1.P90X DVD Summary

After completing my P90X Review, I decided I could go into more detail about the individual P90X DVDs. Following are brief descriptions and some thought of each of the workout days prescribed by P90X.

Chest and Back DVD

Although perhaps intimidating at first, you’ll soon realize how basic Chest and Back day is as a workout routine and in comparison to some of the other P90X DVDs. This is where the program starts, and you’re bound to learn two important lessons. First, all you really need is a bar and a floor to have a crazy intense workout that hits some of the largest muscle groups in your body. And secondly, there’s a certain practicality to it when you think about being able to push or pull your entire body weight. You’ll thank Tony Horton when you find yourself hanging by your fingers off a cliff’s edge one day.

On my first day, I remember being surprised, and a little disappointed, in how little I used the cool adjustable dumbells I bought for P90X. There are still a couple back moves that utilize free weights, but the rest is all pullup and pushup varations. Most people don’t realize how many different kinds of pullups and pushups you can do, and here are only a handful to wet your fitness appetite. The funner ones show up later.

Pushups: Standard, Military, Wide, Decline, Diamond, Dive Bomber

Pullups: Chin-up, Wide, Narrow, Switch Grip

Plyometrics DVD

Anyone who’s ever done Plyometrics will tell you it’s HARD. For some that means a new challenge to conquer, and for others it causes them to drop the word and everything associated into their “hate” bin. I say don’t be a hater!

Plyometrics is also called Jump Training, because you do exactly that… jump. You’re mostly landing on your toes to reduce impact, and the goal is to be light on your feet while adding intensity over time. Most people will be struggling (or should I say dying) the first time they do this, but I promise it gets better. It’s a great workout for sportsy folk, because you’ll achieve applicable improvements in speed, agility, endurance… oh, and jumping.

Even after 90 days of doing Plyometrics once every week, it still kicks my butt. I think that’s because there’s very little you can do to cheat without actually stopping, and the modified moves are significantly different from actual. Although it’s a high impact workout, it can’t be that much worse than going running, and you have time for a solid warm up and warm down to prepare your legs for the hopping around.

Shoulders and Arms DVD

Break out the free weights for Shoulders and Arms. This is a pretty straight forward all upper body day with shoulder presses, curls, and tricep work. You alternate through each muscle group doing double circuits. Shoulders and Arms is also the workout where I hurt my neck during the first week while being a little too enthusiastic about my side tri raises.

Many people will be familiar with the moves, so it’s important to push your limits and up the weight when/where you can.

Yoga X DVD

I wonder why the “X” for “extreme” was only added at the end of certain workout titles? Is it because those workouts aren’t viewed as extreme under normal circumstances? I guess there are a lot of guys who think doing yoga is nambi-pambi.

For anyone, like myself, who’s never done a day of yoga in their life, it’s as difficult a challenge as Plyometrics – just in a different way. Figuring out how to do yoga poses while keeping your balance is tasking in a “my body doesn’t actually turn that direction” sort of way. Then you find yourself sweating from both the effort and concentration. In fact, by the second or third week, Yoga day officially became my sweatiest day of all P90X workouts.

Especially for the guys, you’d think that your flexibility ultimately falls within a static range, but I suddenly found myself making large improvements. I would all of a sudden discover I could balance in a certain pose, or that I could stretch just a little further than the previous week. I left with a new respect for the art, and plan to continue learning yoga outside of P90X.

You’ll also notice that Tony Horton is not a master of yoga poses, either, especially on the balancing side. He still does a good job teaching the skills, though.

Legs and Back DVD

When you think your legs can’t be beat up anymore with jump training and balancing on one leg in half moon pose, you finally hit Legs and Back day. Most of the exercises are tough enough your first week with just body weight, and even later I found myself maxing out around 25 lbs. per arm extra.

This is another DVD that teaches you how to get a great workout without all the fancy equipment. The very first lunge sequence, the sneaky lunge, and the toe roll lunge are just a few exercises that I’d never done before. Then again, like most people, I would tend to skip my legs when working out at the gym. Plus, the squats are sure to make your glutes sore for a good couple days after.

The back exercises are no surprise as they mirror what you’ve already seen in the Chest and Back DVD. It’s still good to get in those reps and try to hit some extra pullups, but I sense it was put into the workout to give your legs some much needed rest.

Kenpo X DVD

Kenpo is probably the one DVD where people will feel most comfortable out of the gates. The pace isn’t too crazy like some cardio kick boxing classes offered at local gyms, but the intensity makes it a great workout.

In addition, I’d say this is the one DVD where the P90X crew seems the most normal. While I do trust that everyone represented on camera went through P90X, they all seemed to have started out already super athletic. In Kenpo X, they seem more like regular people who are just excited to be in one of the P90X DVDs. That’s just what I see, anyway.

X Stretch DVD

How many people out there can honestly say they stretch for a full hour straight at least once a week? The X Stretch DVD is listed as an optional workout used every 7th day, but I highly recommend keeping it on your calendar. By the end of the hour, my body is totally loosened up, and I feel pretty energized without having broken a big sweat.

