Option 2: HFT Program
Q: What should I do to get the most out of each program?
A: Personalization is very important and you need to fine-tune each program to your individual needs. Some trainees will have to modify the exercises. Others will have to do less upper-body work and more lower-body work. Many of the programs leave you refreshed and energetic rather than wiped out. This is the way it should be most of the time. However, many trainees are stimulus junkies and train for the stimulus of working out rather than for a specific goal. Big mistake!
Make sure you sleep eight hours every night. Deep REM sleep is important and eight hours of tossing and turning will not cut it. Try meditating for thirty minutes before going to bed. Sit in a quiet room on a chair, coach, or in the lotus position. Breathe in through the nose to a count of four and out to a count of four. Do so for 20-30 minutes. Let whatever thoughts come to mind surface. Get it all out before you go to bed and you will sleep well. If
that does not work, good sex or bad sex before sack time often does the trick.
Sleep is critical for testosterone and growth hormone production. Without good levels of both, forget about getting bigger and
stronger.
If men have morning wood several times a week then your T levels are most likely doing fine. If only 1-2 times per week you are not doing well. I f less than that you are on your way to a sex change and need help! Okay, maybe it is not that bad, but you are certainly not producing enough T and need to make some adjustments. Again get some blood work done and work with a Doctor that can give you some real feedback.Have a post recovery shake after every workout. Twenty-five to forty grams of protein mixed with 25-50 grams of carbs works well. An example is one scoop of rice protein and 8oz of apple juice. Apple Cider Vinegar is a good addition as it is loaded with potassium. One tablespoon will do. I prefer the “Bragg” brand, which you can find at most health food stores. Now the more volume, the more carbs you will need for post-workout recovery. For example, you may want to go up to 50 grams of protein and 80 grams of carbs after an EDT workout or GVT session. Experiment and find what works best for you.
Two hours before each workout have a mix of protein, fat and carbs. One example is a peanut butter sandwich with 100% whole wheat bread and an apple. Or a protein shake consisting of 25 grams of protein powder, 8 ounces of apple juice and ½ tablespoon of olive oil or flaxseed oil.
An interesting pre-workout mix that I learned about from Dr. William Wong is also useful:
5 grams of Ribose (helps with ATP production for energy) 3 grams of TMG (replenishes ATP during the workout) 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon of organic raw honey (optional)
Take the mix thirty minutes before your workout and get ready for a nice boost of energy. I am co-writing a sports nutrition book with Dr. Wong and we will provide more great info when it comes out. One more tip is to have
4oz of black coffee with the above mix before training. You can get Ribose and TMG at BodyBuilding.com. Make sure you visit Dr. Wong's Site.
Another pre-workout supplement that I really like is Biotest’s Powerdrive. I also like it first thing in the morning or before seminars for mental clarity. Check it out at T-nation
A great way to reduce the inflammation that is caused by intense training is to supplement your diet with systemic enzymes such as “Vitalzym.”
Vitalzym breaks up scar tissue and is one of my favorite supplements. You can read more about it here.
I personally take five caps three times per day between meals. Five in the morning, five before training and five before going to sleep.
Finally, make sure you keep a training journal. This is one of the most overlooked areas of effective strength training. Would you run a business without keeping track of revenue and expenses? Only if you want to go out of business in six months or less. How are you supposed to improve if you do not know where you are? Record sets and reps, energy levels, sleep the night before, how your energy was after the workout, stress levels, pre- workout nutrition, post workout nutrition, supplement intake, caloric intake, sex drive. The more detailed the journal the better.
Q: What do you think about Creatine Monohydrate?
My verdict is still out on Creatine. In large doses 20 grams or more, it causes a strain on the kidneys and can even lead to erection problems! Moreover, if you already get 5 grams of creatine from your diet, it is worthless and it like putting gas in a car that is already full.
For vegetarians like me, it works great at 5 grams a day after workouts only. In other words only take it on strength training days. Not after cardio or on non-workout days. You simply do not need it unless you deplete ATP stores via hard training. Creatine works great with Ribose so 5 grams of Ribose before training and then 5 grams of Ribose and 2-5 grams of creatine after training. Look for the creapure brand at bodybuilding.com
Glutmine is pretty much worthless for muscle building. It is great for building immunity in the gastro intestinal tract, which is of course very beneficial. It does seam to work well with other amino acids such as BCAA thus, I recommend BCAA/Glutamine combos such as "xtend" which you can get at bodybuilding.com 10-20 grams during workouts and only on training days. Otherwise it is wasted.