Check out this article at a fantastic blog I just found, Evidence-Based Fitness, written by Bryan Chung.  It’s about chocolate milk as an after workout drink.

I think we would all like to believe the pre, intra and post-workout nutrition are very important. We’ve seen one example of how pre-workout protein probably doesn’t really make any difference large enough to warrant the extra cost of consuming it. While there have been studies supporting the idea that post-workout nutrition is important and results in better recovery (a fairly vaguely defined term) and better results (an even more vaguely defined term), the debate around WHAT to consume after a workout takes most of us down a path of debate that I believe counts as pure, unadulterated intellectual masturbatory minutiae.

But, don’t let my opinion count for much of anything.

Let us assume for the purposes of this review, that post-workout nutrition DOES matter. And furthermore, let us assume that post-workout nutrition matters for the non-elite typical gym go-fer.

What do we know about chocolate milk? We know it contains both protein and carbohydrate. We know that in head-to-head comparisons, it tends to do just as well, or better than carbohydrate drinks alone. However, we’re not sure whether the fact that in previous comparisons, the drinks weren’t calorie controlled might explain why it did so well or whether it actually does affect recovery insofar as we can measure it.

Since most of my readers are not the typical “non-elite typical gym go-fer” and are (I’m sure) training the way I advice on this blog – that is, like an athlete – then post workout nutrition DOES apply to you.  If you’re training up to 6 times a week, and hard, then anything you can do to up your recovery is mandatory, even if it isn’t great (though, I’m still of the mind that post workout recovery makes a large difference, not a small one, and that that difference grows (at least linearly) as your workout intensity and volume grow).

He goes on:

Results

The average age of the players in this study was 19 years (SD 0.3 years)

Overall, there weren’t any notable differences between the carb-only drink and chocolate milk. Creatine kinase levels rose (predictably) with both drinks, although it did not tend to rise as much when the players had chocolate milk instead. The players tended to perform just as well whether they had a carb-only drink or chocolate milk.

What I find important here is that chocolate milk performed AS WELL as the carb drink.  Why this matters is that so many athletes will spend a fortune on stupid supplements for post-workout nutrition when they might do just as well by drinking cheap-as-dirt chocolate milk.

So what can we take away from all of this?

I think there are a few points that most readers of this blog can take away:

1) Unless you’re a 19 year old Division I soccer player, this study shouldn’t be the reason why you choose to drink anything after your workouts.

2) Any study that excludes subjects after having already analyzed the data should be under high suspicion of biased information. In this case, it probably didn’t matter, but we’ll never _really_ know.

3) I suspect that it doesn’t really matter what you drink after your workouts, if anything at all. If there are any applicable links between this study and you, the numbers suggest that you can pretty much do what you want and you’ll still play and test about the same.

So in the end, there isn’t anything magical about chocolate milk. If you’re drinking it anyways, good for you. If you’re not, there’s no reason for you to rush out and get any. Just do what you’re doing. Simplfy what you can, and rest assured that you’re not missing out.

His approach to the article was from the standpoint that chocolate milk is getting too much positive press, and that it isn’t a big deal – it only did as well as a carb drink of similar calories, and probably won’t do much of anything for the casual person in the gym.

I’m coming at it from a different angle.  As I mentioned above, athletes are suckers for supplement advertising and I regularly have to convince them that chocolate milk is just as good as the $75/bottle BS they’re buying. 

Second, I don’t train the average joe in the gym who only does average workouts.  I train athletes who are tearing it up and need anything and everything they can get their hands on to recover well.  My people DO train as hard as division 1 soccer players, yet many don’t have luxury of youth to mask bad eating habits.

As an aside: while I love chocolate milk as a recovery drink, I think it is better as a base for a more substantial recovery drink.  I think the most important factor is simply getting in enough calories after your workout.  Since most of my lifters pack more into a 1-1/2 to 2 hour workout than most people put into a week, they need a LOT of calories.  Just 20 oz of Choco ain’t gonna cut it. 

