MY WAY TO BECOME BIGGER STRONGER AND BETTER: 2015

6 Important Reasons To Use A Weight Gainer!

If you want to gain weight and muscle then you may want to try a weight gainer powder. Use these 6 tips when considering these calorie dense products.

If you're very determined to reach your strength and muscle-building

goals, there's a very good chance that you've considered or are considering taking a weight gainer.

Before you do so, there are a few important things that you should be sure to think about so that you'll not only benefit most from the weight gainer you choose to take, but that you also see carryover benefits into your training sessions.

Here are some important things to know about weight gainers and why you should consider using one.

MEETING EXTREME CALORIE REQUIREMENTS

The first really great thing about weight gainers is that they make meeting your calorie requirements much easier. If you're what's considered a 'hardgainer', someone who feels as though they have to eat and eat and eat in order to put on any muscle mass whatsoever, there's also a high chance that you're someone who feels as though if they have to look at another plate of food, you may just be viewing your last one shortly thereafter.

Meeting the extreme calorie requirements that many men have proves to be incredibly trying and a weight gainer makes this far easier. If you consider the fact that there are weight gainers available that pack in over a thousand calories per shake you can quickly see how much more effectively you could reach your 4000+ calorie needs per day.
2SPECIALLY FORMULATED FATS HELP YOU STAY LEANER

A second big benefit to using a weight gainer is that many come with a particular type of dietary fat that helps to keep you leaner while you go about the muscle-building process. Dietary fat is perhaps the greatest variable macronutrient in terms of what the implications are of the type you take in on the body, therefore it's critical that you're being sure to take in the correct from as often as possible.

You should always keep your eye out for a weight gainer that contains medium chain triglycerides and as little saturated fat as possible.
3POST-WORKOUT AND DAILY VARIETIES AVAILABLE

Another great thing about weight gainers is you can find ones that are more formulated for using closer to your workout and others that are designed to be taken either as meal replacements or as an addition to the meals you're already eating to boost calorie levels up higher

If you're hoping to use the weight gainer immediately before or after the workout period, look for one that contains as little fat as possible and that has a higher carbohydrate content. This is the prime time to feed your muscles fast acting carbohydrates so they can drive the insulin cycle and get the amino acids into the muscle cells quickly.

Don't fear taking in more calories during this time of the day because it's at this point your body will make best use of them. If you are going to add a higher calorie weight gainer shake, this is the time to do it, provided you are keeping fat intake lower.

Weider's Super Mega Mass 2000 is the perfect example of this containing 530 calories, 103 grams of carbohydrates, 25 grams of protein, and only 2 grams of fat. Taking this after a workout is a sure-fire strategy to get some serious growth happening.

DIFFERING CALORIE LEVELS

Again going back to the factor that you do only require so many calories to build muscle effectively, weight gainers come in a variety of different calorie levels, so be sure to match an appropriate one to your needs.

There is a big difference between a four hundred calorie weight gainer and a nine hundred calorie weight gainer when taken on a daily basis over the course of a week. If you overshoot the calorie intake of the weight gainer you may find that you do start putting on fat mass, which is something most guys do aim to limit.

Most guys should find they do well with a four hundred to six hundred calorie variety, and then those who really struggle to build mass can venture into the higher calorie formulas. Always error on the conservative side when first start out with a weight gainer as well so that you can be sure it reacts positively with your system.

Those who are quite susceptible to indigestion or taking in larger volumes of calories at once may struggle with the higher calorie powders so work your way up to the larger calorie levels.

5MEET YOUR CREATINE NEEDS MORE EFFECTIVELY

Another great reason to consider adding a weight gainer to your supplement program is because it'll kill a few birds with one stone. Not only will you no longer need a straight protein powder (unless you also plan on using lower calorie protein shakes as well), but many weight gainers come complete with creatine as well, eliminating the need to buy this product separately.

Creatine is the perfect addition to most weight gainers because in order for creatine to work as effectively as possible, it's vital to take in a higher amount of quick acting carbs, which is what many weight gainers are made out of.

