I am going to show you what a healthy cereal should consist of and how to pick it out of the line up of the other unhealthy shit on the shelves.

2. Sugar is one of the first three ingredients listed on the box.

Cereal Killer-The Case of the Missing Abs is a post from: TheRugged

"So eh---You workout?"

So if you’re like every other ‘gym rat’ on the planet you want bigger arms.

This is understandable. In fact, I am right there with you-big arms means you’re a bigger badass.

Now this might come as a surprise to you, but the key to bigger arms is not doing endless sets of bicep curls, but rather strapping on a pair of balls and pulling some heavy weight…and a few other tricks.

A Work of Art

Let’s put this in perspective…

Michelangelo didn’t start flinging paint at the Sistine Chapel hoping it would form one of the most well renowned masterpieces.

No.

He methodically sketched a foundation and continually worked over years until he formed this almost surreal piece of artwork.

I digress…

My point is you need to be focus on lifts that will be your ‘sketch’, or in other words, your ‘foundation’ to build upon.

Start with perfecting the deadlift, the squat or even pulling your own body weight. Once these are perfected, you can begin to isolate and focus workouts solely on arms.

‘Tri’ Harder

Secondly, if you want bigger arms be sure to emphasize your triceps. Your triceps, in case you didn’t know, is a substantially larger muscle than the bicep; therefore it contributes more to the overall size of your arm than the bicep.

Does it look as glorious?

No, but it is essential that you build and focus on the triceps as much as your bicep.

Focus, Focus, Focus

Another way to contribute to your arms size is specialization. Do you workouts as you normally do, but add a few sets of arms to the end of every workout.

Don’t torch your arms, just get in some good solid reps and focus on technique and isolation.

This way you can continue progressing in other areas while putting a bit more focus on your pipes.

Pump YOU Up!

Lastly, though pulling heavy weight contributes a great deal when growing your arms, shuttling massive amounts of blood to these muscles will also aid in recovery and growth.

How can this be done?

High repetitions? Sure.

But even better than that is to implement drop sets into your workout, that way you are maximizing the amount of weight your and increasing overall volume.

Example:

Barbell Drop Set

95 lbs 6 reps

85 lbs 8 reps

75 lbs 10 reps

45 lbs 15 reps [or until failure.]

[*Note: there are many different variations—use what works best for you.]

Your Blueprint for Huge Arms

You have now got a blueprint on how to keep your arms growing and progression in the gym continuous. Focusing solely on your arms may be good for the short term, but overtime you will digress in other areas and progress will be lost.

The Key to Bigger Arms-Hint: It’s What You’re NOT Doing is a post from: TheRugged

Just when fruit started to clear up its name from the days of Adam and Eve—Boom—it’s back on the ‘Do Not Eat List.’

Well, check this out people—I am here to tell you it is okay to eat fruit. No, not as the only thing in your diet and not in excess amounts, because as well all know anything in excess will create issues.

For instance, my brain is so friggin’ big I often get these pounding headaches—but that is neither here nor there.

Call me the snake tempting Adam in the Garden of Eden, but after you read this article I hope that you will have a new perspective on fruit and how it can actually help you achieve your goal of becoming jacked and shredded…

I eat fruit.

I eat all fruits…but just not all the time.

Just like with your regular diet, you should have the necessary foods and the foods that you eat once in a while.

Well, I thought about the main fruits that are part of my everyday diet, and it coincidentally formed the acronym A.B.S.

Holy Shit—I am a genius!

(I actually hate acronyms—the word acronym isn’t even an acronym-or is it?—hypocritical if you ask me.)

The majority of the time (90%) that I eat fruit it will be an apple, blueberries (on non-workout days), bananas (on workout days) and strawberries.

Apples

Blueberries (Bananas)

Strawberries

It isn’t random that I happen to pick these as my “go-to” fruits. They all serve a purpose in my quest to stay in peak shape.

