Best Weight Gain Supplements

Supplement Of The Year - Guess

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:19:00 +0000

Supplement of the year award is a tough one to decide because a supplement has to stand out in all its aspects.
The nominees for the 2012 supplement of the year were-

BPI Sports 1.M.R Powder
BSN N.O.-Xplode 2.0
BSN Syntha-6
Cellucor C4 Extreme
CytoSport Muscle Milk
Dymatize ISO-100
Gaspari Nutrition SuperPump MAX
MusclePharm Assault
MusclePharm Combat Powder
MuscleTech NeuroCore
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Casein
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey
Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men
ProMera Sports Con-Cret
SciVation Xtend
Universal Animal Pak

All Of These Supplements gave a tough competition and are almost equally good as well.

And the winner for a straight 8 times in a row all the way from the beginning is
Optimum 100% Whey Protein
again. Awards also include Muscle Building Supplement Of The Year, Protein Powder Of The Year

Optimum's Gold Standard 100% Whey™ has won the Supplement Of The Year and Protein Powder Of The Year awards for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and also the best protein powder of the year! Since the very beginning, Optimum Nutrition has raised the standard by which all other whey protein supplements are judged. The proprietary blend includes:

Microfiltered Whey Protein Isolates
Ion-Exchange Whey Protein Isolates
Ultrafiltered Whey Protein Concentrate
HydroWhey Hydrolyzed Whey Peptides

It has a self dedicated website- http://www.wheygoldstandard.com/
To give you more of what you want (pure, unadulterated whey protein) with less of what you don't (fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, lactose, and other carbohydrates) with every serving. This whey protein supplement is no exception. In fact, ON Gold Standard 100% Whey is better than ever! Here's why:

ON Gold Standard 100% Whey provides more whey protein isolates (WPI) - the purest and most expensive source of whey protein available.
Higher protein percentage. ON's Gold Standard 100% Whey has always been a leader in this respect. Now with 24 grams of protein in just slightly over one-ounce serving, it's nearly 79% protein by weight!
They've included more HydroWhey strategically hydrolyzed, low molecular weight whey peptides to make ON's Gold Standard 100% Whey even faster acting!*
ON's Gold Standard 100% Whey now contains lactase and Aminogen digestive enzymes to further enhance absorption and make this product even more friendly to lactose intolerant individuals.*
ON's Gold Standard 100% Whey is instantized to mix easily and completely with just a few twirls of a spoon.
Every serving supplies even more low, moderate, and high molecular weight, biologically active whey protein microfractions including Alpha-lactalbumin, Glycomacropeptides, Beta-lactoglobulin, Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, and various growth factors.
Over 4 grams of glutamine and glutamine precursors as well as 5 grams of BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) in each scoop

A protein powder is generally judged on the following points.

Mixability

Taste:

Texture:

Profile:

Overall:

100% Whey Protein - Gold Standard

Creatine and the Muscle Bump.

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:13:00 +0000

Creatine as we know today is one of the most important and sought after supplement in the body building industry. But most of the people involved either do not know what it does or what it is at all.
Certain people know that it is involved in body building.

So what actually is Creatine?
In simple words, it is simply a nitrogen-containing compound stored mainly as phospho-creatine in muscle tissue and the rest can be found as free creatine. It occurs naturally in meats and fish and is synthesized by the liver, pancreas and kidney.

It's also called metylguanidine-acetic acid and is produced from three amino acids: methionine, arginine and glycine.(Too biological Eh!)
Every day the body breaks down about 1-2% of the creatine pool, approximately 2 grams, into creatinine, which is excreted in urine. So to say, it forms in our body itself.

What does it do?
In body building, creatine is known for its ability to boost strength and power. Athletes like Sprinters take it to help them explode out of the blocks, football and soccer players take it to bulk up and bodybuilders use it to build strength and size and work harder in the gym. Creatine is one of the best supplements an athlete can take. The most commonly used creatine supplement has been creatine monohydrate and it has been a long-standing legal supplement in the sports nutrition industry for years, mainly because nothing else has been shown to deliver better results.

