Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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WARNING:
This
eBook
is
for
your
personal
use
only.
You
may
NOT
Give
Away,
Share,
Or
Resell
This
Intellectual
Property
In
Any
Way.
All rights are reserved. You may not distribute this eBook in any way. You may not sell it, or reprint any part of it without written consent from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Disclaimer
The advice given in this eBook is just that: advice. The author takes no responsibility for the actions taken by individuals as a result of reading this eBook. If you have any concerns regarding your health, please consult your doctor before making any changes to your nutrition, exercise, or lifestyle plan. Dont do anything stupid; Im here to help you become superhuman, not dead.
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Dedication: I would like to dedicate this eBook to my brother Michael: Thanks for forcing me into the gym when I was 16 and introducing me to a whole new world of possibility; thanks to you I am now closer to superhuman. I also dedicate this eBook to everyone out there who has ever enjoyed weight training in any way, shape, or form, and to those of you out there who, like me, not only want to look awesome but also be healthy on the inside and train until age 100 and beyond!
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TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
- Introduction
and
Definition
..
5
- The
Seven
Pre
Workout
Secrets
that
will
help
you
train
like
a
beast,
recover
like
a
pro,
and
unleash
your
inner
superhuman:
1. Wake
The
Fuck
Up:
How
to
sleep
effectively
for
maximum
energy
levels
and
faster
recovery
from
training
9
2. Drink
Up
Buddy:
How
staying
hydrated
can
make
all
the
difference
15
3. Hungry
Like
The
Wolf:
Sports
nutrition
for
maximum
performance
19
4. You
Wanna
Get
High?
Key
supplements
to
use
for
achieving
maximum
results
and
preventing
burnout
...
36
5. Unleash
The
Beast:
Managing
your
training
load
and
training
schedule
for
maximum
results
and
minimum
down
time
60
6. Train
Your
Mind
Before
You
Train
Your
Body:
How
a
strong
mindset
and
goal
setting
can
make
you
unstoppable
66
7. The
Biggest
Pre
Workout
Secret:
Pre
Workout
Cycling
...
74
-
Your
Game
Plan:
How
to
take
the
lessons
youve
learned
and
apply
them
to
your
life
and
your
situation
77
-
Dont
Be
A
Stranger:
Stay
in
touch
and
stay
on
track
..
86
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 4
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www.preworkoutsecrets.com
At the time I had no idea what was happening to me, but, thankfully, being in the health and fitness industry Im always surrounded by geniuses. So I asked ber naturopath, nutritionist, friend, and advisor Lenche (pronounced: Lench- ay) to help fix me up. When I walked into my store to meet her, I didnt even have to open my mouth before she said, loud and clear: Youve got adrenal exhaustion. Sounds great, but what the hell is making me so damn tired? I asked, completely ignorant of the fact that she had just 100% accurately defined my problem without even having to do so much as look me in my tired eyes. Adrenal exhaustion she replied. And WTF is that? I politely yet impatiently asked. She then went on to explain some really juicy facts, causes, and methods to solve the problem, all of which I will explain in this eBook, plus more. My friends: I have been there, I have been burnt out to the point of napping in my car outside the gym, I have woken up tired every morning and gone to bed wired every night, and I have returned triumphant and can now train harder than ever without burning out. So take my hand (or bicep) and let me walk you through the fascinating world of adrenal exhaustion and show you how to beat it once and for all. The underlying issue that this eBook aims to address is the severe increase in cases of chronic adrenal exhaustion throughout the fitness world caused almost entirely by the incorrect use and abuse of pre workout nutritional supplements. And Im not going to give you a one-size-fits-all solution; Im giving you seven different strategies. Do one of them and youll be kicking ass, do all seven, however, and you may just become superhuman. Before we begin, lets take a quick scientific look at what were trying to overcome here: What exactly is adrenal exhaustion? The following quote is from the Better Health Channel: an initiative of the Victorian State Government of Australia:
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The human body has two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney. These glands form part of the endocrine system, which works with the nervous system and the immune system to help the body cope with different events and stresses. Moving on to a latter part of the quote: Adrenaline is the most well known of the hormones that are secreted by the adrenal glands, in the adrenal medulla (the central part of the gland). The adrenal cortex (the outer part) also produces important hormones, the corticosteroids. They include cortisol, aldosterone and supplementary sex hormones. Source: The Better Health Channel, Victorian State Government, Australia (www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au) So, what does this mean? To put it in simple terms, the adrenal glands are where you make adrenalin. And do you want to know what makes you feel so full of energy when you get excited, scared, aroused, or when you drink coffee, energy drinks, or pre workout supplements? You guessed it...adrenalin! The following quote will briefly explain the effects of too much caffeine on the body and the symptoms of adrenal exhaustion even further: Ralph T. Golan, MD, describes this unfortunate state in his book, Herbal Defense: "Caffeine forces your glands to secrete (adrenalin) when they don't have much left to give, and they have to keep digging deeper and deeper, making you more and more tired over time. And over the years, it takes more and more coffee to get the same result. Some people reach the point of drinking half a dozen or more cups of coffee to get the same result and it's barely keeping them awake. That's severe adrenal depletion (exhaustion)." Source: Naturalnews.com The hidden dangers of caffeine: How coffee causes exhaustion, fatigue and addiction So if after all that you still dont get it let me sum it up in one sentence:
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Adrenal exhaustion is when you are running on empty, theres nothing left in the tank, and no matter how much caffeine you put into your body, you dont feel energized or excited, you only feel tired. Now to see if adrenal exhaustion may be holding you back, take a quick look at the following list and see if any of these symptoms look familiar to you: You get to the gym at the end of the day with zero energy and have a horrible workout. You feel exhausted several times a day, yet wide-awake when its time for bed. You feel stressed, anxious, short-tempered, and unfocused. You get dark circles under your eyes and dry eyes. You wake up in the morning feeling sluggish even though youve had plenty of sleep. You have low sex drive, low libido, or a low desire and enthusiasm for life in general.
If you are experiencing any one of these, it can easily be fixed. If you are experiencing all of these: May God help you! But not to worry, there are millions out there just like you who are experiencing these symptoms. But its time to put an end to it all. Its time to unleash your inner superhuman. Lets get started.
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Wake
The
Fuck
Up:
How
to
sleep
effectively
for
maximum
energy
levels
and
faster
recovery
from
training
Did
you
know
that
we
spend
as
much
as
one- third
of
our
lives
sleeping?
Thats
pretty
scary
when
you
think
about
it,
so
I
hope
youre
making
the
most
out
of
those
other
two- thirds.
When
it
comes
to
maximizing
your
pre
workout
performance,
remember
that
it
is
during
your
sleep
that
you
do
most
of
your
recovery;
its
also
when
you
produce
testosterone,
growth
hormone,
and,
most
importantly
for
our
purposes:
Its
when
you
replenish
your
little
adrenal
glands
and
fill
up
the
tanks.
Take a quick look at the following and see which ones apply to you: You slept for ages, like 1012 hours or more, and yet still felt tired for the rest of the day. You woke up really early feeling alert, but then decided to go back to sleep for another hour because it wasnt time to get up yet, only to find that one hour later you felt really tired and sluggish. You slept for only three or four hours, yet somehow felt energized and fresh for the rest of the day. If you have experienced one or all three of the above situations, then you are not alone. Ive experienced them too, and most people still do on a regular basis. Well, now its time to try and understand what the hell is going on when we sleep, and how to sleep more effectively.
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Before we explore the solutions to these three common scenarios, we will briefly explore what happens inside the body while we sleep. To put it simply, we experience three different stages while we sleep; they are listed in order below: 1. Light Sleep This is the first stage and, as the name suggests, is very light and doesnt really provide much benefit for the body. 2. Deep Sleep This is a very important stage in which our body does its best work, such as repairing our cells and keeping our body and mind strong. 3. REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep This is when we have our dreams and where our memories are sorted out or saved and filed away in a very similar way to managing files on a computer.
Most
people
take
about
two
hours
to
complete
one
sleep
cycle,
in
which
the
body
experiences
all
three
stages
of
sleep
before
re-entering
the
light
sleep
phase
and
getting
ready
to
go
through
another
cycle.
The
first
few
cycles
of
sleep
are
where
we
do
the
majority
of
our
deep
sleep
and
REM
sleep,
so
the
more
cycles
you
sleep,
the
less
deep
and
REM
sleep
you
will
experience.
So
sleeping
in
for
many
hours
isnt
very
useful
for
increasing
recovery
or
increasing
your
energy
levels
if
you
look
at
it
from
this
perspective.
One
more
important
point:
If
you
wake
up
during
deep
sleep
or
REM
sleep,
you
will
feel
tired
or
even
disorientated,
but
if
you
wake
up
during
light
sleep,
you
will
feel
alert
and
energetic.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 10
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Therefore
your
goal
should
be
to
sleep
in
multiples
of
two
hours,
e.g.
four,
six,
eight,
or
ten
hours
of
sleep
per
night
rather
than
sleeping
for
three,
five,
seven,
or
nine
hours,
though
we
might
be
woken
up
by
our
alarm
in
the
middle
of
the
deep
or
REM
sections
of
our
sleeping
cycle
and
thus
feel
terrible
and
tired.
But
that
being
said,
not
everyone
has
an
exact
two-hour
sleep
cycle
and
it
will
take
some
practice
for
you
to
discover
how
long
your
ideal
sleep
length
is.
Go
experiment
with
this
one
and
eventually
you
will
find
what
works
best.
Now
going
back
to
the
three
points
mentioned
at
the
beginning
of
this
chapter,
lets
take
a
look
at
some
solutions
for
better
sleep
quality,
faster
recovery
times,
and
a
more
effective
pre
workout
experience:
The
first
point:
Getting
10
to
12
hours
of
sleep
and
still
feeling
tired;
Ill
give
you
three
explanations
for
why
you
may
be
feeling
tired
after
sleeping
so
many
hours:
1. Sleep
cycles
As
mentioned
above,
you
may
be
waking
up
in
the
middle
of
one
of
the
wrong
stages,
e.g.
during
the
REM
stage
or
the
deep
sleep
stage.
This
usually
results
in
a
feeling
of
disorientation
or
not
knowing
where
you
are
and
what
time
of
day
it
is.
It
can
also
lead
to
a
feeling
of
tiredness
for
the
entire
day.
2.
Dehydration
The
body
has
gone
so
many
hours
without
water
that
it
now
feels
dehydrated
and
is
slowing
down;
the
longer
you
sleep
in,
the
more
damage
you
are
actually
doing
by
dehydrating
your
body.
So
get
up
and
drink
some
water.
3. Low
Blood
Sugar
Levels
Over
time,
your
BGL
(blood
glucose
level)
begins
to
drop,
e.g.
you
experience
sugar
cravings,
sluggishness,
etc.
It
happens
while
you
sleep,
too.
A
pre
bed
snack
is
a
very
effective
strategy
for
not
only
creating
a
stable
BGL,
but
also
for
muscle
growth
and
fat
loss.
Its
best
to
avoid
foods
with
sugar,
as
that
can
lead
to
a
blood
sugar
crash
and
a
negative
impact
on
recovery
through
less
growth
hormone
production.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 11
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
An ideal snack contains some fats and protein together, as both of these help stabilize blood sugar levels very effectively. Some good examples are: One tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter (made from 100% real nuts, no added sugar, preservatives, or stabilizers). One small serving of fatty fish, e.g. salmon. One small serving of lean chicken breast with a tablespoon of avocado. Five raw almonds OR three raw macadamia nuts OR three raw Brazil nuts. Eat your pre bed snack 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime and you will definitely notice the difference the next morning. The second point: Waking up early and feeling alert, but then going back to sleep only to be woken up by your alarm an hour later and feeling really tired again. This brings us back to point number one of the previous problemsleep cycles. If you wake up before your alarm, even if its one or two hours before your alarm...STAY UP. You will have more energy for the entire day, and just imagine what you can do with those extra hours. You could do an early morning training session, make plans for world domination, do some extra work, or even start writing your own book on how damn productive you are now that you have more hours in your day. Finally, point number three: Sleeping for only three or four hours yet feeling energized for the whole day. Again, this is the sleep cycles doing their job; you might have set your alarm for three or four hours, but you managed to time it well so that you woke up just after or right near the end of your sleep cycle. I highly recommend experimenting with your sleep cycles until you find the magic numbers that work for you.