Let’s break it down…

Apples

The bad boys are high in fiber and low in glycemic index.  They are very convenient for those on the road and make it easy to make the right choice when faced with foods of a shittier nutritional profile.

For instance, you walk into the kitchen at work and the new intern has, yet again, made her “gourmet” cookies—truth be told they are better off used as a f*cking door stop because she should’ve cooked them at 350 for 12 minutes not  425 for 20 minutes.

I digress…

But next to her hockey puck cookies, is a bright shiny apple.

What do you do?

You make the right choice…because without that “A” in abs, all you’ve got B.S. (which stands for ‘bullshit’ genius.)

Blueberries

Power food.

Plain and simple.

I love blueberries because they naturally have a lower sugar content and contain an shit-ton (which is slightly more than a shitload) of powerful antioxidants and fiber.

As we all know, antioxidants clear out free radicals which can clear out damaged cells and decrease your risk of cancer.

These are always a good addition to any meal as a dessert or whenever you need a sweet snack.

Check out this post on the benefits of blueberries: This is Your Brain on Blueberries

Bananas

I tend to eat bananas in my “workout window” which is usually an hour before and after an intense workout.

I do this to keep my muscle glycogen at a nice even keel, because it gets rapidly depleted after tossing iron around the gym for an hour.

Eating bananas in the morning as also proved to be beneficial. After a preferable eight hours of sleep and no food in my stomach, glycogen levels are at a very low point and it is important to bring them back up.

They are convenient and can be easily mixed with any protein shake.  Not to mention for all you cheap bastards, they are roughly 69 cents for a pound—you could play the bongos in Grand Central station for 5 minutes and make enough to buy 5-6 bananas.

Strawberries

Strawberries, like blueberries, are low on the glycemic index scale.  This makes them a perfect fruit, even for those on lower carb diets.  They are sweet enough to curb sugar cravings, but low enough in sugar to keep your lower abs in tact.

They are a great source of vitamins, including vitamin C

These are also a great fruit because they can be added to anything from a salad to yogurt to a protein shake.

“Suck on that Atkins!”

So there you have it people—fruit is good for you and you don’t have to turn it down.

With that said, keep your portions in control. Just because I said it’s ok to eating apples doesn’t mean to eat the whole friggin’ tree-catch my drift?

It also doesn’t mean that apple pie is healthy because “Apples are in it bro!—Mike Arone at The Rugged said it’s fine!”

Overall, I tend to keep my carbs on the lower side, but enjoy implementing fruit into my diet to curb sugar cravings, add in some healthy antioxidants and a string of other health related benefits.

The fruits mentioned above all tend to be lower on both the glycemic index (effect on insulin)and glycemic load (how much it effects insulin based on volume)which will keep your blood sugar and insulin in tact.

“What about other fruits?” you wonder.

Listen, there are a million different fruits some I recommend and some I don’t…

The point is these spell “ABS”—and anything to help you REMEMBER how to make a healthy choice will make you more consciously aware. Not being aware often contributes to the demise of any diet or meal plan.

The Death of Fruit: You Give Fruit a Bad Name is a post from: TheRugged

You just finished watching Commando and you decide you want to be just like Colonel John Matrix, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. After realizing your mother’s eye shadow doesn’t make good camouflage and you can’t justify killing 37 people in 9 minutes because some guy wearing leather pants and a chain mesh vest didn’t kidnap YOUR daughter…you decide to hit the gym.
That’s right. To do biceps, so if you WERE holding a 7-foot bazooka, your arms would look “f*cking jacked bro.” Not to mention, you hadn’t done them since, well, the last time you went to the gym.
If you think 45 sets of biceps curls will make your arms grow…read on.

