This week, M&F is kicking some serious wisdom. With Olympia Weekend right around the corner (Sept. 27-28), we have enlisted an all-star panel of experts and industry leaders to answer your most burning questions on physique-building – both digitally and in the flesh.This weekend at the M&F booth in Vegas, you can put your queries to some of the biggest names in the industry, up close and personal. For now, you can bask in the wisdom and experience of our experts online. Recently, we discussed eating and supplementation for mass-building with David Sandler. For this seminar, we have enlisted fitness model/actor Mehmet Edip to field your questions on getting cover model lean.Q: I work at a gym in office so I try to hit it at least an hour a day at lunch, trying to trim down a bit but keep the muscle I already have. Any suggestions on routines?A: Routine-wise, I would suggest a circuit which involves supersets (two exercises executed back to back without rest), tri-sets (three exercises consecutively) or, if you are feeling athletic, then you can attempt giant sets (four exercises or more in a row). These simple techniques actually increase the amount of work you perform in a specific time period, since you’re moving quickly from one exercise to another with minimal rest in between sets, which leads to a more intense workout and a higher expenditure of calories.Try to rest no longer than two minutes between any of these sets and try to reduce that period of time the more proficient you become.
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Q: I am a regular gymgoer and I have been doing exercise since last year but my biceps are still 15 inches and my body is not like a professional’s. Can you suggest some supplements I should be taking to help with helping me grow lean muscle?A: In order to gain lean muscle tissue then I would suggest having at least the following three supplements below. Be sure to take these post-workout, as directed.Hydrolized whey: Hydrolized whey is created by hydrolizing intact proteins into a mixture of aminos and smaller proteins, which are absorbed more efficiently and can increase protein synthesis (which essentially leads to muscle hypertrophy, or growth).Glutamine: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, comprising more than 60% of the free amino acid pool in skeletal muscle. Taking glutamine is great for helping to reduce muscle soreness and in turn help repair and build the muscle tissue that you break down in the gym.BCAA: Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) consist of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are essential in protein synthesis and in simple terms they combine simpler amino acids to form a complex whole muscle tissue
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Q: I want to reveal my six-pack which is covered by layers of fat. Show me the right way!A: This question really depends on your current cardio routine and diet but in relation to the cardio I would suggest HIIT (high-intensity interval training). HIIT, in simple terms, is when you alternate between short bursts of intense activity with a similar period of less intense activity and is a great way to burn fat. Studies comparing HIIT to continuous steady state exercise have shown that HIIT is far superior for fat loss, despite requiring less time to complete.An example program would be: 1 minute walking, followed by a 30 second sprint, for a total of 15-20 mins. You can adjust the time of rest or activity but a 2:1 rest-to-work ratio is a good marker for success.
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Q: Best exercises for cutting and defining the outer, lower pectorals?A: Decline barbell and dumbell exercises are great staple for helping develop this part of the pecs but decline cable flyes and cable crossovers are great for this area. These moves will help carve your chest and give it deep striations. I would recommend a moderate weight when completing the movement and to concentrate on the mind-muscle connection to activate as many fibers as possible.
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Q: I’m 41 now. I’m six feet tall and weight about 190 pounds. I want to get shredded without taking pills that accelerate my metabolism or heart rate – so no caffeine or guarana none of that. What can I do?A: Diet and cardio are key here but if we were to concentrate on diet for a second then the best way to manipulate your body into burning fat is to carb cycle. The premise behind carb cycling is that you deplete your carbohydrate stores, allowing your body to exhaust muscle glycogen and burn body fat. Carb cycling is a process used to help bodybuilders and athletes alike to drop body fat. If you consume more caloric energy than your body needs, the extra will be converted to stored glycogen and fat.There are various types of this diet, one version is where you have high-carb, low-carb and no-carb days. Generally, the three days are rotated, or cycled, equally but carbohydrate manipulation is the key here. By lowering and eliminating the carbohydrates for a few days, you put the body into a fat-burning state. The high carbohydrate day the helps prevent metabolic slowdown and also allows you the opportunity to have better energy levels throughout the fat loss process and this could even result in the gain of muscle tissue. If you cannot cope with not having any carbs at all then you can also carb cycle by having three low days followed by one high day. It is important to stress that the high day should be on a day when you a most likely to be exerting the most amount of energy – say, leg day for example
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Q: Where can I find a great nutrition plan with recipes, how to meal prep, and feeding times? I am trying to get to and stay around 10% in time for a killer summer full of vacations next year.A: To ensure you don’t lose any of your hard earned muscle it is recommended that meals should take place every 2-3 hours. Anything longer than that then you risk muscle tissue being used as fuel.To ensure you are eating enough protein be sure to have a minimum of 25 grams of protein in each meal.