Yet creatine has a reputation about controversies in the supplement industry ever since its introduction nearly 2 decades ago.

The Confusion
The main confusion is that some people involved in body building and such or the sports industry claim that Creatine is a steroid. They claim that it ruins your body and ruins your health. Confusion mainly arises due to long standing beliefs and misinterpretation that creatine intake as a supplement is not necessary as the orthodox belief crops up that since it is found naturally found in food. Also physicians acknowledge that there aren't studies measuring the effects of long-term creatine supplementation, so it would be a waste to thrive on creatine supplementation.
~~Even most blogs about body building or similar do not post about Creatine because it is just too controversial to deal with.~~

For our help, modern day science and research has stepped into the confusion and has vividly laid ahead certain facts about creatine supplementation.

Clearing up the confusion cloud
As for the case of steroids, science has given a simple answer, it is not. And regarding destruction of kidneys and whatsoever, it should be consumed as directed alongwith lot of water for solubility like all other supplements.
Studies show that creatine supplementation effectively helped gain weight to a very good extent.
Combining creatine with whey protein also leads to greater gains in lean muscle mass than just whey protein alone possibly by improving protein synthesis. It also aids in strength building and weight lifting. Creatine may also benefit work capacity by improving the ability to store carbohydrates, which could have positive performance implications for athletes of most sports. Coincidently consuming creatine and carbohydrates tends to optimize the absorption of both. The biggest problem with creatine to date has been the high doses required for efficacy. Recent studies have proven that the number one factor for creatine supplement efficacy is aqueous solubility, meaning the creatine must be in solution to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Contribution to Body Building and Other Benefits-The Real Deal
Its contribution in body building is worth mentioning. Creatine can help you build a great physique. That is considered the most noted benefit from consuming this supplement.
It can help you work harder in the gym by providing a substrate necessary for the production of energy. Creatine aids in building strength, size and power. But, creatine does more than just help build a strong body. It may help many people who suffer from debilitating diseases. One study found that it helped decrease total cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the worst kind). Hopefully future research will examine changes in blood lipids with creatine supplementation. Studies indicate that creatine monohydrate is safe when taken in appropriate doses daily for a period of 1-5 years. It doesn't make sense to take it in high doses, above what your body needs, because the rest is excreted after skeletal muscle stores are saturated. There are no studies that have found it causes dehydration or other detrimental side effects in otherwise healthy people.

Can you build your body without a gym?

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:42:00 +0000

There lies the fact that we mostly know that acquiring a dream shape is impossible without a gym. The place where I come from in India has a slight different story to appear. Most of you know about Slum-dog Millionaire-the Oscar winning movie. In our area, people from slum and tribal places boast of having a well toned physique, much better in shape than the urban Joe. In certain cases I have seen labours and rickshaw-pullers having 6 pack abs.

What happens is that the concerned people are never actually putting in much effort to build up their bodies and many give up way too soon before results start coming in. We are constantly exposed to commercials for exercise equipment and gadgets, we have slowly over time become convinced that the only way to get in shape is to buy something and get to work using it. Our ancestors have been keeping their bodies in shape for far longer than companies have been around trying to sell us products to help us get there. Obesity is what normal people resort to these days. You can either be a couch potato trying to attain a round shaped body or you can have that lean physique up your sleeves. Joining Expensive gyms in your area might not yield you any result unless you put up your fight to the maximum and dedicate yourself.

There are hundreds of free hand exercises available which really helps out. You can start with stretching on the morning for example. One of the most famous is the triceps workout by dipping.
You can go for pull ups Or push ups, most of them are free hand exercises. Though you might not be able to build yourself like Jay Cutler, you can surely attain shapes like Matthew McConaughey(Remember My Earlier Post, Click here) or close. You will find certain videos in YouTube if you search the term free hand workouts.

