How to Bulk Without Sacrificing Health as a Natural Bodybuilder.

Before starting, lets just get one thing straight. As a natural bodybuilder/strength enthusiast excess calories need to be consumed to get stronger and bigger. Staying ultra lean all year round will not allow for you to continually put on muscle mass, unless your relatively new to training. Short terms gains in muscle mass/strength can occur whilst extremely lean if the trainee is perhaps switching from a very poor training methodology to a more efficient style with much greater intensity and time spent in the gym. No doubt this will lead to some impressive gains irrespective of leanness. However, for anyone who has been training for quite some time and training relatively hard/efficiently, excess calories will be essential in providing the fuel to train heavier/harder/longer and gain muscle tissue.

Bulking is essentially eating over-eating on purpose. Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is made up of your BMR (Basal metabolic rate - kcal your body burns at rest) and any extra calories used from daily activities. You will burn the least amount of calories sleeping. Of course this fluctuates constantly depending on your activities (the BMR will also fluctuate slightly). To bulk effectively, one must consume more calories than the amount of the calories utilised from the TDEE on a daily basis. This will cause weight gain, how much of it and how fast will be determined by how much the calories consumed exceeds the TDEE by. The type of activities completed on a daily basis will contribute to the sort of bodyweight gained (fat or muscle or both). Obviously laying in bed all day whilst overeating will cause fat gain and minimal, perhaps even negative muscle gain. Weight training whilst overeating will cause muscle gain and fat gain (inevitable as a natural). How much muscle one can gain will be determined the quality of training (routine/volume/intensity/rest/technique will all play a part) as well as genetics, age and gender. The amount of calories consumed over the TDEE will also decide the amount of fat gained. Inevitably, a 1000kcal surplus will cause substantial fat gain over a period of weeks. Try shooting for between 200-400 and adjust accordingly as you go.  

This is more food than most people realise. Your not going to achieve this by eating chicken salad and weightwatchers meal replacement bars. Serious amounts of food need to be consumed on a DAILY basis. More often than not its easier to get to these calories by eating high calorie, processed junk food to supplement your daily intake. Its easy to eat and the kcal rack up quickly. However, if this is done for months on it can negatively effect health, which will of course only hinder you in the long term. The human body will not function as efficiently; its ability to produce muscle mass will be hindered. Not to mention ailments/disorders that can develop as a result of continued poor diet. To maintain good overall health whilst consuming high amounts of calories on a daily basis I would do the following:

Increase the portion of calories that will come from fat sources. Prioritise mostly unprocessed fats within this. Avocados, good quality olive oil, nuts and seeds, nut butters, oily and fatty fish, eggs and some read meat. This will help bulk the calories out without having to eat too much food volume (1g of fat contains 9 calories compared to only 4 in carb and protein sources). Fat macros should be much higher when bulking than cutting.

Protein shouldn't be excessively high. Copious amounts of meat consumed for long periods of time will not benefit the body's health. I don't think its as much meat, as the quality of meat and the health of the animal it comes from these days. Animals are pumped full of drugs to aid growth and stop diseases killing them before they reach full size. Dairy is much the same, try to limit the quantities consumed as it comes from the same, sick animals. I think 2-2.5g per kilo should be completely adequate. If money is no option buy organic and consume some lean sources and some fattier sources of meat, chicken thighs, red mince meat, oxtail, salmon and mackerel, eggs etc. Vegan protein powders can also be utilised to bulk up protein consumption without worrying about any more diary, sugars and chemicals in your system than what your already eating in your whole foods.

Carbohydrates should be high to fuel long and hard training sessions. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, bear in mind some will not give you many calories. Bananas are dense and stacked full of carbohydrates. Fresh fruit juice can help (not from concentrate or with added sugars). Utilise dried fruits, such as dates, figs and apricots (dates especially high in carbs) to really bulk up your carb consumption. Use processed bread sparingly, although easy to consume it can cause skin/digestive problems if its relied upon solely to bring in carbohydrate calories. Basics such as sweet potato, rice and oats work well. Vegetables should be eaten freely and often. This is imperative to maintain good overall health.

