"Power Breakfast" is usually something you hear wannabe executives at large corporations talk about. This is a breakfast intended to make them corporate tigers and able to work long and hard every day, showing just how ambitious and serious about their careers they are. Power Breakfast to a bodybuilder is different, but has the same basic principle: High-octane fuel for a demanding day. If you've ever tried having a typical "diet" breakfast of an orange and a small yogurt (like touted in a great many tabloids), know that you'll most likely croak after 5 minutes in the gym.
The Exceptions
There are exceptions to this rule, but most of us need a solid boost of energy to get up to speed in the morning. What's more, we need to get the nutrients required for optimal growth and recuperation in place. Keep in mind that when you wake up, you've probably not had any food for the past 8-12 hours. That means your blood sugar levels are way down, and you're possibly already in a catabolic state. As we know by now, the best way to get out of that miserable situation is to eat - but we have to figure out the best way to go about it, and what works best for you individually. After all, when you're getting glasses, you make sure to get a pair that is individually perfect for you, rather than pick any prescription at random and run with it.
The size of your breakfast should be decided by your body size and overall caloric needs. If you're dieting, the concept of power breakfast might feel kind of ridiculous. However, when you're bulking up and tries to add some muscle to those arms of yours, breakfast is key.
As usual, you have to get certain balance of calorie intake throughout the day (don't forget: smaller snacks 3 hours apart are better than a few big meals), but I say the BIGGEST chunk of calories ingested in the day should be the breakfast, with the SMALLEST being the last two snacks at the end of the day. In other words, exactly the opposite of the established norm of our culture.
So what's a good breakfast, anyway? Frosted flakes, a blueberry muffin, and a Classic Coke? If you intend to take a trip with the blood sugar roller coaster - sure! Hyper like a raccoon on ecstasy by the time you get to work or school, and down in the land of blood sugar blues an hour before lunch. If you prefer a smooth ride, the key word is balance. Protein, carbs, fat (!) and fiber, and plenty of fluid to keep yourself well hydrated.
The fluid also helps digestion. The reason for the fat is that some vitamins are fat soluble (requires fat to get absorbed properly), and that you NEED a certain amount of healthy fat to stay healthy. That means fish oil, flax seed oil, or olive oil or similar, NOT fried bacon.
A good balance to aim for is 25-40% protein, 50-65% carbs, and 10% fat. Fiber is good for digestion, and slows down the overall GI value of the meal. Also keep in mind that complex carbs are better than simple for GI reasons.
Now, I'm not your mother. I know nobody is perfect, and that sometimes you will deviate from the percentage ratios mentioned above, as well as the part about the smallest meals at the end of the day and so forth. Don't worry. I'm just trying to give you a general idea of where you want to be, nutrition wise. Try to get a feel for a good composition, and use the guidelines in figuring out your perfect breakfast. Who knows, perhaps you feel like tossing your cookies at the very thought of oatmeal porridge.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Bigger & Wider Chest
If you're dying for a bigger chest to boost your image of power and masculinity or if your chest has been in a rut, then this high intensity 25 minute chest workout will stack slabs of super-sized muscle all over your pecs. If your chest doesn't get bigger and wider with these four easy moves then I'll subject myself to a life of planting trees in the Jungles of Borneo. This chest workout is for intermediate bodybuilders who have lifted for at least 1-4 years.Now I am in a bulking phase so I'm not sure if this chest workout would be as effective in a cutting phase, but I wouldn't be surprised if it pulled out extra definition, especially around your inner chest.
Principals To Build A Bigger Chest
Lift With Intensity:
First, you have to make sure you are lifting with intensity. Do not hold anything back. It's those last few reps, where you're really feeling it, that are going to make all the difference in your progress, so you must be sure not to stop before you've hit them.
This is a big mistake that skinny guys make because they are concerned with having enough steam to get through the rest of their workout or pushing themselves into overtraining.
If you're feeding your body right, you're giving it the raw materials to handle the higher training stimulus and as long as your workout is structured properly without too much volume, you shouldn't have a problem making it through.
If you find that you go all out on an exercise and can't proceed - then end that workout there. You have pushed the body hard enough - given it that training stimulus to grow, and next time you're in the gym, you should be able to get further. This is the process that must take place in order for you to stronger, bigger, and wider.
Don't Let Yourself Get Distracted:
Another mistake that beginner bodybuilders make in the gym is allowing themselves to get distracted.
Whether they're staring at the Sports Center highlights on the TV, watching the big dude squat 5 plates a side, checking out the new girl on the stair master, or picking your nose, all of these things will impact your progress (especially picking your nose).When you are in the gym realize that you are there to do one thing - work out. If you want to socialize, you can do that once the workout is done, but if you want to see results, you've got to zero in with laser-targeted focus and really feel those muscles contracting. When you let your mind wander off to other things, you're immediately putting less into that workout and the results will show because of it.
Don't Stick To One Rep Range:
Finally, as you'll see in this chest workout, you mix up the rep ranges. For best results, aim to alter the rep ranges throughout the workout so you can hit the muscle fibers with a variable stress and prevent a plateau.
The bigger and wider pec workout below is going to wake up any untapped muscle fiber that's been dormant the past few months by recruiting the deepest muscle fibers that be required to finish this workout.
Principals To Build A Bigger Chest
Lift With Intensity:
First, you have to make sure you are lifting with intensity. Do not hold anything back. It's those last few reps, where you're really feeling it, that are going to make all the difference in your progress, so you must be sure not to stop before you've hit them.
This is a big mistake that skinny guys make because they are concerned with having enough steam to get through the rest of their workout or pushing themselves into overtraining.
If you're feeding your body right, you're giving it the raw materials to handle the higher training stimulus and as long as your workout is structured properly without too much volume, you shouldn't have a problem making it through.
If you find that you go all out on an exercise and can't proceed - then end that workout there. You have pushed the body hard enough - given it that training stimulus to grow, and next time you're in the gym, you should be able to get further. This is the process that must take place in order for you to stronger, bigger, and wider.
Don't Let Yourself Get Distracted:
Another mistake that beginner bodybuilders make in the gym is allowing themselves to get distracted.
Whether they're staring at the Sports Center highlights on the TV, watching the big dude squat 5 plates a side, checking out the new girl on the stair master, or picking your nose, all of these things will impact your progress (especially picking your nose).When you are in the gym realize that you are there to do one thing - work out. If you want to socialize, you can do that once the workout is done, but if you want to see results, you've got to zero in with laser-targeted focus and really feel those muscles contracting. When you let your mind wander off to other things, you're immediately putting less into that workout and the results will show because of it.
Don't Stick To One Rep Range:
Finally, as you'll see in this chest workout, you mix up the rep ranges. For best results, aim to alter the rep ranges throughout the workout so you can hit the muscle fibers with a variable stress and prevent a plateau.
The bigger and wider pec workout below is going to wake up any untapped muscle fiber that's been dormant the past few months by recruiting the deepest muscle fibers that be required to finish this workout.
Monday, December 7, 2009
4 Best Bodybuilding Supplement
In fact, the majority of bodybuilders are in the "sucky-genetics" category - which is exactly why you got involved in bodybuilding in the first place.
You're tired of being scrawny and getting blank stares from people when you tell them you workout. You don't blame them because you find it hard to believe that you bust your butt in the gym 5 days a week and have little to show.
Supplement companies exploit and take advantage of your desires by over promising huge gains, "better than steroids" promises and dramatic feats of strength - but you're starting to believe it's just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
Or Is It?
Yes and no. Supplements are not the key to winning your first bodybuilding show or shocking your friends when you rip your shirt off but they can make a 10% difference assuming you have your diet, training and lifestyle dialed to the right station.
The secret is that there is no best bodybuilding supplement for everyone. You have to analyze why you're a hardgainer and then use the bodybuilding supplements that solve your hardgainer problems, rather than using every glitzy supplement in the yard.
But before we address which bodybuilding supplements you need, let me be brutally blunt:
1. Don't ask me what the best protein supplement is if you're not eating protein every three hours.
2. Don't even think of asking me about pre-workout and post-workout protein drinks to buy if you're not even eating enough calories.
3. Don't you dare ask me what NO2 product to take if you're not sleeping 8 hours a night.
4. Don't even think about asking me what test booster to take if you're boozing until four in the morning on weekends.
5. Don't embarrass yourself and ask what multivitamin to take if you're not eating at least 10 serving of fruits and veggies a day.
Take home message before buying any supplements: Always ask yourself, "What am I trying to get this supplement to do that my diet cannot do?"
Bodybuilders knew this before supplements were even invented and relied on the most anabolic hormone available - whole food. Let that sink in for a moment.
I understand that it's impractical to get bodybuilding amino acids and nutrition into your system in three hour intervals from solid meals every time.
I know that you may in fact be at a 90% threshold in your training, diet and lifestyle which means you're maximizing every element that you can control naturally.
Now it's time to bring on board the best bodybuilding supplements that will appeal to the majority. Remember, you need to create your supplement program based on your individual needs but for 90% of the hardgainers reading this, 90% of the time, the bodybuilding supplements below will be a solid foundation to invest in. Here they are:
1. Creatine
Many guys think that if they take creatine, they're going to grow. These individuals are extremely misled so it's vital that you get a better understanding of what creatine will and will not do for you.
What creatine essentially will help you with is putting in the hard work at the gym. It does this by replenishing the high energy compound called creatine phosphate, which the muscles need if they are going to keep contracting with intensity - and you're going to keep lifting weight.
Once your creatine stores run out, you're going to feel like you've hit a wall with your workout - no matter how much you will yourself to push more weight, it isn't going to happen.
Some guys will have diets naturally high in creatine (those who eat a high amount of red meat for instance), but on average, most people who are involved with heavy lifting fall short.
Creatine bridges this gap and makes sure that lack of creatine phosphate in your system doesn't become a problem.
When used properly, it can help you work harder so you can see better results - but it is not going to do the work for you.
2. Protein Powder
Another supplement that I do recommend to most people is protein powder. When you're working hard in the gym, your protein needs are going to go up and if you struggle to get enough with food, you could risk not seeing maximum muscle gains.
Protein powder is convenient, it's cost effective, and it's great for before, during, and after your workouts.
Just don't go start replacing all your should-be solid food meals with protein powder. That I would not recommend.
3. Glutamine
The third supplement you could consider adding to your muscle-building program for skinny guys is glutamine. Each and every time you do a squat, biceps curl, row, or even just walk up the stairs to get into the gym, you are placing a stress on your body.
Over time, all this stress will add up and when it becomes too much for the body to handle, you're going to stop showing progress.
Glutamine is a natural substance in the body that comes from the diet and helps deal with all the daily stress you experience. Because of the fact that you're lifting very heavy in the gym a number of times a week though, the normal amount of glutamine you have circulating in the body may not be enough.
That's where supplementation comes in handy. If you add an outside source of glutamine to your daily intake, you're going to be able to handle these stressors that much better, meaning you recover from each workout session faster.
Since you cannot go back into the gym for a second workout before you've recovered from the first, it's quite easy to see why glutamine is a smart supplement to use.
4. A Greens Product
Finally, the last skinny guy supplement that you should be taking is some form of greens product. When you're shooting to gain the types of muscle mass you're looking to do, you're going to be eating a very high volume of food - so much that at times you're going to really struggle to get it in.
This means that you must focus on as calorie dense foods as possible. Unfortunately, that means most whole vegetables are not going to have much of a place in your diet. They will simply fill you up too fast and prevent you from getting the calories in.
But vegetables are extremely important for a healthy body from a vitamin and micronutrient standpoint, and this is where the greens product comes in.
When you take this, you'll get the nutritional assurance you need while freeing yourself up to focus on those calorie dense food sources that will help you build the lean muscle mass.
Conclusion
So stop questioning supplements. Get your diet together and then use the above smart supplements and focus on doing this consistently. The more distraction you have going on, the farther away you're going to get from realizing success.
You're tired of being scrawny and getting blank stares from people when you tell them you workout. You don't blame them because you find it hard to believe that you bust your butt in the gym 5 days a week and have little to show.
Supplement companies exploit and take advantage of your desires by over promising huge gains, "better than steroids" promises and dramatic feats of strength - but you're starting to believe it's just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
Or Is It?
Yes and no. Supplements are not the key to winning your first bodybuilding show or shocking your friends when you rip your shirt off but they can make a 10% difference assuming you have your diet, training and lifestyle dialed to the right station.
The secret is that there is no best bodybuilding supplement for everyone. You have to analyze why you're a hardgainer and then use the bodybuilding supplements that solve your hardgainer problems, rather than using every glitzy supplement in the yard.
But before we address which bodybuilding supplements you need, let me be brutally blunt:
1. Don't ask me what the best protein supplement is if you're not eating protein every three hours.
2. Don't even think of asking me about pre-workout and post-workout protein drinks to buy if you're not even eating enough calories.
3. Don't you dare ask me what NO2 product to take if you're not sleeping 8 hours a night.
4. Don't even think about asking me what test booster to take if you're boozing until four in the morning on weekends.
5. Don't embarrass yourself and ask what multivitamin to take if you're not eating at least 10 serving of fruits and veggies a day.
Take home message before buying any supplements: Always ask yourself, "What am I trying to get this supplement to do that my diet cannot do?"
Bodybuilders knew this before supplements were even invented and relied on the most anabolic hormone available - whole food. Let that sink in for a moment.
I understand that it's impractical to get bodybuilding amino acids and nutrition into your system in three hour intervals from solid meals every time.
I know that you may in fact be at a 90% threshold in your training, diet and lifestyle which means you're maximizing every element that you can control naturally.
Now it's time to bring on board the best bodybuilding supplements that will appeal to the majority. Remember, you need to create your supplement program based on your individual needs but for 90% of the hardgainers reading this, 90% of the time, the bodybuilding supplements below will be a solid foundation to invest in. Here they are:
1. Creatine
Many guys think that if they take creatine, they're going to grow. These individuals are extremely misled so it's vital that you get a better understanding of what creatine will and will not do for you.
What creatine essentially will help you with is putting in the hard work at the gym. It does this by replenishing the high energy compound called creatine phosphate, which the muscles need if they are going to keep contracting with intensity - and you're going to keep lifting weight.
Once your creatine stores run out, you're going to feel like you've hit a wall with your workout - no matter how much you will yourself to push more weight, it isn't going to happen.
Some guys will have diets naturally high in creatine (those who eat a high amount of red meat for instance), but on average, most people who are involved with heavy lifting fall short.
Creatine bridges this gap and makes sure that lack of creatine phosphate in your system doesn't become a problem.
When used properly, it can help you work harder so you can see better results - but it is not going to do the work for you.
2. Protein Powder
Another supplement that I do recommend to most people is protein powder. When you're working hard in the gym, your protein needs are going to go up and if you struggle to get enough with food, you could risk not seeing maximum muscle gains.
Protein powder is convenient, it's cost effective, and it's great for before, during, and after your workouts.
Just don't go start replacing all your should-be solid food meals with protein powder. That I would not recommend.
3. Glutamine
The third supplement you could consider adding to your muscle-building program for skinny guys is glutamine. Each and every time you do a squat, biceps curl, row, or even just walk up the stairs to get into the gym, you are placing a stress on your body.
Over time, all this stress will add up and when it becomes too much for the body to handle, you're going to stop showing progress.
Glutamine is a natural substance in the body that comes from the diet and helps deal with all the daily stress you experience. Because of the fact that you're lifting very heavy in the gym a number of times a week though, the normal amount of glutamine you have circulating in the body may not be enough.
That's where supplementation comes in handy. If you add an outside source of glutamine to your daily intake, you're going to be able to handle these stressors that much better, meaning you recover from each workout session faster.
Since you cannot go back into the gym for a second workout before you've recovered from the first, it's quite easy to see why glutamine is a smart supplement to use.
4. A Greens Product
Finally, the last skinny guy supplement that you should be taking is some form of greens product. When you're shooting to gain the types of muscle mass you're looking to do, you're going to be eating a very high volume of food - so much that at times you're going to really struggle to get it in.
This means that you must focus on as calorie dense foods as possible. Unfortunately, that means most whole vegetables are not going to have much of a place in your diet. They will simply fill you up too fast and prevent you from getting the calories in.
But vegetables are extremely important for a healthy body from a vitamin and micronutrient standpoint, and this is where the greens product comes in.
When you take this, you'll get the nutritional assurance you need while freeing yourself up to focus on those calorie dense food sources that will help you build the lean muscle mass.
Conclusion
So stop questioning supplements. Get your diet together and then use the above smart supplements and focus on doing this consistently. The more distraction you have going on, the farther away you're going to get from realizing success.
Friday, November 20, 2009
What Type Of Protein Is Best For You?
Log onto internet and do a search for protein... What do you find? A list a mile long of different brands of protein. This article isn't focusing on the brand, more so on the type of protein. Yes, I said "type".
Some of you might not know there are different types of protein with different purposes. Heck, there might be a few people out there who have never even looked at the ingredients on a tub of protein.
This article will shed some light on the subject and break down what type of protein you need and when. Timing and the right type of protein is the key when looking for the best results.
Whey Concentrate
Whey concentrate is one of the most basic forms of protein that is found in many protein tubs on the shelves of supplement stores. People who are looking for an inexpensive protein source will find tubs of strictly whey protein concentrate with a lower price tag.
This is a great starting point for beginners and those looking to add protein to their diet without making your wallet lighter. Some people will find though that they have a hard time digesting the concentrates and will end up feeling a little gassy and bloated.
Whey concentrate can be used both pre and post workout and can also be used as a snack in between meals. This is not a preferred source of protein to be used at night.
Casein Protein
If you are looking for a protein that will slowly breakdown over the course of several hours that you can use as a meal, or better yet right before you go to bed then casein protein is definitely the way to go. Before bed if you take in casein protein you will stay anabolic throughout the night and will be able to utilize the protein in your body.
Casein takes anywhere from 5-7 hours to fully breakdown which keeps your body absorbing and utilizing the nutrients even while you sleep. People also use casein during the day to help stay full and to keep a constant supply of protein in your body to supply the muscles with proper nutrition for hours after drinking the shake.
Another positive to this source of protein is its high glutamine content. Glutamine helps boost the immune system and speed up recovery. This is the preferred source of protein to use at night before bed.
Whey Isolates
Isolates are one of the quickest absorbing proteins (but not the quickest-we will get to that soon enough). People will find this source of protein to be a bit on the expensive side (more-so than whey concentrates), but not near as expensive as the protein we will be touching on next.
These proteins are perfect for those with low carb diets. Many of the protein tubs on the market these days that are strictly whey isolates have very low if any carbs/sugars. Isolates are great pre and post workout as they are absorbed quickly and can supply the muscle the nutrients needed to help recover and grow.
Hydrolysate Protein
Hydrolysate protein is the most expensive source of protein you will find on the markets these days and is the highest quality of protein available. They provide highly absorbable peptides that can have a great anabolic effect (highest absorption rate of the proteins available).
Hydrolysate protein is also much better on the digestive system compared to whey concentrates. This protein can be used both pre and post workout.
Soy Protein
Soy protein (even though not a huge seller for bodybuilders) is a good source of protein for those looking for a vegetarian source of protein. This is a useful source of protein and comes with many benefits to its user. It is loaded with glutamine (to help with recovery), arginine (help dilate blood vessels to allow nutrition to get into the muscles quicker), and BCAA's (help with recovery).
