A Leap Year Workout

It only comes around once every four years, so if you want to do something memorable, give this workout a shot.

It's from Craig Ballantyne, who creates some of the toughest and most effective bodyweight workouts around.



Like Craig says, if that workout seems "easy", he also has some more challenging variations. Give it a go, and see how you do.

Vegetarian Sports News Update

Another pro athlete has made the switch to a vegetarian lifestyle. Milwaukee Brewer's first baseman Prince Fielder, at 6'2", 260 pounds, went vegetarian as of February 3 for ethical reasons.

His favorite food so far is the Boca Burger, that soy/gluten pseudo-meat. But he's even commented about those being difficult to tolerate without a ton of ketchup. Compliance could pop up as an issue.

Guess it'll be interesting to see how his season is this year. Fortunately, we'll have some obvious indicators to be on the lookout for. Last year, Fielder racked up 50 homers, but also committed a National League record 14 errors. Let's keep an eye on these stats and see how meat-free works on the MLB. (That rhymes, hehe.)

This is less-than a month after the NFL's Tony Gonzalez adopted a modified vegan diet (only allowing small portions of chicken and fish).

And it's only been a few months since hardcore vegan Mac Danzig dominated The Ultimate Fighter reality show and earned a spot as a pro MMA fighter with the UFC.

Is there something to be said for reducing the amount of animal products in your daily nutrition plan? I think there is, and I'll explain more about it in the near future after some more investigating and self-experimentation. But in the meantime, you know who knows a lot about getting large and strong on a vegetarian-style diet? My buddy Jason Ferruggia.

I Want You... To Get Jacked

May 26, Memorial Day, is the officially-unofficial start of summer. That means trips to Jones Beach, barbecues with friends, hotter weather, and less clothes.

And that means that right now is the perfect time to start a seriously effective training program.

Jason Ferruggia's Muscle Building Secrets is one of the most effective programs I've seen in a long time, and just for the next three days, he's putting out an incredible offer.

Muscle Gaining Secrets e-book - Valued at $99.95

Beginner Blast Off 26-week Plan - $79.95 Value

Maximum Mass 26-week Plan - $79.95 Value

The Home Gym Warrior 26-week Plan - $79.95 Value

The Exercise Database e-book - $29.95 Value

Muscle Building Meal Plans with Dr. Chris Mohr - $99.95 Value

Quick Meals for Fast Muscle e-book - $14.95 Value

The Secrets of Super Strength with Jim Wendler - $19.95 Value

Ironman: How to by Injury-Free with Keith Scott - $19.95 Value

MGS Bodyfat Composition Tracker Software 5000 - $39.95 Value

Uncensored Audio Interview with Jason Ferruggia - $29.95 Value

A Lifetime Membership to the Muscle Gaining Secrets Forum - $199.95 Value

A Lifetime Discount on Supplements - Priceless



Plus if you order between today and Thursday February 21, you'll also get:

Muscle Gaining Secrets Audio Book - $39.95 Value

Maximum Mass 2- Advanced Workout - $79.95 Value

The Complete Abdominal Exercise Index by John Alvino - $39.95 Value

Freak Strength by Zach Even-Esh - $19.95 Value

Advanced Kettlebell Training by The Diesel Crew - $29.95 Value

Physically Incorrect by Charles Staley - $29.95 Value

Hybrid Training by Nick Nilson - $29.95 Value

Lifetime Updates to the Muscle Gaining Secrets Program - Priceless

Complete Money-Back Guarantee - Priceless

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This is a completely redonkulous package that Jay is offering. I mean, really, for just $67, you're getting well over a year's worth of training and nutrition plans and unlimited live, online support from the MGS forum which Jay checks out daily (and I'm a member of, too).

I'm going to say it flat-out: if you don't invest in Muscle Building Secrets, you're probably not very serious about reaching your goals.

Pick up your copy, read it and start ASAP, and by Memorial Day, you could reasonably add 10-15 pounds of muscle or drop 10-15 pounds of fat, completely revamp your body and start the summer right.

The Top Ten Muscle Building Tips

Today, I wanted to share a quick list from New Jersey's own Jason Ferruggia. Jay is an incredible trainer and he knows how to slap muscle onto any body.

He's also one of the biggest Giants fans I can think of. So to celebrate Big Blue's incredible Superbowl 42 win, I thought I'd share one of Jay's best articles. Follow his advice and you will get bigger.

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The Top Ten Muscle Building Tips

By Jason Ferruggia


1. Lift weights for no more than three to four days per week. Doing so is not only unnecessary but can quickly lead to over-training, especially if you are doing other physical activities such as cardio or playing recreational sports on a regular basis.

2. Limit your workouts to 30-45 minutes and 15-20 total sets. If you can't build muscle and gain strength in that time frame then I’d say you are half assing it. You have to remember that results are greatest when energy levels and mental focus are at their highest. That is during the first 30-45 minutes of your workout. Going beyond that point causes both of these to plummet.

3. Use big, compound exercises and lift heavy. Deadlifts, military presses, squats, bench presses, rows and chin ups should always be the main focus of your muscle building workout programs. These have been the best muscle building exercises since the beginning of time and that will never change.

4. Continually try to get stronger and always track your progress with a training journal. Progressive overload is the most basic but often forgotten principle in weight training. It states that to make progress you need to constantly increase the amount of weight you lift. Follow this rule and you will get bigger and stronger. Ignore it and you will get nowhere. If you are benching 225 right now, you better be benching 315 by this time next year if you want to build muscle.

5. Train with a multitude of rep ranges. Doing this allows you to target both slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers and maximizes your muscle building capabilities. Reps from 1-20 should be used to target both fast twitch and slow twitch fibers.

6. Always change your weight training program every 3-4 weeks. After 3-4 weeks on the same program you will start to burn out and your results will slow down. To keep your body in a muscle building state, be sure to change your workouts frequently. If you have been lifting for several years, this may need to be done every two weeks because you will adapt more rapidly to the same stimulus.

7. Make a serious commitment to eating. Proper nutrition plays a huge role in your muscle building efforts. Without adequate calories you will never grow optimally. Force feed yourself if you have to and be sure to time your carbs correctly, meaning around training and at breakfast, while cutting them out at night if you want to stay lean while building muscle.

8. Be sure to get at least 8-10 hours of sleep per day and take naps whenever possible. When you are sleeping is when you are building muscle. Sleep is the time when you recover and grow. Without adequate sleep you will never reach your true potential and your muscle building efforts in the gym may be wasted. Do not overlook this important factor.

9. Utilize recovery methods. Training and eating properly are not enough to ensure the fastest muscle building results. You also have to be sure to use whatever recovery methods you can to accelerate your progress. Some of these include taking contrast showers or baths after training, stretching after training and on off days, icing, using foam rollers and whatever else you can think of to help you recover faster.

10. Find a good training partner. While I left this for last on the list it may, in fact, be the most important factor of them all. Without a good training partner your results will always be less than what they could be. It is imperative that you try to find someone to push you and to compete against if you really want to take your muscle building efforts to the next level.



Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great muscle building information, please visit MuscleGainingSecrets.com.