I really do believe that stretching is one of those things that prevents injury. And having X Stretch plus Yoga X will offer you large improvements in your overall flexibility.

Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps DVD

In the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps DVD, it’s time for some of those moves that may have drawn you to the P90X program in the first place. I’m talking about the One-Arm Pushup, and the Plyo Pushup, both of which make an appearance in the original P90X infomercial. There are several other interesting push exercises that I’d never done before such as the Plange Pushup, and the Pike Pushup.

There are a few interesting shoulder and tri workouts in this DVD, but for the most part it’s just about blasting those muscles in rotating fashion. This is the one P90X DVD where I can actually get an equal or better workout using resistance bands. Adding high tension to your triceps can be pretty killer as long as you push up the resistance.

One of the unique things you’ll notice about this P90X DVD and the biceps portion of the Back and Biceps DVD is that it’s virtually non-repetitive. That is to say, you’re doing a circuit, but you never do the same exact exercise twice. This adds to keeping the workout interesting, so your hour seems to pass faster.

Back and Biceps DVD

This is just what the doctor ordered for me, since my biceps starting out were abismally weak – not to mention the fact that my left arm was significantly weaker than my right. Again, nothing mysterious about how you’re targeting your biceps. Curls at different angles, in & out hammer curls, and even some drop downs at the end will help your arms get cut.

Back exercises may be a little more challenging on this day, because you’re hitting your biceps pretty ferociously, and your triceps may still be recovering from two days ago. On the plus, this could teach you how to use more of your back when doing a pullup, which is the point of these bar exercises to begin with! Add also the Towel Pullup, which you won’t have seen before this DVD.

Core Synergistics DVD

Core Synergistics is a great cardio workout. In fact, I prefer this DVD over Cardio X, because the moves are more original and challenging. With the way the P90X system is arranged, you pretty much never get a chance to master the DVD, because you only do the routine once every month. Even though you’re definitely targeting your core strength, it feels much like a full body workout, getting your arms, legs, stomach, and lower back involved.

If you think about it, working your core is important when trying to make drastic changes in your body composition. For example, if you’re losing a lot of fat around your mid-section, you want to make sure you are strengthening the muscles around that area to replace some of the padding your body has relied on for a long time. It’ll preven injury in the long run. Plus, there are many studies suggesting links between core strength improvement and overall longterm health. I’ve noticed more stability and better posture just from this set of exercises.

Cardio X DVD

You may not use Cardio X much if it’s your first round through P90X. The Cardio X DVD is suggested as a secondary workout if you plan on doing the Lean or Doubles version of the program. It’s shorter than other P90X DVDs, running around 35 minutes total – just enough time to break a good sweat and wrap it up.

Intensity wise, it’s just enough to push yourself a little extra during the day, but it’s also probably my least favorit DVD in the series. About 95% of the exercises are the same as what you see in other sections of the P90X program. It combines moves from Yoga X, Plyometrics, Kenpo X, and Core Synergistics – a little bit of everything to get your heart pumping.

Ab Ripper X DVD

If you’ve been researching online, you’ll probably read the most whining about Ab Ripper X. For one, it’s a VERY serious abs workout to begin with, and it’ll be really tough for anyone to keep pace for the first few weeks. The other chief complaint is having to add Ab Rpper X on top of your resistance workouts 3 times per week. Not only does it push your exhaustion to the edge, but you’re tacking on an additional 20 minutes to your workout time.

By about halfway through the abs routine, I keep my eyes close and just concentrate on getting through the whole thing without stopping. Of course, like any other P90X DVD, you don’t won’t to take it to the point where you injury your body. With the difficulty level high and every move 25 reps each, there’s no

2.My P90X Recommendations
Is P90X for women?

YES! There are many women who complete P90X successfully with fantastic results. Many women express worry about “getting bulky”, but the fact is P90X is more about becoming lean and toned. As long as you follow Tony’s rules about number of reps for lean muscle (12-15), then you’ll be fine.

I hate to sound too judgemental, but if people are honest, about 90% of the time saying, “I’m afraid of getting bulky” is an excuse for not doing the work. Resistance training is proven to improve weight loss. And in any case, you generally have to reach a certain point in your overall fitness level before even worrying about looking like the Incredible Hulk. Even beyond P90X, it’s a lot harder to gain mass than you might think!

If you’re still fearful of all the weight training, P90X gives you the option for doing a “lean” program, which adds more cardio to the system.

When are you ready for P90X?

There are a few ways to know you’re ready for P90X. At the top of this list is dedicating yourself. You’ve got to have it straight in your head that you’re 100% committed to completing every workout, every day, no matter how tired you are. P90X is the real deal. It’s hard work that takes concentration and focus, so make sure your head is in the game!

While there is a basic fit test you should pass before starting P90X, most people can’t go straight from zero to hero overnight. If you don’t exercise regularly, then I recommend first getting into a basic exercise routine. By going to the gym 3-4 times a week, you’ll get into the habit of working out. Better yet, try a less extreme program first to create those habits and so you’re already physically fit at the beginning of P90X.