Here’s a suggestion if you train like I want you to:

Chocolate Milk – 16 oz

Protein powder – 50g worth (I don’t care what kind, go cheap – don’t believe the hype!)

Ice Cream – 1/2 to 1 cup

1 frozen banana

Blend it up, and there you go.  Calories, carbs, protein – mmm …

(Please, if you DON’T train like a maniac in the gym, then don’t do this!  That’ll likely be your entire days worth of calories.  This is only for athletes who NEED those calories badly).

It is an understatement to say that Olympic weightlifters are obsessed with Bulgarians.  No, not the people, or the great food (my Step Dad is Bulgarian, I can testify), or the copious consumption of vodka (well … maybe a bit of that). No, Olympic weightlifters are obsessed with Bulgarian weightlifters, and even more so with their previous head coach Ivan Abadjiev.

Much of this obsession culminates in an attempt to use the ‘Bulgarian method’ of training in some manner on their own.  The problem with this is two-fold.  First, it is hard to pin down just what the method was in the first place that catapulted a tiny nation of only 8 million people into weightlifting superstardom and kept them there for decades.  Second, whatever the exact methods used by the Bulgarians, we do know that they were far out of the zone of practicality for most Americans.

That said, it is still instructive to first evaluate just what the Bulgarian system was actually like.  And then to find a way to incorporate some of the best of it into your training. 

While you can’t train exactly like a Bulgarian, you CAN get much stronger applying some of the same principles upon which their system was founded.

Also, this is my own interpretation of the stuff that is out there about the Bulgarian system. As I mention below, there is little to go on, so we’re forced into the position of interpreters of scarce data (like paleontologists).  Not enviable, but inevitable.

[side note:  It is a fact that the Bulgarians – along with nearly ever other dominant country in sports – used a shite-ton of steroids and other drugs.  Abadjiev hasn’t shied away from this fact, though he calls them (cryptically) ‘recovery agents’.  The two main reasons you CANNOT train like a Bulgarian are: 1) you don’t have the time, this was their job; 2) you aren’t on a bunch of drugs that enable you to recover so fast.  I’m not going to make this a steroids post.  I still believe you can gain a lot from a modified Bulgarian approach.  But, it would be naive to pretend that steroids didn’t play a big part.  That said, most of the countries have their lifters on steroids, so the Bulgarians were hardly unique in this respect.  In other words, drugs were a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for their success.]

What Is the Bulgarian ‘System’?

Sadly, Ivan Abadjiev has never written a book outlining precisely how he trained his lifters (in the late 90’s there was talk, but it never came to fruition).  And none of his lifters have come out with a ‘tell all’ book, either.  We’re left with interviews of Abadjiev and his lifters, a few articles, some writings by those that have spent time with them (e.g. guys like Randall J. Strossen).  It isn’t perfect, but we do have a few things to go on.  See my reference list at the bottom for a few good reads.

Adaptation

The first key principle that we can glean about the Bulgarian system is the principle of Adaptation.  The point is simply that you adapt in direct response to a stimulus.  Different stimuli produce different adaptations.  The adaptations that come from sub-80% lifts are different that the ones that result from >90% lifts. 

The point then, under this idea, is to focus your energy at the top-end weights in training so that you encourage the proper adaptations that are the most sport-specific. 

In a general sense we know this to be true.  How specific we can take it is debatable.  But, on the balance, Abadjiev is on to something. If you want to prepare to lift heavy weights, it makes sense to lift heavy weights.

Specialization

The next principle is Specialization.  Exercises that are not directly related to the sport shouldn’t be relied upon. The thinking is that they don’t result in the right adaptations, for one. But, the other reason is that Olympic weightlifting is one of the most unique sports on the planet.  No other sport requires maximum intensity, high level technique, at such a rapid pace.  It doesn’t matter how good your technique is at 80% or even 95% of max.  All that matters is how good your technique is at 100% of max weights. 

The only way to train yourself to handle yourself with utmost technique at high intensity at max weights is to do just that with the competition lifts themselves.  No exercise can mimic them.  They are your prime strength builders and technique builders.  Add in some front squats and you’re good. 

