And now, here are some nutrition/training tips from top trainers.
Sherry Goggin-Giardina, spokesmodel, fitness editor and cover girl:
• Never be afraid to drink water, especially during your workouts.
• The body does require a small amount of fat, about 2 g to 4 g of linoleic acid, which can be obtained from a large bowl of oatmeal.
• Set a realistic goal to lose your body fat.
• Graze. Eat smaller, more frequent meals.
• Watch out for the "low-fat" foods, where the fat is hidden.
• You do not have to starve yourself to lose weight.
• In order to lose weight, you have to use up more calories than you take in to burn the fat.
• Get the proper amount of protein and carbohydrates in your diet.
• On the days you are unable to get enough protein in your diet, take a good protein powder supplement.
• Proper warm-up and cool-down are essential to any exercise program.
• Stretching is most effective after an initial warm-up.
• Quality is more important than quantity.
• Proper form is the key to results.
• Do not throw or swing your weights.
• Always concentrate on the muscle being used for each exercise.
• Never sacrifice technique for heavier weights.
• Never be afraid to try a new exercise.
• Use full range of motion on all exercises.
• Rest a minute between sets and two minutes between exercises.
• Do variations of different exercises to keep the muscle stimulated.
Michael Matarazzo, former Mr. USA and veteran of the Night of Champions and the Toronto Grand Prix:
• Eat a ton of protein. Try and get as much protein as you can.
• Eat plenty of greens for proper digestion.
• Go to the gym to train. Do your job, don’t socialize.
• Train hard on every exercise until you can’t do anymore.
• When you finish training, leave the gym. Get on with your life.
• As soon as you get home, feed your body. Your muscles don’t grow in the gym, they grow when you feed them.
• Keep a positive mental attitude – especially in your workout, at your job and in your life.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Always maintain a proper workout regimen.
• Get plenty of rest. Your body needs to grow.
Laurie Vaniman, former Ms. Fitness USA:
• Drink plenty of water – at least 8 to 10 8 oz glasses per day.
• Do not "diet." Make eating healthy a lifestyle.
• Eat small meals frequently throughout the day.
• Stick to whole foods such as chicken and fish and avoid too many processed foods.
• Balance your diet with moderate protein and carbohydrate levels and keep fat intake to 20 percent or below.
• Eliminate excess sugar and salt from your diet.
• Allow yourself to indulge in your favorite foods occasionally.
• Combine weight training and cardio work for the best overall results.
• Find a good trainer to teach you proper techniques.
• Maintain a high intensity level throughout your workout.
• Find a training partner with similar goals for motivation purposes.
• Make your workouts fun and interesting by crosstraining.
• Set goals for yourself. Motivate yourself during your training sessions by visualizing what you want to look like.
• Consistency is the key to success.
• Patience is a virtue.
Joe Young, nutritionist and bodybuilding champ:
• Eat cleanly, consistently.
• Maintain 40-30-30 ratio of carbohydrates-protein-fat.
• Use whey protein as principal protein source.
• Cycle lower carbohydrate days with extra cardiovascular exercise to reduce body fat.
• Strictly limit saturated fat intake.
• Include lots of healthy fats – Omega-3, DHA, GLA, CLA, MCT.
• Cycle all nutritional supplements.
• Keep food records when trying to be strict.
• Enjoy what you eat – cheat once in a while.
• Never work out longer than one hour.
• Two or three weekly workouts produce better results than five or six workouts.
• Dwell on eight to 10 basic movements.
• Never totally exclude cardiovascular work.
• Don’t let body fat drift over 10 percent, even in the off session.
• As far as exercise speed is concerned, the slower the better.
• Vary routines (sets, reps, exercises) to shock the body into growth.
• Make mind-muscle connection – visualize the muscle contracting.
• Keep expectations realistic.
• Avoid injuries at all costs.
Lee Labrada, past winner of the IFBB Mr. Universe competition:
• The answer to maximum fat-free muscular weight gain is a diet ratio of 60 percent carbs, 30 percent protein and 10 percent fat.
• Common bodybuilding wisdom dictates 1 g to 1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight.
• Carbohydrate calories should come primarily from complex carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, vegetables, etc.
• Avoid cake, pie and other sugar-laden foods.
• Taking two to three tablespoons of flax seed oil per day is recommended for muscle growth.
• Combine all three macronutrients in roughly the same proportions at each meal.
• Eating six meals a day is necessary to ensure that your muscles are constantly bathed in nutrients such as amino acids.
• No athlete should be without a multivitamin and multimineral supplements.
• Creatine monohydrate is another beneficial supplement proven to build strength. Take 5 g, four to five times per day the first week, followed by 5 g, twice per day thereafter.
• Supplements are great, but food is still the most anabolic substance you can ingest.
• Train intensely with heavy weights 4 to 5 times per week.
• Train each body part no more than twice per week, and for no more than 20 to 30 minutes.
• Take each set of an exercise to exhaustion.
• In between exercises, rest only long enough to catch your breath.
• Allow your body enough time to recover in between workouts – 48 to 72 hours are optimal.
• Use basic exercises, as they stimulate more muscle and have a more profound effect on your body.
• Limit aerobics to 30 to 45 minutes, 3 times per week.
• Work is what causes muscles to grow.
• Concentrate on that which you are doing.
• Be patient. Rome was not built in a day, and your body won’t be either.