And finally, you might try simply walking to places that you normally use your car to reach. Walking is just as good as jogging so long as you go far enough, and it’s a lot less stress on the knees. Consider walking to work even if it is close by, that way you can even contribute to Environment Protection. The destination does not matter, as long as you get yourself out there and get your feet moving.

Image Source-Lee Hayward Blog

Intake and Importance Of Eggs in Body Building

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Egg is one of the most important sources of protein that can boost up body building. When there were no supplements in the early days, body builders relied on eggs and milk to provide them with the requisite amount of protein.

Benefits Of Egg Whites
Believe it or not, egg whites are the best absorbing protein you can eat other than whey protein and the most assimilated food. A single egg (with the yolk removed) contains about 3g of high quality protein and about 16 calories. They also contain all eight of the EAAs (essential amino acids), vitamins such as A, E, K, B12, riboflavin, and folic acid. All of these are very important to help not only enhance recovery but to help repair and grow lean muscle tissue after it has been broken down in the gym.

Pre-Packaged Egg Whites

Liquid egg whites are 100% bioavailable in the body for around 4-5 hours (whereas the protein and egg white powders are only around 70-80% bioavailable in the body for around 2-3 hours). This also makes it very convenient and a great choice right before bed. Protein before bed that breaks down slowly as you sleep keeps your body anabolic so you don't waste away any muscle tissue during the fasting period when you sleep. Another nice feature of liquid egg whites is that they are tasteless and odorless which allows you to use them in your protein shakes or for cooking.

There are several places to get your egg whites delivered from. One such place would be Lana's Egg Whites. Lana Battagello, owner/founder, came up with Lana's Egg Whites to help people benefit from a clean protein source. These processed egg whites go through a pasteurization process that leaves the egg whites bacteria free and ready to go straight into your glass or shaker bottle. This particular brand of egg whites come in an 8.5 pound container and each container equates out to 165 egg whites. The containers are to be stored in a refrigerator until ready to be used.

Just one cup of these liquid egg whites will give you 28g of high quality protein with zero fat and cholesterol. There are no chemicals or preservatives used in their egg whites and you can use them for just about anything ranging from protein shakes/smoothies, omelets, baking, just about anything your mind (or stomach) can come up with.

In addition to being good for you, these liquid egg whites take out the work of separating all the eggs you want to cook, all the mess it creates, and all the time you waste prior to eating and refueling your body. Let's face it, we all could use more time in the day to get stuff done. Factor in the time it would take to constantly be cracking normal eggs and separating them and you gained a lot of time over the span of a week by utilizing a liquid egg white such as Lana's Egg Whites. Utilizing these types of products are quick, easy, safe, and effective-and as long as you don't have any allergies to eggs, anyone can use liquid egg whites no matter age, gender, or fitness goal.

Preparing Your Egg Whites

If you prefer to go to the grocery store and buy a few dozen eggs that works as well. When buying them from the grocery store, make sure to get them home as soon as possible and put them directly in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them. When you are ready to prepare them, simply take out the number of eggs you desire and either use a separator to get rid of the yolk or simply use the shell to move the contents back and forth after splitting the shell in half to separate the yolks from the whites.

Happy egg time.

Branched Chain Amino Acid's and their use

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:24:00 +0000

BCAA (branched chain amino acids) are in short the three essential amino acids - leucine, isoleucine and valine literally. The BCAA are different from the other 17 amino acids in that they are primarily metabolized in skeletal muscle (Layman, 2003) and metabolized at a much lower rate in the liver (Norton, 2005). The rate limiting enzyme in BCAA catabolism is Branched Chain Keto Acid Dehydrogenase, which is much more active in skeletal muscle than in the liver (Norton, 2005). The idea of supplementing with extra branch-chained amino acids (BCAA) in addition to ones protein intake has been around for quite some time. But with all the 'magic elixirs' and 'pump potions' on the market today, BCAA supplementation has never gained popularity outside of the hardcore (as in elite athletes) circles.