Abadjiev even dumped the back squat:

"Our athletes do not do any "supportive exercises" they stay with full clean and jerk, snatch, and front squat. We have found that taking back squat out is more effective for the healthy lifter. Sticking with the three lifts named above as the only training for the advanced and healthy lifter…. If the athlete is injured they will do back squat or parts of the lift the full lifts (ie. high pulls, push press, etc…). You must be extremely careful with the stresses you put on your athletes. You must have direct benefits from each exercise because the athlete has limited recovery capacity." IA

Competition Mode

Abadjiev believed that the best training experiences were contests themselves.  He had his lifters in so many contests that they were happening nearly every 3 weeks!  And in the weeks leading into the contests, they were still attacking max weights.  Training sessions mimicked contests – except that they were worse, because you had to take more attempts at weights you missed, not to mention you still had a ton of squatting to do.

Make your training sessions as much like contests as you can in terms of intensity, exercise selection, and reps. And then compete as often as humanly possible. 

Intuitiveness

A point that is often overlooked is the importance in their system of intuition.  Since there is virtually no variety in training at all, it becomes paramount that the lifter learns to interpret what their body is telling them – it’s the only ‘periodization’ available to them.  On days they feel good, they should push it and go for broke.  On days they feel crappy, lay off.   You’ll be back in a few hours anyway.

The other mental point is a total willingness to embrace failure.  Under this system, athletes will miss and miss and miss.  All the time, missing.  They go in, go heavy as hell, and fail.  As time goes on, they fail at higher and higher weights, thereby increasing the weights with which they succeed. 

It is through missing that you learn the character of a lifter.

With intuition, lifters create their own version of periodization:

Lifters might take as little as 1, or as many as 10 attempts at maximum. They might hit a maximum and immediately drop back to 80% before progressing back up (sometimes with minor adjustments in the weights attempted). Alternatively, after one or more maximum attempts they may perform drop down, ‘flushing’ sets at various intensities. Additionally lifters change the order of exercises or repeat exercises within the same session to add extra stimulus where required. Finally, the coach might change the training frequency in a given week to permit greater time for recuperation. These and other variables can be continually adjusted to keep training both mentally and physically stimulating (See Appendix). It should be stressed that Bulgarian lifters utilize daily ‘training’ maximums rather than absolute (best ever) maximums. On a given day, depending on fatigue and arousal levels, these two loads could vary significantly.

[I’m going to refrain from the myriad jokes that could result from the “arousal level” comment!]

Examples of Routines

Most of the time when someone says ‘Bulgarian training’ they mean the following:  Lift as heavy as you can on singles on the classical lifts, 3 times a day, 6 days a week. 

That is a gross oversimplification that leads to some wildly problematic training – and overtraining.  Abadjiev was highly worried about recovery capacity – or more accurately, the lack thereof.  While his lifters had the benefit of ‘recovery agents’ (roids!), constant massage therapy, ice-baths, etc, they still weren’t machines.  No one, even on steroids, can lift like that.  No one.

Instead, there were heavy days/workouts, and lighter workouts.  On the heavy days, one might do ton of lifts at the maximum.  But, on a light day or workout, they may only do power snatches and power cleans and front squats to 70-80%.  Or full lifts, but lighter.

One of the more frequently seen examples is the most basic:

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

9am – 12pm: snatch to heavy single; half-hour break; clean and jerk to heavy single; half hour break; front squat to heavy single.

They may also include back-off sets (singles of course) in the 90% range of whatever the heavy single was. (When I say up to a heavy single, I mean full-on as if it were a contest.  Keep going up till you miss, then try it again.)

3pm to 6pm: same as morning.

9pm: Front squat to heavy single.

Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday

Same as Monday, but only do power versions (or light full versions).  Also, dump the evening front squats.

Sunday

9am: Front squats to heavy single.

Yep, every day – even the Sabbath.  