Soy supports a healthy cholesterol profile due to the isoflavones found in the product. It has also been found to boost thyroid hormone output. By doing so, it speeds up the metabolism which aids in fat loss. This type of protein can be used both pre and post workout or anytime throughout the day if needed to get in a meal/snack containing protein. This source is not preferred to use at night.
Milk Protein Isolate
Milk protein isolates contain both casein and whey proteins. This source is full of amino acids (similar to soy protein). This type of protein is mostly used in a blended protein source where multiple types of protein are used. Milk protein isolates are not a preferred choice if looking for a protein but can be used anytime during the day, but is not a preferred source to use at night.
Egg Albumin
Now we are going back old school-to a place where protein powder was nonexistent. Egg whites (whether separated from the yoke or found in a container) are an excellent source of egg albumin. The amino acid profile on these are great and has been used since back in the day to help build lean muscle mass.
Egg albumin is not commonly bought in the powder form, but rather bought in a carton or container and cooked. Many blended protein sources as well as meal replacements will have egg albumin in them. This source of protein can be used anytime throughout the day, but is not a preferred source to use at night.
Conclusion
So as you can tell there are many different options of protein for you to choose from. My personal recommendation is start with something simple like a whey concentrate and see what results you get with that before you start buying something like the hydrolyzed protein where you will be spending considerably more money. Some people find concentrates give them great results and stick with that. Some people are lactose intolerant so they need something like a whey isolate. Whatever you choose, give it some time to give you results. Protein isn't a "feel" type of supplement-meaning unlike a stimulant, you aren't going to see and feel results immediately. Give it at least a month and then evaluate your results and go from there.
Some of you might not know there are different types of protein with different purposes. Heck, there might be a few people out there who have never even looked at the ingredients on a tub of protein.
This article will shed some light on the subject and break down what type of protein you need and when. Timing and the right type of protein is the key when looking for the best results.
Whey Concentrate
Whey concentrate is one of the most basic forms of protein that is found in many protein tubs on the shelves of supplement stores. People who are looking for an inexpensive protein source will find tubs of strictly whey protein concentrate with a lower price tag.
This is a great starting point for beginners and those looking to add protein to their diet without making your wallet lighter. Some people will find though that they have a hard time digesting the concentrates and will end up feeling a little gassy and bloated.
Whey concentrate can be used both pre and post workout and can also be used as a snack in between meals. This is not a preferred source of protein to be used at night.
Casein Protein
If you are looking for a protein that will slowly breakdown over the course of several hours that you can use as a meal, or better yet right before you go to bed then casein protein is definitely the way to go. Before bed if you take in casein protein you will stay anabolic throughout the night and will be able to utilize the protein in your body.
Casein takes anywhere from 5-7 hours to fully breakdown which keeps your body absorbing and utilizing the nutrients even while you sleep. People also use casein during the day to help stay full and to keep a constant supply of protein in your body to supply the muscles with proper nutrition for hours after drinking the shake.
Another positive to this source of protein is its high glutamine content. Glutamine helps boost the immune system and speed up recovery. This is the preferred source of protein to use at night before bed.
Whey Isolates
Isolates are one of the quickest absorbing proteins (but not the quickest-we will get to that soon enough). People will find this source of protein to be a bit on the expensive side (more-so than whey concentrates), but not near as expensive as the protein we will be touching on next.
These proteins are perfect for those with low carb diets. Many of the protein tubs on the market these days that are strictly whey isolates have very low if any carbs/sugars. Isolates are great pre and post workout as they are absorbed quickly and can supply the muscle the nutrients needed to help recover and grow.
Hydrolysate Protein
Hydrolysate protein is the most expensive source of protein you will find on the markets these days and is the highest quality of protein available. They provide highly absorbable peptides that can have a great anabolic effect (highest absorption rate of the proteins available).
Hydrolysate protein is also much better on the digestive system compared to whey concentrates. This protein can be used both pre and post workout.
Soy Protein
Soy protein (even though not a huge seller for bodybuilders) is a good source of protein for those looking for a vegetarian source of protein. This is a useful source of protein and comes with many benefits to its user. It is loaded with glutamine (to help with recovery), arginine (help dilate blood vessels to allow nutrition to get into the muscles quicker), and BCAA's (help with recovery).
Soy supports a healthy cholesterol profile due to the isoflavones found in the product. It has also been found to boost thyroid hormone output. By doing so, it speeds up the metabolism which aids in fat loss. This type of protein can be used both pre and post workout or anytime throughout the day if needed to get in a meal/snack containing protein. This source is not preferred to use at night.
Milk Protein Isolate
Milk protein isolates contain both casein and whey proteins. This source is full of amino acids (similar to soy protein). This type of protein is mostly used in a blended protein source where multiple types of protein are used. Milk protein isolates are not a preferred choice if looking for a protein but can be used anytime during the day, but is not a preferred source to use at night.
Egg Albumin
Now we are going back old school-to a place where protein powder was nonexistent. Egg whites (whether separated from the yoke or found in a container) are an excellent source of egg albumin. The amino acid profile on these are great and has been used since back in the day to help build lean muscle mass.
Egg albumin is not commonly bought in the powder form, but rather bought in a carton or container and cooked. Many blended protein sources as well as meal replacements will have egg albumin in them. This source of protein can be used anytime throughout the day, but is not a preferred source to use at night.
Conclusion
So as you can tell there are many different options of protein for you to choose from. My personal recommendation is start with something simple like a whey concentrate and see what results you get with that before you start buying something like the hydrolyzed protein where you will be spending considerably more money. Some people find concentrates give them great results and stick with that. Some people are lactose intolerant so they need something like a whey isolate. Whatever you choose, give it some time to give you results. Protein isn't a "feel" type of supplement-meaning unlike a stimulant, you aren't going to see and feel results immediately. Give it at least a month and then evaluate your results and go from there.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
FAT BURNERS
Fat burners are supplements that essentially contain certain herbs and chemicals that either increase energy, stimulate metabolism, and/or suppress appetite. There are hundreds of fat burners to choose from, all with the claim they'll help you lose weight.
Everyday we are exposed to commercials on TV, or ads in magazines, or hear celebrities endorse what helped them lose weight, or the hard body at the gym saying what fat burner they use. With the advantage this day and age of so many options of fat burners everybody could find the right product to help them attain their weight loss goals.
One thing about fat burning supplements that is often missed, however, is the key word: SUPPLEMENT. Fat burners are not the magic pill that literally "burn off fat", but they supplement burning off fat.
"Supplement" is defined as - something added to complete something, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole. Notice that supplement does not mean replace. Often people take fat burning supplements believing that will replace the need for exercise, a disciplined diet, or other necessary life style changes needed to lose fat. If it sounds too good to be true, it always is.
Fat burners could provide huge benefits to supplement the correct lifestyle, so here are 5 ways NOT to use fat burners, and why.
1. DO NOT Exceed Recommended Serving!
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate and approve products like fat burners before they go on the market. Rather, the FDA only steps in if a health risk is found once they are already in the market. In other words, every fat burning supplement starts off legal, and only gets banned when people abuse it. Every manufacturer wants their product to be the best product so they could sell as much as possible. They are a business after all. So if you just use common sense there must be a good reason why they put a limitation on how much a serving is, and why they explicitly write "DO NOT EXCEED RECOMMENDED SERVING" on the package. Fat burners usually contain various ingredients in various proportions and excessive intake of certain ingredients can cause problems.
2. DO NOT Take Fat Burners Forever!
Your body needs a break from any substance you take, even if they're made from natural ingredients. This is because your body always wants to maintain a natural balance, or "homeostasis"- the tendency to maintain internal stability in response to any situation or stimulating disturbing its normal condition.
When you first stimulate your body, it feels it and responds accordingly. But if taken long enough, gradually your body gets accustom to the change so the stimulant is no longer effective.
Adding to this is your body can respond by slowing down your natural metabolic process to compenstate1. As a result, if you abruptly stop using the stimulant, your metabolism is slower and you'll gain weight as you it returns to normal metabolic rate.Fat burners were never designed or intended to be a regular part of a diet. They're intended to help reach a goal. Whether that be to prepare for a competition, to lose the baby fat, to look good for an upcoming vacation, to recover from a very chocolaty Valentines Day, to jump start your new years goal, or any other specific goal. .
3. DO NOT Expect The Same Effects As Another Person's Experience!
No two fat burners are the same. There are a multiple of ways to mix of ingredients in various fat burners to cause a different affect. In addition to this, no two metabolisms are the same. Each person stores fat and burns it differently.
You need to find which product works best for YOU. Your friend may have gotten great results from a certain product, but when you try that same product approach with an objective mind set. If you experience the same effects, great! If you don't, do not continue to use that same product hoping that eventually you'll attain what your friend did. Try something else, you've got a lot to choose from.
Find the fat burner supplement that's best suited for YOU.
4. DO NOT Take An Appetite Suppressant Then Put Temptation In Front Of You!
When you already struggle with restricting certain foods, exposing yourself to your weakness is too strong of a force for any supplement to overpower. An appetite suppressant can really help you control cravings and feelings of imaginary hunger.
Appetite comes from many hormones and neurotransmitter2. These can be stimulated by many factors, including emotions, smells, sights, and atmosphere. If you're taking an appetite suppressant it's probably because you already have trouble controlling your appetite, obviously.
Taking temptation out of your life is the first step for you weight loss goals, supplemented by the appetite suppressant. Going to Chinese buffets, baking cookies, filling your cabinets with chips and crackers, and other temptation will never let the appetite suppressant do it's job.
Get those evils out of sight, and let the fat burning supplement get it out of your mind.
5. DO NOT Expect To Counter Act An Eating Offense With Fat Burners:
Everyone knows calories in versus calories out determines whether we gain, maintain, or lose weight. Knowing that fat burners cause a thermogenic affect, which raises calorie expenditure, sometimes people think they could take fat burners to counteract the consequences when they eat fried chicken, French fries, brownies, or (my personal kryptonite) ice cream. Unfortunately it's not that easy.
It is correct that most of the fat burners on the market are thermogenic. Thermogenics refers to creating heat to increase metabolism, therefore reducing fat3.
Thermogenic products usually raise the body's temperature by no more than one degree. However, this slight increase in thermogenics is made manifest during exercise, burning off more calories during exercise and on top of that giving you a more energized workout.
So if you eat that donut at the office, you'll still have to get to the gym to work it off.
Everyday we are exposed to commercials on TV, or ads in magazines, or hear celebrities endorse what helped them lose weight, or the hard body at the gym saying what fat burner they use. With the advantage this day and age of so many options of fat burners everybody could find the right product to help them attain their weight loss goals.
One thing about fat burning supplements that is often missed, however, is the key word: SUPPLEMENT. Fat burners are not the magic pill that literally "burn off fat", but they supplement burning off fat.
"Supplement" is defined as - something added to complete something, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole. Notice that supplement does not mean replace. Often people take fat burning supplements believing that will replace the need for exercise, a disciplined diet, or other necessary life style changes needed to lose fat. If it sounds too good to be true, it always is.
Fat burners could provide huge benefits to supplement the correct lifestyle, so here are 5 ways NOT to use fat burners, and why.
1. DO NOT Exceed Recommended Serving!
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate and approve products like fat burners before they go on the market. Rather, the FDA only steps in if a health risk is found once they are already in the market. In other words, every fat burning supplement starts off legal, and only gets banned when people abuse it. Every manufacturer wants their product to be the best product so they could sell as much as possible. They are a business after all. So if you just use common sense there must be a good reason why they put a limitation on how much a serving is, and why they explicitly write "DO NOT EXCEED RECOMMENDED SERVING" on the package. Fat burners usually contain various ingredients in various proportions and excessive intake of certain ingredients can cause problems.
2. DO NOT Take Fat Burners Forever!
Your body needs a break from any substance you take, even if they're made from natural ingredients. This is because your body always wants to maintain a natural balance, or "homeostasis"- the tendency to maintain internal stability in response to any situation or stimulating disturbing its normal condition.
When you first stimulate your body, it feels it and responds accordingly. But if taken long enough, gradually your body gets accustom to the change so the stimulant is no longer effective.
Adding to this is your body can respond by slowing down your natural metabolic process to compenstate1. As a result, if you abruptly stop using the stimulant, your metabolism is slower and you'll gain weight as you it returns to normal metabolic rate.Fat burners were never designed or intended to be a regular part of a diet. They're intended to help reach a goal. Whether that be to prepare for a competition, to lose the baby fat, to look good for an upcoming vacation, to recover from a very chocolaty Valentines Day, to jump start your new years goal, or any other specific goal. .
3. DO NOT Expect The Same Effects As Another Person's Experience!
No two fat burners are the same. There are a multiple of ways to mix of ingredients in various fat burners to cause a different affect. In addition to this, no two metabolisms are the same. Each person stores fat and burns it differently.
You need to find which product works best for YOU. Your friend may have gotten great results from a certain product, but when you try that same product approach with an objective mind set. If you experience the same effects, great! If you don't, do not continue to use that same product hoping that eventually you'll attain what your friend did. Try something else, you've got a lot to choose from.
Find the fat burner supplement that's best suited for YOU.
4. DO NOT Take An Appetite Suppressant Then Put Temptation In Front Of You!
When you already struggle with restricting certain foods, exposing yourself to your weakness is too strong of a force for any supplement to overpower. An appetite suppressant can really help you control cravings and feelings of imaginary hunger.
Appetite comes from many hormones and neurotransmitter2. These can be stimulated by many factors, including emotions, smells, sights, and atmosphere. If you're taking an appetite suppressant it's probably because you already have trouble controlling your appetite, obviously.
Taking temptation out of your life is the first step for you weight loss goals, supplemented by the appetite suppressant. Going to Chinese buffets, baking cookies, filling your cabinets with chips and crackers, and other temptation will never let the appetite suppressant do it's job.
Get those evils out of sight, and let the fat burning supplement get it out of your mind.
5. DO NOT Expect To Counter Act An Eating Offense With Fat Burners:
Everyone knows calories in versus calories out determines whether we gain, maintain, or lose weight. Knowing that fat burners cause a thermogenic affect, which raises calorie expenditure, sometimes people think they could take fat burners to counteract the consequences when they eat fried chicken, French fries, brownies, or (my personal kryptonite) ice cream. Unfortunately it's not that easy.
It is correct that most of the fat burners on the market are thermogenic. Thermogenics refers to creating heat to increase metabolism, therefore reducing fat3.
Thermogenic products usually raise the body's temperature by no more than one degree. However, this slight increase in thermogenics is made manifest during exercise, burning off more calories during exercise and on top of that giving you a more energized workout.
So if you eat that donut at the office, you'll still have to get to the gym to work it off.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
ABS Done Right
I see people all the time doing heavy squats, or bench presses galore, but their gut just hangs inches below their waist. They just have absolutely no abs that they can show. You see, a lot of people try to do crunches by the thousand each night, but pig out right after on junk food, etc.. Of what I have seen, everyone wants a six-pack of abs, but no one is willing to pay the price.
To start you off with what the abs are, there are two basic muscle groups involved. The Rectus Abdominus, which starts near your Pubis, all the way through the 5th through 7th ribs. That is the six-pack muscle. You have External Obliques also. They are the muscles on each side of your torso, right next to the Rectus Abdominus. The Intercoastals are also involved, the two muscle and tendon fiber planes between the ribs.
How can you get the abs you want?
The abs are the central, most visible part of your body. Everyone loves a six-pack (I hope!). A six-pack is harder to get for men, because of a disproportionate number of fat cells they carry. It has been said that you have to be at 13% body fat to have a six pack, but the way I see it, why would you try to just get by at 13% when you could just diet right and look even better (and make getting the six pack easier) if you brought yourself down to, say, 9% body fat. Like I said, everyone wants it, but not all of them are willing to pay the price. Although, not everyone has to pay the price. I was always jealous of the people who were born skinny and didn't really have to work for their six-packs. Some people are like that, but some are born overweight, and have a body type which makes it hard for them to lose weight. Don't worry, because anyone can do it if they want to.
Chances are, if you are that skinny person, you probably have a hard time gaining muscle. Most really skinny, or really small people have trouble gaining the muscle, because they don't have the muscle mass to show right off the bat. If you are overweight, chances are, you are pretty strong, because you have that much extra weight to carry around, but you have fat covering those muscles with no definition. So I will try to explain how to exercise for both groups of people. Skinny, hard gainers, and heavy, hard definers.
For skinny Guys:
It isn't much different than most heavy gainers. You should really exercise your abs whenever you work out, but you should pack the weight gainers. If you have real trouble gaining mass, you need to gain weight. Consume a lot more food (In slow steps, don't just eat 10 eggs one morning and get sick, but gradually start eating more), and do a lot less reps than those with more mass. Less reps means you are doing more weight for less reps, really lifting for power, which builds up mass, and that is what you need. You should really work your abs when you have the weight on, building them up with more weight than you had. For skinny kids, the hard thing is gaining weight. When you have a really hard stomach, and you want to start letting it show, then you should start to try and lose some of the weight you put on (Only fat, not muscle). You should lose, according to Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding", only about 2 to 2.5 pounds of fat per week. I would suggest taking Glutamine (If you already don't) because it is said to keep muscle in your body. But the worst thing to do when trying to lose weight is to stop exercising. Never stop, or you lose a ton of muscle. Try doing a lot of cardio or aerobic exercises to burn off excess fat calories.
For Heavy Guys:
For heavy guys it is pretty much the opposite. Heavy guys don't need weight gainers, and the real massive bodybuilders really shouldn't use weight when exercising their abs, because that adds mass, and if you are bigger, or more massive, you really don't need that much more. A perfect example is Nasser El Sonbaty. He is a huge person, very big built, short arms, barrel chest, and massive muscles. Heavy guys should focus on Toning their muscles. Toning meaning more reps, less weight. I hate to say it guys, but you have to stay off the junk food. A lot of heavy people, its seems, just think about food and get bigger. Heavier guys should really work on increasing their metabolism a LOT! Squats are probably one of the best, if not THE best exercise to boost your metabolism. The same goes with big guys. Don't lose too much weight in one week. You should take Glutamine, and, if you really have a weight problem, you should take metabolic enhancers, like Ripped Fuel (Only if you are 18), Metabolic Tyrolean, etc. And again, you should do a lot of cardio, aerobics, and stretching. Stretching is great for big guys, keeping them flexible and agile.
Eating for the six-pack:
In order to get a six-pack, you don't have to starve yourself, or go on some marathon, just to lose weight. You really don't even have to cut out all the fats you ate before, as long as you were maintaining your body weight. If you ate 90 grams of fat a day, and stayed at 175 pounds, you wouldn't need to cut back on all the fat. A lot of bodybuilders think they have to eat no body fat. The thing is, you just need to cut back on the amount. If you ate 4,000 calories a day, and maintained your weight, just cut back a little bit on every meal, and you will only be eating about 3,000 calories. Get my drift? You lower your caloric intake by decreasing the amount you eat. The only way to lose weight is to lower your caloric intake. If you eat 10 pounds of vegetables, you are still putting on 10 pounds. If you eat smaller, that is best way to lose the weight. But don't think you can pig out on all fat if you just cut back. You have to eat as little fat as possible. Try to stay away from saturated fat, because that is the hardest for your body to burn off. Also, be sure to try and keep the same amount of protein in your body as you were before, as it is very important in your muscles.
