Feeding Your Body to Gain Mass

Essential nutrients that will help you gain muscle, not fat!
By Anthony Ellis

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
The Need for Food
Not a day goes by that I don’t receive dozens of emails from underweight men and
women, wanting to know how to gain weight. Now that summer is just around the corner,
the questions have accelerated. Everyone wants to know how to gain muscle in time for
summer. They want to know why their current routine is not working for them. Typically,
they go into great detail about their workout, but I never hear a word about their diet.

While weight training plays an important part in muscle building, it’s your diet that will
ultimately determine your weight gain success or failure. Weight training provides the
signal for your body to build more muscle, but your diet provides the raw material
necessary to actually construct the muscle.

If you want to gain more weight by summertime, you need to eat. Period. It’s that simple.
Anytime someone tells me that they cannot gain weight, my first question is what are
you eating?

No matter what type of supplements you are using, or what type of workouts you are
doing, you will NOT gain muscle without the proper diet. In fact, if your diet is bad, you
may end up losing muscle or just getting fat.

The Wrong Way to Eat

Many times I will come across individuals who understand that they need to eat, but they
are eating the wrong things. They figure that eating simply means eat anything you want.
This is almost as bad as not eating anything at all.

If you want to gain muscle and not fat, do not make the assumption that all calories are
equal. This will only lead to gaining large amounts of body fat.

For example, if I said that you need to eat 2,500 calories per day to gain weight, and you
eat 4 bags of potato chips and 6 donuts each day, do you think you would gain muscle?
Not likely.

The majority of your weight would be fat. Why? Because potato chips and donuts, like
most processed junk food, contain empty, totally nutritionless calories. These foods do
not provide you with the correct nutrient breakdown essential for gaining muscle. In
addition, they accelerate the storage of fat and help to deteriorate your overall health by
wreaking havoc with your blood sugar and increasing your bad cholesterol levels.

Here are two sample diets. Both provide the same amount of calories. If all calories were
equal, then both diets will build muscle, but one will build a healthy, muscular body, the
other will build fat, and promote poor overall health.

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
 2,500 Calories 2,500 Calories
8am -- Meal 1 8am -- Meal 1
Myoplex, 1 tsp flaxseed oil. 3 Donuts and a glass of OJ.
432 calories, 42g of protein, 25g of carbs, 14g of fat 644 calories, 11g of protein, 100g of carbs, 24g of fat

11pm -- Meal 2 11pm -- Meal 2

4 Whole Eggs w/ 1 cup of hash browns. Grabbed a bag of chips and a soda.
440 calories, 28g of protein, 36g of carbs, 20g of fat 440 calories, 4g of protein, 71g of carbs, 18g of fat

2pm -- Meal 3 2pm -- Meal 3

6 oz. chicken breast with 1/2 cup of rice. No time to eat.
319 calories, 50g of protein, 23g of carbs, 7g of fat 0 calories, 0g of protein, 0g of carbs, 0g of fat

5pm -- Meal 4 5pm -- Meal 4

4 whole eggs in a flour tortilla w/salsa. Fast Food Dinner w/fries and a soda.
367 calories, 24g of protein, 17g of carbs, 20g of fat 1180 calories, 30g of protein, 143g of carbs, 56g of fat

8pm -- Meal 5 8pm -- Meal 5

Myoplex, 1tsp flaxseed oil. Snack of 2 cookies.
432 calories, 42g of protein, 25g of carbs, 14g of fat 140 calories, 1g of protein, 19g of carbs, 7g of fat

11pm -- Meal 6 11pm -- Meal 6

6 oz grilled tuna with large baked potato, 1 cup of veggies. Pre-bedtime snack of hot chocolate.
450 calories, 48g of protein, 56g of carbs, 6g of fat 103 calories, 3g of protein, 23g of carbs, 1g of fat

Total Calories: 2,440 Total Calories: 2,507

Protein: 234g Protein: 49g
Carbs: 182g Carbs: 356g
Fat: 81g Fat: 106g

The diet on the left is a diet that I have eaten in the past. The diet on the right is a diet
someone emailed me when I asked them what they were actually eating. I will note that
this person had an extremely high body fat, even though he was relatively thin.

Though his diet contains the same amount of calories, it does not have enough good
quality protein, or complex carbs. The majority of his carbs come from sugar and the
majority of his fat comes from saturated fat. This is an extreme case, but I hope that you
get the picture.

