INTRODUCTION

I have compiled the following material in this webpage of Training and Nutritional Information as a handy reference source that I hope will be helpful to the many people who are seeking to increase their personal levels of strength and well being. The information can be especially helpful for sports/fitness orientated people who are seeking to reach a personal best level of conditioning. The information will also prove very helpful to anyone in preparation for a special sporting event or just simply striving to attain a personal health and fitness goal.
I would like to dedicate this booklet to my friends and family for their constant support that they have given to me throughout my life. They have all really helped me to set and to attain my own personal goals over the years.
During my involvement with Martial Arts and Weights Training I have met and learnt from many inspirational and focused people. They have all helped me to discover how rewarding both physically and spiritually that striving to reach our goals though self-discipline and hard efforts can really be. Many of their insights regarding training and good nutritional concepts have been incorporated throughout this booklet.
My initial discovery of how beneficial it can be to be involved within a true Martial Arts system was thankfully introduced to me through training in Hwa Rang Do by a great instructor and lifelong friend Lionel Graham. His positive outlook on life and intuitive teaching ability has helped me immensely over the years. The many great philosophies and training concepts held within the system of Hwa Rang Do are a true credit to it's founders, instructors and practitioners and I will always retain a deep gratitude for the spiritual growth that they have all initiated in me.
I hope that you find the following training and nutritional principles very helpful in your own personal quests to achieve your best ever levels of physical condition as well as overall health and well-being. Some of the most rewarding benefits that are associated with this journey are the great feelings of self development and the happiness and satisfaction that results from working towards and actualising your personal goals in life.
I will initially provide a quick overview of the information and then go into specific details regarding all facets of training, nutrition and body fat reduction;

Effective Trainging Principles

For Total Body Strength and Muscular Development:

In my opinion the best way to really build strength and to promote good muscular development is to focus primarily on the basic core exercises. These core exercises have definitely proven themselves very beneficial in building high levels of strength and muscularity. These strength and muscular mass building exercises are Barbell Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Barbell Back Rows, Military Press and Barbell Curls. These six crucial weights training movements have been proven to be very effective and therefore greatly beneficial for us to reach any really heightened levels of strength and muscular condition. There are of course other supplementary exercises that will also need to be incorporated well into your weights training routines, and these will help to compliment your continual results.

* After experimenting with a variety of different training structures I have found that three weights training sessions per week has proven to be most effective. The main reason for this is that you will be targeting a total of six major muscle groups and this can be subdivided well into two muscle groups per workout. This will enable your entire body to be trained effectively over the duration of the week.

* Your training schedule needs to be formulated in a fashion that will not clash with your employment, school or sports training and it is best to not have these weights training sessions falling on consecutive days. This is because you want to allow your body an optimal chance of rest and recuperation after your intense workouts.

* When performing any exercises with heavy weights that put any strain on your lower back such as Squats, Deadlifts and Bent Over Back Rows it is important to wear a training belt. These special training belts will provide added support to the area and safeguard against any injuries.

* Your weights session should not exceed 1 hour in duration, and be sure to intake at least 30 grams of both Protein and Carbohydrates within the hour after your training. It has been found that at this period of time after an intense training workout and also at Breakfast time, are the most important times of the day to feed your body. The reason for this is that your body is most likely to be depleted of nutrients at these times and it will really absorb and utilise the quick replenishment of these nutrients very efficiently. If you can harness these 'windows of opportunity' your positive results will be further amplified.

* I will first give you an example of a 3 days per week weights training schedule that I often use that can be very productive.
Always make certain that you perform a light warm up and stretch first and do these exercises with strict form but use as heavy a weight as possible to perform about 7 or 8 good repetitions.

Day 1: LEGS/LOWER BACK & ABDOMINALS:

Barbell Squats (3 sets)
Deadlifts (3 sets)
Hamstring Curls (3 sets)
Lower Back Extensions (2 sets)
Weighted Sit Ups (2 sets)
Reverse Crunches (2 sets)

Day 2: CHEST/TRICEPS/BICEPS:

Bench Press (3 sets)
Incline Dumbell Press (2 sets)
Dumbell Pullovers (2 sets)
Dips (2 sets)
Triceps Extension (1 set)
Barbell Curls (3 sets)
Incline Dumbell Curls (2 sets)
Hammer Curls (1 set).

Day 3: BACK/SHOULDERS:

Bent over Barbell Rows (3 sets)
Lat Pull Downs or Wide Grip Chin Ups (3 sets)
Single Arm Rows (2 sets)
Dumbell Military Press (3 sets)
Dumbell Front Raises (3 sets)
Dumbell Fly's (2 sets).

* Always strive to slowly but surely nudge up your exercise poundage's every couple of weeks, this increase in load is what signals your muscles to increase in size and strength to accommodate for these steadily progressing weight increments. A good rule of thumb to use when trying to decide whether to increase your exercise poundage's is this. When you reach your target number of repetitions on any given set without reaching the point of muscle failure it is time to increase the load which will again challenge your body and cause it to adapt by becoming bigger and stronger.