Will you get injured doing P90X?

Injury is always a possibility when you’re pushing your body’s limits. P90X reduces the chances of injury through long warm ups, stretching, and showing proper technique. You can prevent injuries by paying attention and taking the time to hit the pause button if you can’t keep up. Pay special attention to moves that cause neck strain, and leg exercises that can damage your knees if you use the wrong form.

I think everyone should use the first week of P90X as a learning week. Be heavy on the pause and rewind buttons so you can wrap your head around everything.

I also recommend supplements (vitamins and recovery protein drinks) so your body recovers faster. Supplements and good nutritional food choices also help increase energy during your workouts. The less tired you are, the less likely you’re going to hurt yourself!

How do you stay on track?

Plan ahead! You might consider starting the nutrition plan or at least stockpiling your kitchen one to two weeks before starting P90X. Make sure to schedule time for your workouts around your career and any random events. If you know you’ll be traveling, then think ahead and figure out where you can find a gym, bringing equipment, supplements, and your computer along for the trip.

I checked out the online support network, and it’s actually filled with highly enthusiastic P90X grads. If you have any questions or just want to chat with like-minded folk, it’s a great place to get connected.

At first I didn’t write anything down, but finally got on the horse in my second week. I found that it was a huge boost of confidence when I could track my weekly base-line and measure improvements when they happened.

Finally, tune out the Debbie downer’s of the world. There will be friends who cheer you on, and then other skeptical folks who think your somehow harming yourself or trying to achieve the impossible. Just don’t listen! This program works.

Do you really need to do the pre-test?

I only recorded less than half the pre-test measurements, because I was lazy. I must admit that I wish I’d gotten all my numbers.

Items such as your active heart rate and body measurements can be great indicators of health improvement and total body conditioning. It may seem silly to figure out how much higher you can jump after 90 days, but you will be very curious by the end, especially after you’ve done all the hard work.

Can I bulk up or gain muscle mass with P90X?

According to many reviews, P90X is not for bulking up, and that’s probably true if you take the program as written. However, it is possible to gain muscle mass using the P90X system. The key is in altering the nutrition plan.

The fact is, you’re not getting enough protein or calories in your diet by following the P90X nutrition plan if your goal is to build lots more muscle. People have had success, though, by adding additional calories in the form of protein supplements. This is really for more serious body builders, but a typical schedule for adding bulk is to do 180 days of P90X. The first 90 days utilizes a muscle gaining diet, and then the second 90 days trims down any extra fat by following the plan exactly as written.

3.The P90X Workout Program,The P90X Nutrition Plan, The Tony Horton – Face of P90X, The Un-mysterious Abs, The Benefits

The P90X Workout Program

P90X is a 90-day “do it from home” fitness program whose purpose is to get regular people in the best shape of their lives. You would have remembered seeing the infomercial, because it totes some of the most amazing before and after pictures of any exercise package currently advertised on TV. Generally, the workouts are not really marketed to the traditional couch potato, but instead aim at everyday folks who might already be in average to above average shape. This is what might be considered the ultimate fitness pick-me-up for people who’ve found their existing workouts are lackluster and boring.

P90x is based on the idea of “muscle confusion”. For people who know a little about working out, that basically translates to high-intense cross training or circuit training. Tony Horton, the P90X trainer, has put together a program that works different muscle groups everyday in a combination that ensures your body development never plateaus. One day of the week you may be working your biceps, another day you’ll be thrashing your legs, and the next day you’ll find yourself doing yoga poses – then, the program changes again every 30 days. In practice, that means constant, non-stop improvement.
The P90X Nutrition Plan

This was a first for me. I’d never in my life tried to follow a diet. Like many people, the idea of “dieting” that sucks all the life and joy out of eating never appealed to me, so I expected this to be a challenge. On the other hand, I figured I wouldn’t be entirely miserable as long as I knew it would end after 90 days.

I was surprised to find that the P90X nutrition plan was fairly reasonable over all. After doing some simple calculations (upon reading the manual), I found I could eat about 2400 to 2600 calories per day. Volume-wise, that’s not too shabby for a normal guy.

You have your choice of doing a precisely scheduled day-to-day meal plan, or else a more flexible option based on food group portions. For details on what I did exactly, check out this other blog post I wrote. The first month was the hardest because it was predominantly low-carb at the equivalent of 2 slices of whole wheat bread per day. It gets easier from there on.

I had some trepidation interpreting their diet plan at first. As someone who’s never dieted before, certain advice in the manual seemed grey. For example, the meal plan is clearly laid out, but then you’ll read things in there like “listen to your body”. That’s sort of ambiguous isn’t it? And even though you do become incredibly aware of how your food choices affect performance, it’s hard not to question if you’ve made a wrong choice – adding more carbs sooner than scheduled for more energy, for instance.
The Tony Horton – Face of P90X

Tony Horton is an entertaining coach and teacher. You really do get jazzed by his enthusiasm, practical advice, and generally whimsical, talkative nature. He’s been responsible for many leading Beachbody programs, such as Power 90 (the precursor to P90X) and the new 10-Minute Trainer series.

