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Proper Diet & Exercise for Building Lean Muscle

It’s important to remember that there are no shortcuts when your health is concerned.  The same goes for gaining lean muscle mass or ‘bulking up’.  Here’s some insight and advice from celebrity personal trainer Lucas James and nutrition expert and trainer Jason Apfel on maximizing workouts for those looking to build lean muscle and augment their strength and power.

During the first few weeks of any new training regimen, gains in strength and endurance develop quickly as your body begins to recruit new muscle fibers and acclimates to an increase in physical activity.  At first, muscle mass does not increase as quickly as its size does. This is primarily due to an increase in metabolism, which helps your muscles burn fat more efficiently giving them a more defined appearance.  An increase in water uptake by your muscles enhances their apparent size and aids blood flow and nutrient transport to the muscle tissue giving you a ‘pumped’ feeling. Adequate hydration is essential to proper health and building muscle. It is important to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water, or about 70 oz daily as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

While your strength and endurance improve you eventually set the groundwork for incorporating increased resistance and heavier weight with more dynamic exercises and movements that aid in building actual mass and lean muscle weight.

Even if you are focused on building your upper-body musculature, it is crucial to incorporate legs into a well-rounded routine at least once a week.  Performing lunges, squats, and other exercises that work your quads, hamstrings and gluts prompt an increase in muscle building potential.  This is because the muscle groups of the legs are the largest muscles in your body.  As you exercise these large muscles they produce increased levels of testosterone and other natural hormones that are beneficial to building muscle and burning fat.

It is also important to be sure that resistance levels, or the weight used, and the number of repetitions you do are high enough to fatigue the muscle and maximize your potential for growth.  When lean muscle growth and muscle mass is concerned, it is recommended to perform three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps for each exercise.  Aside incorporating the right exercises and using the proper weight, working out the right way is best.  When trying to build muscle mass, it is crucial to work out efficiently.  This means, giving yourself ample time in between sets to allow your muscles to rest, as well focusing on isolating the right muscles and focusing on perfect form.

Make sure to create daily splits throughout the week that alternate the working muscle groups. Weight training creates tiny micro tears in muscles, which repair and rebuild during periods of rest.  If you neglect to let your muscles repair by continually working the same muscles every day, the muscle will start to breakdown instead of buildup.  More importantly serious injury can result if muscles are not allowed adequate time to repair.

In term of your diet, muscle building requires a careful balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein as well as plenty of vitamins and minerals.   It is important to note that the best source for all of these nutrients is from natural foods rather than supplements or food products.  Aim for healthy carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while avoiding simple sugars that can cause a spike in insulin levels and inhibit growth hormones that prompt muscle growth.  Make sure to shoot for ½ -1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight and opt for five to six small, balanced meals every day.

The Best Energy and Protein Bars

Not All Energy Bars are Created Equal: The Good, the Bad, the Unhealthy!

Being able to decipher nutrition label information, aside from flashy packaging and hype, is often crucial to discovering which nutrition bars are healthy options. Scottsdale, AZ based celebrity personal trainer, Lucas James and nutrition expert, Jason Apfel give you the break down of different bars on the market. Find out which are best for maintaining your weight loss or reaching your strength training goals!

With so many different brands and types of bars on the market, it’s often hard not to get confused.  Supplement bars include: meal replacement or diet bars, energy bars, fiber bars, breakfast bars and our favorite, protein bars. All these options can make choosing one that’s healthy and suits your goals both confusing and a challenge.

-‘Meal replacement bars’ are commonly used as ‘diet’ bars because they are packed with higher amounts of calories, primarily from carbohydrates, to fuel you with quick energy and ‘replace’ other higher fat options or snacks. While they can help to curve your appetite, they are often lower in protein than their nutrition bar counterparts.  More so, these bars often include pig or cattle derived binding agents & fillers, such as gelatin or hydrolyzed collagen.  Both collagen and gelatin lack the essential amino acids found in complete protein such as egg albumin. This translates into inferior protein sources and quality. The best time for these carbo- loaded bars is either before or after working out, to help boost your glycogen levels, for energy use or tissue repair.

-‘Energy bars’ are generally designed to give a boost to endurance athletes and active individuals, such as runners, swimmers, cyclists, triathletes, marathoners or even the avid group fitness aficionado. Be aware, ‘energy’ equals ‘calories’; similar to meal replacement bars, the main component in these bars are mainly carbohydrates.  Look for options with fewer sugars and good sources of complex carbs such as nuts or fruit, to fuel your high intensity workouts.

