Why do so few of us look the way we’d ideally want to look?
Things like genetics, hormones, training and nutrition all play a roll. But two things, above all else, determine how we’re going to look: motivation and consistency.
Consistency is often determined by our degree of motivation. Those of us who really want to change our physique usually find the least amount of excuses. The obstacles are the same, but we find our way around them.
Time never a good excuse. We make time for the important things in our life. If we’re consistent in our training and nutrition, it’s because we’ve developed a lifestyle that will lead to us achieving what we have set out to achieve.
This is true in any mission or goal. Those that want it the most usually find a way to make it happen. Another massive determining factor is building our ideal physique is the tools we have around us.
This week we’re going to look at how to make lifestyle changes that will lead to you building ripped muscle. In the next article I’m going to talk about when to eat. I’m going to cover Intermittent Fasting (IF), a way of eating that is great for fat loss and a lot easier for the ‘busy guy’ to follow because of how it’s structured in comparison to other fat loss methods of eating.
Today, it’s all about eating the right meals. Meals that both satisfy our cravings and are good for us at the same time.
Building an army
I get somewhere around 50 emails a day in response to a question I send out asking “what your biggest obstacle is”. The vast majority of the members of the be Legendary site respond with one of two answers:
1. Consistency and motivation.
2. Nutrition.
Nutrition is where we slip up most of the time because we simply run out of things to make. We also want to eat meals that taste good. A myth that dominates the world of health and fitness is that healthy = bland. And to be honest, it’s pretty damn hard to come up with meals that help us build ripped muscle that aren’t bland.
If left to my own devices I eat some pretty awful tasting food. I have very little imagination or patience for creating something that is both tasty and healthy. I need ideas and recipes. So, a cookbook is one of my biggest weapons. My cookbook of choice was created by a good buddy of mine, Dave Ruel; a former skinny guy himself, who’s become the leading ‘chef’ in the fitness industry for skinny guys trying to gain muscle, and guys who are overweight trying to get shredded.
I’ll be honest, I need this cookbook. When I’m craving something sweet, I’ll have his French toast. When I need something tasty for dinner, I’ll just scroll down to the dinner section and boom, I have something healthy and tasty to make.
Here are 3 of my favourite recipe’s from Dave’s Anabolic Cookbook (he put it on a massive discount for this week).
1. HIGH PROTEIN PANCAKES
- 1⁄4 cup oatmeal
- 6 egg whites
- 1 tbsp ground flax
- 1⁄4 tsp baking soda
- 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
- 1⁄2 tsp stevia
- First heat a frying pan until hot and then reduce to medium temperature.
- After mixing together all the ingredients in a blender, spray some Pam (or other cooking spray), drop by spoonful onto the pan, flipping when bubbles start to form.
- Make about 6 pancakes
2. BAKED CRISPY CHICKEN NUGGETS
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts weighing about 6oz. each
- 1⁄4 cup/60ml oat bran
- 1⁄4 cup/60ml wheat germ
- 1 tbsp/15ml coarsely ground flaxseed
- 1⁄4 cup/60ml coarsely ground almonds
- 1⁄2 tsp/2 1⁄2ml sea salt
- 1⁄2 tsp/2 1⁄2ml white pepper
- Pinch garlic powder
- 1⁄2 cup/120ml water or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
| 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or coating lightly with best-quality olive oil. 2. Cut chicken breasts into nugget-sized pieces, about 1.5 inches square. Set aside. 3. Next, combine all dry ingredients in a large container with a tightly fitting lid. Shake well. This is your coating mixture. 4. Combine water and egg in a medium bowl. Dip each piece in the water/egg-white mixture. Then dip each piece in the coating mixture. Make sure each piece is well coated. |
3. BUFFALO WINGS
Makes 6 servings INGREDIENTS
- 3 lbs chicken wings, skinned
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 2 tsp hot sauceDIReCTIoNS
- In a large Ziploc bag, combine wings, vinegar, broth, oil, and hot sauce. Turn to coatand refrigerate for 30 minutes. Turn occasionally.
- Remove wings from marinade.
- Spread evenly into a baking sheet, coated with cooking spray.Bake at 375°F. for 10-15 minutes per side.
Sometimes more options is a bad thing, but trust me, not in this case. The more options we have with regards to tasty and healthy meals, the easier it is to be consistent with our nutrition. Thus, we’re far more likely to keep moving forward rather than experiencing setback after setback. 
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