| Greg Sushinsky Bodybuilding Fitness, Nutrition & Health |
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Mike Westerdal -- Bio
Mike Westerdal is the owner of CriticalBench.com, an online weight
lifting resource. He earned his BS from Central CT State University
where he played four years of D-IAA football.
After college Mike acquired his certification as a personal trainer with
the American Council on Exercise. Westerdal is a contributing muscle
writer for various iron magazines including REPS!, Powerlifting USA
and Monster Muscle. In addition his articles are published throughout
the Internet.
Westerdal is an amateur bench presser who has competed in the
AAPF, APF, and APA federations. Currently he trains at Tampa Barbell.
He resides in sunny Clearwater FL, and is married to his beautiful wife
Courtney.
Mike Westerdal is the owner of CriticalBench.com, an online weight
lifting resource. He earned his BS from Central CT State University
where he played four years of D-IAA football.
After college Mike acquired his certification as a personal trainer with
the American Council on Exercise. Westerdal is a contributing muscle
writer for various iron magazines including REPS!, Powerlifting USA
and Monster Muscle. In addition his articles are published throughout
the Internet.
Westerdal is an amateur bench presser who has competed in the
AAPF, APF, and APA federations. Currently he trains at Tampa Barbell.
He resides in sunny Clearwater FL, and is married to his beautiful wife
Courtney.
| with Mike Westerdal |
 |  |
Man can not build muscle with food alone. Packing on lean muscle weight requires two
things: one, you have to lift weights and two, you have fuel your muscle growth with the right
kinds of foods. Even if you're training with weights regularly, stuffing your face with anything
and everything is not the way to build muscle and achieve that ripped, buffed look you desire.
A healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of lean proteins, the right carbohydrates and
unsaturated fats is essential to gaining lean muscle mass.
So you might ask, "What's the best diet for me?" If you're looking at any of the "fad" diets out
there, the answer is simple-none of them. The most effective and healthiest strategy is to
develop lifelong healthy eating habits that focus on providing your body the basic building
blocks it needs. Think of it like this-for tens of thousands of years, our ancestors roamed the
earth, lean and muscular as can be, never worrying about being on a "diet." Why? Because
not only were they active all day, but their diets naturally included the right balance of lean
proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats. For the most part, their proteins came from the
animals they hunted; carbohydrates from the fruits, vegetables and grains they gathered and
healthy, unsaturated fats from nuts.
On the whole, humans didn't have to worry about getting fat until we began to adopt a more
sedentary lifestyle, starting around the dawn of the industrial age. As we became more
civilized, we started eating more and more processed foods, high in sugars and fats-that's
when all hell broke loose and we started needing to go on "diets."
The best strategy is to look at our past and keep it simple: a 4-6 day a week lifting routine
combined with a diet of lean proteins, healthy carbs and unsaturated fats. Skip the
processed foods loaded with sugars, saturated fat and empty calories. Chicken breast,
turkey, tuna (packed in water, not oil), salmon and egg whites are all excellent sources of
lean protein. Satisfy your cravings for snacks and supplement your protein intake with a
protein or meal replacement shake in between meals. Carbohydrates should come from
fruits, whole grains, beans, potatoes and vegetables. Unsaturated fats usually come from
plants and nuts and are considered to be the "healthiest" of all of the fats. Avoid saturated
fats.
The best way to get started is by developing a plan and sticking to it. In planning your meals,
you're better off eating smaller meals more often. Most fitness experts agree and any serious
bodybuilder will tell you that it's best to eat five to six smaller meals spread throughout the
day rather than just breakfast, lunch and dinner. How much protein, carbohydrates and fats
your body needs is going to vary depending on how fit you are currently what you have in mind
for your training goals. You're sure to find differing opinions but a good general rule is that
40-50 percent of your calories should come from lean protein, 40-50 percent from
carbohydrates and 10-15 percent from healthy fats.
It's important to start with a good breakfast-what you eat (or don't eat) for breakfast causes a
chain reaction for the rest of your day. Studies have shown that people who eat a nutritious,
balanced breakfast are not only healthier, but far more likely to be close to their ideal weight
than other folks. When you neglect your fuel tanks early in the day, you short-change yourself
and are prone to binges later on. Stick to chicken, fish and lean pork accompanied by
vegetables for lunch and dinner. Lean beef can be an occasional treat but for most guys,
shouldn't be part of your daily routine. Protein shakes and canned tuna (spice it up with some
mustard or even a dash of Tabasco sauce) and a (small) handful of nuts are perfect for
between meals. Plan out your meals for the week so you can be sure to have everything you
need on-hand. If you slip up once in a while don't knock yourself out-it happens to everyone.
