When I talk to bodybuilders a
nd others that want to lose fat, or increase muscular definition for competition purposes, I often hear them ask about things like re-feeds and cheat days.
Re-feeds and cheat days are generally defined by the bodybuilding community as days of extra carbohydrates and/or calories over and above typical daily calorie intake. Some people will choose to make this a free-for-all – eating whatever they want for one meal or even all day. On the other hand, some will simply eat the same foods they normally eat, but eat them in greater quantities.
When fully developed, there are few th
ings more impressive on the bodybuilder’s physique than well-rounded delts! Many trainees own a pair of big arms, or have nice, thick chests, but is it much more rare to see a couple of “cannonballs” hanging off the clavicles.
Some of the most dramatic physiques of our time are ones that show incredible side delt development. Think about men like Kevin Levrone, Paul Dillett, Gary Strydom, Dennis Wolf and Jay Cutler… or women like Lenda Murray, Iris Kyle and Juliet Bergman. As soon as any of these champions walk (or walked) out on stage and turn to the front, the dramatic proportions of their physiques are immediately evident, and much of this has to do with the width of their shoulders.
Are you havin
g trouble losing weight? You’re not alone in being frustrated when it comes to losing body fat. The main ingredient missing from most people’s fat loss strategy is knowledge. So let’s go ahead and fix that.
First off, you’re going to have to get your diet in order. There are many ways to “skin a cat”, or “shed a pound,” in this case. And I don’t have enough room to get into all of your options here in this column, but what you will want to do is start keeping track of your macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrates. It sounds daunting at first, but once you start paying attention to what you’re putting in your mouth, you’ll soon see that scale start to move. Check out my “Shock & Awe” training, diet and supplement plan on my blog (www.agarmt.com/blog). It doesn’t matter if you compete or not, the information there applies to everyone. It will give you all the info you need on setting up your meal plan, whether your goal be shedding fat or gaining mass.
For those of us w
ho love to lift weights, cardio training is often an excruciatingly boring endeavor. Whether it is HIIT, steady state, or anything in between, when it is time to jump on the treadmill, stationary bike or elliptical the majority of us iron warriors cringe in disgust. But isn’t it this very type of mundane cardio that allows us to most efficiently burn off body fat and reveal the details of our hard earned muscles underneath? Not necessarily! Utilized correctly, the same BB’s, DB’s and machines we use to induce hypertrophy can also be extremely effective tools for melting fat like butter in a flame! The keys lie in choosing the right exercises, incorporating the proper rep range, and arranging your workouts in a manner that encourages the body to tap into body fat for energy.
It always baffles me why some (re
ad most) people believe that men and women should train differently. “Guys should train 6-8 reps and mostly with weights, hitting bench and squats, while girls should stick to higher reps and exercises like cable cross-overs and lunges.” I say, that’s complete B.S.
Anatomically speaking men and women are very similar. We have bones, skeletal muscle and many of the same organs. Our bodies process food in the same manner and our skin reacts the same way to the sun. When it comes to bodybuilding (which covers all manners of physique transformation involving weight training), the biggest difference between men and women is testosterone. Testosterone is the anabolic hormone that allows men to build superior muscle mass to that of our sisters
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