As an instructor, he’s a phenomenal motivator and does an adequate job explaining key points for each exercise. You can pick up some good advice on how not to injure yourself if you pay attention. Most of your learning technique-wise, however, is done visually. Tony jumps from one exercise to the next rather quickly. That’s appropriate, I think, for being an “extreme” program, but it means beginners and less coordinated types should freely use the pause and replay buttons to make sure they’re on point.

After 90 days, you’ll learn many of Tony’s favorite phrases, too, like:

“Do your best and forget the rest!”
“The mother of all P90X workouts…”
“Get sexy with it!”
“The world famous Karen pot stirrers.”
“Bring it!”
The Un-mysterious Abs

What I like most about P90X is that it demystifies the “how to’s” of obtaining lean muscle definition in your body. And yes, that includes a 6-pack for many people. Although muscle confusion is a fairly basic principle in the dogma of building efficient workout routines, the full road map is right here in 12 workout dvd’s and 90 days of commitment. You’re told exactly what to do every single day – and guess what? It works!

I saw changes in my definition and strength within the first two weeks, and I continued to improve in those and other areas (like endurance and flexibility) over the entire 3 month period. If you’ve ever wondered whether you have 6-pack potential, then this is a pretty darn reliable road map to finding out.

The Benefits

As was advertised, I am truly in the best shape of my life now. I’m stronger in measurable amounts, and I have more endurance in ways that I can feel anytime I’m active (running, hiking, biking, etc.). I could also probably squeeze into a super hero outfit without looking too much like a fat spiderman.

I began P90X as someone who’d been working out regularly (3-5 times per week) for the previous 2 years. At the gym, I would mostly work my upper body with free weights and run on the treadmill for cardio. It was a workout pattern that steadily slimmed me down a couple pant sizes. I wasn’t someone you would consider super athletic, and I’ve never had a toned body before, so I’m pretty amazed by where P90X has boosted me. If you check out my results in the next section, you can get the numbers and visuals.

Some of the unexpected benefits were:
1.) Learning how to get a great workout outside of the gym.
2.) Pushing my body to limits I didn’t realize were possible.
3.) Motivating friends and family to get healthy, too.
4.) Seeing first hand what it means to eat hardcore healthy.
5.) Enjoying yoga.

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Holiday survival? Yup, it’s that time of year when everyone is looking for the latest tips and tricks on how to survive the holiday season without adding another six to ten pounds before January turns the corner.

It seems like we want to be reminded of the obvious this time of year. What’s the best diet, who is doing what in Hollywood and which ab machine on TV will turn me into the next super model? In truth, every year around this time we tighten up our belts and start looking for answers to why we don’t fit into the same size cloths we did in high school or before the kids or before that “tragic life circumstance” that made us gain 15 pounds.

The thing is it’s none of the above. We gain weight because we don’t have activity levels that equal our eating levels.

The real deal is that we don’t need to find any new tricks or angles. Keep your cash in your pocket. You can’t pay for results. The basics have been pretty much figured out over the last 50 years of health and fitness. What we need to do is get control of ourselves and our emotions. We need to stop looking to outside sources for reasons to treat our bodies and therefore our minds better and realize that temporary satisfaction is just that. Temporary.

In reality, we know what we need to do. It’s just that we don’t.

Does that mean no fun during the holidays or that you’re doomed to a life of no chocolate cake or beer? Of course not, I love both chocolate cake and beer and plan on having some of both over the holidays. I also plan on keeping active and picking my spots for decadence. The reason is because even though these bits of temporary satisfaction may be fleeting and only last minutes, I want to experience and enjoy them.

Lets face it, we do what we want, not what we are told. I happen to be a big fan of “both” when asked if I want a fat free body or to enjoy treats.

Life is short and should be packed with as much joy and happiness as possible. If treats make you happy then you should have some. If you eat treats all the time though, you get fat. Being fat makes people unhappy in the long run. So if you look at the big picture, eating treats all the time is like shooting your happiness in the foot (if happiness does in fact have a foot).

Eating treats every once, like on a planned treat day, a family get together or night out on the town and TRULY enjoying the experience is a 100% win-win in my book!

Beer and cake are not the problem. Beer and cake multiple times a week and then turning it into “your treat that you deserve at the end of the day” is the problem.

Our bodies are pretty amazing things. We can do just about anything to them in small infrequent doses and our bodies will work hard to minimize the damage and restore balance. Given frequent whacks over the head with the “nutrition bomb” stick, things start to fall apart.

So how do all of us fitness groupies survive the holidays without gaining ten pounds? Plan your fun and stick with your eating and exercise program the other 98% of the time. Keep your metabolism fired up by hitting the gym with hard, intense workouts and keep your eating on track during the normal times. Then when you go out for a night or two during the holidays, let it rip. Go crazy and get the bugs out of your system.