Your ideal muscle building diet should provide you with plenty of high quality protein.
That should be the focus of each meal. Next, you want to a fair amount of complex
carbs, while lowering your overall intake sugar. Finally, you want to reduce your intake of
saturated fat and replace it with good fat. You will not be able to totally eliminate
saturated fat from your diet, but the majority of your fat should come from good fat
sources.

If you focus on these few things, you will be miles ahead of most people and well on
your way to building muscle without gaining fat. Below are a few rules to live by when
choosing foods for your muscle building diet.

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
Eat Plenty of High Quality Protein
Protein provides your body with the necessary amino acids to build and repair muscle
tissue. A diet that is low in good quality protein will not enable your body to build large
amounts of muscle.

Which proteins are best?

The best proteins for muscle building are those that provide the largest amounts of the 8
essential amino acids. Below I have listed a few protein sources. Notice that the best
proteins for muscle building almost all come from animal sources.

Best for Muscle Building Worst for Muscle Building

Whey Protein Isolate Rice
Eggs/egg whites Bread
Cottage Cheese (casein) Oats
Lean Beef Vegetables
Chicken Fruit
Fish
Soy Protein Isolate

Note that I’m not saying that rice, oats and vegetables are bad, they are just bad sources
of protein if you want to build muscle. Rice is an excellent source of carbohydrates as
well as oats. In addition, vegetables are excellent sources of fiber and other nutrients –
I’m simply reviewing protein sources based solely on their ability to build muscle by
providing large amounts of the eight essential amino acids.

All protein sources provide some amounts of these amino acids, but a good muscle
building protein like whey protein, or lean meat will provide a large amount of the amino
acids, while the same quantity of a less efficient muscle building protein like broccoli will
have much fewer of these necessary amino acids.

8 Essential Amino Acid Content of Different Protein Sources

Per 100g of food.
Whey Protein Chicken Breast
Isolate (cooked) White Rice Broccoli
Isoleucine 5.79% 1.64% 0.22% 0.12%
Leucine 15.26% 2.33% 0.06% 0.14%
Lysine 12.24% 2.64% 0.16% 0.15%
Methionine 2.44% 0.86% 0.25% 0.04%
Phenylalanine 5.82% 1.23% 0.52% 0.09%
Threonine 5.49% 1.31% 0.12% 0.10%
Tryptophan 2.80% 0.36% 0.13% 0.03%
Valine 5.90% 1.54% 0.14% 0.14%

This is why some refer to vegetable protein as an incomplete protein. Although

“incomplete” is not the correct term as all proteins have all 20 amino acids, vegetable
protein sources provide far less of the 8 essential amino acids per quantity than animal
protein sources. Based on this fact, vegetable protein sources should not make up the
largest part of your protein intake.

The protein sources that I use the most are whey protein, chicken, fish and eggs. No
secret foods – just the basics.

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
Whey
Whey protein is derived during the production of cheese. It is highly concentrated and
easy to drink. This allows you to ingest large amounts of very high quality, muscle
building protein very quickly. If you are busy and don’t have time to eat real food protein,
then whey protein is a life saving food. In addition to being very convenient, whey is also
has the distinction of being the protein source that delivers more amino acids per
quantity than any other.

I highly recommend using a good whey protein supplement. This is essential if you want
to increase your protein intake. You can choose a pre-mixed product like Myoplex, which
combines whey protein with carbohydrates. These are best used as meal replacements.
Or, you can simply use a pure whey protein powder like Precision Protein. I use this type
of product to add additional protein to my real food meals.

Chicken
If you don’t like chicken, any other form of lean poultry will do. Turkey and Cornish Hens
are excellent choices. I do not recommend duck, however, due to the high fat content.

Try to stay away from the reconstituted products that are made by gelling different
scraps of the chicken together into a boneless mass. These are usually found in the deli
section. Before buying your meat, make sure that it is firm and a light pinkish color. It
should also not have a strong odor. If it is yellowish or squishy, don’t buy it. It is most
likely old.

For convenience, many grocery stores are now offering pre-roasted, whole chickens that
have been roasted there in the store. This could be a good choice for those who prefer
not to cook. Just remember, to remove the skin before eating. It contains the largest
amount of saturated fat.

Beef
Despite the bad press, beef is an excellent muscle building food. There are many forms
to choose, but I prefer to buy the lower fat choices. As a whole beef contains more
saturated fat than other meats, but you can eliminate a good portion of that fat if you
make sure to trim the excess fat from the meat before cooking. Or in the case of ground
beef, simply choose the lower fat versions.