12
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Personally, I tend to feel energetic after five and a half to six hours of sleep, and I feel pretty terrible after seven hours. I usually get six hours of sleep most nights of the week, and I might give myself the gift of an eight-hour sleep one or two nights per week. On this routine, I tend to maintain high energy levels all week, even while training with high intensity five to six days per week and working on my businesses five to six days. One more fun exercise to try is the following: Set two alarms in the morning instead of one. What do I mean by this exactly? Say for example you want to get up at 6 a.m. but you find it very difficult and usually end up snoozing several times and getting up at 6:30 instead. Do this: set one alarm for 5:45 a.m. and another for 6:00 a.m. When the first alarm goes off: Get up and out of bed and open some windows or turn your lights on so that its fairly bright in your room (natural light is much less harsh, so I recommend the window option). What you'll find now is that when that second alarm goes off at 6 a.m. it will be much easier to get up than it used to be. And this is mostly due to a part of the brain called the "Suprachiasmatic nucleus."
13
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
If
you
want
a
detailed
scientific
definition
then
I
recommend
you
Google
it,
but
my
job
here
is
to
give
you
the
most
simple
and
practical
explanation
I
can,
so
here
goes:
The
suprachiasmatic
nucleus
(or
SCN)
is
a
tiny
part
of
the
brain
that
is
responsible
for
controlling
your
circadian
rhythm
(your
sleeping
routine).
What's
interesting
about
this
tiny
part
of
the
brain
is
that
it
is
sensitive
to
light
and
part
of
its
job
is
to
"fire
the
body
up"
once
it
detects
light
hitting
the
eyes
so
that
you
can
wake
up
and
get
ready
for
your
day.
To
sum
it
up:
Try
waking
up
15
minutes
earlier
than
you
normally
do,
let
the
light
hit
you
right
square
in
the
SCN,
and
then
you'll
be
ready
to
jump
out
of
bed
15
minutes
later.
So
start
measuring
and
managing
your
sleep
patterns
now
and
take
note
as
your
pre
workout
energy
levels
begin
to
soar.
14
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Drink
Up
Buddy:
How
staying
hydrated
can
make
all
the
difference
Drink
more
water:
Live
longer
and
train
harder.
There,
Ive
said
it
This
chapter
is
now
complete.
Well
pretty
much,
but
just
in
case
youre
not
convinced
yet,
Ill
throw
in
a
bit
more
evidence
just
cause
Im
a
nice
guy.
Researchers
at
Loma
Linda
University
in
California
found
that
people
who
drank
at
least
five
glasses
of
water
each
day
were
less
likely
to
die
from
a
heart
attack
than
those
who
drank
two
or
fewer
glasses
per
day.
In
contrast,
people
who
drank
a
lot
of
other
fluids
were
more
likely
to
die
from
heart
attack
than
those
who
drank
less,
with
high
levels
of
non-water
drinking
in
women
associated
with
a
more
than
twofold
increased
risk
of
death.
Source:
http://preventdisease.com/news/articles/drink_water_lower_disease.shtml
This
sounds
almost
too
simple,
right?
Just
drink
more
water?
Well,
youll
be
shocked
to
learn
that
more
than
90%
of
all
people
today
do
not
drink
enough
water.
Thats
nine
out
of
ten
people...maybe
someone
you
know?
Maybe
someone
you
know
personally?
So,
how
much
water
should
we
drink
each
day
and
what
will
it
do
for
us?
Allow
me
to
now
present
my
powerful
formula
for
achieving
optimal
hydration
and
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 15
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
maximizing
your
pre
workout
performance:
The
Christian
Baker
Superhuman
Hydration
Formula
Take
your
weight
in
kilograms
x
0.033
OR
your
weight
in
pounds
x
0.015
This
will
give
you
your
daily
water
requirement
in
liters.
If
you
want
to
convert
your
liters
to
ounces,
use
the
following
formula:
liters
x
33.8.
For
example:
two
liters
x
33.8
=
67.6
ounces.
I
weigh
90kg/198lbs,
so
lets
do
the
calculation:
90
x
0.033
=
2.97
liters/100
ounces
and
198
x
0.015
=
2.97
liters/100
ounces.
Luckily
for
me,
I
beat
that
amount
and
I
actually
drink
as
much
as
3.5
to
4
liters
per
day.
Thats
14
to
16
250ml/8oz
glasses
each
and
every
day.
I
know
what
youre
probably
thinking
right
now:
I
bet
this
guy
is
pissing
every
20
minutes,
right?
Not
trueI
only
go
as
much
as
any
other
person,
because
Ive
trained
my
body
to
stay
really
hydrated
all
day
long
and
use
the
water
to
keep
my
muscles
feeling
great,
my
skin
looking
clear,
and,
most
importantly,
my
energy
levels
high
for
maximum
performance
in
the
gym.
At
this
stage,
if
youre
freaking
out
and
thinking
theres
no
way
you
could
ever
drink
the
amount
that
my
formula
suggests,
then
just
relax
and
make
an
easy
plan
where
you
just
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 16
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
add in one extra glass of water per day until youre drinking the recommended amount. It might take you one week, it might take you two weeks, but youll get therejust take it nice and easy. One quick tip though: Dont drink with meals. Outrageous, I hear you say? Yes, I know most of us have grown up either drinking juice or water with every meal, but trust me; youre not doing yourself any favors. Ill explain why: When you eat food, it eventually travels down into your stomach and gets broken down in a pool of hydrochloric acid, or, more specifically: special little guys called enzymes do the job of breaking down your food, getting all the important vitamins, minerals, and energy out of the food before it passes through the stomach and into the intestines. When you drink fluids, you dilute the acid in your stomach and make it really hard for those enzymes to do their job properly, so this means it takes a lot more time to digest your food, which can make you feel tired and bloated. Have you ever felt really tired after a big meal and wondered why? Now ask yourself, were you drinking anything with that meal? Im guessing that you were. So, if Im not drinking with meals, when the hell am I supposed to fit in my 14 or 15 glasses of water? The answer is: Sip... Thanks to big companies making bottled water available everywhere, it makes it really easy to measure the amount of water you drink each day.
17
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
All
you
have
to
do
is
carry
around
a
bottle
of
water
with
you
everywhere,
sip
it
all
day
long,
and
then
refill
it
several
times.
For
example,
if
you
carry
a
600ml/20oz
bottle
of
water
and
refill
it
several
times
each
day,
it
becomes
very
easy
to
measure
your
exact
water
intake.
One
final
and
very
important
tip:
For
every
cup
of
coffee,
energy
drink,
or
pre
workout
supplement
you
consume,
you
must
count
that
as
MINUS
one
glass
of
water.
So
if
you
have
to
drink
10
glasses
a
day
but
you
also
drink
one
cup
of
coffee
plus
take
two
scoops
of
a
pre
workout
supplement,
that
actually
means
you
need
to
drink
three
more
glasses
to
meet
your
daily
needs
(e.g.
10
3
=
7
and
7+3
=
10).
If
you
get
started
on
this
strategy
today,
I
guarantee
youll
perform
better
in
your
next
workoutthe
effects
of
proper
hydration
can
be
felt
almost
immediately.
So
what
are
you
waiting
for?
Drink
up!
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 18
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Having been in the health and fitness industry myself for over eight years, I have watched time and time again as people attempt to out train and out supplement a bad diet. It simply DOESNT WORK. No matter how skinny, fat, special, average, talented, untalented, fast metabolism, slow metabolism, low sex drive, sexy beast, black, or white you are, 99% of all human bodies play by the same rules. The 1% I have left out would be people with serious genetic disorders who need medical attention before they can train or diet properly. Assuming you are in the 99%, let me point you towards one simple fact that I want you to get into your head: NUTRITION IS THE #1 FACTOR IN ACHIEVING RESULTS IN AND OUT OF THE GYM. Training is not #1 and supplementation is certainly not #1. The order of priority for what makes the biggest impact on your body is as follows:
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1. Nutrition
2. Exercise
3. Supplementation
So
by
simply
making
the
changes
outlined
in
this
one
chapter
alone,
you
will
achieve
massive
increases
in
the
effectiveness
of
your
pre
workout
routine.
My
thoughts
around
food
are
as
follows:
Food
is
fuel,
food
is
there
not
only
to
keep
us
healthy,
but
it
can
also
be
used
to
enhance
athletic
performance.
Unfortunately,
most
people
pursue
one
or
the
other.
On
one
hand
youve
got
the
purists
who
would
never
eat
a
protein
bar
or
a
big
piece
of
steak
in
their
lives,
and
then
youve
got
the
fitness
junkies
who
dont
know
what
vegetables
are
and
only
believe
in
protein.
HEALTH
VS.
FITNESS
I
believe
there
is
a
disparity,
a
divide,
and
a
separation
between
health
and
fitness
when
it
comes
to
most
peoples
nutrition
plans.
People
typically
choose
one
or
the
other.
I
choose
both.
And
I
will
show
you
how.
Lets
start
with
the
health
side
of
things
first.
Nutrition
For
Better
Health:
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 20
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Foods that heal and foods that steal: Let me tell you another story: Hundreds of years ago, all international trading of goods was conducted via merchant ships, e.g. businessmen and explorers who would travel the world on sailing boats trading their goods for the goods of others. Europe was one of the busiest regions for international trade with Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands being four of the most active countries when it came to sending out ships for trade. On one particular journey, a group of Dutch sailors were transporting white sugar from Europe to Asia, and if you know how long it takes to fly there you can only imagine how long it would take to sail there. Unfortunately for the sailors, they had underestimated the supplies needed for this trip and ran out of food with more than a week to go before they reached their destination. Out of desperation and hunger, one group of sailors decided to begin eating white sugar each day to increase their energy levels and attempt to satisfy their hunger. The other group of sailors refused to eat any of the sugar and decided to survive off water alone and no food whatsoever. When the sailors arrived at their destination the difference in health between the two groups was very significant.
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One group looked frail, weak, had dark circles under the eyes, and were showing other signs of sickness, too. The other group was a little tired but they had no real health issues. Can you guess which group was the sick group? It was the group that ate the sugar! Now, you might be thinking how on earth could the group that was actually consuming calories be in a worse state of health than the group that was eating absolutely nothing? The answer? White sugar is an incomplete food. What I mean is this: White sugar does not begin its life as white sugar; it starts out as the sugar cane plant. Any food that grows in nature is considered a whole food, therefore the cane sugar not only contains sugar, but it also contains vitamins, minerals, and valuable enzymes which are needed by the body to properly break down food.
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When we refine a food, e.g. turn wheat into white bread or turn sugar cane into white sugar, we lose all of the valuable nutrients needed by the body to properly break them down. So, why did the sailors get sick? If a food does not have its own vitamins, minerals, and enzymes to be broken down properly, have a guess where it needs to steal them from? Your body. So each time the sailors ate the white sugar they were actually losing nutrients and gaining nothing but empty calories that do little good for the body. So, using the above example, take a second to think about the amount of complete or whole foods versus the amount of refined or processed foods in your current diet. This one little factor alone could be having a huge impact on your energy levels and wreaking havoc on your pre workout effectiveness. Not only do incomplete foods steal nutrients needed for high energy levels and superhuman strength, but they also steal the nutrients you need to build more muscle. The aim of the game is this: when choosing foods, try to consume as many complete or whole foods as possible and minimize the amount of refined or processed foods in your diet. The difference you feel in your energy levels will shock you.
