Ask Skinny Guy - Real Muscle Building and Fitness SOLUTIONS

Bigger, Fuller Chest Muscles?
So, how can I REALLY isolate the chest muscles and pummel them to a pulp without overdoing the other muscles?

S.G. It's been interesting for me to note that on chest days, the Maximum Growth programs start us out with the compound exercise (bench press, for example) but always finish off with an exercise that isolates the smaller muscles more (like a bench flye or incline dumbbell press). I see the compound exercise as the big muscle builder and the second exercise as the one that really finishes off the muscle to fatigue. That's where the "burn" comes for me.

Course I'm not one to talk with my puny chest, but it's getting better. I suggest you check out this chest-training article here—it's excellent!

How to Maximize Meta-CEL? When should I consume Meta-CEL during workout days? Do I have one serving immediately before training and then one after and then eat 30 minutes later? Also, should I take Meta-CEL before I work out or after a meal?

S.G. The idea is to get the Meta-CEL into the muscles to help recovery. It's absorbed better, they say, if it's consumed on an empty stomach and right after the workout. So this is what I do:

On workout days:
Two scoops immediately after my workout and before I shower. After I shower, I eat my big after-workout meal with the 3/1 Carb/Protein ratio. Then later in the day, I have two scoops on an empty stomach, like a half hour before I'm going to eat my bedtime snack. This dose is to keep the creatine level high in my system.

On non-workout days:
I just do the evening two-scoop dose.

But, really, Sunday is my only non-workout day. On the other "rest" days, I do cardio and abs, so I still want the benefit of the Meta-CEL. So I simply take a two-scoop serving after I finish my run or swim.

Drink Beer and Gain Muscle? The thing is I go out about six nights a week, and some of them I just have to get drunk. I can't help it—it is my lifestyle. I am trying to cut down, but while I do this, I have always wondered where the information is on what drinks are not as bad as the others for you?

S.G. - Congrats on pulling so many of the pieces together so well—exercise, eating, etc. That took determination and effort. All of us have had that "tough" element to establishing a healthy lifestyle. Mine was not having the support of my wife. She resented the time I was starting to spend "every day!" exercising, and she resented the changes in my eating habits so much that she stopped cooking for me all together. That was a couple of years ago. Now she loves the new me. She runs her hands over my flexed six-pack, admires my slim waist (which used to be 36+"), and envies my energy. Now she's eating more like I do and even asked me to help her set up an exercise program.

I share this with you because I want you to realize that what is tough now will eventually become your strength if you persevere. Now, I admit that I've never been an alcohol drinker, but if I were you, I'd drop the stuff cold turkey. If your heart is really in this fitness thing, then believe the research and others' experiences—alcohol will not get you to your goals. Nutrition wise, it's just empty carbs, and it's killing your self-image.

Hang a picture of six-pack abs (of anyone you admire) next to a picture of a Coors six-pack and label them "which will it be for me?" It was a photo of six-pack abs that got me through my first year of exercising. I knew I wanted to look like that, and seeing it every day helped me work through the troubled waters at home.

Maybe you'll need to find some other activities than the nightly going out. Volunteer to work with the Boy Scouts or something. Maybe you need to find friends that have similar goals. Yes, this is a lifestyle change in every sense of the word, but I'm telling you that it is worth it, and it will give you the greatest boost in self-esteem you've ever had!

You can do it. In a year you'll look back and be glad that you did. Let me know how it goes. I care about your success.

Best Body at 50? I have set myself a goal: to be in the best shape of my life by the time I reach 50. I now believe that it is holding me back. I have now reset my goal. I will be in the best shape of my life by spring 2004 and continue to improve to the age of 50 and beyond.

S.G. - You're right. No reason to wait to 2005 when it can happen now. It took me just six months to "get into the best shape of my life," and I've maintained and improved on that for over a year now.

I was going by waist size and body weight. I could pretty well remember those figures for my whole 56 years. I weighed 165 and had a 32" waist in high school. So that was my measurable goal. But in high school, I was really weak—a wimp with no muscle. So even though I'm now back to 165 and 32", I know that I'm more lean and muscular.

So write down what constitutes "best shape" for you. What are you going to measure or monitor? Make that a part of the goal, so you know when you've reached it.

Prefect Post-Workout Ratio of Food?
What should a good post-workout out shake consist of? How many carbs, protein, etc.?

S.G. Post workout shake? Man, that's when I eat my biggest meal. If I were to do it in a shake, it would be some BIG GULP! Schedules are different, though, and maybe you don't have the time to sit down to a big meal. I eat mine in the car between the gym and work.

So what should it be? Re-read Law 3 and Law 9 in the Maximum Growth booklet. I'd have a shake with the kind of proportions that Stephen's after-workout meal had: carbs about three times what the protein is. So that might be an Eat-Smart shake made in milk or juice with a banana or other fruit blended up in it.

