Peanut Butter Banana Bulking Protein Shake

A good protein shake for bulking. Ingredients include your favorite protein powder, banana and peanut butter.

What You Need

8 oz skim milk

1 banana

1 tbsp peanut butter

2 scoops of whey protein powder

Cooking Instructions

Place ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. You can also use whole milk and additional peanut butter, and turn this protein shake into a higher calorie weight gainer. Nutritional information for this reciped based on 2 scoops of whey protein blend and a medium banana. By using whole milk instead of skim milk, and by adding an additional tbsp of penut butter, this shake would provide over 600 calories. Recipe provided by Jmango.

Serving Suggestions

Makes one protein drink.

Nutritional Info

498 calories

58 grams of protein

44.3 grams of carbs

11.2 grams of fat

Genetics

Genetics is a popular scapegoat for lazy people. It is very convenient, and there's no one around to prove that this is the sole purpose of fitness limitations for some people! Learn more here...

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By: Matt Danielsson

Genetics is a popular scapegoat for lazy people. It is very convenient, and there's no one around to prove that it is, in fact, bull. It's all individually based, so when the guy who spends 2 minutes at the end of his workout every other week doing some light calf-raises, claims he has bad genetics, we can't be sure.
Perhaps he WAS born with 50% less muscle fibers in his calves than the rest of us. The most likely scenario is that he hasn't learned the basics of prioritizing, but since there's a 0.001% chance that he's right, he's pouncing on it rather than face the probable truth.

Don't Throw In The Towel

Even if it would actually be true that he pulled a loser when the calf-genetics were handed out, it is not - I repeat, NOT - an excuse to throw in the towel! By training smart, we can overcome most obstacles. That is not the same as fixing the problem at the root, which we can't, but to cleverly conceal the shortcomings.
The most classic example is the guy with narrow shoulders. There isn't a bodybuilding magazine that hasn't covered this at least 10 times, so I'll keep it short:
By trimming down your waist and beefing up your deltoids, you'll create the illusion of having broad shoulders. Look at small guys like Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray.
They're way smaller than Nasser El Sonbaty, Marcus Ruhl, and the other giants, but they still snatch the top slots!
Once again, it's all about illusions. The bottom line is that the cosmetic aspect of bodybuilding is not as dependent on genetics as many would like to think. Granted, you may have an uphill battle in some areas, but as a general rule, you can succeed.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Lee Priest - 215 lbs. (left), Jay Cutler - 295 lbs. (right).
70 Pound Difference!

Maintaining Balance

If you have skinny calves, forearms, or whatever, the number one priority should always be to hit that particular bodypart. Surprisingly, experience shows that many people does just the opposite. Keep in mind that bodybuilding - and all kind of weight training - is about maintaining balance.

RELATED ARTICLE

Symmetry! Developing a symmetrical physique entails focusing on all muscle groups equally through the employment of a variety of exercises. In bodybuilding, the emphasis should be placed on developing a balanced physique. [ Click here to learn more. ]

A guy with a huge upper body and spider-like legs not only looks ridiculous, he has also developed an unevenness in his body that'll set him back in other areas in life (think about it - with 30 pounds more of muscle on his upper body, but with the same legs, what happens to endurance in other sports? It's like running with a 30 pound backpack!).
In this case, you would not only allow your body to get unbalanced, but also allow an already weak part of you get even weaker (as compared to the rest of you, that are hopefully gaining in strength and size). This can all be summarized in two words: Prioritized Training.

RELATED POLL

Do You Prioritize Training Your Lagging Body Parts First? Yes. No. I Will Now!

Sounds familiar? Of course - it's the same old principle as when you've let your enthusiasm for bicep-curls take precedence over tricep-training for too long. Simply put - hit your weak muscles first, and hit them hard. Then do maintenance training for the already developed muscles until your weaker muscles have caught up. Then train all muscles equally hard to make sure that you stay on the right track.