Whether you want ginormous biceps (guys) or toned/sleek biceps (ladies), compound lifts will have to become a staple in your workout regime for OVERALL muscle toning and rapid-fire fat loss.
This Old House

Bob Vila wouldn’t build a house without a foundation, so why the hell would you attempt to build a body without one?  Think of your compounds lifts as the foundation to your house…or to your workout program.  These lifts include squat variations, deadlift variations, rows, pull-ups/chin ups, and press variations.  The best thing about these lifts is that you can’t make a shit-ass excuse as to why you can’t do them, because they are basic enough for a 7 year old to do, yet effective enough for a professional football player. So if you want to continue to look like a bowl of mash potatoes stop reading here, otherwise moving on…
More Bang for Your Buck (You Cheap Bastard)

Compound lifts are also referred to as multijoint lifts, opposed to isolation lifts that ISOLATE one joint and muscle at a time.  By activating more joints, more muscle fibers are recruited giving you the ability to lift more than just your ass off the couch.   Building this strength is the key to progression and growth.

Efficiency (Less Time in the Gym=More Muscles Outside the Gym)

“I spend 2 ½ hours in the gym everyday dude!”
Translation: “I don’t know what the hell I am doing, so I do every exercise under the sun, walk to the water fountain 17 times while checking my profile out in the mirror, and then walk on the treadmill for a half hour while I look up porn on my IPhone.”

With compound lifts, you can make your time in the gym way more efficient with only a few exercises, cutting your time in the gym in half.  If you implement three full body workouts a week using compound lifts, your results will come a lot faster and your new balanced shape will look hell of a lot better than your old  top-heavy “chicken hawk” build.
Fat Loss

Because you are able to target more muscle groups with less lifts, burning fat with compound lifts is easy.
Put it all together in a full body workout with minimal rest times and a variation in rep ranges and you got yourself a fat burning workout that will have your fat melting faster than Heidi Montague’s new face.
Try this one next time you need a fat burning boost and are short on time:
Do the following circuit for 4 rounds:
Squat x 6 reps (do a weight you can do for 8 reps)
Rest 45 seconds
Underhand Rows x 8 reps (do a weight you can do for 10 reps)
Rest 45 Seconds
Romanian Deadlift x 10 reps (do a weight you can do for 12 reps)
Rest 45 Seconds
Incline Bench or Incline DB Press x 12 reps (do a weight you can do for 15 reps)
Rest 45 Seconds and then repeat the circuit 3 more times

So there you have it…
And remember compound lifts are so versatile and can be implemented into any workout program. So whether you’re short on time, short on equipment…or just short in general,  these lifts can help you INCREASE STRENGTH, BUILD MUSCLE AND BURN FAT…all without the face camo. (Grow up you weirdo. Plus, everyone knows that mud works better than eyeliner.)

Get The Most “Bang for Your Buck” with Compound Lifts is a post from: TheRugged

“Give me some iceberg lettuce, a couple grape tomatoes and sprinkle some croutons on that shit.  Time to get ripped!”

For some reason everyone thinks that when it’s time to shed some fat, it’s all about the tasteless, USELESS salad.  Contrary to popular belief, you can actually build muscle with the right “concoction” at the salad bar.  If you are looking to sabotage any progress…go right ahead and keep eating your rabbit food…otherwise sit back and learn how to make a muscle pumping, fat shedding, ball-dropping salad.

Let’s take a look at your current “situation”

(Not to be confused with “THE Situation”)

Iceberg Lettuce

Iceberg lettuce has about as much nutritional value as air.  You are better off drinking a glass of water.  Green water.

Grape Tomatoes

Oh Shit…you’re on the right track…good for you. Tomatoes provide a great source of vitamin C, A and potassium. But, oh wait, you probably take these off and feed them to your Teacup Terrier!

Croutons

Depending on what type you buy, these may as well be crushed up Doritos sprinkled on your salad.  With that said, I understand that they add a crunchy texture and a much needed salty kick in your salad, but try making your own by oven baking small, cut-up pieces of whole wheat bread.

