Muscle Building Ebook

www.ShapeFit.
com Muscle Building eBook
Thank you for your interest in our Muscle Building eBook. At ShapeFit, we
are dedicated to providing you with quality health and fitness information to
help you get in the best shape of your life. We have compiled the top 50
muscle building tips in this eBook to help you succeed on your fitness
program. We hope you enjoy this information and we wish you all the best
to get fit and live a healthy lifestyle!
Yours in health,
Kris Bierek
Founder/President
ShapeFit, LLC
www.ShapeFit.com
"Get Into Shape. Stay Fit."
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www.ShapeFit.com Muscle Building eBook
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Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience

and anecdotal evidence. Although the author and publisher have made every
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Guide, they assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Also, you
should use this information as you see fit, and at your own risk. Your
particular situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated
here; in fact, it's likely that they won't be the same, and you should adjust
your use of the information and recommendations accordingly.
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assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for
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Nothing in this Guide is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or

other professional advice, and is meant to inform and entertain the reader.
Copyright © 2009 ShapeFit, LLC. All rights reserved worldwide.
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MUSCLE BUILDING TIPS

1. Evaluate Your Body
By evaluating your current body composition, body weight and body
measurements, you give yourself a starting point. This will be very
important in deciding what your nutritional and weight lifting goals will be.
We suggest you record these body statistics on a weekly basis for the best
results:
Body Weight
Body Fat
Body Measurements
By recording these figures, you will know if you are on track with your
goals. Remember to record these numbers and update them on a weekly
basis.
2. Use Basic Compound Movements

The best way to train for optimal strength gains and muscle mass is to use
basic core weight training exercises which work many different muscle
groups. These movements are considered the true mass builders and will
stimulate muscular growth and strength gains in individuals who
consistently use them in their overall strength training workout plan. These
core exercises consist of:
Barbell Squats
Power Cleans
Barbell Bench Press
Barbell Rows
Military Presses
It's very important to always have a training partner/spotter when doing

these compound, core exercises and focus on really working hard by going
to positive failure on every set (after warming up). This will really initiate
muscle growth and provide the strength gains you're after!
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Here is sample workout routine to really add some muscle mass and strength
to your physique! Make sure to get a full 3 minutes of rest between each set
and fully recover after your intense workouts.
Monday - Legs
Barbell Squats (3 sets of 8-12 reps) (3 minutes rest between sets)

Power Cleans (3 sets of 8-12 reps) (3 minutes rest between sets)
Tuesday - Shoulders
Military Presses (5 sets of 8-12 reps) (3 minutes rest between sets)
Thursday - Back
Barbell Rows (5 sets of 8-12 reps) (3 minutes rest between sets)
Friday - Chest
Barbell Bench Press (5 sets of 8-12 reps) (3 minutes rest between sets)
3. Prime Your Body With A Pre-Workout Meal

Always eat a small pre-workout meal consisting of some low glycemic carbs
and a quality protein. A good meal is a half cup of rolled oats and a scoop of
whey protein. This provides you with a sustained carb source to provide
energy through your workout and a quality protein source to support muscle
repair and growth.
4. Keep A Detailed Journal

Keep a detailed weight training journal. This way you will be able to record
all of your sets, reps and poundages for every exercise. You will have a
record to look back on so you can see your overall strength gains and make
changes if needed. You can access our FREE weight training journal here:
FitTracker – FREE Online Fitness Tracking
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5. Use Periodization Techniques

Periodization is a concept where you use cycles to break up your training.
Regardless of your ultimate goal you should have a plan, and this plan needs
to be broken up into your daily, weekly, and monthly workouts. So, you may
have a week of heavy intense training, then a maintenance week of lighter
training, the light week allows the muscles to recuperate, yet because they’re
still being trained atrophy will not occur from disuse. In order to avoid a
state of over training, and continue to grow, we need to recover. Remember
your muscles do not grow in the gym, they grow when at rest. Many factors
contribute to over training, including inadequate rest, continued heavy
training, and deficiencies in diet & nutrition. By using periodization to map
out your training you will avoid over training and keep your muscles in a
state of continued adaption.
Principles That Can Be Used When Planning Your Training Cycles:
Cycle Training: this is where you break up your training into bulk
cycles, strength cycles and cutting cycles; which will help keep your
muscles in a responsive state.
Split Training: this is breaking up your training into separate body

parts each work-out which allows for shorter and more intense
sessions.
Muscle Confusion: your muscles adapt to stress, and ultimately you

can reach a plateau. By constantly varying the exercises, weights, sets
and reps you can ensure continued adaption.
Progressive Overload: continue to increase different parameters in

your training, whether it be more weight, increasing sets and reps, etc.
Eclectic Training: using a variety of methods in your training,

combining numerous techniques such as compound and isolation
exercises.
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Principles That Can Assist You In Arranging Each Workout:
Supersets: alternating two opposing muscle groups with little rest in

between sets.
Giant Sets: performing several exercises for a single muscle group

with little rest in between sets.
Muscle Priority: training a weaker body part first in your work out.
Pre-Exhaustion: this is where you perform an isolation exercise

preceding a compound exercise, e.g. leg extensions before squats.
Pyramiding: beginning with a lighter weight, gradually increasing