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Q: What is the real perfect number of sets and reps to develop to lean mass?A: I have personally been a big believer in always lifting heavy and trying to get a minimum of 10 reps out of each exercise. For me, this has always varied from 3-10 sets per bodypart or muscle group. But the best way to obtain lean muscle mass is to push them to the limits. A few of my favorite methods, some more complicated than others, include drop sets, occlusion training and German volume training (GVT). GVT focuses on compound movements for 10 sets of 10 reps each. For more on occlusion training you can click here.Drop sets – when the muscles are fatiguing during a certain weight, strip some weight off and then carry on until failurs
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Q: Do you have any tips on how to burn the love handles and the fat on the lower part of the stomach?A: Again diet and cardio are important factors here but the lower abdominals can be best targeted by challenging moves that emphasize those muscles. Most people are familiar with reverse crunches but by stepping up the difficulty – in your cardio routine as well – you can drastically increase your results. These are three of my favorite moves for lower abs:Hanging Knee RaiseGrip the bar with hands around shoulder width apart. Once you’re hanging with your feet slightly off the floor, slowly pull your knees up keeping your legs together. Pause for a second, and slowly lower your knees back to the starting position.Decline Bench Reverse CrunchLie on your back on a decline bench and hold on to the top of the bench with both hands. With your legs extended and a slight bend in your knees, exhale steadily while curling your hips up and off the bench toward your torso until your knees touch (or almost touch) your chest. Hold the contraction for a count and lower your hips and legs back to the start position while inhaling.Dragon FlagLie on your back on a flat bench and grab the sides of the bench next to your head. Bend your knees and pull your hips off the bench until your knees are over your chest. Extend your legs above you so that your torso and legs are perpendicular to the floor. Your head and shoulders support your body weight in this position. Inhale and lower your legs and hips back toward the bench. Keep your body rigid as much as you are able to throughout.Mehmet Edip is an internationally published fitness model, writer, actor and competitive athlete. You can visit his personal website,like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.Be sure to check back tomorrow for our online seminar on getting shredded! You can the Muscle & Fitness Facebook page to submit questions to our expert, fitness model Mehmet Edip, and check back tomorrow for his responses.Going to the Olympia Expo this weekend? Don’t forget to stop by the M&F booth for live seminars featuring, among others, reigning Ms. Figure Olympia Erin Stern, bikini pro Katie Chung Hua and Stan Efferding, the world’s strongest bodybuilder. For a full schedule and to see what other industry standouts will be attending, click here.
This week, M&F is kicking some serious wisdom. With Olympia Weekend right around the corner (Sept. 27-28), we have enlisted an all-star panel of experts and industry leaders to answer your most burning questions on physique-building – both digitally and in the flesh.
This weekend at the M&F booth in Vegas, you can put your queries to some of the biggest names in the industry, up close and personal. For now, you can bask in the wisdom and experience of our experts online. Recently, we discussed eating and supplementation for mass-building with David Sandler. For this seminar, we have enlisted fitness model/actor Mehmet Edip to field your questions on getting cover model lean.
Q: I work at a gym in office so I try to hit it at least an hour a day at lunch, trying to trim down a bit but keep the muscle I already have. Any suggestions on routines?
A: Routine-wise, I would suggest a circuit which involves supersets (two exercises executed back to back without rest), tri-sets (three exercises consecutively) or, if you are feeling athletic, then you can attempt giant sets (four exercises or more in a row). These simple techniques actually increase the amount of work you perform in a specific time period, since you’re moving quickly from one exercise to another with minimal rest in between sets, which leads to a more intense workout and a higher expenditure of calories.
Try to rest no longer than two minutes between any of these sets and try to reduce that period of time the more proficient you become.
Q: I am a regular gymgoer and I have been doing exercise since last year but my biceps are still 15 inches and my body is not like a professional’s. Can you suggest some supplements I should be taking to help with helping me grow lean muscle?
A: In order to gain lean muscle tissue then I would suggest having at least the following three supplements below. Be sure to take these post-workout, as directed.
Hydrolized whey: Hydrolized whey is created by hydrolizing intact proteins into a mixture of aminos and smaller proteins, which are absorbed more efficiently and can increase protein synthesis (which essentially leads to muscle hypertrophy, or growth).
Glutamine: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, comprising more than 60% of the free amino acid pool in skeletal muscle. Taking glutamine is great for helping to reduce muscle soreness and in turn help repair and build the muscle tissue that you break down in the gym.
BCAA: Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) consist of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are essential in protein synthesis and in simple terms they combine simpler amino acids to form a complex whole muscle tissue
Q: I want to reveal my six-pack which is covered by layers of fat. Show me the right way!
