Q: Hey mike, what are some foods rich in BCAA's?
also, if i dont get a muscle burn like immediately after a set, does it mean im not doing the excersise right?

A: BCAA (Branch Chain Amino Acids) are nothing more than some of the building blocks of all food proteins. Our dietary protein is composed of about 20 different amino acids, of which 3 (l-valine, l-leucine, and l-isoleucine) are BCAA's. So all of your regular protein-rich foods -- chicken, meat, fish, etc -- will give you all the BCAA's you need. There's absolutely no reason to buy additional BCAA supplements unless you really don't care about your money. A can of chunky light tuna, for example has about 8 times more BCAA's than one capsule of a typical BCAA supplement! AND tuna has a lot more other non-BCAA amino acids and other nutrients all for less cost (and more taste) than a BCAA supp.

For your second question, no, the burn is not necessary. What is much much more important is that you lift heavy and with perfect form. Pick a weight that you can only lift 6-12 times for most exercises and sets and then lift it until the muscles that are doing the work just give out (this is called lifting to failure). NEVER ever cheat by swinging the weight or your body or in any other way to try and squeeze an extra rep out of it -- just do as many reps as you possibly can with good form and then stop. On some exercises you'll get muscle burn by the end of the set, on others you won't. That doesn't really matter -- just lift heavy and push yourself hard while maintaining perfect exercise form.