Another option that I’ve seen is to do only Snatch and Front squats on Mon/Wed/Fri, only Clean and jerk and Front squats on Tue/Thur/Sat, then Front squats on Sunday.  Go heavy when you feel like you can, lighten it up when you have to.  Keep recovery in mind.  (I particularly like this model, it’s intuitive, and basic, and easy to implement.)

How to Use the Bulgarian Ideas to Your Advantage

There are only a few components to juggle when writing a training routine:  exercise selection; sets; reps; volume; load; frequency; and intensity are the main ones.

The Bulgarian training system kept the exercise selection down to a minimum: snatch; clean and jerk; front squat; and sometimes the power versions.  They kept the reps exclusively to singles.  The sets varied depending on how they felt.  The volume (sets x reps) was low. The load (sets x reps x weight lifted) was moderate.  But, the frequency and intensity were both very high. 

The key to the system is high intensity, high frequency, specificity, and an intuitive approach to volume (more sets when feeling good, less when not). 

You can take from that menu what you think will benefit you most. 

Here’s an example of one of my all-time favorite Bulgarian variations for people who can hit the gym often, but not for long each time.

A-day

am/pm: Snatches, Front squats

B-day

am/pm: Clean and Jerks, Front squats.

Alternate these workouts 4 to 6 days a week.  (Workout should take between 20 to 40 minutes.)

Do only singles.  Work up to as heavy a lift as you can on the classical lift for the day, then if you feel good, do some back off singles at 90%.  Front squat to a max-ish weight (remember not to miss!).  Do 1 or 2 back off singles on a good day.

On days you feel strong, you’ll be able to do a lot.  On days you are dragging, let it be.  Just work up to a heavy lift, then front squat whatever you can for a single and go home.  If the crappy days are really crappy, that’s normal.  Don’t feel bad.  That’s part of the program.

You can do the workout only once a day or twice a day, depending on what you have time for, and what your goals are.  It’s a simple and intuitive training routine that most anyone can thrive on. 

Is it realistic for you?  Maybe not.  If you can only come in 3 times a week, you’ll need to make up for the lack of frequency with higher volume in each workout.  And you can’t just do 1 classical lift in each workout  or you’d only be doing it 1 to 2 times a week which isn’t enough. 

If that is you.  Do both lifts all three days, go heavy and hard and finish with back squats.  Same workout every day you come in.  You can progress remarkably far with this.  Go up to something heavy on the classical lift, do some back off sets (2 to 6), move on.   The workouts should be less than an hour and 15 min’s.

The Downsides of the Bulgarian System

There are at least four major downsides to the Bulgarian system.

The first is injury rates.  It is a fact that lifting at the maximum of your ability every day, all year, is not good for you.  It’s hard on your joints, it’s hard on your muscles, and your connective tissues.  There is a reason that Ivan Abadjiev’s nick-name is ‘The Butcher’. 

I am a big believer that if you are never missing on the Oly lifts, you are going too light.  I advocate (in intermediate and above lifters only!) missing regularly.  It teaches you more about your flaws than anything else, and it confers great mental fortitude skills. 

But, I don’t think you should miss on any other exercises – ever!  That’s a lofty goal, that won’t be met.  But, missing on other exercises is far more dangerous.  When you miss on an Olympic lift, you were only under tension for a few nano-seconds.  Your technique broke down, and you dumped the bar.  It’s not something that puts your body under great strain.  It was not a miss at the muscular level, it was at the technique level. 

The same cannot be said of other exercises like front squats, where the action is slow, and your muscles are under tension for far longer.  In these cases you miss because you couldn’t put in enough force.  You strain to put in max force, fail at the muscular level, and something pops …

No fun.  The Bulgarians missed front squats all the time. 

The second is more pedestrian, but arguable nearly as important: boredom.  When all you are doing are the 5 lifts – snatch, clean and jerk, power snatch, power clean, and front squats.  That’s it.  Forever.  You get bored.  There is just no way out of that.  If you’re a top lifter, getting paid to lift, then fight the boredom.  But, if you ain’t … what’s the point again?