Once you get the bugs out of your system, you’re ready to run your metabolism hot for the next couple of weeks. No regrets but some great experiences and a ton of fun. Did I mention you’ll still have that six pack when you book your trip for Mexico?

O.K. fine. Just for the sake of keeping with personal trainer holiday tradition, here are my tips to keep the pounds off during the holiday season:

1. Do high intensity interval training for your cardio.

2. Think less about the length of your workout and more about the intensity.

3. If it comes prepared and in a package, it belongs on your “treat” list.

4. Spend more time lifting iron than you do pedaling and jogging.

5. Simple is good. The complexity of a workout has no bearing on the results it will produce.

6. Eat smaller meals but do it more often.

7. Do not cut fat out of your diet and then replace it with carbohydrates.

8. When eating out, get full on protein before you look at anything else.

9. When it’s time to have fun, don’t hold back.

10. When it’s time to work, don’t hold back and don’t compromise when others want to steer you down a different path.

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You have seen pictures of them; fitness models pulling up their shirts to reveal rock-hard six-packs wrapped with only a paper-thin layer of skin. The truth is, you too, with a little work and time, can have a toned, well-defined stomach. Everyone has a six-pack somewhere beneath the fat. It is a matter of shedding that flab to allow the muscle to define the shape of the abs rather than a layer of fat.

Ab Exercises Alone Don’t Work

Contrary to the infomercials and a myriad of fad gizmos and gadgets that are put in our faces every day, abdominal exercises alone will not define your stomach. You can get up in the morning and do a hundred crunches every day and still not get that attractive six-pack that lies dormant somewhere beneath the fat.

Ab exercises are, of course, important. With efficient exercise of the abdominals and plenty of rest and recovery time between workouts, the muscles in your abs will grow. Well-developed abdominal muscles can do nothing but strengthen your stability during exercise and, of course, look amazing once you shed the obscuring fat around them.

A Three-prong Approach to Defining Your Belly

If you want a six-pack, and who doesn’t, you must engage in a three-prong attack at your fat. Your first wave of attack is effective strength training, not only of the abdominal muscles. The second attack is effective cardiovascular training to burn away excess calories. The third weapon is reducing the calories in your diet and eating only nutrient-rich foods. Let’s discuss these three categories on one by one.

Use Effective Strength Training to Build Lean Muscle Mass

The name of the game is muscle mass, and you want lots of it. If you want to shed fat, muscle mass is your best weapon. Every pound of lean muscle mass on your body consumes, on the average, 13 calories a day, but can consume up to 50 calories a day. With plenty of lean muscle mass, you can transform your body into a fat-burning machine. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking that by merely adding pounds of lean muscle mass to your body, you can eat anything and everything you want. A healthy amount of quality muscle can help you to keep the weight off, but does not become a substitute for healthy dieting habits.

So how do you gain lean muscle mass? Strength training is the answer. But rather than concentrating on actually lifting weights, you should be concerned with rest and recovery time between workouts. When you lift weights, you only need enough exercise to start your muscles into repair and rebuilding mode. Once you have accomplished this, there is no need to perform any more exercise. It is time to stay out of the gym and let your body do the work. Only train with weights after your muscles have had a chance to completely recover between workouts. Only then can you expect to perform at peak levels and get the most out of your workouts.

If you are after lean abs, don’t make the mistake of thinking that training only your abs will do it. Your body has a more-or-less even distribution of fat throughout your system. If you train only your abs, you won’t burn as much fat overall as if you train your entire muscular system from calves on up to shoulders. You have to think globally, you must lose fat generally throughout your body to get to those abs. Eventually, as the fat melts away, your abs will emerge, beautiful and defined. But getting there is an all body effort.

Use Effective Cardiovascular Training to Burn Extra Calories

Calories are nothing more than a measurement of energy. Hence, any fuel can be measured in calories. A gallon of gasoline contains about 31,000 calories of energy. Your body burns calories at a rate defined by your metabolism–age, sex, and activity level all weigh into how quickly your body burns calories. If you consume more calories than your body burns, your body stores the extra fuel away in the form of fat. If your body burns more calories than you consume, your body is forced to take its fuel from fat reserves. Each pound of body fat contains about 3,400 calories. To burn them away, you must increase your activity level.

Cardiovascular exercise is one of the best ways to burn calories. When you hit the treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike, your goal should be to burn as many calories as possible in the shortest time period possible. Use interval based training, by far the most efficient type of cardio training, to do this. You can burn upwards of 213 calories in 20 minutes of good, high impact cardio exercise. Multiply that by 3 [cardio workouts per week], and you have toasted 639 extra calories per week. That’s about 20% of a pound of fat. You can pretty quickly see the benefits of cardio exercise.

However, even cardio exercise is not enough to bring out your six-pack. You must also consider the third area of attack.

Consume a Nutrient Rich, Healthy Diet

The name of the game when going for a six-pack is putting your body in a constant state of caloric debt. That means you want your body to burn more calories than you consume. We have already considered how to burn more calories with cardiovascular exercise and weight training. Another way to burn the fat is to lower the amount of fuel you put into your system. Your body will burn what it needs to in order to function properly, either in the form of consumed fuel or in the form of fat reserves. The trick is to force your body to keep eating that fat away.