If you do notice some initial water weight gain when first starting a weight gainer, keep in mind this is from the high influx of carbohydrates (which carry extra water molecules into the body) as well as the creatine. Give it a week or two and you should see this water retention leave the body.

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RECOVER FASTER WITH L-GLUTAMINE

Finally, the last reason why you should consider adding a weight gainer to your supplement mix is because of the enhanced recovery rates you'll have with it.

Being able to recover from workout to workout is just as important, if not more important, than what you're doing in the gym, so if you aren't taking in an optimal amount of calories, you won't be guaranteeing your recovery rates.

Further, like creatine, most weight gainers do double-duty and also pack in some l-glutamine, which is a particular amino acid that really plays a large role in a speedy recovery.

L-Glutamine will also work to support a healthy immune system, decreasing the risk that you have to miss out on your training sessions because of illness.

CONCLUSION:So be sure you keep these points in mind. When used properly weight gainers can give you the 'edge' you need to take your muscle building to a whole new level.

5 Best Leg Workouts On BodySpace!

Wheels feeling deflated? These 5 killer BodySpace workouts are guaranteed to add some size and strength to your lower body!

Sometimes the harder you look for something, the more it eludes you. Sometimes, however, the answer is right in front of you.

That's the lesson here when it comes to novel ways to build bigger, stronger legs. We've found five BodySpace members—men and women whose profiles are just a mouse-click away—who've crafted lower-body routines to create some of the best legs online.

If you're looking for a new training stimulus or simply want extra motivation when it comes to leg day, try one these members' workouts, or sample one of the hundreds of thousands from other members on BodySpace. If you're hurting for original ideas on leg day, you're just not looking in the right places.
MARC MEGNA
(MARCM54)

No matter what your goal is—size, strength, athletic performance, or general health—MuscleTech athlete and pro trainer Marc Megna will be the first to tell you that, by ignoring leg training, you're ignoring the body part that can lead to the greatest improvements. He trains his lower body twice per week to get the best results.

"Starting each leg workout with a heavy, two-legged (bilateral) exercise will get your hormonal system primed for big gains," Marc says. "I always progress my workouts from the exercises that use the most load, muscle mass, and number of joints to the least. This will ensure your training session is effective and efficient."

Marc's Leg Workout 1

Squat
2 warm-up sets of 8 reps, 4 sets of 8, 8, 6, 6 reps

Reverse Lunge
3 sets of 6 reps

Weighted Single-Leg Squat
3 sets of 6 reps

Platform Leg Curl
3 sets of 8 reps

Marc's Leg Workout 2

Barbell Deadlift
2 warm-up sets of 8 reps, 2 sets of 6 reps
Exercise Note: Beginners can do kettlebell deadlifts or trap bar deadlifts before moving to the straight barbell.

Dumbbell Split Squat
3 sets of 6 reps

Barbell Hip Thrust
3 sets of 8 reps

Seated Calf Raise
3 sets of 8 reps

As a former NCAA volleyball player, Alli was already quite the athlete when she transitioned to training for physique competitions. She became a BodySpace member less than two years ago and already benefits from everything the site offers.

So, how does training for volleyball differ from training for physique?

"My volleyball training consisted of mostly plyometric-based training, focusing on explosiveness," Alli says. "These days, most of my leg workouts consist of heavy squats, lunges, and kickbacks with some quad and hamstring isolation work, twice a week.

However, I still save one day a week for sports-oriented training, utilizing some plyometric work as a portion of my leg days. This includes box jumps, sled pulls, weighted vertical jumps, and the speed ladder."

Alli's Physique Leg Workout

Barbell Squat
4 sets of 8 reps

Sumo Box Squat
4 sets of 8 reps

Walking Lunge
4 sets of 8 reps

Single-Leg Cable Kickback
4 sets of 15 reps
SUPERSET

Lying Leg Curl
3 sets of 15 reps

Leg Extension
3 sets of 15 reps

KIZZITO EJAM
(KIZMVP)

Kizzito is a 2010 BodySpace Spokesmodel Finalist, cover model, martial arts instructor, and soon-to-be gym owner. He's also a training machine. If you want to see a guy who tears it up in the gym, just take a look at his workout tracker.