My breakfast in the car this morning was six egg whites I'd microwaved last night eaten on two pieces of whole-wheat toast with an apple and a "hot chocolate" shake of 20 grams of chocolate whey, powdered milk, and some Postum powder blended in hot water while I was toasting the toast at 5:30 this morning. I kept it hot in a thermos. I ate it at 7:30 after a pretty intense upper-body workout. Two scoops of Meta-CEL absorbed while I showered. That kept me going until 10:00 when I had another small shake.

I just finished a lunch of chicken breast, green beans, carrots, and corn meal polenta.

I live for the food... I make big shakes for an afternoon snack, adding some fiber powder like Stephen Adele recommends. It gets me through to my 6:00 p.m. dinner. So enjoy your shake!

How to Gain Muscle—Fast?
Will the proper use of Meta-CEL give these results? This is how big I would want to be (see attached picture of Bill Phillips). Is Meta-CEL the best aid that will help me?

S.G. Bill Phillips—great role model. I've had Shawn Phillips' picture hanging on my workout room wall for a year and a half. It's always a good idea to have a visual image of where you want to be.

The thing that will be the biggest help to you is YOU. Hard work and dedication to a plan is what it takes. So get a plan that will take you in the direction you want to go. Body-for-LIFE, ABSolution, Maximum Growth—all are going to move you toward better physical condition.

You didn't tell us where you are at right now as far as physical fitness and personal exercise/eating habits. But no matter where you are at, you can improve.

Once you have your plan and you are committed to it 100%, then supplements will support your work. You'll need a good whey protein to get as much protein as you'll need. Next would come Meta-CEL to accelerate your muscle growth and to aid in quicker recovery.

Now whether you'll be another Bill Phillips might depend on your body build. My bones are too thin and long to have that kind of a physique, but I've definitely made strides in being the best that "I" can be.

Keep me informed of your progress in this transformation. Attach a "before" picture and then you can really be proud of the changes that we'll all witness.

What's Better Than Creatine? Has Meta-CEL had any negative effects on your body, such as increased hair growth? This is my first time using a creatine substance, and I am a little scared in its potentials. Have you had great improvements with Meta-CEL? Any recommendations on what else I should consume to speed muscle growth? I have been using MuscleTech's Nitro Tech protein shakes and recently started on Meta-CEL. Is that enough—is it better than taking plain creatine?

S.G. I was cautious at first too. I don't do too much supplementation. Meta-CEL was pretty foreign to my norm, which was limited to different kinds of protein and one try at glutamine (which I'm back to now) and a plain creatine (which didn't help at all).

I didn't want anything that was an "upper" or "downer" or that would change my personality or mood. I didn't want anything habit forming. I didn't want anything that had negative side effects.

Well, I've been taking Meta-CEL since May and notice nothing negative except more frequent urination—that's one reason for the increased water intake, I'm sure. Drink enough so that your urine is almost clear. I make it a policy to drink two glasses of water after every trip to the bathroom.

The positive side of Meta-CEL, you can read everywhere on this board.

Can You Be Skinny and Have Muscles?
People are saying I am too skinny, and I don't like it. I show them my muscles when they do and say I am not skinny, I am fit. What is wrong with people?

S.G. Wow! What a finish for the 8-week continuation. Way to go. To lower your bodyfat that much means you have put on muscle mass even though it may not show in your strength tests, and you must be pretty proud of the slim waist.

People's reactions to your transformation are understandable. When I lost 50 lbs of fat back in 2001, I got the same response. Those who had not seen me for awhile asked me if I'd been sick or stressed out. Since then, I've changed jobs, and people ask me now what I do to be so fit. It's all relative to the "me" they were familiar with. Now that you have established this as your new lifestyle, they'll start getting used to the "new you."

Keep eating all that healthy food and exercising regularly. Your energy and vitality will reassure people that you're not "too skinny" but just right for living a wonderful life. It will shine through your complexion, your smile, your relationships with people, and your love of life.

Hard-gainer to Superman in 8 Weeks? I'm a typical hard gainer and have been working out for about five years with good progress. I started at 6'0 150 lbs. Now I am 192 lbs. I have hit 205 lbs before but with a no-stress job and lots of sleep. My question is, with the Maximum Growth 8-week program, I'm afraid of going into over training. Have you, as a hard gainer, experienced this while on 8-week program?

S.G. 192 pounds! Great. 150 is where I started too. I'm trying to get above the 165, which is what I've gained on the 4- and 8-week programs.

I didn't feel that the programs over trained. In fact, I think that it was that extra set or two on each muscle group that got me up to the 165. I'd been at 150 for a year or so just maintaining muscle mass by doing the Body-for-LIFE program of five sets and then one set on a related exercise.

I make myself get out of the gym in under an hour, and I keep the cardio workouts under 30 minutes, so that's hardly over-training.