You Are The Problem, Not Genetics

If you are truly genetically "cursed", you will ALWAYS have to put in a little more effort in keeping those up to par, but frankly speaking, odds are that you will surprise yourself. More often than not, it turns out that the muscle is really Ok - it just needed your full and undivided attention.
So much for the cosmetic part of genetics. We can do a lot to tweak things our way, and even though you might never become a Mr. Olympia contestant, there's always room for improvement. In almost every case, you can improve what nature threw at you by smart, prioritized training.
This doesn't really change the basic facts - that your lats suck, that your biceps don't have that awesome peak, or that your shoulders are narrow - but you can always create an illusion of looking better than you actually do. However, there is one point where there's not that much you do and that is where your muscles attach to your bones.
You can do a lot to improve your strength - let there be no mistake about this - deadlifts, squats, and heavy bench presses are excellent ways to boost your overall core strength. However, strange as it might sound to you, a truly crucial factor is where the muscle attaches to the bones.
Think about the upper arm-bone. The pec attaches perhaps 1.5 inches away from the base of the bone, near the shoulder-joint. When you're pressing weights, you have biomechanics working against you (it's like holding a short bar with one hand at the very end!
Light as the bar might be, the mechanics makes it hard).
If you were to move your hands a couple of inches in, the bar is easier to hold. On the same coin, the longer arms you have, the heavier holding the bar will feel. Say What?
Having longer arms also means that the weight will be traveling a longer distance from top to bottom position, as opposed to someone with shorter arms. And what has to pull the extra load? The pecs. There are two factors at play: The length of your arm AND where the muscle attaches to the bone.
Assuming that the muscle is exactly as large and strong as, say on your twin, you'd still be considerably weaker if that muscle was attached only ¼ of an inch closer to shoulder joint.
Follow the logic: The muscles are equally sized and of equal strength. The muscles are working equally hard when hoisting the weight for X amount of reps. However, the small difference of where the muscle attaches, allows one of you to use 30 lbs more. Likewise, a guy with the exact same size and strength, and the exact same placement of the pec muscle attachment, will differ in strength if one of them has 20% longer arms.
Remember the bar? The guy with longer arms are holding a longer bar, making the mechanics work against him. And - not only that - the weight has to travel further than with the other guy.
This is why you rarely see any 6'8" basketball player-kind of guys in the Olympics hoisting the big weights around. Heck, some of the top guys are borderline to midgets!

Conclusion

For the sake of simplicity, I have focused mainly on simple chest presses here. But this applies to pretty much all kinds of exercises. Take squats as another example: The muscle attachments determine how "efficient" the muscles are, biomechanically, and the length of your limbs once again determine how much of a lever your own body is, and last but not least, how far you will have to lift the weight from bottom all the way up to the top.
So, to wrap it up - theres not much you can do about this. But at least you know WHY a smaller guy can lift twice as much as you in certain lifts!
Thanks,

The 10 Essential Nutritional Tips For Getting Lean

The 10 Essential Nutritional Tips For Getting Lean

1.Eliminate junk foods. (Fats and Sugars).

2. Reduce the amount of overall fat in your diet to maximum of 30%. Eating less than 20% of your calories from fat is even better. But remember, some fat is essential and some fats are better than others.Olives, nuts and seeds, various oils – and canola.Fatty fish are all good fat choices. Keep some of these types of fats in your diet.

3. Adjust your caloric ratio to increase protein during the day and decrease carbs at night. As a general rule, you want about a gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Eat protein throughout the day so your muscles get what they need, when they need it. Keep carbs lower in the evening, as you have fewer energy demands as the day goes on.

4. As the saying goes: Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.

5. Time your carbs. Get your carbs in the morning and afternoon and lay off them at night when your body does not burn them as efficiently. Carbs are also best when eaten before or after workout.

6. Eat several small meals (5-6 per day), and eat less as the day goes on.

7. Eat 25-35 grams of fiber a day. Great sources of fiber include wheat bran, oatmeal and beans.

8. Vegetables are a great snack and a great mainstay. Eat five servings of veggies a day.

9. Eat and do brisk walk. Very light physical activity, like a stroll after dinner, not only helps digestion, but also helps boost the metabolism.