Variety is not only the spice of life, it is the spice of lifting.  Most of us really enjoy doing other exercises too.  We don’t want to skip doing deadlifts or Chin ups just because it isn’t directly related to performance of the Oly lifts.  Come on! Them’s fun to do!

Third, the Bulgarian program is not at all good at producing sarcoplasmic hypertrophy – an increase in the fluid in your muscles.  This is the kind of muscle size that bodybuilders have.  It looks good, but it doesn’t make you all that strong in comparison to your appearance. 

But, I say, “who cares?” 

I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are NOT a high-level Olympic weightlifter (National level at least), and that you NEVER will be (neither am I, by the way).  Most of us will always be intermediates.  Forever.  And that is totally fine.  Most of us are doing this because it is fun. We ain’t going to the Olympics. 

So, if we pop out of our weightclass, are bigger than we should be to be supremely competitive, etc … who cares?  While sarcoplasmic hypertrophy doesn’t result in massive strength gains it is good for you in other ways. For one, it increases you metabolism, so it becomes easier to stay lean.  It also looks good.

Let’s face it, this is America.  We don’t like to put the value of function over the value of form.  If a guy has large arms and shoulders, he’ll be more inspired to keep at it.  Similarly, if women notice that their butts and legs are more shapely because of lifting they’ll be more likely to stay. 

Consistency is key.  Paying attention to aesthetics increases consistency.  It’s a fact, and it can’t be ignored in the American market.

Finally, number four.  Most lifters need a lot more work on assistance exercises to perfect their technique.  Remember that when we are talking about the ‘Bulgarian system’, we’re really talking about the top lifters in their system.  You and I are not that, and never will be (at least them’s the odds). 

I like to divide the lifting world into two camps: Divers and Pullers.  Divers are aggressive on the 3rd pull and get themselves under the bar very fast.  But, they tend to cut their 2nd pull short, and so leave the bar out front too much and will miss out front (there are lots of other reasons people miss out front of course, but this is a big one).  Pullers love the 2nd pull.  They got lots of power when it comes to getting height on the bar.  But, they don’t even bother with a 3rd pull. They instead try to race the bar down – and lose.  If they can’t power it up, they can’t make it. 

Over time, each type will get better and better.  But, certain assistance exercises make a major difference (pulls for divers, full-muscle snatch/clean for pullers, etc).  To not use these would be a mistake. 

It comes down to your goals and your level.  The Bulgarian system in its entirety is for very advanced lifters – only.  The rest of us should take from it what we can, but not get carried away. 

Conclusion

I’m still a fan of Bulgarian-ish lifting, even though much of it is not applicable to us.  I like heavy singles; I like sticking to the basics; I prefer frequency + intensity over high volume; and I agree that if you don’t train at the high end of performance regularly, you won’t be ready when it counts.

But, there are downsides that can’t be ignored.  “Take what is useful, discard what isn’t,” said Bruce Lee.  Applies perfectly well here.

References

• Abadjiev, Ivan. “Competition as an Integral Part of the Training Cycle.” http://www.mikesgym.org/programs/uploads/abadjiev1.pdf
• Abadjiev, Ivan. Lecture.  http://www.theironsamurai.com/2010/05/21/ivan-abadjiev-lecture-bulgarian-olympic-weightlifting/
• Drechsler, Arthur. 1998. The Weightlifting Encyclopedia: A Guide to World Class Performance. A is A Communications.
• Everett, Greg. 2009. Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide to Coaches and Athletes. Catalyst Athletics, LLC.
• Klose, Thomas. 2000. “Evgueniy Popov: The Bulgarian Buffalo.” MILO: A Journal for Serious Strength Athletes. Vol 8, Number 1. pp. 98 – 103.
• Strossen, Randall J.. 1999. “Bulgaria 1998.” MILO: A Journal for Serious Strength Athletes. Vol 6, Number 4. pp. 83 – 86.
• Strossen, Randall J. 2000. “Petar Tanev: A New Passport and a Golden Year.” MILO: A Journal for Serious Strength Athletes.  Vol 8, Number 1. pp. 118 – 122.
• Woodhouse, David.  “Ivan Abadjiev + the Bulgarian System”.  http://weightliftingexchange.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=438&Itemid=60   You can also download it here.

