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Jacked Chicken — the Ultimate Bodybuilding Jerked Chicken Recipe

Have you ever wanted to know how to jerk a chicken? And no, this isn't one those sites. I'm talking about creating delicious jerk sauce (a.k.a. jacked sauce) and lathering it on some plump chicken breasts so you can bulk with flavor.

Feelin' Saucy?

We start by making the jerk sauce, which we call jacked sauce because it's the perfect seasoning for a hefty helping of gains.

You'll need:

3 medium scallions, chopped
2 Scotch bonnet chiles, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp. five-spice powder
1 tbsp. allspice berries, coarsely ground
1 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp. dried thyme, crumbled
1 tbsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

In a blender or food processor, combine onion, scallions, chiles, garlic, five-spice powder, allspice, pepper, thyme, nutmeg, and salt; process to a coarse paste. Then add the soy sauce and oil in a steady stream. Lastly, pour your jacked sauce into a large, shallow dish, add the chicken, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

If you can't find five-spice powder, you can simply mix cloves, cinnamon, Szechuan pepper, fennel seeds, and nutmeg together.

Lastly, light up the grill and cook your chicken until golden brown. This should take approximately 35-45 minutes.

Max Out Your Gains!

But why stop there? If you really want to max out your gains, talk to a trainer for pro tips on nutrition, fitness, and workouts.

How to Make Core Day Even Harder!

Are you the sort of bodybuilding masochist that thinks core day should be even harder? Or are you just looking for fun, challenging ways to spice up your core workouts? These five core workouts will challenge you in ways you never even thought possible!

1. Straight Leg Barbell Sit-up

As if sit-ups weren't already challenging enough, we decided to add a barbell to the mix and make them next to impossible!

To correctly execute a straight leg barbell sit up, start by laying all the way back and positioning your barbell directly over your chest. Then bend at the hips, using your core to raise your upper body so that it's perpendicular to your legs. As you rise, position the barbell directly overhead so that it's in line with your upper body. This will help keep the weight balanced while also offering the maximum resistance during your sit-up.

2. Hollow body

Almost all yogis will be familiar with this pose.

To perform a hollow body (also known as boat pose), lift your legs and arms off the ground so that your body forms a v shape. Avoid any rounding in the spine.

3. Ab Wheel Rollout

If you're like me, the ab wheel rollout is probably you'd seen on TV for years before actually trying it for yourself. And while balancing on this little wheel while slowly pushing it forward may look intimidating, it's actually pretty simple!

Is it tiresome — yes. Will it make your abs scream — absolutely! But that said, there really isn't much to it.

you'll want a mat for extra cushion
you'll also need the little wheel (obviously)
set up on your knees
slowly extend forward letting your arms lead you
keep your spine straight

4. Star Plank

How do you make planking even less comfortable? Simply take away the support of your hands and arms by moving them to the side. By moving your hands away from your center of gravity, you'll be forced to rely on your core muscles to stabilize you and prevent your mid body from collapsing to the floor.

5. Suitcase Deadlift

It's time to give your obliques the attention they deserve!

Obliques are like the abdominals neglected step siblings — you know that they deserve more attention, but you always forget them at the last minute in favor of more abcentric exercises. Well it's time to put all that to a stop!

And what better way to show your oblique muscles that you care than by absolutely obliterating them with suitcase deadlifts?

To perform a suitcase deadlift, grab a barbell (start light) and set it to one side. Bend at the knees and hips until your thighs are about parallel to the floor.Push the hips back and drive through the heels to lift yourself to standing. Then slowly lower the bar by hinging at the hips while keeping your back straight. Repeat until you feel like calling a the fire department to put out the burning in your side. (Or until you can no longer perform them with correct form).

Talk to a Trainer

Don't hurt yourself trying something new. Consult with a certified trainer to make sure you're performing every exercise correctly, so that you can maximize gains and avoid injury!

Be Your Biggest Self With 1,000 Cal, Easy-to-Make Mediterranean Bowls

If you're like me, bulking isn't easy. It takes a lot of calories to actually gain weight. And true, you could always opt for a dirty bulk, but that can lead to fat, fatigue, and loads of health issues down the line.

If you want to eat clean while putting on pounds of lean muscle, check out this recipe! It's delicious, nutritious, and a sure fire way to get shredded!

The great thing about Mediterranean bowls is that they feature a wide variety of nutrient rich foods and can be easily customized to suit your taste buds. Below we offer pro tips on how to craft your bowl for that perfect balance of flavor and freshness.

Ingredients:

One boneless, skinless chicken breast (231 cal)
One carrot, chopped (25 cal)
Once cup of rice (206 cal)
A half cup of dates, chopped (207 cal)
Once clove of garlic, minced (5 cal)
3 tablespoons of your favorite hummus (75 cal)
Half a yellow onion (57 cal)
15 kalamata olives (90 cal)
A quarter cup of feta cheese (99 cal)
One teaspoon of olive oil (40 cal)

Step 1

Boil one cup of rice for 20 minutes.

Step 2

Bake the chicken breast at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 minutes.

Step 3

Sautee your chopped carrots by placing them in a pan with a half a spoon of water, then cover with a lid. Put the carrots on low to medium heat, checking occasionally. Cook the carrots until they become soft.

Step 4

Lightly pan fry your chopped garlic and onions by placing them in a pan with olive oil and putting that on low to medium heat.

Step 5

Now comes the fun part. It's time to build your bowl.

Start with a rice base
Add your favorite hummus
Then add chopped chicken
Next throw in your onion, garlic, and carrots, plus dates, olives, feta, and whatever else you want to add.

Six Curls to Blast Your Biceps!

Struggling to get a good pump on bicep day? Then it's time to change things up! If you find yourself stuck doing the same sorts of stale curls, this article is for you.

