As you get started on your workout program designed to help pack more lean muscle mass on your frame, you're going to want to also start paying attention to the foods you're eating on a daily basis, as well as any supplements you may choose to add to your diet regime. It's very essential that you do pay attention to these two aspects because what you do in the gym is only half of the equation.
After you have placed a stress on the muscle tissue, you then need to supply it with the resources in order to recover properly. If these resources are not supplied, you aren't going to be able to build the muscles up stronger than they were before, hence progress is not made.
With all the money that's been put into nutrition and supplement research, we now have a full spectrum of supplements that are available to us, all designed to boost the success we see with our bodybuilding workout programs.
If you're new to supplements, all the options can be a bit overwhelming. Here are some of the most common bodybuilding supplements, which would be a good place for you to start.
1. Protein Powder:
If there is one absolute requirement to build muscle mass, it's getting in enough protein. The amino acids that make up the protein we eat are the building blocks that form into individual muscle fibers, creating more muscle mass on your body.
When protein is not supplied in high enough amounts, the body will actually take protein from the muscle tissues and use it for other bodily functions since muscle building ranks in fairly low on the priority list for the body on the whole.
This is why it's critical you meet your needs because if you don't, it won't matter what you're doing in the gym, you'll actually be losing muscle rather than gaining it.
For some people meeting their protein needs becomes quite a challenge, which is where protein powder supplements come in. They are quick, convenient, and often more cost effective than meat choices, so they really make it much easier to get those amino acids into your day.
As an added benefit, taking protein powder before or after a workout will get absorbed into the muscle cells faster than solid food would, increasing the results you see from the workout.
2. Creatine:
The second bodybuilding supplement that can help you pack on muscle faster is creatine. By supplementing with creatine you will top off the stores of the high energy compound in the body that is responsible for creating muscular contractions, increasing the intensity of your workouts.
If you put in more effort at the gym because of the fact you are using the creatine, this then translates to better results.
The typical protocol is to load with 20 grams of creatine for the first five days when you initially begin taking it, and then move to a five gram per day dose for maintenance thereafter.
3. Glutamine:
Experiencing a fast recovery from your workout program is paramount to results, and glutamine is one of the supplements for bodybuilding that makes this possible.
Glutamine is one of the 20 amino acids in the body and research suggests that it may play a role in the healing time after injuries, surgery, or wounds (muscle breakdown through resistance training being classified in this group). Glutamine also plays a part in overall immune system health.
4. Weight Gainer Powder:
A fourth supplement for bodybuilding that many people will turn to in an effort to increase their results is a weight gain powder. These are similar to protein powder in that they are a quick way to get in more protein and supplement your regular meals with.
Where the difference between regular protein powder and weight gainer powder comes in is with the additional carbohydrate and fat calories added into the mixture.
Since those who are looking to build lean muscle mass must take in more calories than they require to maintain themselves, having these additional carbs and fats makes that much easier.
Men who are already at the higher end of the weight scales (180 pounds +) may really find it a struggle everyday to meet their weight gain calorie requirements, so utilizing a weight gainer makes it easier.
Some weight gainers are also specially formulated with special fat complexes that help you maintain leanness while building muscle, such as the one found in CytoSport's Muscle Milk Collegiate.
Be sure you do still work the calories in the weight gainer into your daily total because the calories count and must remain in balance.
5. Growth Hormone Boosters:
Finally, the fifth supplement for bodybuilding you may want to consider is one of the growth hormone boosters available. Growth hormone is a very powerful hormone that is produced naturally in the body that essentially drives muscle growth.
Males between the ages of eighteen to thirty tend to have the highest levels of growth hormones, and after that you'll see it slowly decline into older age.
This doesn't mean it completely drops off once you reach the older years, but it will not be present in the high concentrations you saw earlier in the body, which is demonstrated by the slower rate of muscle growth in this age range.
There are other natural ways you can go about increasing the growth hormone concentrations in the body such as making sure you get a good amount of sleep each and every night (concentrations are very high during the sleep period) as well as performing a weight lifting workout where you are lifting heavier weights and using appropriate rest periods.
After that though, individuals who feel they still would like a little boost to help increase muscle gains should consider looking into growth hormone supplements as these can help maximize the growth hormone release in the body over what you'd normally see.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Building Your Upper Back
without a doubt, the back is one of the hardest body parts to train, next to legs. Not even the fact that it is so energy draining when preformed properly, but the fact that you can't see your back when training it and that its very hard to focus on when training it. I guarantee that if you went around your gym and asked people if they were satisfied with their back workouts and back pumps you would get many people answering, no.
What Doesn't Your Back Routine Match Up?