You can find some opinions about the Bulgarian methods as interpreted by Mike Burgener, Glenn Pendlay, and Steve Gough on these audio podcasts here.

Bob Takano has a new article up at his blog in which he mentions a talk he gave to a bunch of parents of volleyball athletes about the importance of determining whether your son’s or daughter’s strength coach is qualified to do what it is your child needs done.  Good strength coaching is becoming a serious factor for parents who are hoping that their kid will get a sports scholarship when they go off to college. And if your athlete is on the verge you need to take the choice of strength-performance coaches seriously.

Here’s a quote:

I spent some time discussing the range of abilities presented by people calling themselves personal trainers and how widely those abilities and backgrounds could vary.  I told them to ask questions about prior experience working with athletes, the success levels of those athletes, injury rates of their athletes and what factors would be improved besides vertical jump.  I provided them with an arsenal of questions to help them determine the competency of any strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer they might encounter including whether or not they were certified.

The truth is, it isn’t always easy to find a serious strength coach who has the knowledge of the unique demands that a competitive athlete faces.  These include massive time demands (school, work, practice, girl/boy friend, smokin’ weed with their buddies … but you aren’t supposed to know about that one!), serious risks of over-training due to the overload their already getting from their sport-specific coach, and risks of sport-related injury that could kill their chances at a scholarship.

If you walk into any “normal” big-box gym you’ll be hounded by a slew of “trainers” who look about the same age as your kid!  They’re all excited and jovial, no doubt, but they rarely are going to have a clue what they’re doing (certified or not). Not good.  But, where would you find a qualified coach, and what does “qualified” even mean?

To follow Bob’s lead (again … and yet again I’m using the “5 tips” format! … oh, heavens), I’ve got my own small list of things I’d want to know about a potential coach for my kid (assuming I had a kid).

1. Did you find the trainer in one of those large commercial gyms?  If so, we may have a problem. Not only are the trainers at these places usually grossly under experienced, the gyms themselves are understocked with what I would consider necessary equipment:  platforms, bumper plates, chalk, etc.  If the gym you’re taking your young athlete into doesn’t have at least those three things prominently displayed, then you’re unlikely to find the coach you’re kid needs either.  Sports performance training is a completely different animal then so-called bodybuilding training.  The trainer should know the difference.
2. What certifications does the coach have?  If it’s ACE, turn and RUN.  Trust me on this one. I would only be comfortable with one (or both) of the following:  1) USA Weightlifting’s Sports Performance Coach certification (or equivalently, USA Weightlifting’s Olympic Club Coach certification) OR 2) NSCA’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach certification.  That is, the coaches business card should have “NAME, USAW” or “NAME, CSCS” on it.  Oh, and a college education wouldn’t hurt.
3. Was the trainer an athlete?  If they weren’t, that isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, but it could be a sign.  There is not much like personal experience to teach someone what NOT to do.  If the trainer feels they could have been a “champion” if only they’d had the right coaching, then maybe they’ve developed some idea of what “the right coaching” is.  The strength coach Mark Rippetoe once said, “The best coaches were mediocre athletes.”  They know what it’s like to struggle, to suffer, and to be defeated.  Combine those things with a positive attitude and an inquisitive mind, and you’ve got yourself a good coach … which lead me to:
4. Make sure the performance coach is a “thinker”.  OK, this can be hard to gauge in a quick meeting.  But, designing programs (not just routines) for an athlete requires taking into account a large number of variables, all of which interact back with one another.
5. Is the strength coach a “yeller”?  I know that we all have memories of our high school coaches yelling and screaming at us. And in the movies it’s certainly more fun to have a guy like Mickey from Rocky – red faced, spit spewing from their mouths, veins popping out off their forehead. But, the reality is that most great strength coaches can get their point across without needing to yell.  This is particularly important if your kid is a daughter.  Girls rarely respond well to aggressive screaming.  You know that line, “you’ll catch more flies with honey …”

I could come up with a lot more, but this will have to do for now.  The underlying point is to keep your eyes open and ask a lot of questions.  Anyone who is worth it will more than happy to answer any questions you have.