weight and lowering reps, then work backwards, decreasing weight
and increasing reps.
Stripping: going from a heavy weight, and stripping off weight each
set as fatigue sets in.
Principles That Can Be Used With Each Exercise:
Forced Reps: once failure has been reached on a set, your partner
assists you in performing additional reps that could not be performed
alone.
Continuous Tension: maintaining slow continuous tension thru out

the rep, which will maximize red muscle fiber recruitment.
Cheating: once failure is reached the weight is swung past your

sticking point to complete the movement (useful when you do not
have a spotter).
Partial Reps: as the name implies only part of the full movement is
performed, e.g. only curling a barbell half way up, which can be
effective due to the varying points of leverage.
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Peak Contraction: at the completion of a set holding the weight fully

contracted for a few seconds.
Super Speed: using a lighter weight, reps are performed explosively

yet controlled, called “compensatory acceleration”, which can help
with white fiber recruitment.
6. Recover Properly With A Post-Workout Meal

Always eat a post-workout meal consisting of a high quality protein and a
high glycemic carbohydrate. After your workout is the ideal time to spike
your insulin levels and re-supply your body with glycogen. A great post-
workout meal consists of 2 scoops of high quality whey protein powder (I
recommend Optimum Nutrition) and about 35-50 grams of carbs coming
from either dextrose or maltodextrin. MRP's like Myoplex or MetRX work
great in this situation. Liquid meals are great after your workout because you
don't have to deal with the heavy digestion which real foods takes. The goal
post workout is to maintain a prompt digestion rate so nutrients can transport
swiftly and efficiently to our muscles.
7. Eat More Calories

The most important thing that cannot be emphasized enough is that you
NEED TO EAT to gain weight. You need to eat like you’ve never eaten
before. If you are not eating enough calories, you will NEVER gain weight,
no matter what you do. In order to build new muscle, you must eat more
calories than your body burns off, creating what is called a caloric surplus.
To gain mass, you should strive to eat at least 500 calories above your BMR
every day. The extra calories will be used by your body to repair muscle
tissue that is damaged during the heavy workouts, and to build new muscle.
Make sure that your diet consists of nutrient dense foods. All calories are not
created equal! In other words, some types of calories are not equal to others
for gaining muscle. For example, if I said that you need to eat 2,000 calories
per day to gain weight, and you eat 4 bags of potato chips each day, do you
think you would gain muscle? Not likely. The majority of your weight
would be fat. Why? Because potato chips, like most processed junk food,
contains empty, totally nutritionless calories. These foods do not provide
you with the correct nutrient breakdown essential for gaining muscle.
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8. Always Switch Your Training Up

Add "periodization" training routines to shock the muscle. Focus on
different rep ranges on each workout. Switch from high reps (12-20) for the
first workout. Then to medium range (8-12) for the second and finally the
power reps (3-8) for the last workout. The major factor in gaining quality
muscle is intensity and switching up your training exercises, rep ranges and
sets to shock the body into growth.
9. Learn To Perform Each Exercise Correctly

Before you lift even one weight, you'd better know what you are doing.
Learning the correct form for each exercise is crucial. You'll increase your
muscle building results, and greatly reduce your chance for injury.
10. Use Photos To See Your Progress

Keep a detailed photo gallery of your progress. Pictures don't lie. Buy an
inexpensive digital camera and take pictures of yourself every week in your
bikini or swimsuit. Snap 3 pictures ever week including a profile shot,
frontal shot and rear shot. Include these with your diet diary and journal so
you can see how your body looks each week while you make changes to
your diet and exercise program. Remember, sometimes the scale does lie.
Even though your scale may read that you have gained 2 pounds over the
last 3 weeks, this could very easily be 2 pounds of lean muscle. Lean muscle
is an extremely metabolic tissue and the more you have, the more calories
you burn even when you're just sitting around! By adding photos of yourself,
you will be able to reference your physical appearance from week to week.
This basically takes the guess work out of getting into shape and is crucial
for any fitness plan. Use FitTracker to start tracking your physique photos!
11. Try Different Forms of Exercise

If you have always used free weights, then switch it up and try training with
machines like "Hammer Strength". These are excellent weight resistance
machines and they will really work your muscles from different angles and
different intensities. You should always strive to find new and exciting ways
to workout and create resistance for muscle growth.
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12. Track Your Nutrition For Gains

Keep a detailed diet journal of all the foods you eat and how you feel at each
meal. Were you extremely hungry? Were you tempted to grab that amazing
looking Krispy Kream donut? Write it down and you will have a wealth of
knowledge to look back on.
13. Consistency For Growth