-Fiber & Breakfast bars focus on creating a nutrition bar with relatively similar levels of carbohydrates and fat, but with a small amount of protein and extra fiber to aid digestive health.  Watch out for bars frosted in sugar or syrup or packed with sugary fillings, such as store bought oatmeal bars or nutrigrain bars. Also, look for the amount of high fructose corn syrup, which can spike blood sugar levels and negate any potential benefits you might otherwise get from healthy ingredients such as oats and fiber.  Also, try and avoid sugar alcohols that can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea in large doses. While they are lower in calories, they are often added in bulk to achieve a similar taste. Note: ‘Low Fat’ options such as granola bars, does not translate to low sugar or low calories.

-Unless you have food allergies or digestive or kidney issues, protein bars are typically one of the best options for nutrition bars.  While they too can be coated with sugar or chocolate, they typically have the highest amounts of protein in relation to carbohydrates and fats.  They are designed with resistance / strength training in mind to help you build muscle and lose fat when you train. Look for a bar whose ingredients list hydrolyzed whey protein, whey isolate, whey concentrate, casein protein or a blend of all four. These milk-based proteins contain all the essential amino acids your muscles need to repair and build themselves up after workouts.

The Metabolism Research Group, Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, found that whey protein stimulates a rise in muscle protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men (Age 21±1 yr), supportive of a positive net protein balance. Protein Bar Source

Our Top Picks

A++         “Power Crunch Protein Bars‘ by BioNutritional

15g of Protein, 10g of Carbs, 5g of Sugars. These creme filled wafer cookie taste just like a real cookie and pack high quality Proto Whey, and almost no sugar.

A+           Kind Fruit & Nutt Bars, Kashi bars and Lara bars.

If you’re stuck on the convenience of eating a nutrition bar, look for products with no more than five ingredients. All have natural complex carbohydrates and ingredients, no additives and are high in Fiber!

A-          Promax LS

(low sugar) protein bars pack 18 grams of replenishing protein, have ‘all natural ingredients’, 14 grams of fiber and contain 40% less sugar than leading regular energy bars (9 grams versus 15-21). There are also no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, maltitol, or gelatin used. An added plus: they are gluten-free, kosher, and vegetarian.

B         ‘Cliff Builders’ protein  bars / Cliff energy Bar by Clif Bar, Inc.

Clif Bar is made with all-natural ingredients such as organic soy flour and soy protein. Its goal is to provide a boost of energy (or 20g protein from the ‘builder bars).  Regular cliff bars have a 4:1 carbohydrate : protein ratio, great for an energy-replenishing post-workout snack. Just watch out for their high levels of sugar!

Stress Management Tips

Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction our bodies employ in order to deal with the daily demands of life.  While some levels of stress are necessary to keep us on track to accomplish our goals, too much can be detrimental to our overall mental and physiological health.

In identifying the causes of stress, our brain and bodies come hard-wired with a neurological stress highway that serves to power an internal, protective ‘alarm system’.  When we perceive a threat or identify a potentially harmful situation, this pathway signals our bodies to release a burst of hormones known as catecholamines, such as adrenaline, to fuel a unique response. This reaction is commonly referred to as the “fight-or-flight” response.

According to the Mayo Clinic, current studies suggest most Americans experience challenges with stress at some point during the year.  More so, the nonstop pressures of today’s fast pace environment means our stress highways are constantly overloaded, running at a ‘rush-hour’ pace.

That is why stress management is so important in maintaining normalcy within our lives. Stress management gives us set of tools or road-blocks for the traffic of stress on our neurological highway.  Without stress management our bodies are constantly bombarded by these stress traffic alerts, which over time can lead to serious health issues.

Here are a few techniques and things to consider to better deal with stress:

Staying Motivated to Reach Your Exercise Goals

Results aren’t guaranteed when working with Celebrity Personal Trainer Lucas James, they’re earned. He can be your motivation no matter if you live in Scottsdale, AZ or Miami, FL. Life isn’t characterized what you say you’ll do, but by your actions and follow through.

Anyone who’s tried to workout after long breaks from the gym or being outdoors knows just how hard it is to stay motivated and get back into shape.

Weight Loss & Personal Training for Swimsuit Season!

Hiring a personal fitness trainer in Scottsdale or Phoenix, AZ can be a difficult task due to the high number of trainers in Arizona. Swimsuit season has arrived and the month of May is one the busiest times for people start to a diet, exercise or hire a personal trainer. Choosing Lucas James as your personal trainer will give you several benefits including:

- A trained and certified fitness professional.

- Customized Meal Plan and Diet Program Based on your Health, Body, and Fitness Level.

- One-on-One Training with a “Five Star” rated Celebrity Personal Trainer

- Motivation, Accountability, Education and Guidance for Nutrition, Cardio Excerises, Form, Breathing Techniques, Meal Planning and many others.