“Light” Dressing

“Light” dressing is usually vegetable oil based, which is shit.  Why? It is processed to smithereens and isn’t a great source of mono-saturated fat…that’s why. Plus, when something is “low fat”, it usually contains added sugar and salt to offset the shitty taste. With that said, it’s better than regular dressing and as long as the portion is taken into consideration…it’s ok to use…kind of.

Now introducing…

Salad with a Set of Balls!

Mixed Greens/Spinach

Here we got the base of our salad.  Is it nutritionally dense? Not so much.  Maybe if you eat potato sack full of it. That being said, there’s about 9 calories to a cup of this leafy delight, and you’re likely to find more calories in a spitball. But take it where you can get it.  The couple grams a fiber sounds like a good tradeoff to me.

Red Kidney Beans (any bean really)

Packed with fiber, beans also contain a full chain of amino acids. To spell it out for ya: Throw a half cup of these bad boys in any salad and you got muscle building protein and colon-cleansing fiber. These are two culprits are often found guilty for getting people shredded.

Grape Tomatoes

(See above Einstein)

Cucumbers

“Cool as a cucumber.” These bad boys have “cooling” properties known to reduce inflammation and heat.  So next time you’re up until 3am playing Guitar Hero, stick these on you’re eyes in the morning and no one will know. (Except you’re mother who tucked you in.  Grow up…you’re 30).

Red Bell Peppers

Red Bell Peppers are loaded with vitamins and a powerful antioxidant called Lycopene.  Lycopene is the King Kong of antioxidants.  Slice some of this on your salad and your body will be dropping cancer cells like “Pauly D” drops beats.

Avocados

I could write a whole blog on avocados (that no one would read).  “They are so high in fat Mike.”  Right you are; high in healthy mono-saturated fat that’ll help lower your cholesterol. From taste to texture, these make a great addition to any salad. They are good for your skin too.  So rub some guacamole on that zit “pizzaface” and it’ll be cleared by prom.

Grilled Chicken (hard boiled eggs or any lean meat works here)

Whether it’s grilled chicken, eggs or even shrimp, I find it essential to have some extra protein if you want a badass, ball-dropping salad that’ll build muscle. ‘Nough said.

Wheat Germ

This is basically the good stuff stripped from all your breads, rice, and pastas when they are processed to hell.  Add this in place of crotons (or any other shit you sprinkle on your salad) and you’ll add an additional 4-5 grams of fiber.  I throw this on anything I am looking to add some fiber to.

Oil/Balsamic Vinegar

Try and choose extra virgin olive oil, because it is the least processed and most nutritionally dense with healthy fats and antioxidants.

Vinegar, although it boasts an impressive list of benefits including nutrient absorption, is more or less used because it’s a much better replacement for the other booby-traps you top your salad with.

Now, I know that the last vegetable you had was the pickle off your friggin’ Big Mac, but next time you hit the salad bar for something “healthy,” try adding some of the above items to your salad and maybe you’ll see those muscles grow!

What do you put on your salad? Carrots? Olives? Paint chips? What’s your own favorite kick-ass salad recipe?

Post it BELOW. Maybe I will post in the “coming soon” Recipe articles.

Salad with a Set of Balls is a post from: TheRugged

So you might think that hitting the gym 8 days a week is how you get the physique of a Greek god that can bench press a rhino.

Though we like the way you think and feel your head is in the right place…you, my friend, are neglecting the essentials. Kind of like learning the alphabet is to reading—Pull Ups are to muscle and strength.

Riddle me this Batman…

How often do you see a guy at the gym that can effortlessly perform 20 bodyweight pull-ups?

LIE!

Answer is none, because most “gym rats” couldn’t perform 2 pull ups if their protein shake and Got-to-Be hair gel depended on it.

Well The Rugged has you covered. In fact, we have you more than covered. We have put together a ‘Top Secret’ (not anymore) program that will get you there step by step.