Example cutting/bulking macro structure:

Cutting -
200g carbohydrate
45g fat
185g protein

Bulking -
450g carbohydrate
90g fat
175g protein

This is just an example of how macros might look between cutting and bulking. Each person is different, a range of factors will influence the amount of each food source. In essence, increase unprocessed fat sources to help overall kcal intake, maintain a high vegetable, fruit intake and utilise dried fruits to help bulk out carbohydrates and keep water intake high (3litres+). Stay away from caffeinated, pre-workout supplements and anything promising you increased muscle gain/fat loss other than creatine. Nothing good will come from regular usage.    

 



 



Check out www.youtube.com/naturalaesthet1cs for videos.

For more info on online coaching email me at rossi01@hotmail.co.uk

Natural Aesthetics - Drug free bodybuilding: MAX - OT - Natural Aesthetics Excel Template

Click the link to go to the MAX - OT link page or simply navigate via the top page headers:

Natural Aesthetics - Drug free bodybuilding: MAX - OT - Natural Aesthetics Excel Template:

The ONE thing you need if you want to get extremely lean.

No, its not a secret supplement or magic pill. Not even a special diet protocol or cardio regime. It's time and plenty of it! Give yourself adequate time to get in shape and allow for potential hiccups and plateaus in fat loss. The further away from your desired shape the longer you need to give yourself. You will always need to lose more body fat than expected to get to those extreme levels of conditioning. And it will always take longer than first anticipated, factor these in to your plan. Lets say you think you have roughly 10kg of body fat to lose, add 2 kg to this total straight away. So that's 12kg and you plan on loosing a steady 0.5 kg each week which works out at 24 weeks of dieting. Again, add 3 weeks to this at least to give yourself room for error.


2 PICTURES SHPWCASING CURRENT CONDITIONING.

CONDITIONING AHCIEVED IN 2013, albeit with tan and post carbohydrate increase.

I still have more body fat to lose, I underestimated how long it would take me to get into the conditioning I desire. I started the diet with too much bodyfat, I have been dieting steadily from January and still probably have another 1-2kg to drop. That's why I love natural bodybuilding, its one massive journey of trial and error. The process of getting shredded will never be perfected, but by giving yourself enough time you can substantially increase your chances!

For a helping hand along the way, contact me via Facebook or rossi01@hotmail.co.uk for online coaching enquiries.

Ross Newham - Natural Aesthetics

Building a better body.

There is a massive difference between having a good body and being muscular. Muscularity at the cost of aesthetics is pointless. Guys on the ifbb stage continue to get bigger and bigger, yet look less aesthetic with every 5lb gained. An extra inch on the arms at the price of an extra inch on the waist is simply not worth it in my eyes - and does little to improve the look of the physique as a whole. 

Proportion is also something that is often neglegted. Common mistakes are forgoing triceps training for biceps. Shoulders being too large for arms and shoulders being too wide for chest/back thickness, as well as the legs being too wiry for the upper body. Of course this is a matter of opinion and also something that often seems to be exaggerated by steroid usage; where muscle growth is extremely fast in certain areas (shoulders,traps etc) which leads to disproportion is the trainee is not careful.

Posture is also often overlooked. Its extremely important for creating a visually impactful physique, something that is clearly seen and recognised by non-lifters. Posture can create vastly different quality aesthetics in equally muscled physiques. Two guys could have the same muscle mass; one with great posture, one with hunched shoulders, tight traps and a caved chest, the former will always look better. This also relates to proportion, as spending too much time training a certain area can cause postural imbalances. There are certain exercises that one can perform on a regular basis to help posture. Simply training the body with compound movements will drastically reduce the risk of postural problems. This teaches the body to move as a unit and can help to create a flowing, well - rounded physique.

Overhead press with full lockout is a must. The bar should travel upwards, arms fully straightened, to finish level with the back area of the head. This will sort a lot of upper body posture problems. 

