6 body-energizing pre workout supplements that can make the difference between an average and a amazing workout.

By Vince Del Monte

If you’re like me, then you like to turn good into great every chance you get.

That includes your workouts.

I would rather have an amazing workout rather than an average workout.

Wouldn’t you?

As a fitness enthusiast and bodybuilder you are always trying to get to that next level of your physique, especially with short and t-shirt season fast approaching!

Today I want to cover six super star supplements that you can use 60-minute to 30-minutes before your workouts. This information is geared to my advanced readers, with at least one year of consistent weight training experience and looking for an edge.

You understand that nutrition and a professionally-designed training program are the key components to an amazing workout but you also admit that the difference between an average workout and amazing workout can be supplementation. Supplements do make a 5-10% difference so if you’re at that point in your training where that extra 5-10% is just what you need, I’ve got some killer preworkout formulas to improve your training.

As you know, my first body transformation from 149 pounds to 190 pounds – a gain of 41 pounds of muscle in 6 months – resulted from very little supplement use.  Just whey protein powder, a multi vitamin and fish oils.

Over the past few years I’ve been experimenting with more supplements and a variety of pre workout rituals and I’m happy to share that these were six super star supplements that have had a solid impact on my workouts.

Remember, without eating quality carbohydrates and proteins 90-minutes before you workout, don’t expect for these six supplements to power you through your workout alone.

Super Star Supplement #1: Creatine

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you know that creatine is one of the most potent supplements ever discovered.  Creatine can help you improve your lean muscle mass in as little as 2-weeks, boost energy, endurance, strength, power and even burn fat.

Top Reason To Use: The biggest benefit is that it helps create more intensity in your workouts, which is what separates the men from the boys in the gym.  The longer and harder you can train, the more muscle you can gain and more fat you burn.

Dosage Guidelines: Males don’t need more than 5 grams before their workout and females don’t need more than 5 grams after their workout. Females can use as little as 2.5 grams before a workout.

INSIDER TIP: Drink a lot of water and don’t let it sit in your liquid for too long or else it’ll lose it’s potency.  Also, don’t take creatine with alcohol or caffeine because creatine works by creating an osmotic affect (water storage), which leads to cells swelling with water.

I currently use Power XD from Blue Star Nutrition.  Use the coupon code “maximize” if you pick this up and you’ll get some free stuff.  The CEO of Blue Star, Adam Cloet, is a good friend of mine.

Super Star Supplement #2 Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid naturally made in your body. Beta-alanine can boost muscular strength, power output, muscle mass, anaerobic endurance and aerobic endurance.  When you exercise your body creates lactic acid, which is when you experience the burn feeling.  This prevents you from being able to push your body to the max, maintain forceful muscle contractions and do more reps, which seriously hampers your ability to make new muscle gains.

Top Reason To Use It: Beta-alanine produces carnosine in your muscles, which leads to increased power, strength and endurance. You’ll also experience intense vasodilation/pumps from your first few doses of beta-alanine.  This happens because beta-alanine produces carnosine and carnosine is a precursor to producing nitric oxide.

Dosage Guidelines: No more then 3-5 grams per day is needed to significantly boost carnosine levels.

INSIDER TIP: It takes about 3-4 weeks to feel a big difference but you should stay on it for at least 3 months minimum to optimize carnosine levels.

The Lean Machine Series brought to you by Vince Del Monte and http://MeltFatNotMuscle.com

Summer is just around the corner and you’ve packed on some new muscle mass, but now you’re dying to get really hard and cut up. Whether you’ve dieted for definition or not, before you begin your plan to get seriously defined you are probably thinking:

Where do I start and what should I do?

If you want to show off your best body this summer and get seriously defined muscle, this week I’m going to show you how.

The first cut is the hardest.

Just like the first $10,000 is harder than the first $100,000 – it gets easier once you overcome that first wall.   It’s the same with fat loss.  Losing the first pound can sometimes be harder than the last pound.  And getting that first cut of definition on your body is always the hardest.