A very important aspect of being able to build muscle, aside from doing the
exercise, is to be consistent in your efforts. On again off again exercising
proves to be more disappointing than anything else. To truly get results, you
need to commit yourself to daily exercise! Human history has us in the fields
chopping trees, plowing fields, planting food, hunting animals. We have
come a long way from that, but our bodies still need the level of movement
that was associated with those times. Get up from that computer, away from
that desk, out from behind that steering wheel and spend some time doing
some vigorous basic movements for the chest, back and legs! That in itself
seems out of reach for a lot of people. The problem is that we tend to think
about how much work it will be and how much time it will take and those
numbers are too big. Instead, do this. Plan to do 15 minutes. That's all. You
will find that once you start, and 15 minutes have passed, you can easily do
10 or 15 more. The trick is to initially think small. Trick your brain into
thinking of it as a small event. The second part is to continue with this daily.
Well almost daily. Time off to recover is important too. In order to maintain
consistency, choose a routine that you will be able to continue with. Plan to
do a small routine daily. The small amounts, compounded daily, and then
monthly produces results. If this means just using dumbbells then that is
fine. The point is to stick with it. If lack of consistency sounds like your
problem, then put this into practice and see how you improve. Think smaller,
become more muscular. Remember, being lean is the body's natural state. It
strives for it.
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14. Have a Detailed Exercise Plan

You would never build a house without a site plan, would you? You would
never just pick up a hammer, some nails and start pounding away hoping
your dream home will be built perfectly. Just like building a house, when
you build your body up, you need a plan to adhere to and follow.
Don't just wander in and pick out the first five exercises you see. Have a
detailed plan of action and know which body part you will be training,
which exercises you will use and a specific repetition and set range you will
implement. When you have a good exercise plan, you will know exactly
what you need to do and your training session will have a smooth flow with
no wasted time looking for exercises to perform.
15. Pre-Workout Mental Priming

This exercise will help you stimulate your nervous system with the kind and
quality of effort you want to generate while you train. Before your workout,
clearly visualize yourself performing one set for each of the muscles you'll
be training. And experience yourself generating superior effort by pushing
yourself, driving yourself, contracting to the max, and blasting ever fiber to
the bone. Take your time here since each time you perform this process,
your visualizations will become more lifelike and positively emotionally
activating.
16. Always Shock Your Muscles

Always try to "trick" your muscles into growth. You never want to do the
same exercises, reps and sets for each and every workout. You always want
to shock your muscles into growing and adapting to new stimuli, so make
sure to always switch up your training routines, number of sets and reps for
each training session. Also, make sure to train at a high level of intensity and
really push each set to positive failure (barely getting the last rep up).
You should always focus on increasing the weight lifted. If your muscles get
used to lifting a specific amount of weight, then they will never want to get
stronger or grow. Always try to trick your muscles with different reps/sets
and keep your intensity levels up high enough so they always are forced to
make changes and grow!
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17. Intensity Cycling

One of the biggest problems facing most people who want to gain muscle
mass is frustration and burnout (or overtraining). This causes so many
people to give up on their muscle building quest and just quit, figuring they
aren't genetically blessed and weight training doesn't work for them.
This is a shame and one of the best ways to avoid this is to employ muscle
building tips such as intensity cycling. In a perfect world, we could go all
out all the time in our training and reach our goals very quickly. However,
we don't live in a perfect world and our jobs, significant others, and even our
bodies, won't always cooperate.
That's where intensity cycling comes into play. The idea is to continually
take two steps back to take three steps forward. You regularly vary your
training intensity by making planned changes in the poundages you use and
the effort level (intensity) that you put into your workouts.
The variables in these muscle building tips include training frequency,

training volume (number of sets), exercise selection, use of high-intensity
techniques, etc. When these muscle building tips are put together properly,
you can systematically move past sticking points that you have had before in
your training.
If we could train all out every workout, that would be the quickest way to
make muscle building gains. While I am a big advocate of high intensity
weight training, I realize that not many people can handle this kind of
training at every workout. This is where intensity cycling comes into play.
The idea behind cycling is to take planned workouts over a period of 6 to 12

weeks and work up to a top poundage that you've never used before. Once
this is accomplished, you back off and then perform another training cycle,
working up to a poundage that is slightly higher than your previous best.
The best example of this is powerlifters. They've been using these muscle
building tips for years to increase their top poundages in the bench press,
squat, and deadlift. And all things being equal, you'll have bigger chest
muscles when you can bench press 250 pounds for 10 reps than you did
when you could only bench 150 for 5 reps.
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It is best to slightly modify what the powerlifter does, as you are going for
muscle mass gains, as opposed to strictly strength gains. And one way to do
this is to use slightly higher reps than the powerlifter. You don't want to
peak with a 1 rep max lift. You want to increase your training poundages
that you use for 6 to 20 reps.
18. Maximize The Windows of Opportunity

You have two main windows of opportunity when you’re training. One is 30
minutes before you train (pre-workout meal) and another comes about 30-60
minutes after your workout (post-workout meal). The pre-workout meal
should consist of a starchy carb and lean protein. The starchy carb will
supply the energy you need to get through an intense workout. The protein
provides the much needed fuel for your muscles, so they keep a positive
nitrogen balance. A great pre-workout meal would be consumed 30 minutes
before your workout and would consist of 1 cup of natural oatmeal with one
scoop of protein powder. Try to stick with whey protein. Mix it with some
water and microwave the dish for about 2 minutes. Stir it up and eat it with a
big glass of water.
Your post-workout meal should be consumed as quickly after your workout

as possible. This should consist of a simple sugar to spike your insulin levels
and rush glycogen back into your muscles which are screaming for fuel by
now. Try to stick with either dextrose or maltodextrin as your main source of
simple sugar. These can be found in your MRP (meal replacement powder).
Also, add another supply of protein to the mix. If you are using a post-
workout dextrose based drink, add another scoop of whey protein to it and
shake it up. If you’re drinking an MRP, you should be perfectly fine. Shoot
for around 20-30 grams of protein before your workout and 30-50 grams of
protein after your workout.
19. Take a Multi-Vitamin