* After a couple of months you may reach a bit of a 'sticking point' where your development gets a bit stubborn and stagnant, don't get disheartened, this just means it is time to make some slight variations in your routine to re-signal your body and to jump-start it back into another cycle of growth and improvement.
The best way that you can do this is by simply changing around or substituting a few of your exercises with other similar ones that hit the targeted muscle at a slightly different angle.
Here are some good choices of exercises to substitute into your workouts whenever you feel as though you may have reached a bit of a sticking point in your continual improvement.

LEGS/LOWER BACK/GLUTES: Leg Presses, Stiff Legged Deadlifts, Lunges.
ABDOMINALS: Side Crunches, Hanging Knee Lifts.
CHEST: Incline Barbell Press, Chest Dips, Decline Fly's, Cable Cross Overs.
TRICEPS: Close Grip Bench Presses, Cable Pushdowns.
BICEPS: Concentration Curls, Preacher Curls.
BACK: Seated Pulley Rows, T-Bar Rows.
SHOULDERS: Front Dumbell Raises, Rear Lateral Raise.

Another great way to add the necessary variety to your training sessions is to use high repetitions and a moderate weight for a few weeks (this will activate some different muscle fibres).
And also another method that can be used with great effectiveness is performed with the help of a training partner. This particular method of 'forced reps' will allow you to push through your 'muscular failure' level and kick-start your body into a heightened cycle of strength and growth. Upon reaching your muscular failure level in the particular set your training partner will then give you assistance to perform an extra 2 or 3 reps beyond failure. This can be quite an intense way to train so make sure that you use strict form and really try to isolate your targeted muscle group. It is best to go beyond failure on only the last set of each particular exercise for best results and to avoid over training.

Calories in Food

1 gram of Protein = 4 calories.
1 gram of Carbohydrates = 4 calories.
1 gram of Fat = 9 calories (take note of this point).
1 gram of Alcohol = 7 calories.

*NOTE* Fat has the highest Caloric Density which is why 1 gram is equivalent to more than twice as many calories as either Protein or Carbs. This is why we shouldn't consume as much fat(especially the saturated types). But unfortunately it is the westernised trend of living for people to eat many grams of saturated fats per day which is why they get fat because as can be seen their caloric consumption goes through the roof by doing this. That is due to the fact that a comparatively small amount of fat has a very high amount of calories and sometimes still doesn't fill us up. But keep in mind that it is still necessary to consume some of the good sources of healthy fats so as to maintain optimum health e.g. Avocado, nuts, flax seed oil and some of the natural fats found in certain fish etc. Avoid saturated fats found in some cuts of meat and dairy products that hold no nutritional benefits for the body but contain a heap of detrimental and empty calories that will be readily converted into excess body fat.

Some people also often make the mistake of not keeping in mind to be wise to the hidden causes of high empty calorie consumption habits. An appropriate example is when sugar is added to a food it can really change the percentages breakdowns of your meal. Such as when people add sugar to cereal or put a heap of sauce on their meals etc., the percentage breakdown of that particular meal will change drastically from maybe a 60 % Protein/ 40 % Carbs, to a 30 % Protein/ 70 % Carbs meal(and all the extra carbohydrates are the low nutrition type). Another good example of a common confusion that can easily occur is e.g. if a particular food contains 117 cals with both 9 grams from Protein and also 9 grams from Fat it is really a 70% very high fat food. And even the supposedly 'low fat' foods that you see in the supermarkets are more often than not loaded with extra sugar to compensate for their lack of taste which can end up being just as bad for your diet.(So be wise to this especially when the companies try to trick us when reading the nutritional index labels on the back of our Foodstuffs while in the grocery store).

Other Important Factors

* When experimenting with any of the previous methods of weights training, always use strict form and train the muscle through its full range of movement and concentrate specifically on the targeted muscles that you are training. Power the weight up in an explosive but always controlled manner and lower it in a more controlled and at a much slower rate. The slower negative phase of the movement ensures maximum muscle fibre stimulation and activation and is the most important in your pursuit of becoming stronger and more muscular.

* Concentrate on intensity and quality of training.

* Training too frequently or using an excessive number of sets and repetitions, leads to your nervous system being worn down and the ability for your body to recover between workouts is lost. These factors may contribute to the condition known as 'Over Training' and subsequently your general health, well being and training progression can come to an abrupt halt.

* A wives tale which is often widely believed is that training with weights is detrimental to an Athlete's levels of flexibility and also reduces speed. When in actual fact, the equation which gives us the measure for Power is Speed x Strength.
So to increase our power output we must not only do speed work but must also increase our strength levels whilst making sure that we continue to maintain a high level of flexibility through the various stretching exercises. How do we increase strength? By lifting as much weight as possible using good form.

* Try your best to stay motivated and always rekindle a high level of inspiration towards your training. Focus on all the positive benefits and the many great reasons why you have personally decided to pursue a life of strength and determination… (internally & externally).

* Always keep in mind the importance of Rest and Recovery after your intense training sessions. Try to get a consistent 8 hours sleep per night.

* Expand your knowledge and understanding of correct nutritional and metabolic principles. You will be able to personally gauge your body's reaction to the administration of these principles into your lifestyle.