When buying beef you should always look for cuts that are bright red in color. As with
chicken, the meat should not have a strong odor. If the meat is pale or looks brownish in
any way, you should avoid purchasing it.

Cooking Meats
When cooking any meat, try to grill or broil it instead of frying it. This will allow the
excess saturated fat to drain off. Yes, I said earlier that fat is good, but saturated fat
should be kept to a minimum as it’s the fat that can cause health problems in the future if
eaten in excess.
© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis
[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
Eggs
I like eggs because they are very convenient to eat. I just boil a couple in the morning
and can carry them around all day to eat whenever I want. They are also very
inexpensive and easy to cook. If you need to get plenty of good quality protein, but must
do so on a budget, eggs should be a large part of your diet.

Won’t eating eggs raise my cholesterol levels?

In most people, cholesterol levels are regulated internally and not affected by your diet.
Others must watch what they eat to prevent increases in bad cholesterol levels. If your
cholesterol is already high, you can choose to eat the white part of the egg only, which is
pure protein – it contains no fat whatsoever. Or, you can use a new egg product called
Omega-3 eggs.

Omega-3 eggs, are just like normal eggs except for the fact that the yolks contain much
more of the good fat Omega-3, and less saturated fat. Omega-3 eggs contain as much
as 150mg of omega-3 while ordinary eggs contain up to 18mg.

Producers achieve this by feeding the chickens foods that contain high amounts of
Omega-3 like flaxseeds and algae. Omega-3 is a “good fat” that has been proven to help
increase your good cholesterol levels (HDL), and lower bad cholesterol level (LDL).

Fish
One final protein source that I eat often is fish. Cold water fish like salmon, mackerel,
halibut, tuna and cod are not only excellent sources of protein, they are also a great
source of Omega-3. So, fish not only provides plenty of protein, it gives you good fat as
well!

Should I be worried about all of the hormones in meat and eggs?

Yes it is true that much of the meat and eggs produced today come from animals that
are injected with large amounts of drugs. These include large amounts of growth
enhancing substances and tons of antibiotics. While there is no current study to suggest
any link between this and the growing unhealthy state of this country, I don’t need a
study to tell me that this cannot be good for our long term health.

Whenever possible, I highly recommend buying and supporting naturally raised meat
and egg producers. These are usually smaller beef and chicken producers who choose
not to use drugs or antibiotics on their animals. In addition, many allow their animals to
roam relatively free and have relatively normal lives as opposed to being cramped up in
unnatural living conditions.

What about Vegetarians?

If you are a vegetarian, and cannot eat whey (which comes from dairy), eggs or fish,
your only source of good quality protein is soy protein isolate. Soy protein isolate is a
concentrated form of the protein that comes from soybeans. In amino acid content, soy
protein isolate is comparable to most animal proteins. This is mainly due to the
concentrate form of the supplement. This is not the case with other soy products like
tofu.
© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis
[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
Focus on eating Complex Carbs instead of Sugary Carbs
Carbohydrates are needed by the body for energy. They are also stored in the muscle
tissue and liver for future use.

The same way all proteins are not created equal, all carbs are also not created equal.
Some can promote faster fat storage than others.

Carbs can be divided into two main forms; Simple, and Complex. The basic division
being the time it takes for your body to digest them. Simple carbs digest the fastest,
while complex carbs take a bit more time due to their added fiber content.

Simple Carbs
Fructose (fruit sugar)
Glucose
Honey
Lactose (milk sugar)
Sucrose
Dextrose

When eating carbs, here are two rules I always follow:

1. First, I focus on eating complex carbs and avoid simple carbs as much as
possible. Simple carbs like sugar, fructose and lactose are some of the reasons
people gain fat on muscle gain diets. I diet high in sugar will always cause me to
gain more fat than necessary.

If you simply eliminate or reduce your intake of simple carbs and use complex
carbohydrates instead, you will still have the necessary energy, but prevent the
unnecessary conversion of the carbohydrates into fat.

2. Second, I always eat carbs with protein or fat. Combining carbs with other
nutrients will help to slow the digestion and reduce the potential for fat storage
even further.