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The
acid
and
alkaline
equation:
One
other
significant
factor
in
the
impact
food
has
on
our
energy
levels
is
the
acid
and
alkaline
equation.
One
of
our
bodys
biggest
priorities
is
to
keep
the
blood
at
an
ideal
pH
balance
of
7.365.
Source:
http://www.thepheffect.net/
What
does
this
mean?
When
the
pH
gets
lower,
the
body
becomes
too
acidic,
and
when
it
gets
higher
the
body
becomes
too
alkaline.
Unfortunately,
the
majority
of
foods
we
eat
today
are
acidic,
and
it
takes
a
lot
of
hard
work
to
keep
the
blood
pH
balance
when
we
eat
these
foods.
Some
of
the
side
effects
of
eating
too
many
acidic
foods
are:
Losing
minerals
from
our
bones
Bad
skin
and
looking
older
than
you
really
are
Storing
extra
body
fat
and,
worst
of
all...
Having
low
energy
levels
and
poor
performance
during
workouts
It
is
very
important
to
eat
plenty
of
alkaline
foods
to
make
it
easy
for
the
body
to
keep
the
ideal
pH
level
and
to
keep
our
energy
levels
high.
Ill
give
you
a
brief
list
of
acidic
foods
and
then
another
brief
list
of
alkaline
foods
on
the
following
page:
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 24
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Acidic Foods - Most fruits and fruit juices, white bread, most meats (especially red meat), butter and margarine, breakfast cereals, cheeses, and most canned foods. VERY Highly Acidic Foods and Drinks - Artificial sweeteners, pickled vegetables, beer, liquor, chocolate, pork, canned sardines, coffee, black tea, fruit juice with added sugar, veal, and wine. Alkaline Foods - Almonds (raw), ginseng, lemons, broccoli, lettuce, capsicums/peppers, carrots, onions, cauliflower, tofu, tomatoes, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, and most other raw vegetables and raw nuts. VERY Highly Alkaline Foods and Drinks - Wheatgrass juice, barley grass juice, avocado, barley, cucumber (Lebanese cucumbers are my favorite, they are so much juicier than the regular green variety), garlic, and ginger. By making more food choices from the alkaline lists and fewer from the acidic lists, you will make it much easier for your body to keep the balance and you will be rewarded with high energy levels all day long. Now that weve covered the health side, lets move on to the fitness side of nutrition.
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Nutrition For Fitness: Gaining muscle mass Most guys who train in the gym train for one reason: To look better. This usually means either more muscle mass, less body fat, or a combination of both. So they usually go down one of two paths: In their attempt to gain muscle mass they begin taking one extra protein shake per day and cross their fingers hoping that the muscle will just pile on overnight. OR They take up a self-prescribed mass-gaining program that involves all you can eat buffets and takeaway burgers as a daily staple and end up looking like a fat slob who has to resort to wearing outdated cotton track suits and telling everyone its their off season and that underneath all that fat there is apparently some muscle.
Lets
take
a
closer
look
at
what
it
takes
to
gain
muscle
mass
and
how
to
personalize
your
routine
for
your
body
type.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 26
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
What
Is
Your
Body
Type?
Endomorph:
An
endomorph
is
someone
who
gains
fat
quite
easily
and,
although
he
can
gain
muscle
mass
easier
than
an
ectomorph,
he
must
be
very
careful
not
to
over
consume
calories,
otherwise
he
will
gain
just
as
much
fat
as
muscle.
Endomorphs
are
naturally
stronger
than
ectomorphs
mostly
due
to
the
fact
that
they
have
adapted
to
carrying
around
more
bodyweight
throughout
their
life.
Ectomorph:
An
ectomorph
is
the
skinny
guy
in
the
room.
An
ectomorph
is
usually
lean
all
year
round
whether
he
likes
it
or
not,
but
can
also
become
skinny
fat
as
he
ages
if
he
is
not
careful;
this
is
characterized
by
a
skinny-looking
frame
with
a
soft
belly
and
some
flab
on
the
upper
and
lower
back.
Ectomorphs
find
it
very
hard
to
gain
muscle
and
can
also
lose
muscle
very
quickly
if
theyre
not
careful.
Mesomorph:
A
mesomorph
body
type
is
the
Holy
Grail
when
it
comes
to
building
an
ideal
male
body.
Think
of
the
movie
300
or
the
TV
series
Spartacus
and
youll
see
plenty
of
mesomorphs.
Mesomorphs
gain
muscle
very
easily
and
are
very
responsive
to
weight
training;
however,
they
do
still
gain
body
fat
easier
than
ectomorphs
and
therefore
cannot
be
entirely
ignorant
when
it
comes
to
the
calories
they
consume.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 27
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Nutrition strategies for gaining muscle mass as an Endomorph: The good news for you is that you probably already have more muscle mass than you think; youve just got to lose some body fat so that you can see it. Train weights like a bodybuilder to stimulate muscle growth but be sure to do some cardio exercise to make losing body fat easier. Here is your recommended nutrition breakdown - Eat plenty of quality lean proteins such as: Lean beef Chicken breast White fish Eggs: four whites with one yolk is ideal for your body type
Make sure you have a small serving of healthy fat with each meal to help limit the amount of insulinaka the storage hormonethat gets released; by limiting insulin you are limiting fat gain while promoting gains in muscle mass at the same time. Some good suggestions are as follows: Limit your intake of carbohydrates, as unfortunately your body type cannot deal with them very well. It is OK to eat a small serving of safe carbs with breakfast, as your bodys insulin sensitivity is very high at this time of day and you are less likely to store the carbs as fat; have another small serving with lunch if you think you absolutely need it for energy, and under no circumstances (other than a weekly cheat meal or cheat day) are you to eat carbs at dinner. Six raw almonds One tablespoon olive oil One tablespoon coconut oil One quarter of an avocado
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Here
is
the
safe
carbs
list:
Eat
every
three
to
four
hours
to
keep
your
blood
sugar
levels
stable
and
prevent
sugar
and
carb
cravings,
try
to
include
protein
in
every
single
meal,
and
make
raw
salads
and
green
vegetables
your
best
friends.
Using
the
above
strategies
and
tweaking
them
to
your
personal
taste
will
result
in
significant
muscle
gains
and
fat
loss
when
combined
with
an
appropriate
training
program.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 29
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Nutrition strategies for gaining muscle mass as an Ectomorph: The good news for you is that you possess an ability that fat people all over the world wish they had: The ability to eat a ton of food and barely gain any weight. Unfortunately, this also works against you when it comes to building muscle. The trick for you is to eat so much food to the point where you are full and then jam even more food down your throat until you feel sick. No, Im not joking. Eventually your body will catch up and it will become easier, but its going to take some practice if youre serious about building muscle. That being said, you cannot jam just any shitty foods down your throat, as we want to build quality lean muscle and not gain any fat with it. For your training routine you want to train weights hard and heavy with a focus on maximum TUT, or Time Under Tension, to really torture and break down your muscle fibers. That being said, you want to cut back your training frequency to only two to three times per week at the MAXIMUM to leave you with plenty of time to recover and grow. And unless you absolutely have to do it, its best to lay off the cardio, at least for now. Here is your recommended nutrition breakdown - Eat plenty of quality proteins such as: Make sure you have a serving of fat with every meal to help limit the amount of insulin aka the storage hormonethat gets released, but also to maximize the amount of calories per meal; even if you are eating fatty meats and whole eggs, it doesnt hurt to throw some extra fats in for the ride. Fatty beef such as beef mince, burger patties, and steaks with all the fat left on Chicken thighs rather than chicken breast Fatty fish such as salmon and swordfish Whole eggs: At least five at a time and keep ALL the yolks
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Some good suggestions are as follows: Carbs are your friend, and make sure you include them with most meals; eating too many with a salad or other vegetables is just a recipe for bloating, so keep your dinner portion of carbs reasonably small, but every other time of day go nuts. That being said, you still want your carbs to be clean, e.g. mashed potatoes instead of fries, etc. Here is the clean carbs list: Rolled oats and oatmeal Sweet potatoes and white potatoes (does not include fries or any fried potato products) Lentils Black beans White rice White sourdough bread (if you have bread cravings, some white sourdough is ok, as it is easily digested by the body, but try to avoid all other types of bread, even healthy varieties that contain grains, as most of these will bloat you and make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients properly) Eighteen raw almonds Three tablespoon olive oil Three tablespoon coconut oil One whole avocado
Eat every three to four hours to keep your blood sugar levels stable and to keep your body in growth mode rather than self destruct mode when it comes to building muscle.
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I definitely recommend eating green veggies and raw salads but, as mentioned earlier, try to have them mostly with dinner and avoid combining them with too many carbs, as this can lead to bloating and discomfort. Using the above strategies and tweaking them to your personal taste will result in significant muscle gains while still staying lean when combined with an appropriate training program.
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Nutrition strategies for gaining muscle as a Mesomorph: If you are reading this part then I must say: Congratulations you lucky motherfucker, you have been handed the Holy Grail when it comes to building an ideal physique, so use it wisely. The good news for you is that your body wants to gain muscle mass, and it doesnt particularly want to gain fat either. So lets take a look at how to maximize this golden opportunity to build serious muscle mass and get as shredded as mozzarella cheese on Columbus Day. Train hard and train often; you should be able to train damn hard for up to five or six days per week and still be able to gain muscle mass as long as youre eating enough quality calories. You can even do cardio if you want, as it will help keep you lean as you make more gains. Here is your prescription for nutritional awesomeness - Alternate your protein choices between the two previous lists, so that means alternating between lean protein and fatty protein to give you enough calories for growth without over doing it: Have a serving of fat with every single meal; this also includes the fat from your protein sources. Lean beef or fatty beef Chicken breast or chicken thigh White fish or fatty fish Always eat whole eggs, but try four at a time rather than the ectomorphs five
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Say, for example, you eat a chicken thigh; you will not have to add extra fats to this meal, but if it were chicken breast, make sure you add a serving from the list below: Just like your ectomorph buddies, carbs are your friend, but make sure you keep them clean and dont eat them with dinner unless you feel you absolutely have to. Clean carbs list: Rolled oats and oatmeal Sweet potatoes and white potatoes (does not include fries or any fried potato products) Lentils Black beans White rice White sourdough bread (if you have bread cravings, some white sourdough is ok, as it is easily digested by the body; try to avoid all other types of bread, even healthy varieties that contain grains, as most of these will bloat you and make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients properly) Six raw almonds One tablespoon olive oil One tablespoon coconut oil One quarter of an avocado
Eat every three to four hours to keep your blood sugar levels stable and keep the muscle mass coming; dont be afraid to throw in an extra meal or snack from the above lists if you get hungry. Using the above strategies and tweaking them to your personal taste will result in significant muscle gains and superhuman shredded-ness when combined with an appropriate training program.
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*One important note for all body types: It is OK to take one day per week as your cheat day where you eat anything and everything you like. I recommend choosing Sunday, as this helps you be more sociable and less stressed on weekends. That being said, if you want more fat loss its recommended you have only one cheat meal, such as a Sunday night dinner, and keep the rest of your day clean.
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You Wanna Get High? Key supplements to use for achieving maximum results, enhancing your performance, and preventing burnout
This
is
the
longest
and
definitely
one
of
the
most
exciting
chapters
of
this
entire
eBook,
but
before
we
jump
headfirst
into
it
like
a
junkie
cracking
open
a
fresh
batch
of
pre
workout
supps,
you
should
heed
one
warning:
If
you
dont
have
your
sleep
cycles,
hydration,
nutrition,
mindset,
and
training
load
on
track
first,
then
you
will
NEVER
get
the
most
out
of
your
nutritional
supplementation,
period.
