Knowledge

There is no one perfect way to train, no perfect routine, no magical number of sets or reps. Everybody is different, and every responds differently to different types of training. To get the most out of your training, you should design a program around your own specific needs and abilities.

You could hire a personal trainer and he will help you. But eventually, your goals, or even your body may change enough that you have to change your training again. That's why, for success in the long term, it would be best to educate yourself to understand your body enough to make your own program.

There are dozens, if not hundreds of different diets out there that you could try, and most of them have some convincing arguments as to why they work. How about understanding the biochemistry behind your metabolism, and designing your diet to your own needs?

It's really not that complicated, and I believe that in the past few years, advances have been made that shatter some of the old beliefs in weight loss and dieting. Understanding how everything you put past your lips affects your body is a key to achieving your goals. It's not as simple as how many calories you consume as many people still believe, and though it may work in the short term, there are much better, long term solutions.

The supplement market is flooded with hundreds of different herbs and pharmaceuticals to help you on your quest to health and fitness, but which really work? Which have negative side effects? Which should you take to achieve your goals?

I will attempt to cover as many supplements as possible and as new ones as they reach the market. I gather my information from brochures, catalogs, books, magazines and the internet to give you information you need to develop a supplementation program that is right for you.

I will try to make each of these sections as concise as possible so as not to bore you. If you're serious about using diet and exercise to change your body, I strongly encourage you to read all of these!

Anatomy/Physiology

This page will cover three main areas:

Muscles - fast-twitch/slow-twitch, energy sources for aerobic/anaerobic, chemicals involved in contraction, structure, etc.
Metabolism - insulin/glucagon, glucolytic/glucogenic
Hormones - testosterone, estrogen, DHT, Androstenedione, norandrostenedione, IGF

Macronutrients

This will cover the three well known constituents of food:

Carbs - mono/polysaccharides, simple vs. complex vs. glycemic index, sucrose/fructose/maltose, fiber, how much? when?
Protein - Different sources, quality, How much? When? whey, vegetarian, meat
Fat - good fat vs. bad fat, omega-3 and omega-6 (linoleic and linolenic) fatty acids, saturated, mono/poly-unsaturated, hydrogenated, trans-fat.

Micronutrients

All the little things we need:

Vitamins - A, B-complex, C, D, E, K, how much? when? which sources?
Minerals - iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium, selenium, manganese, chromium, etc.

Supplements

Various supplements divided into three groups of importance, Application specific area contains several general supplements worth trying as well:

Foundation - multi-vitamin/mineral, EFA's
Convenient - protein, meal replacement shakes, creatine, anti-oxidants
App. specific - ephedrine, caffeine, amino-acids, various herbs, St. Johns wart, ginko biloba, saw palmetto, tribulus, hydroxycitric acid, pyruvate, HMB, choline, tyrosine, glutamine

!!!---Overtraining---!!!

No sub-headings hear, just read the whole thing!! All to often I see people who drag their feet into the gym, complaining all the way, losing strength, muscle and sleep, but they refuse to believe they are over-trained. Believe me, it can happen to anybody, including yourself, so learn the symptoms, and take action early!!

Age/Sex

I've had questions concerning how people from different walks of life should train differently. The truth is, there are no great differences. The few that there are I have outlined here. I've been working out with a female for nearly two years now, and have gotten my parents into the iron game as well, so I have a little experience with both:

Females - different bio-mechanics, different hormones, different strength curves, different goals? Extreme lack of info on the net!!
Age Groups - How should the seasoned train differently. Too old to start? Fragile bones? weaker joints? How about the young, stunted growth? Supplements?

Measuring Progress

It's discouraging when you don't notice a difference, but how easy is it to notice an inch more or less on a thigh? Keep track and keep motivated with these techniques:

Training Log - If your getting stronger, your building muscle! Keep track of your progress in the gym, some sample training logs to download.
Body Composition - The scale tells you nothing! lose two pounds of fat and gain two of muscle, and you'll never know looking at a scale! Get a bodyfat test done, use the mirror, use a measuring tape!