* Be aware of the 'Glycaemic rating' of your carbohydrate sources.
Low Glycaemic type carbs(such as sweet potatoes, oats and brown rice) are definitely the best to consume because they are released in a slower and more stable level into your bloodstream. This will ensure long lasting energy reserves and well being.
In contrast the High Glycaemic type carbs(such as the sugary commercial cereals, doughnuts, pretzels, white bread etc,)all create a huge rush of glucose into your bloodstream which elevate Blood Sugar levels dramatically and makes them very prone to be converted into body fat. They provide no long lasting energy to your body at all, and will in fact end up making you feel lethargic.

* It is crucial to segment your daily calorie intake into five or six slightly smaller yet more nutritionally balanced meals throughout your day. Managing your food consumption in this way is extremely beneficial to your body because not only does it ensure an optimum supply of nutrients to your muscles but also provides an increased metabolic rate and a more stable blood sugar level. You may even decide that the most convenient way to incorporate this change into your lifestyle is to simply invest in a good meal replacement powder and just mix with water and drink it in between your usual three meals per day ritual. It does not take much effort to alter your meal consumption habits a little bit to ensure that your metabolism and your energy/nutritional supplies are firing on all eight cylinders!

* If you want to give yourself the best opportunity to increase your muscle mass you have to consume a heap of good quality calories!

* Try to have the slightly larger and more carbohydrate dense foods in the early half of the day. The only exception is if you train in the evening your post workout meal needs to be adequate in Carbs and Proteins to replenish and renourish your system.

* The best method of ensuring that your body continues to steadily increase its levels of strength and muscularity is to subdivide your training by the use of what they call a Cycling type system. While going through the 'growth phase' of this cycle we need to consume a caloric intake that exceeds our normal maintenance level. And after a few months or so period of this growth stage it would then be up to the individual to decide upon when would be the best time to reduce their daily caloric consumption whilst at the same time slightly increasing their daily cardio activity (calorie burning). This will create the desired calorie deficit that prompts our system to burn our excess fat as a source of fuel thus revealing our hard-earned lean muscularity that has been hiding beneath the layer of body fat that we may have accumulated.

* Always ensure that you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day. At least 8 glasses per day is recommended but even more is necessary when training hard.

* If you adhere to the before mentioned training principles intensely and consistently whilst fueling your body with the good sources and appropriate levels of Protein, Carbohydrates and healthy Fats at five or six regular intervals throughout your day you will definitely make good gains in strength and muscularity.

Creating a Journal

If you are serious about improving yourself you will find it invaluable to create a personal Training and Nutrition Journal. Doing so will make it easier for you to log your progress and personal training data. You will be able to make the necessary dietary and caloric calculations and also gauge your training progress. The journal will prove to be a very good method of reference which makes it a lot easier to maintain your understanding of all of the helpful training and nutritional principles.
The initial calculation that is important to ascertain is the muscular maintenance daily calorie consumption level for your body weight.
On the consistent average a person has a need to consume 15 calories per pound of body weight in order to maintain this body weight whilst engaging in a moderate amount of daily activity. * (There are of course other slight variables that may alter the equation slightly but we will keep things straight forward to start with).
So to give an example of this basic calculation; my body weight is currently 82 kg(181 lbs). So my body weight equates to 2700 calories that I would need to consume per day to remain at my current body weight. (181 lbs x 15 = 2700 calories).
* To convert your body weight from kg's into lbs multiply kilograms by 2.21.

NOTE: If a person has an office job or similar where they are seated or stationary for a large proportion of the day the amount of calories consumed without getting fat needs to be further reduced.
And in contrast, if a person has a very labour intensive job or they are involved in a hectic weekly sports training schedule the opposite scenario will come into effect.

HOW MUCH CARBS, PROTEINS AND HEALTHY FATS SHOULD I CONSUME?

The main thing to ensure is that you are ingesting enough of the quality food sources from the 3 complimentary macro nutrient groups.
The first thing to do is to calculate the correct percentages of Protein/Carbs/Healthy Fats that you should be consuming during your daily caloric intake.
The following example is what I consider to be the healthiest and most efficient percentage breakdown of the macro nutrient groups whilst in a Maintenance Phase.

50% Carbs(predominantly Complex Carbs), 35% Proteins, 15% Healthy Fats.

These percentages will only alter slightly if you decide to at any stage enter into a body fat reduction or a growth phase of your training(which is described further on in this booklet).

And now to calculate the amount of healthy calories and grams of food servings that I should be consuming.

CARBS: 50% of 2700 cals = 1350 cals. divided by 4 = 337 grams.
PROTEIN: 35% of 2700 cals = 945 cals. divided by 4 = 236 grams.
FATS: 15% of 2700 cals = 405 cals. divided by 9 = 45 grams.

* Enter this calculation into your journal, specific to your own personal current body weight.

* Before you can devise a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet it is necessary that you first and foremost calculate your current caloric and nutrient percentages intake. This will allow you to get a good understanding of how you will then be able to incorporate the required adjustments into your lifestyle.

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR CURRENT FOOD INTAKE

* The best way to work out your current personal consumption level of Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat and Calories is through the many Internet sites involved with diets and nutrition. The link below is very good.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl
It is a very comprehensive database of specific food breakdowns and calories listings for thousands of foods. Or else you can purchase one of the many books available with the required information (maybe from the News Agency or local bookstore).