So how do you consume less without counting your calories or weighing everything you put into your system? A few simple tips might help.

Dump simple carbohydrates from your diet. Simple carbs found in white breads, candy, soda, brownies, cake etc. do nothing but bulk up your fat reserves. Your body doesn’t have to break simple carbs down to assimilate them into your reserves. With complex carbohydrates, found in whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, bran, and oatmeal, your body has to work to fuel itself. The process is more complicated than that, but the important thing is to forego the ice-cream, cake, pie, and especially soda pop. Instead, opt for whole grain substitutes and diet drinks. It won’t hurt; I guarantee it.

Drop your portion sizes by one half. When you sit down at the table for a meal, evaluate how much food you would regularly pile on your plate then take only half. If you are absolutely starving at the end of your meal, take seconds of only fruits and vegetables to satisfy the pangs. With this simple habit, you will quickly see the fat shed away.

Know how many calories you are eating. I know, I know; I just said don’t count your calories. Though if you drop simple carbs and limit your portion sizes, you do not need to count calories, it is still a good idea to know what you are eating. Pick up a small notebook from the grocery store next time you go shopping. For two weeks only, write down everything you eat in that book. If you have access to nutrition labels, write down the calories you have consumed. Generally you should shoot for about 1,100 calories a day if you are a woman and 1,700 calories a day if you are a man. For most, this will drop your fuel consumption sufficiently to put your body into the caloric debt zone. With this simple exercise you will soon find your trouble spots and know exactly where you need to cut back.

In Conclusion

A tight, well-defined stomach is absolutely in your grasp. But don’t believe those ab-only exercise gadgets or those miracle exercise scams that claim they will bring your abs out in only six seconds a day. Toning your abs is part of a whole. If you follow the advice in this article, you will see steady, consistent fat loss over your entire body and eventually your abs will appear, emerging from the obtrusive fat that hides your definition so effectively.

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To some degree, your size can also be controlled by your metabolism. If you have a difficult time gaining weight of any kind (fat or muscle) then you most likely have a fast metabolism. That simply means that your body burns calories at a faster than normal rate. You must take this into account whenever you are considering a particular diet or training program. Is it geared towards someone with your metabolism and goal?

Now as you know, there are many ways to train. Hundreds, thousands even. Some work and some do not, but for the specific goal of gaining weight, there are a few UNIVERSAL things that all skinny guys must do.

Though much of the information I cover here is not as “magical” as you may like, I consider these rules to be the basics with regard to weight gain. These are not all of the answers, but they are definite elements that MUST be addressed in any successful weight gain program.

You should be able to easily integrate these rules into your current program to make it more suitable for your particular body and goals.

GENERAL RULES

1.Get the proper information that pertains to your SPECIFIC condition and goals.

The first big problem I find in most people is the lack of correct information. Yes you are motivated and doing things, but your effort is wasted on incorrect dieting and training information. Basically, skinny guys are taking advice from people who have never had a weight gain problem. Want to know how to gain weight? Then find someone who has walked your shoes. Someone who has been where you are.

2.Set a specific goal and create a plan of attack.

If you were to drive cross country to another city, would you just start driving randomly, or would you plan a route that would get you quickly and efficiently?

Think of your plan as a road map and your goal as your destination. Without a plan and a specific goal you will be without focus and can easily get lost or side tracked. This happens more often than you know. I see many people in the gym just doing whatever, or just eating whatever — no plan or specific goal. They wonder why they don’t make progress. They have no focus.

Having a specific program to follow allows you to take action each day. This action is focused on specifically getting you to your destination quickly. There is no thinking, debating or guessing. You just do it. A specific plan provides necessary daily structure that not only keeps you on the road moving forward, it also helps to develop good eating and training habits that will benefit you long after you have reached your destination.

3.Have confidence in yourself and belief in what you are doing.

Let’s face it; we live in a cruel world. Hate and jealously is everywhere. For most people who begin a fitness program to improve themselves, getting started will be half the battle. The other half will be staying motivated throughout the constant onslaught of negativity from others. A few negative words can do serious damage if you allow it.

The most insulting things you hear may be from friends, co-workers and acquaintances at the gym. People hate change. It makes them insecure, because they suddenly discover there’s more to you than they were probably willing to admit. They fear that you may actually achieve your goal. It makes them look less “superior”.

Once you have begun your plan, you must have faith and believe in what you are doing. Stay focused and avoid overly critical or negative people. If you have to, keep your business to yourself. When I first began my program, I stopped talking about what I was doing because I got tired of hearing things like “you can’t do that”, “that’s impossible”, “you’re wasting your time and money”. Funny thing is, now those people are constantly bugging me for advice.

It’s your life. It’s your body. It’s your dream. Don’t allow your success or failure to rest in the hands of others.