Some recommended complex carbs are:

Complex Carbs
Breads, bagels Green leafy vegetables
Brown rice Carrots
Beans, lentils Cauliflower
Oats Broccoli
Pasta
Popcorn
Potatoes, legumes
Rice
Soybeans, tofu
Squash

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
Eat More Good Fat and Reduce Your Intake of Bad Fats
When trying to gain mass, don’t forget the fat. Adequate dietary fat is essential for proper
hormone production -- Including testosterone. As we all know, testosterone is the main
hormone responsible for muscle growth.

Now, the bad way to go about adding fat to your diet is to simply eat any type of food
that has fat in it. This is not the best approach simply because most high fat foods
contain saturated fat and trans-fat. Saturated fat is the artery clogging fat that raises your
cholesterol levels and can give you heart disease later down the road. Trans-fat is a
mutant fat that is even worse for you than saturated fat!

Instead of gulping down any high fat food, you want to focus on foods that contain large
amounts of good fats. The good fats are called unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are
divided into two main categories: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.

Monounsaturated fats are easily found in olive oil and avocadoes. They are known to
help lower bad cholesterol levels, and raise good cholesterol levels. Olive oil is an easy
to find, inexpensive oil that can be easily added to your diet.

Polyunsaturated fats contain two essential fats called omega-3 and omega-6. These two
polyunsaturated fats are known as Essential Fatty Acids or EFAs. They are essential
because they must be provided by your diet.

In addition to providing the same health benefits as monounsaturated fat, omega-3 and
omega-6 also have the ability to hinder fat storage and reduce cortisol levels.

These fats are found in oils such as sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cod liver oil. I
personally like to use flaxseed oil. It is fairly inexpensive and widely available in most
health food stores. It contains plenty of omega-3 and omega-6. All I have to do is mix it
in with my MRP and voila! I have a high protein meal, with carbs and plenty of good fat.

Unsaturated Fat Sources

Flaxseed Oil
Udo’s Choice Oil Blend
Cod Liver Oil
Sunflower Oil
Fish Oil
Fish
Walnuts

Again, understand that if you eat large amounts of beef or chicken, you will not totally
eliminate the saturated fat from your diet. That is unavoidable. Your goal is simply to
reduce your intake of saturated fat so that the majority of fat you receive will be from
unsaturated sources. Focusing on these fats will not only give you adequate fat for
normal hormone production, but it will also keep your heart healthy.

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
Finally, Drink Plenty of Water!
If your goal is muscle gain, the need to drink more water cannot be stressed enough.
Water is grossly underestimated in importance and value with regard to helping you gain
muscle and burn fat. Most people are chronically dehydrated. They make the mistake of
thinking that a sugary sports drink or soda is actually quenching their thirst, when in fact
it’s making their condition worse.

If you are dehydrated, your body cannot function efficiently. It slows your metabolism,
drains your energy and slows circulation to reduce the flow of oxygen and nutrients to
your cells. This in turn stops protein synthesis. In short, you won’t be able to repair
damaged muscle or build new muscle. Anyone who is training hard cannot afford to
allow this to happen.

I carry around a big water bottle so that I can drink from it throughout the day. Chugging
the water all at once won’t help re-hydrate you. It must be a gradual, consistent process.
Drinking water throughout the day will ensure proper and consistent hydration. Proper
hydration will also make your muscles look more “pumped” instead of flat.

A good rule is to drink an ounce amount equal to 0.66 times your bodyweight. So, if you
weight, 140lbs, you would try to drink 92oz of water each day. I usually make it easy for
myself and just try to get about 1 gallon per day. That’s 128 oz. It’s a lot to drink at first,
but your body will gradually become accustomed to that level over time.

On the next few pages, I have included some

inspirational Muscle Gain Stories:

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
 "Gained 40 lbs Of Muscle And Is
Now A Competitive Bodybuilder!"
"My whole life, I’d always been skinny.

I was the kid that always got picked last in P.E. I was the kid that got
made fun of and picked on and I hid behind layers of baggy clothes.

I started my freshman year of high school at a scrawny 115 pounds and

was very small and week compared to everyone else.

I was sick of it, so I started searching for a way to gain weight and get
“buff” since my attempts at weight training were yielding almost no
results.

I came across the Gaining Mass program on the Internet and thought it
was too good to be true, but when I started reading success story after
success story, I decided that I should at least give it a try.

Let me tell you, I’m glad I did!

After my first 12 weeks on the program I was 12 pounds heavier, and very
happy with my huge gains in strength.