When I was in High School there were 90 year old women who were bigger, stronger, and taller than I was.   I’ve since gained 60 pounds of muscle–though, I haven’t gotten any taller.  I’ve helped a lot of other skinny kids (and adults) pack on pounds of muscle over the years, and I’m here to tell you that it’s not as impossible as you’d think to gain upwards of 20 pounds of muscle a year throughout your High School and College career (until you start butting up against your genetic limit, of course).  If you’re determined to be as big and muscular as you can possibly be, read on.

[WARNING!  If you are NOT a skinny high school kid with a blazing fast metabolism, then for God's sake don't eat like I'm about to tell you to.  You'll just get fat.  If you ARE a skinny kid with a crazy fast metabolism who works out hard but can't gain weight, then read on.]

You’re in High School.  So, right now, your metabolism is fast–blindingly fast.  You’re constantly busy with a lot of home  and school work (you may even have a job).  And, up till now, you’ve let your parents do all the thinking for you regarding your diet.  I can’t do anything about the first two problems.  But, I can help you with the third.

I’m going to take a (not so) wild guess that you are making one (or more) of the following diet mistakes right now:

1. You don’t eat breakfast
2. You don’t eat right after your workouts
3. You don’t eat right before bed
4. You don’t eat more than 2 meals a day
5. You do eat at these time, but you are following the diet of your favorite Bodybuilder.

The first 4 of these are cardinal sins if you ever want to get big.  You can have the perfect weight training routine, but you’ll still be skinny if you don’t eat a lot. You have to eat a ton of food.  Period.  There is no breaking of that rule–ever.  Eat breakfast, eat post-workout, eat before bed. Those are the 3 most important meals of the day.

The last mistake (number 5) is more of a problem than you might think.  The trouble with bodybuilding diets is that they are too healthy.  I’ll repeat that.  They are TOO HEALTHY.

While bodybuilders are a frequent source of laughter among us strength coaches because of their ridiculous training programs that only work if you’re on steroids, they HAVE figured out diets that are great at getting you leaner and more ripped.  Bodybuilders are very good at that.  But, that is not your goal!!  You have to get big before you can diet down and show off your muscles.  I don’t mean you should get fat, of course, but you have to give up on your abs for at least a  year.

You need massive amounts of calories if you are going to put on 20 to 50 pounds of muscle.  You CAN do this.  I was a skinny kid too, and I did it.  And the way to do it is actually quite simple and enjoyable.

The Trick?  Eat crap all the time–yes, crap.  Mac and Cheese, ice cream, burgers and fries, fried chicken, pizza, etc.  Fun, right?  Get only as much protein as you need to feed the muscle rebuilding process (about 3/4 to 1 gram per pound of body weight), and focus the rest of your eating on carbs and fat (mostly carbs).   You see, your problem isn’t that you aren’t building muscle fast enough, it’s that your body is eating away all the muscle that you’ve build!!  But, if you give it enough calories (carbs) to fuel itself, then you’re protecting your newly built muscles from being devoured by your freaky-fast metabolism.

OK, OK, so what’s the diet already!  Below is a simple 5 meal a day diet (4 meals and 1 shake) that has worked for many skinny kids I’ve worked with over the years (again, if you ain’t a skinny young male, don’t do this!).

The Diet

Breakfast:
4 whole eggs
2 pieces of toast, each with peanut butter and jelly on them
16 oz of whole milk

You could instead eat Pancakes and eggs, or steak and eggs.  I used to eat a whole can of ready-make buiscuits with 4 eggs, syrup, butter, and a large glass of milk.

Lunch:
(you can easily pack this in tupperware and bring it to school)
1 whole box of mac and cheese, mixed with
1 whole can of tuna

You could use ground beef instead of tuna.  Mac and Cheese is great because it’s easy to make before school, easy to carry around, cheap as dirt, and very high in calories (one box has  over 1000).

