Weekly Workout Wisdom for Italians

This is a new weekly segment addendum that involves the utmost of my knowledge concerning certain aspects of weightlifting, bodybuilding, diet, supplementation and other focal points of interest. Of course, it is meant for Italians because we contain the greatest pertinent genetics. This column was inspired by how my legs and back seem sore beyond repair as of this morning. And no, I was not "doing it doggy-style" last night. This soreness stems from a hyper-intensive workout yesterday.
Today, we are going to be discussing muscle fatigue and repair. This specific article is aimed toward bodybuilders. (If you are purely a weightlifter; get fat and eat like the sumo gods all day long). However, if you are more like me and yearn for the pinnacle of your body's low-fat percentage and overall muscularity aesthetics, then you should know that your life is going to change. This isn't a simple alteration of a few months; it is a neverending process of dedication and boundless energy utilization.
This information pertains to anyone involved in any workout regimen that seeks a bodybuilder physique. Money is a definite issue for most who aspire to be truly successful. Anyway, you absolutely need one, at minimum, meal before your workout. I personally eat two meals before I head to the gym and 6 to 8 meals/day. Let me describe what I mean by meals. Within the first half-hour of waking, you need to consume one small meal to replenish the protein deterioration from the previous night's rest. However, these meals must contain all the proper amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates and nutrients necessary for you. Remember, because I don't know you, the reader's, body weight and general fat and muscle disposition, I cannot tell you specifically how many calories and fat/carb content you must maintain. As a general rule of thumb, I ingest between 40 and 60 grams of whey or caseinate (long-lasting) protein at night. This will work for everyone. Take a Casein Protein shake with water right before you fall asleep. This great protein will time-release itself into your muscles while you sleep so that you do not suffer from protein deprivation. Never consume more than 40-60 g's of protein within at least two hours. I will wait anywhere from 2 to 4 hours between each meal. Time two of your meals, pre and post-workout, to be in that same time frame so that you ingest one meal's protein right before you workout and one meal's protein directly after your workout. Be creative with your meal plans.
I eat very little fat, and I try to take in a sufficient amount of carbs. Do not underestimate the carbohydrate power. It is crucial for repairing your energy and cardiovascular stamina despite what you may have heard (Damn that Atkins).
Also make sure you don't forget to absorb enough sodium. I know you may think sodium is detrimental to overall health, but you're wrong. That is in excess and if you ingest too little only. Your starving muscles appreciate sufficient sodium intake because they absorb more water this way. Hence, they are happier muscles now. Sodium increases muscle size through an increase in muscle cell fluid volume. Many critical amino acids are "sodium-dependent"; so if you lack sufficient sodium, much of the protein you've worked so hard to intake is wasted because the relative amino acids are negatively effected due to a lack of sodium. I can go on, but just take my word for it. Sodium is utterly crucial; however, do not go and down a vial of table salt every day. In fact, don't use table salt (NaCl) at all. It's essentially poison. Use pure sea salt on your whole foods, or just get the proper sodium from the foods you have eaten.
For most of your muscles, you need to allow at least 72 hours for them to repair. Larger muscle groups, such as your legs and back, may require up to an entire week. Smaller muscles, such as biceps, may only take 48 hours to fully recover. You may end up hitting the abdominal region every single day - even off-days. They are capable of complete muscle rejuvination in about 24 hours. Be smart about it, and don't try to show-off. If you're up for shoulders that day and they feel quite sore still, do not stress them that day. Besides, then who is going to overseer and whip those slaves into submission with impossibly sore shoulders? Don't call me and ask to be your overseer if this happens because I live nowhere near any plantations - wink, wink.
Dan's Final Thought/Advice: Think of your body as a fuel tank for a jet engine. The military must infuse only the primo sources of fuel for these jets to perform optimally. You will be more inclined and more able to perform at your peak someday through consistency of diet and workout. Follow the daily percentage volumes/calorie intake. If it says take in 80 grams of fat for a 2000 calorie diet daily, and you eat 10,000 calories at least like me. Then you can figure out how much fat you can have. But, recall, I said this was a very low-fat diet. For this diet, your fat content should be approximately 10-20 % of your daily consumption caloric. Adio.