Wall pushes can help with developing the technique and mobility to perform the overhead press properly. Simply stand back facing a wall, heels, bum, shoulders and head touching and slide hands upwards against the wall to the overhead positions; keeping elbows and knuckles against the wall.
Simply practising keeping the back arched rather than rounded will improve posture. Learning to draw the shoulders back, keeping chest high and out - will create a more confident and attractive physique. Deadlifts, bent rows and low row will help with accentuating this.

We shouldn't just strive for muscularity in the gym. Muscularity doesn't equate to a nice physique, as seen by some of the monstrosities in your local gym. Rather, focus on attaining an aesthetic physique by keeping in mind the pointers I've just discussed.

Natural Aesthetics 

Example Arm Session - Blasting through the 16 inch barrier!

My recent arm training video has spurred me on to write an example training program for you try out and boost your arm size. Attempt this whilst eating more kcal than your maintenance and train your entire body around these sessions. 

So, you could schedule your weeks training as the following or at least something similar: 

W1.

Day 1. Lower

Day 2. Upper

Day 3. Arms 

Day 4. Rest

Day 5. Lower

Day 6. Arms

Day 7. Rest

W2.

Day 1. Upper

Day 2. Lower

Day 3. Arms

Day 4. Rest

Day 5. Upper

Day 6. Arms

Day 7. Rest 

This way you can train each musclegroup at least once a week and continue to make progress, yet still prioritise your arm training.

The arm training would be split into 2 different sessions, each one focusing on slightly different parts of the arm musculature and training adaptations. 

A. 

BB cheat curls - 5x5

Tricep bar pushdowns - 5x5

Seated Incline DB - 3x12

Ez bar skull crushers - 3x12

DB Wrist curls - 3x12

B. 

Close Grip Bench - 5x5

DB hammer curls - 5x5

Rope pushdown - 3x12

DB preacher curls - 3x12

DB overhead extensions - 3x12 

Try this routine for 10 weeks, work on improving the weight used for each exercise using small increments. Mainly the 5x5 sets. Lift explosively on the positive phase of the movement, hold for half a second at peak contraction and then lower the negative phase for 2 seconds. 

Natural Aesthetics

 

SHOULD I TRACK CALORIES OR JUST EAT CLEAN?

"Should I track Kcal or just eat clean?"
First, lets define 'clean' as foods that are generally not subjected to refinement processes prior to consumption and contain no or very little artificial ingredients. This is not black and white; there is no clear line separating 'clean' and 'dirty' foods from one another. Foods might contain clean and dirty components, meals also might be a mixture of the too which makes it difficult to be so clear cut about what's what. I don't particular like labelling foods as clean or dirty; but for the sake of the discussion we will as most have an understanding of what 'clean' eating entails (I hope).

Person a) Average trainee struggling with controlling bodyweight decides to diet. A considerable portion of their diet will perhaps be made up of calorie dense foods; breads, cereals and sandwiches with fatty fillings. These foods are easy to eat and are often branded as 'healthy/lighter' choices. The truth is that many of these foodstuffs are not much different from foods that we generally think of as 'unhealthy' in terms of kcal and or macronutrients (carbs/fat/protein). Companies pay huge sums of money to make their products appear healthy and attractive to consumers conscious of weight and health. The vast majority of shop bought sandwiches contain more fat and salt than a McDonalds Hamburger; yet have been labelled as the 'healthy' go-to for lunch in the UK for years. Add to this sugary cereals and toast or fruit juice for breakfast, coffees and tea throughout the day and a ready meal for dinner with a glass of wine and person a) will more than likely be in a calorie surplus. This means weight gain; how much and how quick will be dependant on many calories over BMR (the kcal you need to maintain body weight) that person is consuming over a longer period of time. BMR will depend on multiple factors, but it is often low in untrained/sedentary people (which makes it easier to overeat and thus gain bodyfat).

So, person a) decides to reduce carbohydrates, cut them out completely after 6pm, cuts out wine and sugar in coffee, replaces the ready meal with salad and chicken, uses skimmed milk instead full fat ETC. ETC. This is a generalisation but most people follow those sort of procedures when decided to diet.