If you want to gain muscle, you must make sure that you are not deficient in
any vitamin, mineral or trace element that your body needs. I know many
people are going to disagree with me, but I believe that in this day, we
absolutely need to supplement our diet with vitamins and minerals. I know
that those who are against using vitamins are going to say that if we "just eat
a balanced diet. . . ", You know the rest.
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Well first, eating a balanced diet is easier said than done. America is the
most overweight country in the world. Most people don't even know what a
"balanced" diet is. Balanced with what? Experts will continue to spout, "eat
a balanced diet," while Americans feast on nutritionless fast food and sugar.
Second, not only do our bodies have to deal with the ever-increasing
external stresses of everyday life, they also have to combat nutrient-
depleting exercise. Food today is, for the most part, nutritionless - almost
totally void of the body strengthening vitamins and minerals it contained one
hundred years earlier. Instead, we now ingest over-processed, fiberless
meals, and under-ripened vegetables grown in barren, over-farmed soil,
laden with pesticides.
How healthy can that be? If you want to ignore the facts and continue on
about "balanced diets," fine. It's your decision. But I, for one, eat a balanced
diet, and I still take a multi-vitamin supplements.
Many mult-vitamin manufacturers try to put "everything" in their product,

but it's not necessary. At minimum, your multi-vitamin should contain the
USRDA (recommended daily allowance) of vitamins A, B-complex, C, D,
E, K and the minerals calcium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, selenium, and
possibly iron (for women). Men should find a multi-vitamin without iron.
You typically get more than enough iron from your food. Extra iron is
needed only for menstruating women. It should also contain other essential
nutrients like biotin, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum and
pantothenic acid.
There are some vitamins and minerals that are best taken separately. Vitamin
E, vitamin C, folic acid and calcium are best taken at higher dosages. Many
proponents of multi-vitamins cite that taking that many vitamins and
vitamins together causes negative interactions because they compete with
each other for absorption. For example: magnesium, zinc, and calcium
compete for absorption; copper and zinc also compete for absorption.
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20. Rest For Muscle Growth

One of the best pieces of exercise advice is to understand that your muscles
grow when you’re resting not training. That's right; you don't actually get
bigger and stronger when you're in the gym. It's what you do after your
workout that's the real key to muscle growth. If you don't let your muscles
recover correctly, you're body will become over trained and it will be in a
state of constant "catch up". This is far from the ideal state that you want
your body in. What you want is to truly prime your body for your next
workout and give it enough rest and recuperation to fully optimize your
training.
The worst thing you can do is over train your body. This will lead to muscle
atrophy (breaking down muscle) and you may experience the flu because of
this. When you train, make sure to limit your resistance training sessions to
45 minutes maximum. Your body's testosterone levels start decreasing after
about 45 minutes, so any time after this length and you're really just wasting
your time. Focus on hitting it with a high level of intensity for 45 minutes
and get out of there. Take care of business and start your recuperation. When
you get back from your workout, you might also try sitting in a Jacuzzi or
sauna to really relax and let your muscles recover. Rest is extremely
important when training hard, so make sure to take the time to recover and
grow from your training sessions.
21. Eat Enough Good Fats

One mistake wannabe lifters make is to not eat enough good fats. When I
first began lifting and eating seriously, I would try my best to steer away
from fats. Little did I know that fats were actually important in growth. One
good thing to know about good fats is that there is a direct relationship
between fat and testosterone levels.
Most people are overweight because of a diet high in simple carbohydrates,

not from eating fats. If your diet is too low in fat, your body will actually
make a point to store any fat it gets, because it doesn't know when it will get
more. A low-fat diet will also lower testosterone levels, something we do not
want when trying to gain weight. Studies have shown that dietary fat has a
direct relationship with testosterone production. An increase in dietary fat
intake seems to bring on an increase in testosterone levels. The inverse is
also true. A decrease in dietary fat intake is usually accompanied by a
decrease in free testosterone levels.
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A perfect example of this is when bodybuilders diet down for a show, so to

speak. They are limiting their caloric and fat intake to achieve that stage
condition. However, when they are on this restrictive diet, it is impossible
for them to grow. That is why bodybuilders "bulk up" and then "cut up"
because it's either one or the other. Good sources of fat is salmon which
contains omega-3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids, flaxseed oil, and
conjugated linoleic acid.
22. Get Motivated With Friends

One of the biggest motivational factors for succeeding with your muscle
mass plan is to have others involved with you. When someone else has the
same goals as you do, it's easier to succeed. You will have someone to push
you when you need it, and also have emotional support when times get
tough. Get your friends involved and watch your muscle mass improve! Use
FitTracker to create your own FREE profile and search for friends in your
area!
23. Focus On The Big Lifts

