Check out Mike Chang’s insane 5 minute Abdominal ripper! This workout is perfect if you don’t have time to stop by the gym.

Gaining weight is easy. Drive to the Chinese buffet, spend $9.99, and then devote the next two hours to sampling everything on the menu. Gaining lean muscle mass is a lot tougher.

Stay lean
Don’t allow your body fat levels to go any higher than 12 to 15% when making your ‘mass’ gains. Doing so will result in an estrogen hormone spike in your body, and can lead to gynecomastia as a result. Plus, dieting down will then become quite the challenge! Stay lean but not ripped year round through sensible dieting and moderate cardio.

Keep up the cardio
Continuing cardio while training hard will ensure your lungs are working at full force, and your appetite is high – meaning you’ll train long and hard then be able to consume the required calories afterward for muscle growth and recovery. You’ll be best served with a simple treadmill walking session on a moderate incline for 25 minutes, three to four times per week. Anything less isn’t worth the time, and anything more may end up burning valuable muscle you are working hard to build!

Protein must be high
Muscles are torn up when we train, and recover when we rest. They utilize amino acids from our bloodstream as the building blocks for new muscle mass. You must consume 5 to 7 meals per day of at least 30 grams of protein to ensure your blood amino acid levels are always high enough to deliver the optimal environment for muscle building!

Heavy compound movements are essential
Building lean muscle mass doesn’t happen on the cable curl machine, nor in the leg extension machine. No, new muscle arrives as a result of the time you spend in the squat rack, flat bench, and dumbbell rack. Hit the body hard with the heavy compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, ,and curls for 4-5 sets of 6-8 reps per set. You won’t be sorry!

Train no more than 4 days per week
You want to grow – and your muscles grow when your body is at rest, not when you are training. Give your muscles and more importantly, your central nervous system, a full 3 days each week for muscle growth and recovery. Training 5 days means you’re only resting about 30% of your week, and only growing for 30% of the week as well. If you still have energy after training 4 days, then you didn’t train hard enough.

Your body uses fuel all day in the form of carbohydrates, fat and protein for energy and the muscle building blocks that you use for adding new muscle to your frame. However, each night we must endure a “mini-fast” in which we actually deprive our bodies of the terrific protein we use for building muscle, for 8 or 9 hours at a time. How can muscle survive such a catabolic deprivation phase each evening?

You can help your body not only to protect your existing muscle stores, but also add new muscle, by consuming some slow burning protein right before you head to sleep. You can use any protein available, of course, and low-fat options like chicken breast or whey protein shake will suffice. However, if you wish to give your body a slower release of protein (over 8 hours instead of 90 minutes), then you will want to consume a slower digesting protein source each night.

Casein protein tops the list with bodybuilders as the best protein to use before bed to give your body the required amino acids in a slow drip delivery system. Use a blender for mixing, as the shaker cup often delivers difficulty in getting the chunks to completely break up. Casein can be purchased at any grocery store or online supplement shop.

Lunch meat, or other higher processed, higher fat meat is an ideal food to consume each night before bed. A few slices of salami, roast beef and even turkey with a slice of cheese, wrapped up and secured with a toothpick, will give you 8 hours of muscle building goodness.

Higher fat proteins of other varieties can be selected to fit your budget, menu, and options. Be sure to keep an eye on fat content. A bit of fat isn’t bad. In fact, it will help with brain function and the muscle building processes, as well as in keeping your testosterone levels elevated. However, too much fat, coupled with the addition of carbs, could mean you’re working on building fat – not muscle!

Avoid carbohydrates, concentrated from either sugars or flour, before you head to sleep. These foods may be what you’re craving each night, but they will do little to build muscle while you sleep, while at the same time contributing a great deal to adding fat to your waistline. Remember that as you skip carbs and eat protein, you’ll build muscle and get leaner, which will bump up your metabolism on a steady basis. After a few months, your body will become a fat burning furnace. At that point, you will be able to afford a few carb-laden snacks in the evening. However, at the current moment, your body is in great need of a change of pace, and that arrives once you drop the carbs and enjoy protein before bed. You can do it!

