I thought this was a pretty good little article for
those of you involved in the iron game. You will, of
course, have to take the food suggestion with a grain
of salt (pun intended). I edited this slightly for
readability.

> The Basics to Bulking Up
>
>    Building muscle mass is one of the toughest
> tasks you can attempt. Okay, sainthood is
> probably harder, but not by a lot. Your body
> is an extremely efficient machine. It retains
> the amount of muscle mass that is required to
> comfortably perform your daily routine -- no
> more and no less. Excess bulk takes a lot of
> energy to maintain -- up to 50 calories a day
> per extra pound of muscle mass you add -- and
> thousands of generations of evolution have
> taught your body that that's a waste of per-
> fectly good nuts, berries, and animal flesh.
> So it adds muscle reluctantly, and sheds it
> willingly when you stop exercising.
>
>     Unfortunately, evolution couldn't have
> imagined a society in which high-quality protein
> is plentiful and people judge each other on the
> basis of quadriceps definition, biceps bulge and
> pectoral depth.
>
>     So if you're going to step into the weight
> room to build a body that flaunts the unnatural
> abundance of these times, there are only two rules
> you need to know:
>
> Rule #1: Lift heavier weights.
>
>     "I see people in the gym doing the same thing
> day in and day out," says Jose Antonio, Ph.D.,  >
C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist at the University >
of Nebraska-Kearney, "Doing any one thing for a
> prolonged period is a waste of time." The problem is
> that once you've done the same exercises with the >
same weights for a period of time -- a month or two, >
say -- your body has made all the changes it's going >
to make in response to those exercises. In other
> words, it's not going to add muscle.
>
>     To break this holding pattern and build more
> muscle mass, Antonio suggests a three-phase
approach.
>
>     Phase One: Be an organization man (or woman).
> Organize your workouts into three periods, each
> lasting a month to six weeks: First, go for rapid >
muscle growth. Do strength training workouts with >
progressively heavier weights. That means, on most >
exercises, do 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions, using >
enough weight so that your muscles are fatigued on >
the last rep.
>
>     Phase Two: Next, do a strength cycle, and do
> power-lifting-type workouts with much heavier >
weights. (As with all lifting programs, be careful >
not to overdo it, and always have a spotter when
> using maximal free weights.)
> Thoroughly warm up with at least 15 minutes of light
> cardio exercise and stretching, then do 4 to 5 sets
> of 3 to 5 repetitions of exercises like squats,
> deadlifts, and bench presses.
>
>     Phase Three: Do a few weeks of "cutting up," in
> which you lift lighter weights -- go for 3 sets of
12 > to 15 repetitions, and employ supersets (going
from > one exercise to another without taking a rest
in > between) and other high-intensity tactics. Add
more > cardio exercise, and watch your diet more
carefully. > This doesn't add new muscle or strength,
but it sure > lets you see what you've spent the
previous months > building.
>
> Rule #2: Eat the right foods at the right times.
>
>     Most lifters have a vague idea that they should
> choke down some protein after a workout. But few
> realize how important it is to eat protein and >
carbohydrates before a workout.
>
>     "You should have one gram of carbohydrates to
> each half gram of protein an hour before a workout,"
> says Susan M. Kleiner, Ph.D., R.D., author of Power
> Eating, who has worked extensively with body >
builders. "A gram of carbohydrate and a gram of >
protein each contains 4 calories and, for most >
people, about 200 to 250 calories total should do >
it." Translation: If you work out in the morning, a >
bowl of All-Bran Cereal with skim milk should do the >
trick. Later in the day, try a carton of low-fat >
yogurt.
>
>     This combination not only gives you the energy
> to lift, it also helps repair muscle damage and
fully
> enhances the recovery process following the exercise
> -- all which contribute to building bigger, buffer >
muscles.
>
>     After exercise (ideally during the first 45
> minutes immediately following a workout), you need >
protein and carbohydrates also, but in a different >
ratio. Kleiner recommends 4 g of carbohydrate to each
> gram of protein, and that you eat this as soon as >
possible after a workout.
> Try a sandwich with 2 ounces of turkey or other lean
> meat plus one serving of vegetables and fruit, or a
> peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a cup of fruit
> juice and a cup of yogurt, and then eat something >
similar -- same ratio of carbs and protein -- a >
couple of hours later.
>
>     Finally, the type of protein you eat matters:
> Essential amino acids -- those found in animal >
products like dairy, meat, eggs, and fish protein -- >
are better for muscle-building than the vegetable >
proteins found in beans, rice, and nuts.
> Kleiner believes dairy protein is the best after
> exercise because it contains high concentrations of
> glutamine, an amino acid that seems to prevent >
infections -- something people training hard are more
> vulnerable to.
>
>     Whether you've been stuck on a muscle-building
> plateau or just starting to pack it on, making these
> changes in your exercise and eating should lead to >
immediate gains.
> And don't
> worry about your body's grudge against gaining >
muscle. Event ually, they'll learn to get along.
>
> By Chris Barnhart
>
> Courtesy of gymamerica.com
>
> http://www.gymamerica.com


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