WORKOUT RULES

4. Stop listening to every ridiculous piece of advice you hear in the gym or read on a message board.

Recently a client of mine informed me that someone in the gym stated that he was training all wrong and he needed to train 5-6 days a week, and aim for more reps during his workout. Somewhere in the range of 15-20 reps per set.

The person giving the advice was quite confident about his recommendations, and he had an impressive physique that typically elevates him to the elusive “listen to me if you want to look like me” level in the gym. He was bigger than my client, so even though my client’s “intellectual” mind knows that advice is absurd; his “unrealistic dreamer” mind took this information very seriously. So seriously that he changed his program and didn’t inform me until a week or so later. This particular person had been making great progress on his current program, yet he allowed this one person’s comment to overshadow that progress and convince him that his program was inadequate. This is a mistake and it showed in his lack of further progress.

In addition, don’t judge the validity of what a person says by how they look. Just because the guy is huge doesn’t mean he is spewing pertinent advice for you. Many people that have big physiques are big despite of their training, not because of it. I know some huge guys that know very little about training and dieting correctly. They can do whatever and still gain muscle; unfortunately we are not that way, so we much approach things in a more intelligent way.

5.Workout Infrequently

This is the most difficult concept for many to grasp simply because it involves less action, instead of more. When we get motivated and start a new program, it’s natural to want to do something. We want to train and train and train. Thinking all along that the more you train, the more muscle you will build. Unfortunately, this could not be farther from the truth.

More training does not equal more muscle growth. Understand that the purpose of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth. That takes very little time. Once that has been done, the muscle needs to be repaired and new muscle needs to be built. That only happens when you are resting. You do not build muscle in the gym, you build muscle when resting! If you never give your body any essential “non active” time, when will it have a chance to build muscle? Think about that.

Now, add in the fact that you have a difficult time gaining weight and the importance of rest increases. Individuals who are naturally thin and have difficulty building muscle tend to require less training and more rest.

6. Focus on Multi-Jointed Lifts

Multi-jointed exercises are those that stimulate the most amounts of muscle fibers. Unlike isolation exercises which only work individual muscles, multi-jointed lifts work many different muscle groups simultaneously. For those needing to gain weight, this is ideal because these lifts put your body under the most amount of stress. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system and cause the greatest release of muscle building hormones. This results in increased muscle gain all over the body.

You can still do some isolation work; however it should not be the focus of your workouts, and should only come after your multi-jointed lifting is complete.

7. Focus on Using Free Weights

Free weights are preferred over machines for many reasons, but most importantly because they allow the stimulation of certain supporting muscle groups when training. Stimulating these stabilizer and synergistic muscles will allow you go get stronger, and ultimately build more muscle faster. Yes, some can most likely still build large amounts of muscle using machines, but why make it more difficult if you already have a difficult time gaining weight?

8. Lift a weight that is challenging for you

Building mass involves lifting relatively heavy weight. This is necessary because the muscle fibers that cause the most amount of muscle size growth (called Type IIB) are best stimulated by the lifting of heavy weight. A heavy weight as one that only allows you to perform 4-8 reps before your muscles fail.

Using a lighter weight and doing more reps can stimulate some Type IIB fibers, but again if you have a difficult time gaining weight, why make it more difficult? You need to try and stimulate as many as you can with the use of heavy weights.

9. Focus more on the eccentric portion of the exercise.

When you lift a weight, it can be divided into three distinct periods. The positive, the negative and midpoint. The concentric or “positive” motion usually involves the initial push or effort when you begin the rep. The midpoint is signaled by a short pause before reversing and returning to the starting position. The eccentric, or “negative” portion of each lift is characterized by your resistance against then natural pull of the weight.

For example, when doing push-ups, the positive motion is the actual pushing up motion. Once you have pushed all the way up, you hit the mid point. The negative motion begins when you start to lower yourself back down. Most would simply lower themselves as fast as they pushed up, but I recommend extending and slowing down this portion. Slowing down the eccentric part of the lift will help to stimulate more muscle growth. It actually activates more of the Type IIB fibers mentioned about in Rule 7.

10. Keep your workout short but intense.

Your goal should be to get in, stimulate your muscles and then get out as quickly as possible. It is not necessary to do large amounts of exercisers per body part trying to target every muscle and hit every “angle”. This should only be a concern of someone with an already developed, mature physique who is trying to improve weak areas.

If you have no pec, don’t concern yourself with trying to target inner, outer, upper, lower or whatever. Just work your chest. You should do no more than 2-3 exercises per body part. That’s it. Doing more than that won’t build more muscle, faster. In fact it could possibly lead to muscle loss. Long training sessions cause catabolic hormone levels to rise dramatically. Catabolic hormones are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue resulting in MUSCLE LOSS. While at the same time, long training sessions suppress the hormones that actually build muscle.

If you don’t want to lose muscle during your workouts, I suggest limiting your sessions to no more than 60-75 minutes MAXIMUM. Less if you can.