There are a million different ways to do curls, so we decided to walk you through a few of our favorites. Get ready to blast your biceps with these curl variations!

Preacher Curl

Preacher curls are great for isolating your biceps. The specially designed bench prevents you from using any other part of your body, kicking your biceps into over drive.

To perform a preacher curl sit down at the preacher bench and adjust the seat height so your upper arms and chest are both resting on the pad. Grab the E Z bar with an underhand grip about shoulder-width apart. Then squeeze those biceps to life the bar to shoulder height.

Drag Curl

Like all good curl variations, drag curls are yet another way of isolating your biceps.

Instead of bending your elbows and curling up toward your shoulders, you’re dragging the barbell up to your body while your elbows move behind you. This strict, short range of motion takes the shoulders out of the equation so you can focus more on growing your biceps.

Concentration Curl

To execute a concentration curl, you'll want to sit on the bench with the dumbbell between your legs and your curling elbow resting snuggly against your thigh. Once you're in position, squeeze with all your might to lift the dumbbell to your chest.

This position forces you to move only at your elbow, allowing you to emphasize the muscle contraction without help from your shoulders.

Hammer Curl

Hammer curls are great for working your biceps and forearms at the same time. There's even a bit of tris involved too. The basic motion is indistinguishable from a traditional dumbbell curl, except that your palms face inward (neutral grip).

Still not entirely sold on hammer curls? In addition to targeting more muscles than a traditional curls, hammer curls also train a different part of your bicep. Most curls target the short head of the biceps brachii, but the hammer curls' unique grip activates the long head of the biceps brachii and the brachialis, also known as your elbow flexor muscles.

Spider Curl

Spider curls isolates the short head of the bicep brachii by supporting your chest against a bench. Taking your bodyweight out of the equation removes any momentum assistance you might have enjoyed during your bicep curls.

7-7-7s

If you really want to make your biceps scream (and yes, biceps can scream), you'll want to make sure and end your work out with a couple sets of 7-7-7s.

One of Arnold's personal favorites, this relatively simple exercise torches your biceps by shifting your range of motion from what's standard in most curl variations and forcing you to complete a relatively high number of reps

Also known as 21s, this exercise can be broken down to 7 reps lifting the bar from your legs to midline, 7 reps from your midline to shoulders, and 7 reps from your legs to shoulders.

The Secret to Sleeve-Bursting Biceps

To add even more spice to your bicep routine, talk to a trainer for pro tips on how to get the absolute most out of arm day!

6 Ways to Recover After a Workout

When we workout we break down muscle fibers, creating tiny tears so that muscles grow back stronger than before. Over time this process can noticeably increase muscle mass, giving you those bulging biceps you always dreamed of! But first, you have to make sure that your body has the time and resources it needs to fully recover.

Below we cover three essential techniques for post workout recoveries, and three more that’ll take your fitness routine to the next level! Let’s get started.

Abstract

Before we dive into recovery techniques, let’s take some time to better understand the recovery process:

When you pump iron your muscles contract to generate enough force to lift the weights. These contractions create tension, causing microscopic damage to your muscle fibers. This damage then initiates an inflammatory response, releasing satellite cells that help repair damaged muscle fibers.

During recovery your body begins the process of protein synthesis — where it creates new proteins, like myosin and actin, to help grow and repair damaged tissue. This process lasts about 24 to 48 hours after your workout, during which time the food you consume directly impacts muscle growth.

If you do not provide your body with adequate rest and nutrition, you can reverse the growth process and put your body into a catabolic or destructive state.

1. Replace Lost Fluids

You lose a lot of fluid when you exercise, and dehydration can hamper your body’s recovery! That’s why it’s essential to drink plenty of fluids during and after every workout.

Water supports a healthy metabolism and the transfer of nutrients to your muscles throughout the recovery process. If you perform high intensity interval training, or workout for more than an hour, you may consider supplementing water with an electrolyte drink, which contains electrolytes in the form of potassium and sodium (both are essential to muscle function, blood pressure regulation, and various cellular processes).

2. Refuel with Recovery Foods

To maximize muscle growth you should consume 20 to 40 grams of protein following your workout.

Good options include:

Protein smoothies with fresh fruit and yogurt.

Brown rice and chicken breast.

Nut butter toast.

Hummus and veggies.

Your favorite protein bar.

Note on yogurts and bars: make sure to read the label to avoid excess sugars. Excess sugar can negatively impact protein synthesis as well as cause insulin resistance and fat storage.

3. Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Did you know that during deep sleep the body releases growth hormone, which boosts muscle growth? You can literally get your gains in your sleep, if you exercise regularly!

Though the ideal amount of sleep can vary from person to person, it’s generally suggested that adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. For fitness enthusiasts you probably want to aim for the higher end to give your body ample time to reset and recover.

4. Take the Plunge

Cold water immersion constricts blood vessels, reducing blood flow to your muscles. This limits inflammation and soreness.

Following your ice bath your body will likely experience a rebound effect where blood vessels dilate to improve circulation and the transportation of nutrients to your muscles. The process of constricting and dilating muscles helps flush bodily waste out of your system.

5. Treat Yourself to a Massage

Massages improve circulation and help your muscles to relax. And they feel pretty darn good!

For a more cost effective option consider investing in a massage gun or foam roller to relieve tight, sore muscles.

6. Roll It Out!

For something a bit cheaper than a pricy sports massage, consider investing in a foam roller to relieve tight, sore muscles.

Foam rolling is a form of myofascial release, which involves applying pressure to specific points on your body to release tension in the connective tissue surrounding your muscles. This can smooth out knots in your muscles, improving your flexibility in the process. When used correctly, foam rollers have also been shown to improve circulation, increase range of motion, and prevent injuries.

Conclusion