Now that you have a means of calculation, you can now formulate and transfer the data into your personal training/nutrition journal.
Be sure to include all of the necessary information. Carbs, Proteins, Fats and also Calories.
Remember to be totally honest and to include any snacks or sauces or butter or soft drinks/cordials etc.[When I originally calculated my ratios I personally found out that I originally consumed too much of this in the past]. After you have finished writing down all the foods and their specific breakdowns get your calculator ready. To find out your average total daily food intake just add all of your Carbs, Proteins, Fats and Calories together from each of your meals throughout your usual day. This will give you a good idea of the problems you may have with your current dietary intake.

Now you will be able to compare your current intake to the correct strength and muscular fueling ratios and make the required adjustments necessary to get you on track to quick and easy self improvement.
You will find when you cut a lot of the empty nutrition sources from your lifestyle that your general health will be heightened. It will also enable your body weight control to become MUCH easier to manage. This will further amplify solid increases in personal strength and lean muscle growth. It is very refreshing to alter your dietary intake towards the more nutrient and energy saturated food sources and you will feel and see the very positive results straight away.

For your benefit of reference I have included a handy listing of some of the most nutritious and beneficial foods available from the macro nutrient groups.

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES:
Rice. (preferably brown rice).(1 cup 195 g).
Carbs = 46 g. Protein = 4.5 g. Fat = 1.6 g. Calories = 216.
Potatoes. (preferably Sweet Potatoes).(1 medium size 172.5 g).
Carbs = 43.5 g. Protein = 4 g. Fat = 0.2 g. Calories = 188.
Oats. (1 cup 156 g).
Carbs = 103 g. Protein = 26.3 g. Fat = 10.7 g. Calories = 607.
Pasta. (100 g).
Carbs = 24.9 g. Protein = 5.2 g. Fat = 1 g. Calories = 131.
Bread. (preferably whole meal/grain)(1 slice 29 g).
Carbs = 13 g. Protein = 3 g. Fat = 1 g. Calories = 75.
Bananas. (average size fruit)
Carbs = 27 g. Protein = 1 g. Fat = 0.5 g. Calories = 105.

PROTEINS:
Skinless Chicken Breast. (1/2 breast portion 86 g).
Carbs = 0 g. Protein = 26.7 g. Fat = 3 g. Calories = 142.
Fish. (preferably white fleshed). (1 large fillet 100 g).
Carbs = 0 g. Protein = 26.3 g. Fat = 1.7 g. Calories = 128.
Egg Whites. (from 5 large eggs).
Carbs = 2.5 g. Protein = 20 g. Fat = 2.5 g. Calories = 113.
Lean cuts of steak. (1 large steak 100 g).
Carbs = 0 g. Protein = 28.6 g. Fat = 9.6 g. Calories = 209.
Canned Tuna. (preferably in spring water).(1 cup of tuna meat 150 g).
Carbs = 1 g. Protein = 37.5 g. Fat = 1 g. Calories = 161.
Protein Powder Supplement. (preferably ionic whey).(3 tablespoons 35 g).
Carbs = 2.8 g. Protein = 32.9 g. Fat = 0.2 g. Calories = 133.

FATS(Unsaturated):
Avocado. (1/2 avocado 100 g).
Carbs = 7.4 g. Protein = 2 g. Fat = 15.3 g. Calories = 161.
Nuts. (preferably almonds).(24 kernels 28.5 g).
Carbs = 5.6 g. Protein = 6 g. Fat = 14.4 g. Calories = 164.
Flax seeds. (1 tablespoon 12 g).
Carbs = 4.1 g. Protein = 2.3 g. Fat = 4.1 g. Calories = 59.
Natural Omega 3 oils found in fish. (1 large fillet 100 g).
Fat = 1.7 g.

As you will see, it will be just a matter of making some simple adjustments to your diet. Try reducing some of your unhealthy nutrient lacking food sources in your current diet and increasing your intake of the more healthy nutritious food choices.
The main very beneficial thing to remember regarding nutrition is to consume six moderately sized but very nutritious, well balanced meals per day. (The sixth meal is usually only a protein shake before bed to ensure adequate muscular repair and recuperation).
It is best to consume these meals at evenly spaced intervals throughout the course of your day but if this is not always possible you may have to precook and refrigerate certain meals to take to work with you if you are serious about your dieting schedule. This is also when Meal Replacement drinks can be handy when solid foods may not be a possible option.
Just give some or all of the previous nutritional information a go and I think you will be happy with the very positive rewards that you will receive.

Meal Plan

IMPROVING YOUR DIET

Now to formulate your new and improved healthy nutrient packed diet!
First allocate six pages of your journal for the six separate meals that you will be dividing your daily caloric intake into.
Write down the times of each meal so that they are spaced fairly evenly at regular intervals throughout the day.
It will be up to you to make the necessary adjustments to suit your personal goals and lifestyle.
Your specific sources of nutrient intake will need to be selected to work in with your desired Weights Training and Nutritional Cycle that you are currently wanting to pursue.
The following is a good example of a healthy and balanced diet that should act as a handy reference in the formulation of your own personal meal composition. You will of course have many other personal preferences of specific food combinations that you should experiment with. It is amazing how many different variations and combinations of all of the healthy food sources is available. There is no reason why choosing to eat such healthy foods should ever become boring considering that there are literally hundreds of different dishes that you will be able to prepare.
The below example is consistent with a 'maintenance phase' for an 82 kg male that leads a moderately active lifestyle.