In
this
chapter
I
will
teach
you
how
to
get
the
most
out
of
the
supplements
you
are
already
taking,
and
also
what
other
supplements
you
can
add
into
the
mix
to
enhance
your
results
even
further
and
truly
achieve
the
superhuman
performance
that
I
have
promised
throughout
this
eBook.
I
know
for
a
fact
that
if
you
are
reading
this
eBook
there
is
a
99%+
chance
youve
taken
a
pre
workout
supplement
in
your
life.
If
you
havent
before,
youre
gonna
want
to
try
one
after
reading
this
chapter.
But
before
we
look
specifically
at
Pre
Workout
supplements,
lets
take
a
look
at
the
history
of
nutritional
supplements.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 36
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Nutritional
supplementation
has
been
around
for
years
and
started
with
primitive
methods
such
as
bodybuilders
eating
desiccated
animal
livers
for
extra
protein
and
minerals
in
the
70s
and
80s,
to
the
first
whey
protein
powders
which
tasted
like
ass
(and
some
still
do),
to
the
more
advanced
application
of
performance
enhancing
nutritional
supplements
such
as
the
introduction
of
creatine
monohydrate
to
increase
muscular
strength
and
power
in
professional
sprinters
in
the
late
1980s.
It
is
no
secret
that
certain
nutritional
supplements
do
in
fact
help
to
increase
muscle
mass,
improve
athletic
performance,
increase
energy
levels,
assist
with
fat
loss,
and
many
other
types
of
benefits.
Some
work
better
than
others
and
some
simply
do
not
work
at
all.
Before
we
move
on
to
the
specifics
of
selecting
nutritional
supplements,
I
will
first
start
with
a
small
disclaimer
similar
to
what
I
mentioned
earlier:
No
matter
how
effective
your
nutritional
supplement
regime
is,
you
will
never
get
the
most
out
of
it
in
the
long
term
if
you
do
not
have
a
healthy,
purpose-driven,
and
effective
diet.
What
I
mean
by
this
is
that
most
nutritional
supplements
help
you
get
the
most
out
of
what
you
already
have
and
help
you
reach
your
goals
faster,
but
you
MUST
be
on
the
right
track
to
begin
with,
otherwise
you
will
end
up
nowhere.
So
lets
get
started
on
the
wonderful
world
of
supplements.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 37
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Creatine
Entire
books
have
been
written
on
this
supplement
alone
and
it
is
one
of
the
most
widely
used
and
talked
about
nutritional
supplements
in
the
entire
world.
I
will
get
to
the
point
for
you
as
quickly
as
possible,
and
if
you
are
still
hungry
for
more
there
are
thousands
of
books
out
there
explaining
creatine
in
further
detail.
What
is
Creatine?
Creatine
is
a
naturally
occurring
substance
in
the
human
body
and
we
all
have
it;
yes,
even
skinny
little
guys
and
girls
have
creatine
stored
in
their
body.
Creatine
is
created
in
the
body
by
synthesizing
the
three
amino
acids:
L-Arginine,
L- Glycine,
and
L-Methionine,
so
this
means
as
long
as
youre
eating
enough
protein
your
body
will
find
it
easy
to
produce
creatine.
What
does
Creatine
do?
Creatine
is
involved
in
the
Phosphocreatine
energy
system
(PC),
which
revolves
around
the
body
using
Adenosine
Triphosphate
(ATP)
for
explosive
muscular
contraction.
So
what
the
hell
does
this
mean?
The
body
uses
ATP
for
explosive
muscular
contractions,
e.g.
weight
training,
sprinting,
etc.,
but
only
a
small
amount
is
stored
in
the
muscles
at
any
given
time.
One
of
the
substances
needed
to
regenerate
ATP
stores
is
creatine.
So
by
supplementing
with
creatine
you
are
effectively
putting
more
fuel
in
the
tank,
which
results
in
more
explosive
power,
e.g.
more
strength
and/or
more
reps
in
the
gym.
How
and
when
do
you
take
it?
The
original
and
still
the
most
researched
and
proven
form
of
creatine
supplementation
is:
Creatine
Monohydrate.
It
comes
in
powder
or
capsule
form.
The
most
common
and
effective
method
of
using
creatine
monohydrate
is
as
follows:
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 38
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Do a cycle of 6-8 weeks. Begin with a loading phase of seven days in which you consume 20 grams of creatine monohydrate per day broken down into four separate doses of five grams. Move on to a maintenance phase of five grams per day. For every five grams (heaped teaspoon) of creatine monohydrate you consume, be sure to add an extra glass of water to your daily intake (one glass is 8oz/250ml). The best times of day to take creatine monohydrate are any time on an empty stomach, e.g. first thing in the morning, 30 mins before lunch or dinner, and immediately after a workout (yes it can be combined with your post workout protein shake).
If
you
follow
the
guidelines
above,
you
are
almost
guaranteed
to
notice
a
strength
increase
in
under
a
week
and
also
notice
an
increase
in
muscle
size
due
to
more
creatine
and
water
being
held
in
your
muscle
cells.
Occasionally
I
come
across
people
who
cannot
stomach
creatine
monohydrate
and
either
get
stomach
pains
or
even
worse:
diarrhoea.
If
this
happens
to
you
then
it
is
best
to
search
for
an
alternative
form
of
creatine.
Throughout
the
years,
many
forms
have
fallen
in
and
out
of
vogue,
such
as
creatine
ethyl-ester.
The
safest
and
most
effective
alternative
to
good
old
creatine
monohydrate
right
now
appears
to
be
Creatine
HCL
(hydrochloride),
and
it
seems
to
be
gaining
in
popularity
every
week.
Who
knows
if
it
will
eventually
become
the
new
replacement
for
monohydrate
or
if
it
will
cease
to
be
popular
in
a
years
time;
only
time
will
tell.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 39
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Is
Creatine
safe?
In
short:
YES.
Ask
anyone
and
their
mom
about
creatine
supplementation
and
you
will
hear
things
such
as:
- It
damages
your
kidneys
- It
ruins
your
skin
- It
dehydrates
you
- It
damages
your
stomach
- It
makes
your
pee
too
acidic
- It
contains
steroids
- Blah,
blah,
blah
Remember
that
creatine
monohydrate
has
been
around
since
the
1980s
and
is
one
of
the
safest
and
most
tested
nutritional
supplements
of
all
time.
To
give
you
some
reassurance,
I
have
stolen
a
quote
from
some
people
who
are
a
lot
smarter
than
I
and
backed
it
up
with
references.
Extensive
research
over
the
last
decade
has
shown
that
oral
creatine
supplementation
at
a
rate
of
5
to
20
grams
per
day
appears
to
be
very
safe
and
largely
devoid
of
adverse
side-effects,
while
at
the
same
time
effectively
improving
the
physiological
response
to
resistance
exercise,
increasing
the
maximal
force
production
of
muscles
in
both
men
and
women.
^
Bizzarini
E,
De
Angelis
L
(December
2004).
"Is
the
use
of
oral
creatine
supplementation
safe?".
The
Journal
of
Sports
Medicine
and
Physical
Fitness
44
(4):
4116.
PMID
15758854
1. ^
Bemben
MG,
Lamont
HS
(2005).
"Creatine
supplementation
and
exercise
performance: recent findings". Sports Medicine 35 (2): 10725. PMID 15707376. ^ Kreider RB (February 2003). "Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations". Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 244 (12): 8994. doi:10.1023/A:1022465203458. PMID 12701815.
Enough said.
40
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BCAAs
BCAAs
are
definitely
a
hot
topic
right
now
and
odds
are
if
you
havent
taken
them
before
youve
at
least
heard
of
them,
so
what
the
hell
are
they
and
what
do
they
do?
What
are
BCAAs?
BCAAs
are
known
as
the
Branched
Chain
Amino
Acids,
which
is
a
reference
to
their
chemical
structure.
The
three
BCAAs
are:
L-Leucine,
L-Isoleucine,
and
L-Valine.
These
three
aminos
alone
make
up
about
one-third
of
the
total
amino
acids
in
your
bodys
muscle
mass.
The
human
body
has
about
20
amino
acids,
so
this
should
give
you
a
good
idea
of
just
how
damn
important
the
three
BCAAs
are.
All
three
of
the
BCAAs
are
Essential
amino
acids.
This
means
that
the
body
cant
make
them
by
itself
and
needs
to
make
them
by
breaking
down
the
protein
you
consume
each
day;
this
is
why
BCAA
supplementation
is
so
important
when
it
comes
to
muscle
growth.
The
BCAAs
are
not
just
important
because
they
are
essential
aminos
or
because
they
make
up
a
good
proportion
of
muscle
protein.
The
reason
these
three
are
special
aminos
is
because
of
how
they
are
handled
in
the
body.
Most
amino
acids
go
directly
to
the
liver
after
being
digested,
where
they
can
be
broken
down
if
the
body
needs
them
for
energy.
However,
BCAAs
tend
to
be
spared
by
the
liver
and
go
directly
your
muscles
in
tact;
this
means
muscle
fibers
can
use
BCAAs
directly
for
fuel,
which
is
crucial
for
helping
to
strengthen,
build,
and
repair
muscle
tissue
that
has
been
stressed
by
weight
training.
What
do
the
BCAAs
do?
In
Short:
Increase
strength,
increase
muscle
size,
and
decrease
recovery
time.
This
is
because
not
only
do
BCAAs
boost
energy
levels
by
being
used
as
a
direct
fuel
source
for
muscle
fibers,
BCAAs
also
enhance
energy
by
reducing
the
amount
of
tryptophan
that
gets
into
the
brain.
Tryptophan
produces
the
neurotransmitter
serotonin.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 41
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
During
exercise,
serotonin
tells
the
brain
that
the
body
is
fatigued
and
causes
it
to
reduce
muscle
strength
and
endurance.
The
BCAAs,
mostly
L-Valine,
compete
with
tryptophan
for
entry
into
the
brain
and
therefore
help
to
lower
the
amount
of
fatigue
you
feel.
The
way
that
BCAAs
encourage
increased
strength
and
size
is
by
directly
stimulating
muscle
protein
synthesis.
Of
the
three
BCAAs,
L-Leucine
appears
to
be
the
most
critical
for
stimulating
muscle
protein
synthesis.
BCAAs
also
work
to
boost
muscle
growth
and
strength
by
altering
levels
of
anabolic
(GOOD)
and
catabolic
(BAD)
hormones.
One
anabolic
hormone
the
BCAAs
boost
is
insulin.
BCAAs
have
also
been
found
to
increase
levels
of
growth
hormone,
and
to
make
things
even
better:
BCAAs
also
blunt
levels
of
the
catabolic
hormone
cortisol.
Winning.
Since
cortisol
normally
increases
muscle
breakdown
and
inhibits
testosterones
anabolic
actions,
blunting
cortisol
works
to
increase
muscle
growth
and
strength
gains.
How
and
when
do
you
take
them?
Just
like
with
creatine,
BCAAs
come
in
both
powder
and
capsule
form.
The
recommended
dose
is
5-10
grams
at
a
time,
so
it
is
much
easier,
cost
effective,
and
less
painful
to
use
powders.
The
only
time
I
would
encourage
capsules
is
if
you
are
traveling
and
youd
prefer
not
to
carry
bags
of
white
powder
in
your
pockets
through
customs,
but
hey,
Im
sure
that
muscle-bound
security
guy
at
the
airport
will
totally
know
what
BCAAs
are,
so
youll
be
fine!
When
it
comes
to
BCAAs,
timing
is
crucial.
To
gain
more
muscle
mass,
strength,
and
energy,
the
best
time
to
take
BCAAs
is
around
workouts.
For
best
results,
you
should
take
one
dose
30-45
minutes
before
your
workouts.