It can be tough to define the best way to find the energy you need for training. Sure, you can chug a 5-hour energy drink a few times a day, but that kind of shock to the system repeatedly isn’t going to be a healthy way to find long-term energy levels that satisfy you. Instead, you should opt for these surefire ways to stimulating your energy levels.

Bump up the fruits and veggies
Fiber is the key for moving the garbage and waste from your body out of your system, and helping you to lose that sluggish feeling. Two large green garden salads each day, coupled with a few servings of veggies with meals and a piece of fruit here and there is all you really need!

Bump up the cardio
Energy levels rise when you have plenty of oxygen in your bloodstream and your cardiovascular system is firing on all cylinders. Help your body achieve this state of bliss by completing your cardiovascular exercise each week for 4 sessions of 20 to 30 minutes. It might be strange to think you’ll get more energy from doing more work, but this is exactly the case!

Drink more water
Muscle, digestion, blood and brain function, and all other parts of your body work better when you’re fully hydrated. You should be consuming .75 to 1.5 gallons of water per day for best results!

Check into some supplements
Your gym, grocery store, or favorite supplement online store undoubtedly sells a variety of herbal and sports science supplements that can boost your energy levels by removing a mineral or vitamin imbalance of which you aren’t currently aware. Give them a shot!

Can’t beat ECA
The combination of 25 mg ephedrine, 200 mg caffeine, and 350 mg aspirin can’t be beat for bumping energy levels, shaking body fat and suppressing appetite for the athlete looking to shed body fat. Just be sure to cycle off the ECA every 6 weeks to ensure your blood pressure stays at a manageable level and your body doesn’t become addicted to the ECA for normal energy level requirements.

Remove stress
Much of the energy you feel is mental, and it can be very difficult to train, sleep, eat and relax correctly when your mind is preoccupied with other tasks or concerns. Take a few days from the gym, clear your plate, and return with a serious vengeance!

Sleep more
Sleep is the #1 way to recharge your energy levels. Make sure you are enjoying at least 7 hours each night, with a 30 minute nap or recharge period each day.

Tough Mudder is not your average lame-ass mud run or spirit-crushing ‘endurance’ road race. It’s Ironman meets Burning Man, and it’s the ultimate fitness challenge.

Check out the preview for this years 2012 Tough Mudder.

Tough Mudder is an adventure sports company that hosts 10-12 mile endurance event obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie that are billed as “probably the toughest event on the planet” and regularly attract 15-20,000 participants over a two day weekend.

Tough Mudder events are a new type of team endurance challenge. According to the New York Times, the events are “more convivial than marathons and triathlons, but more grueling than shorter runs or novelty events (for example, Warrior Dash courses are 3-4 miles, while Tough Mudder courses are 10-12.” Contestants are not timed and organizers encourage ‘mudders’ to demonstrate teamwork by helping fellow participants over difficult obstacles to complete the course. The prize for completing a Tough Mudder challenge is an official orange sweatband and a free beer. It is estimated that 15-20% of participants do not finish. Each event is designed to be unique and incorporates challenges and obstacles that utilize the local terrain.

Getting strong isn’t rocket science. The world contains quite a lot of people who can’t think their way out of a paper bag, or even read the instructions on how to even use a paper bag. Yet they can be some seriously strong dudes, throwing around weight in the gym that you and your college degree can’t touch. You don’t need a huge brain to pick up heavy things. But being smart helps! Let’s check out a few tips for getting strong.

Lift Big
You will want to train 4 days each week. Monday (Chest & Triceps), Tuesday (Back & Biceps), Thursday (Shoulders & Traps) and Friday (thighs, hamstrings and calves). Your chest day should be filled with flat and incline bench and dumbbell presses. Back day should be built around deadlifts, chins, and rows. Use biceps curls with barbell or dumbbells for biceps, and bench dips and triceps EZ bar presses for your triceps. Squats and leg presses are ideal for building the legs, with DB side raises and front presses being best for the shoulders. All exercises should be slow and heavy! Use 3 or 4 exercises per body part. Stick with 3 to 4 sets of each exercise and work to make sure each set is 6 to 10 repetitions. Any fewer and you’re just training for the pump, any more and you’re not going heavy enough to get stronger!