MEAL [1] 7:00am

1/2 cup of Oats with 200 ml of Skim Milk, 1 serving of dried fruit, 1 scoop of protein powder sprinkled over cereal, 5 scrambled egg whites with mixed herbs.

1/2 cup of Oats(78 g):
Carbs = 51 g, Protein = 13 g, Fat = 5 g, Calories = 300.
Skim milk(200 ml):
Carbs = 9.8 g, Protein = 7 g, Fat = 0.2 g, Calories = 72.
1/4 cup of dried fruit(20 g):
Carbs = 13 g, Protein = 0.2 g, Fat = 0.1 g, Calories = 51.
1 scoop of protein powder(12 g):
Carbs = 0.9 g, Protein = 11 g, Fat= 0.1 g, Calories = 44.
5 egg whites(taken from large eggs):
Carbs = 2.5 g, Protein = 20 g, Fat = 2.5 g, Calories = 113.

TOTAL: Carbs = 77.2 g, Protein = 51.2 g, Fat = 7.9 g, Calories = 580.

MEAL[2] 10:00am

Lean slice of steak, 1 serving of rice with diced tomato, 1 serving of green beans. And 1 banana.

1 large steak(100 g):
Carbs = 0 g, Protein = 28.6 g, Fat = 9.6 g, Calories = 209.
1/2 cup of brown Rice(98 g):
Carbs = 23 g, Protein = 2.2 g, Fat = 0.8 g, Calories = 108.
1 medium size tomato(123 g raw weight):
Carbs = 6 g, Protein = 1 g, Fat = 0.2 g, Calories = 26.
1/2 cup of green snap beans(62 g):
Carbs = 4.9 g, Protein = 1.2 g, Fat = 0.1 g, Calories = 22.
1 medium size banana(115 g):
Carbs = 27 g, Protein = 1 g, Fat = 0.5 g, Calories = 105.

TOTAL: Carbs = 60.9 g, Protein = 34 g, Fat = 13.2 g, Calories = 470.

MEAL[3] 1:15pm

Skinless chicken breast fillet portion, 1 small baked potato, 1 slice of whole meal/grain bread, 1 slice of low fat cheese, lettuce, steamed carrot. And 1 apple.

Chicken breast fillet(1/2 breast portion 86 g):
Carbs = 0 g, Protein = 26.7 g, Fat = 3 g, Calories = 142.
Baked potato(1 small 145 g):
Carbs = 28 g, Protein = 2 g, Fat = 0, Calories = 127.
1 slice of whole meal/grain bread(28 g):
Carbs = 13 g, Protein = 3 g, Fat = 1 g, Calories = 75.
1 slice of low fat cheese(21 g):
Carbs = 0.8 g, Protein = 5 g, Fat = 2 g, Calories = 42.
1 carrot(small 50 g):
Carbs = 5 g, Protein = 0.5 g, Fat = 0 g, Calories = 21.
Lettuce(1 leaf 10 g):
Carbs = 0.3 g, Protein = 0.1 g, Fat = 0 g, Calories = 2.
1 medium size apple(138 g):
Carbs = 21 g, Protein = 0.3 g, Fat = 0.5 g, Calories = 81.

TOTAL: Carbs = 68.1 g, Protein = 37.6 g, Fat = 5.5 g, Calories = 490.

MEAL[4] 5:00pm

1 serving of canned tuna, 1 slice of low fat cheese, Steamed peas, 1 banana.

Canned Tuna(With liquid drained, 1 cup of meat 150 g):
Carbs = 1 g, Protein = 37.5 g, Fat = 1 g, Calories = 161.
1 slice of low fat cheese:
Carbs = 0.8 g, Protein = 5 g, Fat = 2 g, Calories = 42.
1 serving of low fat pasta(150 g):
Carbs = 44 g, Protein = 7.1 g, Fat = 1 g, Calories = 221.
Steamed Peas(1 small serve 50 g):
Carbs = 7 g, Protein = 3 g, Fat = 0 g, Calories = 38.
1 Banana(medium sized fruit 115g):
Carbs = 27 g, Protein = 1 g, Fat = 0.5 g, Calories = 105.

TOTAL: Carbs = 79.8 g, Protein = 53.6, Fat = 4.5 g, Calories = 567.

MEAL[5] 8:00pm

1 serving of grilled or steamed fish, Steamed broccoli, sweet potato, a few mixed nuts.

1 large sized fillet of fish(100 g):
Carbs = 0 g, Protein = 26.3 g, Fat = 1.7 g, Calories = 128.
Steamed broccoli(1 serve 1/2 cup 78 g):
Carbs = 3.9 g, Protein = 2.3 g, Fat = 0.2 g, Calories = 22.
Sweet potato(medium serve 202 g):
Carbs = 48.7 g, Protein = 4.9 g, Fat = 0.2 g, Calories = 212.
Nuts(unsalted Almonds/Cashews(10 whole kernels 12 g):
Carbs = 2 g, Protein = 1.9 g, Fat = 7 g, Calories = 65.