Just get back on track and throw in some extra cardio.
Of course if you want to increase your muscle mass, you'll have to train with weights
regularly. You should train four to six days a week in order to really see any gains. For most
guys, use free weights rather than machines and you'll get better results. The movements
used when training with free weights are more natural (similar to everyday movements),
increase the use of stabilizing muscles, helping to boost balance and coordination. Before
deciding on a training routine, determine what your goals are first. Then you can determine
what types of exercises are right for you and start planning a regular routine.
Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight lifting magazine. It
hosts the Internet's largest FREE exercise database and is the home of many workout
routines including the Critical Bench Program to help you increase your bench press.
To Mike Westerdal titles
things: one, you have to lift weights and two, you have fuel your muscle growth with the right
kinds of foods. Even if you're training with weights regularly, stuffing your face with anything
and everything is not the way to build muscle and achieve that ripped, buffed look you desire.
A healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of lean proteins, the right carbohydrates and
unsaturated fats is essential to gaining lean muscle mass.
So you might ask, "What's the best diet for me?" If you're looking at any of the "fad" diets out
there, the answer is simple-none of them. The most effective and healthiest strategy is to
develop lifelong healthy eating habits that focus on providing your body the basic building
blocks it needs. Think of it like this-for tens of thousands of years, our ancestors roamed the
earth, lean and muscular as can be, never worrying about being on a "diet." Why? Because
not only were they active all day, but their diets naturally included the right balance of lean
proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats. For the most part, their proteins came from the
animals they hunted; carbohydrates from the fruits, vegetables and grains they gathered and
healthy, unsaturated fats from nuts.
On the whole, humans didn't have to worry about getting fat until we began to adopt a more
sedentary lifestyle, starting around the dawn of the industrial age. As we became more
civilized, we started eating more and more processed foods, high in sugars and fats-that's
when all hell broke loose and we started needing to go on "diets."
The best strategy is to look at our past and keep it simple: a 4-6 day a week lifting routine
combined with a diet of lean proteins, healthy carbs and unsaturated fats. Skip the
processed foods loaded with sugars, saturated fat and empty calories. Chicken breast,
turkey, tuna (packed in water, not oil), salmon and egg whites are all excellent sources of
lean protein. Satisfy your cravings for snacks and supplement your protein intake with a
protein or meal replacement shake in between meals. Carbohydrates should come from
fruits, whole grains, beans, potatoes and vegetables. Unsaturated fats usually come from
plants and nuts and are considered to be the "healthiest" of all of the fats. Avoid saturated
fats.
The best way to get started is by developing a plan and sticking to it. In planning your meals,
you're better off eating smaller meals more often. Most fitness experts agree and any serious
bodybuilder will tell you that it's best to eat five to six smaller meals spread throughout the
day rather than just breakfast, lunch and dinner. How much protein, carbohydrates and fats
your body needs is going to vary depending on how fit you are currently what you have in mind
for your training goals. You're sure to find differing opinions but a good general rule is that
40-50 percent of your calories should come from lean protein, 40-50 percent from
carbohydrates and 10-15 percent from healthy fats.
It's important to start with a good breakfast-what you eat (or don't eat) for breakfast causes a
chain reaction for the rest of your day. Studies have shown that people who eat a nutritious,
balanced breakfast are not only healthier, but far more likely to be close to their ideal weight
than other folks. When you neglect your fuel tanks early in the day, you short-change yourself
and are prone to binges later on. Stick to chicken, fish and lean pork accompanied by
vegetables for lunch and dinner. Lean beef can be an occasional treat but for most guys,
shouldn't be part of your daily routine. Protein shakes and canned tuna (spice it up with some
mustard or even a dash of Tabasco sauce) and a (small) handful of nuts are perfect for
between meals. Plan out your meals for the week so you can be sure to have everything you
need on-hand. If you slip up once in a while don't knock yourself out-it happens to everyone.
Just get back on track and throw in some extra cardio.
Of course if you want to increase your muscle mass, you'll have to train with weights
regularly. You should train four to six days a week in order to really see any gains. For most
guys, use free weights rather than machines and you'll get better results. The movements
used when training with free weights are more natural (similar to everyday movements),
increase the use of stabilizing muscles, helping to boost balance and coordination. Before
deciding on a training routine, determine what your goals are first. Then you can determine
what types of exercises are right for you and start planning a regular routine.
Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight lifting magazine. It
hosts the Internet's largest FREE exercise database and is the home of many workout
routines including the Critical Bench Program to help you increase your bench press.
To Mike Westerdal titles
Primal Weight Gain - What to Eat to
Gain Weight, by Mike Westerdal
Gain Weight, by Mike Westerdal
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