created in the body by synthesizing the three amino acids: L-­‐Arginine, L-­‐
Glycine, and L-­‐Methionine, so this means as long as you’re eating enough protein your body will find it easy to produce creatine. What does Creatine do? Creatine is involved in the Phosphocreatine energy system (PC), which revolves around the body using Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) for explosive muscular contraction. So what the hell does this mean? The body uses ATP for explosive muscular contractions, e.g. weight training, sprinting, etc., but only a small amount is stored in the muscles at any given time. One of the substances needed to regenerate ATP stores is creatine. So by supplementing with creatine you are effectively “putting more fuel in the tank,” which results in more explosive power, e.g. more strength and/or more reps in the gym. How and when do you take it? The original and still the most researched and proven form of creatine supplementation is: Creatine Monohydrate. It comes in powder or capsule form. The most common and effective method of using creatine monohydrate is as follows: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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•
Do a “cycle” of 6-­‐8 weeks. Begin with a “loading phase” of seven days in which you consume 20 grams of creatine monohydrate per day broken down into four separate doses of five grams. •
Move on to a “maintenance phase” of five grams per day. •
For every five grams (heaped teaspoon) of creatine monohydrate you consume, be sure to add an extra glass of water to your daily intake (one glass is 8oz/250ml). •
The best times of day to take creatine monohydrate are any time on an empty stomach, e.g. first thing in the morning, 30 mins before lunch or dinner, and immediately after a workout (yes it can be combined with your post workout protein shake). •
If you follow the guidelines above, you are almost guaranteed to notice a strength increase in under a week and also notice an increase in muscle size due to more creatine and water being held in your muscle cells. Occasionally I come across people who cannot stomach creatine monohydrate and either get stomach pains or even worse: diarrhoea. If this happens to you then it is best to search for an alternative form of creatine. Throughout the years, many forms have fallen in and out of vogue, such as creatine ethyl-­‐ester. The safest and most effective alternative to good old creatine monohydrate right now appears to be Creatine HCL (hydrochloride), and it seems to be gaining in popularity every week. Who knows if it will eventually become the new replacement for monohydrate or if it will cease to be popular in a year’s time; only time will tell. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Is Creatine safe? In short: YES. Ask anyone and their mom about creatine supplementation and you will hear things such as: -­‐
It damages your kidneys -­‐
It ruins your skin -­‐
It dehydrates you -­‐
It damages your stomach -­‐
It makes your pee too acidic -­‐
It contains steroids -­‐
Blah, blah, blah Remember that creatine monohydrate has been around since the 1980s and is one of the safest and most tested nutritional supplements of all time. To give you some reassurance, I have stolen a quote from some people who are a lot smarter than I and backed it up with references. “Extensive research over the last decade has shown that oral creatine supplementation at a rate of 5 to 20 grams per day appears to be very safe and largely devoid of adverse side-­‐effects, while at the same time effectively improving the physiological response to resistance exercise, increasing the maximal force production of muscles in both men and women.” ^ Bizzarini E, De Angelis L (December 2004). "Is the use of oral creatine supplementation safe?". The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 44 (4): 411–6. PMID 15758854 1.
^ Bemben MG, Lamont HS (2005). "Creatine supplementation and exercise performance: recent findings". Sports Medicine 35 (2): 107–25. PMID 15707376. ^ Kreider RB (February 2003). "Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations". Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 244 (1–2): 89–94. doi:10.1023/A:1022465203458. PMID 12701815. Enough said. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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BCAAs BCAAs are definitely a hot topic right now and odds are if you haven’t taken them before you’ve at least heard of them, so what the hell are they and what do they do? What are BCAAs? BCAAs are known as the “Branched Chain Amino Acids,” which is a reference to their chemical structure. The three BCAAs are: L-­‐Leucine, L-­‐Isoleucine, and L-­‐Valine. These three aminos alone make up about one-­‐third of the total amino acids in your body’s muscle mass. The human body has about 20 amino acids, so this should give you a good idea of just how damn important the three BCAAs are. All three of the BCAAs are “Essential” amino acids. This means that the body can’t make them by itself and needs to make them by breaking down the protein you consume each day; this is why BCAA supplementation is so important when it comes to muscle growth. The BCAAs are not just important because they are essential aminos or because they make up a good proportion of muscle protein. The reason these three are special aminos is because of how they are handled in the body. Most amino acids go directly to the liver after being digested, where they can be broken down if the body needs them for energy. However, BCAAs tend to be spared by the liver and go directly your muscles in tact; this means muscle fibers can use BCAAs directly for fuel, which is crucial for helping to strengthen, build, and repair muscle tissue that has been stressed by weight training. What do the BCAAs do? In Short: Increase strength, increase muscle size, and decrease recovery time. This is because not only do BCAAs boost energy levels by being used as a direct fuel source for muscle fibers, BCAAs also enhance energy by reducing the amount of tryptophan that gets into the brain. Tryptophan produces the neurotransmitter serotonin. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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During exercise, serotonin tells the brain that the body is fatigued and causes it to reduce muscle strength and endurance. The BCAAs, mostly L-­‐Valine, compete with tryptophan for entry into the brain and therefore help to lower the amount of fatigue you feel. The way that BCAAs encourage increased strength and size is by directly stimulating muscle protein synthesis. Of the three BCAAs, L-­‐Leucine appears to be the most critical for stimulating muscle protein synthesis. BCAAs also work to boost muscle growth and strength by altering levels of anabolic (GOOD) and catabolic (BAD) hormones. One anabolic hormone the BCAAs boost is insulin. BCAAs have also been found to increase levels of growth hormone, and to make things even better: BCAAs also blunt levels of the catabolic hormone cortisol. Winning. Since cortisol normally increases muscle breakdown and inhibits testosterone’s anabolic actions, blunting cortisol works to increase muscle growth and strength gains. How and when do you take them? Just like with creatine, BCAAs come in both powder and capsule form. The recommended dose is 5-­‐10 grams at a time, so it is much easier, cost effective, and less painful to use powders. The only time I would