Dan Przyojski

Just the other day I had an aspiring competitive bodybuilder ask me “Dan, what supplement can I take to build a great physique?” At first I wanted to give him my usual line about eating nutritious bodybuilding foods like protein, carbohydrates, and fats in their natural state, but instead I invited him to one of my monthly lectures on Physical Culture. I told him I would reveal the secret nutritional ingredients that are the “Nuts and Bolts” to building a prize-winning physique. Well he and about 9 of his friends showed up to learn about the facts, not fallacies, on what it takes to build the perfect physique. Here is an outline of that lecture.    Training: Typical Training Error Let’s get one thing straight: The foundational cornerstone of a championship physique is nutrition. Without proper food intake you can never realize your full genetic potential. For whatever reason most bodybuilders tend to neglect the importance of healthy eating. They may feel that proper nutrition is not that important, or they make-up the excuse that they don’t have time to eat properly. Yet when they don’t make any significant progress in muscular growth or strength, they automatically blame their training routine. To compound the problem, the next erroneous step they make is to ADD EXTRA SETS AND REPS to their workout routine. That’s like throwing a weighted vest-jacket to a drowning man. More of what’s not working is not going to make it work better!         Nutrition: The Plan  If you want to build an effective nutritional plan, you should be aware of the nutritional components that will keep your body in a constant anabolic state. Certain foods contain nutritional elements that are key to building a championship physique. Without this knowledge it makes it very hard to apply proper bodybuilding nutrition to your lifestyle. Both vitamins and minerals are essential components of structures and functions in the body that can take years to develop to their fullest capacity. This is why I say EVERYONE IS A BODYBUILDER. Your body is constantly building itself from the foods and liquids you consume. If you feed your body the right foods, water, and supplements everyday, train on a consistent basis, week-in- and week-out, your body will gradually change and you’ll achieve your personal bodybuilding goals. I have spearheaded the body transformation of many people. I have watched them go from out-of-shape & insecure individuals to healthy, energetic, trophy winning competitors. This is what real bodybuilding or physical culture is all about.  The Nutritional Nuts & Bolts 1. Water: Believe it or not this substance is the most important ingredient you can consume for health, bodybuilding, and life itself. Water is the most abundant substance found in the body. Water accounts for roughly two-thirds of the body weight and does more than just quench your thirst. Water provides a medium in the body in which nutrients can be dissolved in order to allow these essential nutrients to pass through the intestinal wall and into the blood stream. Water also helps in the elimination of metabolic waste. I recommend no less than eight to ten glasses of steam-distilled water every day. 2. Protein: Next to water, protein is the most abundant substance in the body. The primary role of protein is for growth and development of all body tissue. For the serious bodybuilder I recommend no less than 1 gram of protein per pound of muscle. When getting ready for a competition, the ratio is 1-½ to 2 grams per pound of muscle. There are approximately twenty-one amino acids which make up the human body. The human body can produce all but eight. These eight are labeled the essential amino acids and all eight need to be present in proper proportions for proper absorption. Major sources of protein, in order of quality are eggs, milk, meat, fish, poultry, and legumes. 3. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the major source of energy for cells, body functions, and muscular exertions. Carbohydrates provide us with immediate calories for energy by producing heat when carbon in the system unites with oxygen in the blood stream. This means carbohydrates are a MUST for the serious hard-trainer. Too many people have the “gotta look cut” mentality and go on a low carbohydrate diet. In the short run it seems to work, as the person will lose weight. Most people never realize that the quick weight loss was probably due to a loss of water in the body. Carbohydrates hold water; reduce the carbohydrates in your body and you’ll reduce the water your body retains. That’s not fat loss and that’s certainly not long-term weight loss. In reality, the only carbohydrates that are not health building are the processed or chemically altered food products like French fries, white bread products, pretzels and packaged snacks, cakes cookies and a host of other man made products labeled as food. I guarantee you that if you consume natural carbohydrates in the form of fresh fruits, vegetables and grain products, you’ll never experience that feeling of low energy and the need to drink caffeine products or take pills and powders containing high amounts of pick-me-up stimulants. 4. Fats: Lipids (fats) are a concentrated source of energy. Fat is used for storing vitamin A, D, E, and K. In addition, fat is necessary for the production of steroidal compounds such as testosterone in the body. Both protein and carbohydrates provide approximately four calories per gram, fats provide approximately nine calories per gram. Gram for gram. Fats can provide more energy than carbohydrates. However, weight training, which is an aerobic form of exercise, does not use fat as an energy source. Walking, jogging, and cycling, which are anaerobic exercises, do use fat for energy. If you desire to lose body fat, be sure to include anaerobic work into your training program. Fat is a very important nutrient to the body and should never be excluded. Some sources of fat include milk products, eggs, and peanuts. Vitamin Supplement Vitamins are organic substances that have no caloric value but are of great importance to the body. Vitamins help regulate metabolism and assist in the formation of tissue. If you are truly eating a well balanced diet of natural foods, you will be getting most of the vitamins you need. However, because of modern farming methods many fruits and vegetables are not of the highest vitamin potency. I advise taking a high potency multi-vitamin-mineral supplement every day to insure you’re getting enough vitamins in your diet. Mineral Supplement Minerals are inorganic nutrients that are found in bones, teeth, soft tissue, muscle, blood, and nerve cells. Approximately seventeen are essential in the human body. If one lacks in minerals, all the vitamins he takes will be useless since vitamins work in conjunction with minerals. Again, that is why a recommend a high potency multi-vitamin-mineral supplement every day.   Balanced Diet Of The Nuts And Bolts In order to eat a nutritious diet you should eat foods that are closest to their natural state as possible. Foods that have been processed and refined lose many of their nutrients. Many food producers and supplement companies are fortifying their foods with additional vitamins and minerals in an attempt to replace nutrients lost during processing. In the end, there are certain factors that natural foods contain that vitamin-mineral fortification cannot replace. Eat natural foods first, then supplement.  Muscle Building Menu 1. Breakfast: ½ cup oatmeal with raisins – ½ cup no-fat cottage cheese- 6 egg whites & 1 yoke scrambled up- 8 ounces water. 2. Snack: 2 scoops of whey protein isolate powder in a blender with ½ cup oatmeal flour and 4 ounces water and 4 ounces orange or pineapple juice. 3. Lunch: 1 Chicken breast-1 cup green beans-1 cup corn- 8 ounces water. 4. Snack: 8 ounces no-fat cottage cheese- 1 medium baked yam or potato. 5. Supper: Lean flank steak or ½ pound of Laura’s lean ground beef-large salad with tomato, zucchini, and mushrooms, ½ cup brown rice-1 cup cooked mixed vegetables. 8 ounces water. 6. Snack: 8 ounces of no-fat cottage cheese with pineapple or other fruit mixed in- or –6 oz. natural yogurt with fruit mixed in or- air popped pop corn with natural flavor added- or- protein drink mentioned in first snack of the day. Adjust the eating plan to fit your time, schedule, and food choices. Stay away from processed foods whenever possible. Plan your weekly menu ahead of time so you’ll be prepared. And remember, success doesn’t just happen, you make it happen!

Power Health Always, Dan Przyojski Dan Przyojski N.F.P.T. Certified Trainer Author of MuscleBuilder RxPower Health Products1223 Borg Ave.Temperance, Mi 48182 www.MuscleBuilderRx.comdan@powerhealthproducts.com