I feel that this is due to a few different reasons. One being that the form they use is downright terrible, I mean I won't even begin to tell some of the things people do while training back. For back, form is one of the most important aspects, above everything else. I mean its great that you can throw around a 150 for a dumbbell row, but do you even get a pump what so ever after the set? This leads me to one of my most important training principles, NEGATIVES. Do a back workout with out negatives and then try one with them, the difference is incredible.
I personally think people should do 4-6 second negatives on back exercises that allow them. Of course your not going to be able to do negatives that slow on barbell rows, but pull downs, pullovers, machine rows, should defiantly be preformed with slow negatives. Another factor that I feel presents a problem, is that people cannot get the proper concentration to get the most out of the exercise. Training back requires a very high level of concentration on all of the exercises preformed, more so then any other muscle.
How To Incorporate Hardcore Training Principles Into Your Own Workout!
Now, this workout isn't an exact workout of what you should be doing, it is just merely a reference as to how to incorporate hardcore training principles into your own workout, and to get the most out of your back workouts. Why do a workout and not get anything out of it, and keep doing it over again? You must realize that something must be wrong in you training. I feel that this article will help many readers who are not getting very good results with their current back workouts, and it will help them progress faster, which is the main reason why people workout.
Dumbbell Pullovers
The workout is started with dumbbell pullovers, a few warm-up sets are preformed before the one working set is started. I personally really like using dumbbell pullovers as the first exercise, mostly due to the fact that it loosens up you back and stretches out you upper body. On the one working set I use a 90 lb. dumbbell and use 4-6 second negatives, towards the end of the set my partner will also give me a few forced reps, for a total of 8. After this set, my upper lats are pumped and I'm ready to really start getting into the workout.
Lat Pull Downs
The next exercise that is done is lat pull downs using a wide grip, but not going down to the kinked part. Usually two warm up sets are done prior to the working set, which is a triple drop with negatives. The pin is put around 190-200, this is only done for 3-4 reps with 6 second negatives, the weight is then dropped to 150 and another 5-6 reps are cranked out, the weight is again lowered to 120 and the final set of 8 reps is preformed before finishing. This is a very brutal set to say the least, and my back is usually pumped beyond belief after it is done.
The form is strict on this but not overly done, the concentric is usually at a normal speed but the negative is 5-7 seconds, all the while concentrating hard on feeling the lats doing the work. That is probably one of the most important things while training back, FEELING THE REPS.
Dumbbell Row
Now that my overall back is pretty blown out, I usually focus on working the lats individually. I prefer the Hammer Strength row, plus the pics of Nasser and Dorian using it are inspiring. One warm-up is done prior to the set, which is rest-pause. The set is done using two plates and a 35, and my positioning on the machine is set like a dumbbell row to hit the lats even better. I get 8 reps on the first set, while using a 6 second negative, 4 on the second with the help of my partner, and 3 on the last. After waiting for my partner to do his set, my other is preformed and my lats are blown up beyond belief.
T-bar Row
To finish of the workout we set up a T-bar row in the corner and use the close grip handle. On these T-bar rows I use 35lb. plates to get a deeper stretch. Two strait sets are done using 4 35's on the first and 5 on the second, with a 4 second negative. On the first set 8-10 reps are preformed, and on the second I get 6. This usually finishes off my back very well. After this workout my back is pumped beyond belief and I can't physically do anything else but lie down on a bench.
After taking a little break and downing a protein shake, I perform a stretch on the pull-up bar by hanging an 80 lb. dumbbell on my waist and hanging (with wraps, of course) for 45 seconds. I feel this helps a lot, and it also helps to make your back much wider. This also stretches out your joints and forearms, which get very, very pumped at the end of this workout even while using wraps, which everyone should be using while doing a workout like this.
Well, that's probably one of my favorite back workouts to date, and of course you can always rotate the T-bar with rack dead lifts, which I like to do sometimes. I feel this back workout hits the back from upper to lower, but the most important thing is applying the intensity to the workout. Of course someone can go in and do this workout, or one like it while using lightweight, and really bad form, and get nothing out of it. But if you go in there and use good form, negatives, and maximum poundage on you working sets, then you will leave the gym spent and with a feeling of accomplishment.
What Doesn't Your Back Routine Match Up?
I feel that this is due to a few different reasons. One being that the form they use is downright terrible, I mean I won't even begin to tell some of the things people do while training back. For back, form is one of the most important aspects, above everything else. I mean its great that you can throw around a 150 for a dumbbell row, but do you even get a pump what so ever after the set? This leads me to one of my most important training principles, NEGATIVES. Do a back workout with out negatives and then try one with them, the difference is incredible.