On
that
note,
my
favorite
pre
workout
routine
at
the
moment
involves
taking
10
grams
of
BCAAs
30-45
minutes
before
my
workout,
followed
by
a
shot
of
espresso
coffee
15-20
minutes
before
the
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 42
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
workout. Because coffee has a natural vasodilation effect, e.g. it opens up the blood vessels and improves circulation, youll find that the aminos can circulate properly and get to the working muscles faster. This is also a fun alternative to use when taking breaks from cycles of pre workout supplements that have 200-300mg of caffeine per serving, as a single shot of espresso coffee has on average only 80mg of caffeine. The Italians not only know how to make good coffee, but they also know how to keep it cleansteer clear of any milk or sugar, and stick only to espresso shots for maximum results. Another popular time to take BCAAs is to add them into your post workout protein shake; because they are free form amino acids, they will get to your muscles faster than the protein, so its a good way to stop the catabolic muscle breakdown process and put yourself in recovery mode ASAP after an awesome workout. Another really good time to take BCAAs is first thing in the morning, as you will put your body into anabolice.g. muscle buildingmode as soon as you wake up rather than waiting for the protein from your breakfast to get into your muscles. This is especially great for those who are leaning up, as low calorie dieters tend to be more at risk of losing muscle from long periods of fasting, e.g. sleep. Its also great for psychopaths who love nothing more than the bitter taste of amino acids when they wake up in the morning to remind them that they are on the path to success. If you really wanna be a junkie, Ive got two more times of day you can take your BCAAs. If you take a serving with dinneror even better, with a pre bed high protein and high fat snackyou will keep protein synthesis and growth hormone levels high while you sleep and also for the following day: Greeeeaaaaaat Success (Borat Accent)! And the final time that is great to take your BCAAs is between meals when leaning up.
43
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As mentioned earlier, low calorie dieters are at high risk of wasting away hard- earned muscle due to extra cortisole.g. stress hormonefloating around the blood stream, so if you take BCAAs between each meal you are more likely to keep all your hard-earned muscle, and not only that, but you will keep hunger down and your metabolism up for more fat burning, too. A final note on BCAAs: There are hundreds of products out there all claiming to have the best quality BCAAs at the best ratios. The general rule of thumb is to always make sure your BCAA products contain more Leucine than the other two BCAAs: Isoleucine and Valine. Some claim a 2:1:1 ratio is best, others claim 8:1:1 is the best, and some brands have gone as far as a 15:1:1 ratio. From studies conducted over the years and also from personal experience, it seems that 2:1:1 remains the gold standard when it comes to BCAA products, so I recommend sticking to it. But that being said, our industry is changing every single day, so dont be afraid to experiment with different ratios and see how it goes. Are the BCAAs safe? You bet your well-defined ass they are safe. To this day there has been no evidence of any negative side effects of regular BCAA usage in humans. Remember the BCAAs come from protein and are a very natural and normal thing for you to be consuming.
44
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On
that
note,
Id
recommend
consuming
unflavored
powders
if
you
can
handle
it,
as
having
too
many
artificial
sweeteners
may
have
a
few
unwanted
side
effects
such
as
raising
insulin
levels
at
unwanted
times,
which
leads
to
fat
storage
and
lowered
levels
of
growth
hormone
and
also
an
increase
in
acidity
in
the
body,
leading
to
more
inflammation,
sickness,
and
other
nasty
side
effects.
But
that
being
said,
its
not
the
worst
thing
in
the
world
to
take
one
to
two
servings
a
day
with
sweeteners
if
you
really
cant
handle
the
bitter
taste
of
unflavored
BCAAs.
45
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Arginine
Whether you know it or not, there is a very good chance youve taken arginine before. It is inside nearly every single pre workout supplement that exists and it was research on arginine in the late 1990s that led to the explosion of pre workout supplements available on the market in the last 10 years.
What
is
Arginine?
Arginine,
just
like
the
BCAAs,
is
an
amino
acid.
But
unlike
the
BCAAs,
arginine
is
a
non-essential
amino
acid,
which
means
the
body
can
make
it
on
demand
whenever
the
hell
it
wants.
However,
under
times
of
heavy
training,
sometimes
the
body
cant
keep
up
with
demand
for
arginine
and
then
it
becomes
a
conditionally-essential
amino
acid.
What
does
Arginine
do?
Arginine
helps
to
produce
the
substance
Nitric
Oxide
in
the
body,
otherwise
known
as
N.O.
when
talked
about
by
gym
junkies.
Nitric
Oxide
helps
to
relax
the
blood
vessels,
which
creates
better
circulation,
which
in
turn
means
it
is
great
for
lowering
blood
pressure,
speeding
up
the
healing
process
of
injuries,
and
increasing
blood
flow
to
working
muscles
before,
during,
and
after
exercise.
By
increasing
blood
flow
to
the
working
muscles,
you
can
gain
a
lot
of
advantages,
but
we
will
focus
on
the
most
relevant
ones
to
building
muscle
and
burning
fat.
1. Remove
waste
products
such
as
lactic
acid
from
the
muscle
tissue
faster
by
doing
this
you
will
speed
up
recovery
time
between
sets,
decrease
muscle
soreness,
or
DOMS,
for
the
next
few
days,
and
also
enhance
performance
in
each
set,
e.g.
you
may
be
able
to
squeeze
out
an
extra
rep
or
two
on
a
squat
thanks
to
your
body
being
able
to
push
lactic
acid
away
from
the
muscles
faster
between
each
rep.
2. Deliver
key
nutrients
to
your
muscles
faster
key
nutrients
required
for
performance
and
recovery
such
asyou
guessed
itthe
BCAAs
will
be
able
to
get
delivered
faster
to
the
muscles,
which
means
you
will
be
able
to
train
harder,
you
will
spend
less
time
in
a
catabolic
state
and
more
time
in
an
anabolic
state,
which
again
means
more
muscle
mass,
faster
fat
loss,
and
less
muscle
soreness.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 46
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
3. Deliver key nutrients to your muscles faster after your workout is completed It is all well and good to have more nutrients delivered to your working muscles during your workout, but what about straight after your workout when your body is crying out for nutrients and wants to kick start the recovery process ASAP? Better blood flow means your BCAAs and proteins will be delivered to your muscle cells faster, which again means: faster recovery, more muscle mass, and faster fat loss. 4. Make you look awesome Yes, this shouldnt be the primary goal of taking arginine, but it definitely deserves a mention: When you have high levels of Nitric Oxide in the bloodstream and you increase your circulation, you tend to get bigger pumps. One of the greatest self-confidence boosting tricks you can do while taking arginine is to train both biceps and triceps in the same workouttrust me, it will feel like your arms just blew up by an extra 10 inches and you (and hopefully the ladies) wont be able to take your hands off your massive cannons. How and when do you take it? The best time to take arginine is 30 to 45 minutes before training. Yes, it can be stacked with BCAAs (e.g. taken at the exact same time) and yes; it works even better when you do that shot of espresso just before your workout. There are many forms of arginine, ranging from straight up L-Arginine to Arginine HCL and Arginine Alpha Keto Glutarate (AAKG). The one form that has produced the most impressive and consistent results over the years seems to be the AAKG form, so make sure you check the labels before deciding which arginine to purchase. On another note, recent studies have shown that arginine works even better in the presence of another amino acid called L-Citrulline. You will find that many pre workout supplements combine the two substances in the same formula for maximum results; however, if you want to make your own custom routine you can purchase L-Citrulline by itself and take it at the same time you take your arginine. Another popular method of taking arginine is to do it in cycles just like you do with creatine and pre workout supplements. The theory behind this is that with enhanced blood flow all day long you will be able to recover and grow faster. Ed Mr Creatine Byrd, who is the co-founder of EAS and the founder and current CEO of MRI (e.g. one of the greatest nutritional supplement companies in the world),
47
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
was the first man to bring an arginine supplement to the market and he also created a little book to go with it, which teaches you how to cycle it properly. If you want to get a free copy of the book, go to this link: http://www.mass.fi/admin/uploadpdf/50101.no2%20book.pdf Have fun and make sure you let me know what methods you personally use to get the most out of your arginine supplementation. Is Arginine safe?
Arginine
is
very
safe
when
taken
in
the
correct
way.
That
being
said,
playing
around
with
your
nitric
oxide
levels
by
taking
too
much
arginine
can
have
negative
side
effects
on
your
blood
pressure
and
heart
health.
If
you
are
on
any
heart
or
blood
pressure
related
medication
then
make
sure
you
check
with
your
doctor
first
before
taking
arginine.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 48
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
Caffeine
Ahh,
Caffeine:
The
worlds
favorite
(legal)
drug.
What
would
we
do
without
it!
Other
than
studying
the
awesomeness
of
caffeine
and
what
the
tastiest
ways
to
consume
it
are,
we
will
use
this
section
to
explore
how
to
use
it
to
enhance
our
workouts
without
overusing
it
or
burning
out.
What
is
Caffeine?
Lets
ask
some
scientists,
shall
we:
Caffeine
is
a
bitter,
white
crystalline
xanthine
alkaloid
that
is
a
psychoactive
stimulant
drug.
Caffeine
was
discovered
by
a
German
chemist,
Friedrich
Ferdinand
Runge,
in
1819.
He
coined
the
term
kaffein,
a
chemical
compound
in
coffee,
which
in
English
became
caffeine.
Source:
-
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/caffeine
Caffeine
is
naturally
found
in
certain
leaves,
seeds,
and
fruits
of
over
60
plants
worldwide.
The
most
common
sources
in
our
diet
are
coffee,
tea
leaves,
cocoa
beans,
cola,
and
energy
drinks.
Caffeine
can
also
be
produced
synthetically
and
added
to
food,
beverages,
supplements,
and
medications.
Source:
-
http://www.medicinenet.com/caffeine/article.htm
So
now
that
youve
got
the
gist
of
it,
its
time
to
look
at
the
two
different
types
of
caffeine:
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Synthetic
caffeine:
is
synthesized
from
dimethylurea
and
malonic
acid
in
laboratories
and
you
can
find
it
in
energy
drinks,
soft
drinks/soda,
and
many
sports
supplements.
Source:
Ted
Wilson,
Norman
J.
Temple
(2004).
Beverages
in
Nutrition
and
Health.
p.
172.
ISBN
1588291731
Humana
Press.
So,
after
reading
that
can
you
tell
me
what
type
of
caffeine
is
contained
in
pre
workout
supplements?
Yes
you
are
a
genius;
it
is
in
fact
artificial
caffeine.
And
of
course
coffee
contains
natural
caffeine.
Because
natural
caffeine
comes
from
plants,
a
lot
of
beneficial
nutrients
are
included
when
you
consume
it.
For
example,
when
you
have
a
cup
of
coffee,
you
not
only
get
an
increase
in
energy
from
the
caffeine,
but
you
also
get
a
good
serving
of
powerful
antioxidants
which
can
protect
the
bodys
cells,
as
well
as
a
small
amount
of
beneficial
minerals
such
as
magnesium
and
potassium.
Natural
caffeine
also
tends
to
have
a
longer
lasting
effect
on
energy
levels
when
compared
to
artificial
caffeine,
which,
in
most
cases,
enters
and
exits
the
body
very
rapidly.
