Gym Owner Q&A

loscampeonesgym
Los-Campeones

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Loehrer

By Benjamin Loehrer, Los Campeones Gym

So many questions come up at a gym, whether a person is new to working out or has been doing it their whole life. Here is where I’ll answer some of the common ones I hear around the gym.

How can I get bigger without getting fat?
The reality is that muscles love calories. If you want to put on as much muscle as possible, as fast as possible, you will simply have to eat more. The downside to this is that those hard-earned abs may start to disappear.

When people start a “bulking” phase, they typically go about it all the wrong way. They start eating pizza and ice cream to get in those extra calories—don’t do that!

All you need to do is add in an extra protein shake during the day; a typical shake has 150-300 calories. In time, you will put on more muscle while still keeping that much-deserved six-pack!

What supplements do you take/recommend?
People ask me this literally every day.

There are too many products out there; I like to keep it simple. First, you need to remember that they are supplements to a well-balanced diet. You need those quality whole foods!

Next, you need to be clear on your goals so you can be clear on which products to take.

If your goal is to just be healthy and active I suggest a multi-vitamin pack and whey protein shakes. No matter who you are, you need to be supplementing with both just to get in the nutrients that you need for a healthy lifestyle. If you’re trying to add more muscle and get stronger, I suggest a little more: whey protein shakes, multi vitamin, Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s), and Creatine.

These additional supplements will help with muscle recovery and growth.

I just don’t have any motivation to workout, what can I do about it?
You need to start with “why?” Why do I want to be more fit and stronger? Is it quality of life? Is it to get more dates? Is it to do a competition? When you start with your reason why, you have a purpose to get up and do something about it.

Hiring a trainer to challenge you is the best motivation. You can also find a great training book (I suggest Supple Leopard) to learn more about training and to get great workout ideas.

Another suggestion I give to my clients is to find a picture of a body or bodies that you want to look like and put it on your fridge. That way you will be constantly reminded of your goal.

I think I want to do a bodybuilding/physique/bikini show but I don’t know where to start!  Can you help me?
Recently, new competition classes have been added to the bodybuilding shows that make it a lot more accessible for everyone to participate. Now there are beach body type classes that are much more attainable. I suggest first going to a show so you can see what the expectations are. Then you need to pick out a show to participate in (you can find a list of local shows at mnnpc.com). I help a lot of people get started who have no idea where to begin. You’ll need to set up a good basic training program and get on a healthy and consistent diet; I suggest hooking up with a trainer who can help you with diet, training, and posing. It’s a lot of hard work and discipline but it’s worth every minute of it!

If you have any questions about this article and would like to talk more in depth about anything please reach out to me. I love to help people with this stuff!

Benjamin Loehrer
Owner/Trainer
Los Campeones Gym
612-333-8181
www.loscampeonesgym.com

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