11. Limit your aerobic activity and training

Honestly, I do not do any aerobic activity when I am trying to gain weight. This is mainly because it interferes with the important “non-active” time my body needs for muscle building and recovery. I do understand that people have lives and other activities that they don’t want to give up, so it must be kept to a minimum. It won’t hurt your progress as long as you don’t over do it. If you find that you are doing more aerobic activity weight training, that’s overdoing it. Use an ab toning belt to help accelerate ab muscle development and see your contour abs faster.

I also don’t recommend it because people tend do it for the wrong reasons. Many start aerobic activity because they believe it will help them to lose fat. While that is true, it won’t do so on a high calorie mass diet. To lose fat, you need to be eating fewer calories.

12. Don’t program hop

Here’s how it usually happens. You’ve just read about a new exercise or workout that is supposed to pack on the mass. Now, even though you had already started another training program a few weeks ago, you are tired of it and really want to start this routine instead because it sounds better.

I call these people, “program hoppers”. They are very enthusiastic when starting a new program, but they never follow it long enough to actually see any results. They are easily distracted and love to drop whatever they may be doing to follow the latest “hot” workout or exercise.

My advice is don’t do it. This is a bad habit that never leads to a positive outcome. Understand that it takes time for any program to work. To be successful, you must follow your program consistently. Yes, there are many different training methods and interesting routines out there, but you can’t do them all at the same time and jumping around won’t allow enough time for any of them to actually be effective for you. Pick one that is focused on your current goal and stick with it. There will be plenty of time to try the others later, but NOT NOW.

EATING RULES

13. Eat more

This rule is pretty simple, but usually the one that is not done correctly. If weight gain is your goal, then you will need to eat more food. Period. In most cases, you will need to eat more than you are normally accustomed to.

One large problem that I had when starting out is I just had no appetite. I knew I needed to eat more, but I just did not want to. I had to force myself to eat at each meal. Thankfully, after about 2 weeks, my appetite grew. I was becoming hungry before each meal, and if I didn’t eat my meal at the normal time, my body knew it.

If you have this problem, you still must eat something, no matter how much. Start off making yourself eat something small like fruit every few hours. Then, as your appetite becomes more active, gradually move into more real food.

What this will do is gradually get your body accustomed eating at regular intervals. Eventually you will be hungry before each meal time.

When eating more, you will need to make sure that you are getting plenty of good quality protein. Protein is a nutrient that is essential for building muscle. Every meal that you eat should contain some form of protein. Meal Replacement Powders like Myoplex are excellent for this purpose. They enable you to eat large amounts of good quality protein in a very convenient manner.

14. Eat more often

In addition to eating more calories, you should also strive to eat more often throughout the day. Eating infrequently, or going long periods without eating, will cause your body to breakdown muscle tissue for the calories it needs. This is especially true for those with fast metabolisms.

Spreading your meals throughout the day will give you more manageable meal sizes, improve nutrient assimilation, and make sure that your body always has the calories it needs for muscle building and repair. I recommend eating a high protein meal every 3 hours. During normal waking hours, that usually equals about 6 meals.

Now, I know what you are saying, “I’m too busy to do this”, or “how can I do that with a full time job and school?” Don’t let the thought of this being too difficult keep you from doing it. It may seem very inconvenient at first, but once you get in the habit of doing it, it becomes second nature and you don’t have to give it much thought. Trust me, I’ve been doing it for years and do not feel that it’s limiting or time consuming.

15. Use Nutritional Supplements.

Before you buy any product, remember that supplements are not magic. Too many people think that just because you buy the latest product, it guarantees that you will automatically begin to pack on the pounds. The truth is that supplements are only there to enhance an already solid diet and workout program.

They can give you the extra edge by:

* Adding More Convenience: Using food supplements like Myoplex or Designer Protein help to eliminate the common problem of ‘not enough time’, by providing you with a quick, efficient way to get your required nutrients each day. They make eating large amounts of calories and protein easier for people with low appetites.

* Increasing Strength Levels: Products that contain Creatine, like Phosphagen HP or Cell-Tech enable you to swing the odds of gaining more weight in your favor by increasing your strength output. Acai Burn also enables you to lift heavier weights, which will stimulate more muscle fibers and cause more muscle growth.

* Decreasing Recovery Time: Vitamin C is essential to prevent free radical damage, which is accelerated after the heavy trauma of weight training. It is also essential is helping to repair connective tissue. All of this helps decrease the amount of time you are sore.

* Enhancing Your Immune System: Weight training increases the body’s need for many minerals like magnesium and selenium. I always use a good multi-vitamin ensures that I am not deficient in any major essential vitamin or mineral. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness and suppression of the immune system, muscle cramping and fatigue.

I can honestly say that I could not have built the body I have today without the convenience and enhancements supplements provide. I simply don’t have the time or desire to do it any other way. This is a choice that you must decide for yourself. You will be spending your money on these products, so make sure that you know their place in your program.

IS THIS POSSIBLE?

Yes, but I have to be honest and say that from my experience, gaining weight is much more difficult than losing fat. Even if you are doing everything right, it will still be difficult because you are fighting against what your body naturally prefers. If you are naturally thin, building an impressive physique involves persistence and determination, but no matter what anyone says, it is well within your ability.