FAME 2008, Toronto Ontario. Vince Del Monte competing in the Muscle Model Category.

Getting Defined Muscle Is NOT Easy.

Once you understand that getting defined is hard, then it becomes easy.  The people who fail at getting defined start with the mindset that is should be easy – it’s not, which is why you see very few people on the streets who look truly impressive.

Serious bodybuilders would agree that building muscle is difficult and have this mindset that, “I’m going to spend a few months bulking up and then just cut the fat.”  You don’t “just cut the fat.” Not for most and probably not for you either. Getting defined is very possible for anybody but requires a mindset that, “This is going to be tough.”

Grasp The Lean Threshold

The Lean Threshold applies to men and women and we’ll use a man for this example.  The Lean Threshold suggests that at certain body fat levels a man will look the same.  This means that if a man is 13-18% body then you will not be able to distinguish the difference.  10% body fat for a man is very lean.  18% or more of fat for a men is fat.  If a man is under 10% fat or over 18% fat then you’ll clearly be able to tell he’s “lean” or “fat.”  Anything in between is very vague and it is very hard to notice any differences.

What does this mean to you?  If you truly want to stand out this summer, you need to get out of the “vague” zone and get close to 10% body fat.  The equivalent of 10% body fat for a male is about 15% fat for a female.

7 Things You Must Do For Muscle Definition

1. Give Yourself Enough Time

Time, your best ally. Give your program time to work. Some “pros” can drop 50 pounds of fat in 8-weeks. Others, it will take an entire year to get rid of 50 pounds of fat.  Don’t underestimate how much time it will take to get yourself defined. Most likely you have more fat to lose than you think.  Get your body fat measured and plan to lose at least 1% of your fat each week.

For most people, it takes 12 to 16 weeks, to get below the lean threshold so if you plan on being ripped for summertime, you’re already behind, let’s get started today.

2. Use The Mirror

Bodybuilding is a visual sport.  If it appears you need to lose more fat, then you do. The mirror does not lie.  Go by what you see, not by what numbers on a scale tell you. Plus, don’t feel like a narcissist for looking at yourself in the mirror.  The mirror is the equivalent of your bank account and a simple reflection of the amounts of withdrawals and deposits you’ve made.  As my Dad always warns me, “Just don’t fall in love with yourself, Vince.” (Every one is guilty of a little narcissism and I’m the first one to admit it).

Not all calories are created equal.

Consuming certain foods will actually help you burn fat while others can cause you to store fat.

Yes, it’s true that energy management is related to the amount of calories you to do and don’t stick in your pie hole.

But that’s not the whole story.

If weight management was simply a function of calories then it would be true that 2000 calories of Apple Fritter doughnuts would have the safe effect as 2000 calories as oatmeal. Eating 2000 calories of oatmeal a day would provide a full feeling that will provide you long-longstaing energy all day.  In comparison, 2000 calories of Apple Fritter doughnuts would result in a spike in your insulin levels, shortly making you craving another fritter and more famished before you had the first one – and more likely to get deposited around your butt and gut.

So how do you pick the best fat burning foods? Easy. Look for foods that are considered thermogenic. Calorie for calorie, certain foods are considered to increase your metabolic rate – that is, they naturally increase energy expenditure – helping you burn body fat rather than storing it.

And when that occurs, your body taps into existing fat stores to meet energy demands, melting off the layer of fat covering up your six pack that you’ve been dying to show off.

Even better, some foods have abilities to surpass their fat-burning effect. Certain choices result in fullness; some require energy to be broken down; and some can some can even release body fat elevating your metabolism.

The science is complicated and not necessary to grasp.  You need to understand which foods work to promote fat burning so you can capitalize on the best options and get rid of your unwanted fat.

Here are a few of my favourite fat-burning foods and why they can be so effective:

1. Oatmeal

The breakfast of fat-loss champions! Oatmeal will help you reduce fat levels by providing sustainable energy and keeping you full so you don’t over eat mid morning. It’s full of plenty of fiber to maintain your insulin levels throughout the day.