Stop wasting your time on exercises that don't produce rapid results.
Concentrate on the basics. The best muscle building exercises are squats,
barbell bench presses, rows and deadlifts. These four exercises should be the
foundation for your whole exercise program. Most people do pec deck,
dumbbell kickback's and curls and then wonder why they don't get any
results! If you're not doing at least two of these four muscle building
exercises each workout, you might as well not go to the gym.
24. Visualize For Success

The human brain is one of the most incredible creations on earth and it’s
been gifted with the wonderful ability to imagine. Visualization has much to
do with our success in setting goals. When you set goals for yourself, the
key to achieving them is to visualize yourself accomplishing them.
Visualizing success is important for two reasons. First, the mind thinks in
terms of pictures. Second, the subconscious mind drives much of our
behavior. The subconscious does not know the difference between
something that is real and something that is vividly imagined, so whatever
picture you consistently think about will drive you to create that exact
reality.
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A great visualization technique is to spend 10 minutes every night while

lying in bed with your eyes closed and visualize in detail how you want your
body to look. Start from the ground up and focus your visualization on how
you want your legs to look, and then move up to your hips and thighs. Focus
attention on your midsection, then your chest arms and shoulders. Finally,
visualize your new lean and vibrant face.
25. Drink Your Water

People are not aware of the need for pure clean water in their lives. The
body is made up of 70% water. Your blood, muscles, ligaments, joints and
tissues are all made up of water. Water is used as a medium to transport
nutrients into the cells for processing. I bought a distiller a long time ago and
have it running almost all day. I drink at least 10 litres a day and almost
always 1.5 litres or more during my workouts. When I first wake up in the
morning, a glass of pure clean water starts my day. Distilled water by itself
will help your body clean itself. Now there is a lot of controversy over
spring water or reverse osmosis processed water vs distilled. I have tried
them all and find that distilled simply tastes the cleanest! "Water is your life,
the better your water, the better your life" said Norman Walker who lived
into his nineties.
26. Keep Visual Motivational Reminders

Visual reminders can really help motivate and inspire you to stay on your
muscle building plan. Cut out pictures of your ideal body and put them on
your bathroom mirror, bedroom night stand or your office desk. These will
remind you what your physical goals are and keep you on track to reach
them. It's important to note that although this technique is a great motivator,
you should not strive to look exactly like the pictures you choose as
inspiration. Know that everyone's bodies are different and genetics play a
big part with the way your physique will appear in shape and symmetry.
Work hard to get the best body you can achieve within your limits.
27. Eat Plenty of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are needed to fuel your body during exercise. The storage
form of carbohydrates is glycogen. The idea here is to super saturate
glycogen levels so that the body never has to dip into protein for energy
production. The higher the level of carbs in the body, the more likely you are
going to remain in an anabolic environment. Carbs also play a role in the
release of insulin. As you know, insulin is the body's most potent anabolic
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hormone. It promotes gluconeogenesis, protein synthesis, and the formation

of adipocytes. In short, the release of insulin is required to promote an
anabolic environment and carbs help by releasing insulin.
Ingesting three grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight daily will provide
your body with plenty of calories for energy, ensuring that your protein
derived calories will be left to support muscle growth and repair. Here is a
list of nutrient dense carbs to choose from.
Grains - Complex Carbohydrates – Fiber:
Oats, Old Fashioned

Sweet Potatoes
Barley
Beans
Oat bran
Fiber One
Brown rice
Whole wheat bread
Whole wheat pastas
Whole wheat Tortillias
Vegetables - Complex Carbohydrates – Fiber:
Broccoli
Asparagus
String Beans
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumber
Green or Red Pepper
Onions
Garlic
Tomatoes
Zucchini
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Mushrooms
Squash
Fresh Fruit – Simple Sugars - Fructose:
Apples
Pears
Oranges
Bananas
Grapefruit
Peaches
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
28. Plan Your Meals Ahead

Planning your meals ahead is a great muscle building tip to keep you on
track with your daily nutritional plan. By planning meals, you will have a set
schedule to adhere to and know exactly what to eat at specific times of the
day. You can even take it to another level and pre-cook your meals. Many
body builders will pre-cook their entire week of meals and store them in
Tupperware bowls. Along with these pre-cooked meals, you can store quick
protein snacks like protein bars for tasty treats during the day.
29. Emphasize The Negative

Muscle growth is the logical byproduct of muscle contraction. Much
emphasis is placed on the concentric phase of a lift where the muscle
shortens as it contracts. But the stretching of the muscle during the eccentric,
or negative, phase where the muscle lengthens while maintaining tension can
directly cause muscle hypertrophy, too. Emphasizing the negative is an easy
technique to overload muscles and promote radical gains in mass.
30. Choose Lean Protein Sources

Some protein sources are very high fat (bacon) while others are nearly fat-
free and low in calories (egg whites). Some of the best choices include
skinless chicken breast, turkey breast, egg whites, albacore tuna, halibut and
top round meat. You can also include whey protein powders into your diet
which provide a very low calorie protein source and tastes great when mixed
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with a small amount of fruit and blended as a smoothie. Here is a list of lean
protein foods to include in your muscle building plan:
Chicken breast (skin removed)