Exercises from Home? Home Gym woes. I don't have a squat rack, bench press rack, or pulldown station. I've been using dumbbells for most and barbells for some exercises. Are there comparable exercises with this in mind? Most especially the barbell squats, triceps pushdowns, and barbell bench press.

S.G. I was exclusively a "home-gymer" until just recently, and I invented a lot of ways to get the job done.

Squat rack: I built one, like two large shelf supports, out of 2X4s and bolted it to the stud wall in the basement. The 32" spread was just right. It's about 4 1/2 feet off the floor, just right to put the barbell on, add weight, and step under to lift it. It's still scary to do without a spotter, though, so I keep the weight on the lighter side.

Leg raise: I use that same frame to support my body on my forearms as I do leg raises.

Lat pull downs, cross-overs, and triceps extensions: I bought a couple of small pulleys in the hardware store, hooked them to bike hooks in the ceiling, threaded some heavy nylon chord through them, made hand grips out of PVC pipe, and tied weights to the other end of the chord.

Quad extension: do one-leg step-ups on your bench holding dumbbells for weight.

Hamstring curls: one leg at a time using ankle weights

Back exercises: When it calls for a narrow-grip pulldown, I just do chin-ups on my chin-up bar (a piece of pipe between the ceiling joists in my basement), hands close together and palms facing me. I add weight around my waist to target the correct number of reps. Wide-grip pull downs, I use a second pipe.

Bench press rack: A couple of tall chairs, one on each side of the bench facing in would give you the "rack" to put the weight on while you position yourself. This is what I use to "spot" me in case I can't get the extension back up to where the bar cradles.

Some ingenuity can solve most of your problems. Good luck!

Eat Big to Get Big? Has anyone seen this? A friend gave this little book to me for some good meals to help me gain muscle. I'm not to sure about some of the meals. Can someone please let me know if these are good meals. Some of the meals include Cocoa Krispies, 1 can of coke to mix with other grilling blends for a steak. Big Cheesy Lasagna. One breakfast calls for 2 tbsp butter, 1 cup cheddar cheese. It recommends having two Egg McMuffins instead of having a sesame bagel with two tablespoons of cream cheese (which I understand if those are your only two choices), but should you really be eating either one?

S.G. Eating meals like you describe in the article is what got me in trouble when I hit my late 30's. I was exercising the whole time, but the weight just piled on. It wasn't until I stopped eating like that (nearly 20 years later) that the weight came off again.

So I'm not going back to high-fat, high-carb meals. Even following the "food pyramid" made me gain fat. I can't see how either approach could help muscle growth. Even if it did, you wouldn't be able to find them under the inch-layer of blubber.

Sumo wrestlers may be strong, but that's not the body shape I'm after. So stick with the healthy eating suggestions found in RealSOLUTIONS eNewsletter, Maximum Growth, and Body-for-LIFE.

Increased Bench Presses? I have to tell you that the eight-week program is just what I needed. I have gained eight pounds of muscle, up to 191 lbs. My chest is up an inch, my legs are up 3/4, and I finally broke the 15-inch arm mark! (They were 12 3/4 inches on 6/8/02.) People at work are starting to tell me how good I'm looking, and my sister-in-law even told my wife I was looking "buff"!! This is amazing for a guy who weighed 150 lbs wet in high school and is the definition of a "hard gainer." I've been using Myoplex twice daily and Meta-CEL as directed except for doubling up post workout. I'm also taking Lean System 7, but I'm only doing 15 minutes of HIIT training twice a week. Honestly, I haven't been the poster child for following the prescribed diet, but something must be working and all my pants still fit. Although, I would love to have abs like Skinny's!

S.G. Great progress for three weeks! Fifteen-inch arms—that's my dream. I'm at 13.5 inches, so you give me hope.

Hang in there, "Buff." I bet the abs are there, just hiding under a little extra padding.

What About a Cheat Day?
Do any of you have one cheat day where you eat whatever you want while doing the 4-Week Blitz, or do you stick to the nutrition plan like it is explained?

S.G. There was quite the discussion about this on the board a few months ago. The general consensus was, go for the cheat meal/day if you need the break, but if you have the inner strength to stick with it, stay on the wagon.

I've been eating this high-protein, moderate-complex-carb, low-fat plan for nearly three years. I used to live from cheat day to cheat day, planning just what I'd gorge myself on. After awhile I didn't need it psychologically. Now whenever I depart from the plan, I feel physically ill.

That's not going to keep me from having a piece of pumpkin pie Thursday, even with the whipped cream on top. Life does have priorities. But I'm not like an addict anymore, craving my next "fix" of high GI carbs and fats.

I think that's how I've been able to stay in the single-digit bodyfat for two years. It hasn't been a sacrifice. There is so much good food that I can eat, that I don't miss the bad stuff very often.

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