Sleep Big
You’re going to be pretty tired and sore from all that lifting, and your muscles (as well as your joints and tendons) are going to require some serious rest in order to bounce back. Try to sleep 7.5 to 8.5 hours each night in order to give your central nervous system time to recover, as well as your individual muscle groups. A daily nap of 30 to 45 minutes is also ideal!

Eat Big
Steak. Potatoes. And lots of milk! You’ll want to eat like a pig, but keep it clean at the same time. Skip the drive thru cheeseburgers, but you can certainly indulge yourself in a clean-food buffet a few times per week!

Now, too much brainpower can also lead to your downfall when it comes to your efforts to getting stronger. It is human nature to try to do things as efficiently and effectively as possible. We all try to find ways to achieve our goals using the minimal amount of time and effort. This isn’t always the way to go when it comes to lifting weights. Keep it simple – Lift heavy, rest a lot, and eat big, and you’ll get stronger fast!

Do you have a special occasion coming up? Do you need to look a lot lighter and tighter, and you only have a week to achieve it? Never fear! Check out these tips for tightening up your appearance and losing 5 pounds of fat and water – in just one week!

Slash the calories – but only by a bit
Cutting back your daily calories by about 700 will help you to pull 2-3 pounds from your waistline in a week while doing minimal damage to the muscle you have worked so hard to build. You’ll want to limit your carb and fat intake to reduce these calories, while keeping your protein intake very high. Cut carbs after 2 pm for best results!

Keep hitting the weights
You’re going to want to build up muscle to look as solid as possible, so hit the weight 5 to 6 days this week. Heavy compound exercises such as squats, bench press, and deadlifts should be the centerpiece of your weight training week.

Get a tan
Every cut on your body looks deeper and harder when you are tan. An actual sun tan looks best, but if you’re afraid of damaging your skin, you can always opt for a spray tan. They take about 5 minutes to complete, and will leave you nice and bronzed for 5-7 days for minimal cost.

Run a week of ECA
Stacking up 200 mg caffeine, 325 mg aspirin, and 25 mg ephedrine, taken twice per day, will immediately pull water from your skin, bump your metabolism, and give you the energy to do cardio even when you’re enjoying fewer calories. ECA is very effective and highly popular. You can pick up all of the components at any grocery store or pharmacy.

Bump up your water
The more water you drink, the faster it is removed from your body. Depriving yourself of water to look leaner will only force your body to hold more of it. Stay lean while drinking up to one gallon per day, spaced out into 1-2 cups per hour throughout.

Lots of greens
Eating a great deal of lettuce and fiber will flush out some of the food that has found its way to your intestines. This will make your waistline smaller, which will make you look better in pictures or in person!

30 minutes cardio per day
Six days this week – elliptical or stair stair stepper – is your best bet!

Granted, if you’re currently sitting at 30% body fat and carry about 40 pounds more fat than you need, then a single week of crash cutting isn’t going to help you all that much. But if you’re sitting at 12 to 15 percent body fat and are looking to shave down some fat and cut a little water for a photo shoot, cruise, wedding, or other special event, then using these tips will help you to get on your way!

They (whoever they actually are) often say that life isn’t about the destination – rather, it’s the journey that matters. Sure, your goals in life may include retiring with a nice nest egg and a family that loves you – but when you look back it is always the ride there which contains all the great memories, right? Your fitness goals should be no different. In fact, the great thing about training to look, perform, and feel better is that you get to enjoy the finish line the entire time you are training. Can you ever really reach a finish line that is continually moving?

Your fitness goals should actually be a series of finish lines. Every day has its own finish line, right? You awake and you train hard and eat right all day long. That day has its own finish line when you lay down at night, exhausted from tough training and enjoying a bloodstream packed with amino acids for growth as you sleep. Then, at the end of the week, you get to enjoy a rest day. This means you have reached your week’s finish line!

What kind of goals should you possess for each month? Perhaps if losing fat is in your sights, then losing 1 to 2 pounds of fat each month is desired. If you want to gain muscular weight, then gaining 2-3 pounds a week is going to be ideal. Anything more than that, are you are adding fat to your waistline each month!