Turkey breast (skin removed)
Egg whites
Fish fillet (flounder, sole, scrod, cod, etc.)
Shellfish (clams, lobster, scallop, shrimp)
Lean beef (top round)
Tuna (albacore canned in water)
Non-fat cottage cheese
Beans (black beans, kidney, chick peas or lentils)
Whey protein powder
31. Cut Down On Your Cardio Workouts

Don't make the mistake of trying to build muscle and lose fat at the same
time. Do one or the other. Performing intense cardio daily will greatly
hamper your muscle building efforts. Cardio exercise has a detrimental
effect on mass building. Cardio interferes with strength gains and recovery
while burning up valuable glycogen and branched chain amino acids
(BCAA). Adding mass is the best way to upgrade your resting metabolic rate
(RMR); is the RMR is elevated, more calories are burned and it is easier to
stay lean.
32. Create a 500 Calorie Surplus

To gain body mass safely and keep it on, start out by creating a 500 calorie
surplus per day (above your BMR). Over the course of a week, this equals
out to 3,500 calories or 1 pound. Try this small increase for 1-2 weeks and
monitor your body fat levels and photos to make sure you are nor gaining
body fat. Then, increase your overall calories by another 500 calories for
another 1-2 weeks and strictly monitor your body stats (weight, body fat).
By making these small increases in caloric levels, you will be able to closely
monitor your progress and make sure all your hard work is paying off.
The best way to hit this 500 number every day is keep a detailed journal
(Nutrition Tracker) and slowly add one extra meal per day. This meal can be
a protein shake or mini-meal to increase your calories. Don't go overboard
with increasing your calories too high. If you go way over, you might start
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packing on body fat and this is the last thing you want. Also focus on eating
only nutrient dense foods and avoid empty calories.
33. Increase Rest Intervals During Training

Taking time to rest between sets allows for immediate recovery within the
muscle. That will enable you to train with heavier weights. It's amazingly
simple. Heavy poundages (plus good form) equal more mass. My
recommendation is to rest for no less than two minutes, but no more than
three minutes, after each set.
34. Use Music To Motivate

Exercise is one of the major factors to keep the weight off permanently.
Everyone gets burned out with their exercise plan from time to time. Music
serves to take your mind off of the fact you are exercising. It'll distract you
from your fatigue and possible muscle soreness. Working out will become
more pleasurable than simple monotonous movements. There is no one
specific musical genre best combined with exercise; that clearly depends on
your personal taste. Some great ideas, though, for something upbeat include
salsa, country, big band, disco, or even funk. Pick songs you can sing along
to, or that have a great rhythm.
35. Change Your Workout Routine Often

You're body is very efficient at adapting to change. After as few as six
weeks, your muscle building efforts may come grinding to a halt. When this
happens you need to change your workout - and expose your body to a new
muscle building program. Changing your workout regularly also helps
eliminate boredom. Try rearranging the exercise order, try new exercises or
change the number of sets and reps for each exercise.
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36. Self Talk To Success

Words can have tremendous power over our minds and bodies. By telling
yourself positive words everyday you can define your desired goals and
aspirations. A great exercise is to stand in front of the mirror in the morning
and say words to motivate and inspire you. Use internal dialogue throughout
the day to reinforce positive thoughts which will help you reach your goals.
By using powerful self talk, you will be able to:
Increase your effectiveness

Heighten your productivity
Enhance your self-esteem
Experience greater success
37. No Cardio Before Weight Training

NEVER do cardio before you weight train! It's ok to do a cardio warm up
for 5-10 minutes at a very low intensity, but you should conserve your
energy for weight training. Cardio before weight training will tap into your
glycogen levels and burn off this much needed fuel for your intense training
session.
38. Make Sure To Eat Breakfast

Always try to eat a very nutritious breakfast. This should be one of your
largest meals of the day and the most important. Eating a healthy breakfast is
crucial for providing the correct fuel to get you going. Your body has been
fasting for 6-10 hours from sleeping and is primed for re-fueling.
Researchers have found that people who ate breakfast every day were a third
less likely to be obese compared to those who skipped the meal. In addition,
they were half as likely to have blood-sugar problems, which increase the
risk of developing diabetes or having high cholesterol, which is a known risk
factor for heart disease. The researchers believe that eating first thing in the
morning may help to stabilize blood sugar levels, which regulate appetite
and energy. They suggest people who eat breakfast are less likely to be
hungry during the rest of the day and are, therefore, less likely to overeat.
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39. Monitor Your Muscle Building Program

It is very important that you monitor and evaluate your program on an
ongoing basis. By evaluating and monitoring your muscle building program,
you can update or make any adjustments that may be needed to fine tune
your plan.
You should evaluate your progress on a weekly basis. By evaluating your

program on a weekly basis, you can decide whether your training program
needs to be adjusted or whether you need to add or cut down on calories.
40. Include Protein At Each Meal

You should include a lean protein source at every meal. Your muscles need
protein. You need the amino acids that comprise the protein we consume to
repair, maintain and facilitate growth in muscles. Protein is also used in a
host of other ways by the body, specifically by enzymes, blood and other
cells. Adding protein at each meal will generally reduce the glycemic index
of the meal. Focus on getting at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body
weight. So, if your weight is 175 lbs, try to eat at least 175 grams of protein
per day.
41. Keep Yourself Motivated