encourage capsules is if you are traveling and you’d prefer not to carry bags of “white powder” in your pockets through customs, but hey, I’m sure that muscle-­‐bound security guy at the airport will totally know what BCAAs are, so you’ll be fine! When it comes to BCAAs, timing is crucial. To gain more muscle mass, strength, and energy, the best time to take BCAAs is around workouts. For best results, you should take one dose 30-­‐45 minutes before your workouts. On that note, my favorite pre workout routine at the moment involves taking 10 grams of BCAAs 30-­‐45 minutes before my workout, followed by a shot of espresso coffee 15-­‐20 minutes before the Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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workout. Because coffee has a natural “vasodilation” effect, e.g. it opens up the blood vessels and improves circulation, you’ll find that the aminos can circulate properly and get to the working muscles faster. This is also a fun alternative to use when taking breaks from cycles of pre workout supplements that have 200-­‐300mg of caffeine per serving, as a single shot of espresso coffee has on average only 80mg of caffeine. The Italians not only know how to make good coffee, but they also know how to keep it clean—steer clear of any milk or sugar, and stick only to espresso shots for maximum results. Another popular time to take BCAAs is to add them into your post workout protein shake; because they are free form amino acids, they will get to your muscles faster than the protein, so it’s a good way to stop the catabolic “muscle breakdown” process and put yourself in recovery mode ASAP after an awesome workout. Another really good time to take BCAAs is first thing in the morning, as you will put your body into “anabolic”—e.g. muscle building—mode as soon as you wake up rather than waiting for the protein from your breakfast to get into your muscles. This is especially great for those who are leaning up, as low calorie dieters tend to be more at risk of losing muscle from long periods of fasting, e.g. sleep. It’s also great for psychopaths who love nothing more than the bitter taste of amino acids when they wake up in the morning to remind them that they are on the path to success. If you really wanna be a junkie, I’ve got two more times of day you can take your BCAAs. If you take a serving with dinner—or even better, with a pre bed high protein and high fat snack—you will keep protein synthesis and growth hormone levels high while you sleep and also for the following day: Greeeeaaaaaat Success (Borat Accent)! And the final time that is great to take your BCAAs is between meals when leaning up. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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As mentioned earlier, low calorie dieters are at high risk of wasting away hard-­‐
earned muscle due to extra cortisol—e.g. “stress hormone”—floating around the blood stream, so if you take BCAAs between each meal you are more likely to keep all your hard-­‐earned muscle, and not only that, but you will keep hunger down and your metabolism up for more fat burning, too. A final note on BCAAs: There are hundreds of products out there all claiming to have the best quality BCAAs at the best ratios. The general rule of thumb is to always make sure your BCAA products contain more Leucine than the other two BCAA’s: Isoleucine and Valine. Some claim a 2:1:1 ratio is best, others claim 8:1:1 is the best, and some brands have gone as far as a 15:1:1 ratio. From studies conducted over the years and also from personal experience, it seems that 2:1:1 remains the gold standard when it comes to BCAA products, so I recommend sticking to it. But that being said, our industry is changing every single day, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different ratios and see how it goes. Are the BCAAs safe? You bet your well-­‐defined ass they are safe. To this day there has been no evidence of any negative side effects of regular BCAA usage in humans. Remember the BCAAs come from protein and are a very natural and normal thing for you to be consuming. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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On that note, I’d recommend consuming unflavored powders if you can handle it, as having too many artificial sweeteners may have a few unwanted side effects such as raising insulin levels at unwanted times, which leads to fat storage and lowered levels of growth hormone and also an increase in acidity in the body, leading to more inflammation, sickness, and other nasty side effects. But that being said, it’s not the worst thing in the world to take one to two servings a day with sweeteners if you really can’t handle the bitter taste of unflavored BCAAs. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Arginine Whether you know it or not, there is a very good chance you’ve taken arginine before. It is inside nearly every single pre workout supplement that exists and it was research on arginine in the late 1990s that led to the explosion of pre workout supplements available on the market in the last 10 years. What is Arginine? Arginine, just like the BCAAs, is an amino acid. But unlike the BCAAs, arginine is a “non-­‐essential” amino acid, which means the body can make it on demand whenever the hell it wants. However, under times of heavy training, sometimes the body can’t keep up with demand for arginine and then it becomes a “conditionally-­‐essential” amino acid. What does Arginine do? Arginine helps to produce the substance “Nitric Oxide” in the body, otherwise known as N.O. when talked about by gym junkies. Nitric Oxide helps to relax the blood vessels, which creates better circulation, which in turn means it is great for lowering blood pressure, speeding up the healing process of injuries, and increasing blood flow to working muscles before, during, and after exercise. By increasing blood flow to the working muscles, you can gain a lot of advantages, but we will focus on the most relevant ones to building muscle and burning fat. 1.
Remove waste products such as lactic acid from the muscle tissue faster – by doing this you will speed up recovery time between sets, decrease muscle soreness, or “DOMS,” for the next few days, and also enhance performance in each set, e.g. you may be able to squeeze out an extra rep or two on a squat thanks to your body being able to push lactic acid away from the muscles faster between each rep. 2.
Deliver key nutrients to your muscles faster – key nutrients required for performance and recovery such as—you guessed it—the BCAAs will be able to get delivered faster to the muscles, which means you will be able to train harder, you will spend less time in a catabolic state and more time in an anabolic state, which again means more muscle mass, faster fat loss, and less muscle soreness. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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3.
Deliver key nutrients to your muscles faster after your workout is completed – It is all well and good to have more nutrients delivered to your working muscles during your workout, but what about straight after your workout when your body is crying out for nutrients and wants to kick start the recovery process ASAP? Better blood flow means your BCAAs and proteins will be delivered to your muscle cells faster, which again means: faster recovery, more muscle mass, and faster fat loss. 4.