If you’re your sick of being a chump, want to impress chicks and built a back so wide Kim Kardashian’s private helicopter could land on it, come take a look…

Day 1-Volume

Warm-Up—5 perfect pull ups (2 seconds up; 1 second hold; 2 seconds down)

Soft Tissue work

-Foam roll or tennis ball roll upper back trigger points and rear dealt “pocket” (this should be somewhat painful)

-Stretch pectorals; this includes pec major (your tit, and pec minor; along the side)

Workout #1

5 Pull Ups with 10% of bodyweight

5 Pull Ups with 10%+5 lbs

3 Pull Ups with 25% or 45 lb plate

1 Pull Up with 25% or 45 lb plate

1 Pull with 25% or 45 lb plate

5 Pull Ups with 10% of bodyweight

10 PERFECT Pull Ups from “dead hang”

Day 3-Negatives

Warm-Up—5 perfect pull ups (2 seconds up; 1 second hold; 2 seconds down)

Soft Tissue work

-Foam roll or tennis ball roll upper back trigger points and rear dealt “pocket” (this should be somewhat painful)

-Stretch pectorals; this includes pec major (your tit, and pec minor; along the side)

Workout #2

15 Pull Ups (Negative ONLY; 3 seconds down)

-15 “blast push ups in between sets-

10 Pull Ups with 45lbs (Negative Only; 3 seconds down)

-15 “blast push ups in between sets-

10 Pull Ups with 45lbs (Negative Only; 3 seconds down)

-15 “blast push ups in between sets-

8 Pull Ups with 45lbs + 10lbs (Negative Only; 3 seconds down)

-15 “blast push ups in between sets-

4 Pull Ups with 45lbs + 25 lbs (Negative Only; 3 seconds down)

Day 5-High Reps

Warm-Up—5 perfect pull ups (2 seconds up; 1 second hold; 2 seconds down)

Soft Tissue work

-Foam roll or tennis ball roll upper back trigger points and rear dealt “pocket” (this should be somewhat painful)

-Stretch pectorals; this includes pec major (your tit, and pec minor; along the side)

Workout #3

4 sets of MAX Pull Ups (3 minutes in between each set)

-In between each set do a set of “face pulls” with cable on top notch for 25 reps

Important Note:

EVERYDAY find time to do at least 1 SET OF MAX PULL-UPS

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT…

The Road to Master Pull Up Artist and King of the Bar. Performing pull ups is not only a muscle building exercise that will build strength and endurance—but it can be performed anywhere so you don’t have an excuse.

Now get to it…and when everyone asks you why you’re the man—be sure to throw The Rugged a bone!

The Road to Master Pull-Up Artist is a post from: TheRugged

“What does creatine do? Seriously. Tell me.”

Oh, you don’t know?  Hmmm…Interesting. No worries. Most people don’t.

We can help with that so next time you’re asked the million dollar question, you’ll have a legitimate answer.

What the Hell Does Creatine Do?

Creatine is able to reserve and enhance energy in the muscle. How? Because it helps to increase protein synthesis and minimize the breakdown of protein.  This happens because creatine helps to “super-hydrate” the muscle cells with water. This will cause your muscles fibers to grow physically bigger while increasing strength.

Phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate) is produced once creatine actually reaches your muscle cells. This is how energy is regenerated in your muscles. This newfound energy that will help you finally squat that bar off the rack is known as ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

Easy enough? Good.

When and How to Take It

Some people like to “load” creatine in order to get it into their systems and yield results a bit faster. By loading, you take an increased dosage for a week or so and then taper down to one to two servings per day.

It isn’t completely necessary and may cause stomach cramps if you aren’t used to taking it. The most effective way – that won’t cause stomach irritation – is to throw 5-10 grams in with your post-workout shake. This will ensure that your muscles will absorb and process the creatine more efficiently.

Always drink a lot of water when taking creatine (or any supplement for that matter.). Because creatine provides energy for your muscle, which is made up of quite a bit of water, it is essential to consume a lot of it.