One reason for this oversight on BCAA may be that people feel supplementing with additional BCAA on top of an already high protein diet will not be beneficial. Others may simply be uninformed about BCAA.

Because BCAA serve as a "fuel" for skeletal muscle, supplementing with additional BCAA to improve sports performance and to treat various diseases and aliments as been suggested. BCAA have many other roles besides being just a fuel for skeletal muscle.

The Metabolic Roles Of The BCAA Include:

    * Substrate for energy production
    * Substrate for protein synthesis
    * Precursor for the formation of other amino acids
    * Metabolic signals (Primarily Leucine)

Supplementing With BCAA

What is interesting about the BCAA is their ability to participate in the above metabolic processes, energy substrates, substrates for protein synthesis, precursors for alanine and glutamine, and modulators of protein synthesis, is governed by their availability.
Research suggests that first and foremost the BCAA are used for the synthesis of protein structures (Layman, 2003).
Research on leucine shows that once the minimum requirement of leucine for protein synthesis is met leucine can then be used as a precursor for alanine and glutamine or to activate various signaling pathways (Layman, 2003), such as the mTOR pathway. It may sound like leucine is free to exert its powerful effect of mTOR activation, but one must remember that protein breakdown and synthesis is occurring throughout the entire body; the body's protein stores are in a constant state of flux.
The constant body protein flux plus the increased leucine oxidation caused by exercise means that leucine is in high demand and therefore may not be able to participate in muscle growth at its full potential. This is where supplementing with additional BCAA comes into play and importance.
Due to leucine's metabolic properties, many people focus solely on leucine and not the other two BCAAs valine and isoleucine.

Research has shown that leucine-rich diets or administration of leucine alone lead to decreases in valine and isoleucine plasma concentrations and a BCAA imbalance (Shirmomura et al., 2004). While it may be cheaper to supplement with leucine alone instead of all three BCAA, one should supplement with all three BCAA so not to create a BCAA imbalance.
The main question or argument with BCAA supplementation people have is whether additional BCAA supplementation on top of an already high protein intake will produce any benefits, specifically enough benefits justify to the cost of the BCAA. Research and anecdotal findings would definitely suggest yes.
The benefits of free-form BCAA lie in their ability to quickly flood the blood stream and amino acid pools with high amounts of BCAA, specifically leucine. While whey protein is absorbed quickly, ingestion of 10 grams of BCAA from whey does not create the same metabolic response as the ingestion of 10 grams of free-form BCAA.

Once whey protein reaches the gut, it takes about 45 minutes before the amino acids start to be extracted and are absorbed and can be used. This lower absorption means the amino acid pools are not "flooded" with large amounts of BCAA.
the BCAA ability to be utilized in various pathways is governed by their availability. It is my belief that delivering large amounts of BCAA to muscle and keeping BCAA levels elevated will cause a strong and sustained activation of mTOR, leading to skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

The current research available clearly displays that the BCAA (specifically leucine) are very potent stimulators of protein synthesis and have many other beneficial effects to athletes.
In Summary,
The Metabolic Roles Of The BCAA Include:
    * Substrate for energy production
    * Substrate for protein synthesis
    * Precursor for the formation of other amino acids
    * Metabolic signals (Primarily Leucine)
What all this means is ingesting BCAA primes your body for growth (protein synthesis). All of these actions are beneficial to an athlete and should not be overlooked. There is endless research backing BCAA supplementation.

Training Legs For Mass

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 05:38:00 +0000

A proper leg-training program can be the key to new found size and strength. By properly training your legs the rest of your body will grow as well.

The true indication of a great physique is, symmetry. A "Symmetrical Physique" is one in which all body parts flow into each other. No one body part or side of the body is bigger than the other. There is nothing more ridiculous to see a guy in the gym with a well developed upper body with tooth pick legs. Your Whole Body Will Benefit From Training Your Legs!