Make you look awesome – Yes, this shouldn’t be the primary goal of taking arginine, but it definitely deserves a mention: When you have high levels of Nitric Oxide in the bloodstream and you increase your circulation, you tend to get bigger “pumps.” One of the greatest self-­‐confidence boosting tricks you can do while taking arginine is to train both biceps and triceps in the same workout—trust me, it will feel like your arms just blew up by an extra 10 inches and you (and hopefully the ladies) won’t be able to take your hands off your massive cannons. How and when do you take it? The best time to take arginine is 30 to 45 minutes before training. Yes, it can be stacked with BCAAs (e.g. taken at the exact same time) and yes; it works even better when you do that shot of espresso just before your workout. There are many forms of arginine, ranging from straight up L-­‐Arginine to Arginine HCL and Arginine Alpha Keto Glutarate (AAKG). The one form that has produced the most impressive and consistent results over the years seems to be the AAKG form, so make sure you check the labels before deciding which arginine to purchase. On another note, recent studies have shown that arginine works even better in the presence of another amino acid called L-­‐Citrulline. You will find that many pre workout supplements combine the two substances in the same formula for maximum results; however, if you want to make your own custom routine you can purchase L-­‐Citrulline by itself and take it at the same time you take your arginine. Another popular method of taking arginine is to do it in “cycles” just like you do with creatine and pre workout supplements. The theory behind this is that with enhanced blood flow all day long you will be able to recover and grow faster. Ed “Mr Creatine” Byrd, who is the co-­‐founder of EAS and the founder and current CEO of MRI (e.g. one of the greatest nutritional supplement companies in the world), Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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was the first man to bring an arginine supplement to the market and he also created a little book to go with it, which teaches you how to cycle it properly. If you want to get a free copy of the book, go to this link: http://www.mass.fi/admin/uploadpdf/50101.no2%20book.pdf Have fun and make sure you let me know what methods you personally use to get the most out of your arginine supplementation. Is Arginine safe? Arginine is very safe when taken in the correct way. That being said, playing around with your nitric oxide levels by taking too much arginine can have negative side effects on your blood pressure and heart health. If you are on any heart or blood pressure related medication then make sure you check with your doctor first before taking arginine. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Caffeine Ahh, Caffeine: The world’s favorite (legal) drug. What would we do without it! Other than studying the awesomeness of caffeine and what the tastiest ways to consume it are, we will use this section to explore how to use it to enhance our workouts without overusing it or burning out. What is Caffeine? Let’s ask some scientists, shall we: “Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant drug. Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819. He coined the term kaffein, a chemical compound in coffee, which in English became caffeine.” Source: -­‐ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/caffeine “Caffeine is naturally found in certain leaves, seeds, and fruits of over 60 plants worldwide. The most common sources in our diet are coffee, tea leaves, cocoa beans, cola, and energy drinks. Caffeine can also be produced synthetically and added to food, beverages, supplements, and medications.” Source: -­‐ http://www.medicinenet.com/caffeine/article.htm So now that you’ve got the gist of it, it’s time to look at the two different types of caffeine: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Natural Caffeine vs. Synthetic Caffeine Natural caffeine: comes from the coffee bean, the guarana seed, the cocoa pod, and many other plants that we find in nature. The easiest way to get a hit of natural caffeine is by drinking coffee or eating chocolate (especially dark chocolate). Synthetic caffeine: is “synthesized from dimethylurea and malonic acid” in laboratories and you can find it in energy drinks, soft drinks/soda, and many sports supplements. Source: Ted Wilson, Norman J. Temple (2004). Beverages in Nutrition and Health. p. 172. ISBN 1588291731 Humana Press. So, after reading that can you tell me what type of caffeine is contained in pre workout supplements? …Yes you are a genius; it is in fact artificial caffeine. And of course coffee contains natural caffeine. So what is the difference? Because natural caffeine comes from plants, a lot of beneficial nutrients are included when you consume it. For example, when you have a cup of coffee, you not only get an increase in energy from the caffeine, but you also get a good serving of powerful antioxidants which can protect the body’s cells, as well as a small amount of beneficial minerals such as magnesium and potassium. Natural caffeine also tends to have a longer lasting effect on energy levels when compared to artificial caffeine, which, in most cases, enters and exits the body very rapidly. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Artificial caffeine, on the other hand, is extracted in laboratories and, therefore, doesn’t contain any of the beneficial antioxidants or minerals contained in coffee. This is great from an energy perspective because it gives you an almost instant hit of energy, but artificial caffeine also leaves the body much faster than natural caffeine and can lead to a “crash,” where you feel even more tired than you did to begin with. Because pre workout supplements contain artificial caffeine, they tend to give you a much bigger buzz than coffee; just be sure you use pre workouts in cycles of no longer than six to eight weeks to make sure you don’t burn yourself out and reach that dreaded state of “adrenal exhaustion” we talked about earlier. What does Caffeine do? Caffeine is a stimulant, so therefore it gets you “buzzed” or gives you a “kick” of energy that lasts anywhere from half an hour to five or six hours and beyond. Caffeine will increase energy levels, improve concentration and memory, and improve breathing, just to name a few benefits. Consuming caffeine also encourages your body to release adrenalin, as well as its catabolic buddy cortisol. As we all know by now, having a lot of cortisol in the bloodstream is bad news when it comes to gaining muscle mass, but what you might be interested to know is that there is one time of day when having high cortisol and adrenalin levels will benefit you and that is: TRAINING TIME. Adrenalin will increase your heart rate, improve circulation, and improve your breathing, while cortisol, among other things, will increase blood glucose levels, e.g. the amount of available glucose to burn as fuel. Our muscles rely on Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and glucose for the Phosphocreatine (PC) and Lactic Acid energy systems; during weight training this means high adrenalin and cortisol levels are very beneficial for improving physical performance. So use caffeine to get pumped, get excited, and train like a beast! Just make sure you have an effective recovery plan in place so that you can control those cortisol levels once you step outside the gym. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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How and when do you take it? The best time to take caffeine is around 20-­‐30 minutes before a workout, but, that being said, everyone’s body is different and I have friends who take it five minutes before their workout and others who take it 45 minutes beforehand, so try out different times on yourself and see what works best for you. I personally find that I get the best results from taking it 15-­‐20 minutes before my workouts. Is Caffeine safe? Caffeine is very safe, but, just like most things: too much of a good thing ain’t a good thing no more. Some people suffer anxiety and high blood pressure from drinking just one cup of coffee per day. If you fall into this group and are “hyper sensitive” to caffeine, then you should avoid it at all costs and just play some loud music before you go to the gym instead. In general, it is very safe to take 200-­‐300mg of caffeine per day every day. That being said, it is a good idea to take at least one low caffeine day per week and one week off entirely every six months or so if you can handle it without having a nervous breakdown. Like I mentioned earlier with pre workout supplements, it’s best to do them in cycles of no longer than six to eight weeks at a time, followed by at least a one-­‐, if not two-­‐, week break during which you consume only small amounts of caffeine each day, e.g. one to two coffees at the most. Of course if you have any concerns please check with your doctor before you start consuming large amounts of caffeine. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Beta Alanine Beta alanine is the newest out of all the supplements I have mentioned in here so far and has really only come into the limelight in athletic and bodybuilding circles in the last two or three years. What is Beta Alanine? Beta alanine is a naturally occurring “beta” amino acid which involves a bunch of nutrition nerd speak that we will skip for now, but if you want to study the chemistry of it there is plenty written all over the web. The most important fact to know about this little guy is that he is the “rate-­‐limiting precursor” to carnosine. This means the body is limited to the amount of carnosine it can produce by the amount of beta alanine it has available. So what the hell is Carnosine? Carnosine is a substance produced in the body by combining beta alanine with the amino acid L-­‐Histidine, and it is used to help improve performance in working muscles by acting as a “buffer” against lactic acid and delaying the usual fatigue that sets in during a workout. What does Beta Alanine do? By increasing intramuscular levels of carnosine, it helps to delay fatigue and improve your performance during your workout. It is an odd sensation and I’m sure a lot of you can relate, but when I personally take high levels of beta alanine before a workout I feel as though I know the lactic acid is there; I can even feel it burning me but for some reason I can keep moving for a few extra seconds—it’s awesome. How and when do you take it? Like arginine, beta alanine can be taken either exclusively before workouts or, for extra benefit, you can do a “cycle” of six to eight weeks to keep carnosine levels high in your muscles all day long. If you are taking it before workouts only, make sure you get a good strong dose of at least two grams every time. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Take it at the same time you take your arginine and BCAAs, e.g. 30-­‐45 minutes before workouts. When doing a cycle, it’s best to spread your servings out over three to four times per day, e.g. before breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before workouts. Four servings a day of 500mg (e.g. two grams per day) is a good way to start, and there are plenty of athletes out there safely taking four grams or more per day. Is Beta Alanine Safe? Beta alanine is very safe and is unlikely to cause any negative side effects unless taken in huge doses (e.g. more than 10-­‐20 grams per day). One common side effect that most people experience is a sensation known as paraesthesia or, more commonly, “pins and needles.” It will make you feel like your skin is itchy, it may make your skin red, and it may feel very hot for a short period of time. If these sensations are annoying you, then a good solution is to take your servings close to your workout, e.g. five to ten minutes, as you’ll find the sensations tend to go away once the blood starts flowing and your workout begins. It’s also a fun trick to play on people: Give them a big dose of beta alanine and pretend its soda and then watch them freak out as their skin begins to tingle—Good Times. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Pre Workout Supplements So here it is: The mack daddy of all supplements, the one you’ve all been waiting for, the one that is so important that it shares its name with the title of this entire friggen eBook; here it is in all its glory. You ready? What are Pre Workout Supplements? Pre Workout Supplements are any supplements that contain a variety of ingredients that aim to improve your athletic performance. Most of them contain a variety of the ingredients already mentioned so far in this chapter. As I mentioned earlier in the section on Arginine: Ed “Mr Creatine” Byrd brought the first arginine supplement to the market—the product was called NO2 (the product contains arginine, which boosts the body’s levels of nitric oxide, e.g. N.O., yet the product is called NO2, which is actually the chemical symbol for Nitrogen Dioxide, which is a highly toxic chemical gas; I guess NO2 just sounds more catchy than boring old NO!). This can be considered the first ever purpose-­‐built “Pre Workout Supplement” for athletes, as it tends to have an almost instant effect and can be taken before a workout. As more and more companies jumped on the pre workout bandwagon, we began to see extra substances being thrown into the mix. Some were useful—e.g. caffeine, BCAAs, creatine, and other amino acids—and some were not so useful—e.g. rice flour and magnesium oxide, aka shit your pants powder. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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The top selling pre workout supplements to this date as I am writing this (November 2011) fall into two categories: 1.
2.