So Many Choices, So Many Brands

There are almost as many brands and types of creatine as there are for toothpaste. A standard creatine monohydrate has proven to yield optimal results for many years.

Will the others work?

Probably, but the hype of advertisements have caused their prices to skyrocket and leave your wallet empty.

Suggestion: If you have never taken creatine, start with 1-2 servings of a basic creatine monohydrate. Tweak the dosage from 5-10 grams depending on your weight and progress.

***

The next time you buy a supplement because the guy squatting a Honda Civic in the magazine takes it…do the research!

Creatine is a 100% natural supplement that is found in the foods you eat everyday. Therefore it isn’t illegal and doesn’t have a string of side effects that will grow you a third eye (though that would balance out your unibrow).

If you don’t feel like doing the research, just email me at marone@therugged.com so that I can either:

A.)  Smack some sense into ya!

OR

B.)  Give you some wise and knowledgeable advice that will save you money.

Now quit wasting precious gym time and get to it!

What’s the Deal with Creatine? is a post from: TheRugged

If you think being locked up inside my apartment this weekend threw me off my fitness game—think again.

Though many of you may have been looking for excuses not to workout or eat right because of the hurricane, there are the meatheads of the world that found it an opportune time to think outside the box.

Mother Nature reared her ugly this weekend on the East Coast in form of a hurricane-her name was Irene.  Though I wasn’t able to watch my Sunday’s best HBO television–I now know what the Amish folk go through on a daily basis—minus churning my own butter, wearing those strange top hats or…ok, so it was nothing like what they go through–I lost electricity. (No offense to Amish people, though it wouldn’t matter anyway because you wouldn’t have the means to read this article anyhow).

Some of you may or may not have been equipped, but with these 5 tips, next time a hurricane and/or other natural disaster tries to rear up the coast—you will be ready.

Without further adieu, here are FIVE Ways a Meathead Prepares for a Hurricane…

1. 1.    Canned Food (any perishables)

Now, not any canned food will do here. The point is to worry about getting your proteins covered first. There is more than just tuna out there on that shelves. Though with the madness that went on in the supermarket this weekend, you may have to tussle with Grandma to get your share—She was no match for my iron grip.

Make wise choices, such as chicken, tuna, salmon or even shrimp. Assuming that you have lost power and, mix it will some extra virgin olive oil and some salt and better.

To cover your carbohydrate and fiber any type of beans will do—rinse them thoroughly and you’re all set.

Toss in a side of almonds or any other nut and you got yourself a complete meal.

Protein-check.

Healthy fat-check.

Fiber-check.

1. 2.    Protein Powder

The convenience of protein supplements is endless. If you got water and powder, you have got yourself a nice little mid morning or mid day protein pulse snack. You normally like to mix in a little peanut butter for a lo carb high protein fix, but mixing peanut butter is about as easy as calculus without that kid you used to cheat off of junior year.

Grab some coconut oil to get your EFAs and mix it right in.

1. 3.    Iron Gym

The Iron Gym or any other type of pull up apparatus is a great way to get an in-home workout.

Not only is the iron gym useful, but so aren’t other objects in your house or apartment.

1. 4.    Stretching

“Stretching? —But, the last time I stretched was putting dollar bills in stripper’s g-string.”

Exactly.

Being stuck in your house without a ton of time to do nothing, why not catch up on some stretching. It is the most overlooked aspect of fitness and most common cause of injury. Not stretching hinders so many possibilities in the gym—from becoming more flexible to range of motion. This all contributes to efficiency in the gym and in turn results that will help pack on muscle, burn fat and make you that much more athletic.

1. 5.    Beer

Shit, if you’re going to ride out a hurricane you might as well drink a few adult beverages while you’re at it—if and only if of age.

Though not trending as the number one help topic for fitness—there are ways to make this a bit healthier. Check out this post…

***

So now that you have your official ‘Rugged Hurricane Survival Kit’ you are ready to whether any storm.