TOTAL: Carbs = 54.6 g, Protein = 35.4 g, Fat = 9.1 g, Calories = 427.

MEAL[6] 10:30pm

3 Tablespoons of Protein Powder Supplement in water.

Carbs = 2.8 g. Protein = 32.9 g. Fat = 0.2 g. Calories = 133.

TOTAL DAILY MACRO NUTRIENT AND CALORIC RESULTS
Carbohydrates = 343.4 grams. (1372 cals).
Protein = 243.9 grams. (972 cals).
Fat = 40.4 grams. (362 cals).

*Total Calories = 2704.

Body Fuel

ARE YOU PROVIDING YOUR BODY WITH THE CORRECT AMOUNTS OF QUALITY FUEL?

After you have completed the procedure to ascertain your healthiest food consumption percentages and quantities you will now have the means necessary to progress further. By combining proper nutritional principles and hard training together you will always be in good health and will continually be on the road to further self development.
If you are looking to really build substantial muscular size and strength, you will need to enter into a growth cycle of training and nutrition.
*Growth Phase: If you decide to increase your body weight you must increase your Caloric Intake with the good sources of calories to above your maintenance level. It is well worth your while to do this as it is vitally important for active people to ensure that they are providing their body with an adequate amount of high quality fuel. Without doing so you may be risking your health and also cannibalising your muscular tissue.
In order to ensure muscle growth you only need to make two basic alterations.
1) Increase your intake of nutritious calorie sources to about 15 % above your maintenance level. In my case this would equate to increasing my intake level to 3105 good quality calories per day to ensure ample supplies of nutrients to fuel the required strength and muscular tissue growth. (This would mean that I would add about 80 extra calories or so to each of my meals. Or if I preferred I could simply just have an extra protein shake per day and some more fruit with or in between my meals).

2) Lower the reps and increase the weights that you are lifting during your workouts. A repetition range of between 3 and 8 is the most recommended for increasing muscular strength and growth.

* You will notice that when on a growth cycle your macro nutrient percentage ratios will change to approximately : 55 % Carbohydrate, 30 % Protein, 15 % Fat.

*Body fat reduction Phase: If you decide to shed any excess body fat you must create a caloric deficit. This is best done gradually by decreasing your Caloric Intake to below your maintenance level while simultaneously increasing your frequency and duration of cardio activity.
And when initially entering into a body fat reduction phase just use the same principle as the growth phase but it will of course be a 15 % calorie decrease instead. In my case this would equate to 2295 calories per day.

* 30 minutes of moderate exercise = about a 300 calorie burn.
So keep this in mind if you are a Martial Arts practitioner or any other athlete that is working towards a peak condition in preparation for a competition or grading etc. As you increase your training workload you will be automatically creating a substantial calorie deficit. This will mean that you would only need to make only a slight alteration to your maintenance level diet.

Get Lean

WHILE DIETING DOWN TO A PEAK LEVEL OF LEAN MUSCULARITY

In order to initiate your body into a fat burning phase I will provide an example of a very effective method of shedding excess body fat.
The best method that my older brother put me on to and it has proved itself successful on many occasions now is by a gradual caloric restriction process, especially important is Carbohydrate Depletion.
Carb depletion is at times criticised, but when you adhere to the 'Random Method Of Caloric Restriction' it works extremely well.
To ensure that your metabolism keeps churning at a high rate you must designate your caloric deficit procedure in gradual stages of restriction. And also once every 4 days or so you should designate a day of food consumption to reach back to a growth level of intake. (This will ensure that your body does not attempt to reduce its metabolism rate).
Be sure to incorporate some extra carbohydrates on this higher calorie day to give your energy levels a bit of a boost and to keep your metabolism from trying to slow down whilst in the dieting phase. This can be easily done by adding to each of your meals an even distribution of extra complex carbohydrates and also some fruit etc.

* Make certain that you do not ever reduce your calorie intake too drastically when dieting especially if you are an active person because this will certainly risk a 'Catabolic' wasting and cannibalization situation of your muscular tissue not only your targeted excess fat resources.

* And in contrast if you fail to create an adequate caloric deficit your body will take far too long to shed excess fat stores and keeping in mind that you can only substantially increase your strength and muscularity if you are consuming above your maintenance level, this speaks for itself really.

* Throughout the duration of your body fat burning cycle you should make periodic caloric restrictions at about 3 week intervals. You should do this by reducing Carbohydrates and if necessary any extra Fats from your intake as your dieting weeks progress. Do not reduce calories at the expense of Protein as you risk losing muscle.

* My personal body fat burning phase usually lasts for a period of 9 weeks. And I segment this time into 3 stages of 3 weeks duration intervals. I would ideally be aiming to reach my peak condition at the conclusion of this 9 week body fat reduction phase then stay at maintenance level for a while and then commence another 'Growth' cycle with my training. Cycling your training in this way really keeps your body and metabolism guessing and you will easily recover any slight losses in strength and size that your dieting may have caused.
Then you may find yourself soon exceeding your personal best lifts and various strength and muscularity levels.

