9 Lean Muscle tips
Essentials
1. EAT EAT EAT - You cannot expect to achieve your physique goals without giving your body the vital nutrients it needs to repair and grow. The amount of food you eat is of huge importance when trying to gain muscle. For optimal muscle growth, your body needs to have an excess of calories over what it burns throughout the day. However, a large surplus of calories is not warranted as this tends to lead to fat gain, instead, a small (250-500) calorie surplus each day should be sufficient to fuel muscular repair and growth.

2. QUALITY IS AS IMPORTANT AS QUANTITY - Food intake is not only a matter of quantity, the quality and type of food are also important. Ready-made foods are often full of hidden sugars and salts, which will hinder your gains; for this reason you should be looking to eat fresh, preferably organic, foodstuffs. Your meals should consist of a mixture of lean proteins such as turkey or chicken, some low GI carbohydrates such as whole-wheat pasta, healthy fats such as avocado and of course not forgetting a large helping of vegetables.

3. TRAIN HEAVY AND CONSISTENTLY - For maximum muscle gains stick to large compound movements such as squats, rows, presses and chins. Do not be afraid to train heavy; progressive overload is a key principle to gaining muscle, therefore strive to add weight to the bar each week even if you have to lower your reps. Finally, train as consistently as you can, going to the gym here and there is not going to give your body the repeated stimulus it needs to grow. The bottom line is, train consistently if you want to grow consistently!

4. SUPPLEMENT YOUR DIET WITH PROTEIN - For some people, achieving their required protein intake can be difficult. This could be due to cost, diet and/or time constraints; XL Whey+ is a cost effective way to boost the protein content of meals, or for a quick intake of protein should time be limited.

5. SUPPLEMENT WITH CREATINE MONOHYDRATE - Creatine Monohydrate is the worlds most popular sports supplement, which boasts hundreds of research papers to prove its effectiveness. Studies show that Creatine can help boost athletic performance, increase lean muscle mass and offers a variety of other benefits. XL Creatine contains Creapure, the purest form of Creatine Monohydrate, manufactured to such a high standard that ensures no impurities are created. Finally, ignore the claims of other forms of Creatine, they are unproven and most likely will be less effective and more expensive!

6. GET PLENTY OF REST AND RELAXATION - Muscle does not grow in the gym! Weight training activates a number of physiological processes, which then lead to muscle growth while we rest. Training 7 days a week with no rest, therefore, is counterproductive when trying to gain muscle. Try using a ratio of 3:1, training to rest i.e. 3-days on and 1-day rest.

7. GET YOUR SHUT-EYE - Our greatest chance to rest is when we sleep; during the night our body releases large amounts of growth hormone to help with the physical repair of the days work. For this reason, one should aim for at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Growth hormone is not only a powerful hormone for muscle growth but is also linked to fat loss, making your gains that much leaner.

8. ALWAYS PLAN AHEAD - Every workout in the gym should be planned and should be an improvement on your last. There is no point going to the gym and lifting the same weight for the same reps as you did last time. Use a training diary, plan your workouts, record your sessions and monitor your progress to ensure that every week you either use more weight, do more reps or perform the same amount of work in a shorter space of time.

9. OPTIMAL POST WORKOUT NUTRITION - Perhaps one of the most important times to have your nutrition spot on is in the post workout window. During this time your cells are screaming out for nutrients and the food you consume in this period will affect the coming days recovery. XL Synthesis contains a mixture of carbohydrates and high quality proteins, which help with recovery and repair straight after the workout. Combined with this are the muscle building ingredients of L-Leucine and Creatine Monohydrate. Taking this post workout will ensure that you are fighting fit, ready for your next workout and that your muscle building process is kick started ready for optimal growth!

Always consult a doctor before undertaking a new diet or exercise plan. All products, blends, names, suggestions and advice in this leaflet are the property of Excel Labs Ltd. © Excel Labs Ltd. 2009