Yearly goals will be bigger. Maybe you want to lose 12 pounds this year. Maybe you want to gain 12 pounds of muscle. Maybe you want to change your arms or chest or abs this year. Maybe this is the year you finally address that lagging thighs of yours and really make them into something great.

Finally, you will have decade goals – those are the ones that are bigger than all else. These may include remaining healthy, or defeating the aging process. These might include some event or competition, such as running in a marathon or competing in a triathlon. Maybe you want to do a bodybuilding or fitness competition. These are goals that come year to year, decade to decade.

When will you know you have finally reached your goal? This occurs when you are sitting on the porch, enjoying your life’s work, and you are the best looking old guy on the block. Doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

You have spent your life trying to achieve the greatest possible achievements, while at the same time fitting in to your appropriate group. You want to see all your family at the reunion, but you sure don’t want to look like them. You want to sit at lunch with co-workers and catch up on all the gossip and happenings, but you know that the appetizers and Daiquiris they share are going to wreck your fitness goals for the month. You want to paint the town red with your girls, but know that the lack of sleep and massive alcohol consumption is going to seriously water down your fitness results.

There are invariably going to be many times in your life when it’s easiest to go with the flow… but you don’t want to do that. Doing that is what got you to the point where you decided it was time to change your ways and get into health and fitness. No more going with the flow – it’s time to blaze your own fitness trail.

The key to enjoying the people you love, without the excess that arrives as a result, is preparation. You are well aware of the demons you are going to be facing every time you are with a certain group of people. Your job is to prepare yourself both mentally and physically for them. You won’t pig out on pizza and Jaeger bombs if you ate a large chicken Caesar salad with a strawberry smoothie right before the meal. Eat ahead of time! Assign yourself the role of designated driver to ensure you absolutely cannot drink. It’s the best way to let your friends enjoy themselves, and spend time with them, while at the same time keeping them safe and out of jail for driving under the influence!

Plan earlier activities with them to ensure you aren’t trying to hit the gym the next morning on 3 hours of sleep. Better yet – see if your friends will join the gym with you! There is no doubt they are looking at the new trim and fit you, and secretly wishing they could be that way too – even if they won’t admit it. You can bridge that gap and make it easier for them to join the gym, start eating right, and ignoring those activities which will cause them the most damage to their body, health& appearance.

Find a balance in your life between strict adherence to your rules for fitness, and your friends. The happy place lies in the middle, and you can find it!

It often feels like you’ve been going in circles for years in terms of finally getting into shape. Sure, you know your stuff. Hitting the gym is no problem, and you have a pretty good idea what it takes to do in the kitchen to feed your body. But your results are always lacking. You have never really been able to successfully transform your body from average to super fit. There always seems to be something coming up, some new distraction or crisis or opportunity that is a roadblock to the total concentration and devotion for a few weeks that you just know would allow you to make that plunge to total fitness, once and for all.

Why not try your very own fitness boot camp for 6 weeks? Why not lock yourself inside, and spend every waking second devoted to the tasks and knowledge that will fuel your final graduation from average to outstanding? But it can’t be disorganized and haphazard. This has to be a deliberate and planned path of action.

Start by clearing your social schedule. No dates, no parties, no hobbies. This is your six weeks to dedicate completely to eating, training, sleeping, and learning. After these six weeks, it’ll be an automatic habit.

You’ll be hitting the gym 5 days a week. You’ll be cooking every meal for yourself. You’ll be in bed for 8 hours each night, even if your body is used to only sleeping 6 hours per night. You’ll be doing everything right for 42 straight days in the hopes that you can develop these habits permanently. Supposedly, any behavior repeated for 21 straight days becomes a habit – and you have twice that much time!

There will be rest days, of course… but you shouldn’t be concerned about what you’re doing on these days. It should be abundantly clear. You should be doing our research and learning. When you aren’t in the gym this month, you need to be reading and watching videos. Spend a few hours each evening making fitness your ONLY hobby. Read the many available fitness articles. Watch training, nutrition, and other videos on YouTube. Hop on the message boards, ignoring the gossip & general talk, and move directly to the training and nutrition areas.

It’s an investment of 6 weeks, but the results will last you a lifetime. You will foster the behaviors, habits and knowledge which will make you a more fit and healthy person for the rest of your life!