The path will be clearly set out for you by the words in this article but the journey will be hard, harder than anything you have ever done before, but once you see the results you will continue this journey of leg training for life. Keep reading...

The anatomy of the legs is discussed below, its function, location in the body and some exercises for each area of the legs. Finally, 5 workout programs are included to help turn your tooth pick legs into massive tree trunk legs.

To make your legs grow, you need a solid training routine to maximize its development; you can't just squat for hours on end. Here's a great guide for teens with workouts and explanations to build huge legs!

Quads:

Rectus Femoris:

o Function: Extension and Flexion when hip is extended.

o Location: Inserts at the hip and travels down the middle portion of the upper leg and reinserts at the knee.

o Exercise: Barbell Full Squat

Vastus Laterallis: Quad Sweep

o Function: Extension when hip is flexed.

o Location: Inserts 2/3 up the femur on the outer portion of the Quad and reinserts at the knee.

o Exercises: Hack Squats

Vastus Mediallis: Tear Drop

o Function: Extension when hip is flexed.

o Location: Inserts 1/2 up the femur on the inner portion of the Quad and reinserts at the knee.

o Exercises: Leg Extensions

Hamstrings: Semitendinosus:

o Function: Extends the hip joint and bends the knee.

o Location: Back middle portion of the thigh.

o Exercise: Barbell Lunges

Semimembranosus:

o Function: Extend the hip joint and bend knee and also some middle rotation.

o Location: Back middle side of the thigh.

o Exercise: Lying Leg Curl

Bicep Femoris: Long Head

o Function: Knee Flexion and Hip Extension.

o Location: Lower inner portion of the back of the thigh.

o Exercise: Seated Leg Curl

Bicep Femoris: Short Head

o Function: Knee Flexion and Hip Extension.

o Location: Upper Inner portion of the back of the thigh.

o Exercise: Seated Leg Curl

Calves: Gastrocnemius:

o Function: Plantarflexion at the ankle.

o Location: Back portion of the lower leg. Diamond shaped muscle, in which people refer to as the calf.

o Exercise: Standing Calf Raises

Soleus:

o Function: Plantarflexion at the ankle.

o Location: Back part of the lower leg that runs below the knee to the heel.

o Exercise: Seated Calf Raise

Rep Ranges

As you can see from the anatomy info above, there are a lot of muscles that make up the legs. The legs are used daily for basic activities like walking, standing, going upstairs or just getting up from a chair.

If you are looking to put size on your legs half @ss workouts will not do anything, your legs are used to working all day. Only dedication to intense hard work in the gym will break down the dense thick muscle fibres of the legs and their only choice will be to get bigger and stronger.

On the third and final day, the trio is back to blast legs showing you proper squat form to avoid injuries, straight legged deadlifts to nail those hammies, and plenty of others. You shouldn't be able to walk after this. You need to force your legs to grow. Your legs will resist you. They will burn, shake and burn some more while you workout, but you need to push through and want more as this is the only way to make your legs grow. The legs consist of many muscles so you will need to use a good amount of volume, many angles and different exercises to stimulate all the muscles of the legs. Our rep range will depend on the exercise. I like to use a lower rep range (4-6) with most of the compound exercises to help build strength and a solid foundation.

With the isolation exercises a moderate (8-12) to high rep range (15-20) helps with pumping up the muscle to deliver more nutrients and break up the fascia tissue for more growth.All exercises should be performed in perfect form because bad form or habits that you start now will follow you and will lead to lack of progress or worst off injury in the future. Many if not all the exercises will be new to you. So make sure that you use the Exercise Guide on Bodybuilding.com to help you with your form.

Now that you understand about what muscles make up your legs, their function, location, how to contract your back and the rep range needed to stimulate it, let's give you some workouts to help you build your legs.