I personally think people should do 4-6 second negatives on back exercises that allow them. Of course your not going to be able to do negatives that slow on barbell rows, but pull downs, pullovers, machine rows, should defiantly be preformed with slow negatives. Another factor that I feel presents a problem, is that people cannot get the proper concentration to get the most out of the exercise. Training back requires a very high level of concentration on all of the exercises preformed, more so then any other muscle.
How To Incorporate Hardcore Training Principles Into Your Own Workout!
Now, this workout isn't an exact workout of what you should be doing, it is just merely a reference as to how to incorporate hardcore training principles into your own workout, and to get the most out of your back workouts. Why do a workout and not get anything out of it, and keep doing it over again? You must realize that something must be wrong in you training. I feel that this article will help many readers who are not getting very good results with their current back workouts, and it will help them progress faster, which is the main reason why people workout.
Dumbbell Pullovers
The workout is started with dumbbell pullovers, a few warm-up sets are preformed before the one working set is started. I personally really like using dumbbell pullovers as the first exercise, mostly due to the fact that it loosens up you back and stretches out you upper body. On the one working set I use a 90 lb. dumbbell and use 4-6 second negatives, towards the end of the set my partner will also give me a few forced reps, for a total of 8. After this set, my upper lats are pumped and I'm ready to really start getting into the workout.
Lat Pull Downs
The next exercise that is done is lat pull downs using a wide grip, but not going down to the kinked part. Usually two warm up sets are done prior to the working set, which is a triple drop with negatives. The pin is put around 190-200, this is only done for 3-4 reps with 6 second negatives, the weight is then dropped to 150 and another 5-6 reps are cranked out, the weight is again lowered to 120 and the final set of 8 reps is preformed before finishing. This is a very brutal set to say the least, and my back is usually pumped beyond belief after it is done.
The form is strict on this but not overly done, the concentric is usually at a normal speed but the negative is 5-7 seconds, all the while concentrating hard on feeling the lats doing the work. That is probably one of the most important things while training back, FEELING THE REPS.
Dumbbell Row
Now that my overall back is pretty blown out, I usually focus on working the lats individually. I prefer the Hammer Strength row, plus the pics of Nasser and Dorian using it are inspiring. One warm-up is done prior to the set, which is rest-pause. The set is done using two plates and a 35, and my positioning on the machine is set like a dumbbell row to hit the lats even better. I get 8 reps on the first set, while using a 6 second negative, 4 on the second with the help of my partner, and 3 on the last. After waiting for my partner to do his set, my other is preformed and my lats are blown up beyond belief.
T-bar Row
To finish of the workout we set up a T-bar row in the corner and use the close grip handle. On these T-bar rows I use 35lb. plates to get a deeper stretch. Two strait sets are done using 4 35's on the first and 5 on the second, with a 4 second negative. On the first set 8-10 reps are preformed, and on the second I get 6. This usually finishes off my back very well. After this workout my back is pumped beyond belief and I can't physically do anything else but lie down on a bench.
After taking a little break and downing a protein shake, I perform a stretch on the pull-up bar by hanging an 80 lb. dumbbell on my waist and hanging (with wraps, of course) for 45 seconds. I feel this helps a lot, and it also helps to make your back much wider. This also stretches out your joints and forearms, which get very, very pumped at the end of this workout even while using wraps, which everyone should be using while doing a workout like this.
Well, that's probably one of my favorite back workouts to date, and of course you can always rotate the T-bar with rack dead lifts, which I like to do sometimes. I feel this back workout hits the back from upper to lower, but the most important thing is applying the intensity to the workout. Of course someone can go in and do this workout, or one like it while using lightweight, and really bad form, and get nothing out of it. But if you go in there and use good form, negatives, and maximum poundage on you working sets, then you will leave the gym spent and with a feeling of accomplishment.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Caffeine
1. What is it and where does it come from?
Caffeine is an alkaloid; of which there are numerous compounds such as the methylxanthines, with three distinguished compounds: caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, found in guarana, kola nuts, coffee, tea, cocoa beans, mate and other plants. These compounds have different biochemical effects, and are present in different ratios in the different plant sources. Caffeine is the most popular drug on the globe. It is a powerful stimulant to the Central Nervous System. Moderate use seems to be desireable by all, male and female; although excessive use can produce undesireable effects. Caffeine was discovered in 1820. In 1838, it was found that theine, a substance in tea, was identical to caffeine. Six or so caffeine containing plants are used more worldwide as a beverage than any other plants and herbal materials put together. The many caffeinated natural plants are are: Coffee, Tea, Kola, Cocoa, and Guarana.