Snack (an hour before working out):

Bagel, cream cheese, 160z Milk (you can add protein powder to the milk if you want)

During Workout:

Gatorade

After-workout:

32 oz. Chocolate milk

Dinner:
Whatever Mom makes (eat 2 servings), this is a good time to get vegetables.

Things like Burgers, pizza, etc are perfect.  But, it’s hard to say no to meat loaf, or Teriyaki chicken and rice!  Even better, YOU should start cooking dinner for your family (give your Mom a break, man!).  Some day you’ll be on your own, and if you don’t know how to cook, you’ll never reach your strength goals.

Before bed:
Large Bowl of ice-cream, or large bowl of cereal (always, always, always eat carbs before bed – till you get older and your metabolism slows, of course.)

Now just workout with weights 3-4 days a week on compound movements (squats, cleans, snatches, deadlifts), and do 2 days a week of cardio (cardio makes you hungry, this is very helpful–I hate cardio, too).  What are you waiting for?  Go eat!

Parents: I know that the above looks very unhealthy.  It is.  Especially for us adults.  WE can’t eat like that.  But, a young High School kid who is actively working out a lot and has a naturally high metabolism will thrive on the calories.  These kids are like aliens compared to us.

What you can do to mitigate any potentially negative effects would be to make sure they eat vegetables at dinner time, take a multi-vitamin every day, take extra vitamin C and E, and take Fish Oil capsules.  You combine that with the amount of training they are doing, and they’re fine.

I stole this from an Article in Olympic Coach Magazine (the same one I referenced below)

I quote it in full:

Turkey Chili
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 Tbs Olive oil
16 oz Ground turkey (93% lean)
2 Tbs Garlic, minced
1 cup Diced onion
1 cup Diced bell pepper
1-12 oz Dark Beer or Broth
2-14oz cans Diced Tomatoes
1 can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Celery Soup
1 can Low Sodium Black Beans
2 cups Frozen, shelled edamame
MRS DASH Southwest Chipotle Spice to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large sauce pan, sauté ground turkey in olive oil until brown. Add MRS DASH spice blend and garlic and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add onions and peppers and cook until onions are soft (approx 5 min).
3. Add dark beer or broth and simmer until 75% reduced.
4. Add canned tomatoes, beans, and cream of celery soup. Stir well, cover, and simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes.
5. Add frozen edamame, cover, and simmer an additional 10 minutes.
6. Feel free to spice it up at this point with your favorite hot sauce.

**Get creative and add more of your favorite vegetables like frozen corn, zucchini, mushrooms, and even jalapenos!

Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 420; Total fat: 16g Saturated fat: 4g; Protein: 29g; Carbohydrates: 36g; Fiber: 9g; Sodium: 570mg

Kitchen Tips:

1. Ground turkey may have the same total fat as ground meat; but it is lower in saturated fat than lean ground beef!!!
2. MRS DASH spice blends are a great way to season food without increasing the sodium. The blends are perfectly balanced and much more affordable than buying individual spices and blending them yourself!!!

Created by: Adam Korzun, MS, RD, LDN

Avocado Rice
Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 servings Instant Brown Rice
½ tsp Ground cumin
2 Tbs Scallions, chopped
1 ea Avocado, diced

Preparation:

1. Follow the package instructions for 4 servings of rice.
2. Cook according to package details.
3. When cooked, add in cumin, scallions and diced avocado.
4. Stir until well incorporated.

Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 165; Total fat: 5g Saturated fat: 1g; Protein: 3g; Carbohydrates: 27g; Fiber: 3g; Sodium: 50mg

Kitchen Tips:

1. Brown rice has only its husk removed during milling, so it is richer in fiber, trace minerals, and those important B vitamins than more processed white rice.
2. Instant Brown Rice has all of the benefits of traditional brown rice, but it cooks in one third of the time!

Created by: Adam Korzun, MS, RD, LDN