Muscle Made Easy: The 3 Proven Keys to Maximising Your Gains

Building muscle is not rocket science. Supplement websites and bodybuilding magazines like to imply that the key to your goals is to take the latest cold-process, micronized "special-blend" protein or "skin-tearing pump-inducing" pre-workout; however, the truth is much simpler. Unless you are an Olympic athlete or competitive bodybuilder, looking for that extra 3%, there is no substitute for the 'true' method to building outrageous muscle - hard work.

Let's consider, for a second, the following statues of Laocoon, housed in the Vatican museum (left), and the Farnese Hercules (right):

These sculptures were carved, based on real models centuries before the invention of creatine, WPI or anabolic steroids. This suggests that we have always known how to build our bodies and achieve our true genetic potential.

The secret hasn't been lost, it's just been slightly misplaced as we've become increasingly impatient to achieve results - shoved underneath a large pile of shiny new supplements and training techniques that promise slabs of muscle in weeks.

However, I feel it's time to dust off the classic techniques that worked for our fore-fathers of physical culture and put them to good use. In fact, if I could step into a time machine and pass anything back to my younger self with regards to training / diet / supplementation, it wouldn't be a bottle of Jack3d or Muscle-Milk, it would be a training template that consisted of compound movements, combined with a clean, diet comprising of 35% PRO, 45% CHO, and 20% FAT (which is right for my body-type) and the advice that I should stop having so many late nights out, and make sure I get regular and sustained 8 hours of sleep!

That's right folks, you read it here first - the secret to building large amounts of muscle, fast is to stick to the basics:

• Training: Don't be the guy that does 3 types of bench press, 2 types of flys and 'finishes' off his chest-day with a few dozen pushups for a good pump. You can get great results in the gym by adhering to the 'less is more' rule. Try a 1 day-on, 2-days off regimen, which will see you hit the iron 3 times a week. Choose compound exercises and remember, stimulate DON'T annihilate your muscle. Also - I have often found that a 5 sets, 5 reps model works best as it allows you to go heavy enough to see some strong gains in size and strength.

• Diet: You need to find the right diet for you; however,one thing is for sure, clean is inevitably better than dirty. You may be 18 with a metabolism that can clear anything now; however, why abuse the body you've been given. Starting at the good-old fashioned 40-40-20 diet is a good foundation for your experiments. If you are the type of person that responds best to a lower-carb or ketogenic diet, go with that. If you require a higher carb load, then listen to your body. I have done both in the past and made tremendous progress using both a keto-approach, and my current 35-45-20 model. If you're really looking for some lean-gains, try cycling your calories with a higher intake on training days and lower intake on 'rest' or cardio and conditioning days to really see some striking physical changes.

• Rest & Recovery: This point is key. So many people think they can function without adequate rest and recovery. Not every day needs to be a high-intensity day. Seriously, it's OK to mix things up. Doing steady state cardio is good for your heart, and taking up a martial art won't hinder your gains to the point that 'bro-science' would have you believe given you allow your body both the adequate diet and rest it requires. Have you ever seen a UFC fighter? I don't think many people will complain with having not only that physique, but also that level of performance and power output! While it's true that sleep requirements are an individual element, 8 hours is definitely a great starting point. Make sure to get into a routine with your sleep, don't go to bed at 8.30 one night at 12.30, another. Your body accumulates sleep debt, and that isn't a debt that is easily paid off. Remember, the body enjoys homeostasis, and will try to get back to a set point with regards to sleep so why fight that particular element of biology? 

If you have tried and successfully implemented the following for 6-months and still see no progress, you can start to look for alternate ways of building additional muscle - supplements, advanced training techniques, etc; however, I guarantee that anyone reading this post, who is serious about training and takes the above advice to heart will see tremendous progress, debunking the myth that 'muscle building is rocket science'.

The Benefits of Juicing: The Juicy Truth

The popularity of juicing has spread like wildfire in recent years, with the juice cleanse industry drawing customers like fruit flies to nectar. Backed by celebrities and celebrity doctors, and promulgated by countless entertainment and media sources, juicing claims to do everything from help you lose pounds, to rid your body of those harmful toxins you've been lugging around. However, even a cursory search of the medical journal databases will quickly reveal that the benefits of juicing may be more anecdotal than scientific.

Though it's hard to argue with the star-power of Demi Moore and Gwyneth Paltrow, it's important to note that juicing may not be all it's cracked up to be, and we may in fact all be drinking nothing but Kool Aid.

Juicing and Weight Loss

While many start a juice cleanse hoping to drop some extra pounds, it is important to note that the simple act of liquefying your fruits and greens won't guarantee that you'll fit into that bikini or drop the beer gut by summer. At times, some weight loss is observed (particularly in more stringent juicing programs); however, this is often a short-term solution, as the scale creeps back up after solid food is reintroduced, and old (unhealthy) habits take over. This yo-yo effect is observed in many crash diets, and let's face it - isn't a juice cleanse just that ... a seemingly healthy crash diet. 

Juicing and Satiety

As Bolton et al's (1981) study showed, participants who eat whole fruits and vegetables experience far greater satiety than those who juice. Indeed, juicing vegetables and fruit will remove a key component that provides a feeling of fullness - fiber. Remember, fiber is filling, not fattening. Claims such as 'drinking juice gives the digestive system a break from fiber' are anecdotal, and false - fiber is a key component to aiding digestion.

It should be noted that some vegetables (and most fruit) such as carrots, beets, oranges, bananas, etc are high in sugar. Juicing these will lead to quick spikes in blood sugar, making juicing diets not recommended for diabetics.  

Keeping blood sugar and insulin stable will help keep you full and satiated and keep the ravenous hunger that often overtakes juicers, post-cleanse, away!

Juicing and the 'Detox Effect'

Our liver and kidneys are already highly tunes detoxification machines. As such, going on a juice fast is unnecessary for ridding your body of toxins. Many will choose to do a juice cleanse after some particularly bad eating (such as over the Christmas period, for example); however, this is not so much a way of helping your body rid itself of the additional chemicals, as a psychological crutch to help you 'feel' lighter and healthier.

If you really want to detox your body rid yourself of the following:

1. Alcohol
2. Drugs
3. Cigarettes / E-Cigarettes
4. Processed Sugar
5. Drink more water
6. Get more sleep
7. Exercise
8. Meditate
9. Hit the Sauna
10. Say no to processed foods

Detoxing your body is certainly not rocket science; however, it required a level of commitment and discipline. Keep in mind that though juicing may be appealing because it does not require you to make real changes, it is also over-promises on it's detoxifying effect significantly.

To Juice or Not to Juice?

Ultimately, if you're looking for a silver bullet to help you lose weight or detox your body, then juicing is not it! If additional health and well-being are your goals, then the best recommendation would be to eat more vegetables and fruits, rather than to juice them. 

Though juicing will increase the presence of some antioxidants through sheer volume, the process is also subject to rapid oxidation, meaning that the juice needs to be drunk immediately for you to realise the benefits of the additional vitamin boost. However, be mindful of the fact that juicing also removes some crucial elements of the produce, found in the pulp and skin.

Juicing is not cheap and, in my eyes, adds little value in the context of health and well-being. Thus, my verdict: not to juice.

References:

R.P.Bolton, K.W.Heaton, & L.F.Burroughs (1981). The role of dietary fiber in satiety, glucose and insulin: studies with fruit and fruit juice, Am J Clin Nut, 34, 211-217.