Do you spend hours at the gym every week and still see no progress? Do you eat the right foods and still see no muscle gain? If this is you then you are probably forgetting the number one secret to getting as big as a bodybuilder

What is the number one secret?
It is simple. It is an old and tested method that has been used successfully by weight trainers for a long time. It is nothing special. You have heard it a thousand time but never really bothered with it. However, it is so useful that you should start paying attention to it soon.

The best thing you can do to speed up your muscle gain and bodybuilding progress is to eat a liquid protein shake straight after your workout.

It is such a vital part of bodybuilding that so many people forget.

What should be in the protein shake?
Ideally the post workout meal should be a protein shake. The reason for this is because the liquid form allows you to get more into your body in a short space of time and as it has already been partially processed the body absorbs it much faster into the blood stream. This means it can get to work on rebuilding muscles a lot quicker.

A good protein shake should have as it’s main ingredient a quality whey protein powder or some form of milk related protein. The protein found in milk (whether naturally or processed) is a much faster acting and important protein then soy and others foudn elsewhere.

In my protein shakes I like to include:

scoops of whey protein
milk (raw goats milk if I can afford it);
water;
egg;
vitamins and minerals added to the blender.

This creates a potent protein shake that is so full of vitamins and minerals.

How soon after the workout should I take it?
STRAIGHT AFTER! In fact, I will always pre-make my protein shake and take it to the gym with me or store it in the fridge for when I workout at home. This allows me to start sipping it during the final few sets thus adding some protein and nutrients to my body before the workout is even over. This has helped myself and other get excellent results, especially when it seemed like progress was hard to come by.

However, you should also make sure you have another high protein meal within an hour after the protein shake to finish things off. If you train in the afternoon or night time try to time it so that dinner will be ready for this meal. It is also very important to your muscle building progress.

The new ‘most important meal of the day
When you are trying to gain muscle the post workout protein shake becomes the new most important meal of the day. It is the time when your body is crying out for protein and other valuable nutrients that it needs to do the necessary repairs. Although it is important to increase your overall protein intake for the entire day it is especially important to make sure that protein is available at this time.

What is the best protein powder?
I have been a big fan of Optimum 100% Whey Protein Powder for a long time now and would reccomend it to anyone. It is a little bit more expensive than the others but has a great reputation for preparing the protein using excellent methods. It is always of the highest quality and it is easy to mix into drinks.

If you are on a weight loss program or are trying to lose a few pounds on your own there are a few questions that you should ask yourself before you put anything in your mouth. These five vital weight loss questions could help you get over the line in time for summer and the beach.

The 5 Vital Weight Loss Questions to Remember
Before you eat any food or any drink I want you to ask yourself:

1. Do I really need this?
Before you can progress to number two you need to ask yourself whether or not you need this particular item of food. I don’t need to spell out reasons why you might not need a food - you will know in your gut if you are being naughty. If you don’t need it, don’t eat it. If you pass number one move on to number two.

2. What is the food made up of?
Look at the nutritional information and see whether the food is mainly:

• carbs;
• fats;
• added refined sugar;
• protein;
• starch
• etc.

If you are trying to lose weight you want to avoid the ones that are high in carbs, refined sugar and some bad saturated fats. If not, move to number three.

3. What have I had already today?
If you have already been to KFC and had 10 coffees then you might want to take a second look at what you are about to eat and decide that you have had enough for one day.

Likewise, you might remember that it has been two hours since your last meal and as such it would be a good idea to have a meal in order to keep your metabolism cranking.

4. How much should I have?
Look at the food and think about your portion size. If you are looking at a possible bad food then you should consider halving it. However, if it is fruits or vegetables it doesn’t really matter and you can have as much as you like.

5. Is it tasty?
Food should be enjoyed!

People often ignore the cables thinking they are for lighter weights but this is a huge error! Cables can be used to build some huge biceps. Here’s how.

Cables and heavy weights
As I mentioned many people only use the cables at the gym for light weights perhaps to finish off at the end of a big workout. However, many of the professional bodybuilders (including Ronnie Coleman) use cables for the main portion of their biceps workout.

The advantages of using cables for your biceps
Lately I have been swapping the bar bell for the cables as the big heavy set for my biceps. Here are some of the advtanges I have found while doing double handed cable curls:

1. The technique is much better as the cable stays in line with the centre of your body so you can feel any off movement.
2. The stress on the biceps is much much bigger as the cable is always pulling and as such you get no rest in between reps. This is the number one advantage of using cables.
3. You can target the biceps much easier as the position of the cable and bar is usually taken care of by the design and the forces pulling on the design.

Cables will boost your bar bell lift
The first thing I noticed was that when I did a week on the cables and then went back to the bar bell was that I needed a bigger weight on the bar bell by a long way. I could lift the old weight easily.

This indicates to me that the cables really boost the strength of the biceps and it is probably due to the muscles being targetted better by slightly isolating them using the cable.

Conclusion
If you have been stuck with the same size biceps for a while now then I suggest you go to the gym and use the cables for a couple of weeks. Stick to double handed motions and mainly concentrate on a heavy weight and getting your form on track.