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Artificial caffeine, on the other hand, is extracted in laboratories and, therefore, doesnt contain any of the beneficial antioxidants or minerals contained in coffee. This is great from an energy perspective because it gives you an almost instant hit of energy, but artificial caffeine also leaves the body much faster than natural caffeine and can lead to a crash, where you feel even more tired than you did to begin with. Because pre workout supplements contain artificial caffeine, they tend to give you a much bigger buzz than coffee; just be sure you use pre workouts in cycles of no longer than six to eight weeks to make sure you dont burn yourself out and reach that dreaded state of adrenal exhaustion we talked about earlier. What does Caffeine do? Caffeine is a stimulant, so therefore it gets you buzzed or gives you a kick of energy that lasts anywhere from half an hour to five or six hours and beyond. Caffeine will increase energy levels, improve concentration and memory, and improve breathing, just to name a few benefits. Consuming caffeine also encourages your body to release adrenalin, as well as its catabolic buddy cortisol. As we all know by now, having a lot of cortisol in the bloodstream is bad news when it comes to gaining muscle mass, but what you might be interested to know is that there is one time of day when having high cortisol and adrenalin levels will benefit you and that is: TRAINING TIME. Adrenalin will increase your heart rate, improve circulation, and improve your breathing, while cortisol, among other things, will increase blood glucose levels, e.g. the amount of available glucose to burn as fuel. Our muscles rely on Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and glucose for the Phosphocreatine (PC) and Lactic Acid energy systems; during weight training this means high adrenalin and cortisol levels are very beneficial for improving physical performance. So use caffeine to get pumped, get excited, and train like a beast! Just make sure you have an effective recovery plan in place so that you can control those cortisol levels once you step outside the gym.
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How and when do you take it? The best time to take caffeine is around 20-30 minutes before a workout, but, that being said, everyones body is different and I have friends who take it five minutes before their workout and others who take it 45 minutes beforehand, so try out different times on yourself and see what works best for you. I personally find that I get the best results from taking it 15-20 minutes before my workouts. Is Caffeine safe? Caffeine is very safe, but, just like most things: too much of a good thing aint a good thing no more. Some people suffer anxiety and high blood pressure from drinking just one cup of coffee per day. If you fall into this group and are hyper sensitive to caffeine, then you should avoid it at all costs and just play some loud music before you go to the gym instead. In general, it is very safe to take 200-300mg of caffeine per day every day. That being said, it is a good idea to take at least one low caffeine day per week and one week off entirely every six months or so if you can handle it without having a nervous breakdown. Like I mentioned earlier with pre workout supplements, its best to do them in cycles of no longer than six to eight weeks at a time, followed by at least a one-, if not two-, week break during which you consume only small amounts of caffeine each day, e.g. one to two coffees at the most. Of course if you have any concerns please check with your doctor before you start consuming large amounts of caffeine.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 52
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Beta Alanine
Beta
alanine
is
the
newest
out
of
all
the
supplements
I
have
mentioned
in
here
so
far
and
has
really
only
come
into
the
limelight
in
athletic
and
bodybuilding
circles
in
the
last
two
or
three
years.
What
is
Beta
Alanine?
Beta
alanine
is
a
naturally
occurring
beta
amino
acid
which
involves
a
bunch
of
nutrition
nerd
speak
that
we
will
skip
for
now,
but
if
you
want
to
study
the
chemistry
of
it
there
is
plenty
written
all
over
the
web.
The
most
important
fact
to
know
about
this
little
guy
is
that
he
is
the
rate-limiting
precursor
to
carnosine.
This
means
the
body
is
limited
to
the
amount
of
carnosine
it
can
produce
by
the
amount
of
beta
alanine
it
has
available.
So
what
the
hell
is
Carnosine?
Carnosine
is
a
substance
produced
in
the
body
by
combining
beta
alanine
with
the
amino
acid
L-Histidine,
and
it
is
used
to
help
improve
performance
in
working
muscles
by
acting
as
a
buffer
against
lactic
acid
and
delaying
the
usual
fatigue
that
sets
in
during
a
workout.
What
does
Beta
Alanine
do?
By
increasing
intramuscular
levels
of
carnosine,
it
helps
to
delay
fatigue
and
improve
your
performance
during
your
workout.
It
is
an
odd
sensation
and
Im
sure
a
lot
of
you
can
relate,
but
when
I
personally
take
high
levels
of
beta
alanine
before
a
workout
I
feel
as
though
I
know
the
lactic
acid
is
there;
I
can
even
feel
it
burning
me
but
for
some
reason
I
can
keep
moving
for
a
few
extra
secondsits
awesome.
How and when do you take it? Like arginine, beta alanine can be taken either exclusively before workouts or, for extra benefit, you can do a cycle of six to eight weeks to keep carnosine levels high in your muscles all day long. If you are taking it before workouts only, make sure you get a good strong dose of at least two grams every time.
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Take it at the same time you take your arginine and BCAAs, e.g. 30-45 minutes before workouts. When doing a cycle, its best to spread your servings out over three to four times per day, e.g. before breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before workouts. Four servings a day of 500mg (e.g. two grams per day) is a good way to start, and there are plenty of athletes out there safely taking four grams or more per day. Is Beta Alanine Safe? Beta alanine is very safe and is unlikely to cause any negative side effects unless taken in huge doses (e.g. more than 10-20 grams per day). One common side effect that most people experience is a sensation known as paraesthesia or, more commonly, pins and needles. It will make you feel like your skin is itchy, it may make your skin red, and it may feel very hot for a short period of time. If these sensations are annoying you, then a good solution is to take your servings close to your workout, e.g. five to ten minutes, as youll find the sensations tend to go away once the blood starts flowing and your workout begins. Its also a fun trick to play on people: Give them a big dose of beta alanine and pretend its soda and then watch them freak out as their skin begins to tingleGood Times.
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So
here
it
is:
The
mack
daddy
of
all
supplements,
the
one
youve
all
been
waiting
for,
the
one
that
is
so
important
that
it
shares
its
name
with
the
title
of
this
entire
friggen
eBook;
here
it
is
in
all
its
glory.
You
ready?
What
are
Pre
Workout
Supplements?
Pre
Workout
Supplements
are
any
supplements
that
contain
a
variety
of
ingredients
that
aim
to
improve
your
athletic
performance.
Most
of
them
contain
a
variety
of
the
ingredients
already
mentioned
so
far
in
this
chapter.
As
I
mentioned
earlier
in
the
section
on
Arginine:
Ed
Mr
Creatine
Byrd
brought
the
first
arginine
supplement
to
the
marketthe
product
was
called
NO2
(the
product
contains
arginine,
which
boosts
the
bodys
levels
of
nitric
oxide,
e.g.
N.O.,
yet
the
product
is
called
NO2,
which
is
actually
the
chemical
symbol
for
Nitrogen
Dioxide,
which
is
a
highly
toxic
chemical
gas;
I
guess
NO2
just
sounds
more
catchy
than
boring
old
NO!).
This
can
be
considered
the
first
ever
purpose-built
Pre
Workout
Supplement
for
athletes,
as
it
tends
to
have
an
almost
instant
effect
and
can
be
taken
before
a
workout.
As
more
and
more
companies
jumped
on
the
pre
workout
bandwagon,
we
began
to
see
extra
substances
being
thrown
into
the
mix.
Some
were
usefule.g.
caffeine,
BCAAs,
creatine,
and
other
amino
acidsand
some
were
not
so
usefule.g.
rice
flour
and
magnesium
oxide,
aka
shit
your
pants
powder.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 55
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The top selling pre workout supplements to this date as I am writing this (November 2011) fall into two categories: 1. 2. Standard Pre Workout Supplements Concentrated Pre Workout Supplements
The standard pre workouts contain high amounts of the substances mentioned above; the good brands tend to be chockfull of useful ingredients such as extra BCAAs, creatine, beta alanine, caffeine, and very high doses of arginine. Other brands usually create a proprietary blend of mostly fillers such as rice flour and magnesium, with only a small amount of arginine and some extra caffeine to make sure you believe the product is actually working. Then there are concentrated pre workout supplements: These interesting little creations make a point of never having any fillers such as rice flour and magnesium, and claim to only contain active ingredients such as arginine, caffeine, BCAAs, and more. An interesting trend that has emerged with these products is the introduction of a whole new breed of super stimulants. One particular substance that was introduced with the first concentrated pre workout product to hit the market, USP Labs Jack3d, was an extract from the geranium herb called 1,3 Dymethylamylamine. 1,3 Dymeth, as most people call it, is an extremely strong ingredient from the same family of stimulants as caffeine. It has been compared to the drug speed in terms of the effects it has on the body, and it has been put on the WADA international banned substances list for athletes.
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So
in
other
words:
Its
Fucking
strong!
If
you
are
a
competitive
athlete
and
there
is
a
chance
you
will
have
to
perform
a
drug
test
for
your
sport
then
its
best
to
avoid
1,3
Dymeth
at
all
times.
For
everyone
else:
make
sure
you
carefully
read
and
re-read
this
section
to
ensure
you
cycle
your
pre
workout
supplements
properly
and
do
not
end
up
burning
out.
One
final
note
before
we
get
into
it:
Be
sure
you
use
the
following
guidelines
when
purchasing
a
pre
workout
supplement
to
ensure
you
get
the
best
results
and
dont
waste
your
money
on
rice
flour
and
magnesium:
If
the
product
is
standardized,
e.g.
it
tells
you
the
weight
of
each
individual
ingredient,
be
sure
to
get
more
than
3g
of
arginine
per
serving.
If
the
product
uses
a
proprietary
blend,
e.g.
a
mix
of
ingredients
where
no
individual
amounts
are
listed,
be
sure
that
arginine
is
one
of
the
top
ingredients
and
that
fillers
such
as
rice
flour,
magnesium,
and
maltodextrin
do
not
make
it
into
the
top
five
ingredients,
otherwise
there
is
a
good
chance
you
are
wasting
your
money.
What
do
Pre
Workout
Supplements
do?
Pre
workout
supplements
improve
your
athletic
performance.
They
do
this
through
the
use
of
various
ingredients,
most
of
which
are
listed
above.
By
combining
several
substances
into
one
product
you
create
a
stack,
or
a
combination
that
will
provide
you
with
multiple
benefits
at
once,
e.g.
better
blood
flow
for
bigger
pumps,
faster
removal
of
lactic
acid
and
faster
delivery
of
nutrients
to
the
working
muscles
(arginine),
more
muscle
strength
and
power
(creatine),
better
mental
focus
as
well
as
better
vasodilation
(dilating
or
opening
of
the
blood
vessels)
(caffeine),
less
muscle
wastage
after
workouts
and
more
fuel
for
working
muscles
during
workouts
(BCAAs),
and
the
list
goes
on,
etc.
etc.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 57
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Any
one
of
the
above
advantages
can
influence
your
success
in
and
out
of
the
gym,
but
by
combining
them
all
at
once
you
can
get
the
absolute
best
results.
How
and
when
do
you
take
them?
The
best
time
for
most
people
to
take
pre
workout
supplements
is
30
minutes
before
your
training
session.
That
being
said,
everyones
body
is
different,
so
its
best
to
experiment
with
different
times,
e.g.
15
minutes
before,
45
minutes
before,
and
see
which
time
gives
you
the
best
results.
Its
best
to
simply
take
your
pre
workout
with
water
and
nothing
elsehaving
sugary
carbs
within
an
hour
before
your
workout
has
been
shown
to
decrease
peak
levels
of
cortisol
and
adrenalin
during
your
session,
leading
to
a
shitty
performance
in
the
gym,
so
avoid
them
at
all
costs.
Also
make
sure
you
are
very
well
hydrated,
as
dehydrated
muscles
can
also
lead
to
a
shitty
performance
and
caffeine
and
other
stimulants
in
pre
workout
supplements
can
dehydrate
you
even
further.
If
youre
unsure
of
how
much
water
you
need,
make
sure
you
read
and
re-read
the
earlier
chapter
on
hydration.
Now
on
to
the
most
important
part
of
how
to
take
pre
workout
supplements:
make
sure
you
take
them
in
cycles.