GOOD FOODS/DRINKS:
Protein:
There are plenty of good, low-fat protein foods out there. If you are a big egg eater, or a big meat eater, and are trying to stay away form all that fat, you can. Foods such as Tuna fish (Try to get all-white, because it has a little bit more protein, with only about a gram of fat per serving), Yogurt (Low-Fat), and skim milk are good sources of protein. The best way to keep the amount of protein you have is to use 100% whey protein, or protein drinks, such as Myoplex that give you good nutrients, too. Whey protein is excellent because it is easily used by your muscles. Only a certain percent of protein inside food is usable by your body (Also mentioned in Arnold's Book), and whey has an excellent percentage. Egg Protein is also very useful. If you already use Whey protein in your daily food intake, increase the amount, unless you are taking the maximum listed on the label. Some say take 1-4 times daily. If you only take 2 servings normally, try taking 3 or four, to get more protein, while you stay away from saturated fats in meats. Even though it is relatively high in fat, cottage cheese is a great source of protein. With just one ore two servings a day, you should be ok.
Celery:
I don't know why, but I don't really consider Celery a vegetable. I guess it's because celery is basically just water. That's right, celery is almost all water. In recent studies, it has actually been said that celery is 98-99% water, and you actually lose weight just by eating it! You lose the weight because you work the muscles in your mouth, eating basically nothing, as water has nutrition facts of 0% all the way down. That is why, when you really want to start dieting, to really eat a lot of celery, because it is very healthy for you.
Water:
Like I said earlier, water is basically just nothing. Your muscles need hydration to help them grow. Try to stay away from purified water, or any of those natural spring waters, because they lack the minerals of basic Earth water from a faucet.
Protein Shakes:
By protein shakes, I mean the kind you make with the protein powder you have. To be honest, it's by far the nastiest stuff I ever tasted (At least chocolate is). It gets very lumpy, and can only taste a little decent if it is in milk (I tried it with water, and I thought I would throw up). Of course, I am way too cheap to buy a powder mixer, so I just bear with what I have. The normal EAS whey protein has about 20 grams of protein per serving, and only a few grams of fat. There are also protein bars and meal replacements, but most of those can get pretty high in fat (At least for what I eat), but if you find a low fat bar, or you are content with the amount of fat in one of them, then by all means, try them.
You can pretty much keep your own diet at a low-fat, lower-intake level by yourself. All you have to do is look at the nutrition facts on the side of the container. Also, you should keep a track of what you eat, and how many calories, including protein, carbs, and fat.
Exercising the Abs:
BASICS:
First off, there are some basic exercises that you should know on training the abdominal muscles. They are your bread and butter exercises to start off with.
Crunch- The crunch emphasizes the upper-abs area. A crunch is done laying on the floor with your legs up at a 90 degree angle, calves parallel to the floor. You can put your hands behind your head, arms straight out, or you can have them folded over your chest. I like to fold them over my chest so I don't try to cheat bringing my arms down, and thus bending my neck, but you can do this however you like. After you are all set, just slowly crunch your body forward, bringing your chin as far forward as possible to feel the maximum burn.
Sit-Up- These are basically the only exercise that primarily emphasize the overall abdominal wall. Sure you have weighted sit-ups, etc., but you should really start out with just a normal sit-up. Lay on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. I like to lock my feet under a chair when I do these. Again, you can either fold your arms over your chest, or have them behind your head. This time bring your whole body up, bringing your chest to your knees. Try to do these slowly, and hold your body up at the point where your muscles tense (Right above the floor), and never lay back down after one rep. Don't just go up, rest, go up, rest. Do as many as you can. I still do sit-ups, even though, in the New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, it says (Well, Arnold says) that sit-ups really only work your hip flexors. He says the same about leg raises, but I still feel a burn in my abs doing both.
Leg-Raises- You can do these either on a bench, hanging in the air, or on the floor. Lay (Or hang) down with your legs straight out and off the floor about 45 degrees. Now, keeping them locked, bring them as high as you can up toward your head (you won't go that far, but that would be where they go if you could). It is important that if you are hanging, bring your legs higher than parallel, because you only work the hip flexors if you don't.
Reverse Crunches- These are done the exact opposite way of the crunch. Hence the name, reverse crunch. I like to lay on an incline bench, or just flat on the floor, though incline helps me get better tension. Have your legs bent at 90 degrees, calves parallel to what you are laying on. Bring your legs (Still bent) back, bringing your knees close to your face. Repeat that step until you can't do any more. You can also try doing the crunch and reverse crunch at the same time, crunching while you bring your legs back, but I don't particularly like that (Which is probably because it's hard for me to do for some reason).
Those exercises are the very basic for the abdominals. Once you have gotten those exercises down, all the rest are basically just variations of them, so they won't be very hard to get. It really helps learning those first, because you can build a lot to work with in your abdominals by learning those exercises first.
MORE EXERCISES:
I'll start off with giving you different variations of the crunch. The crunches are basically the same movement, just with different equipment exceptions sometimes, such as:
• Rope Crunches
• Cable Crunches
• Incline/Decline Crunches
• And for the obliques, you can do twisting crunches.
For Rope and cable crunches, they are basically the same, except one uses a rope pulldown, and one uses a cable. To do these, kneel on the ground, holding either a rope or cables, and crunch your body downward, focusing on your abs, not your back. These are a great mass building exercise.
Incline and decline crunches are basically self-explanatory. Do decline crunches on a decline bench, and incline crunches on an incline bench. You have probably never heard of the incline crunch, but they are one of the best exercises for the upper abs. I usually hold weights up near my head and crunch downward (One weight in each hand). It really burn the top of your abs.
Twisting crunches are an oblique targeted. In the same position of a regular crunch, just twist your body to one side, and repeat the same to the other side.
Other Exercises:
Roman Chairs: You need a Roman Chair to do these, obviously. Just go as far down as possible, and crunch your body up.
Seated Leg tucks: Sit on the edge of a bench, legs hanging over the side, your but barely holding you on the bench. Leave your top abs crunched down, like you were flexing them. Keep them like that while you bring your legs up to your chest, like a reverse crunch. This kills your whole abdominal wall. You can do these on Incline/Decline boards also.
Obliques:
Seated Twists: Take a barbell behind your neck, and rotate your hips from side to side. This gets very tiring and burns your obliques a lot.
Bent over Twists: The same as seated Twists, except you are bent over doing them. Arnold's Exercises:
These are a few of the exercises are mentioned in Arnold's Encyclopedia:
• Side Leg Raises: Lay on your side, and lift your leg as high as you can. This targets your obliques. Repeat doing the other leg.
• Bent-Knee side leg raises: The same as a side leg raise, except you bend your knee.
• Vacuums: These are very complicated. Breathe out until you can't blow out anymore. Hold your abs sucked in as long as you can. Try doing it from 30-60 seconds. Try these kneeling, seated, etc.
Ab Killer:
I have done all these exercises, but the best exercise of them all isn't listed above. If you are ever in the gym, ask your trainer or a worker there about a physio ball. A physio ball is a great piece of equipment to do many exercises on, but the one I am talking about is the crunch. You see, a physio ball forces all your muscles to stay tense while you work a certain muscle or muscle group. If you were doing a bench press, all you focus on is your chest, triceps, and deltoids. Your back is at rest, as well as the rest of your muscles. On the physio ball, all these muscles stay tense while you work your abs.
Spot Reduction:
A lot of people think that if they go home and do a thousand crunches every night, that they will lose the fat on their stomach, or if they do a thousand curls, they lose fat in their arms. Spot reduction is when you lose fat from a certain part of your body. Unless you do liposuction at the doctor's office, this is impossible. I just wanted to clear that up.
Thanks , I hope that helped.
To start you off with what the abs are, there are two basic muscle groups involved. The Rectus Abdominus, which starts near your Pubis, all the way through the 5th through 7th ribs. That is the six-pack muscle. You have External Obliques also. They are the muscles on each side of your torso, right next to the Rectus Abdominus. The Intercoastals are also involved, the two muscle and tendon fiber planes between the ribs.
How can you get the abs you want?
The abs are the central, most visible part of your body. Everyone loves a six-pack (I hope!). A six-pack is harder to get for men, because of a disproportionate number of fat cells they carry. It has been said that you have to be at 13% body fat to have a six pack, but the way I see it, why would you try to just get by at 13% when you could just diet right and look even better (and make getting the six pack easier) if you brought yourself down to, say, 9% body fat. Like I said, everyone wants it, but not all of them are willing to pay the price. Although, not everyone has to pay the price. I was always jealous of the people who were born skinny and didn't really have to work for their six-packs. Some people are like that, but some are born overweight, and have a body type which makes it hard for them to lose weight. Don't worry, because anyone can do it if they want to.
Chances are, if you are that skinny person, you probably have a hard time gaining muscle. Most really skinny, or really small people have trouble gaining the muscle, because they don't have the muscle mass to show right off the bat. If you are overweight, chances are, you are pretty strong, because you have that much extra weight to carry around, but you have fat covering those muscles with no definition. So I will try to explain how to exercise for both groups of people. Skinny, hard gainers, and heavy, hard definers.
For skinny Guys:
It isn't much different than most heavy gainers. You should really exercise your abs whenever you work out, but you should pack the weight gainers. If you have real trouble gaining mass, you need to gain weight. Consume a lot more food (In slow steps, don't just eat 10 eggs one morning and get sick, but gradually start eating more), and do a lot less reps than those with more mass. Less reps means you are doing more weight for less reps, really lifting for power, which builds up mass, and that is what you need. You should really work your abs when you have the weight on, building them up with more weight than you had. For skinny kids, the hard thing is gaining weight. When you have a really hard stomach, and you want to start letting it show, then you should start to try and lose some of the weight you put on (Only fat, not muscle). You should lose, according to Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding", only about 2 to 2.5 pounds of fat per week. I would suggest taking Glutamine (If you already don't) because it is said to keep muscle in your body. But the worst thing to do when trying to lose weight is to stop exercising. Never stop, or you lose a ton of muscle. Try doing a lot of cardio or aerobic exercises to burn off excess fat calories.
For Heavy Guys:
For heavy guys it is pretty much the opposite. Heavy guys don't need weight gainers, and the real massive bodybuilders really shouldn't use weight when exercising their abs, because that adds mass, and if you are bigger, or more massive, you really don't need that much more. A perfect example is Nasser El Sonbaty. He is a huge person, very big built, short arms, barrel chest, and massive muscles. Heavy guys should focus on Toning their muscles. Toning meaning more reps, less weight. I hate to say it guys, but you have to stay off the junk food. A lot of heavy people, its seems, just think about food and get bigger. Heavier guys should really work on increasing their metabolism a LOT! Squats are probably one of the best, if not THE best exercise to boost your metabolism. The same goes with big guys. Don't lose too much weight in one week. You should take Glutamine, and, if you really have a weight problem, you should take metabolic enhancers, like Ripped Fuel (Only if you are 18), Metabolic Tyrolean, etc. And again, you should do a lot of cardio, aerobics, and stretching. Stretching is great for big guys, keeping them flexible and agile.
Eating for the six-pack:
In order to get a six-pack, you don't have to starve yourself, or go on some marathon, just to lose weight. You really don't even have to cut out all the fats you ate before, as long as you were maintaining your body weight. If you ate 90 grams of fat a day, and stayed at 175 pounds, you wouldn't need to cut back on all the fat. A lot of bodybuilders think they have to eat no body fat. The thing is, you just need to cut back on the amount. If you ate 4,000 calories a day, and maintained your weight, just cut back a little bit on every meal, and you will only be eating about 3,000 calories. Get my drift? You lower your caloric intake by decreasing the amount you eat. The only way to lose weight is to lower your caloric intake. If you eat 10 pounds of vegetables, you are still putting on 10 pounds. If you eat smaller, that is best way to lose the weight. But don't think you can pig out on all fat if you just cut back. You have to eat as little fat as possible. Try to stay away from saturated fat, because that is the hardest for your body to burn off. Also, be sure to try and keep the same amount of protein in your body as you were before, as it is very important in your muscles.
GOOD FOODS/DRINKS:
Protein:
There are plenty of good, low-fat protein foods out there. If you are a big egg eater, or a big meat eater, and are trying to stay away form all that fat, you can. Foods such as Tuna fish (Try to get all-white, because it has a little bit more protein, with only about a gram of fat per serving), Yogurt (Low-Fat), and skim milk are good sources of protein. The best way to keep the amount of protein you have is to use 100% whey protein, or protein drinks, such as Myoplex that give you good nutrients, too. Whey protein is excellent because it is easily used by your muscles. Only a certain percent of protein inside food is usable by your body (Also mentioned in Arnold's Book), and whey has an excellent percentage. Egg Protein is also very useful. If you already use Whey protein in your daily food intake, increase the amount, unless you are taking the maximum listed on the label. Some say take 1-4 times daily. If you only take 2 servings normally, try taking 3 or four, to get more protein, while you stay away from saturated fats in meats. Even though it is relatively high in fat, cottage cheese is a great source of protein. With just one ore two servings a day, you should be ok.
Celery:
I don't know why, but I don't really consider Celery a vegetable. I guess it's because celery is basically just water. That's right, celery is almost all water. In recent studies, it has actually been said that celery is 98-99% water, and you actually lose weight just by eating it! You lose the weight because you work the muscles in your mouth, eating basically nothing, as water has nutrition facts of 0% all the way down. That is why, when you really want to start dieting, to really eat a lot of celery, because it is very healthy for you.
Water:
Like I said earlier, water is basically just nothing. Your muscles need hydration to help them grow. Try to stay away from purified water, or any of those natural spring waters, because they lack the minerals of basic Earth water from a faucet.
Protein Shakes:
By protein shakes, I mean the kind you make with the protein powder you have. To be honest, it's by far the nastiest stuff I ever tasted (At least chocolate is). It gets very lumpy, and can only taste a little decent if it is in milk (I tried it with water, and I thought I would throw up). Of course, I am way too cheap to buy a powder mixer, so I just bear with what I have. The normal EAS whey protein has about 20 grams of protein per serving, and only a few grams of fat. There are also protein bars and meal replacements, but most of those can get pretty high in fat (At least for what I eat), but if you find a low fat bar, or you are content with the amount of fat in one of them, then by all means, try them.
You can pretty much keep your own diet at a low-fat, lower-intake level by yourself. All you have to do is look at the nutrition facts on the side of the container. Also, you should keep a track of what you eat, and how many calories, including protein, carbs, and fat.
Exercising the Abs:
BASICS:
First off, there are some basic exercises that you should know on training the abdominal muscles. They are your bread and butter exercises to start off with.
Crunch- The crunch emphasizes the upper-abs area. A crunch is done laying on the floor with your legs up at a 90 degree angle, calves parallel to the floor. You can put your hands behind your head, arms straight out, or you can have them folded over your chest. I like to fold them over my chest so I don't try to cheat bringing my arms down, and thus bending my neck, but you can do this however you like. After you are all set, just slowly crunch your body forward, bringing your chin as far forward as possible to feel the maximum burn.
Sit-Up- These are basically the only exercise that primarily emphasize the overall abdominal wall. Sure you have weighted sit-ups, etc., but you should really start out with just a normal sit-up. Lay on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. I like to lock my feet under a chair when I do these. Again, you can either fold your arms over your chest, or have them behind your head. This time bring your whole body up, bringing your chest to your knees. Try to do these slowly, and hold your body up at the point where your muscles tense (Right above the floor), and never lay back down after one rep. Don't just go up, rest, go up, rest. Do as many as you can. I still do sit-ups, even though, in the New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, it says (Well, Arnold says) that sit-ups really only work your hip flexors. He says the same about leg raises, but I still feel a burn in my abs doing both.
Leg-Raises- You can do these either on a bench, hanging in the air, or on the floor. Lay (Or hang) down with your legs straight out and off the floor about 45 degrees. Now, keeping them locked, bring them as high as you can up toward your head (you won't go that far, but that would be where they go if you could). It is important that if you are hanging, bring your legs higher than parallel, because you only work the hip flexors if you don't.
Reverse Crunches- These are done the exact opposite way of the crunch. Hence the name, reverse crunch. I like to lay on an incline bench, or just flat on the floor, though incline helps me get better tension. Have your legs bent at 90 degrees, calves parallel to what you are laying on. Bring your legs (Still bent) back, bringing your knees close to your face. Repeat that step until you can't do any more. You can also try doing the crunch and reverse crunch at the same time, crunching while you bring your legs back, but I don't particularly like that (Which is probably because it's hard for me to do for some reason).
Those exercises are the very basic for the abdominals. Once you have gotten those exercises down, all the rest are basically just variations of them, so they won't be very hard to get. It really helps learning those first, because you can build a lot to work with in your abdominals by learning those exercises first.
MORE EXERCISES:
I'll start off with giving you different variations of the crunch. The crunches are basically the same movement, just with different equipment exceptions sometimes, such as:
• Rope Crunches
• Cable Crunches
• Incline/Decline Crunches
• And for the obliques, you can do twisting crunches.
For Rope and cable crunches, they are basically the same, except one uses a rope pulldown, and one uses a cable. To do these, kneel on the ground, holding either a rope or cables, and crunch your body downward, focusing on your abs, not your back. These are a great mass building exercise.
Incline and decline crunches are basically self-explanatory. Do decline crunches on a decline bench, and incline crunches on an incline bench. You have probably never heard of the incline crunch, but they are one of the best exercises for the upper abs. I usually hold weights up near my head and crunch downward (One weight in each hand). It really burn the top of your abs.
Twisting crunches are an oblique targeted. In the same position of a regular crunch, just twist your body to one side, and repeat the same to the other side.
Other Exercises:
Roman Chairs: You need a Roman Chair to do these, obviously. Just go as far down as possible, and crunch your body up.
Seated Leg tucks: Sit on the edge of a bench, legs hanging over the side, your but barely holding you on the bench. Leave your top abs crunched down, like you were flexing them. Keep them like that while you bring your legs up to your chest, like a reverse crunch. This kills your whole abdominal wall. You can do these on Incline/Decline boards also.
Obliques:
Seated Twists: Take a barbell behind your neck, and rotate your hips from side to side. This gets very tiring and burns your obliques a lot.
Bent over Twists: The same as seated Twists, except you are bent over doing them. Arnold's Exercises:
These are a few of the exercises are mentioned in Arnold's Encyclopedia:
• Side Leg Raises: Lay on your side, and lift your leg as high as you can. This targets your obliques. Repeat doing the other leg.
• Bent-Knee side leg raises: The same as a side leg raise, except you bend your knee.
• Vacuums: These are very complicated. Breathe out until you can't blow out anymore. Hold your abs sucked in as long as you can. Try doing it from 30-60 seconds. Try these kneeling, seated, etc.
Ab Killer:
I have done all these exercises, but the best exercise of them all isn't listed above. If you are ever in the gym, ask your trainer or a worker there about a physio ball. A physio ball is a great piece of equipment to do many exercises on, but the one I am talking about is the crunch. You see, a physio ball forces all your muscles to stay tense while you work a certain muscle or muscle group. If you were doing a bench press, all you focus on is your chest, triceps, and deltoids. Your back is at rest, as well as the rest of your muscles. On the physio ball, all these muscles stay tense while you work your abs.