Be sure to ‘Like’ this article or trend it on twitter #therugged

5 Ways a Meathead Prepares for a Hurricane is a post from: TheRugged

If you are like most “gym rats” on the planet, you may think that hitting the gym 8-days a week is the best possible way to gain the huge pecs you desire, the lean midsection chicks drool over and be able to squat a Fiat without breaking a sweat…

Well, like most “gym rats” you’d be going in the absolute wrong direction to accomplishing any of the above.

At The Rugged—we want you to become as jacked and ripped as humanly possible.  In case you haven’t noticed that trend or you are new to the site, it may be time for you to check the back logs of posts geared toward getting you in peak shape.

Today, though…today we teach you the overlooked element of recovery and how to accomplish this. Check it out…

Proper Rest and Sleep

You think staying up until 4AM playing ‘Halo 17′ is a great way to build muscle–you better check yourself…check yourself right into bed bucko. That’s right–get at least 6-8 hours of sleep a night.

While you’re in your nighttime slumber having wet dreams about your high school lunch lady (gross by the way)…you’re body is an anabolic breeding round.  This is when growth hormones are at their peak and recovery can really put into fast forward and help you properly recover and grow from your workouts.

Sleep big, look big.

Overtraining, Undermuscluar

I don’t know if ‘undermuscular’ is even a word—if it isn’t feel free to use it anyhow.

You may think that being in the gym every day and pounding the hell out of your muscles is the way to build lean mass…dead wrong. This is actually the equation for muscle destruction.  If you do not give your muscles a “breather,” so to speak, they will not have a chance to repair and rebuild. Over training is like tying a giant stone to someone’s ankle that is trying to swim ashore. Sure they eventually get to where they need to be, but it will take a lot longer and there will be many injuries and setbacks along the way—minus the possibility of getting eaten by sharks or stung by a giant jellyfish…

I digress.

Symptoms of overtraining include:

Constantly in a pissy mood

No desire to train

Always sore

Minimal or no gains in performance

Proper Nutrition

You eat like crap—face it.

Get prepared, get educated and start eating. You’re mid-day granola bar isn’t healthy and definitely isn’t going to help you achieve the muscle you desire.  There are plenty of resources out that that can teach you how to eat properly in order to gain muscle and lose fat. (Hint: RIGHT HERE!!!)

Let me break it down nice and simple:

Lots of lean protein

A low/moderate amount of complex carbs (depending on goals, metabolic rate and weight)

A moderate amount of healthy fats

A shit-ton of vegetables (you can never have too many)

Proper ‘peri-workout’ nutrition (pre, para, and post)

Supplemental Support

The above three reasons should be able to get you about 95% of the way there—but we know schedules and lifestyle don’t always allow people to accomplish that.

Well, no worries. There are some very reputable companies around that have a spectrum of products to help you get proper recovery. We always look for companies that have been around for a long time and have time and time again proven positive results.

Labrada Nutrition is always a “go-to” especially when it comes to proper recovery supplementation.  Everything from protein shakes to BCAA products, they have been a wise choice for tons of bodybuilders across the planet.

A new product that I have recently stumbled upon is HICA-MAX. It is called a “muscle growth stimulator.”

CHEWABLE--JUST LIKE YOUR FLINSTONE VITAMINS!

I call it the ‘Ultimate Amino Acid’—you can call it whatever you want.

It contains an leucic acid, which is imperative for building and repairing beat up muscles and prepping them for growth and recovery in record time—by this I mean you won’t have as much delayed onset muscle soreness as you have had in the past. Not only that, but it aids in protein synthesis—you will be able to absorb and shuttle protein into your muscles more efficiently. Plus it taste like candy and can be taken “on-the-go”…so no excuses.

What does this means for you?

Faster recovery, faster growth…more chicks gawking at you on the beach.

Apply it!

Now, we know this isn’t the easiest thing for a “gym rat” to do—but trust us…

Your body will be grateful and your progress will remain consistently moving in the upward position–bigger muscles, heavier weight…more girls!