Standard Pre Workout Supplements Concentrated Pre Workout Supplements The standard pre workouts contain high amounts of the substances mentioned above; the good brands tend to be chockfull of useful ingredients such as extra BCAAs, creatine, beta alanine, caffeine, and very high doses of arginine. Other brands usually create a “proprietary blend” of mostly fillers such as rice flour and magnesium, with only a small amount of arginine and some extra caffeine to make sure you believe the product is actually working. Then there are concentrated pre workout supplements: These interesting little creations make a point of never having any “fillers” such as rice flour and magnesium, and claim to only contain active ingredients such as arginine, caffeine, BCAAs, and more. An interesting trend that has emerged with these products is the introduction of a whole new breed of super stimulants. One particular substance that was introduced with the first concentrated pre workout product to hit the market, USP Labs – Jack3d, was an extract from the geranium herb called “1,3 Dymethylamylamine.” “1,3 Dymeth,” as most people call it, is an extremely strong ingredient from the same family of stimulants as caffeine. It has been compared to the drug “speed” in terms of the effects it has on the body, and it has been put on the WADA international banned substances list for athletes. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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So in other words: It’s Fucking strong! If you are a competitive athlete and there is a chance you will have to perform a drug test for your sport then it’s best to avoid 1,3 Dymeth at all times. For everyone else: make sure you carefully read and re-­‐read this section to ensure you cycle your pre workout supplements properly and do not end up burning out. One final note before we get into it: Be sure you use the following guidelines when purchasing a pre workout supplement to ensure you get the best results and don’t waste your money on rice flour and magnesium: •
If the product is standardized, e.g. it tells you the weight of each individual ingredient, be sure to get more than 3g of arginine per serving. •
If the product uses a proprietary blend, e.g. a mix of ingredients where no individual amounts are listed, be sure that arginine is one of the top ingredients and that “fillers” such as rice flour, magnesium, and maltodextrin do not make it into the top five ingredients, otherwise there is a good chance you are wasting your money. What do Pre Workout Supplements do? Pre workout supplements improve your athletic performance. They do this through the use of various ingredients, most of which are listed above. By combining several substances into one product you create a “stack,” or a combination that will provide you with multiple benefits at once, e.g. better blood flow for bigger pumps, faster removal of lactic acid and faster delivery of nutrients to the working muscles (arginine), more muscle strength and power (creatine), better mental focus as well as better vasodilation (dilating or opening of the blood vessels) (caffeine), less muscle wastage after workouts and more fuel for working muscles during workouts (BCAAs), and the list goes on, etc. etc. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Any one of the above advantages can influence your success in and out of the gym, but by combining them all at once you can get the absolute best results. How and when do you take them? The best time for most people to take pre workout supplements is 30 minutes before your training session. That being said, everyone’s body is different, so it’s best to experiment with different times, e.g. 15 minutes before, 45 minutes before, and see which time gives you the best results. It’s best to simply take your pre workout with water and nothing else—having sugary carbs within an hour before your workout has been shown to decrease peak levels of cortisol and adrenalin during your session, leading to a shitty performance in the gym, so avoid them at all costs. Also make sure you are very well hydrated, as dehydrated muscles can also lead to a shitty performance and caffeine and other stimulants in pre workout supplements can dehydrate you even further. If you’re unsure of how much water you need, make sure you read and re-­‐read the earlier chapter on hydration. Now on to the most important part of how to take pre workout supplements: make sure you take them in “cycles.” If you try to be a hero and take your pre workout supplements for 20 weeks in a row, there is a good chance you will end up falling asleep at the wheel just like I did, so please heed the following advice: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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It is recommended that all pre workout supplements be taken in cycles of six to eight weeks at a time. I personally like to do short four-­‐week cycles followed by a one-­‐week break, and this allows me to train like a beast but helps prevent burnout. Most people should be fine doing a six-­‐ to eight-­‐week cycle as long as you follow the advice contained in this eBook, but if you feel like you are starting to burn out at any time then it’s always a good idea to cut your cycle short and take a low caffeine week in which you stick to just one coffee a day and avoid all artificial caffeine such as pre workouts and energy drinks for one entire week. Are Pre Workout Supplements safe? Pre workout supplements are only as safe as the ingredients contained within them. Re-­‐read the sections on each individual ingredient, e.g. Arginine, if you need a refresher. As long as you follow my advice on cycling and you aren’t on any blood pressure related pharmaceutical medication, then you will be A-­‐OK. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Unleash The Beast: Managing your training load and training schedule for maximum results We’ve all seen them at our gym: guys who train hardcore seven days a week and yet they never seem to get tired or burned out. We’ve also seen the guys who train only three to four times per week yet get better results than the guy who does seven! I’m going to teach you not only how to get more from less, but also have the energy and recovery ability to train seven days if you really want to. I personally train once per day, five to six days per week. Rich Froning Jr., who is the 2011 winner of the crossfit games, aka the fittest man on earth, revealed in a recent interview that he trained on average five times per day up to as many as seven days per week for an entire year leading up to his victory. Best selling author of the 4-­‐Hour Work Week and The 4-­‐Hour Body: Tim Ferriss, on the other hand trained a total of four hours in one month during his appropriately titled experiment “geek to freak” in which he gained 34lbs of muscle in only 4 weeks, oh and he lost body fat at the same time too. Check out the insane results here: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/29/from-­‐geek-­‐to-­‐freak-­‐how-­‐i-­‐
gained-­‐34-­‐lbs-­‐of-­‐muscle-­‐in-­‐4-­‐weeks/ Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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So how often are you training at the moment? Your training load should serve a purpose and help move you toward your goal, so if you want to win the crossfit games you should train your ass off 24/7, but if you want to gain a serious amount of muscle mass in a short period of time you should spend only a small amount of time in the gym and focus the rest of your time and energy on good nutrition and recovery. So before deciding if you want to be a Rich, Tim, or Christian, it’s best to define your training goal: I will list three common training goals to help you get started: •
•
•
Hypertrophy Strength Crossfit Hypertrophy: Hypertrophy, or “size,” is the most common goal for most guys who train in your gym and there’s a good chance that if you’re not training for it now, you’ve probably trained for it in the past. This is the same style of training used by bodybuilders to sculpt their works of art and by teens wanting to build a beach body for the summer to impress that girl who’s a few years older than they. Hypertrophy typically follows the following prescription: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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•