Spot Reduction:
A lot of people think that if they go home and do a thousand crunches every night, that they will lose the fat on their stomach, or if they do a thousand curls, they lose fat in their arms. Spot reduction is when you lose fat from a certain part of your body. Unless you do liposuction at the doctor's office, this is impossible. I just wanted to clear that up.
Thanks , I hope that helped.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Muscle Building Amino Acid
Muscle Building Amino Acid
L-Arginine Info And Products
What is it and where does it come from?
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. It is a building block of protein that performs a myriad of physiological functions. It is a known precursor of the gas nitric oxide [N02].
Arginine is an amino acid that the body cannot make naturally. Therefore it is important to consume foods that are rich in arginine.1
Arginine is found in high concentrations in nuts and seeds like peanuts and almonds. It can also be found in chocolate and raisins.
What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Arginine is necessary for the execution of many physiological processes. These physiological processes include hormone secretion, an increase in growth hormone output, the removal of toxic waste products from the body, and immune system defenses.2
Because Arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide [which is responsible for vasodiolation 3] it is often used for supporting healthy sexual function.
Recently, dietary supplements containing Arginine have become popular due to Arginine's nitric oxide producing ability, its ability to scavenge free radicals, as well as its ability to signal muscle cells, release growth hormone, support healthy cholesterol, and enhance fat metabolism. Arginine helps regulate salt levels in the body. 4
For this reason it should be of interest to competing bodybuilders, as retaining water under the skin can make one looks smooth, bloated and washed out. The nitrogen retaining abilities of Arginine are well-known within the bodybuilding and scientific communities. Arginine is also believed to be crucial for muscle growth due to its vasodilating abilities, as well as its ability to participate in protein synthesis. 5
Learn more about the benefits of L-Arginine on Clayton South's Health Facts.
Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
Everyone. Populations in particular need of arginine are growing children, infants, athletes, individuals trying to lose weight, and the elderly. In adult populations Arginine is considered to be a non-essential amino acid. For children, by contrast, Arginine is essential to the defense and development of the adolescent immune system.
Persons suffering from injury can benefit from supplemental arginine, as demand for arginine is increased during times of bodily injury and repair.6 Persons looking to support their sexual health may also benefit from use of Arginine due to its vasodilating properties. Arginine will act to increase the diameter of blood vessels, thereby allowing increased blood flow to reach constricted areas.
Arginine presents benefits to hard training athletes. Supplementing with Arginine may boost the immune system, thereby allowing the athlete to train harder and avoid the detrimental effects of minor health problems associated with overtraining.
Athletes who are discontinuing the use of androgenic or anabolic steroids may benefit from supplemental arginine.
Due to Arginines ability to increase growth hormone levels, its ability to encourage lipid oxidization, and its ability to support healthy blood pressure, supplemental arginine may prove beneficial for persons looking to lose weight.
How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
Individuals with existing heart or psychiatric conditions should consult with their physician prior to supplementing with Arginine. With any amino acid containing product, overdose is a possibility. Dosing with too much arginine can lead to diarrhea, weakness and nausea. Clear dosing guidelines have not yet been established, so it is best to do what is known as "tolerance mapping".
Take a small dosage for one week, note the benefits and the side effects, and increase the dosage until the benefits are maximized and the side effects minimized. Over time the two will converge and you will hit the optimal dose. This process is similar to "receptor mapping" for bodybuilders who use insulin and steroids.
Many protein powders on the market are fortified with amino acids, including arginine. With this in mind, pay particular attention to how much arginine you are ingesting from sources. If you do not feel comfortable following the above described procedure, it is always best to follow the directions as prescribed on the products label.
L-Arginine Info And Products
What is it and where does it come from?
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. It is a building block of protein that performs a myriad of physiological functions. It is a known precursor of the gas nitric oxide [N02].
Arginine is an amino acid that the body cannot make naturally. Therefore it is important to consume foods that are rich in arginine.1
Arginine is found in high concentrations in nuts and seeds like peanuts and almonds. It can also be found in chocolate and raisins.
What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Arginine is necessary for the execution of many physiological processes. These physiological processes include hormone secretion, an increase in growth hormone output, the removal of toxic waste products from the body, and immune system defenses.2
Because Arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide [which is responsible for vasodiolation 3] it is often used for supporting healthy sexual function.
Recently, dietary supplements containing Arginine have become popular due to Arginine's nitric oxide producing ability, its ability to scavenge free radicals, as well as its ability to signal muscle cells, release growth hormone, support healthy cholesterol, and enhance fat metabolism. Arginine helps regulate salt levels in the body. 4
For this reason it should be of interest to competing bodybuilders, as retaining water under the skin can make one looks smooth, bloated and washed out. The nitrogen retaining abilities of Arginine are well-known within the bodybuilding and scientific communities. Arginine is also believed to be crucial for muscle growth due to its vasodilating abilities, as well as its ability to participate in protein synthesis. 5
Learn more about the benefits of L-Arginine on Clayton South's Health Facts.
Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
Everyone. Populations in particular need of arginine are growing children, infants, athletes, individuals trying to lose weight, and the elderly. In adult populations Arginine is considered to be a non-essential amino acid. For children, by contrast, Arginine is essential to the defense and development of the adolescent immune system.
Persons suffering from injury can benefit from supplemental arginine, as demand for arginine is increased during times of bodily injury and repair.6 Persons looking to support their sexual health may also benefit from use of Arginine due to its vasodilating properties. Arginine will act to increase the diameter of blood vessels, thereby allowing increased blood flow to reach constricted areas.
Arginine presents benefits to hard training athletes. Supplementing with Arginine may boost the immune system, thereby allowing the athlete to train harder and avoid the detrimental effects of minor health problems associated with overtraining.
Athletes who are discontinuing the use of androgenic or anabolic steroids may benefit from supplemental arginine.
Due to Arginines ability to increase growth hormone levels, its ability to encourage lipid oxidization, and its ability to support healthy blood pressure, supplemental arginine may prove beneficial for persons looking to lose weight.
How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
Individuals with existing heart or psychiatric conditions should consult with their physician prior to supplementing with Arginine. With any amino acid containing product, overdose is a possibility. Dosing with too much arginine can lead to diarrhea, weakness and nausea. Clear dosing guidelines have not yet been established, so it is best to do what is known as "tolerance mapping".
Take a small dosage for one week, note the benefits and the side effects, and increase the dosage until the benefits are maximized and the side effects minimized. Over time the two will converge and you will hit the optimal dose. This process is similar to "receptor mapping" for bodybuilders who use insulin and steroids.
Many protein powders on the market are fortified with amino acids, including arginine. With this in mind, pay particular attention to how much arginine you are ingesting from sources. If you do not feel comfortable following the above described procedure, it is always best to follow the directions as prescribed on the products label.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Zinc Info And Products
1. What is it and where does it come from?
Zinc is classified as an essential mineral, and with good reason. Many foods rich in trace minerals contain Zinc, including milk, oysters, red meat, spinach, nuts, oats, and beans. The highest quality pharmaceutical grade Zinc is available from Bodybuilding.com!
2. What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Zinc does quite a bit for the body. First, Zinc is crucial for health because it strengthens the immune system. It is also essential to cell division, growth, and repair. Zinc plays an important role in the detoxification of alcohol in the liver, aides in digestion, and increases the production of protein. Second, it is involved in over 200 enzymatic reactions, and aides the body in the actions of several hormones, such as growth hormone, testosterone, insulin, and estrogen. It also maintains blood cholesterol levels in the body that are already in normal range. Not meeting the recommended RDA for Zinc can adversely affect sex hormones and lead to muscle atrophy because protein synthesis will not be optimized in your body (according to rat studies). Recent studies show that people who work out and exercise are more likely to be Zinc deficient and, consequently, need more Zinc
.
3. Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
In the quest for huge and lean mass, bodybuilders often look to a variety of well-known supplements. Names like HMB, Creatine Monohydrate, L-Glutamine, and Amino Acids comes to mind. However, a few supplements have been shown to achieve results that have not been highly publicized. Zinc is one such supplement. Many experts say that Zinc deficiency is widespread. Making sure you get your zinc is important to elevate your level of muscle building. Bodybuilders, especially, need Zinc! Since many don't get enough Zinc in their diet, this also means their immune systems will not be as strong! Make sure you're getting enough Zinc!
On the other hand, general supplementation with the mineral leads to an increased production of the hormone testosterone by the body. Good news! Individuals deficient in Zinc can raise their levels and benefit greatly from supplementation!
4. How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
The recommended RDA for Zinc is 15 mg/day for men and 12 mg/day for women. Research shows that supplementing to attain your RDA is beneficial and conductive to bodybuilding. The RDA levels are safe and effective to supplement at. Taking too much Zinc (25-100 mg/day) can lead to the non-absorption of other minerals such as iron and copper. So, stick to the recommendations and you'll be well on your way to a bigger, healthier body!
Zinc is classified as an essential mineral, and with good reason. Many foods rich in trace minerals contain Zinc, including milk, oysters, red meat, spinach, nuts, oats, and beans. The highest quality pharmaceutical grade Zinc is available from Bodybuilding.com!
2. What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Zinc does quite a bit for the body. First, Zinc is crucial for health because it strengthens the immune system. It is also essential to cell division, growth, and repair. Zinc plays an important role in the detoxification of alcohol in the liver, aides in digestion, and increases the production of protein. Second, it is involved in over 200 enzymatic reactions, and aides the body in the actions of several hormones, such as growth hormone, testosterone, insulin, and estrogen. It also maintains blood cholesterol levels in the body that are already in normal range. Not meeting the recommended RDA for Zinc can adversely affect sex hormones and lead to muscle atrophy because protein synthesis will not be optimized in your body (according to rat studies). Recent studies show that people who work out and exercise are more likely to be Zinc deficient and, consequently, need more Zinc
.
3. Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
In the quest for huge and lean mass, bodybuilders often look to a variety of well-known supplements. Names like HMB, Creatine Monohydrate, L-Glutamine, and Amino Acids comes to mind. However, a few supplements have been shown to achieve results that have not been highly publicized. Zinc is one such supplement. Many experts say that Zinc deficiency is widespread. Making sure you get your zinc is important to elevate your level of muscle building. Bodybuilders, especially, need Zinc! Since many don't get enough Zinc in their diet, this also means their immune systems will not be as strong! Make sure you're getting enough Zinc!
On the other hand, general supplementation with the mineral leads to an increased production of the hormone testosterone by the body. Good news! Individuals deficient in Zinc can raise their levels and benefit greatly from supplementation!
4. How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
The recommended RDA for Zinc is 15 mg/day for men and 12 mg/day for women. Research shows that supplementing to attain your RDA is beneficial and conductive to bodybuilding. The RDA levels are safe and effective to supplement at. Taking too much Zinc (25-100 mg/day) can lead to the non-absorption of other minerals such as iron and copper. So, stick to the recommendations and you'll be well on your way to a bigger, healthier body!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
AFTER THE WORKOUT
we have all heard the expression "people grow outside the gym not inside." However, what does this really mean, it means that recovery from training is where one achieves all their results. In the last few years post-workout nutrition has gained significant attention because researchers have found the body is most apt to absorb nutrients after one trains. This post-workout meal helps the body in increasing protein synthesis, creating more of an anabolic state, and making the most of the bodies desire to repair itself. Is this all we can do to promote the recovery process and take full advantage of our rest time between training sessions? The simple answer is no, there is so much more we can do to help our recovery which in turn will lead to better gains in training. While examining some of the more popular methods of recovery hopefully many of you will be able to feel better and to train harder.
During Training
General Physical Preparation (GPP): This is now becoming a more common training method in programs even though it has been part of periodization models for decades. GPP is intended to provide balanced physical conditioning in endurance, strength, speed, flexibility, and other basic factors of fitness (Siff, 2000). In general GPP is low intensity training and can be performed in a variety of activities. These activities can fall into the categories of weighted GPP and unweighted GPP. Examples of weighted GPP are wheelbarrow pushes, farmer's walks, sled dragging, and tire flips. Unweighted GPP could involve body calisthenics such as jumping jacks, split shuffles, mountain climbers, burpees, and even jump rope skips. Besides the benefits mentioned earlier, GPP helps improve work capacity and assist in recovery. It is a shame that so many people have very low levels of GPP and could greatly benefit from improving their current levels.
Nutrition: There is some evidence that drinking specific formulations during a workout can enhance the training effect. Nutritional/supplement experts such as Dr. Eric Serrano and Dr. Mauro DiPasquale have found great success in using Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) and Glutamine during training. To explain the great benefit of BCAAs I would like to quote Kelly Baggett from her article "BCAA Supplementation for Athletes."
"The BCAA's are special because they aren't significantly broken down in the liver and this results in release of the BCAA's from the liver into circulation. Skeletal muscles, however, are able to break down the BCAA's for energy and will do so during increased energy needs such as starvation, trauma, or exercise. During resting periods when other fuel sources, such as carbohydrates and fats, are available they spare the BCAA's from oxidation, leaving them available for use in protein synthesis which is what you want them to do - serve you by building muscle. The important thing is that although BCAA's account for only about 20% of the total amino acids in a protein meal they account for 50-90% of the total amino acids released into general circulation to be taken up by the muscles. BCAA's are the most abundant amino acids incorporated into muscle protein and make up 1/3 of this muscle. They are also heavily catabolized (broken down and used for energy) during exercise. These 2 reasons plus the fact that the body can't make it's own BCAA's increases the need for BCAA's for athletes."
Glutamine is the other component of this formula. Glutamine is known to have benefits such as sparing lean body mass during stress, improving the immune system, and increasing growth hormone levels. These are great supplements taken separately, but seem to have a synergistic effect when taken together. The problem in the past had to do with the dosage of BCAAs. To get the desired effect you must take a significant dosage of BCAAs. Fortunately, two companies have come out with powders that combine BCAAs and glutamine. I do not receive any money for promoting these products, but being able to pass along information that I have found extremely beneficial is the most help I could provide. ICE by Xtreme Formulations or GlutaCene by PRD are both great tasting and very effective products.
Directly After Training
These are methods we can all employ as soon as training is complete for the day or in between training sessions.
Contrast Showers: Expose all areas of the body that were involved with the day's training session. These showers are done by alternating bursts of hot and cold water. These temperatures are alternated for periods of two minutes and done as hot as tolerable and as cold as tolerable. This can be repeated four to six times. The reasoning behind these showers is the hot periods are for vaso-dilation (increased size of vessels) and cold is for vaso-constriction (decrease in size of vessels). The result is improved circulation in the trained areas.
Ice Massage: This should be done in between exercises or immediately after training. The ice is from a plastic cup of water that was frozen the day before. The ice is rubbed along the muscle belly that has been trained and not along the joints. Performing some movement while gently rubbing the muscles with ice is another way of improving upon this method. The purpose of ice massage is to reduce the tightness in the contracted muscles and to pump free the waste products in the tissues as a result of training.
Conclusion
Taking fifteen minutes either directly after the workout or later in the day can greatly improve all these aspects. It is unfortunate most of us neglect this aspect of our training especially considering the majority of us already know these benefits. However, if I told you, you would grow more and lift more would you stretch? The truth is I wouldn't be lying so start now!
Above are just some of the more common and easy to apply principles of restoration. Other methods include jacuzzis, saunas, vibromassagers, and electronic stimulation. Depending upon their availability these would also be great methods to employ. Be realistic though, if you are not use to incorporating these techniques into your routines begin with just a few and easy to use methods. Treatments such as stretching and utilizing general physical preparation training should always be reasonable and accessible.
During Training
General Physical Preparation (GPP): This is now becoming a more common training method in programs even though it has been part of periodization models for decades. GPP is intended to provide balanced physical conditioning in endurance, strength, speed, flexibility, and other basic factors of fitness (Siff, 2000). In general GPP is low intensity training and can be performed in a variety of activities. These activities can fall into the categories of weighted GPP and unweighted GPP. Examples of weighted GPP are wheelbarrow pushes, farmer's walks, sled dragging, and tire flips. Unweighted GPP could involve body calisthenics such as jumping jacks, split shuffles, mountain climbers, burpees, and even jump rope skips. Besides the benefits mentioned earlier, GPP helps improve work capacity and assist in recovery. It is a shame that so many people have very low levels of GPP and could greatly benefit from improving their current levels.
Nutrition: There is some evidence that drinking specific formulations during a workout can enhance the training effect. Nutritional/supplement experts such as Dr. Eric Serrano and Dr. Mauro DiPasquale have found great success in using Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) and Glutamine during training. To explain the great benefit of BCAAs I would like to quote Kelly Baggett from her article "BCAA Supplementation for Athletes."
"The BCAA's are special because they aren't significantly broken down in the liver and this results in release of the BCAA's from the liver into circulation. Skeletal muscles, however, are able to break down the BCAA's for energy and will do so during increased energy needs such as starvation, trauma, or exercise. During resting periods when other fuel sources, such as carbohydrates and fats, are available they spare the BCAA's from oxidation, leaving them available for use in protein synthesis which is what you want them to do - serve you by building muscle. The important thing is that although BCAA's account for only about 20% of the total amino acids in a protein meal they account for 50-90% of the total amino acids released into general circulation to be taken up by the muscles. BCAA's are the most abundant amino acids incorporated into muscle protein and make up 1/3 of this muscle. They are also heavily catabolized (broken down and used for energy) during exercise. These 2 reasons plus the fact that the body can't make it's own BCAA's increases the need for BCAA's for athletes."
Glutamine is the other component of this formula. Glutamine is known to have benefits such as sparing lean body mass during stress, improving the immune system, and increasing growth hormone levels. These are great supplements taken separately, but seem to have a synergistic effect when taken together. The problem in the past had to do with the dosage of BCAAs. To get the desired effect you must take a significant dosage of BCAAs. Fortunately, two companies have come out with powders that combine BCAAs and glutamine. I do not receive any money for promoting these products, but being able to pass along information that I have found extremely beneficial is the most help I could provide. ICE by Xtreme Formulations or GlutaCene by PRD are both great tasting and very effective products.
Directly After Training
These are methods we can all employ as soon as training is complete for the day or in between training sessions.
Contrast Showers: Expose all areas of the body that were involved with the day's training session. These showers are done by alternating bursts of hot and cold water. These temperatures are alternated for periods of two minutes and done as hot as tolerable and as cold as tolerable. This can be repeated four to six times. The reasoning behind these showers is the hot periods are for vaso-dilation (increased size of vessels) and cold is for vaso-constriction (decrease in size of vessels). The result is improved circulation in the trained areas.
Ice Massage: This should be done in between exercises or immediately after training. The ice is from a plastic cup of water that was frozen the day before. The ice is rubbed along the muscle belly that has been trained and not along the joints. Performing some movement while gently rubbing the muscles with ice is another way of improving upon this method. The purpose of ice massage is to reduce the tightness in the contracted muscles and to pump free the waste products in the tissues as a result of training.
Conclusion
Taking fifteen minutes either directly after the workout or later in the day can greatly improve all these aspects. It is unfortunate most of us neglect this aspect of our training especially considering the majority of us already know these benefits. However, if I told you, you would grow more and lift more would you stretch? The truth is I wouldn't be lying so start now!
Above are just some of the more common and easy to apply principles of restoration. Other methods include jacuzzis, saunas, vibromassagers, and electronic stimulation. Depending upon their availability these would also be great methods to employ. Be realistic though, if you are not use to incorporating these techniques into your routines begin with just a few and easy to use methods. Treatments such as stretching and utilizing general physical preparation training should always be reasonable and accessible.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
MORNING CARDIO!!!!!!!!