Motivation is the juice that keeps the machine moving. Throughout your
muscle building program, it is very important that you stay focused and
motivated. Although this may seem a little harder than you may expect.
Just remember that not all of your workouts are going to be 100%. It's
important to know that there will be times when you just don't feel like
working out or your workouts don't feel quite right. Feeling like this for one
or two workouts is normal, but if it persists, your body is telling you to try
something new or to take some time off. There will also come a time when
your muscle gains and progress will come to a halt. Yes, it will happen but
don't get discouraged, it has happened to us all, even the best. The important
thing to remember is to keep going, don't quit. If you find yourself in a rut,
think of it as a challenge. Try and find new ways to gain.
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42. Have A Protein Snack

A wonderful, healthy and refreshing treat is a protein smoothie. Protein
smoothies can easily replace your cravings for a milkshake and provide the
important nutrients your muscles needs to recover and grow. Pour 2 cups of
Carb Countdown milk into a blender with a few scoops of your favorite
protein powder (whey, soy, egg) along with 1 cup of fruit (apple, banana,
strawberries, blueberries) and some ice cubes. Blend this up and enjoy!
Choose a protein powder that is low in sugar and has a great flavor.
Optimum Nutrition carries a great line of 100% whey protein powder in
several delicious flavors.
Another great way to make sure you're getting enough protein is to include
nutrient dense protein snacks throughout the day. These are quick meals
which satisfy your hunger and provide a rush of muscle building protein:
Black Beans & Albacore Tuna (water packed) - Mix a can of each
and microwave.
Protein Powder & Non-Fat Cottage Cheese - Mix a scoop of

protein with a cup of cottage cheese.
Protein Bars - Choose one with at least 20 grams of protein, a

maximum of 5 grams of sugar and 300 calories. Throw a box in the
freezer and they will make a great snack. They're really good for
hitting that sweet tooth late at night.
GeniSoy Soy Crisps - The perfect richly seasoned, low-fat baked

alternative to traditional high-fat chips. Each serving contains a
unique blend of soy and rice offering 7 grams of soy protein and a
surprisingly low 2 grams of fat.
43. Train Your Legs

Don't forget to train your most important body part, your legs. The body
grows through the release of growth hormone (among other factors). The
largest muscle group on your body is your legs and this will cause the
highest level of released growth hormone. Make sure to focus your leg day
to very intense training, proper nutrition and plenty of rest to recover. You
can even increase your calories a little (500-600) on leg day. This way you
will be sure to properly fuel your body and prime it for growth.
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44. Monitor Your Body Fat

You will work very hard weight training and sticking to a healthy diet, so
make sure you monitor your body fat levels to be positive that you are truly
gaining lean muscle mass and not packing on adipose tissue (body fat). Have
a professional test your body fat with either hydrostatic weighting
(underwater) or with bioelectrical impedance (sensors). These will give you
a very accurate measure of your current body fat percentage and will provide
instant feedback to your overall muscle building plan. Use FitTracker to
start tracking your body fat levels!
45. Avoid Injury

Gym safety is important. Safety spotters (human or machine) can be a
tremendous asset. Do not be afraid to utilize someone who can spot or
provide assistance. Always know your limits and don't push yourself over
natural boundaries. Most people would be more than willing to assist as a
spotter. You should begin all workouts using high reps and a light weight.
Eventually, the weight load will increase causing the repetition range to
become lower. When you get to this point, think wisely. Remember, if you
get injured you can can't. If you don't train, you WILL lose muscle mass. So,
make sure to stay safe, perform the exercises correctly with strict form and
ask for a spot when you need one.
46. Eat Several Meals Per Day

By eating multiple meals ever day, you will increase your metabolism and
provide a steady supply of protein and calories to your muscles. It will also
amp up your energy and keep your insulin levels constant. Ideally, you
should eat 5 to 6 times per day, with about 3 hours between each meal.
Imagine yourself grazing versus hoarding. You want to graze on nutrient
dense foods several times instead of hoarding on large amounts of foods a
few times a day. Your body can only assimilate a specific amount of protein
per meal, so by eating multiple protein packed meals every day, you provide
a continuous source of muscle building nutrients to your body.
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47. Get Adequate Rest Between Sets

Rest periods between sets is an integral and often overlooked contributor to
the success of any muscle building program. For gaining strength and
packing on muscle mass, the ideal amount of time between sets is roughly 3-
4 minutes. Allowing this amount of time will provide ample recovery time
for your muscles, and thus, refuel your muscles with the strength it needs to
conquer the next grueling set.
48. Set Short Term Goals

Short term goals are important for developing a solid muscle building
program. By setting short term goals, you will have the framework to follow
so you can make small changes in your daily routine which will develop into
healthy habits to last a lifetime. Focus on a weekly goal of gaining 1-2
pounds lean mass. This is the healthiest amount of weight gain per week and
is the correct level to make sure you're not packing on body fat. To reach
this 1 pound weight gain per week, focus on creating a 500 calorie surplus in
your overall calories every day. At the end of the week, check in to weigh
yourself and take your body measurements. You should also take
photographs of yourself to document how you look.
49. Stay Symmetrical