I felt so good about my results, I decided to do another twelve weeks, and

then another. I got up to 140 pounds and never felt better! By my junior
year, I was a completely different person. I was confident, happy, and
even started wearing clothes that showed off my hard-earned body. I
began competing in powerlifting competitions and continued gaining
weight and muscle using the principals I learned from the program.

By my senior year, I had bulked up to 162 pounds and was lifting more weight than I could have possibly imagined when I first
purchased the program. I can’t even begin to describe the rush I felt the first time I deadlifted 400 pounds. The skinny kid that used to
get picked on was now one of “the big guys” in the school weight room.

During my senior year, I competed in my first bodybuilding competition and placed third in teen men. I also
continued competing in powerlifting. As of right now I have my sights set on 220 pounds. 3 years ago, if you
walked up to me and told me that I would be a competitive bodybuilder, I’d probably think you were crazy.
That’s the thing about using this program!

The information is so complete and easy to understand that ANYONE can reach their goals if they simply
devote themselves to getting there.

The interest I’ve developed in bodybuilding and fitness has affected my life in other positive ways besides
simply having more muscle. I will soon be attending the University of Illinois at Chicago to study kinesiology
with a focus on exercise and fitness.

I’ve seen first hand how great it is to reach your goals, and I would love to be able to help other people reach
their goals as well. Thanks for everything Anthony! Your program has to be one of the best purchases I ever
made."

Sam G., Illinois

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
 "Doctor Builds Over 20 lbs Of Muscle
While In Medical School!"
“Hey Little Jay.”

I can’t use language foul enough to accurately describe how much I hated being called “Little Jay.” Maybe if I discovered some
ancient text written in some evil demonic tongue I could then find words to describe the rage that adjective—little—set burning inside
me. When I graduated high school I was just over 120 pounds; couple that with only being five-foot-eight, and you can start to get an
idea of why people called me “Little Jay.”

Additionally, I was extremely weak and struggled to get 8 reps with no weight on an Olympic bar—which was quite embarrassing in
the gym. The humiliation of being out benched by a girl was like a kick in the manhood. Additionally, being an avid cross-country
runner definitely wasn’t helping me put
pounds on, nor was moving to college
and having to feed myself. Finally, the
coup de grace, my girlfriend and I went
on the splits.

One day, a skinny friend and I were

lamenting our lot in life as stick-men. We
bitched and moaned together about how
terrible it was, how no one else
understood our plight, and how much we
wanted to gain weight. I soon found out
that he had been doing some research of
his own. He told me about a website
owned by a guy named Anthony Ellis. I
read over the information on his page.

I looked over his before and after

pictures with lust. By this point I was pretty jaded when it came to bodybuilding advice. I was, well, skeptical to say the least. Way
back then, the website wasn’t that pretty and smacked of being some type of scam, or maybe scamola. That much weight in that little
time? Seriously! It just didn’t seem possible without steroids (which were starting to look like my only out). Factor in the seemingly
hefty price tag for “just a book” and I decided to write the deal off. I pushed Anthony Ellis and his amazing transformation out of my
mind and wrote him off as scammer.

A couple weeks later, I was at the gym watching my big friend bench press 200 pounds and I snapped. I was tired of hearing this guy
tell me stupid things to do in the gym that didn’t make me any stronger or bigger. I was tired of people telling me I just needed to eat a
PBJ sandwich before bed or drink some rancid tasting weight gainer. They had always been big and strong, it was like a trust fund
that matured at puberty. They just didn’t understand. I didn’t have a trust. I’m no fortunate son.

I was going to gain weight and strength and that was the end of it. I drove home nearly in a manic state. I was trying to rationalize
steroid use and figure out how in the world I was going to find them (I didn’t know a lot of drug dealers) or get the money for them. At
the stoplight about a mile from my house it hit me. I started thinking about Anthony Ellis. “To hell with it,” I thought. I decided right then
and there the first thing I would do when I got home was order Anthony’s program. So I did. I called my skinny friend to tell him. He
didn’t seem to think it was going to work but told me to let him know how things went.

Guess what? I never told him anything—he got to see for himself, first hand, how Anthony’s program worked for me.

Anthony’s program offered me everything I needed. It was a paradigm shift in my thoughts on training, nutrition, and life in general. It
was a revolutionary concept—information for me (a skinny guy) by someone like me. The only difference was, Anthony looked like I
wanted to look. Anthony’s book was a godsend. The book gave a logical, science-supported break down of everything: training, diet,
and organization. It taught me things about my body I might never have figured out on my own and provided me with an online
support group of people just like me. I had all the tools and confidence I needed to make the change.