10. Take supplement’s in your diet with nutrients in needs – especially if you are cutting calories.

Basic Workout Principles

Basic Workout Principles

 

Overview
Don’t try to do too much too fast. Resistance training is a gradual, progressive process and you want to develop a positive upward trend no matter where you are starting. You are training your muscles to do things they have never done before or have not done in a while.

• They are good learners, but the learning process takes time. Do not try to make big gains suddenly.

• Favor strict technique over heavy weights. If used correctly, the techniques will give you the results you desire for one simple reason. They are the most effective way to target the muscles you are training. To maintain proper technique, watch your body to see if you are throwing your weight around, meaning you are overcompensating to accomplish the movements. A mistake like this prevents you form isolating the muscles each exercise is designed for. If you can not isolate, drop the weight.

• Stay hydrated before, during and after your workout. Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink water. By that time, you are already dehydrated. Staying hydrated will help maintain your strength and endurance, and also help you burn body fat.

• Do not plan on doing the same exercise, reps and program for any longer than six weeks at a stretch. As you advance, your goals will change, so be methodical in your development, but do not get formulaic. You have to constantly provide new stimuli to keep muscle growing.

• Guard against over training. More is not always better. Remember: Training is just a stimulus; the real growth occurs outside the gym with proper nutrition and recuperation. Do not be afraid to miss an occasional workout or take a week off now and then, especially when you hit a training plateau.

Warm Up:-
Spend about five minutes warming up your body at the start of every workout. That means getting the blood flowing., raising the heartbeat, core temperature and metabolic rate with five minutes of aerobic exercise. Use the stationary bike, treadmill, jump rope — whatever gets your motor running. Do not just look around. Visualize what you want to a accomplish in your workout.
Warm Down:-
When you are finished with your workout , move into a five-minute low-intensity aerobic exercise. Ride the bike, use the treadmill, whatever suits you best, but keep your heart rate under 100 beats per minute. This allows your metabolism to slow steadily and your body to recover in a controlled fashion.
Stretch:-
The Second step of wrapping up a workout is to stretch the muscles you have just worked. Perform stretches with slow, deliberate movements, without bouncing or jerking.
Replenish:-
Right after you finish training, replenish your body with water and fast acting carbs like raisines, mashed potatoes, bananas or a post-workout drink. Directly after training, your body needs carbohydrates to replenish energy reserves. Try to get your carbs within 30 minutes of training or, better yet, drink a carb drink as you train. If you miss this window of about 30 minutes, you would not have as good a chance to replenish your carbs fully before the next day’s workout. In addition to carbs, consume whey protein to aid in muscle growth and recovery. Whey protein powder quickly dissolves into amino acids, which provide your body with the building blocks to enhance recuperation.

Benefits of Weight Training

Benefits of Weight Training

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• Weight training tones your muscles which looks great and raises your basal metabolism… which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours-a-day. You’ll even burn more calories while you’re sleeping.
• Weight training can *reverse* the natural decline in your metabolism which begins around age 30.
• Weight training energizes you.
• Weight training has a positive affect on almost all of your 650+ muscles.
• Weight training strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.
• Weight training improves your muscular endurance.
• Weight training will NOT develop big muscles on women….just toned muscles!
• Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you confidence and makes daily activities easier.
• Weight training makes you less prone to low-back injuries.
• Weight training decreases your resting blood pressure.
• Weight training decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes.
• Weight training decreases your gastrointestinal transit time, reducing your risk for developing colon cancer.
• Weight training increases your blood level of HDL cholesterol (the good type).
• Weight training improves your posture.
• Weight training improves the functioning of your immune system.
• Weight training lowers your resting heart rate, a sign of a more efficient heart.
• Weight training improves your balance and coordination.
• Weight training elevates your mood.