Most bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, and personal trainers, will tell you that the best time to do cardio is early in the morning, on an empty stomach. For some reason, which most of them don't know the answer to, they will tell you this is the perfect time to facilitate fat burning.
I'm here to say they are off base in this approach to losing body fat, and I will tell you why. As bodybuilders, most of us endeavor to eat 5-6 meals a day, spaced out over three hour intervals. This helps to keep blood sugar levels stable, keeps us in an anabolic state by maintaining a positive nitrogen balance, aids in better digestion and assimilation, and also helps to keep the waistline smaller, as most of the meals should not be big meals, per se'!
After sleeping all night for 6-8 hours, or whatever amount is required for you personally, the body, upon arising in the morning, is in a very catabolic state. This means a state of negative nitrogen balance, something no bodybuilder wants.
To perform cardio at this time, on an empty stomach, creates a further state of catabolism, thus resulting in muscle breakdown, and muscle tissue loss. The exact opposite of what bodybuilding is all about! It's true that blood sugar levels are low in the morning, but so are amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
If you must do cardio in the morning... no big deal, just make sure to have a protein drink, or a light protein meal, 45-60 minutes before the aerobic session. Your first priority in the morning, after fasting all night during sleep, should be to feed the body protein and carbs, thus restoring the body to an anabolic state once again. You always want to remain in this anabolic state, if possible, that's why we eat every three hours or so.
In my opinion, the best time to do cardio is after you workout with the iron. Performing your cardio workout after training with the weights, is the most ideal time to burn fat. The reasoning behind this thinking is that during your weight training workout you are using glucose, and stored glycogen, as fuel for energy.
Glucose and glycogen are sugars, and sugars are carbs. You want to use carbs as fuel for your training ideally, to sustain you throughout the workout.
After you are done training, your glucose and glycogen levels are obviously depleted, thus making this the perfect time to perform your cardio, and to use stored fat as fuel. At this time, if you are on a high protein diet, as most bodybuilders are, or should be, the body will burn fat as fuel, to help get you through the cardio session.
Type Of Cardio
Keep the cardio intense and brief, or the body will once again go into a catabolic state and use protein for fuel literally eating your hard earned muscle tissue alive. Doing too much cardio is detrimental. The type of cardio that you perform is up to you, but I would recommend doing 15-20 minutes of "High Intensity Interval Training." Hereafter known as HIIT!!
HIIT cardio involves an all out burst of effort for about a minute, followed by a cool down pace, also for a minute or so, or until the heart rate slows down substantially. As I stated above, 15-20 minutes of HIIT is great and usually enough for most people. I personally wouldn't go over 30 minutes tops.
One of the advantages of performing HIIT cardio is that it accomplishes more in a shorter time period. Another more important benefit, is that it raises the heart rate and the metabolism. Your metabolism stays elevated long after your cardio session is done. This enables the body to keep on burning more fat just by going through your normal daily routine! I call this effect the "After burn"!!
I use an Elliptical Trainer most of the time, and I find by using this particular apparatus, I burn over twice as many calories using HIIT, over more traditional methods I have employed in the past. The Elliptical Trainer also has virtually no impact on the feet, hips, or knees.
Conclusion
So there it is, my take on doing AM cardio, and why I think it should not be done on an empty stomach. Try it out and lose some of that excess body fat, while retaining your hard earned muscle, you'll be glad you did!!
TRAIN HARD!!!
I'm here to say they are off base in this approach to losing body fat, and I will tell you why. As bodybuilders, most of us endeavor to eat 5-6 meals a day, spaced out over three hour intervals. This helps to keep blood sugar levels stable, keeps us in an anabolic state by maintaining a positive nitrogen balance, aids in better digestion and assimilation, and also helps to keep the waistline smaller, as most of the meals should not be big meals, per se'!
After sleeping all night for 6-8 hours, or whatever amount is required for you personally, the body, upon arising in the morning, is in a very catabolic state. This means a state of negative nitrogen balance, something no bodybuilder wants.
To perform cardio at this time, on an empty stomach, creates a further state of catabolism, thus resulting in muscle breakdown, and muscle tissue loss. The exact opposite of what bodybuilding is all about! It's true that blood sugar levels are low in the morning, but so are amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
If you must do cardio in the morning... no big deal, just make sure to have a protein drink, or a light protein meal, 45-60 minutes before the aerobic session. Your first priority in the morning, after fasting all night during sleep, should be to feed the body protein and carbs, thus restoring the body to an anabolic state once again. You always want to remain in this anabolic state, if possible, that's why we eat every three hours or so.
In my opinion, the best time to do cardio is after you workout with the iron. Performing your cardio workout after training with the weights, is the most ideal time to burn fat. The reasoning behind this thinking is that during your weight training workout you are using glucose, and stored glycogen, as fuel for energy.
Glucose and glycogen are sugars, and sugars are carbs. You want to use carbs as fuel for your training ideally, to sustain you throughout the workout.
After you are done training, your glucose and glycogen levels are obviously depleted, thus making this the perfect time to perform your cardio, and to use stored fat as fuel. At this time, if you are on a high protein diet, as most bodybuilders are, or should be, the body will burn fat as fuel, to help get you through the cardio session.
Type Of Cardio
Keep the cardio intense and brief, or the body will once again go into a catabolic state and use protein for fuel literally eating your hard earned muscle tissue alive. Doing too much cardio is detrimental. The type of cardio that you perform is up to you, but I would recommend doing 15-20 minutes of "High Intensity Interval Training." Hereafter known as HIIT!!
HIIT cardio involves an all out burst of effort for about a minute, followed by a cool down pace, also for a minute or so, or until the heart rate slows down substantially. As I stated above, 15-20 minutes of HIIT is great and usually enough for most people. I personally wouldn't go over 30 minutes tops.
One of the advantages of performing HIIT cardio is that it accomplishes more in a shorter time period. Another more important benefit, is that it raises the heart rate and the metabolism. Your metabolism stays elevated long after your cardio session is done. This enables the body to keep on burning more fat just by going through your normal daily routine! I call this effect the "After burn"!!
I use an Elliptical Trainer most of the time, and I find by using this particular apparatus, I burn over twice as many calories using HIIT, over more traditional methods I have employed in the past. The Elliptical Trainer also has virtually no impact on the feet, hips, or knees.
Conclusion
So there it is, my take on doing AM cardio, and why I think it should not be done on an empty stomach. Try it out and lose some of that excess body fat, while retaining your hard earned muscle, you'll be glad you did!!
TRAIN HARD!!!
Friday, September 11, 2009
POWER BREAKFAST
"Power Breakfast" is usually something you hear wannabe executives at large corporations talk about. This is a breakfast intended to make them corporate tigers and able to work long and hard every day, showing just how ambitious and serious about their careers they are. Power Breakfast to a bodybuilder is different, but has the same basic principle: High-octane fuel for a demanding day. If you've ever tried having a typical "diet" breakfast of an orange and a small yogurt (like touted in a great many tabloids), know that you'll most likely croak after 5 minutes in the gym.
The Exceptions
There are exceptions to this rule, but most of us need a solid boost of energy to get up to speed in the morning. What's more, we need to get the nutrients required for optimal growth and recuperation in place. Keep in mind that when you wake up, you've probably not had any food for the past 8-12 hours. That means your blood sugar levels are way down, and you're possibly already in a catabolic state. As we know by now, the best way to get out of that miserable situation is to eat - but we have to figure out the best way to go about it, and what works best for you individually. After all, when you're getting glasses, you make sure to get a pair that is individually perfect for you, rather than pick any prescription at random and run with it.
The size of your breakfast should be decided by your body size and overall caloric needs. If you're dieting, the concept of power breakfast might feel kind of ridiculous. However, when you're bulking up and tries to add some muscle to those arms of yours, breakfast is key.
As usual, you have to get certain balance of calorie intake throughout the day (don't forget: smaller snacks 3 hours apart are better than a few big meals), but I say the BIGGEST chunk of calories ingested in the day should be the breakfast, with the SMALLEST being the last two snacks at the end of the day. In other words, exactly the opposite of the established norm of our culture.
So what's a good breakfast, anyway? Frosted flakes, a blueberry muffin, and a Classic Coke? If you intend to take a trip with the blood sugar roller coaster - sure! Hyper like a raccoon on ecstasy by the time you get to work or school, and down in the land of blood sugar blues an hour before lunch. If you prefer a smooth ride, the key word is balance. Protein, carbs, fat (!) and fiber, and plenty of fluid to keep yourself well hydrated.
The fluid also helps digestion. The reason for the fat is that some vitamins are fat soluble (requires fat to get absorbed properly), and that you NEED a certain amount of healthy fat to stay healthy. That means fish oil, flax seed oil, or olive oil or similar, NOT fried bacon.
A good balance to aim for is 25-40% protein, 50-65% carbs, and 10% fat. Fiber is good for digestion, and slows down the overall GI value of the meal. Also keep in mind that complex carbs are better than simple for GI reasons.
Now, I'm not your mother. I know nobody is perfect, and that sometimes you will deviate from the percentage ratios mentioned above, as well as the part about the smallest meals at the end of the day and so forth. Don't worry. I'm just trying to give you a general idea of where you want to be, nutrition wise. Try to get a feel for a good composition, and use the guidelines in figuring out your perfect breakfast. Who knows, perhaps you feel like tossing your cookies at the very thought of oatmeal porridge? My wife sure does, but I grew up with it and appreciates the nutritional values (even though it's a far cry from bacon & eggs!). So, to wrap it up, I would like to give a couple of sample breakfasts, depending on body size. Once again, these are only generic samples - feel free to tailor to your taste and caloric needs.
The Exceptions
There are exceptions to this rule, but most of us need a solid boost of energy to get up to speed in the morning. What's more, we need to get the nutrients required for optimal growth and recuperation in place. Keep in mind that when you wake up, you've probably not had any food for the past 8-12 hours. That means your blood sugar levels are way down, and you're possibly already in a catabolic state. As we know by now, the best way to get out of that miserable situation is to eat - but we have to figure out the best way to go about it, and what works best for you individually. After all, when you're getting glasses, you make sure to get a pair that is individually perfect for you, rather than pick any prescription at random and run with it.
The size of your breakfast should be decided by your body size and overall caloric needs. If you're dieting, the concept of power breakfast might feel kind of ridiculous. However, when you're bulking up and tries to add some muscle to those arms of yours, breakfast is key.
As usual, you have to get certain balance of calorie intake throughout the day (don't forget: smaller snacks 3 hours apart are better than a few big meals), but I say the BIGGEST chunk of calories ingested in the day should be the breakfast, with the SMALLEST being the last two snacks at the end of the day. In other words, exactly the opposite of the established norm of our culture.
So what's a good breakfast, anyway? Frosted flakes, a blueberry muffin, and a Classic Coke? If you intend to take a trip with the blood sugar roller coaster - sure! Hyper like a raccoon on ecstasy by the time you get to work or school, and down in the land of blood sugar blues an hour before lunch. If you prefer a smooth ride, the key word is balance. Protein, carbs, fat (!) and fiber, and plenty of fluid to keep yourself well hydrated.
The fluid also helps digestion. The reason for the fat is that some vitamins are fat soluble (requires fat to get absorbed properly), and that you NEED a certain amount of healthy fat to stay healthy. That means fish oil, flax seed oil, or olive oil or similar, NOT fried bacon.
A good balance to aim for is 25-40% protein, 50-65% carbs, and 10% fat. Fiber is good for digestion, and slows down the overall GI value of the meal. Also keep in mind that complex carbs are better than simple for GI reasons.
Now, I'm not your mother. I know nobody is perfect, and that sometimes you will deviate from the percentage ratios mentioned above, as well as the part about the smallest meals at the end of the day and so forth. Don't worry. I'm just trying to give you a general idea of where you want to be, nutrition wise. Try to get a feel for a good composition, and use the guidelines in figuring out your perfect breakfast. Who knows, perhaps you feel like tossing your cookies at the very thought of oatmeal porridge? My wife sure does, but I grew up with it and appreciates the nutritional values (even though it's a far cry from bacon & eggs!). So, to wrap it up, I would like to give a couple of sample breakfasts, depending on body size. Once again, these are only generic samples - feel free to tailor to your taste and caloric needs.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Glutamine, Miracle supplement?
Truthfully, I feel a one page report on l-glutamine does this supplement a bit of a disservice as its potential benefits and applications are extremely diverse and far-reaching. If you're an athlete then you probably already know that glutamine can benefit your training and muscle building efforts.
What you probably don't know is just how great of an overall supplement it really is, not just for athletes and bodybuilders, but for ALL people. I thoroughly believe that glutamine should be on the vitamin shelf in EVERY household right next to the Vitamin C!
What's amazing is how everyone, regardless of lifestyle, can derive supplemental benefits from its use. Here is a brief list of the possible applications of supplemental glutamine.
• Improves athletic performance
• Improves brain functioning
• Stabilizes blood sugar
• Helps the heart function
• Strengthens the immune system
• Maintains the health and functioning of the gut lining
• Decreases alcohol cravings
• Decreases sugar cravings
• Helps with wound healing
• Helps maintain proper acid/alkaline balance
• Possible cancer benefits
Quite a long list isn't it? So you might be wondering how exactly glutamine exerts all these benefits? Recall that glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in circulation. In a healthy individual, the concentration of glutamine in the blood is 3-4 times greater than all other amino acids. It is actively transported and metabolized in nearly all tissues.
It is particularly found in high concentrations in the brain, muscles, gut lining, lungs, heart, kidney, and liver where it has multiple and critical functions.
Glutamic Acid
We primarily obtain glutamine from the conversion of glutamic acid from food, although some is also found in food. The average amount supplied from a healthy diet is 5-8 grams per day. Among medical practitioners who use blood tests to determine amino acid status, glutamine is one that is often found to be lacking, especially in patients with either chronic illness or mood and cognitive symptoms. For this reason glutamine has become extremely popular, not just with athletes, but among holistic medical practitioners who use it in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments.
As an athlete glutamine can help you directly in many ways. I've already touched briefly on this in my BCAA article but to recap, glutamine in muscle is a regulator of muscle protein synthesis or muscle building and supports muscle glycogen accumulation. When there is glutamine depletion, there is a breakdown in muscle. Studies indicate glutamine counteracts cortisone steroid induced muscle atrophy.
Skeletal muscle in the body accounts for approximately 30-40% of the total body mass. A 150 lb male would ideally have about 60 grams of glutamine in these muscles. Free stores of glutamine in muscles exceed those of any other amino acid. Surgical and injury trauma, infections, burns, stress, cancer, and most major illnesses dramatically deplete and alter the production and flow of glutamine causing movement of glutamine out of the muscle and decreasing glutamine blood levels.
Intense Training
Under these circumstances the net glutamine consumption exceeds the production and there is a decrease in muscle protein synthesis. This contributes to the muscle wasting seen in severe illness and trauma and can also happen with intense exercise.
Research has shown a significant correlation between survival in severely infected patients and the muscle glutamine concentration. Supplying glutamine helps the metabolic processes associated with recovery. So as an athlete glutamine can help you in the following areas:
• Stimulates muscle protein synthesis by donating nitrogen to build proteins.
• Increases growth hormone which can induce positive body composition and mood changes (Note: A study done in 1995 by LSU College of Medicine showed that a surprisingly small oral dose of 2 grams of glutamine raised GH levels more than 4X over that of a placebo. Age did not diminish the response of the volunteers who ranged in age from 32 to 64 years.)
• Decreases muscle catabolism during exercise
• Increases endurance by replenishing glycogen under conditions of glycogen depletion
• Decreases muscle recovery time
• Decreases the chances of illness/infection by boosting your immune system
• Prevents over-training from high loads and long duration activities (recall that blood glutamine levels are an excellent marker of anabolic status).
These are some of the direct roles in which glutamine can boost your performance. What is just as important, if not more so in my mind, are the indirect roles that glutamine can play in building a healthy body. These are things that may not make you into a physical powerhouse but will still aid in keeping your body healthy and free of disease and give you some other benefits now and in the future.
These benefits are why I look at glutamine as a "wonder supplement" and I feel just about everyone should be using it. Next week I'll cover these other important areas.
What you probably don't know is just how great of an overall supplement it really is, not just for athletes and bodybuilders, but for ALL people. I thoroughly believe that glutamine should be on the vitamin shelf in EVERY household right next to the Vitamin C!
What's amazing is how everyone, regardless of lifestyle, can derive supplemental benefits from its use. Here is a brief list of the possible applications of supplemental glutamine.
• Improves athletic performance
• Improves brain functioning
• Stabilizes blood sugar
• Helps the heart function
• Strengthens the immune system
• Maintains the health and functioning of the gut lining
• Decreases alcohol cravings
• Decreases sugar cravings
• Helps with wound healing
• Helps maintain proper acid/alkaline balance
• Possible cancer benefits
Quite a long list isn't it? So you might be wondering how exactly glutamine exerts all these benefits? Recall that glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in circulation. In a healthy individual, the concentration of glutamine in the blood is 3-4 times greater than all other amino acids. It is actively transported and metabolized in nearly all tissues.
It is particularly found in high concentrations in the brain, muscles, gut lining, lungs, heart, kidney, and liver where it has multiple and critical functions.
Glutamic Acid
We primarily obtain glutamine from the conversion of glutamic acid from food, although some is also found in food. The average amount supplied from a healthy diet is 5-8 grams per day. Among medical practitioners who use blood tests to determine amino acid status, glutamine is one that is often found to be lacking, especially in patients with either chronic illness or mood and cognitive symptoms. For this reason glutamine has become extremely popular, not just with athletes, but among holistic medical practitioners who use it in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments.
As an athlete glutamine can help you directly in many ways. I've already touched briefly on this in my BCAA article but to recap, glutamine in muscle is a regulator of muscle protein synthesis or muscle building and supports muscle glycogen accumulation. When there is glutamine depletion, there is a breakdown in muscle. Studies indicate glutamine counteracts cortisone steroid induced muscle atrophy.
Skeletal muscle in the body accounts for approximately 30-40% of the total body mass. A 150 lb male would ideally have about 60 grams of glutamine in these muscles. Free stores of glutamine in muscles exceed those of any other amino acid. Surgical and injury trauma, infections, burns, stress, cancer, and most major illnesses dramatically deplete and alter the production and flow of glutamine causing movement of glutamine out of the muscle and decreasing glutamine blood levels.
Intense Training
Under these circumstances the net glutamine consumption exceeds the production and there is a decrease in muscle protein synthesis. This contributes to the muscle wasting seen in severe illness and trauma and can also happen with intense exercise.
Research has shown a significant correlation between survival in severely infected patients and the muscle glutamine concentration. Supplying glutamine helps the metabolic processes associated with recovery. So as an athlete glutamine can help you in the following areas:
• Stimulates muscle protein synthesis by donating nitrogen to build proteins.
• Increases growth hormone which can induce positive body composition and mood changes (Note: A study done in 1995 by LSU College of Medicine showed that a surprisingly small oral dose of 2 grams of glutamine raised GH levels more than 4X over that of a placebo. Age did not diminish the response of the volunteers who ranged in age from 32 to 64 years.)