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
Thinking back on all this is a bit surreal. I remember that night after I ordered the program watching True Life on MTV where they
followed some bodybuilder guy around that was preparing for a contest. I remember thinking, “that guy is just too big, plus I could
never get that big even if I wanted to. 140
pounds is as heavy as I’d ever want to be.
“ Well, 140 lbs came in my first 12 weeks.
Then 150. Soon I tilted the scales at 155.
Now, I step on the scale and see numbers
in the 170’s and am contemplating
entering natural bodybuilding contests.
Simply amazing!

Bodybuilding just isn’t about my body. It is

about my mind to. It’s a sport, much like
cross country, where your success is
completely dependent on you.

These days I spend a good bit of time in

the library of the medical school I attend
reading and researching about the sport. I
read about supplements, training
strategies, and nutrition strategies, but
mostly, its gives me a chance to stop
thinking about the twenty million things
stressing me out and think about
something I truly enjoy.

Additionally, I’m certain the stress of medical school, and life in general, would break me if I didn’t make it to the gym several times a
week. Writing articles about various topics in bodybuilding and posting on the web forums is also something I enjoy tremendously and
get a lot of personal satisfaction out of. I can’t tell you how great it makes me feel to see someone succeed and know I had a hand in
it.

Sometimes it does get hard. Monitoring my calories, constantly explaining to people why I eat the way I eat, convincing my mom and
others I’m not taking steroids (ok, that one I kind of enjoy), catching flack for not wanting to go out and cruise the bars every weekend.
People just don’t get it, and that’s ok—this is something I do for me, not other people. The thing that is hardest for me is seeing
people like I used to be-- seeing the people with the dedication, but still lacking the direction. I see people at the gym who are lifting
the same amount of weight with the same crappy body year after year; they ask questions, but all the wrong ones. I give everyone the
same advice.

Building a good body is 75% diet and 25% what you do in the gym. A lot of times I get a lot of dejected looking people-- people
wanting to hear that they just need to take a certain supplement or do a certain exercise. The fact of the matter is, until you learn to
feed your body correctly, you’re just wasting your time.

Anyone can have success as a bodybuilder. I don’t care how skinny you are, how fat you are, or how busy you are. The fact of the
matter is there’s been someone skinnier, someone fatter, or someone busier than you that has still managed to build a great body.
The difference between you and them is that they stopped making excuses and started finding solutions.

I wish I could go back and talk to my old self. I wish I could tell him my 220-pound friend that could bench 200 pounds isn’t so
impressive considering I weigh a little over 170 pounds and bench in the 260 range.

I wish he could see how much progress I’ve made. I wish I could go back and tell him no one calls me “little Jay” these days!

Jay M ., Texas

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
 "Gained 45 lbs AND A New Life!"
"I have always been the brunt of the jokes about being the skeletal model for science
class. And heard, "you're so skinny!" And had people tell me, "well just eat what I eat..."
or "it'll catch up with you when you get olderO”

I just want to say THANK YOU to Anthony, and to all of you guys that have been
encouraging and have shared your results over the past five years (I started on AE's
program in 2002).

There are times when I haven't been as consistent as I should have been, but I kept at
it. I truly believe that we can have anything we commit to having, as long as we are
willing to pay whatever price that desire requires.

It has taken me longer than I had though it would (only because of those inconsistent
times), but I've reached my original goal.

I'm 30 years old (probably seem like an old man to many of you), I'm 6'1" and have
gone from probably just over 120 lbs to 165 lbs. I tried many things before I found
Anthony's program, but thankfully I did.

I'm still working to add a bit more and cut down a couple % BF.
I no longer feel skinny. I no longer give a second thought to the pool, or the gym, etc, etc. And love the confidence and
energy and decisiveness that that gives me.
It came down to this really: In the film "Master and Commander", Russell Crowe's character, Captain Jack Aubrey, says, "We don't all
become the men we once hoped we would be." When I first heard that, and many times after, those words hit me. I committed and
recommitted to the decision that I would not embody that phrase, that I would not have that regret.
My accomplishments in my physique has given me the courage and boldness to make other changes as well.
I quit my corporate job in December and now make the “commute” from my bedroom to my home office and trade futures for a living.
I'm starting an investing partnership this month and tomorrow morning have an appointment with a modeling agency to review my test
shoot and sign with them.