After 4 weeks of this they will have lost some bodyweight, some of that body fat. They will then associate said weight loss with the new foods they are eating; rather than the calorie deficit that these new foods have created. Salads, vegetables, lean meats and low GI (glycaemic index) carbs such as brown rice, quinoa, oats etc. are filling and generally leave you feeling satisfied for longer. 500kcal of chicken, rice and veg is ALOT harder to eat than 500kcal's worth of microwavable lasagne, thus causing the dieter to generally eat LESS when eating 'clean'. These 'clean' foods do not have magic fat loss properties, its the reduction in kcal brought about by switching from processed, calorie dense foods which are easier to eat in large quantities, to these lighter unprocessed foods that causes the weight loss. This is something people tend to misinterpret and thus contribute to the weight loss confusion; person a) will proudly tell their friend that the secret to their fat loss was simply no carbohydrates after 6pm or by eating less red meat and more white fish but fail to realise the REAL reason why this worked; calorie reduction. The friend then desperately tries this but of course this will only work dependant on the friends overall diet and kcal intake in relation to BMR.

I'm not saying that kcal intake is the absolute be all and end all to weight management, because its not. Im not advocating a whatever fits into your kcal and you'll loose weight approach. Health is number 1, I always advocate a 'clean' eating approach; consuming MOST of your kcal from unprocessed, fresh produce. Fresh meats and fish, good quaility dairy and fibre rich carbohydrate sources aswell as nutrient dense fruit and vegetables. Allowing a small percentage of overall kcal to be derived from 'dirty' food, if you wish, will not harm your weight loss goals; as long as you eat within your BMR.

In summary, Kcal will have the most bearing on weight management and that eating 'clean' generally causes weight loss because of the reduction of kcal associated with choosing these foods over denser, calorie rich processed foods. Not because of some magical weightloss property in certain foodstuffs; which so frequently people are lead to believe. Track Kcal; apply science and common sense to your weight management and take out the guesswork. Eat mostly unprocessed foods, rich in micronutrients, but allow yourselves to eat foods that you enjoy as this WILL help in the long run.

 

For more information on dieting and how to apply it to yourself to help reach your goals, message me at rossi01@hotmail.co.uk, via www.facebook.com/naturalaesthet1cs or www.youtube.com/naturalaestheticstv

Natural Aesthetics - Dream and Achieve

Ross Newham

 

6 COMMANDMENTS OF NATURAL MUSCLE GROWTH

 

 

1. EAT TO GROW! Feed your body the necessary calories required to add muscle. Your trying to gain weight; to add muscle tissue...this is not possible if your chronically under-eating. Rice cakes and chicken will not cut it 24/7.

 

2. INTENSITY IS EVERYTHING! Stop farting around and start training like its your job. 15 rep sets with a weight that you could do 25 reps with will not cause serious growth. Embrace pain - learn to love it!! 

 

3. FOCUS ON WHATS IMPORTANT! Stop worrying about stuff that doesn't matter....how many meals are optimal/what type of carbs should one eat/how many sets should one do? Just DO something, its never going to be 100% optimal.

 

4. PATIENCE! Unless you have amazing genetics to build muscle its going to take years. Accept it and your training will benefit from that. Stop looking for a shortcut, supplement or a secret training formula that will get you to where you want quicker.....leave that for those who want to use drugs.

 

5. TRAIN HEAVY! To build a big natural physique your going to have to lift heavy! Ive never seen a BIG natural who trained with light weights exclusively. Include compounds lifts (multiple muscle movements; bench/deadlift/squat/overhead press/pullups and dips etc.) in your training. Focus on getting stronger over time on these lifts and they will act as a catalyst for your training and physique.