Leg Building Workout Programs

Sample Workout 1:

* Barbell Full Squats: 4 Sets Of 4-6 Reps

* Dumbbell Lunge: 4 Sets Of 12 Reps Each Leg

* Leg Press: 3 Sets Of 12-15 Reps

* Lying Leg Curl: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps

* Leg Extensions: 3 Sets Of 20 Reps

* Standing Calf Raises: 4 Sets Of 12 Reps

Sample Workout 2:

* Barbell Deadlifts: 4 Sets Of 4-6 Reps

* Dumbbell Rear Lunges: 4 Sets Of 15 Reps

* Hack Squats: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps

* Seated Leg Curl: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps

* Leg Extensions: 3 Sets Of 15 Reps

* Seated Calf Raises: 4 Sets Of 20 Reps

Sample Workout 3:

* Leg Press: 4 Sets Of 4-6 Reps

* Romanian Deadlifts: 4 Sets Of 8 Reps

* Dumbbell Step Ups: 4 Sets Of 15 Reps Each Leg

* Leg Extensions: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps

* Thigh Abductor: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps

* Thigh Adductor: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps

* Standing Barbell Calf Raise: 4 Sets Of 12-15 Reps

Sample Workout 4:

* Front Barbell Squats: 4 Sets Of 8-12 Reps

* Barbell Lunges: 4 Sets Of 20 Reps Each Leg

* Leg Press: 3 Sets Of 15-20 Reps

* Lying Leg Curl: 3 Sets Of 15 Reps

* Leg Extensions: 3 Sets Of 10 Reps

* Seated Calf Raise: 4 Sets Of 20 Reps

Sample Workout 5:

* Hack Squat: 3 Sets Of 4-6 Reps

* Romanian Deadlifts: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps

* Dumbbell Lunges: 4 Sets Of 25 Reps Each Leg

* Leg Extensions: 3 Sets Of 20 Reps

* Seated Leg Curl: 3 Sets Of 15 Reps

* Calf Press On Leg Press Machine: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps

Conclusion

The workouts above are only as good as the work you put forth with them. If you continue down the path of half @ss workouts or no workouts at all for your legs, you will not see a difference.

If you decide enough is enough and you want to have big thick tree trunk legs then get ready to work. You need to hit each and every set with all you have, using perfect form and rest as long as you need but nothing more. No workout day is going to be harder than leg day, period. Now eat up and get to the gym, you have legs to build.

Good Luck!

Whey in Muscle Building And Other Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 06:52:00 +0000

What Is Whey Protein?

Whey protein is a milk protein that is the liquid by-product of cheese production. In supplement form, whey protein comes in three main forms:

   1. Whey Protein Concentrate: Contains some fat and lactose and between 29% - 89% protein depending on the specific product. Whey protein concentrates often have more bioactive compounds.

   2. Whey Protein Isolates: Contains minimal fat, cholesterol and lactose and 90% or more protein.

   3. Whey Protein Hydrolysates: Are often used in clinical nutrition applications because they are predigested and partially broken and therefore easier to absorb.

Whey protein has the highest protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAA) - a measure of both how well a protein is digested and how well it supplies the amino acids needed by an adult. In addition, it is a complete protein meaning it contains all essential amino acids. Whey also contains more branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) than any other source of protein and more leucine than other types of protein.

Several studies indicate that whey protein is beneficial for increasing muscle protein synthesis. Consume whey pre- or post-training and you'll tip the scale in favor of muscle growth and strength gains over time. But, there are a number of other benefits associated with whey protein.

How Bodybuilding Supplement Whey Protein Can Help You Shed Body Fat:

Add whey and drop weight? It sounds too good to be true but it may work.

    * Whey Protein Is Rich in Leucine: Leucine plays a key role in protein synthesis, a process that burns through quite a few calories. In addition, it stimulates fatty acid oxidation.

