This subject is very interesting, because there is no definite answer. Just like most things exercise related, different things work for different people.

There are many protein shakes which offer 50+ grams of protein per serving, and I am often asked whether or not the body can handle this much protein at once.

There are many stipulations to the answer, so I’m going to try to address this question in a very careful order.

The first thing I’d like to address is that I’m answering this for body builders, not someone who is trying to lose weight, or is on any other type of weight loss regiment.

A common formula most people trying to gain mass, is that they should attempt to consume 1 gram of protein for every pound which they weigh each day. This can add up fast… Read the rest of this entry »

Obliques are like side abs. They’re on the side of your torso, and can be worked exercises like side bends.

They look great when toned, but if they gain mass, they’ll make any “love handles” you have look even bigger if you gain any fat.

The trick to obliques is to exercise them with strictly toning exercises, i.e. don’t use any weight on an exercise that works your obliques.

Continue reading for a list of exercises which can really tone up your obliques!

Read the rest of this entry »

Every time you lift weights, you are in fact ripping your muscle fibers (assuming you’re lifting enough weight). When your body repairs your muscles, they are bigger and stronger, hence the effects of working out.

However, working out again and again, without giving your muscles a chance to repair, can have adverse effects on your body (called over training). This is why people split their workout.

To create an effective split, a person must first understand how long it takes to repair your muscles after they’ve been ripped.

The repair process is known as muscle protein-synthesis. And its when your body uses proteins which you have consumed to repair your ripped muscles. This process can last as long as 48 hours after your workout. Which means that, for 48 hours, you should not put any serious strain on that muscle.

To take advantage of this bit of knowledge, you can split your workout in any number of ways. What I like to do is split my workout by muscle group.

Continue reading for examples and tips! Read the rest of this entry »

I often hear people speaking negatively about their forearms. My guess is, this is because they don’t really exercise their forearms. Sure, some back or bicep exercises might strain them a little, but not enough to give most people the results which they desire.

Why are forearms important? They’ll help you with many other exercises! Such as barbell curls, back exercises, and any other compound exercise which may feel the bonus of some forearm support! If you don’t spend time on them now, you’ll notice a difference after you do.

When I do forearms I like to do two different exercises to work all the areas evenly.

Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curl Demonstration from Nash on Vimeo.

Continue reading for detailed instructions about this exercise.

Read the rest of this entry »

Heres a great back exercise, if you’re looking to mix up your workout. I like to do it in place of the lateral pull downs now again. Read after the video for details on how to perform this exercise.

V-BAR Pull down demonstration from Nash on Vimeo.

The key points for this exercise are:

1. Start with a low weight until you have mastered the proper form!
2. Attach the “V-Bar” to the pull down machine
3. Grabbing the V-bar with both hands, pull it to your upper chest, don’t be afraid to lean back during the motion, but not too much as it will work your lower back.
4. Let the V-Bar raise back up slowly.

This is a common misconception many people have. No matter how firmly you may believe it however, muscle will never ever turn to fat. Conversely, fat will also never turn to muscle.

I know what you’re going to ask.

Why do bodybuilders (or anyone with a lot of muscle) get so fat when they stop working out?

The answer is quite simple. To gain muscle, a person must consume more calories than they expend (or burn). People who have a lot of muscle, consume a lot of food. They must do this because their metabolism is higher (from the amount of muscle they have and exercise they perform), and therefore their caloric intake must also be higher.

When a person with a diet this large decides to stop working out, they often won’t modify their diet accordingly.

As day’s go by, and the metabolism begins to slow (due to lack of exercise), but the calories consumed stay constant at their high numbers, a person will begin to gain fat.

This isn’t to say the person will lose all their muscle (because they won’t), but it’ll be hard to see under the fat which is covering it.

The moral of the story: if you’re going to stop exercising, modify your diet accordingly, so you’re burning equal or less calories than you consume.

If you like to party, you probably won’t enjoy reading this. So, I’ll try to make this as quick as possible.

Your body treats alcohol as a poison.

What does that mean? It means, that when you’re drunk, you’re body is going to do everything it can to get the alcohol out of your system. To such an extent, that other bodily functions will no longer get the attention which they require.

More specifically related to weight lifting, your body does not synthesize protein which is already in your system when you consume alcohol. Therefore, you should either try to consume your protein a few hours before you’re even planning on drinking, or just drink on days which you’re not exercises/consuming exorbitant amounts of protein for muscle recovery.

If you’re looking for a new effective triceps exercise, this one is for you. I’ve been doing it for about 6 years, and still find it to be the most intense and achieves the greatest results. If you think doing free-weight kickbacks are difficult (coming soon), well this is about just as hard, but in each hand at once.

Reverse Cables Tricep Exercise Demonstration from Nash on Vimeo.

The key points of this exercise are

1. Start with a low weight until you have mastered the proper form!
2. Grabbing a cable from each side with the opposite hand
3. Standing straight or bent forwards (for greater range of motion)
4. Keeping your elbows locked behind you (perpendicular to your body) in a non-moving constant position
5. Extending your hands behind you until your elbows are about to lock
6. Lowering the cables in at slower pace than raising them

There is an important science behind lifting weight up and bringing it back down. For those looking to gain mass, this article will provide a quick tip to improve your workouts, and re-focus your muscles on growth.

Your muscles rip in two different ways. When you bring the weight down, and when you bring it back up, they are two separate motions, and should be treated as such.

Why is this important you ask?

Well, for gaining mass, the more vital rip, is bringing the weight down, aka the descending motion. This is also generally the second motion of a repetition.

How should you use this information?

If you’re looking to gain mass, you should try to focus on moving at a much slower pace during the secondary or descending motion. Moving fast during the first motion is fine!

Here is one of my all time favorite biceps exercises. It’s difficult if you’re doing it correctly, and most people don’t know about it.

View the demonstration below.

Bar-Stop Curl Demonstration from Nash on Vimeo.

The key points of this exercise are

1. Standing straight
2. Keeping your elbows in a non-moving constant position
3. Pausing at a 90 degree angle (as well as at the top and bottom)
4. Lowering the weights in at slower pace than raising them
5. Don’t let the weights come all the way down (i.e. the weights should never be hanging, you should be lifting them the entire time)

This will help exercise the area under your bicep, from your inner elbow (that 1-2 inch space thats smaller than the rest of your arm), in addition to your bicep itself.