Gain Lean Mass This Off-Season

by Dan Margolis Team Nutrabio.com Elite Athlete '07 NPC National Middleweight Champion Ace Certified Personal Trainer First thing in the morning: Drink: 1 scoop POST RECOVERY 1 scoop AAKG 1 scoop ATP 1 scoop DAA -These are consumed first thing in the morning on an empty to start the morning off right. While sleeping your body is naturally fasting at some point so it’s important to take in aminos as soon as you wake up to improve protein synthesis and help repair tissue. -I also take extra arginine which causes blood vessels to open wider for improved blood flow, and stimulate the release of growth hormone, insulin, and other substances in the body. -I take ATP at this time as well as later in the day to increase recovery and help lead to progress in increased strength during workouts as well as building lean muscle tissue -Lastly I take DAA to increase my natural testosterone levels Pills: Caffeine 1 pill 200mg (energy) 1 ALA 300mg (nutrient partitioning effects) 2 Taurine 2 grams (help with cortisol levels) 7-Keto DHEA 1 pill (metabolism) Forskolin 1 pill (helps breakdown stored fats) Agmatine 1 pill (increase nitric oxide and muscle pumps) Methyl B-12 1 pill (energy) Meal # 1 Approximately 30-60 minutes after supplements 2 cups Liquid egg whites 1 scoop Whey Isolate 1 tbsp Macadamia Nut Oil Calorie Free Chocolate Sauce My first meal always consists of lean protein and fats to keep my cortisol levels more even throughout the day. I find I get less cravings this way and it helps keep my body-fat lower. Meal # 2 5 whole eggs 12 ounce potatoes 2 pc wheat toast with grass fed butter 1 CLA (can help nutrient partitioning and burn stored bodyfat) My second meal is my large feeding before my smaller pre-workout meal. Getting in enough calories here is key. I need to have my muscles ready to rock in roll in a few hours. Eating to much in your pre-workout meal 60-90 minutes before will slow you and your workout down with decreased digestion and other intestinal distress. In between meal 2 & 3 I will take some type of greens supplement Meal # 3 Pre-Workout 2 scoops Whey Isolate 1/3 cup Cream of Rice 1 tbsp Cashew Nut Butter My Pre-Workout meal has just enough in it to get my body completely ready for the stress right around the corner. This is a light meal fueled with fast digesting protein, fast acting carbs, and just enough fats to do the job. 45-minutes Pre-Workout ALA 2 pills 600mg (nutrient partitioning effects) Chromium GTF 1 pill 500mg (nutrient portioning effects & increase glycogen storage) Biotin 1 pill (nutrient partitioning effects & glucose utilization) Inositol 1 pill (helps break down fats in liver) 7-Keto DHEA 1 pill (metabolism) Forskolin 1 pill (helps breakdown stored fats) HMB 2 Pills (promotes protein synthesis & prevents muscle breakdown) 15-30 minutes Pre-Workout 1 scoop Pre-Extreme (I personally love the latest version of this pre-workout. It gives me just enough to blast through my workouts with little recovery time in between sets, without having me buzzing for hours or tingling all over. It keeps me in a perfect state of focus.) During Workout 1 scoop Intra Blast (amino & electrolyte blend) 3 scoops Super Carb (easily digestible carbs storing quickly in muscle) I use Intra Blast and Super Carb together to maximize both of there benefits. I mix the total 4 scoops with a minimum of a half gallon of water, and start drinking this ¼ though my workout. Its important to at least come close to finishing this before the end of your workout as well. A great trainer I refer back to a lot John Meadows uses a great analogy I steal from time to time. When you’re training we all know your breaking down muscle tissue. Think of this as digging a ditch. Now if you’re truly training all out this ditch can get pretty deep. Then after the workout you’re trying to take an abundance of calories to fill this void to compensate and start the building process. If while you’re tearing this tissue down during the workout if you’re consuming top quality aminos and easily digestible carbs to push these aminos rapidly into the muscle your targeting. The ditch is now not so deep. My goal is always to train as hard as possible but to train and use critical thinking as well to prevent overtraining. My goal isn’t to lift a lot of weight; it’s to build lean muscle tissue and drinking correct Intra-Workout nutrition has to be top priority. Post-Workout 1 scoop POST RECOVERY (increase protein synthesis) 1 scoop AAKG (improved blood flow) 1 scoop ATP (increase muscle mass and strength, and shorten recovery time) 2 HMB Pills (promotes protein synthesis & prevents muscle breakdown) Meal # 4 45-60 minutes after ingestion of supp powders 6 ounce Lean Red Meat 2 cups white rice spinach salad This meal is lower in protein due to the overwhelming amount of aminos I have in my stomach already from my pre, intra, and post. Right now my body needs just enough protein to stay anabolic and a good portion of carbs to replenish the rest of my glycogen stores depleted from the workout. Meal # 5 3 scoops MRP (This is perfect for me while I’m in the midst of training clients all night. I generally don’t have time to eat a whole meal at this time so the MRP saves the day.) Meal # 6 10-12 ounce Lean Protein of choice 1-2 cups carbohydrate of choice large spinach salad 1 CLA can help nutrient partitioning and burn stored bodyfat) 4 Multi Sport (To ensure I get all my vitamins minerals) Assorted other Vitamins This meal is usually one of my larger meals of the day. At this point depending on the work day I had (hours on my feet), and the magnitude of my workout that day (chest/arms or back/legs) I will manipulate my proteins and my carbohydrates around to what suits me best. At this time I also take my Multi-Sport, and all my other vitamins. Before bed: 1 ALA 300mg (nutrient partitioning effects) 2 Taurine 2 grams (help with cortisol levels) Chromium GTF 1 pill 500mg (nutrient partitioning effects & increase glycogen storage) Biotin 1 pill (nutrient partitioning effects & glucose utilization) Inositol 1 pill (helps break down fats in liver) ZMA 3 pills (One of my all time favorite supps! This is great for recovery and quality sleep!)