When working out, do not favor body parts. This can cause muscular
imbalances. For example, having a big upper body and skinny legs is not
balance. Proper balance is a necessity. If it gets to the point where muscular
imbalance becomes a problem, try priority training. This concept involves
training a lacking muscle first or with the most attention. For example, if the
legs are not in proportion with the upper body, train them at the beginning of
the week instead of training chest at the beginning of the week. For some,
training a certain muscle twice a week may be the solution to muscular
imbalances.
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50. Choose Smart Supplements

With so many nutritional supplements out on the market, it’s very difficult to
decipher which ones are beneficial and which ones are complete fluff.
Approximately 95% of the supplements out there are simply marketing hype
and a complete waste of money. Make sure to save your money and stick
with the core supplements to assist you in your muscle building program.
Here Are The Core Supplements You Want To Include:
Glutamine is known as the immunity amino. If you are overly

stressed from dieting or training, the immune system kicks in,
releasing glutamine into the bloodstream. Having low levels of
glutamine will inhibit muscle growth - that's why supplementing with
glutamine is important.
Creatine is associate with added power and the ability to produce

more adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - the chemical fuel source for
training and growth. Supplementing with creatine allows bodybuilders
to raise creatine levels in the muscle - therefore enhancing strength
and ATP - without the unwanted fat that you'd be saddled with by
getting all your creatine exclusively from food.
Whey protein is an excellent protein choice for individuals of all ages

who value the role of a healthy diet in helping to maintain and
improve their health. Whey protein isolate, the purest form available,
is unsurpassed as a source of the essential amino acids required in the
daily diet. Essential amino acids are the building blocks for healthy
muscles, skin, nails and other body tissue.
Multi-Vitamins/Minerals are substances your body needs in small

but steady amounts for normal growth, function and health. Together,
vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients. Your body can't
make most micronutrients, so you must get them from the foods you
eat or, in some cases, from supplements.
26
Thanks again for downloading and reading our Muscle Building eBook. We
really appreciate word of mouth referrals. If you have a moment, please help
us spread the word and refer your friends to our website. We wish you great
success with reaching your fitness goals!
Yours in health,
Kris Bierek
Founder/President
ShapeFit, LLC
www.ShapeFit.com
"Get Into Shape. Stay Fit."
27

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com Muscle Building eBook

Copyright, Legal Notice and Disclaimer:

Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience

Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are

Nothing in this Guide is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or

Copyright © 2009 ShapeFit, LLC. All rights reserved worldwide.

MUSCLE BUILDING TIPS

2. Use Basic Compound Movements

It's very important to always have a training partner/spotter when doing

Barbell Squats (3 sets of 8-12 reps) (3 minutes rest between sets)

Military Presses (5 sets of 8-12 reps) (3 minutes rest between sets)

Barbell Rows (5 sets of 8-12 reps) (3 minutes rest between sets)

3. Prime Your Body With A Pre-Workout Meal

4. Keep A Detailed Journal

FitTracker – FREE Online Fitness Tracking

5. Use Periodization Techniques

Principles That Can Be Used When Planning Your Training Cycles:

Split Training: this is breaking up your training into separate body

Muscle Confusion: your muscles adapt to stress, and ultimately you

Progressive Overload: continue to increase different parameters in

Eclectic Training: using a variety of methods in your training,

Principles That Can Assist You In Arranging Each Workout:

Supersets: alternating two opposing muscle groups with little rest in

Giant Sets: performing several exercises for a single muscle group

Pre-Exhaustion: this is where you perform an isolation exercise

Pyramiding: beginning with a lighter weight, gradually increasing

Principles That Can Be Used With Each Exercise:

Continuous Tension: maintaining slow continuous tension thru out

Cheating: once failure is reached the weight is swung past your

Peak Contraction: at the completion of a set holding the weight fully

Super Speed: using a lighter weight, reps are performed explosively

6. Recover Properly With A Post-Workout Meal

7. Eat More Calories

8. Always Switch Your Training Up

9. Learn To Perform Each Exercise Correctly

10. Use Photos To See Your Progress

11. Try Different Forms of Exercise

12. Track Your Nutrition For Gains

13. Consistency For Growth

14. Have a Detailed Exercise Plan

15. Pre-Workout Mental Priming

16. Always Shock Your Muscles

17. Intensity Cycling

The variables in these muscle building tips include training frequency,

The idea behind cycling is to take planned workouts over a period of 6 to 12

18. Maximize The Windows of Opportunity

Your post-workout meal should be consumed as quickly after your workout

19. Take a Multi-Vitamin

Many mult-vitamin manufacturers try to put "everything" in their product,

20. Rest For Muscle Growth

21. Eat Enough Good Fats

Most people are overweight because of a diet high in simple carbohydrates,

A perfect example of this is when bodybuilders diet down for a show, so to

22. Get Motivated With Friends

23. Focus On The Big Lifts

24. Visualize For Success

A great visualization technique is to spend 10 minutes every night while

25. Drink Your Water

26. Keep Visual Motivational Reminders

27. Eat Plenty of Carbohydrates

hormone. It promotes gluconeogenesis, protein synthesis, and the formation