High intensity cardio

by Jason

Question:

How to mix whey protein powder

by Tammy
(Timmins, ON, Canada)

Question:
I don't drink juice or milk, just basically water and a morning coffee. Can the whey powder be mixed into coffee, and is it safe to do this?

Answer:
Yeah that's safe to do. Mix the whey with cold water first, shake and mix it thoroughly, then add it to the coffee once the whey protein is all broken up.

It's convenient to have a protein shaker cup for this.

Foods high in protein

by Craig
(Salem, OR)

Question: What are some foods high in protein other than meat? I'm a vegetarian bodybuilder who's looking for protein sources that are inexpensive and effective.

Also, people make it seem like we have to eat loads of protein just to build muscle faster, is this really true? Does a person really have to eat 1 gram for every 1 pound of bodyweight, or can we take less than that and still pack on muscle? That just seems like it would be too much to take in day after day.

Answer: There are lots of choices for protein, in fact, we have a few pages for you to choose from that will give you lots of food choices:

Vegetarian Muscle Building

Complete Proteins

Food For Muscle Building

Muscle Building Foods

Muscle Building Meals

Muscle Building Nutrition

More Nutrition

Now, as for how much protein to consume per day, you do not have to consume 1 gram for every 1 pound per day to build muscle. You can take in less than this and still build muscle just fine.

You could take in half of that and be okay...

Some days take in more, other days take in less.

Certainly don't stuff yourself. If you can't take in that much, don't force it.

High Protein Foods For Vegetarians, to name a few...
Chick Peas, Tofu, Lentils, Bread, Peanuts, Muesli, Oats, Tempeh, Quinoa, Almonds, Spirulina, Seitan, Milk, Cheese, Eggs, Yogurt...

Back and biceps on the same day

Question:
Is it ok to be doing back and biceps on the same day? Will they still grow?

Answer:
Yes they will still grow. One thing you should do though, is work the biceps last. Always do smaller muscle groups like triceps and biceps at the end of your workouts.

If these smaller muscle groups are exhausted at the beginning of your workout, it will make it difficult to do anything else afterward.

Change your routine

Question:
You say that you should change your routine otherwise you plateau. But would changing the order of your exercises, even if they're the same, be enough of a change to sustain growth?

Answer:
Yes! Change on its own is beneficial. Here are just a few examples of changing your routine to help prevent a plateau:

Change the order that you do the exercises. Pair different body parts together. Add more weight. Supper-set..

Nitric Oxide In Gaspari Super Pump 250

Question: I am a 61 year old bodybuilder. Is there enough nitric oxide in gaspari super pump 250 and super pump max, or do i need to take more?

I am in good shape but told your body produces less as you age. I am 6ft, 198lbs, a mesamorph, work out 3 days per week. I eat 5 meals per day, cardio 3 days per week, I use machines and free weights.

I have a huge chest and calves. I use creatine, meal replace protein and monster milk.

Answer: Gaspari Nutrition SuperPump 250 appears to have a good amount of nitric oxide, although they do not specifically say how much exactly, they do have an anabolic signaling complex, which has L-Arginine alpha-Ketoglutarate (A-AKG), L-Arginine Ketoisocaproate, and L-Citruline AKG. All of these ingredients will help produce nitric oxide, and enough to do the job fine.

Good Luck!

Cardio after weight training?

by Marc

Question:
After I have done my weight training, is it ok to do Cardio AFTER the workout, and is it ok to run after you have worked your legs? Thanks.

Answer:
You can do cardio anytime; before or after your workout.

If you are able to run after you've worked your legs, try increasing the intensity of the leg workout. In most cases, your legs should be exhausted after training them.

Now, if you've increased the intensity of your leg workout, and you feel fine to run, then you should do it.

Try this: On days you are working your legs, do cardio/run before you weight lift. On days you are working your upper body, do cardio afterward. Experiment.

Ice bath after workouts

by Dan

Question:
Is it true a cold bath is good for you after a work out?

Answer:
Short Answer to this is... it's not really necessary. You'll hear about MMA fighters doing this, because cold water, or in their case, "ice water" is supposed to lower lactic acid levels, which can help repair muscle tissue faster. They only do it because they train multiple times during the week, for several hours a day.

But for a weight lifter, this is not necessary.

Plateau effect

Question:
If i work out every body part twice a week for 3 weeks will i still get the plateau effect if i change it the 4 and 5 week?

Answer:
Try it out for about a week and see how your muscles feel. Just remember that for some people, working every muscle twice a week will make it harder for the body to recover. If you are feeling an increase in pain in your muscles, change it up sooner rather than later. No you won't have to worry about plateauing as long you are changing things up frequently.

How often to do chest exercises?

Question:
How often can chest exercises be performed?

Answer:
Preferably once but nothing more than twice a week..

When bodybuilders work any given muscle group more than once a week, it's typically because they think that particular muscle needs more work. And even then, working a muscle group more than once a week is very temporary.

Beginner bodybuilders can work their whole body a couple times a week, because they are not dedicating the whole workout to one individual body part, but rather picking one exercise for each body part.

The more advanced you get, the more you will be adding more exercises to each muscle group, in each workout, which the body will require more recovery from.

Muscle milk versus other protein supplements

by Ron

Question:
Do you have an opinion that you can share on Muscle Milk verses other types of protein supplements?

Answer:
It's all protein. Compare the nutrition facts and the ingredients of any protein supplement, and the difference is simply the added ingredients in addition to the basic whey powder. Some protein supplements contain whey with added flavors, vitamins, or just extra calories from sugars.

The opinion should be based on what you want out of the supplement. If all you want is amino acids, then basic whey powder is all that's needed. If you want added calories and added vitamins to the amino acids, then muscle milk would be your option. In either case, it's just protein.

Muscle building for beginners.