• Decreases muscle catabolism during exercise
• Increases endurance by replenishing glycogen under conditions of glycogen depletion
• Decreases muscle recovery time
• Decreases the chances of illness/infection by boosting your immune system
• Prevents over-training from high loads and long duration activities (recall that blood glutamine levels are an excellent marker of anabolic status).
These are some of the direct roles in which glutamine can boost your performance. What is just as important, if not more so in my mind, are the indirect roles that glutamine can play in building a healthy body. These are things that may not make you into a physical powerhouse but will still aid in keeping your body healthy and free of disease and give you some other benefits now and in the future.
These benefits are why I look at glutamine as a "wonder supplement" and I feel just about everyone should be using it. Next week I'll cover these other important areas.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Top Five Mass Building Exercises
I can't tell you how many times people have asked me for the best exercises to do in the gym to get big. Well, before I go any further, listen up. I'm going to tell you five exercises that have great potential for helping you build muscle. However, going in the gym and doing only these five exercises would be ridiculous.
Also, don't go into the gym doing the same thing every time. These are simply exercises that you should be doing in your workout. If you are already doing these exercises, you will want to put a little more emphasis on them than the others in your workout.
Squats
I've said it a million times - if you want big legs, you're going to have to squat. Technique is everything with this exercise. Make sure that you are arching your back from the time that you pick the weight up to the time you rack it. Also, your head needs to be back, preferably looking up during the set.
Your chest should be out with feet a little wider than shoulder width. To execute, imagine yourself sitting down in a chair. With me, if I can imagine myself doing the exercise in such a way that the form makes sense, it is always easier to execute the movement.
Now, you might even want to grab a bench and practice sitting down normally just so you can get a feel for the movement. To really hit your quads (which is the muscle that you want to focus on with this exercise), go down to just above parallel, in order to minimize the emphasis on your glutes, before starting the ascending portion.
Deadlifts
This exercise should be done on the days that you work your back. This is an excellent movement for overall strength and building thickness in the mid to lower portion of your back. Deadlifts can be done anytime in the workout, but it is probably best to do it later in your workout.
I've always found that if I have a pump in the working muscle, it is easier to work it in other exercises. Since deadlifting pulls in aspects of your legs as well, the more of a pump you have before this exercise, the more you can emphasize your back. You can do this with a narrow stance, with your arms outside of your knees.
An alternative way is to have a "sumo" stance with your feet very wide apart and arms inside your knees. Either way, the key is to have strict form, arch your back, and keep it that way throughout the movement.
Bench Press
To most people, this is the bread and butter to building their chest. However, most people perform this movement with very poor form. It seems like every time that I look at the people bench pressing in the gym; over half are using terrible form by squirming on the bench, lifting their butts off of the bench, or dropping the weight on their chest. I think that this is because the majority of those who bench press want to load on as much weight as they can possibly handle so that they can go around bragging about how much they bench. Now, if you have done bench press with any kind of frequency, you've probably noticed that there is a groove that you can push through where the weight feels a little lighter.
This is natural because there is a groove that you need to try and stay in to get maximum results. After letting the weight down to your chest and GENTLY touching your chest with the bar, push up and very slightly towards your head. The weight should end up over your chin or mouth.
If you push at all towards your feet, the weight will feel much heavier. This is what you will tend to do with extremely heavy weight or late in a set. Avoid throwing the weight up, instead, put the emphasis on actually pushing with your chest muscles.
To do this, try flexing your lats throughout the set. I do this, and it makes my chest flex automatically. If that doesn't work, put a little bit of force in trying to touch your hands together at the top of the repetition without actually moving your hands.
Military Press
This is an exercise that you want to do when you work shoulders. It is a good idea to go ahead and have a pump before you do this movement. I prefer to do these by pressing the weight behind my neck, not in front. This because I simply feel it more in my shoulders this way. However, you can do as you please.
Military press is very good for getting that wide and thick look up top. Again, there is also a groove for this exercise as well. Basically, if you are going behind your neck, you want to make sure that your elbows are back throughout the entire set. You don't want to come down to your neck and push the weight up while your forearms are at a funky angle to the bar.
You want your forearms to be perfectly perpendicular with the bar. Use about the same width that you use on bench press. If you have a relatively narrow grip for bench press, then go a little wider with military press.
Be cautious of the position of your lower back and butt throughout the set. Usually, you tend to deviate from the back of the bench as the set progresses. Make sure that you keep your lower back and butt pressed against the back of the seat.
Straight Leg Deadlifts
You would want to include this exercise in your hamstring workout. This is a very simple movement, but it can be devastating if you are not aware of your form. Just like regular deadlifts, you want to keep your lower back arched, chest up, and head back. Use about a 15 inch grip and when you let the weight down, stick your butt out and bend at the hips.
This will cause you to focus in on your hamstrings. Personally, I would rather try to stick my butt out as far as I can in order to get a stretch in my hamstrings instead of trying to go all the way down to my toes with the weight. Think about it, if you try to go all the way down to your toes, your back will probably round, and that is what you don't want.
When you pull the weight up, flex your hamstrings and bend only at the hips. If you do what I have instructed, you will be able to blow out your hamstrings with this exercise.
Conclusion
I promise that if you incorporate these exercises into your workout and really emphasize them, you will get results. Go as heavy as you can using perfect form and you will definitely obtain the maximum benefits to these exercises.
Remember, it's always a good idea to get somewhat of a pump in the working muscle before performing any of these movements. Also, try to incorporate 2-4 other exercises per body part in addition to what I have listed depending on the body part worked.
Also, don't go into the gym doing the same thing every time. These are simply exercises that you should be doing in your workout. If you are already doing these exercises, you will want to put a little more emphasis on them than the others in your workout.
Squats
I've said it a million times - if you want big legs, you're going to have to squat. Technique is everything with this exercise. Make sure that you are arching your back from the time that you pick the weight up to the time you rack it. Also, your head needs to be back, preferably looking up during the set.
Your chest should be out with feet a little wider than shoulder width. To execute, imagine yourself sitting down in a chair. With me, if I can imagine myself doing the exercise in such a way that the form makes sense, it is always easier to execute the movement.
Now, you might even want to grab a bench and practice sitting down normally just so you can get a feel for the movement. To really hit your quads (which is the muscle that you want to focus on with this exercise), go down to just above parallel, in order to minimize the emphasis on your glutes, before starting the ascending portion.
Deadlifts
This exercise should be done on the days that you work your back. This is an excellent movement for overall strength and building thickness in the mid to lower portion of your back. Deadlifts can be done anytime in the workout, but it is probably best to do it later in your workout.
I've always found that if I have a pump in the working muscle, it is easier to work it in other exercises. Since deadlifting pulls in aspects of your legs as well, the more of a pump you have before this exercise, the more you can emphasize your back. You can do this with a narrow stance, with your arms outside of your knees.
An alternative way is to have a "sumo" stance with your feet very wide apart and arms inside your knees. Either way, the key is to have strict form, arch your back, and keep it that way throughout the movement.
Bench Press
To most people, this is the bread and butter to building their chest. However, most people perform this movement with very poor form. It seems like every time that I look at the people bench pressing in the gym; over half are using terrible form by squirming on the bench, lifting their butts off of the bench, or dropping the weight on their chest. I think that this is because the majority of those who bench press want to load on as much weight as they can possibly handle so that they can go around bragging about how much they bench. Now, if you have done bench press with any kind of frequency, you've probably noticed that there is a groove that you can push through where the weight feels a little lighter.
This is natural because there is a groove that you need to try and stay in to get maximum results. After letting the weight down to your chest and GENTLY touching your chest with the bar, push up and very slightly towards your head. The weight should end up over your chin or mouth.
If you push at all towards your feet, the weight will feel much heavier. This is what you will tend to do with extremely heavy weight or late in a set. Avoid throwing the weight up, instead, put the emphasis on actually pushing with your chest muscles.
To do this, try flexing your lats throughout the set. I do this, and it makes my chest flex automatically. If that doesn't work, put a little bit of force in trying to touch your hands together at the top of the repetition without actually moving your hands.
Military Press
This is an exercise that you want to do when you work shoulders. It is a good idea to go ahead and have a pump before you do this movement. I prefer to do these by pressing the weight behind my neck, not in front. This because I simply feel it more in my shoulders this way. However, you can do as you please.
Military press is very good for getting that wide and thick look up top. Again, there is also a groove for this exercise as well. Basically, if you are going behind your neck, you want to make sure that your elbows are back throughout the entire set. You don't want to come down to your neck and push the weight up while your forearms are at a funky angle to the bar.
You want your forearms to be perfectly perpendicular with the bar. Use about the same width that you use on bench press. If you have a relatively narrow grip for bench press, then go a little wider with military press.
Be cautious of the position of your lower back and butt throughout the set. Usually, you tend to deviate from the back of the bench as the set progresses. Make sure that you keep your lower back and butt pressed against the back of the seat.
Straight Leg Deadlifts
You would want to include this exercise in your hamstring workout. This is a very simple movement, but it can be devastating if you are not aware of your form. Just like regular deadlifts, you want to keep your lower back arched, chest up, and head back. Use about a 15 inch grip and when you let the weight down, stick your butt out and bend at the hips.
This will cause you to focus in on your hamstrings. Personally, I would rather try to stick my butt out as far as I can in order to get a stretch in my hamstrings instead of trying to go all the way down to my toes with the weight. Think about it, if you try to go all the way down to your toes, your back will probably round, and that is what you don't want.
When you pull the weight up, flex your hamstrings and bend only at the hips. If you do what I have instructed, you will be able to blow out your hamstrings with this exercise.
Conclusion
I promise that if you incorporate these exercises into your workout and really emphasize them, you will get results. Go as heavy as you can using perfect form and you will definitely obtain the maximum benefits to these exercises.
Remember, it's always a good idea to get somewhat of a pump in the working muscle before performing any of these movements. Also, try to incorporate 2-4 other exercises per body part in addition to what I have listed depending on the body part worked.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Back Done Right
I am writing an article on the importance of back training. Many people say that the back is the most neglected muscle, but I beg to differ. In my experience, I have seen many teens train their back and not even know it. There are many different theories on which muscle group is the most neglected. I myself believe it is calves. But anyway, a good back is very important to keep in shape if you care about your physique.
Have you ever seen the lats on Lee Haney? If you don't know what lats are, I'll get into that a little later. Back to the point. Haney probably has the best lat development I have ever seen. I have researched in many books to find what Lee Haney's back workout is like. I have learned by reading Joe Weider's "Ultimate Bodybuilding," that Haney does a lot of Barbell Rows for his back development. There are many different back exercises that can stimulate your back in different areas, and it is important to hit your back in all those areas. That is what I want to explain to you.
Another thing I want to make clear to you by the time you finish this article is the difference between what exercises work the back and what exercises don't. I've seen kids that think pull-ups (chin-ups) work your shoulders. I've seen this one kid who thought he knew everything, going around to all the teenagers on the Lat Pulldown machines that their form was off, and that they weren't working their chest muscles right. He then went on to say that you have to pull the bar down to the bottom of your chest, and that works your chest muscles. I just want to clear up some things that people just don't understand.
Muscles of the Back:
There are basically 3 sets of muscles in your back, the Latissimus Dorsi muscles, the Spinal Erectors, and the Trapezius muscles. I am going to make a separate page for the Trapezius muscles, because most of those exercises go well with shoulder exercises.
Latissimus Dorsi-these are triangular muscles that extend from under the shoulders to the lower back.
Spinal Erectors-these are several muscles in the lower back area. These protect your nerves, and are the slowest recuperating muscles in your body.
Trapezius- I will go over these probably in my shoulder article, if not an article just for the Traps.
How to Train the Back:
I like to train my back all by itself or on my chest day. It is up to you, I just prefer it that way. However, it has been said that in order for your chest to get fully stimulated, and to get maximum training for the chest, you have to develop your lat muscles. I usually have to kill my back, because I do not have broad shoulders, I have a narrow chest/shoulder span.
I will not go through the training systems for each of the body types. Instead, I will just tell you some basic principles to train by for your specific body type.
Are you a heavy teen?
Heavy teens should focus on higher repetitions, higher sets, not focusing on lower rep/set mass building. Most heavy teens already have muscle mass accumulated because of their weight.
Are you a Skinny teen?
Skinny teens are just the opposite. They should go for low rep/low sets, because they are trying to build mass. A lower number of reps means you are building mass rather than definition.
Are you a Gifted teen?
How will you know if you are gifted? If you are naturally muscular, and don't have a hard time gaining muscle mass or definition, then you are most likely a gifted teen (Mesomorph). You should train with a medium range of reps. I would say 8-12 reps per set.
In my experience with back training, the upper back recuperates from a workout very fast, while the lower back does not. In fact, the lower back is the slowest recuperating muscle in your body, taking some 100 hours to fully recuperate. I have to just blast away at my back and eat like a maniac after I train it because I have a very narrow chest. My body didn't have that "V" look to it. It looked like my chest and my stomach was connected, they just go straight up on my body. I can show you how to fix that about your back if you have that problem. It really looks good having your back in that V-shape behind your chest. I don't usually show my training schedule on a "Done Right" article, but I will show you, because if I could see a "V" shape forming on my body, then you definitely could.
To start you off with back training, I want to say that less is not always more in my experience. I know that sometimes people say in order to gain you need to train less and eat more, but back training does not always work that way (in my experience). I blasted away at my back for months and I saw some great gains. Like I said, you couldn't even see my lats, my stomach went straight up, with no "V" flare. When I started blasting my back in the weight room, I seemed to get pretty good gains. Excellent gains. If you want, you could try blasting your back like I listed before, or you could try doing less and see how it works for you. One thing does not always work for everyone. It rarely does, in fact. Later in this article, I will show you both kinds of workouts to build your back, because I have used both my blasting techniques and less training to build my back, and I have built it very exceptionally. Try either one.
Exercises For the Back:
I will start by giving you a list of exercises for the Upper Back, but I will get into the lower back afterward. You may already know all of these exercises, so you can just skip this part if you have to.
Wide Grip Chins-you may know them as pull-ups, they are done by hanging from a pull-up bar, pulling your chin above the bar. If you don't know what a pull-up is, I don't know what world you live in. For most school systems, schools have to test your fitness, and pull-ups are a requirement. Use a wide grip to expand the width of your lats. Wide Grip Chins behind the Neck-just pull yourself up to where the bar meets the back of your neck.
Close Grip Chins-pulling yourself up with your hands close together.
Lat Pulldowns-these are done on a machine, they are the same as a chin-up, and you just pull down on the bar that is there. These are very good because you can do less than your body weight and it doesn't allow you to thrust your body around when you are doing your last rep. You can also do these behind the back, and with a close grip. I won't go into that.
Barbell Rows-putting a barbell on the floor in front of you put your hands on the bar arms straight out at shoulder width. Bend your knees slightly. Keep your back straight throughout the exercise, with a slight arch upward, as not to totally bend over and hurt your back. Bring the bar straight up, about to your ABS.
Dumbbell Rows-these are the same as barbell rows, except you are using dumbbells. Plus, you have your hands holding the dumbbells in a hammer position, thumbs facing each other on the inside. These can be done with one arm, too. Kneel on a bench for support with the opposite knee of the arm you are using. Let the arm you are using hang below the bench, and, while hunched over, pull the dumbbell up.
T-Bar Rows- I know Arnold always talked about how he liked to do these for his back because they gave him such a burn. These do work very well. The same as a barbell row, only on a T-Bar machine.
Cable Rows (Pulley Rows)- these are done with a cable bar (It is one of those 2 handled things, or a regular straight bar that connects to a cable), where you are seated using your legs as a restraint, pulling the bar to your chest, really feeling the burn in your back.
Pullovers-these can be done either with a barbell, or with a machine. Most gyms have pullover machines. With a barbell on the ground right in front of a bench, lay on the bench, your head on the end where the barbell lays. Have a training partner hand you the bar with your arms bent at 90 degrees. Pull the bar up (keeping your arms bent) until it is above the top of your face.
Lower Back:
Dead Lifts-these are very difficult to perform correctly if you have never done them, because they require a lot of discipline. Stand at a barbell like you were going to do a barbell row. Have one hand in a reverse grip like you were going to curl, and one in a regular grip. You should see the palm of one hand, and the top of the other hand. Bend your knees until your thighs are about parallel with the ground. Using your legs, press them up until just your back is bent over. Then straighten yourself up with your back. When you are doing this, do it in one motion, do not sit there with your back bent. Right after you press up using your legs, straighten up with your back. This is a very important exercise.
Good Mornings-put a barbell behind your neck lying on your shoulder blades like you were doing a squat. Bend only your back forward and bring it back up when you feel the pressure. You should be almost parallel to the floor.
Hyperextensions- these are like reverse Roman chairs, you lay on your quads, bend your back so that your head goes toward the ground, and bring it back up.
Have you ever seen the lats on Lee Haney? If you don't know what lats are, I'll get into that a little later. Back to the point. Haney probably has the best lat development I have ever seen. I have researched in many books to find what Lee Haney's back workout is like. I have learned by reading Joe Weider's "Ultimate Bodybuilding," that Haney does a lot of Barbell Rows for his back development. There are many different back exercises that can stimulate your back in different areas, and it is important to hit your back in all those areas. That is what I want to explain to you.
Another thing I want to make clear to you by the time you finish this article is the difference between what exercises work the back and what exercises don't. I've seen kids that think pull-ups (chin-ups) work your shoulders. I've seen this one kid who thought he knew everything, going around to all the teenagers on the Lat Pulldown machines that their form was off, and that they weren't working their chest muscles right. He then went on to say that you have to pull the bar down to the bottom of your chest, and that works your chest muscles. I just want to clear up some things that people just don't understand.
Muscles of the Back:
There are basically 3 sets of muscles in your back, the Latissimus Dorsi muscles, the Spinal Erectors, and the Trapezius muscles. I am going to make a separate page for the Trapezius muscles, because most of those exercises go well with shoulder exercises.
Latissimus Dorsi-these are triangular muscles that extend from under the shoulders to the lower back.
Spinal Erectors-these are several muscles in the lower back area. These protect your nerves, and are the slowest recuperating muscles in your body.
Trapezius- I will go over these probably in my shoulder article, if not an article just for the Traps.
How to Train the Back:
I like to train my back all by itself or on my chest day. It is up to you, I just prefer it that way. However, it has been said that in order for your chest to get fully stimulated, and to get maximum training for the chest, you have to develop your lat muscles. I usually have to kill my back, because I do not have broad shoulders, I have a narrow chest/shoulder span.
I will not go through the training systems for each of the body types. Instead, I will just tell you some basic principles to train by for your specific body type.
Are you a heavy teen?
Heavy teens should focus on higher repetitions, higher sets, not focusing on lower rep/set mass building. Most heavy teens already have muscle mass accumulated because of their weight.
Are you a Skinny teen?
Skinny teens are just the opposite. They should go for low rep/low sets, because they are trying to build mass. A lower number of reps means you are building mass rather than definition.
Are you a Gifted teen?
How will you know if you are gifted? If you are naturally muscular, and don't have a hard time gaining muscle mass or definition, then you are most likely a gifted teen (Mesomorph). You should train with a medium range of reps. I would say 8-12 reps per set.