* It is important to use a random method of caloric restriction when dieting, so that your metabolism doesn't slow down. (It does this as a natural instinctive 'starvation mode' defence mechanism). As I stated earlier, a great method that safeguards against this problem is to incorporate a higher calorie day every 3rd or 4th day when dieting, as it generally takes the body 3 days to recognise that it is in a carbohydrate depleted state. This will keep tricking your body into maintaining a high fat burning metabolism.
You can do this in a few healthy and beneficial ways also. ?
1. Double your Carbohydrates for that day, which in turn can give you a much needed boost of energy especially for sports active people, for example, Martial Arts, Athletics, Football etc.

2. Eat some nuts or Avocado which are both good sources of essential fats that our body does need to keep healthy, this in turn boosts your calories for that particular day (but don't have a huge quantity due to the important factor about fats having a very high calorie density).
You will be only aiming to go back to just slightly above your maintenance level for that particular day to keep your metabolism on its toes.

3. Simply have an extra Protein Shake in between one of your meals, REMEMBER THAT IT IS VERY CRUCIAL TO REGULARLY SUPPLY OUR MUSCLES WITH GOOD PROTEINS, this will safeguard against a 'Catabolic' situation occurring to our muscles. It has been repeatedly proven that eating a high protein diet is very productive especially during your body fat reduction cycle. The main reason for this (other than the muscular tissue repair factor) is that your resting metabolism is increased and your general appetite satiety is more stabile.

* The exact requirements have created controversy but a general rule is; whilst engaging in a Weights Training Program it is necessary to at least intake 1.25 grams of Protein per pound of body weight each day to ensure good muscle nutrition. This can be vital for the repair and growth of your muscle tissue.
For example, 181 pound body weight x 1.25 grams = a minimum of 226.25 grams of Protein is required per day. Divided by six meals = a minimum of 37.5 grams of Protein per meal is required.

* You also have the personal option of adding a little bit of flax oil to your protein drinks if you are a stern advocate for a higher daily fat intake. During this particular 9 week leaning phase I personally didn't worry about it too much due to the fact that on every 4th day I had a slightly higher calorie day to keep my metabolism from stalling and implemented an intake of a little bit of avocado etc, to compensate.

Competing

WEIGHTS TRAINING LEADING UP TO AN EVENT

As we increase our fitness and fight training schedule leading up to an event we may find it necessary to adjust our weights training routine to allow for this increase in cardiovascular workload. One method that I found useful in preparation for my first Mixed Martial Arts event was to reduce the total work of my weights training without decreasing the intensity. I achieved this by doing only the very basic strength and power exercises using 75% of my one repetition maximum lift as a guide in selecting the weight to lift on each exercises.

This is an example of my weekly routine leading up to an event:-

Day 1: (3:30 P:M) Fitness & Endurance Training (Interval beach sprints or bag work or shadow sparring or 5 km run or jumping rope etc.).

Day 2: (8:00 A:M) Weights Training for Power and Strength (Squats/Deadlifts/Clean & Press/Bench Press) 3 sets of each to failure.
(6:00 P:M) Martial Arts Training (Boxing/MuayThai/Submission Wrestling/Traditional Arts)
*also includes stretching, meditation, body weight exercises etc.

Day 3: (6:00 P:M) Martial Arts Training (Boxing/MuayThai/Submission Wrestling/Traditional Arts) *also includes stretching, meditation, body weight exercises etc.

Day 4: (6:45 P:M) Weights Training (Barbell Curls/Dumbbell Pullover/Dips/LyingTriceps Extension/Weighted Abdominal Crunches).

Day 5: (6:00 P:M) Martial Arts Training (Boxing/MuayThai/Submission Wrestling/Traditional Arts) *also includes stretching, meditation, body weight exercises etc.

Day 6: TOTAL REST AND RECOVERY

Day 7: (9:00 A:M) Weights Training for Power and Strength (Squats/Deadlifts/Clean & Press/Bench Press) 3 sets of each to failure.

* As you can see with my increase in cardio and fight training it was necessary to adjust my weights routine in order to not become 'over trained'.

* It is very critical to have at least 1 complete rest and recovery day every week even when leading up to an event to assist the body and mind to recover.

Carbohydrate Loading For Competition

3 days leading into an event double your usual carbohydrate intake by using slow releasing(low glycaemic)type carbohydrates such as oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice etc. Ensure that you drink sufficient water as it is needed by the body to transport the glycogen derived from the carbohydrates into the muscle cells. Carbohydrate loading ensures that the body has adequate glycogen reserves to be used by the body for energy for prolonged periods of time when in competition. If you are competing in a weight division be sure to be a couple of kilos under the limit as your body weight will probably increase by a kilo or two due to the absorption of glycogen and water into the muscle cells.