    * Whey Satiates Your Appetite: Studies show that whey may satiate your appetite better than some other types of protein. Milk proteins contain glycomacropeptide - a peptide that stimulates the cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK is an intestinal hormone that is released after eating a meal and it signals satiety.

    * Studies Show Supplemental Whey Helps People Drop Body Fat: There are at least two studies where scientists examined whey protein supplementation and weight loss. In one study at the University of Oklahoma, scientists told both groups of participants not to change their diet. However, one group was given a nutrition supplement containing whey (300 calories, 40 grams of protein) once per day for two weeks and twice a day for the remaining eight weeks of the study. Both groups engaged in a supervised resistance and endurance-training program for 10 weeks.

      After the 10-week study, both groups decreased fat mass but the exercise + food supplement group showed a significantly greater decrease in fat mass (-9.3% versus -4.6% in the exercise-only group). The supplemented group also showed significant gains from pre- to post-test in muscle mass and significant decreases in total and LDL cholesterol.

      A 2006 study found that adding 60 grams of whey protein per day, in comparison to 60 grams of soy protein or 60 grams of carbohydrate, led to significant decreases in body fat and weight after 6 months.

Adding Whey Protein Led To Significant Decreases In Body Fat Compared To Soy Protein And Carbohydrate.
Adding Whey Protein Led To Significant Decreases
In Body Fat Compared To Soy Protein And Carbohydrate.

Additional Tips To Help Shed Body Fat:

    * Use a food journal and write down everything you eat. Studies show that people who log their food intake every day are more likely to lose weight than those who do not.

    * Seek the advice of a sports nutrition expert who has the education (a degree in nutrition or nutrition biochemistry) and experience in nutrition to help you.

    * If you are having problems losing weight yet you feel you are doing everything right, talk to your physician. Low levels of certain hormones, hypothyroidism and other conditions can make weight loss more difficult.
Additional studies have been done on animals regarding cancer-causing chemicals to see what effects whey protein concentrate would have on cancer prevention or treatment. Scientists fed rats various proteins and then subjected them to the powerful carcinogen dimethylhydrazine.

As with the previous research, the rats fed whey protein concentrate showed fewer tumors and a reduced pooled area of tumors (tumor mass index). The researchers found whey protein offered "considerable protection to the host" over that of other proteins, including soy. 1

Even more exciting, in vivo research on cancer and whey showed whey protein concentrate inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells at low concentrations (Baruchel S. and Vaiu G., Anti Cancer Research, 1996). Finally, and most importantly, a fairly recent clinical study with cancer patients showed a regression in some patient's tumors when fed whey protein concentrate at 30 grams per day. 2

Whey and Glutathione

This new research using whey protein concentrate led researchers to an amazing discovery regarding the relationship between cancerous cells, glutathione (GSH) and whey protein concentrate. It was found that whey protein concentrate selectively depletes cancer cells of their glutathione, thus making them more susceptible to cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.

It has been found that cancer cells and normal cells will respond differently to nutrients and drugs that affect glutathione status. What is most interesting to note is the fact that the concentration of glutathione in tumor cells is higher than that of the normal cells that surround it. This difference in glutathione status between normal cells and cancer cells is believed to be an important factor in cancer cells' resistance to chemotherapy.

As the researchers put it, "Tumor cell GSH concentration may be among the determinants of the cytotoxicity [poisonous to cells] of many chemotherapeutic agents and of radiation, and an increase in GSH concentration appears to be at least one of the mechanisms of acquired drug resistance to chemotherapy."

They further state, "It is well-known that rapid GSH synthesis in tumor cells is associated with high rates of cellular proliferation. Depletion of tumor GSH in vivo decreases the rate of cellular proliferation and inhibits cancer growth."

The problem is, it's difficult to reduce glutathione sufficiently in tumor cells without placing healthy tissue at risk and putting the cancer patient in a worse condition. What is needed is a compound that can selectively deplete the cancer cells of their glutathione, while increasing, or at least maintaining, the levels of glutathione in healthy cells.