In my experience with back training, the upper back recuperates from a workout very fast, while the lower back does not. In fact, the lower back is the slowest recuperating muscle in your body, taking some 100 hours to fully recuperate. I have to just blast away at my back and eat like a maniac after I train it because I have a very narrow chest. My body didn't have that "V" look to it. It looked like my chest and my stomach was connected, they just go straight up on my body. I can show you how to fix that about your back if you have that problem. It really looks good having your back in that V-shape behind your chest. I don't usually show my training schedule on a "Done Right" article, but I will show you, because if I could see a "V" shape forming on my body, then you definitely could.
To start you off with back training, I want to say that less is not always more in my experience. I know that sometimes people say in order to gain you need to train less and eat more, but back training does not always work that way (in my experience). I blasted away at my back for months and I saw some great gains. Like I said, you couldn't even see my lats, my stomach went straight up, with no "V" flare. When I started blasting my back in the weight room, I seemed to get pretty good gains. Excellent gains. If you want, you could try blasting your back like I listed before, or you could try doing less and see how it works for you. One thing does not always work for everyone. It rarely does, in fact. Later in this article, I will show you both kinds of workouts to build your back, because I have used both my blasting techniques and less training to build my back, and I have built it very exceptionally. Try either one.
Exercises For the Back:
I will start by giving you a list of exercises for the Upper Back, but I will get into the lower back afterward. You may already know all of these exercises, so you can just skip this part if you have to.
Wide Grip Chins-you may know them as pull-ups, they are done by hanging from a pull-up bar, pulling your chin above the bar. If you don't know what a pull-up is, I don't know what world you live in. For most school systems, schools have to test your fitness, and pull-ups are a requirement. Use a wide grip to expand the width of your lats. Wide Grip Chins behind the Neck-just pull yourself up to where the bar meets the back of your neck.
Close Grip Chins-pulling yourself up with your hands close together.
Lat Pulldowns-these are done on a machine, they are the same as a chin-up, and you just pull down on the bar that is there. These are very good because you can do less than your body weight and it doesn't allow you to thrust your body around when you are doing your last rep. You can also do these behind the back, and with a close grip. I won't go into that.
Barbell Rows-putting a barbell on the floor in front of you put your hands on the bar arms straight out at shoulder width. Bend your knees slightly. Keep your back straight throughout the exercise, with a slight arch upward, as not to totally bend over and hurt your back. Bring the bar straight up, about to your ABS.
Dumbbell Rows-these are the same as barbell rows, except you are using dumbbells. Plus, you have your hands holding the dumbbells in a hammer position, thumbs facing each other on the inside. These can be done with one arm, too. Kneel on a bench for support with the opposite knee of the arm you are using. Let the arm you are using hang below the bench, and, while hunched over, pull the dumbbell up.
T-Bar Rows- I know Arnold always talked about how he liked to do these for his back because they gave him such a burn. These do work very well. The same as a barbell row, only on a T-Bar machine.
Cable Rows (Pulley Rows)- these are done with a cable bar (It is one of those 2 handled things, or a regular straight bar that connects to a cable), where you are seated using your legs as a restraint, pulling the bar to your chest, really feeling the burn in your back.
Pullovers-these can be done either with a barbell, or with a machine. Most gyms have pullover machines. With a barbell on the ground right in front of a bench, lay on the bench, your head on the end where the barbell lays. Have a training partner hand you the bar with your arms bent at 90 degrees. Pull the bar up (keeping your arms bent) until it is above the top of your face.
Lower Back:
Dead Lifts-these are very difficult to perform correctly if you have never done them, because they require a lot of discipline. Stand at a barbell like you were going to do a barbell row. Have one hand in a reverse grip like you were going to curl, and one in a regular grip. You should see the palm of one hand, and the top of the other hand. Bend your knees until your thighs are about parallel with the ground. Using your legs, press them up until just your back is bent over. Then straighten yourself up with your back. When you are doing this, do it in one motion, do not sit there with your back bent. Right after you press up using your legs, straighten up with your back. This is a very important exercise.
Good Mornings-put a barbell behind your neck lying on your shoulder blades like you were doing a squat. Bend only your back forward and bring it back up when you feel the pressure. You should be almost parallel to the floor.
Hyperextensions- these are like reverse Roman chairs, you lay on your quads, bend your back so that your head goes toward the ground, and bring it back up.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Guide To Sugar
But first, let's see how our body deal with sugar. Sugars are simple carbohydrates: chemical compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a 1-2-1 ratio. Glucose, fructose and galactose are single sugars or monosaccharides. Double sugars, or disaccharides, have more complex arrangements: Sucrose includes one molecule each of glucose and fructose; lactose has one glucose and one galactose molecide; and maltose has two glucose molecules.
Polysaccharides, complex carbohydrates such as grains, consist of long glucose chains, plus fiber and other nutrients. Digestive enzymes reduce all carbohydrates to glucose, commonly called blood sugar, for absorption.
Whether simple or complex, the primary dietary function of any carbohydrate is energy. Both quantity and quality play a role in the body's capacity to effectively metabolize sugar. The former is pretty straightforward: Ingesting large quantities of simple carbohydrates on a regular basis strains our systems. The effect of sweetener quality is less clear cut, but a closer look at various sweeteners may help you make more informed choices.
Processed from sugar cane or sugar beets, white table sugar is 99.5 to 99.9 percent pure sucrose. It lacks vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and trace elements. Powdered or confectioner's sugar is simply pulverized white sugar. Brown sugar is white sugar with some burnt white sugar or molasses mixed back in for color and taste.
Other sweeteners offer different flavors, textures and perhaps a slight nutritional edge compared to white sugar, though availability and price may be limiting factors.
Other Sweetners
Amasake:
This age-old, Oriental whole grain sweetener is made by culturing cooked rice with fermented rice called koji. Enzymes convert the rice starch to simpler forms, mainly maltose and glucose. Besides subtle sweetness, amasake contributes some leavening power and a wonderfully moist texture to baked goods. Buy prepared amasake or make it at home from rice and packaged koji.
Barley Malt Syrup:
This viscous, medium brown liquid sweetener is extracted from roasted, sprouted whole barley. It has a molasses-like character, and is about half as sweet as white sugar (unless corn syrup has been added for extra sweetening; check the label). It's perfect in baked goods when you don't want a pronounced sweetness.
Pure barley malt contains about half complex carbohydrates and half maltose, plus a small amount of glucose, vitamins and minerals. Refrigerate if you use it slowly or the room is warm; otherwise, it's likely to ferment. Also comes in powdered form.
Carob Powder:
This natural sweetener is usually thought of as a chocolate substitute, but the pulverized pods of the locust tree are nearly 50 percent sugar. It's most often combined with another sweetener in recipes. Carob is rich in calcium and other minerals, B vitamins and vitamin A.
Corn Syrup:
An inexpensive, clear, somewhat viscous syrup that is made from chemically refined cornstarch. Corn syrup is composed of at least 90 percent simple carbohydrates. In its purest form, it contains only glucose, but sucrose is usually added to bolster sweetness. Otherwise, its flavor is devoid of character.
Date Sugar:
This sugary-textured substance, consisting of ground, dried pitted dates, is about two-thirds as sweet as sugar. It contains iron, potassium, and other minerals and vitamins. Use it as you would brown sugar on cereal and in baking. You may want to blend date sugar to a finer texture or dissolve it in liquid for some purposes. Store in a cool, dry cupboard.
Fructose:
Although fructose occurs naturally in fruits and honey, commercial crystalline fructose and liquid fructose are highly refined substances derived from refined cane or beet sugar or corn syrup, respectively. Both are 50 percent to 60 percent sweeter than sugar and are devoid of nutrients.
Fructose is most effective as a sweetener when used raw; its sweetness diminishes greatly when cooked. Though it seems to enter the bloodstream somewhat more slowly than glucose, fructose is more likely to end up stored as fat rather than glycogen, the liver's reserve energy supply.
It may cause allergic reactions and exacerbate cholesterol and blood sugar problems in some people. But fructose may have an advantage for diabetics because, unlike other sugars, it doesn't require insulin to get into the liver and body cells. Some vegetarians choose not to use fructose because livestock feed is one byproduct of its production.
Fruit:
Don't forget the sweetening power of fresh fruit purees, dried fruits, cooked fruit sauces and butters, fruit juices and juice concentrates. The less water remaining in a fruit, the more concentrated its flavor and sweetening power. Fruits contain fiber and naturally balanced nutrients, both missing in more refined sweeteners. Winter squashes, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots and other sweet-tasting root vegetables are other mild sweeteners that also lend moistness to baked goods.
Granulated Sugar Cane Juice:
This is a mechanically processed, chemical-free product that physically resembles light brown sugar. It contains about 85 percent sucrose, but vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in the original cane are still intact.
Look for it in natural food stores. A popular brand is Sucanat. Mexican piloncillo and Indian jaggery, sometimes available in ethnic markets, are similarly unrefined.
Honey:
Bees drink in sucrose-rich flower nectar and convert it to glucose and fructose in the form of honey, which also contains small amounts of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and pollen. Depending on the flower source, honeys vary from light-colored and delicate to dark and intensely flavored.
All types are 20 percent or more sweeter than sugar, and are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. For best taste and nutrients, look for honey that hasn't undergone high heat or extensive filtration. Honey is acidic and will activate baking soda; it also helps preserve baked goods. Don't give honey to children under 1 year of age; it's been known to cause botulism in infants. Many vegans regard honey as an animal product and avoid it.
Maple Syrup:
It takes 30 gallons to 40 gallons of sap containing 3 percent sucrose to produce one gallon of maple syrup that's 65 percent sucrose. Look for pure maple syrup; 'maple-flavored' syrup consists primarily of sugar or corn syrup and usually contains artificial coloring and flavoring.
Buy organic maple syrup to avoid formaldehyde, chemical anti-foaming agents and mold inhibitors. Refrigerate maple syrup in a glass jar to prevent spoilage. Maple syrup provides a flavorful sweetness with no aftertaste. Highest grade (AA or fancy) maple syrup has the sweetest, most delicate flavor and is best used as a topping. Darker, stronger-flavored grades are ideal for cooking and baking. Maple sugar is dehydrated, crystallized maple syrup; both are pricey, but worth it.
Molasses:
The thick, dark syrup that remains after sugar crystals are removed during sugar refinement, molasses' color and flavor differ depending on whether it results from early or later extractions. Strong-flavored blackstrap molasses is the residue from the final sugar extraction.
This sweetener is rich in minerals, particularly calcium and sometimes iron, but also may contain high concentrations of pesticides and other toxins.
Rice Syrup:
Rice syrup traditionally is made by combining cooked brown rice with dried sprouted barley and culturing the mixture until malt enzymes convert some of the rice starch into glucose (about 3 percent) and maltose (about 45 percent). Rice syrup retains 30 percent to 50 percent complex carbohydrates, plus some minerals and B vitamins.
Rice syrup has a subtly sweet flavor, about two-thirds as sweet as white sugar, one-half as sweet as maple syrup and one-third as sweet as honey. Store in a cool dry place. Rice syrup has a powdered counterpart, made by pulverizing crystals prepared from the liquid; it dissolves readily in liquid.
Polysaccharides, complex carbohydrates such as grains, consist of long glucose chains, plus fiber and other nutrients. Digestive enzymes reduce all carbohydrates to glucose, commonly called blood sugar, for absorption.
Whether simple or complex, the primary dietary function of any carbohydrate is energy. Both quantity and quality play a role in the body's capacity to effectively metabolize sugar. The former is pretty straightforward: Ingesting large quantities of simple carbohydrates on a regular basis strains our systems. The effect of sweetener quality is less clear cut, but a closer look at various sweeteners may help you make more informed choices.
Processed from sugar cane or sugar beets, white table sugar is 99.5 to 99.9 percent pure sucrose. It lacks vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and trace elements. Powdered or confectioner's sugar is simply pulverized white sugar. Brown sugar is white sugar with some burnt white sugar or molasses mixed back in for color and taste.
Other sweeteners offer different flavors, textures and perhaps a slight nutritional edge compared to white sugar, though availability and price may be limiting factors.
Other Sweetners
Amasake:
This age-old, Oriental whole grain sweetener is made by culturing cooked rice with fermented rice called koji. Enzymes convert the rice starch to simpler forms, mainly maltose and glucose. Besides subtle sweetness, amasake contributes some leavening power and a wonderfully moist texture to baked goods. Buy prepared amasake or make it at home from rice and packaged koji.
Barley Malt Syrup:
This viscous, medium brown liquid sweetener is extracted from roasted, sprouted whole barley. It has a molasses-like character, and is about half as sweet as white sugar (unless corn syrup has been added for extra sweetening; check the label). It's perfect in baked goods when you don't want a pronounced sweetness.
Pure barley malt contains about half complex carbohydrates and half maltose, plus a small amount of glucose, vitamins and minerals. Refrigerate if you use it slowly or the room is warm; otherwise, it's likely to ferment. Also comes in powdered form.
Carob Powder:
This natural sweetener is usually thought of as a chocolate substitute, but the pulverized pods of the locust tree are nearly 50 percent sugar. It's most often combined with another sweetener in recipes. Carob is rich in calcium and other minerals, B vitamins and vitamin A.
Corn Syrup:
An inexpensive, clear, somewhat viscous syrup that is made from chemically refined cornstarch. Corn syrup is composed of at least 90 percent simple carbohydrates. In its purest form, it contains only glucose, but sucrose is usually added to bolster sweetness. Otherwise, its flavor is devoid of character.
Date Sugar:
This sugary-textured substance, consisting of ground, dried pitted dates, is about two-thirds as sweet as sugar. It contains iron, potassium, and other minerals and vitamins. Use it as you would brown sugar on cereal and in baking. You may want to blend date sugar to a finer texture or dissolve it in liquid for some purposes. Store in a cool, dry cupboard.
Fructose:
Although fructose occurs naturally in fruits and honey, commercial crystalline fructose and liquid fructose are highly refined substances derived from refined cane or beet sugar or corn syrup, respectively. Both are 50 percent to 60 percent sweeter than sugar and are devoid of nutrients.
Fructose is most effective as a sweetener when used raw; its sweetness diminishes greatly when cooked. Though it seems to enter the bloodstream somewhat more slowly than glucose, fructose is more likely to end up stored as fat rather than glycogen, the liver's reserve energy supply.
It may cause allergic reactions and exacerbate cholesterol and blood sugar problems in some people. But fructose may have an advantage for diabetics because, unlike other sugars, it doesn't require insulin to get into the liver and body cells. Some vegetarians choose not to use fructose because livestock feed is one byproduct of its production.
Fruit:
Don't forget the sweetening power of fresh fruit purees, dried fruits, cooked fruit sauces and butters, fruit juices and juice concentrates. The less water remaining in a fruit, the more concentrated its flavor and sweetening power. Fruits contain fiber and naturally balanced nutrients, both missing in more refined sweeteners. Winter squashes, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots and other sweet-tasting root vegetables are other mild sweeteners that also lend moistness to baked goods.
Granulated Sugar Cane Juice:
This is a mechanically processed, chemical-free product that physically resembles light brown sugar. It contains about 85 percent sucrose, but vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in the original cane are still intact.
Look for it in natural food stores. A popular brand is Sucanat. Mexican piloncillo and Indian jaggery, sometimes available in ethnic markets, are similarly unrefined.
Honey:
Bees drink in sucrose-rich flower nectar and convert it to glucose and fructose in the form of honey, which also contains small amounts of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and pollen. Depending on the flower source, honeys vary from light-colored and delicate to dark and intensely flavored.
All types are 20 percent or more sweeter than sugar, and are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. For best taste and nutrients, look for honey that hasn't undergone high heat or extensive filtration. Honey is acidic and will activate baking soda; it also helps preserve baked goods. Don't give honey to children under 1 year of age; it's been known to cause botulism in infants. Many vegans regard honey as an animal product and avoid it.
Maple Syrup:
It takes 30 gallons to 40 gallons of sap containing 3 percent sucrose to produce one gallon of maple syrup that's 65 percent sucrose. Look for pure maple syrup; 'maple-flavored' syrup consists primarily of sugar or corn syrup and usually contains artificial coloring and flavoring.
Buy organic maple syrup to avoid formaldehyde, chemical anti-foaming agents and mold inhibitors. Refrigerate maple syrup in a glass jar to prevent spoilage. Maple syrup provides a flavorful sweetness with no aftertaste. Highest grade (AA or fancy) maple syrup has the sweetest, most delicate flavor and is best used as a topping. Darker, stronger-flavored grades are ideal for cooking and baking. Maple sugar is dehydrated, crystallized maple syrup; both are pricey, but worth it.
Molasses:
The thick, dark syrup that remains after sugar crystals are removed during sugar refinement, molasses' color and flavor differ depending on whether it results from early or later extractions. Strong-flavored blackstrap molasses is the residue from the final sugar extraction.
This sweetener is rich in minerals, particularly calcium and sometimes iron, but also may contain high concentrations of pesticides and other toxins.
Rice Syrup:
Rice syrup traditionally is made by combining cooked brown rice with dried sprouted barley and culturing the mixture until malt enzymes convert some of the rice starch into glucose (about 3 percent) and maltose (about 45 percent). Rice syrup retains 30 percent to 50 percent complex carbohydrates, plus some minerals and B vitamins.
Rice syrup has a subtly sweet flavor, about two-thirds as sweet as white sugar, one-half as sweet as maple syrup and one-third as sweet as honey. Store in a cool dry place. Rice syrup has a powdered counterpart, made by pulverizing crystals prepared from the liquid; it dissolves readily in liquid.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Why Do You Need a Fat Burner?
So, you've made the decision that it's time to get your diet and workouts in gear and get on the spring fat loss bandwagon. Beach season is right around the corner and at the moment, you're currently sporting around a little more excess body fat than you're comfortable with.
Once this decision has been made, you'll likely fall into one of three different camps of fat-loss players.
• Camp #1: These are the people who are going to be looking for the fastest, easiest, and hopefully least painful method to get to the end of the course. Fad diets, supplements promising magical effects, juice fasts; you name it, they want it - anything to get that fat loss moving without them having to do a lot of work.
• Camp #2: The second group of individuals will be those who believe the only way to do it is through blood, sweat, and tears. They'll slave away on the cardio equipment, pound the weights in the gym, live off nothing more than raw veggies and solid protein. These are those who believe it has to hurt for it to be effective - or something to that degree. They feel very firmly that any "easy way" is likely not the best way.
• Camp #3: Finally, the last set of gym-goers are those who are a cross between group one and two, with an added bit of intelligence thrown in.
While they know they are in store for some hard work and dietary restrictions ahead of them, they also realize that there are some products out on the market that will help to speed their results and make the whole process slightly easier.
They understand that using these supplements doesn't mean the fat will come off on its' own - this is up to them to do, just that the supplements will work with them throughout the process.
Hopefully, you're part of group three. If not, I wish you the best. You're likely either going to be hiding under a T-shirt this coming summer or else may just burnout in a few weeks when that box of cookies screaming at you finally becomes too much to bear.
Now that we've established that there are some supplements that will in fact make your life better and help you obtain optimal results, it's time to look at just why you should be taking them, in particular for this discussion, the fat burner products that you so often find available in today's supplement industry.
4 Reasons Fat-Burners Are Useful
1. Hunger
The first thing you need to understand about fat burners is that they are not all just out to help your body "burn fat" - well they are, they just get there through different mechanisms. Thermogenics, are the variation of fat burners most commonly thought of and these actually do work to help speed the metabolism, hence, helping you directly burn off more fat.