If
you
try
to
be
a
hero
and
take
your
pre
workout
supplements
for
20
weeks
in
a
row,
there
is
a
good
chance
you
will
end
up
falling
asleep
at
the
wheel
just
like
I
did,
so
please
heed
the
following
advice:
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 58
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It is recommended that all pre workout supplements be taken in cycles of six to eight weeks at a time. I personally like to do short four-week cycles followed by a one-week break, and this allows me to train like a beast but helps prevent burnout. Most people should be fine doing a six- to eight-week cycle as long as you follow the advice contained in this eBook, but if you feel like you are starting to burn out at any time then its always a good idea to cut your cycle short and take a low caffeine week in which you stick to just one coffee a day and avoid all artificial caffeine such as pre workouts and energy drinks for one entire week. Are Pre Workout Supplements safe? Pre workout supplements are only as safe as the ingredients contained within them. Re-read the sections on each individual ingredient, e.g. Arginine, if you need a refresher. As long as you follow my advice on cycling and you arent on any blood pressure related pharmaceutical medication, then you will be A-OK.
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Unleash
The
Beast:
Managing
your
training
load
and
training
schedule
for
maximum
results
Weve
all
seen
them
at
our
gym:
guys
who
train
hardcore
seven
days
a
week
and
yet
they
never
seem
to
get
tired
or
burned
out.
Weve
also
seen
the
guys
who
train
only
three
to
four
times
per
week
yet
get
better
results
than
the
guy
who
does
seven!
Im
going
to
teach
you
not
only
how
to
get
more
from
less,
but
also
have
the
energy
and
recovery
ability
to
train
seven
days
if
you
really
want
to.
I
personally
train
once
per
day,
five
to
six
days
per
week.
Rich
Froning
Jr.,
who
is
the
2011
winner
of
the
crossfit
games,
aka
the
fittest
man
on
earth,
revealed
in
a
recent
interview
that
he
trained
on
average
five
times
per
day
up
to
as
many
as
seven
days
per
week
for
an
entire
year
leading
up
to
his
victory.
Best
selling
author
of
the
4-Hour
Work
Week
and
The
4-Hour
Body:
Tim
Ferriss,
on
the
other
hand
trained
a
total
of
four
hours
in
one
month
during
his
appropriately
titled
experiment
geek
to
freak
in
which
he
gained
34lbs
of
muscle
in
only
4
weeks,
oh
and
he
lost
body
fat
at
the
same
time
too.
Check
out
the
insane
results
here:
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/29/from-geek-to-freak-how-i- gained-34-lbs-of-muscle-in-4-weeks/
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 60
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So how often are you training at the moment? Your training load should serve a purpose and help move you toward your goal, so if you want to win the crossfit games you should train your ass off 24/7, but if you want to gain a serious amount of muscle mass in a short period of time you should spend only a small amount of time in the gym and focus the rest of your time and energy on good nutrition and recovery. So before deciding if you want to be a Rich, Tim, or Christian, its best to define your training goal: I will list three common training goals to help you get started: Hypertrophy Strength Crossfit
Hypertrophy: Hypertrophy, or size, is the most common goal for most guys who train in your gym and theres a good chance that if youre not training for it now, youve probably trained for it in the past. This is the same style of training used by bodybuilders to sculpt their works of art and by teens wanting to build a beach body for the summer to impress that girl whos a few years older than they. Hypertrophy typically follows the following prescription:
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Train every major muscle group once per week Train two to five days per week Do eight to 12 sets per muscle group, two to three muscle groups per workoute.g. 12 sets of chest followed by eight sets of triceps gives a total of 20 sets per workout Perform six to 10 reps per set
A popular four-day hypertrophy split routine looks like the following: Mon Chest/Triceps This is very straightforward and effective for building muscle mass, as it is structured to prevent overuse injuries, e.g. no more than two upper body muscle groups in a row and plenty of rest days. Strength: Strength training is a term that gets thrown around a little too looselylike your neighborhood bicycleand is often misunderstood and confused for bodybuilding or hypertrophy training. This compliments hypertrophy training very well, especially when done before rather than after a hypertrophy routine, but is less about mass and definition and more about lifting stats. Strength training does not just mean lifting heavy weights. Training for maximum strength follows/uses the following prescription: Tues Legs Wed Rest Thurs Back/Biceps Fri Shoulders/Abs Sat Rest Sun Rest
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Train major compound lifts and rarely isolate muscle groups Train between three to four days per week Perform a total of six to 10 sets for an entire workout Perform two to four reps per set
A popular three-day strength routine follows this basic formula: Mon Squats and Bent Over Row Tues Rest Wed Bench Press and Shoulder Press Thurs Rest Fri Deadlifts and Natural Glute/Ham Raises or the GHD (Glute Ham Developer) apparatus Sat Sun
Rest Rest
Crossfit: I threw this one in here as it is currently exploding in popularity, and if you havent already tried it out I highly recommend you consider doing crossfit for a six- to eight-week training cycle. Crossfit is known as the toughest fitness sport in the entire world because it tests you across 10 different disciplines. They are listed below in no particular order: Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance Stamina Strength Flexibility Power Speed Coordination Agility Balance Accuracy
If you want to shake things up and really test your overall fitness, then this is one of the best ways to do it.
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Its also a good way to destroy peoples egos, such as the time when I thought I was tough because I could do heavy lifts in the gym but then I attempted a workout that involved over a mile of runningI sucked at running Needless to say, it was Game Over for me as my ego and I failed to pass Go and collect our $200. Here is a popular weekly routine for a crossfit athlete: *WOD means: Workout Of The Day; you can find new WODs to try every single day at www.crossfit.com or at the website for any of your local crossfit gyms, otherwise known as boxes. Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri WOD Sat Skills development followed by WOD Sun Rest
WOD WOD
Recovery: Looking at the three routines above, you will notice there is a lot of rest in the strength routine, a little less in the hypertrophy routine, and only two days of rest in the crossfit routine. This is because some types of training require more recovery time to develop, for example it takes a long time for your bodys CNSor central nervous systemto recover from pure strength training, and recovery from hypertrophy training has been compared by some scientists to recovering from a burns injury, with some suggesting you take even more than a week between training each body part if you want to see significant increases in muscle size.
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As for crossfit, these people are crazy and a little stubborn when it comes to training and usually dont give themselves much rest. That being said, most WODs require only 10 to 20 minutes to complete, so if you do things right you should be able to recover quite quickly. Always remember that recovery happens while youre eating and sleeping, and does not happen while youre in the gym, so dont listen to your buddies when they say you should train biceps 10 times a week to get serious growth, as it simply aint gonna happen (unless of course you take anabolic steroidsthen your recovery ability will be through the roof, but this is not something I endorse). So read and re-read all the preceding chapters to make sure youve got all the other factors in check to guarantee that you get the best possible recovery. And remember this: One of the biggest limiting factors is: Adrenal Exhaustion. I have already told you how to prevent this and how to prioritize each facet of your regime. Remember, you want to end up superhuman, not dumb and dead, so pay attention and re- read the chapters on sleep, hydration, and nutrition; focus on those first, then training and supplementation.
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Train
Your
Mind
Before
You
Train
Your
Body:
How
a
strong
mindset
and
goal
setting
can
make
you
unstoppable
In
this
chapter
we
are
going
to
look
at
ways
to
work
out
your
mind,
not
just
your
body.
The
best
diet
plan,
workout
strategy,
and
supplementation
routine
can
all
be
undone
by
a
weak
mindset.
And
even
the
shittiest
diet,
workout
strategy,
and
supplementation
routine
can
produce
great
results
in
those
with
a
strong
mind.
Your
mental
state
is
one
of
the
most
important
factors
in
having
effective
workouts
time
and
time
againbeing
able
to
show
up
at
the
gym
full
of
energy
and
making
sure
you
stick
with
it.
The
first
step
to
creating
a
strong
mindset
is
setting
goals.
Not
only
do
most
people
in
the
world
fail
to
set
goals,
but
even
the
ones
who
do
set
them
usually
dont
believe
they
can
truly
achieve
them
and
end
up
giving
up.
When
setting
goals,
there
are
a
few
key
points
that
can
make
the
difference
between
great
success
(Borat
voice)
and
failure.
Now
we
could
sum
these
up
using
the
classic
goals
template
that
most
of
us
have
heard
of
called
SMART
Goals,
but
I
thought
Id
go
one
better
and
spice
it
up
a
little
by
making
whats
called
Smart
goals
(pronounced
Smart-Ay
like
Caf).
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 66
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Not only does this make you sound cool because your goals now have a French-infused theme, but it also adds one very important ingredient when it comes to staying motivated to achieve your goals Making your goal Exciting. So what do they stand for?
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M:
Measurable
If
you
cannot
measure
your
goal,
how
the
hell
can
you
hit
it?
The
previous
example
of
gaining
10lbs
of
lean
muscle
can
be
measured
with
a
set
of
scales.
If
you
wanted
to
get
specific
and
make
sure
that
those
10lbs
are
actually
real
lean
muscle
and
not
just
extra
fat
and
water,
then
you
should
go
get
a
DEXA
scan.
It
is
one
of
the
most
accurate
methods
of
measuring
body
fat
in
the
entire
world,
and
not
only
does
it
provide
body
fat
measurements,
but
it
also
shows
your
bone
density
and
exact
muscle
mass
on
each
individual
section
of
your
body,
which
is
super
awesome.
Type
Dexa
scan
and
your
city
into
Google,
e.g.
Dexa
scan
Sydney,
to
find
the
closest
place
to
you.
My
first
ever
DEXA
scan
was
a
lot
of
fun,
as
not
only
did
I
discover
that
my
body
fat
percentage
was
higher
than
I
thought,
but
I
also
discovered
I
had
a
pretty
crazy
imbalance
in
the
amounts
of
muscle
mass
on
my
legs.
My
right
leg
weighed
2.5lbs
more
than
my
left
leg!
I
put
this
down
to
a
previous
injury
on
my
left
leg
which
I
guess
I
didnt
rehab
properly.
It
was
all
good,
though;
after
four
weeks
of
top
secret
ninja
training
methods
which
I
share
in
Pre
Workout
Secrets:
The
Training
Plan,
I
managed
to
gain
1.1
pounds
of
pure
muscle
and
no
fat
on
my
left
leg
only!
There
is
no
other
method
that
I
know
of
that
could
measure
the
gains
so
accurately.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 68
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A: Attainable Im one of the most optimistic people I know, and I have a reputation for setting unrealistic and unreasonable goals. Sometimes I hit them and sometimes I dont. The A in Smart stands for attainable, which means: Is the goal at all attainable? For example, if I set a goal to grow my biceps longer, as in make them stretch down my arm farther, this is simply not attainable, as the insertion and origin points of a muscle are determined by your genetics and no matter how many magazines you read or fat bodybuilder wannabes you talk to, one simple fact remains: Your muscles cannot be shaped by different types of exercises. If your biceps are short and have peaks, then they will simply become bigger peaks as they grow; you will not be able to make them grow farther down your arm, unless of course you want to pay a surgeon a bunch of money to do it for you. But say instead I set a goal to grow my biceps an extra three inches; then of course it is an attainable goal, especially when set over a realistic period of time. R: Realistic - This point is very similar to the previous one and relates very closely to it. Using the above example of a goal that involves gaining three inches on your biceps: Would it be realistic to say that you could gain those three inches in under one week?
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Not
even
the
most
amazing
training
and
nutrition
program
could
help
you
with
that;
even
huge
doses
of
anabolic
steroids
would
be
unlikely
to
be
able
to
help
you
achieve
that
in
only
one
week.
But
lets
say
you
set
your
goal
to
gain
three
inches
on
your
biceps
and
you
set
it
for
12
months.
If
you
train
with
warrior-like
discipline
and
eat
with
the
mindfulness
of
a
monk
and
the
ravenous
hunger
for
protein
of
a
lion,
then
it
is
definitely
possible
to
gain
three
inches
on
your
biceps
in
only
12
monthsmaybe
even
sooner.
That
being
said,
being
realistic
doesnt
mean
being
a
pessimist
or
being
unnecessarily
negative
just
so
you
hit
your
goals;
make
sure
you
make
them
progressively
harder
as
you
go
until
the
goals
eventually
become
unrealistic.