 

6. VARIETY ISN'T ESSENTIAL! Variety for the sake of it is far too common. Why change exercises when the basics have not been mastered. TOO much variety will hinder progress. Muscles do not need exercise surprises, bludgeon them into growth with variations of volume (how much training, sets and reps)/frequency (how many times per training cycle) and intensity (weight and or overload techniques) instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ross - Natural Aesthetics

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

NATURAL AESTHETICS Competition Training Program 2014



 



Day 1 [upper] 

Incline DB's - 5x5

BB row - 5x5

Military Press - 5x5

Low row - 3x10

Rear delt rows - 3x10

Close Grip bench - 5x5

DB hammer curls - 3x10

Day 2 [lower]

 

Back squat - 5x5

Leg Press - 5x12-->4

Hamstring curls - 5x5

Calves - 3x10

 +cardio (25min) 

 +Ab circuit

Day 3 [upper]

 

BB bench press - 5x5

Pull-ups - 5x5

DB Shoulder Press - 5x5

DB Flys - 3x10

DB Laterals/upright rows - 3x10

Cheat curls - 5x5

Bar Pushdowns - 3x10

Day 4 [lower]

Deadlift - 5x5

Front Squat - 5x5

Hamstring Curl - 3x10

Calves - 3x10

 +cardio (25min)

 +Ab circuit 

+ Cardio (HIIT) 8x30sec sprints/60sec recovery - on Day 5 

Notes - 

* 5x5 will usually indicate 5 sets of 5 including ramping sets, only last set will be a true 'working set'. 

* Occasionally, I may veer away from the layout of the program during a particular session and blast a compound exercise for more sets than prescribed.

* Attempting to increase, or at the very least fighting to maintain strength, in the big compound movements will be of the upmost importance. 

Aiming to beat the size achieved last year: 

Natural Aesthetics - Dream and Achieve

Ross

Are Isolation Exercises Worthwhile for Novices?

The first and probably hardest part of the question is to actually define a novice. I'm not going to give a definitive set of numbers for the major lifts as this can be misleading. Trainees can see massive improvements in musculature during their first few months without touching the big three lifts. Most weight bearing exercise is usually above and beyond what the trainer will have experienced thus far, illiciting rapid adaptations in musculature and strength. Instead I will simply define a novice as someone who has very little or no understanding about the general movement patterns needed to create changes to their physique. There is little or no understanding about training protocols such as volume or frequency or even how to train specific muscles appropriately. 

Onto the second part of the question: are isolation exercises worthwhile for novices? The novice should allocate most of their training time and energy to learning the basic training movements: push, pull, squat and lift. Learning these properly as early as possible will put them in good stead for future training. These exercises will also provide the most carryover in strength to other movements both in and out of the gym. 

However, I also believe that a lot of time should be spent on isolation exercises to further develop movement patterns and practise 'contracting' specific muscles. One of the key differences between a novice, intermediate and advanced trainer is the ability to focus on and prioritise certain muscles during both compound and isolation exercises. The quicker this 'mind to muscle' contraction is established the quicker the trainer can then potentially progress from novice to intermediate. Over-training becomes more important as the trainer becomes more advanced, it is not something to worry about in the novice stages. 

The novice trainer should first and foremost concern themselves with learning and improving technique in the main movements (push/pull/squat/lift). Weight should then be added in a mostly linear fashion to each main exercise, whilst dedicating perhaps a third of time in the gym to isolation exercises. The novice should use this time to learn which muscles contract during certain exercises and more importantly to reiterate the contraction or 'feel' of the muscle during certain movements rather then simply moving weight.

Ross Newham - Natural Aesthetics

CURRENT TRAINING PROTOCOL

Recently made a few subtle tweaks to my training program. I will continue this protocol for 5-6 weeks then go back to 4 day a week training to add more volume on bodyparts.

 

 

Day 1 - Front squats 5x5/Barbell row 5x5/Behind neck press 5x8/Upright rows 3x8 + Heavy arms (5-8reps)

 

 

Day 2 - Deadlift 5x5/Bench press 5x5/DB incline 5x5/Pullups 5x5/Hamsstring curls 5x8

 

 

Day 3 - Front squats 5x3/Barbell row 5x3/Behind neck press 5x5/Rear delt rows + Arms (8-12reps) and calves 10x10

 

 

Light cardio - 20 mins x4 pw