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Eric Johnson
Contributing Writer
My Favorite Dinner
Nothing is better than coming home from a long day of work , or training session and indulging in your favorite food. Here is one of my clean contest prep meals:
Eric Johnson is a NASM CPT and Team JBT Athlete
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/EJohnsonFitness
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ejohnsonfitness
Jon-Carlo Astorina
Contributing Writer
Tips To Get Lean For Summer
With spring upon us, people have been asking me how to quickly lose that stubborn belly fat. Diet and exercise will forever be the proper answer to this question, but if you need a little nudging in terms of diet, the following is my personal fat reduction plan.
1. Limit Carbs
Limit carbs to post workout (excluding fruits and veggies). Aim for about 60g of good quality carbs – oatmeal, potatoes, etc. If not working out I have them at breakfast.
2. Diet Rich In Protein And Good Fats.
By good fats I mean the oils contained in nuts, avocado, seeds etc. Olive oil is great – so is Enova and Macadamia.
3. Cardio!
30-minutes at moderate intensity at least 3 times a week. Try walking at a brisk pace on a steep incline. Aim for a heart rate that is stable at around 130-150. If you are so daring, incorporate High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This is moderate cardio followed by bursts of full intensity cardio.
4. Two Servings Of Fruit Per Day.
Try 100g of blueberries at breakfast and 2oz of banana before/after a workout. Blueberries facilitate fat loss and the potassium in bananas is great for tight muscles.
5. Unlimited Greens.
Leafy greens and fibrous veggies are more filling. Broccoli and asparagus are excellent choices.
6. Eat Frequently
Eat 5-6 meals a day spaced 3 hours apart, no more than 5 hours apart. Keep the meals small but nutritionally rich.
If you struggle, remember – a cheat won’t kill you. It provides a psychological break to dieting and it also boosts your metabolism by shocking the system. You may actually find that you come in lighter after a cheat meal. Once a week is okay. However, make it regular portions.
Good Luck!
Bodybuilding Accomplishments:
2011 ABA Natural Illinois Bodybuilding, Fitness, and Figure Championships
2nd Place Novice Short Class
3rd Place Open Short Class
2011 NGA Heart of America Natural Classic
1st Place Novice Lightweight
1st Place Open Lightweight
1st Place OVERALL NOVICE
2011 NANBF Probody Solutions Natural
1st Place Open Short Class
2011 NGA Titan Classic
OVERALL OPEN MEN WINNER – PRO CARD AWARDED
Jon-Carlo Astorina is a Team JBT Athlete
See More: http://www.nationalgym.com/
BIO:
JC was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. He now resides in Bloomington, IL and works as a private detective for a prominaent PI firm out of Chicago. JC studied Criminal Justice at Illinois State University. He is married with four children. Besides his family, JC’s greatest passion in life is bodybuilding and fitness – a hobby he picked up in college.
JC has been bodybuilding for roughly four years and started competing in 2011. He has a short but impressive competitive resume. To date he has competed in four drug tested bodybuilding competitions, earning his Pro Card at his last competition. He is recognized as a Professional Natural Bodybuilder by the National Gym Association (NGA).
Exercise 1: Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curls – Standing Dumbbell Curls (Super Set)
Sets: 3
Reps: 8 (try to increase the weight after each set)
Rest: 1.5 minutes between each set
Exercise 2: Narrow Grip Standing E-Z Bar Curls – Wide Grip Standing E-Z Bar Curls
(Super Set)
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rest: 2-minutes between super sets
Exercise 3: Concentration Curls
Sets: 3
Reps:15
Rest: 15 seconds between each set
Matt Karstetter
Contributing Writer
Know Your Body Type – Ectomorph, Mesomorph, or Endomorph
We all know that in the sport of bodybuilding, to be successful undoubtedly requires a person to push their known limits and leave their comfort zone behind. It takes a “never say die” mindset and overall self-discipline to reach set goals and separate yourself from the crowd. This combined with the correct diet, training protocol and supplementation is more or less the name of the game, right? Yes, but its not usually that cut and dry. There are endless training programs out there guaranteeing results and even more diets telling what you need to eat to be the next Branch Warren. So how do you sift through all the BS and find the program that’s right for you? Start at your base and identify what body type category you fall into.
An ectomorph generally has a naturally slim physique, smaller joints and lean muscle.
Ectomorph Characteristics:
Ectomorphs find it very hard to gain weight. They have a fast metabolism which burns up calories very quickly. Ectomorph’s need a large amount of calories in order to gain weight. Workouts should be short and intense focusing on big muscle groups. Generally, ectomorphs can lean out rather easy which can be a big advantage when preparing for a competition.
MESOMORPH
A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight.