Tracking your workouts serves many purposes. Most importantly, it reminds you exactly what you did during your last session so you can achieve more next time. Kizzito updates his tracker daily with sets, reps, weight, and anything else he may want to know the next time he goes head-to-head with the iron.

Take a look at this sample leg workout from last March, and notice that he fatigues the quads first with eight sets of leg extensions in a pre-exhaust before moving on to multi-joint movements. Kizzito isn't shy of demanding exercises either, including all manner of free-weight squats and trap-bar deadlifts to blister his thighs. His normal approach entails increasing the weight on each set in pyramid fashion.

Kizzito's Leg Workout

Leg Extension
4 sets of 20 reps, 1 heavy set of 12 reps

Seated Leg Curl
3 sets of 15 reps, 1 heavy set of 10 reps

Barbell Full Squat
5 sets of 10, 5, 1, 4, 5 reps

Front Squat
4 sets of 5, 4, 10, 10 reps

Barbell Hack Squat
4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 reps

Trap Bar Deadlift

2 sets of 10 reps

MAIK WIEDENBACH
(MAIK W)

Maik is a personal trainer, nutritionist, and fitness model based in New York City. He's been a member of BodySpace since 2005. His goal? To look like Bob Paris. Good choice, Maik.

Maik actually breaks leg training into two days per week: one to focus mainly on the quads and another that emphasizes the hamstrings and calves. Subtle shifts in foot placement—such as switching from high on the leg press to low and close—allow Maik to shift the emphasis from the hamstrings and glutes to the quads.

Maik also uses a number of techniques to make the target muscles work overtime, including one-and-a-half reps (a full-range rep followed by a partial rep coming only halfway up, which counts as only one rep). He also does trisets and giant sets (3-4 exercises in back-to-back fashion with no rest in between), and manipulates rest intervals.

Maik's Quads Workout

Sissy Squat
3 sets of 10 reps

Sumo Squat
3 sets of 6 reps
Exercise Note: Maik goes only halfway up every other rep, meaning 1-1/2 counts as a single rep.

Hack Squat
5 sets of 10 reps
Exercise Note: Rest only 30 seconds after the first set; each set thereafter gets an additional 15 seconds rest.
TRISET

Narrow-Stance Leg Press
4 sets of 10 reps

Leg Extension
4 sets of 20 reps

Wall Sit
4 sets of 40 second holds

ELISSA MARTIS
(ELISSA621)

Leg day, Elissa tells us, is her favorite day of the week. An IFBB Figure pro, she knows how important leg training is to her success onstage. To keep the intensity high, Elissa incorporates supersets and dropsets while keeping rest to a minimum.

"Most weeks I split my lower-body workouts into two days," she explains. "My first workout targets the entire lower chain, with more emphasis on my quadriceps. On the second leg day, I focus more on the posterior muscles: the hamstrings and glutes."

Alli is no stranger to injury, having overcome two knee surgeries and a broken ankle. "Prior to any workout, a good stretching and foam-rolling session will assist in preventing further injuries," she says. "I foam-roll my quadriceps, hamstrings, IT band, piriformis, and gastrocnemius on leg days to break up any adhesions and trigger points in those muscles. Then I follow that with a dynamic warm-up/stretch, such as bodyweight squats and lateral lunges, to increase body temperature and range of motion.

"I like to incorporate a triple set at the end of my workout to get the ultimate muscle fatigue and increase fat-burn. Ideally, you want to keep rest periods shorter, but it's vital to maintain proper form throughout each activity to prevent injury. At the end of all my workouts, a quick foam-rolling and stretching session is a must to improve muscle recovery and flexibility."

Elissa's Leg Workout 1

Leg Extension
4 sets of 15 reps