A: This question really depends on your current cardio routine and diet but in relation to the cardio I would suggest HIIT (high-intensity interval training). HIIT, in simple terms, is when you alternate between short bursts of intense activity with a similar period of less intense activity and is a great way to burn fat. Studies comparing HIIT to continuous steady state exercise have shown that HIIT is far superior for fat loss, despite requiring less time to complete.
An example program would be: 1 minute walking, followed by a 30 second sprint, for a total of 15-20 mins. You can adjust the time of rest or activity but a 2:1 rest-to-work ratio is a good marker for success.
Q: Best exercises for cutting and defining the outer, lower pectorals?
A: Decline barbell and dumbell exercises are great staple for helping develop this part of the pecs but decline cable flyes and cable crossovers are great for this area. These moves will help carve your chest and give it deep striations. I would recommend a moderate weight when completing the movement and to concentrate on the mind-muscle connection to activate as many fibers as possible.
Q: I’m 41 now. I’m six feet tall and weight about 190 pounds. I want to get shredded without taking pills that accelerate my metabolism or heart rate – so no caffeine or guarana none of that. What can I do?
A: Diet and cardio are key here but if we were to concentrate on diet for a second then the best way to manipulate your body into burning fat is to carb cycle. The premise behind carb cycling is that you deplete your carbohydrate stores, allowing your body to exhaust muscle glycogen and burn body fat. Carb cycling is a process used to help bodybuilders and athletes alike to drop body fat. If you consume more caloric energy than your body needs, the extra will be converted to stored glycogen and fat.
There are various types of this diet, one version is where you have high-carb, low-carb and no-carb days. Generally, the three days are rotated, or cycled, equally but carbohydrate manipulation is the key here. By lowering and eliminating the carbohydrates for a few days, you put the body into a fat-burning state. The high carbohydrate day the helps prevent metabolic slowdown and also allows you the opportunity to have better energy levels throughout the fat loss process and this could even result in the gain of muscle tissue. If you cannot cope with not having any carbs at all then you can also carb cycle by having three low days followed by one high day. It is important to stress that the high day should be on a day when you a most likely to be exerting the most amount of energy – say, leg day for example
Q: Where can I find a great nutrition plan with recipes, how to meal prep, and feeding times? I am trying to get to and stay around 10% in time for a killer summer full of vacations next year.
A: To ensure you don’t lose any of your hard earned muscle it is recommended that meals should take place every 2-3 hours. Anything longer than that then you risk muscle tissue being used as fuel.
To ensure you are eating enough protein be sure to have a minimum of 25 grams of protein in each meal.
Q: What is the real perfect number of sets and reps to develop to lean mass?
A: I have personally been a big believer in always lifting heavy and trying to get a minimum of 10 reps out of each exercise. For me, this has always varied from 3-10 sets per bodypart or muscle group. But the best way to obtain lean muscle mass is to push them to the limits. A few of my favorite methods, some more complicated than others, include drop sets, occlusion training and German volume training (GVT). GVT focuses on compound movements for 10 sets of 10 reps each. For more on occlusion training you can click here.
Drop sets – when the muscles are fatiguing during a certain weight, strip some weight off and then carry on until failurs
Q: Do you have any tips on how to burn the love handles and the fat on the lower part of the stomach?
A: Again diet and cardio are important factors here but the lower abdominals can be best targeted by challenging moves that emphasize those muscles. Most people are familiar with reverse crunches but by stepping up the difficulty – in your cardio routine as well – you can drastically increase your results. These are three of my favorite moves for lower abs:
Hanging Knee Raise
Grip the bar with hands around shoulder width apart. Once you’re hanging with your feet slightly off the floor, slowly pull your knees up keeping your legs together. Pause for a second, and slowly lower your knees back to the starting position.
Decline Bench Reverse Crunch
Lie on your back on a decline bench and hold on to the top of the bench with both hands. With your legs extended and a slight bend in your knees, exhale steadily while curling your hips up and off the bench toward your torso until your knees touch (or almost touch) your chest. Hold the contraction for a count and lower your hips and legs back to the start position while inhaling.
Dragon Flag
Lie on your back on a flat bench and grab the sides of the bench next to your head. Bend your knees and pull your hips off the bench until your knees are over your chest. Extend your legs above you so that your torso and legs are perpendicular to the floor. Your head and shoulders support your body weight in this position. Inhale and lower your legs and hips back toward the bench. Keep your body rigid as much as you are able to throughout.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for our online seminar on getting shredded! You can the Muscle & Fitness Facebook page to submit questions to our expert, fitness model Mehmet Edip, and check back tomorrow for his responses.
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