Mesomorph Characteristics:
The mesomorph body type responds the best to weight training. Gains are usually seen very quickly, especially for beginners. The downside to mesomorphs is they gain fat more easily than ectomorphs. This means they must watch their calorie intake. Usually a combination of weight training and cardio works best for mesomorphs.
ENDOMORPH
Endomorphs make gains rather easily. They most often have a shorter build with thick arms and legs. Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squat
Endomorph Characteristics:
Diet and cardio are highly important for an Endomorph. A clean diet will serve and Endomorph well.
Use this information as a guide to determine what body type you are and choose the workout and diet protocol that honors your particular physique. Keep in mind that it is possible to fall into more than one category and a lot of guys like myself do. Generally, it will be a combination of ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph. I myself am a combination of ectomorph/mesomorph. I lean out rather quickly and can handle large amounts of calories, but I have a large muscle bellies and athletic build.
As always keep in mind I am not a physician and the information in this article has been drawn from my own research, self knowledge, and personal theory. I would strongly suggest doing further research before attempting any drastic changes to your body or lifestyle. I do appreciate you taking the time to read this article and I hope it helps. Go Hard!
Bodybuilding Accomplishments:
2007 – State of Kansas – Light Heavy Novice: 1st, Light Heavy Open: 3rd
2009 – Muscle Mayhem: Light Heavy 3rd
2010 – Midwest Iron Man Chicago: Heavy weight: 3rd
2011 – Muscle Mayhem : Heavy Weight: 3rd
2011- WBFF Central USA Championships: Heavy Weight: 1st (Pro Card Winner)
Bio:
Born in the small town McPherson, KS in 1983, Matt is the youngest of 4, with three older sisters. A strong work ethic was instilled in him at an early age and that has been his foundation to work towards achieving his goals and dreams ever since. Growing up, he played nearly every sport possible, but his favorite was baseball.
In 2002, he attended Kansas State University and graduated in 2007 with a degree in business. Since he was old enough to work, he did just that, and during his college years he framed houses and bar tended.
When he graduated, he took the National General Contractor exam, passed and started his own General Contracting and Land Development company in 2007. Initially, he built single family residential homes, but more recently has been getting into commercial and investment properties.
He missed playing ball in college, but he soon realized that it was the weights that he was truly in love with. He began competing in 2007, and now present day, motivation has never been higher. He turned Pro in the WBFF Central USA Championships in May of 2011 and has now set his sights on getting his IFBB Pro Card and has an intense 2012 season ahead of him.
Eric Johnson
Contributing Writer
My Favorite Ab Workout
It’s safe to assume many of us are busting our humps in the gym to get six pack abs. Abs, like any other muscles, require hard work and dedication. You don’t exercise biceps for 10 minutes a week, and expect them to get stronger do you? You can’t approach abs that way either. However, you don’t want to over train abs, again being like other muscles they do require rest. I like to train my core 3-4 times a week usually taking a day in between. I focus on the 4 categories of torso movement: Flexion, Extension, Rotation, and Stabilization. I focus on upper abs, lower abs, and obliques. My ab workout looks something like this:
3X60 Sec Plank on a Exercise Ball
3×20 Reverse Crunches
3X25 V-Ups
3X20 Butterfly Legged Crunches
3X15 Leg Raises
3X30 Alternating Heel Touches
3X15 Oblique Crunches
You can Google any of these exercises if you are unfamiliar with them.
Eric Johnson is a NASM CPT and Team JBT Athlete
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/EJohnsonFitness
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ejohnsonfitness
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Contributing Writer
On competition day, what is the best thing to eat before the evening show?
Your diet the last few days before a show can be really important and can make all the difference! Throughout my experience with competitions, I have learned some great tricks and techniques to get your body to peak at the right time.
The shows that I compete in have two parts: Prejudging and a night show. The prejudging usually takes place in the morning and the awards show is in the evening. The evening show is pretty much judged already and is for the fans, which can be a lot of fun. The prejudging is what you really want to focus on, in regards to peaking correctly. This is the first time the judges see you and it is important to have a good first impression.
Because I like to do things naturally, I use an old school, basic method for tightening up and “peaking” for a competition. There are some great natural ways to get your body to peak on the day of the show. Through trial and error you will gain experience to knowing when your body will peak. I seriously do not recommend any diuretic usage. Diuretics will pull out all fluids from your muscles and can cause cardiac arrest and even death. I have witnessed a few incidents where this has happened to competitors. They were taken away in an ambulance, which is not worth the risk.