This would barely be possible without this program and this message board - the encouragement, the competitions, the advice and
the success stories.

THANK YOU!

I simply want to encourage you to do whatever it takes to get what you want. It's worth every hour in the gym, and every MRP, and
every time you say "to hell with what everyone else might think, I'm gonna do this!"

Thanks guys. Let’s keep it up."

Daniel T., New York

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
 "Super Hardgainer Gets Healthy And
Bulks Up By Gaining 30 lbs!"
"For as long as I can remember, I was incredibly small. The story of my
childhood reads like that of skinny guys everywhere: I was picked last for
sports teams, I was persistently harassed and humiliated by other kids, etc.,
etc.
Growing up, I learned to take pride in my other talents and strengths, and
while this sustained me, I ignored my physical health. I grew accustomed to
my frail size and deficient strength. As I watched all the other guys grow
huge, I decided that this was they way I would always be, and nothing could
ever change that.
Many people would look at my skinny frame, including friends and family,
and ask: “How much do you weigh?” Only a skinny guy knows how painful
this question is. I answered with, “I’m not really sure, probably about 120 or
so.” Even though they would laugh and jeer at this number, the truth was
even worse. I hadn’t weighed myself for years because I didn’t want to know.
At age 26, when I finally did weigh myself in preparation for the program, I
learned that I weighed only 105! I thought to myself: “I’m an adult male, is
that even possible?”
I found Anthony’s program and knew that I owed it to myself to try it. After all
these years, I was determined to finally prove that I was not destined to be so incredibly skinny. When I started at age 26, I had never
lifted weights in my life, so I planned to follow the program exactly as written. For a beginner, everything was so clear and easy to
understand, all I had to do was follow the explicit instructions. Diet, exercises, and the timing of both are all clearly explained.
I dove into the program with zealous dedication to my diet and training. As Anthony prescribed, I did three workouts per week, each
lasting just over an hour. In the beginning there are two upper body workouts—the “pushing” workout (chest, shoulders, and triceps)
and the pulling workouts (biceps and back). But the most physically and mentally challenging workout was the legs workout, which
included squats and deadlifts. Because I was new to weightlifting, I took extra care to learn correct form using lighter weights on all
the exercises, particularly the leg exercises. I had much to learn, since the program workouts changed as I progressed through the 26
weeks.
The mass did not come easily at first. Because I was so small I thought I could get away with only 2200 calories to start, I had to
increase this twice in the first six weeks, going all the way to 3000 calories before I started to see my weight increase. Finally, I
watched my weight creep upwards. 107 lbs, 109, 112Oit is working! Slowly but surely, I was finally making a difference, and watching
the scale sustained me. I pushed harder, I gained even more weight, and the success fed back to motivate me even more.
Make no mistake; this was an extraordinarily difficult undertaking at all levels. I had a harder time than most eating all that food,
but I forced it all down. Learning the exercises was more difficult for me as a beginner, but with time and patience it came. Cooking all
the food and organizing my days added work to my already hectic schedule, but I stuck to the program for all 26 weeks.
Of course, my friends and colleagues noticed all the food I was eating, and wondered why I was doing this. I held my head high and
spoke with confidence about my new “hobby.” Most were surprisingly supportive. Ultimately, they noticed more than the food; they
noticed that I was looking bigger. And I noticed this was becoming more than a hobby for me; I was making a lifestyle change for the
better. At the end of the 26 weeks, I weighed 120 pounds. Not much, but I was proud of every single pound that I fought so hard to
get.
Furthermore, I knew I wasn’t done yet. I saw this program work once, I was smarter and more efficient at the process, so my results
could only get better from here. Over the next two years, I kept up my dieting and workouts, and today I weigh 135 pounds. Even
though I have a small skeletal structure (for example, my wrist girth is only 5.75 inches), I know this is still skinny by society’s
standards. But I am proud of that weight. I look healthy and strong. Heck, I feel healthy and strong!
Friends have complimented my progress and tell me how much better I look now. All the feedback now is positive, and that will
sustain me into the future as I strive for even greater gains.

Dan L.

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
 "Gained Over 12 Pounds of Muscle!
Added 3 Inches To Chest"
Mirrors and magazines lie to you.

Looking at a mirror, you can trick yourself into thinking you are better off than
what you really are.