•
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Train every major muscle group once per week Train two to five days per week Do eight to 12 sets per muscle group, two to three muscle groups per workout—e.g. 12 sets of chest followed by eight sets of triceps gives a total of 20 sets per workout Perform six to 10 reps per set A popular four-­‐day hypertrophy split routine looks like the following: Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Chest/Triceps Legs Rest Back/Biceps Shoulders/Abs Rest Rest This is very straightforward and effective for building muscle mass, as it is structured to prevent overuse injuries, e.g. no more than two upper body muscle groups in a row and plenty of rest days. Strength: Strength training is a term that gets thrown around a little too loosely—like your neighborhood “bicycle”—and is often misunderstood and confused for bodybuilding or hypertrophy training. This compliments hypertrophy training very well, especially when done before rather than after a hypertrophy routine, but is less about mass and definition and more about lifting stats. Strength training does not just mean lifting heavy weights. Training for maximum strength follows/uses the following prescription: Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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•
•
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Train major compound lifts and rarely isolate muscle groups Train between three to four days per week Perform a total of six to 10 sets for an entire workout Perform two to four reps per set A popular three-­‐day strength routine follows this basic formula: Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Squats and Bent Over Row Rest Bench Press and Shoulder Press Rest Deadlifts and Natural Glute/Ham Raises or the “GHD” (Glute Ham Developer) apparatus Sat Sun Rest Rest Crossfit: I threw this one in here as it is currently exploding in popularity, and if you haven’t already tried it out I highly recommend you consider doing crossfit for a six-­‐ to eight-­‐week training cycle. Crossfit is known as the toughest fitness sport in the entire world because it tests you across 10 different disciplines. They are listed below in no particular order: •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance Stamina Strength Flexibility Power Speed Coordination Agility Balance Accuracy If you want to shake things up and really test your overall fitness, then this is one of the best ways to do it. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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It’s also a good way to destroy people’s egos, such as the time when I thought I was tough because I could do heavy lifts in the gym but then I attempted a workout that involved over a mile of running…I sucked at running… Needless to say, it was Game Over for me as my ego and I failed to pass Go and collect our $200. Here is a popular weekly routine for a crossfit athlete: *WOD means: Workout Of The Day; you can find new WODs to try every single day at www.crossfit.com or at the website for any of your local crossfit gyms, otherwise known as “boxes.” Mon Tues WOD WOD Wed Thurs Strength only session Rest followed by WOD Fri Sat Sun WOD Skills development followed by WOD Rest Recovery: Looking at the three routines above, you will notice there is a lot of rest in the strength routine, a little less in the hypertrophy routine, and only two days of rest in the crossfit routine. This is because some types of training require more recovery time to develop, for example it takes a long time for your body’s “CNS”—or central nervous system—to recover from pure strength training, and recovery from hypertrophy training has been compared by some scientists to recovering from a burns injury, with some suggesting you take even more than a week between training each body part if you want to see significant increases in muscle size. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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As for crossfit, these people are crazy and a little stubborn when it comes to training and usually don’t give themselves much rest. That being said, most “WODs” require only 10 to 20 minutes to complete, so if you do things right you should be able to recover quite quickly. Always remember that recovery happens while you’re eating and sleeping, and does not happen while you’re in the gym, so don’t listen to your buddies when they say you should train biceps 10 times a week to get serious growth, as it simply ain’t gonna happen (unless of course you take anabolic steroids—then your recovery ability will be through the roof, but this is not something I endorse). So read and re-­‐read all the preceding chapters to make sure you’ve got all the other factors in check to guarantee that you get the best possible recovery. And remember this: One of the biggest limiting factors is: Adrenal Exhaustion. I have already told you how to prevent this and how to prioritize each facet of your regime. Remember, you want to end up superhuman, not dumb and dead, so pay attention and re-­‐
read the chapters on sleep, hydration, and nutrition; focus on those first, then training and supplementation. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Train Your Mind Before You Train Your Body: How a strong mindset and goal setting can make you unstoppable In this chapter we are going to look at ways to work out your mind, not just your body. The best diet plan, workout strategy, and supplementation routine can all be undone by a weak mindset. And even the shittiest diet, workout strategy, and supplementation routine can produce great results in those with a strong mind. Your mental state is one of the most important factors in having effective workouts time and time again—being able to show up at the gym full of energy and making sure you stick with it. The first step to creating a strong mindset is setting goals. Not only do most people in the world fail to set goals, but even the ones who do set them usually don’t believe they can truly achieve them and end up giving up. When setting goals, there are a few key points that can make the difference between “great success” (Borat voice) and failure. Now we could sum these up using the classic goals template that most of us have heard of called “SMART Goals,” but I thought I’d go one better and spice it up a little by making what’s called “Smarté” goals (pronounced Smart-­‐Ay like Café). Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Not only does this make you sound cool because your goals now have a French-­‐infused theme, but it also adds one very important ingredient when it comes to staying motivated to achieve your goals… Making your goal Exciting. So what do they stand for? S: Specific M: Measurable A: Attainable R: Realistic T: Timeframe E: Exciting S: Specific – When setting goals, it is very important to be as specific as possible, e.g. “I want to put on size” vs. “I want to gain 10lbs of lean muscle.” The goal of putting on size can be achieved by drinking a glass of water and then jumping on the scales to watch your weight rise or, even worse, it can become a moving target that can never be hit, in which you are always trying to get bigger and bigger and never stopping to actually measure what you’re doing. By being specific and working out exactly what it is you want, you are already one step closer to achieving it. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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M: Measurable – If you cannot measure your goal, how the hell can you hit it? The previous example of gaining 10lbs of lean muscle can be measured with a set of scales. If you wanted to get specific and make sure that those 10lbs are actually real lean muscle and not just extra fat and water, then you should go get a DEXA scan. It is one of the most accurate methods of measuring body fat in the entire world, and not only does it provide body fat measurements, but it also shows your bone density and exact muscle mass on each individual section of your body, which is super awesome. Type “Dexa scan” and your city into Google, e.g. “Dexa scan Sydney,” to find the closest place to you. My first ever DEXA scan was a lot of fun, as not only did I discover that my body fat percentage was higher than I thought, but I also discovered I had a pretty crazy imbalance in the amounts of muscle mass on my legs. My right leg weighed 2.5lbs more than my left leg! I put this down to a previous injury on my left leg which I guess I didn’t rehab properly. It was all good, though; after four weeks of top secret ninja training methods which I share in Pre Workout Secrets: The Training Plan, I managed to gain 1.1 pounds of pure muscle and no fat on my left leg only! There is no other method that I know of that could measure the gains so accurately. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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A: Attainable – I’m one of the most optimistic people I know, and I have a reputation for setting unrealistic and unreasonable goals. Sometimes I hit them and sometimes I don’t. The “A” in Smarté stands for attainable, which means: Is the goal at all attainable? For example, if I set a goal to grow my biceps longer, as in make them stretch down my arm farther, this is simply not attainable, as the insertion and origin points of a muscle are determined by your genetics and no matter how many magazines you read or fat bodybuilder wannabes you talk to, one simple fact remains: Your muscles cannot be “shaped” by different types of exercises. If your biceps are short and have peaks, then they will simply become bigger peaks as they grow; you will not be able to make them grow farther down your arm, unless of course you want to pay a surgeon a bunch of money to do it for you. But say instead I set a goal to grow my biceps an extra three inches; then of course it is an attainable goal, especially when set over a realistic period of time. R: Realistic -­‐ This point is very similar to the previous one and relates very closely to it. Using the above example of a goal that involves gaining three inches on your biceps: Would it be realistic to say that you could gain those three inches in under one week? Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Not even the most amazing training and nutrition program could help you with that; even huge doses of anabolic steroids would be unlikely to be able to help you achieve that in only one week. But let’s say you set your goal to gain three inches on your biceps and you set it for 12 months. If you train with warrior-­‐like discipline and eat with the mindfulness of a monk and the ravenous hunger for protein of a lion, then it is definitely possible to gain three inches on your biceps in only 12 months—maybe even sooner. That being said, being realistic doesn’t mean being a pessimist or being unnecessarily negative just so you hit your goals; make sure you make them progressively harder as you go until the goals eventually become unrealistic. Then you will be badass. T: Timeframe – This is pretty straightforward… Set a damn time frame! Think about most people’s New Year’s resolutions: “This year I’m going to drink less.” If you ask me, that’s a pretty half-­‐assed goal and it nearly always ends with the person crying with a bottle of booze clutched in their hands every weekend until the next New Year’s Eve. If that person were to simply say “I will not drink any alcohol for the entire month of January,” then it would be much more likely they would hit their goal. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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They know the goal has an ending, so that feeling of desperation like they’ll never see alcohol again fades away and the goal becomes much more attainable. So, using our bicep example, let’s update this goal: I will gain three inches on my biceps by December 17th, 2012. Now it has a timeframe. Got it? Good. E: Exciting – So here comes my personal addition to the traditional S.M.A.R.T. goals formula, which helped transform it into the much sexier S.M.A.R.T.E. formula…or is it formulae? You can probably guess from the heading that the aim here is to make your goals exciting. It’s easier than it sounds. Most people kinda sorta wanna hit their goals but they’re not going to lose any sleep if they don’t hit them in time. That’s where the big E comes in. I want you to make your goals so damn exciting that you jump out of bed every morning and say “holy fucking shitballs I’m so excited to be alive today and I can’t wait to smash my goals!” Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Maybe not every day, but at least six out of seven. There are two main ways to make your goals more exciting. 1. Push the boundaries of what is realistic and attainable. Going back to the previous points in the S.M.A.R.T.E. formula, you want to review how “Attainable” and “Realistic” your goals are. If they seem pretty straightforward and achievable like it’ll be no sweat, then it’s time to push the boundaries further. You could look around you and notice that a lot of your friends were able to add three inches to their biceps over a 12-­‐month period. So now you know that 12 months is very realistic. So this is where you say “fuck that, I’m way more superhuman than my friends and I’m gonna do it in only six months!” The goal has now become exciting because you’re really pushing the boundaries of what is possible. 2. “Away From” and “Towards” motivation These two types of motivation are damn important when it comes to achieving your goals and could be the defining factor that makes or breaks you. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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“Away From” motivation is anything that makes you want to get away from it, e.g. I must submit my college paper on time otherwise I’m gonna fail the class. This is the classic last minute cramming situation that most students get themselves into time after time. You’re moving “away from” failing the class: this can only be accomplished by completing the paper and passing. “Towards” motivation is when you do something because you really want the end result badly. E.g. I want to get six-­‐pack abs so all the chicks will look at me on the beach. The goal is getting noticed by hot babes on the beach; this is a goal that you are moving “towards.” So to make your goal exciting, it’s important to have a balance between the two. “Away From” motivation will help you get started and “Towards” motivation is what keeps you going once the fear of failure starts to fade away. Are you excited yet? Good. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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The Biggest Pre Workout Secret: Pre Workout Cycling 7 This is the most important of the seven secrets; it should be obvious, but unfortunately (thanks to the male ego and our never-­‐ending quest for workout glory) we tend to ignore it. Do you remember the first time you ever took a pre workout supplement? Which one was it? No-­‐Xplode, Super Pump, Jack3d, Black Powder? Whichever one it was, I bet there's a good chance you ran around in circles like an excited little school girl telling all your friends that you had just discovered the best supplement in the world and that you could train like an animal and it made you feel high, happy, and invincible all at the same time. And then what happened? One day it just didn't feel the same, right? You took your usual one scoop, waited a few minutes, and then... A little bit of a buzz but certainly no "I'm high on crack" feeling like you used to get. So then you went to two scoops and, for some of you, even three scoops or more. And then came the crash…. If the above scenario describes your situation, you should know that you are definitely not alone. More and more people are burning out every day from failing to properly cycle their pre workout supplements. I'm not here to tell you that they are bad and that you should never take them again, screw that; I love taking pre workout supplements! Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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What I am here to do is teach you why the hell you're burning out, how to stop burning out, and what you can do to make sure you keep on kicking ass in the gym and are able to take pre workout supplements for many years to come. So Why Are You Burning Out? Most pre workout supplements contain a high dose of caffeine and some even contain extra stimulants such as geranium extract or 1,3 Dimethylamylamine, which is so strong that it has been compared to the drug "speed" and is officially a banned substance for professional athletes. When you consume stimulants, a message is sent to the brain to release adrenalin and cortisol into the bloodstream. As mentioned earlier; adrenalin and cortisol are produced in two little glands appropriately named "the adrenal glands" which sit just above your kidneys. Think of these two little glands as your body's "fuel tanks." When you begin to consume more and more caffeine, you begin to put more stress on the adrenal glands, but these poor little guys can only produce so much “fuel” each day. So the reason most of you are burning out is because you're taking in way too many stimulants and not giving your body enough time to “put fuel back in the tanks." So the million-­‐dollar question is: "How do we keep the tanks full and stop burning out?" The answer is to: "cycle" your pre workout supplements. Doing a "cycle" to some people can mean taking certain illegal performance enhancing drugs, but for the purpose of this chapter a cycle simply means a short period of time lasting between four and six weeks. By taking your pre workout supplements strictly for short cycles of no longer than four to six weeks and then completing a one-­‐week break in which you drop your stimulant intake to a very low level, you will allow your body to fill up the fuel tanks and get you back on track to kick ass in your workouts all over again. During this week off you need to use some self-­‐discipline: No energy drinks, no party drugs, no pre workout supplements, no thermogenics, nothing with caffeine whatsoever. That being said, this situation usually leads to withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, low energy levels, and bad moods. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Pre Workout Secrets
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
So to find the perfect balance, let me introduce you to the story of my friend Ricky: Ricky loves pre workouts. He loves them so much that he used to take the following every morning before his workout: -­‐ Two scoops of Jack3d -­‐ Two scoops of 1MR Both of these supplements contain caffeine and 1,3 Dimethylamylamine in BIG doses. This morning cocktail of Ricky's had over 1,200mg of caffeine as well as a boatload of other stimulants. The guy was taking over a gram of caffeine in one go! To give you an idea of how extreme this is: one cup of coffee has approximately 80mg of caffeine per serving, so Ricky was consuming the equivalent of 15 cups of coffee every single morning! Needless to say, Ricky was definitely running on empty and burning out. So I pulled him aside, made him drop all pre workout supplements for one week and simply take a double espresso coffee every morning (160mg of caffeine). Within a few days he was literally a new man; he no longer had dark circles under his eyes, he had way more energy, he could think clearly again, and he still performed well in the gym. Ricky was saved, and he now enjoys doing short four-­‐ to six-­‐week cycles of his favorite pre workout: 1MR, but these days he takes one scoop instead of four and he still gets the same buzz. So pay attention to the above story and make sure if you ever start heading in the direction of becoming another "Ricky," you pull yourself aside, end the cycle, and take a break. You will stop burning out, you will get your energy back, and your body will love you for it. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Pre Workout Secrets
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Your Game Plan: How to take the lessons you’ve learned and apply them for maximum effectiveness So you’ve made it this far. Well done, buddy. But realize this… This is only the beginning. What you do from here will make or break you when it comes to overcoming adrenal exhaustion, reworking your entire routine, and becoming a goddamn superhuman. So to help you get started I’ve created several templates for you to use to keep yourself accountable in all the key areas we covered in this eBook; to refresh your memory, I have listed them below once more: •
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Sleep Hydration Nutrition Nutritional Supplementation Training Load and Training Schedule Mindset Pre Workout Cycling Print off the following pages and use them to kick-­‐start your routine and hold yourself accountable. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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-­‐ Bed Time Wake Time Hours Slept How did I feel when I woke up? Here’s a sample of my personal chart: www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Pre Workout Secrets
Bed Time -­‐ Midnight Mon 2 a.m. Tue Midnight Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun 79
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Wake Time Not so good, forgot to have a pre bed snack so blood sugars dropped too low. 7 a.m. 7 Pretty Schweet 8 a.m. 6 Pretty Damn Awesome 8 a.m. 8 Hours Slept How did I feel when I woke up? Fill out the chart using your own words and expressions so you can understand it when you look back on it. The Hydration Chart looks very similar: www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Pre Workout Secrets
-­‐ Liters / Ounces Consumed Comments Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun 80
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-­‐ Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks www.preworkoutsecrets.com
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Pre Workout Secrets
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
S.M.A.R.T.E. Goals Template Example Goal: Increase Body Weight By 10lbs in two months Is it Specific? YES: 10lbs and two months are both specific guidelines. Is it Measurable? YES: You can measure 10lbs on a set of scales. Is it Attainable? YES: I have gained weight in the past in a similar timeframe. Is it Realistic? YES: I am eating clean, I am eating extra calories, and I am training for hypertrophy, which is the best type of training for gaining muscle mass. What is the Timeframe? Two Months. Is it Exciting? Fuck yeah it is, I can’t wait to gain another 10lbs and look even more jacked than I already am! Now it’s your turn…. Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Pre Workout Secrets
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Goal: Is it Specific? Is it Measurable? Is it Attainable? Is it Realistic? What is the Timeframe? Is it Exciting? Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Pre Workout Secrets
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Don’t Be A Stranger: Stay in touch and stay on track CONGRATULATIONS! Nice work, you’ve just finished reading the entire eBook. I hope you’ve printed the templates and are getting ready to scribble down your routine each and every day to take stock of what you’re currently doing and look closely to see where you can make changes and improvements. I know you’re gonna go out there and kick some ass and you probably don’t need any more help from here, but guess what? The worlds greatest health and fitness blog (as judged by me) is about to launch and you’ll be the first to know! Also make sure you “like” the Pre Workout Secrets Facebook page so that I can hassle you even more! J You can find the page here: http://www.facebook.com/preworkoutsecrets If you have any other questions at any other time, feel free to email me at: [email protected]. You can also follow me on twitter @ChristianB1986 for more health, fitness, nutrition, and training advice as well as random rants about the weather and my love of all things random Talk to you soon, Sincerely, Christian Baker CEO – Research In Human Energy Copyright © 2012 – Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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