Let’s perform some basic mathematics, which many people just can’t get. There are 24-hours in the day, last time I checked. You probably train, if you’re using one of my programs, only 1 hour a day a few times a week, leaving many 23-24 hour stretches not working out. This means your muscles rely on what you put in your mouth during those times – or stays out – of your mouth.

So why don’t we talk about muscle-building nutrition more often?  Over the next two days I’ll share some unique strategies to eat for big muscle, many which can be applied to fat loss, equally effectively.

These strategies are designed to blow you up into a walking-beast that guys want to be and girls want to be with. These strategies are not intended to make you “that guy” with his legs crossed trying to hid his gut when he’s sitting down.  Everything is intended to maximize the muscle-to-fat ratio on your body.

1. Stick To Real Food

When you’re in doubt, stick to the foods your grandma and grandpa would have eaten.  If that standard is too high, don’t eat any foods that your parents would not recognize as food.  I still remember the look my Mom gave me when she found a tub of protein powder in her kitchen.  ”Why don’t you just make some eggs?” she said to me.

How do you know if it’s real food?  It should only have one ingredient in it. How many ingredients does broccoli have it in?  One.  That is a real food.  Fill your grocery cart with foods like lean beef, nuts, and vegetables, which contain nutrients that your muscles crave. Plus they supply a steadier release of amino acids and glucose that “fake food” that is packaged and found in the middle of the aisles of your local grocery store.

2. Get Creative and Get Cooking

Do you think you need to prepare every meal with a calculator in your hand plus a food scale?  I hope not.  I’ve never weighed my food in my life.  I don’t even know where to buy a food scale. Any diet that requires more than basic measuring of ingredients is a diet that is too complicated and will ultimately fail.

I’ve found that it’s best to approach your diet with a relaxed attitude and not got bogged down by exact measurements of nutritional content.  Make protein the starting point for each meal and snack – then surround it with a supporting cast of carbs and fat – it’s that simple.

This is my friend Dave Ruel 0ne-week out before his bodybuilding show next week.  I’l be hanging out with Dave in a few weeks in Quebec and then Montreal.  He’s the author of Anabolic Cooking – the best cookbook and nutrition guide for bodybuilding and fitness.  Check out his website: http://NoNonsenseMuscleCooking.com

3. Hook Up With Some Fatty Fish

Show your muscles some love by treating them to some fatty fish such as arctic char, mackerel, rainbow trout, salmon and sardines 3-4 times per week.  Fish is excellent post workout because their protein digests quicker than beef, poultry and pork.  Since fatty fish is abundant in omega-3′s, which reduce inflammation, these hook ups can get you back in the power rack squatting heavy again.  Fatty fish also contain a high amount of vitamin D, which improves muscle function and strength.  Low vitamin D levels is linked to low testosterone levels, which can lead to fat gain.

15 Muscle Building Nutrition Tips At The Restaurant

By Vince Del Monte

1. Take One Bite At A Time

Inhaling your food in a few bites, or gulps, results in a larger amount of food entering the stomach at once.  This is not only bad for digestion and absorption but it can leave you feeling bloated and with unpleasant gas problems (so I’ve heard).  Eating slower will ensure you don’t over eat because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’re full.  If you eat fast or gulp fast then you eat beyond the point of fullness and this leads to unhealthy weight gain. Whether you want to pack on muscle or get ripped, enjoy your food and eat slower.

2. Broiled or Baked?

Do your best to order you food broiled, steamed or baked. Broiling and baking remove fat as the cooking takes place, opposed to frying and deep-frying add extra fat calories.

3. “Take It Away!”

That’s what you say when they bring by the basket of “free” bread.  Have your waiter take it away and don’t even bother letting it sit there to tempt you. If it’s not starring at you then you won’t eat it. Nothing in life is “free.”  Your belly will “pay” for it later!

4. Avoid Dinner After 6pm