Like me, you may be guilty of trying to tighten up your abs just before turning
towards the mirror, or flexing your pecs and bi’s a little bit to try get a “ripped”
look.

Magazines on the other hand make outlandish claims about results you can
achieve.

They then provide before & after photos of bodybuilding professionals to

shame you into believing their fate can be yours if you only spend hundreds
of dollars on bogus supplements.

If you want real honesty, brutal honesty, the type of honesty that will compel
you to change your life, you have to take a picture of yourself and hold in up
in front of you without any type of rose-colored glasses on. The desire to change will arise out of the realization of where you are
compared to where you want to be.

MY "STORY"

I enjoyed sports in school and worked out off and on for a few years, I knew there was something missing. Besides the fact that I was
always the “little man” on the team or in the gym, I was not where I wanted to be. I wasn’t lifting the heavy weight I wanted to. I was
eating whatever and whenever I wanted including desserts after about every meal. It was like a road trip without a map – I knew I
wanted to get somewhere and by driving I was going in a direction, but I really had no idea where I’d end up.

Experimenting with different supplements and workout routines would only lead to ditching the routine in favor of another new fad.
Frustrated, I started googling “how to gain weight,” “building muscle,” and “skinny man weight gain.”

About that time, I came across Anthony Ellis’ program. After encountering the program, I stood on the sidelines for a while very
skeptical of the type of results I could achieve.

Having scoured the internet for further info I concluded the program had to be legit and decided to take the plunge.

THE PLANNING

As soon as I received my package I knew I

got more than my money’s worth but I also
knew I had some serious preparations to
make. Despite the demanding layout of the
program, all the information presented in the
book and the website was comprehensive
and straightforward.

I read the manual a couple times and

followed it’s instructions by taking my initial
weight and body fat measurements,
snapping the priceless “before” photos,
acquiring the necessary quantities of food,
and reviewing the prescribed workouts. The
program required a higher level of discipline
in my lifestyle than I had ever considered on
my own.

It was like having a motivated personal trainer giving me all the necessary instructions to make the type of changes I had been
looking for. The planning got me psychologically prepared for the rigorous training to follow.

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
THE EXECUTION

During the execution phase, I was very

strict about following the details of program.

One particular detail I completely ignored

before using Gaining Mass was a good
diet. I was amazed to discover how much
sugar, salt, and fat I used to eat everyday
compared to Anthony’s “clean” way of
eating.

Paying attention to details like this helped

me to stay focused and I could tell from
week to week that I was progressing.

My weight was systematically increasing, I

was growing stronger, and my muscles
were actually growing larger.

During this time, I began getting comments from people in my life who had been skeptical about the program I was following. All of
the sudden they were saying, “Wow, I can really see a difference”, and “You’re getting bigger, man.” These results occurred simply by
following the program.

THE RESULTS

After finishing the 3 month cycle of training, I anxiously took my “after” photos. I was thrilled at the results. I gained 12lbs of muscle
and trimmed off a lot of excess fat that I had not really noticed before because I was so skinny. I felt better about my body than I ever
had before.

The program gave me the tools and information necessary to change my body to the way I wanted it to be and laid the foundation for
a right approach to achieving even better results in the future.

Nick F.

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.
Want More Information like This?
If so, I strongly suggest that you check out my Gaining Mass Program.

It contains the complete diet and training program I used to gain 32lbs of mass. It
contains 24 weeks of mass diets that tell you exactly what to eat and when to eat it.

My Gaining Mass program not only gives you a direct roadmap to help you gain more
muscle mass, it also provides you with non-hype based, proven fitness information that
you can apply in many fitness arenas.

Learn more about this program as well as our exclusive muscle building community at
[Link]

I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Anthony Ellis
Cutting Edge Publishing, Inc.

PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER

The techniques, ideas, and suggestions in this document are not intended as a substitute for proper medical advice! Consult your physician or
health care professional before performing any new exercise or exercise technique, particularly if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you are
elderly, or if you have any chronic or recurring conditions. Any application of the techniques, ideas, and suggestions in this document is at the
reader's sole discretion and risk.

The author and publisher of this document and their employers make no warranty of any kind in regard to the content of this document,
including, but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The author and publisher of this
document and their employers are not liable or responsible to any person or entity for any errors contained in this document, or for any special,
incidental, or consequential damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this document.
\

© 2003-2009 Anthony Ellis

[Link]
Reprinted with permission from Muscle Media Publishing.