- Recieve Bi-Weekly Meal Plans, Body Fat Testing, Body Measurements, Weigh-In, and Pictures

- Train at One of the Most Prestiges Fitness Facilities in the State or at the convenience of your home or desired location.

Start with Lucas James today and create a healthy lifestyle that you deserve. After 90 days of working with Lucas clients have less stress, sleep better at night, higher self-esteem, a balance between work and persona life, education on what foods to eat and when, and most importantly – a transformation of a new body!

Meal Planning 101: Key to Success

The meals you plan on daily basis is the number one factor for reaching your health and fitness goals.

You might not use the terms “pizza box” and “serving dish” interchangeably, but if you’re like most guys, you probably could. That’s because 64 percent of men spend little or no time on meal planning. Their excuse? Time and money constraints. Unfortunately — and perhaps not coincidentally — that number parallels the 64 percent who are overweight. It’s no wonder: The inexpensive, time-saving foods that guys choose most often are also the ones that are the highest in sugar, fat, and calories, according to a recent study from the University of Washington.

Thankfully, we have a culinary solution that’ll perfectly fit your budget, schedule, and diet. The plan: Set aside 20 minutes on Sunday to fulfill our 16-item shopping list, then forget about your wallet — and collection of takeout menus — for the rest of the workweek. By following our 5-day meal plan, you’ll have the precise number of ingredients to create 10 fast, flavorful meals, all of which are designed to help you build muscle and melt fat while saving you money. (The average price of 10 meals eaten out: $85; the total price of our meals: $47.96.) Each night, you’ll simply prepare a quick and easy dinner, and then creatively use the leftovers to assemble the next day’s lunch. Call it the mixologist’s guide to eating. The best part? While the other guys are stuck on hold in drive-thrus, you’ll be rolling through the express line with your next 10 meals in tow.

THE GROCERY LIST

A balance of protein-packed meats, fresh produce, and a few versatile extras is all you need to feed yourself well week after week.

Frozen Shrimp 1 lb uncooked, medium size

Rotisserie Chicken 1 cooked

Pork Tenderloin 1 herb-flavored or lemon-garlic marinated (about 3/4 lb)

Bell Peppers 1 tray tricolor (or pick out 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange)

Yellow Onions 2 lb

Baby Mixed Greens 4 oz bag, washed

Portobello Mushrooms 2 large caps

Asparagus 1 bunch

Garlic 1 head

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto 8 oz jar

Avocado 1 ripe

Mozzarella 8 oz bag, shredded

Instant Brown Rice 1 lb box

Black Beans 12 oz can

100% Whole-Wheat Fettuccine 16 oz box

10″ 100% Whole-Wheat Tortillas 1 package

THE PANTRY LIST Buy these crucial building blocks every couple of months and you’ll always have them on hand to construct meals around the clock.

Reduced-fat mayonnaise

Dijon mustard

Low-sodium soy sauce

Peanut butter

Extra-virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Parmesan cheese

Salsa

Tabasco or other hot sauce

SUNDAY NIGHT’S DINNER

ROTISSERIE CHICKEN WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

3/4       bunch asparagus (about 8 medium spears)

2             portobello mushroom caps, sliced 1/4″ thick

1          medium onion, cut in 1/4″-thick rings

1/2       Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1            rotisserie chicken breast or leg

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Remove the woody ends of the asparagus by gently bending each stalk until it breaks — it’ll naturally snap off at the right spot. In a baking dish, toss the vegetables with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables have developed a light brown crust. Serve half the vegetables with the chicken and a simple mixed-greens salad tossed with olive oil and vinegar. Reserve the other half of the vegetables for other meals this week.

430 calories, 36 grams (g) protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 25 g fat (7 g saturated), 5 g fiber

The next day’s lunch

CHICKEN PORTOBELLO WRAP WITH BALSAMIC AIOLI

1          c chopped rotisserie chicken (left over from Sunday’s dinner)

3          bell peppers

1          clove garlic, minced

1          Tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise

1          tsp balsamic vinegar

1          whole-wheat tortilla

2          Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese

1          small handful mixed greens

1          c leftover asparagus, mushrooms, and onions

To chop the chicken, remove the skin and use a fork to pull the meat from the bones. Then place the meat on your cutting board and cut it into bite-size pieces — it should yield about 3 cups’ worth. Use 1 cup for the wrap and save the other 2 cups for later in the week. Chop the peppers into 1/2″ pieces. They should yield about 4 cups; use 1/2 cup today and save the rest in a plastic bag for dinner.

Mix the garlic, mayonnaise, and vinegar together to make the aioli. Brush the tortilla with the aioli, then put the cheese down the middle, followed by the greens, chicken, and vegetables. To make a tight wrap, fold the bottom of the tortilla up first, then roll it from the side.

400 calories, 43 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat (4.5 g saturated), 5 g fiber