2. What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Caffeine is a power and energy accelerant! It's perfect to super energize your body for powerful workouts. This fast-acting substance delivers the right molecular structure to your energy systems for maximum energy and power output. Caffeine much like Ephedra acts to increase mental alertness and neurologically provide the surge you need to maximize your training. Not just a stimulant, this powerful substance reaches deep into the muscle cell to provide lasting power and delaying the onset of muscle fatigue.So how does caffeine work to provide you with maximum energy support and increased endurance? Caffeine affects the CNS causing more alertness and allowing for more intense focus. The chemical structure of caffeine is very similar to that of adenine (a component of ATP, DNA, and cyclic AMP). Only the substituents are different. This helps explain caffeine's stimulating effects. It is really close to being an energy metabolite in and of itself! Because of the structural similarities, caffeine can slip right into adenosine receptors, keeping cyclic AMP active rather than it being broken down. When cyclic AMP breaks down, the body's energy supply decreases. Because caffeine fools the body into using enzymes to break it down instead, the cyclic AMP supply remains higher for longer. I bet you always wanted to know that. Because of its diolated blood vessel restricting properties, it is used to treat migraines, through the reduction of pain. It increases the potency of aspirin or other analgestics and can releive asthma attacks by widening the bronchial airways. The majority of caffeine is produced in decaffeinating coffee.
3. Who needs it and are there any symptoms of deficiency?
Well, this is an interesting question. Nobody really needs caffeine, but I once read an article that said if all of America were to stop drinking coffee or caffeine-containing soft drinks/beverages, productivity would fall by 70%. So, anyone who wants more alertness and a mental/physical boost could use a little caffeine safely. Anyone who doesn't want to drink coffee or soda could easily supplement their diets with an energy-enhancing supplement that contains caffeine. Deficiency is not an associated problem with caffeine because it is not an essential nutrient.
4. How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
Nonpregnant adults should limit their intake to about 250mg per day. Pregnant women should be even more conservative with their intake. Moderation in all caffeine containing products is the basic rule of thumb for the positive attributes without the undesireable effects of taking too much.
Caffeine is an alkaloid; of which there are numerous compounds such as the methylxanthines, with three distinguished compounds: caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, found in guarana, kola nuts, coffee, tea, cocoa beans, mate and other plants. These compounds have different biochemical effects, and are present in different ratios in the different plant sources. Caffeine is the most popular drug on the globe. It is a powerful stimulant to the Central Nervous System. Moderate use seems to be desireable by all, male and female; although excessive use can produce undesireable effects. Caffeine was discovered in 1820. In 1838, it was found that theine, a substance in tea, was identical to caffeine. Six or so caffeine containing plants are used more worldwide as a beverage than any other plants and herbal materials put together. The many caffeinated natural plants are are: Coffee, Tea, Kola, Cocoa, and Guarana.
2. What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Caffeine is a power and energy accelerant! It's perfect to super energize your body for powerful workouts. This fast-acting substance delivers the right molecular structure to your energy systems for maximum energy and power output. Caffeine much like Ephedra acts to increase mental alertness and neurologically provide the surge you need to maximize your training. Not just a stimulant, this powerful substance reaches deep into the muscle cell to provide lasting power and delaying the onset of muscle fatigue.So how does caffeine work to provide you with maximum energy support and increased endurance? Caffeine affects the CNS causing more alertness and allowing for more intense focus. The chemical structure of caffeine is very similar to that of adenine (a component of ATP, DNA, and cyclic AMP). Only the substituents are different. This helps explain caffeine's stimulating effects. It is really close to being an energy metabolite in and of itself! Because of the structural similarities, caffeine can slip right into adenosine receptors, keeping cyclic AMP active rather than it being broken down. When cyclic AMP breaks down, the body's energy supply decreases. Because caffeine fools the body into using enzymes to break it down instead, the cyclic AMP supply remains higher for longer. I bet you always wanted to know that. Because of its diolated blood vessel restricting properties, it is used to treat migraines, through the reduction of pain. It increases the potency of aspirin or other analgestics and can releive asthma attacks by widening the bronchial airways. The majority of caffeine is produced in decaffeinating coffee.
3. Who needs it and are there any symptoms of deficiency?
Well, this is an interesting question. Nobody really needs caffeine, but I once read an article that said if all of America were to stop drinking coffee or caffeine-containing soft drinks/beverages, productivity would fall by 70%. So, anyone who wants more alertness and a mental/physical boost could use a little caffeine safely. Anyone who doesn't want to drink coffee or soda could easily supplement their diets with an energy-enhancing supplement that contains caffeine. Deficiency is not an associated problem with caffeine because it is not an essential nutrient.
4. How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
Nonpregnant adults should limit their intake to about 250mg per day. Pregnant women should be even more conservative with their intake. Moderation in all caffeine containing products is the basic rule of thumb for the positive attributes without the undesireable effects of taking too much.
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