Others, however, work indirectly. Do you have hunger that just will not stop while you're on a diet? Maybe this hunger is so strong that it's not even junk you crave, it's just food. Period. End of story - you'd be happy to have a few extra carrots at this point.
If this is your scenario, a fat burner will work well for you because it will usually serve to blunt your appetite. With your stomach now sitting quiet, it should be much easier to get through the day.
2. Energy Levels
It only makes that when you are on a hypocaloric diet, which is an absolute must if you hope to lose body fat, your energy levels are going to suffer. After all, you are consuming less fuel energy, which then translates to less muscular energy.
Fat burners have various ingredients in them, caffeine being one of them, that will serve to help increase your energy levels again without supplying your body with calories.
More energy means you'll have better workouts, and better, more intense workouts mean you stand a higher chance of keeping that muscle tissue that took so long for you to build on your frame.
3. Improved Concentration Levels
Some individuals, after using a fat burner for a few days, find that it actually helps to improve their concentration levels as well. While this isn't directly related to your ability to burn fat, as you already likely know, when you're constantly thinking about your diet, training, as well as trying to not think about foods you shouldn't, it can be hard to focus on much else.
Fat Burners Help To Improve Concentration Levels.
Taking a fat burner may help keep your concentration levels steadier, so you can maintain focus at work or any other mentally stimulating tasks you need to complete.
4. Improves Overall Health Status
Finally, another reason you should consider using some variations of fat burners is that some contain ingredients that can help provide side health benefits.
For example, many of the fat burner stacks out there contain yohimbe - which while working towards decreasing body fat, will also increase blood flow to the extremities and appendages.
As another example, another common ingredient in fat burners is green tea extract. As you've likely heard, this has numerous benefits such as acting as an antioxidant in the body.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, the reasons to consider adding a fat burner to your fat loss regime are plentiful. As long as you don't move into camp 1 described above and start relying on the fat burner to do the work for you, many of the products out there are very beneficial when it comes to helping you unleash the best possible body this coming summer.
Once this decision has been made, you'll likely fall into one of three different camps of fat-loss players.
• Camp #1: These are the people who are going to be looking for the fastest, easiest, and hopefully least painful method to get to the end of the course. Fad diets, supplements promising magical effects, juice fasts; you name it, they want it - anything to get that fat loss moving without them having to do a lot of work.
• Camp #2: The second group of individuals will be those who believe the only way to do it is through blood, sweat, and tears. They'll slave away on the cardio equipment, pound the weights in the gym, live off nothing more than raw veggies and solid protein. These are those who believe it has to hurt for it to be effective - or something to that degree. They feel very firmly that any "easy way" is likely not the best way.
• Camp #3: Finally, the last set of gym-goers are those who are a cross between group one and two, with an added bit of intelligence thrown in.
While they know they are in store for some hard work and dietary restrictions ahead of them, they also realize that there are some products out on the market that will help to speed their results and make the whole process slightly easier.
They understand that using these supplements doesn't mean the fat will come off on its' own - this is up to them to do, just that the supplements will work with them throughout the process.
Hopefully, you're part of group three. If not, I wish you the best. You're likely either going to be hiding under a T-shirt this coming summer or else may just burnout in a few weeks when that box of cookies screaming at you finally becomes too much to bear.
Now that we've established that there are some supplements that will in fact make your life better and help you obtain optimal results, it's time to look at just why you should be taking them, in particular for this discussion, the fat burner products that you so often find available in today's supplement industry.
4 Reasons Fat-Burners Are Useful
1. Hunger
The first thing you need to understand about fat burners is that they are not all just out to help your body "burn fat" - well they are, they just get there through different mechanisms. Thermogenics, are the variation of fat burners most commonly thought of and these actually do work to help speed the metabolism, hence, helping you directly burn off more fat.
Others, however, work indirectly. Do you have hunger that just will not stop while you're on a diet? Maybe this hunger is so strong that it's not even junk you crave, it's just food. Period. End of story - you'd be happy to have a few extra carrots at this point.
If this is your scenario, a fat burner will work well for you because it will usually serve to blunt your appetite. With your stomach now sitting quiet, it should be much easier to get through the day.
2. Energy Levels
It only makes that when you are on a hypocaloric diet, which is an absolute must if you hope to lose body fat, your energy levels are going to suffer. After all, you are consuming less fuel energy, which then translates to less muscular energy.
Fat burners have various ingredients in them, caffeine being one of them, that will serve to help increase your energy levels again without supplying your body with calories.
More energy means you'll have better workouts, and better, more intense workouts mean you stand a higher chance of keeping that muscle tissue that took so long for you to build on your frame.
3. Improved Concentration Levels
Some individuals, after using a fat burner for a few days, find that it actually helps to improve their concentration levels as well. While this isn't directly related to your ability to burn fat, as you already likely know, when you're constantly thinking about your diet, training, as well as trying to not think about foods you shouldn't, it can be hard to focus on much else.
Fat Burners Help To Improve Concentration Levels.
Taking a fat burner may help keep your concentration levels steadier, so you can maintain focus at work or any other mentally stimulating tasks you need to complete.
4. Improves Overall Health Status
Finally, another reason you should consider using some variations of fat burners is that some contain ingredients that can help provide side health benefits.
For example, many of the fat burner stacks out there contain yohimbe - which while working towards decreasing body fat, will also increase blood flow to the extremities and appendages.
As another example, another common ingredient in fat burners is green tea extract. As you've likely heard, this has numerous benefits such as acting as an antioxidant in the body.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, the reasons to consider adding a fat burner to your fat loss regime are plentiful. As long as you don't move into camp 1 described above and start relying on the fat burner to do the work for you, many of the products out there are very beneficial when it comes to helping you unleash the best possible body this coming summer.
Friday, July 17, 2009
WHY CAN'T I SLEEP?
sleeping, it seems easy enough right? Well maybe for you. Studies show (2001 National Sleep Foundation) that 63% of us don't get the recommended eight hours of sleep needed for good health, recovery, and optimum performance. Why? Mostly because of poor time management skills and busy schedules. A big problem for many people is falling asleep. Not many things are more frustrating than being extremely exhausted all day long and then as soon as you finally get to lay down to go to sleep, you are more awake than a soldier in combat. Also, since our hours of sleep are limited we want to make the most of it. The following are some hints for helping you fall asleep at night and once you do, increasing the quality for better recovery and recuperative purposes.
1. Avoid Caffeine five hours before bed: The reasons for this are obvious. Caffeine, the single most popular drug in the world is a stimulant to the central nervous system and puts the body in an excited state while speeding up the metabolism as well as other body processes. Avoiding it before bed will give your body time to wind down and your muscles to relax, putting you in a better position to fall asleep and sleep with less restlessness. If you want to be wise about your sleeping patterns, save your coffee to jump-start your day rather than your nights.
2. Herbs and supplements: If better sleep can be achieved by merely swallowing a pill or drinking a beverage, you bet Americans are going to be the first one to use them. The following are some herbs and supplements that will help you fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep. None of the following is intended to cure, treat, or prevent any medical conditions.
Kava Kava - Surprisingly Kava Kava is an herb that comes from the pepper family. It has been in use for over 3,000 years but has seemingly been increasing in popularity during recent years. It is used to create a feeling of relaxation and achieve a higher level of consciousness both throughout the day and before bed. Taking it any time of the day is no problem since it doesn't make you tired. It solely relaxes you, enabling you to fall asleep and reducing all forms of anxiety throughout the day. This is a great thing because stress plays a huge roll on your quality of sleep whether you realize it or not. If you suffer from anxiety, that is just one of the many benefits of this herb. Studies show that Kava Kava influences the part of the brain responsible for your feelings and emotions, the limbic system. Increased socialization, increased memory, increased focus ability and an overall feeling of contentment are some more of the plethora of benefits this herb has to offer you.
Chamomile - Chamomile is an herb, usually taken in a tea form. It is a member of the daisy family and has been used, primarily in Europe, since the 1600's and even predates that going as far back as the Egyptians use in Ancient Egypt. Its sedative effects are great for nights where sleeping seems nearly impossible. Its benefits are endless but mostly do not pertain to bodybuilding and recuperation efforts so they will be listed and not discussed here. They are as follows: dispelling worms, bruises, inflammations, digestive tract tumors, colic, back pain and stomach cramps. The tea itself is relatively cheap and extremely easy to prepare. If you are a tea drinker, than this herbal tea is a great option for you! If not, try it out anyway and you may surprise yourself. Its calming affects are almost instant and you will not be disappointed.
Valerian - Valerian is another great herb used to soothe insomnia. It is a very cost-effective supplement (it can be purchased in pill form) or tea with no groggy side effects. Like most herbs, Valerian is nothing new. It has been around for over 1,000 years and it possesses the ability to enhance sleep, decrease stress and anxiety levels, promote feelings of calmness, and relax the central nervous system. Look in your local supermarket for a Valerian tea or your local vitamin store for the pill form.
Melatonin - Melatonin is produced and released from the pineal gland naturally by the brain. It is responsible for your body' natural day and night cycle. Interestingly, the body can sense when it is night-time through light sensors in your eyes and your brain produces the highest levels at this time. Although you can find small amounts of Melatonin in certain foods, its effectiveness is much better put to use when taken in pill form. It is commonly used to help treat jet-lag because of its day and night cyclical affecting properties. Research shows that those who lack Melatonin are more prone to stress and anxiety.
ZMA - This revolutionary supplement is extremely underused by athletes and most beginning bodybuilders. Although relatively expensive for low-budget teenagers, ZMA will give you perhaps the biggest bang for it's buck of all supplements because of it's vast benefits in many areas. It is made of Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate plus Magnesium Aspartate and vitamin B-6, hence its name ZMA. Athletes (bodybuilders) can especially benefit from ZMA because Zinc and Magnesium are more often than not deficient in their bodies. Most people taking ZMA report that they fall asleep easier, sleep more deeply, and wake up more refreshed. As if that isn't enough, increased (up to 30% or more) testosterone production, better strength gains, and increased IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) levels are other benefits boasted by this supplement. The best part is that there is tons of scientific data and research that support this time and time again! ZMA is an extreme must for any bodybuilder regardless of size or experience level!
3. Take a hot bath: Taking a hot bath or shower 90 minutes before bed will increase the body's internal temperature, relaxing any tense muscles and reducing physical and mental stress on the body. The progressive internal temperature drop once you are finished will most likely help make you sleepy and ready to go to sleep easier than ever!
4. Exercise: Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day will actually help you sleep better at night. There is only one small stipulation to this tried and true eventual sleep inhibitor; resist exercising a few hours before bed. Exercising puts your body's central nervous system in an uproar, which can take hours to calm down. The last thing you want when trying to fall asleep is a nervous nervous system.
5. Bedtime: Setting yourself a bedtime and sticking to it will put your body in an effective sleeping cycle that will be as predictable as the sunrise and sunset. Catching up on weekends just doesn't work and leaves your body in a deficit all week long. Making a specific bed time, even if it is general (between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.), will inform your body, after some period of consistency, that it is time to go to bed and you will naturally feel more sleepy during that period of time every night.
6. Bore yourself: Slowly bringing down your excitement level is a great way to relax. You can do this by doing something that isn't very exciting (other than watching TV because remember that the bright light will help in the prevention of the production of Melatonin, in turn telling your brain to stay awake). Try spending your time before bed listening to slow music or anything else that may help bore you to sleep.
7. Control your breathing: This is one of the best and most underused method of helping you to fall asleep. Controlling your breathing can help you fall asleep almost instantly as it relaxes your entire body and helps to focus your mind on only one thing. What exactly does controlling your breathing mean? It means to slow your breathing down to a rate that your body uses when sleeping. This does two things. First it tricks your body into thinking it is sleeping and second it slows your heart rate and helps your muscles to relax. A good way to do this is to breath in for four slow seconds and then exhale for a slow eight seconds or until your CO2 reserve is spent. Any time your mind wanders from anything but your breathing bring it immediately back without getting discouraged. This small but effective technique can also help to strengthen your mind-muscle connection so use it to your heart's content.
8. No alcohol or nicotine a few hours before bed: Alcohol and nicotine have the ability to sabotage not only your bodybuilding efforts but your sleeping efforts as well. Nicotine, like caffeine, is a stimulant. It increases your heart rate and puts the body in somewhat of an excited state. Alcohol is a completely different case. It can help you to fall asleep, however, the quality of sleep you get is poor. It is extremely wise to avoid these two drugs before bed if you want to increase your recovery time and help yourself get the most out of the time you spend doing just about nothing (other than sleeping).
The main reason for bodybuilders to get quality sleep is because Growth Hormone rises during deep sleep, usually beginning 30 minutes after falling asleep and then repeating in cycles throughout the night. It has also been shown that those who don't get enough sleep generally don't live as long. Remember that a good nights sleep is a necessity, not a luxury.
1. Avoid Caffeine five hours before bed: The reasons for this are obvious. Caffeine, the single most popular drug in the world is a stimulant to the central nervous system and puts the body in an excited state while speeding up the metabolism as well as other body processes. Avoiding it before bed will give your body time to wind down and your muscles to relax, putting you in a better position to fall asleep and sleep with less restlessness. If you want to be wise about your sleeping patterns, save your coffee to jump-start your day rather than your nights.
2. Herbs and supplements: If better sleep can be achieved by merely swallowing a pill or drinking a beverage, you bet Americans are going to be the first one to use them. The following are some herbs and supplements that will help you fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep. None of the following is intended to cure, treat, or prevent any medical conditions.
Kava Kava - Surprisingly Kava Kava is an herb that comes from the pepper family. It has been in use for over 3,000 years but has seemingly been increasing in popularity during recent years. It is used to create a feeling of relaxation and achieve a higher level of consciousness both throughout the day and before bed. Taking it any time of the day is no problem since it doesn't make you tired. It solely relaxes you, enabling you to fall asleep and reducing all forms of anxiety throughout the day. This is a great thing because stress plays a huge roll on your quality of sleep whether you realize it or not. If you suffer from anxiety, that is just one of the many benefits of this herb. Studies show that Kava Kava influences the part of the brain responsible for your feelings and emotions, the limbic system. Increased socialization, increased memory, increased focus ability and an overall feeling of contentment are some more of the plethora of benefits this herb has to offer you.
Chamomile - Chamomile is an herb, usually taken in a tea form. It is a member of the daisy family and has been used, primarily in Europe, since the 1600's and even predates that going as far back as the Egyptians use in Ancient Egypt. Its sedative effects are great for nights where sleeping seems nearly impossible. Its benefits are endless but mostly do not pertain to bodybuilding and recuperation efforts so they will be listed and not discussed here. They are as follows: dispelling worms, bruises, inflammations, digestive tract tumors, colic, back pain and stomach cramps. The tea itself is relatively cheap and extremely easy to prepare. If you are a tea drinker, than this herbal tea is a great option for you! If not, try it out anyway and you may surprise yourself. Its calming affects are almost instant and you will not be disappointed.
Valerian - Valerian is another great herb used to soothe insomnia. It is a very cost-effective supplement (it can be purchased in pill form) or tea with no groggy side effects. Like most herbs, Valerian is nothing new. It has been around for over 1,000 years and it possesses the ability to enhance sleep, decrease stress and anxiety levels, promote feelings of calmness, and relax the central nervous system. Look in your local supermarket for a Valerian tea or your local vitamin store for the pill form.
Melatonin - Melatonin is produced and released from the pineal gland naturally by the brain. It is responsible for your body' natural day and night cycle. Interestingly, the body can sense when it is night-time through light sensors in your eyes and your brain produces the highest levels at this time. Although you can find small amounts of Melatonin in certain foods, its effectiveness is much better put to use when taken in pill form. It is commonly used to help treat jet-lag because of its day and night cyclical affecting properties. Research shows that those who lack Melatonin are more prone to stress and anxiety.
ZMA - This revolutionary supplement is extremely underused by athletes and most beginning bodybuilders. Although relatively expensive for low-budget teenagers, ZMA will give you perhaps the biggest bang for it's buck of all supplements because of it's vast benefits in many areas. It is made of Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate plus Magnesium Aspartate and vitamin B-6, hence its name ZMA. Athletes (bodybuilders) can especially benefit from ZMA because Zinc and Magnesium are more often than not deficient in their bodies. Most people taking ZMA report that they fall asleep easier, sleep more deeply, and wake up more refreshed. As if that isn't enough, increased (up to 30% or more) testosterone production, better strength gains, and increased IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) levels are other benefits boasted by this supplement. The best part is that there is tons of scientific data and research that support this time and time again! ZMA is an extreme must for any bodybuilder regardless of size or experience level!
3. Take a hot bath: Taking a hot bath or shower 90 minutes before bed will increase the body's internal temperature, relaxing any tense muscles and reducing physical and mental stress on the body. The progressive internal temperature drop once you are finished will most likely help make you sleepy and ready to go to sleep easier than ever!
4. Exercise: Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day will actually help you sleep better at night. There is only one small stipulation to this tried and true eventual sleep inhibitor; resist exercising a few hours before bed. Exercising puts your body's central nervous system in an uproar, which can take hours to calm down. The last thing you want when trying to fall asleep is a nervous nervous system.
5. Bedtime: Setting yourself a bedtime and sticking to it will put your body in an effective sleeping cycle that will be as predictable as the sunrise and sunset. Catching up on weekends just doesn't work and leaves your body in a deficit all week long. Making a specific bed time, even if it is general (between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.), will inform your body, after some period of consistency, that it is time to go to bed and you will naturally feel more sleepy during that period of time every night.
6. Bore yourself: Slowly bringing down your excitement level is a great way to relax. You can do this by doing something that isn't very exciting (other than watching TV because remember that the bright light will help in the prevention of the production of Melatonin, in turn telling your brain to stay awake). Try spending your time before bed listening to slow music or anything else that may help bore you to sleep.
7. Control your breathing: This is one of the best and most underused method of helping you to fall asleep. Controlling your breathing can help you fall asleep almost instantly as it relaxes your entire body and helps to focus your mind on only one thing. What exactly does controlling your breathing mean? It means to slow your breathing down to a rate that your body uses when sleeping. This does two things. First it tricks your body into thinking it is sleeping and second it slows your heart rate and helps your muscles to relax. A good way to do this is to breath in for four slow seconds and then exhale for a slow eight seconds or until your CO2 reserve is spent. Any time your mind wanders from anything but your breathing bring it immediately back without getting discouraged. This small but effective technique can also help to strengthen your mind-muscle connection so use it to your heart's content.
8. No alcohol or nicotine a few hours before bed: Alcohol and nicotine have the ability to sabotage not only your bodybuilding efforts but your sleeping efforts as well. Nicotine, like caffeine, is a stimulant. It increases your heart rate and puts the body in somewhat of an excited state. Alcohol is a completely different case. It can help you to fall asleep, however, the quality of sleep you get is poor. It is extremely wise to avoid these two drugs before bed if you want to increase your recovery time and help yourself get the most out of the time you spend doing just about nothing (other than sleeping).
The main reason for bodybuilders to get quality sleep is because Growth Hormone rises during deep sleep, usually beginning 30 minutes after falling asleep and then repeating in cycles throughout the night. It has also been shown that those who don't get enough sleep generally don't live as long. Remember that a good nights sleep is a necessity, not a luxury.
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