What I have been doing for years, and has always worked, is staying consistent with the diet throughout the months leading up to a show. For most competitors, the last week of their diet is low carbs, or maybe even no carbs depending if they did their dieting homework. The last three days before a competition, which I call “carb-up days”, I begin to add carbs back into my diet, cut out all sodium, and keep my liquids to a minimum. This will cause your muscles to start getting that full belly look and will draw out any liquid you may have between your skin. Your body will draw it into the muscle giving you a dry hard look. For carbs, I recommend yams, brown rice, and no sodium granola. You can snack on these all three days. The hard part is keeping your liquids to a minimum and cutting out all sodium for the three days. If you have too much liquid or added sodium it will not work. (Had a friend wake up in the middle of the night because he couldn’t handle it any more and drank a gallon of water. He did not even place in the show the next day! For the carbs to work and dry you out your liquids need to be very low.
Get a good night sleep, every night, and stay calm. On the morning of the show I would have a good breakfast. I love a good steak! ( Eggs have natural sodium so I would skip the eggs ) And a multi-grain low sodium pancake tastes great. I would then pack some essential carbs for snacking before and throughout the show – a yam, granola, a couple of chocolate bars. Getting in any extra protein is really not that important, it’s all about the carbs at this point! Right before going onto stage I like to have chocolate bar. Chocolate is full of sugar which should bring out any vascularity. I also have used concentrated grape juice with honey which is packed full of sugar and will bring out those veins!
Between prejudging and the evening show I usually keep the fluids low and not go too crazy as far as eating, even though most of the competition has been judged. A nice big steak and potato with all the dressings, as well as ice cream are a great reward for all the hard work you have just completed!
Sometimes competitors have not carbed up enough for the prejudging and come in looking better for the night show because they have been able to get more carbs into their body. Experience is always a plus when it comes to peaking at the right time. It’s about knowing your body and what it takes to get it to peak for you at the right time. Too many carbs can cause you to”spill over” and smooth out and not enough carbs causes you to stay flat. Stress can also be a factor on peaking at the right time. Keep yourself calm and confident that you gave 100%. This is your day to shine and show off all your hard work!
Bodybuilding Accomplishments:
1986 – 1st -NPC Mr. Southern Cal ( Lightweight)
1989 – 1st -NPC Cal. Novice and Overall ( Lightweight)
1992 – 1st – NPC Mr. Orange County ( Lightweight)
1993 – 1st – NPC Mr. California ( Lightweight)
1994 – 2nd – NPC Mr. North American ( Lightweight)
1995 – 2nd – NPC Excalibur ( Middleweight)
1998 – 7th – NPC USA ( Middleweight)
1999 – 1st – Mr. Los Angeles ( Light Heavyweight)
2008 – 2nd – NPC Excalibur ( Masters Middleweight)
(All bodybuilding recipes contain 300 calories or more)
3 Green Peppers, halved
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1/2lb Ground Turkey 93% lean
1 cans stewed tomatoes, no salt added
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese ( 50% light)
1 tsp chili powder
pepper
Cook brown rice according to directions on package.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, sautee ground turkey, onion, and garlic ( use light cooking spray or a dash of olive oil), chili powder and pepper. Remove from heat and add stewed tomatoes and brown rice. Mix thoroughly.
Halve the green peppers and cook in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened. Remove from water and place face down to drain.
Arrange pepper halves in large baking dish and fill with meat mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top of each half and bake in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Servings: 2 (3 stuffed peppers per serving)
This meal contains 531 calories, 15.3 g of fat, 66.6 g of carbs, 9.9 g of fiber and 39.6 g of protein
Eric Johnson
Contributing Writer
We All Workout Because We Want Results
Results happen through hard work in and out of the gym. The hardest part for most is putting in the proper workout in the gym and eating correctly. I always tell my clients, “If it were easy, every body would do it.” When it comes to dieting, there are a few important things. The diet should have 3 main goals:
1) Spare as much muscle mass as possible
2) Lose as much fat as possible
3) Keep up the intensity in the weight room
Macronutrients should drive your diet. Macronutrients refer to Proteins, Carbs, and Fats. In simple terms, 1,000 calories of ice cream is not the same as 1,000 calories of chicken breasts. To determine your macronutrients you can simply go online and search for a “Macronutrient Calculator”. I generally like to aim for about 40%Protein, 30%Carbs, but most importantly my fats are always in a range 20-27%. Now I know this doesn’t add up to 100% but it gives me more room for proteins and carbs.
Fat may be the most confusing part to some. With this being said, a little information on why fat is important. Fats are the body’s preferred source of stored energy and the most efficient molecule for the body to burn. They also promote hormone synthesis mainly in regards to testosterone. Unfortunately, fats are also easily stored as adipose tissue (body fat), so there must be some type of compromise between ingesting enough fat for hormone maintenance and reducing fat intake enough to decrease body fat. Hence, why the Fat macronutrient is always ranging from 20-27%.
Here is a list of some good fats: Omega 3, Natural Peanut butter, Salmon, Avocado
Eric Johnson is a NASM CPT and Team JBT Athlete
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/EJohnsonFitness
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ejohnsonfitness