Phasing Process After Goal Attainment

When you have achieved your goal level of muscular leanness by burning away a heap of excess body fat, or successfully challenged yourself in your chosen Martial Arts or Athletic competition you now may want to choose to maintain this level for a couple of weeks(*after rewarding your efforts with a good meal with your friends consisting of all of your favourite foods of course!!). After your well earned reward it is best to gradually work your way into your next muscle and strength gaining phase anyway. So just continue with your weights training but ease up a bit on the cardio whilst allowing a gradual increment of your total daily calorie consumption. The prime way to do this in my opinion is to firstly calculate your deficit of calories that you have created whilst you were burning body fat, and to then segment the difference into how many weeks you would really like to hold onto your newly attained level of lean muscularity.
For example; my already calculated maintenance level is 2700 calories per day; and my eventual dieting calorie level ended up being about 1800 calories per day. So that works out to be a 900 calories per day deficit. So if I wanted to ease my way back up(which you will find that you will keep your high level of leanness very well whilst doing this) I would allocate myself 3 weeks. (900 calories divided by 3) = 300 calorie increase to be allocated for each consecutive week. You should allocate these extra calories to your correct macro nutrient percentage ratios. Maintenance percentage level of Carbs 50 %, Protein = 35 %, Healthy Fats = 15 %. You will find this is a good amount of increased foods that you will be able to enjoy consuming again anyway. This method is A LOT better than just gorging yourself with a heap of unhealthy foods that some people find very tempting after a prolonged dieting period. And due to the fact that your metabolism most likely has slowed down towards the end of your peak condition cycle you will be even more susceptible to fat storage. A bit of self restraint is necessary at this stage! This way you will aim to reach back to the point of your personal maintenance level on the third week and now have the choice again of how long that you wanted to stay at maintenance before you decided to enter into another heavy and intense weights training 'growth cycle' which would mean a further increase in good quality caloric consumption at the preferred macro nutrient percentage ratio of

* Whilst following the before mentioned post-dieting methods also keep in mind that it is a good idea to start to incorporate the higher calorie day on every 3rd or 4th day again to ensure that your metabolism is firing up again at the ideal rate.

Supplements:

* The main important supplements to invest in is a good quality protein powder and a multivitamin supplement.
You may also want to try a natural supplement substance called Creatine. This specific supplement is readily available at all health and fitness outlets and has been proven through many studies to exhibit positive benefits of strength and lean muscular growth. Here is a good web site address that explains clearly everything about utilising the supplementation of Creatine.
www.absolute-creatine.com

Recapping Major Points

* Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your body constantly well hydrated.

* Don't consume very large servings of Carbohydrates late at night. Especially junk foods but also other carbs such as Breads, Pastas, Potatoes, and Rice because these carbohydrate calories have not got the chance to be burnt off and will easily be converted and stored as fat. Unless you are planning to train at midnight(or maybe planning an all night sexual endeavour try to consume instead more of the less calorie dense forms of healthy carbohydrates. i.e. fibrous veges such as Broccoli, Green Beans & Cauliflower etc.

* Get in the habit of always using your grill or steamer when cooking.

* Very good lean Protein laden food sources include grilled or steamed white fleshed fish, grilled chicken breast fillets, egg whites, lean cuts of steak, or lean diet mince, and canned tuna in spring water.

* Try to limit yourself to only the reduced fat varieties of dairy products, milk, cheese & yogurt etc. But be cautious of the potential high sugar and sodium contents of these foods. Try your best to definitely exclude from your dietary consumption things like margarines/butters and deep fried foods.
And in the best interests of your health you should only treat yourself on special occasions to sugary or fatty sweets and chocolates etc. This may sound harsh to some people but moderation is the key. You will definitely find that you will really enjoy and savour the taste of these special treats twice as much if you consume them on a controlled basis.

* Incorporate a bit of variety in your weights training and cardio activity. This can help keep your training motivation levels high and keeps your training principles fresh and productive. While increasing cardiovascular fitness and also to burn any excess body fat there is a very diverse array of activities that you will have the personal option to employ. Jogging, Cycling, Swimming, Interval Sprints and Jumping Rope are all very effective. Also hiring a tennis or squash court with a friend for half an hour or so is a great idea. Martial Arts training sessions are a great form of cardiovascular/aerobic exercise also.
When I was in training for a Martial Arts event I also employed various structured duration formats of bag work or shadow sparring for a sports specific type workout which is very beneficial.

* Never underestimate the importance of the mental and spiritual aspects of your personal quests to achieve your goals in life. Always strive to maintain your focus on the things that are truly important to you in your life. This will further assist you to establish a solid structure of motivation that will enable you to uphold a dedication towards successfully attaining anything in life that you set your mind and heart towards.

Self-Discipline And Self-Motivation is a Key To Success!

“Your heart is free ... Have the courage to follow it."

“From strength we learn gentleness, and through gentleness, strength will surely prevail.”

Maintain Focus !

“Many seek an easier life, but those who succeed seek to become stronger people.”

“God lends strength towards righteous battle.”

“Anything that retards the fulfilment of ones potential… that prevents any human being from becoming all that he or she can be… should be challenged.”

Awaken with Courage!

“Great strength must be tempered by a greater compassion.”

I hope that some of the information contained within this webpage can be of use to you during your quest to live a strong and healthy lifestyle. Keep focused on training hard and maintaining your high level of determination and I wish everyone all the best in reaching any goals of personal improvement within their lives.

With Kind Regards from Mick.

Please feel welcome to contact me regarding any of the information contained within this booklet.

By Phone: 040 299 2074

By Email: courageandfreedom@yahoo.com.au