Now that summer is just around the corner, I’m guessing that like me, many of you are in a ‘cutting’ phase. You want to look fantastic at the beach this summer, and make sure your abs look like they’ve been chiseled from limestone. One of the most annoying aspects about cutting is the cardio that’s required. It can be tediously boring to go for a run every morning or spend an hour on the stationary bike. Here are some ideas to spice up your cardio (some actually provide *better* cardio than traditional activities like jogging):

Swimming: If you work out at a rec center with a pool, this is especially easy. Swimming is a fantastic cardiovascular workout, and it is very low impact. Great substitute to running if you have bad knees or a bad back (like me). Try alternating a swim day with a jogging day.

Mountain biking: Fun! Need I say more? A great workout and a lot of fun. You don’t really need a ‘mountain’, just some dirt trails or gravel roads.

Squash: Wow, what a workout! Squash is one of my favourite sports, and nothing makes me sweat like a good game of squash. It’s easy to learn (I mean really easy) and it’s a ton of fun. And trust me, you won’t find a better cardio workout anywhere.

Boxing/kickboxing/martial arts: Boxing, kickboxing and martial arts are fantastic workouts. They’re fun, not overly expensive, and you leave each class having learned practical new skills.

Soccer: A full game of soccer with some friends can be an intense workout. Just make sure you play for at least half an hour, and there’s no doubt you’ll get in some serious cardio.

There’s plenty of other ways to make your cardio fun, these are just a few suggestions. For me, the key is variety – one day a game of squash, the next day a swim, and then a jog on the beach. Mixing it up keeps me motivated and interested. A little good music on my iPod doesn’t hurt, either!

Breakfast can be one of the most difficult meals of the day. Not only is it hard to find the motivation to make a proper meal first thing in the morning, it can also be tough to think of new things to eat. Here are two breakfast ideas. The first is for those who are “bulking”:????????

1 Glass of orange juice
1 Banana with peanut butter
4 scrambled eggs
1 cup of oatmeal

If you’re “cutting” and aiming for fat loss, here’s a slightly different looking breakfast:

1 Glass of water
1 Apple
6 Egg whites
1/2 Cup of plain oatmeal (sugar free)

Some days, if you wake up late or are just feeling particularly lethargic, a simple solution is to make a protein shake (either a mass building protein shake, if you’re bulking, or a low-fat, low-carb MRP shake if you’re cutting). Combine that with a banana and you’ve got yourself a healthy, decent breakfast that can fully count as a “meal”.

Also don’t forget that you’re never constrained to traditional breakfast foods. This morning, chicken was the staple of my breakfast. I had it pre-cooked and waiting in the fridge, and the entire meal took me 10 minutes to prepare and eat. So don’t think that you’re limited to eggs every single morning!

In the gym today, someone asked me why I was using chalk on my hands. When I explained to him that it helps me get a better grip on the bar, even when I’m also using a pair of lifting straps, he was stunned. “Why have I never thought of that?” he asked.

Naturally, this made me realize that a lot of people probably haven’t considered using chalk to help them work out. Chalk is an excellent tool to help improve your grip and strength when holding onto almost any barbell or dumbbell. In fact, I use chalk on almost every single exercise in the gym - everything from deadlifts right down to dumbbell presses or shoulder raises. It isn’t too messy and can really help you feel stronger and more confident lifting the weights.

It’s occasionally available at local sports stores, or you can order it online from Bodybuilding.com (it’s cheap - only $8.99 for a big block that’ll last years).

One reader emailed me last week with an intriguing question. “If you could choose only one meal to eat,” he asked, “what would it include?” Naturally, I would want a meal that would healthy and taste good. But more importantly I would want a meal that would be ideal for muscle building.

It would need to be relatively low fat, high protein, and have complex carbohydrates. It would need a fruit and a vegetable, and probably a source of lean meat. It would probably be a fairly big meal, too – after all, I’m a bodybuilder, and I need plenty of calories to fuel my muscle building efforts. Here’s what I came up with:

• One glass of water
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked
• ¾ cup of whole grain rice, cooked
  
• 1 Cup of mixed vegetables (broccoli and carrots), cooked
• 1 Cup of fruit salad (pineapple, orange, grapefruit)
• 1 Cup of low-fat yogurt

Some might look at this and say, “wow, that’s a huge meal.” Keep in mind, though, that not every meal needs to be this big, or as complicated – it’s just my idea of a perfect bodybuilding meals. I’ve got protein (chicken breasts), complex carbs (brown rice), fruit/vegetables, and a dairy product. For these reasons, I think this meal is about as close to perfect as a person could come.

I might eat two or three meals of this size each day, while the other meals interspersed between would be smaller – something more like a can of tuna and a banana, or a fried egg sandwich and a salad. Not every meal needs to be complicated or difficult to prepare. Sometimes it also helps to pre-cook food for a couple of days in advance. In a future blog post, I’ll discuss ways to save time while cooking. Until then, bon appetite!

Over the next few weeks, you’ll notice some changes here at the Muscle Gain Guide.  We’re giving the website a ‘facelift’ and making it easier to navigate.  We’ll also be adding a bunch of new articles, written mainly by our own in-house fitness experts.  You’ll also notice more frequent blog updates with some great new content.  I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our regular readers and visitors - thanks for all your emails and please keep them coming!  Happy lifting.