3- Leg Extension Machine: the leg extension can me found in almost every gym, it’s a staple. Unfortunately it’s a staple which can cause serious injury to the knees. The problem when using the leg extension is that the movement combined with weights creates great shearing forces at the knees. While one may not injure themselves after one use, there is a cumulative effect each time the machine is used causing injury sooner or later. In addition to this, it’s not a very functional piece of equipment and a person would be better served on other things.

Alternative: there are a couple of great alternatives. One would be to perform square. Squats are great for the quads while also being a very functional exercise which works everything. A machine alternative would be to use the Leg Press with one leg. This is a great multi joint exercise which works the quads with little stress on the knee.

4- Weight lifting belts. Weight lifting belts are becoming less and less common with very good reason. The idea is that the belt will assist it’s user in being more stable. This added stability, then, will cause the person to lift heavier weights. Proponents also say that the belt had the added psychological benefit of making it’s user feel more support. The problem with the weight lifting belt is that it’s use slows the development of the core muscles. The muscles in our core are meant to provide support. They need to be loaded with weight in order to get stronger. By using a belt, these muscles have no need to be engaged and so the core is not properly developed. What happens is that the surrounding muscles get stronger but the core doesn’t leaving the very strong possibility for injury when not using the belt.

Alternative: A great alternative can be to wear an elastic band around the waist. While this will not provide support, it will force the user to engage the core and develope those important muscles.

Question- I have been weightlifting for some time now and I’m looking to build more mass. What would you suggest  to help build mass, food wise or via supplementation?

Answer- A diet geared towards building mass is one of the most challenging things because it really requires consistency, especially if the person has trouble building/ keeping on weight. As with any diet, it is first important to look at calories going in vs. calories going out. You need to be at a caloric surplus, meaning that you need to take in more calories than you burn every day. Without meeting in person it is difficult to get an exact number but this site will help get a good estimate.

Once you have your daily caloric estimate (the amount of calories you burn in a given day), you need to add another 3-500 calories. This number will be your target. One pound of muscle is about 2,500 calories so you would need to add on 2,500 calories a week to build a pound of muscle a week.

Once you have your target calories, things become a bit of trial and error. I always recommend that people divide their calories up over 5-6 meals but if you find that you are still not putting on the muscle, you may want to limit it to 3-4 meals (same total calories though). Every meal should be balanced with protein, carbs and fat.

The next step is determining the breakdown of calories you will be taking in. When building muscle, I would say a 40/30/20 split is good. 40 percent protein, 30 percent carbs and 20 percent fat. The protein is needed for recovery but the carbs and fats are necessary sources of fuel and nutrients so don’t skimp on them.

In addition to the diet, some supplementation may be helpful. An amino acid complex is great for recovery and moderate use of creatine will help give you a boost. You can click here for good deals on supplements.

Obviously the second part of the process is weight lifting. It’s important that you apply the overload principle which is that each workout gets progressively harder. This increase in intensity is what will cause your body to adapt and grow. I would recommend working each bodypart 2 times a week and doing 5 exercises per bodypart with a rep range of 7-12.

It is important to note that when putting on muscle, there is a good chance that you will add some pounds of fat, that’s normal and is a necessary part of the process. The most important thing is that you maintain consistency. When it comes to putting on weight/ muscle, 1-2 bad days can be disastrous.

Here is an example of my diet when I’m focused on putting on size:

Breakfast: oatmeal w/ dried fruits, nuts and 2% milk.
Snack: whole wheat pita with 2 slices of turkey and a slice of low fat cheese.
Lunch: chopped steak over rice with broccoli.
Pre-workout: fruit smoothie, 2 hard boiled eggs.
Post workout: isopure protein shake with milk, strawberries, banana.
Dinner: grilled chicken, barley, small salad with oil and vinegar.
Snack: handful of peanuts.