Then
you
will
be
badass.
T:
Timeframe
This
is
pretty
straightforward
Set
a
damn
time
frame!
Think
about
most
peoples
New
Years
resolutions:
This
year
Im
going
to
drink
less.
If
you
ask
me,
thats
a
pretty
half-assed
goal
and
it
nearly
always
ends
with
the
person
crying
with
a
bottle
of
booze
clutched
in
their
hands
every
weekend
until
the
next
New
Years
Eve.
If
that
person
were
to
simply
say
I
will
not
drink
any
alcohol
for
the
entire
month
of
January,
then
it
would
be
much
more
likely
they
would
hit
their
goal.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 70
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They know the goal has an ending, so that feeling of desperation like theyll never see alcohol again fades away and the goal becomes much more attainable. So, using our bicep example, lets update this goal: I will gain three inches on my biceps by December 17th, 2012. Now it has a timeframe. Got it? Good. E: Exciting So here comes my personal addition to the traditional S.M.A.R.T. goals formula, which helped transform it into the much sexier S.M.A.R.T.E. formulaor is it formulae? You can probably guess from the heading that the aim here is to make your goals exciting. Its easier than it sounds. Most people kinda sorta wanna hit their goals but theyre not going to lose any sleep if they dont hit them in time. Thats where the big E comes in. I want you to make your goals so damn exciting that you jump out of bed every morning and say holy fucking shitballs Im so excited to be alive today and I cant wait to smash my goals!
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Maybe
not
every
day,
but
at
least
six
out
of
seven.
There
are
two
main
ways
to
make
your
goals
more
exciting.
1. Push
the
boundaries
of
what
is
realistic
and
attainable.
Going
back
to
the
previous
points
in
the
S.M.A.R.T.E.
formula,
you
want
to
review
how
Attainable
and
Realistic
your
goals
are.
If
they
seem
pretty
straightforward
and
achievable
like
itll
be
no
sweat,
then
its
time
to
push
the
boundaries
further.
You
could
look
around
you
and
notice
that
a
lot
of
your
friends
were
able
to
add
three
inches
to
their
biceps
over
a
12-month
period.
So
now
you
know
that
12
months
is
very
realistic.
So
this
is
where
you
say
fuck
that,
Im
way
more
superhuman
than
my
friends
and
Im
gonna
do
it
in
only
six
months!
The
goal
has
now
become
exciting
because
youre
really
pushing
the
boundaries
of
what
is
possible.
2. Away
From
and
Towards
motivation
These
two
types
of
motivation
are
damn
important
when
it
comes
to
achieving
your
goals
and
could
be
the
defining
factor
that
makes
or
breaks
you.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 72
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Away From motivation is anything that makes you want to get away from it, e.g. I must submit my college paper on time otherwise Im gonna fail the class. This is the classic last minute cramming situation that most students get themselves into time after time. Youre moving away from failing the class: this can only be accomplished by completing the paper and passing. Towards motivation is when you do something because you really want the end result badly. E.g. I want to get six-pack abs so all the chicks will look at me on the beach. The goal is getting noticed by hot babes on the beach; this is a goal that you are moving towards. So to make your goal exciting, its important to have a balance between the two. Away From motivation will help you get started and Towards motivation is what keeps you going once the fear of failure starts to fade away. Are you excited yet? Good.
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This
is
the
most
important
of
the
seven
secrets;
it
should
be
obvious,
but
unfortunately
(thanks
to
the
male
ego
and
our
never-ending
quest
for
workout
glory)
we
tend
to
ignore
it.
Do
you
remember
the
first
time
you
ever
took
a
pre
workout
supplement?
Which
one
was
it?
No-Xplode,
Super
Pump,
Jack3d,
Black
Powder?
Whichever
one
it
was,
I
bet
there's
a
good
chance
you
ran
around
in
circles
like
an
excited
little
school
girl
telling
all
your
friends
that
you
had
just
discovered
the
best
supplement
in
the
world
and
that
you
could
train
like
an
animal
and
it
made
you
feel
high,
happy,
and
invincible
all
at
the
same
time.
And
then
what
happened?
One
day
it
just
didn't
feel
the
same,
right?
You
took
your
usual
one
scoop,
waited
a
few
minutes,
and
then...
A
little
bit
of
a
buzz
but
certainly
no
"I'm
high
on
crack"
feeling
like
you
used
to
get.
So
then
you
went
to
two
scoops
and,
for
some
of
you,
even
three
scoops
or
more.
And
then
came
the
crash.
If
the
above
scenario
describes
your
situation,
you
should
know
that
you
are
definitely
not
alone.
More
and
more
people
are
burning
out
every
day
from
failing
to
properly
cycle
their
pre
workout
supplements.
I'm
not
here
to
tell
you
that
they
are
bad
and
that
you
should
never
take
them
again,
screw
that;
I
love
taking
pre
workout
supplements!
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 74
www.preworkoutsecrets.com
What
I
am
here
to
do
is
teach
you
why
the
hell
you're
burning
out,
how
to
stop
burning
out,
and
what
you
can
do
to
make
sure
you
keep
on
kicking
ass
in
the
gym
and
are
able
to
take
pre
workout
supplements
for
many
years
to
come.
So
Why
Are
You
Burning
Out?
Most
pre
workout
supplements
contain
a
high
dose
of
caffeine
and
some
even
contain
extra
stimulants
such
as
geranium
extract
or
1,3
Dimethylamylamine,
which
is
so
strong
that
it
has
been
compared
to
the
drug
"speed"
and
is
officially
a
banned
substance
for
professional
athletes.
When
you
consume
stimulants,
a
message
is
sent
to
the
brain
to
release
adrenalin
and
cortisol
into
the
bloodstream.
As
mentioned
earlier;
adrenalin
and
cortisol
are
produced
in
two
little
glands
appropriately
named
"the
adrenal
glands"
which
sit
just
above
your
kidneys.
Think
of
these
two
little
glands
as
your
body's
"fuel
tanks."
When
you
begin
to
consume
more
and
more
caffeine,
you
begin
to
put
more
stress
on
the
adrenal
glands,
but
these
poor
little
guys
can
only
produce
so
much
fuel
each
day.
So
the
reason
most
of
you
are
burning
out
is
because
you're
taking
in
way
too
many
stimulants
and
not
giving
your
body
enough
time
to
put
fuel
back
in
the
tanks."
So
the
million-dollar
question
is:
"How
do
we
keep
the
tanks
full
and
stop
burning
out?"
The
answer
is
to:
"cycle"
your
pre
workout
supplements.
Doing
a
"cycle"
to
some
people
can
mean
taking
certain
illegal
performance
enhancing
drugs,
but
for
the
purpose
of
this
chapter
a
cycle
simply
means
a
short
period
of
time
lasting
between
four
and
six
weeks.
By
taking
your
pre
workout
supplements
strictly
for
short
cycles
of
no
longer
than
four
to
six
weeks
and
then
completing
a
one-week
break
in
which
you
drop
your
stimulant
intake
to
a
very
low
level,
you
will
allow
your
body
to
fill
up
the
fuel
tanks
and
get
you
back
on
track
to
kick
ass
in
your
workouts
all
over
again.
During
this
week
off
you
need
to
use
some
self-discipline:
No
energy
drinks,
no
party
drugs,
no
pre
workout
supplements,
no
thermogenics,
nothing
with
caffeine
whatsoever.
That
being
said,
this
situation
usually
leads
to
withdrawal
symptoms
such
as
headaches,
anxiety,
low
energy
levels,
and
bad
moods.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 75
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So
to
find
the
perfect
balance,
let
me
introduce
you
to
the
story
of
my
friend
Ricky:
Ricky
loves
pre
workouts.
He
loves
them
so
much
that
he
used
to
take
the
following
every
morning
before
his
workout:
-
Two
scoops
of
Jack3d
-
Two
scoops
of
1MR
Both
of
these
supplements
contain
caffeine
and
1,3
Dimethylamylamine
in
BIG
doses.
This
morning
cocktail
of
Ricky's
had
over
1,200mg
of
caffeine
as
well
as
a
boatload
of
other
stimulants.
The
guy
was
taking
over
a
gram
of
caffeine
in
one
go!
To
give
you
an
idea
of
how
extreme
this
is:
one
cup
of
coffee
has
approximately
80mg
of
caffeine
per
serving,
so
Ricky
was
consuming
the
equivalent
of
15
cups
of
coffee
every
single
morning!
Needless
to
say,
Ricky
was
definitely
running
on
empty
and
burning
out.
So
I
pulled
him
aside,
made
him
drop
all
pre
workout
supplements
for
one
week
and
simply
take
a
double
espresso
coffee
every
morning
(160mg
of
caffeine).
Within
a
few
days
he
was
literally
a
new
man;
he
no
longer
had
dark
circles
under
his
eyes,
he
had
way
more
energy,
he
could
think
clearly
again,
and
he
still
performed
well
in
the
gym.
Ricky
was
saved,
and
he
now
enjoys
doing
short
four-
to
six-week
cycles
of
his
favorite
pre
workout:
1MR,
but
these
days
he
takes
one
scoop
instead
of
four
and
he
still
gets
the
same
buzz.
So
pay
attention
to
the
above
story
and
make
sure
if
you
ever
start
heading
in
the
direction
of
becoming
another
"Ricky,"
you
pull
yourself
aside,
end
the
cycle,
and
take
a
break.
You
will
stop
burning
out,
you
will
get
your
energy
back,
and
your
body
will
love
you
for
it.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 76
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Your
Game
Plan:
How
to
take
the
lessons
youve
learned
and
apply
them
for
maximum
effectiveness
So
youve
made
it
this
far.
Well
done,
buddy.
But
realize
this
This
is
only
the
beginning.
What
you
do
from
here
will
make
or
break
you
when
it
comes
to
overcoming
adrenal
exhaustion,
reworking
your
entire
routine,
and
becoming
a
goddamn
superhuman.
So
to
help
you
get
started
Ive
created
several
templates
for
you
to
use
to
keep
yourself
accountable
in
all
the
key
areas
we
covered
in
this
eBook;
to
refresh
your
memory,
I
have
listed
them
below
once
more:
Sleep
Hydration
Nutrition
Nutritional
Supplementation
Training
Load
and
Training
Schedule
Mindset
Pre
Workout
Cycling
Print
off
the
following
pages
and
use
them
to
kick-start
your
routine
and
hold
yourself
accountable.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 77
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Mon
Tue
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Sat
Sun
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Mon
Tue
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
Midnight
2 a.m.
Midnight
Pretty Schweet
Not so good, forgot to have a pre bed snack so blood sugars dropped too low.
Fill out the chart using your own words and expressions so you can understand it when you look back on it.
79
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Tue
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Thurs
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Sat
Sun
Comments
80
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Tue
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Thurs
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Sat
Sun
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
81
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Tue
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Thurs
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Sat
Sun
Supplements Used
Comments
82
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Workout Description
Comments
83
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Is
it
Specific?
YES:
10lbs
and
two
months
are
both
specific
guidelines.
Is
it
Measurable?
YES:
You
can
measure
10lbs
on
a
set
of
scales.
Is
it
Attainable?
YES:
I
have
gained
weight
in
the
past
in
a
similar
timeframe.
Is
it
Realistic?
YES:
I
am
eating
clean,
I
am
eating
extra
calories,
and
I
am
training
for
hypertrophy,
which
is
the
best
type
of
training
for
gaining
muscle
mass.
What
is
the
Timeframe?
Two
Months.
Is
it
Exciting?
Fuck
yeah
it
is,
I
cant
wait
to
gain
another
10lbs
and
look
even
more
jacked
than
I
already
am!
Now
its
your
turn.
Copyright 2012 Christian Baker - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. 84
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Goal:
85
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86