Recovery: The Most Overlooked Element in Getting Jacked is a post from: TheRugged

So you may be thinking that when you go on vacation that it is a time to splurge on all ends of the spectrum and put your workouts and eating habits off to the side because, well, you have earned it. It’s time to go on a weeklong bender of baby back ribs, booze and baby back ribs cooked in booze.

You worked so hard all winter and spring long to look like the John Basedow (minus the onion loaf haircut) on the beach right?

You have loaded up on protein, cut carbs and forced down more vegetables than a family of rabbits and damnit—you’re going to rebel and show everyone who is the ‘King of the Caribbean Beaches…

In between trips to the bathroom and bottles of Peptol Bismol.

Well, for the health nuts of the world that can’t bare to miss a workout or veer off the plan, The Rugged knows how you feel and we have some fanatics of our own and have tapped into their crazy minds and to capture some crucial advice on how to stay healthy while on vacation.

Hit the local grocery store

One cool thing about vacation is not seeing the same old scenery and the same ugly people.

Well, you can carry this over into your food choices as well.

Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean that grocery stores don’t exist. They, in fact, do and if you have the luxury of traveling to a different country or a much different place other than your cousin Jimmy’s beach house on Cape Cod—you might be able to find some different local, foods that you can’t find around your neck of the woods.

When shopping just keep in mind that it need to be simple and to the point.

A good list would include eggs, whole wheat bread, nuts, veggies (or mixed greens), fruits and lean meats.

This will give the necessities as far as protein, healthy fats, vitamins, fiber and complex carbohydrates. Now you maybe wondering, “bread isn’t the best choice for a complex carb choice.”

You’re right, but as far as convenience—whipping up a chicken sandwich is a lot easier than baking a potato or cooking up some rice.

Choose wisely

When traveling, you will tend to eat-out more than not. This can be a tricky situation for most, but it doesn’t have to be.

Restaurants tend to cook with a lot of butter, oil and salt because, shit, it tastes amazing.

With that said—give the menu a good look over and see kindly ask your server to make some small customizations for you.

Comes with fries on the side?

Ask for a salad.

Comes with cream sauce?

Tell them to put it on the side or no sauce at all.

I haven’t been to a restaurant yet that I haven’t been able to find a healthy or healthier choice than the deep fried lamb shank smothered in Alfredo sauce.

Get creative with your workouts

Sometimes staying on your regular routine can be difficult on vacation.  Maybe your schedule is different, there isn’t a gym nearby or the “fitness center” isn’t much more than an antique treadmill and a dust-laden dumbbell.

No worries.

You have just enough equipment right in your hotel room to together a heart-pumping workout.

Got a chair?

Spilt squats, feet elevated push-ups, sit ups, dips…see where I am going with this.?

Still don’t think it’s possible?

Try this on for size next time your stranded at The Comfort Inn.

Split Squats (foot elevated on chair) x 10 reps each leg

Blast Push Ups x 8

Burpees x10

Jump Lunges 30 secs

Front Planks 60 secs

Do this circuit 4-5 times through.

Indulge—but space it out.

On vacation, I find it imperative to have a few cheat meals throughout the week but tend to space them out evenly.

Maybe it’s dessert on Monday, drinks on Wednesday and Stuffed Lobster drenched in butter on Friday…

The reasoning behind this beside the nutritional advantages such as leptin sensitivity, etc.—it will show you that sometimes your body and mind need to indulge a bit.

Chances are if you have been grinding it to the bone until this point, it will have minimal effect on your six-pack or internal health. If anything it will show you that you can indulge and that you will mentally benefit more than anything.

So, with all this said, crank up your iPod to “Make My Ears Bleed” Volume with some Jimmy Buffet and feel at ease that The Rugged can be your Official Survival Guide to Staying Healthy on Vacation!

Keeping it Healthy While on Your Vacation Bender is a post from: TheRugged