Summer is upon us and beach bodies are longing to soak up some sun.
Men who want to bulk up and show their summer physique need to focus on proper weight training and nutrition.
"The key is training hard with consistency and eating right," said UF junior Michael Petresky, a personal trainer and fitness intern at Southwest Recreation Center.
"When you exert a certain stimulus on the muscle through resistance, you're breaking down the muscle," Petresky said. "The building up of muscle happens after you workout, for instance, when you're sleeping."
This is when the protein in your body repairs the stressed muscle fibers.
"Protein is essential for muscle repair," Petresky said.
Chicken, turkey, 90 percent lean beef, lean pork, top sirloin, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, milk, eggs, soy, tofu, sweet potato, tilapia and salmon are all full of protein and are recommended as a nutritional staple.
"I get asked so many times as to what supplements to use," Petresky said.
He believes there is more to gaining muscle than just using supplements. However, there is one supplement he finds agreeable, called creatine.
Although creatine is frowned upon for athletes, many average gym members do use it to power through their workout sessions.
"It's the only research-based supplement proven to enhance performance," Petresky said. "It enhances ATP [Adenosine triphosphate] use, and it pulls water into the muscle. That's where people get the fuller look from."
This means that you are able to lift heavier weights and work out for a longer period of time.
According to Petresky, it is a naturally occurring substance found in our bodies and in red meat.
"Creatine helps you get stronger and is not a stimulant," said GNC sales associate Darrel Brooks. "It helps with muscle recovery and an effective amount will cost about $60 to $80."
As with misconceptions among supplements, there are also fallacies toward weight training.
"There's a misconception that you need to work out like body builders to get big," Petresky said.
According to Petresky, most body builders use isolation exercises that won't help the average Joe in bulking up.
Petresky said the average person should focus on core compound lifts such as deadlifts, squats, pull movements, rowing movements, overhead press and, of course, the infamous bench press.
"People who want to bulk up should make those the focus on a bi-weekly basis," Petresky said.
Depending on the individual, Petresky recommends doing a warm up set, with lighter weights and three hard work sets with eight to 12 repetitions, working up to 12. Once you hit 12 reps increase the weight, start with eight reps and work up to 12 again.
"If you're unfamiliar with exercise form, educate yourself when you start," said Petresky. "Don't pile up on heavy weights."
Spend two to four weeks using light weights doing 15-20 reps so it teaches your body how to do the movements; when you start serious training, it will be simple muscle memory.
Bulking up and gaining muscle takes dedication, patience and time. Petresky said the common error he sees is guys who don't eat enough.
"Take the time to see how much you're eating," Petresky said. "Increase your calorie intake until you find the right level for you."
For more exercise tips, check out Petresky's fitness blog at gatorbody.com.