This is exactly what whey protein appears to do. In this new research it was found that cancer cells subjected to whey proteins were depleted of their glutathione, and their growth was inhibited, while normal cells had an increase in GSH and increased cellular growth.

These effects were not seen with other proteins. Not surprisingly, the researchers concluded, "Selective depletion of tumor GSH may in fact render cancer cells more vulnerable to the action of chemotherapy and eventually protect normal tissue against the deleterious effects of chemotherapy." The exact mechanism by which whey protein achieves this is not fully understood, but it appears that it interferes with the normal feedback mechanism and regulation of glutathione in cancer cells.

It is known that glutathione production is negatively inhibited by its own synthesis. Being that baseline glutathione levels in cancer cells are higher than that of normal cells, it is probably easier to reach the level of negative-feedback inhibition in the cancer cells' glutathione levels than in the normal cells' glutathione levels.

Whey and LDL Cholesterol

The positive health benefits of whey protein concentrate does not end with its effects on immunity and cancer prevention and treatment. Whey protein concentrate also was found to be a potent inhibitor of oxidized low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Current research suggests that the conversion of LDL to oxidized LDL is the trigger that leads to atherogenesis... the formation of the plaque and lesions associated with atherosclerosis.

Therefore, any substance that prevents the oxidation of LDL is thought to be anti-atherogenic. Though animal-based proteins have traditionally been implicated as being pro-atherogenic, whey proteins appear to be an exception to the rule. whey protein is made up of several minor and major fractions, such as beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, albumin, lactoferrin and immunoglobulin. It was discovered that the minor constituent responsible for the ability of whey protein concentrate to prevent the oxidation of LDL appears to be the lactoferrin fraction of the protein. 3

Lactoferrin In Whey

When the lactoferrin was removed from the protein, the ability of the whey-protein concentrate to prevent LDL oxidation was greatly reduced, leading the researchers to speculate, "Our results suggest that LF (lactoferrin) is the main factor responsible for the inhibitory effect of whey protein (on LDL) and it may function synergistically together with other factors in the whey protein, for example, alpha-lactalbumin."

Another study using rats examined the effects of whey protein concentrate and casein on cholesterol and the risk factors of heart disease. Though casein (another milk-based protein commonly used in research) is known to raise cholesterol in humans and animals, whey protein has the opposite effect, leading the researchers to note, "At the high dietary protein level [300 gram per kilogram of feed] , whey protein significantly lowered plasma and liver cholesterol and also plasma triacylglycerols." 4

The cholesterol-lowering effects of whey protein concentrate in this study also was associated with a reduction in LDL cholesterol. Most interesting was the fact that this effect on cholesterol was not seen when the animals were fed amino acid mixtures that simulated whey protein, so it is clear that there are properties within the whey that have these effects beyond that of its amino acid profile.

Whey and Bone Growth

Finally, whey protein appears to play a direct role in bone growth. Researchers found that rats fed whey protein concentrate showed increased bone strength and bone protein such as collagen. This discovery led researches to test whether or not whey protein directly stimulated osteoblast (bone cell) growth in vitro.

Whey protein was found to stimulate, dose dependently, total protein synthesis, DNA content, and increased hydroxyproline contents of bone cells. 5

It should be noted that not all whey protein concentrates are created equal. Processing whey protein to remove the lactose and fats without losing its biological activity takes special care by the manufacturer. The protein must be processed under low temperature and low acid conditions so as not to "denature" the protein. Maintaining the natural state of the protein is essential to its biological activity.

These research findings, combined with the previous decade of study on whey protein, should convince anyone that whey protein concentrate is truly the life-extension protein.

Higher Glutathione Levels and Whey

A decade-and-a-half of findings on the benefits of whey protein are far-reaching.

Previous Studies Include The Following:

    * Whey protein concentrate dramatically raises glutathione levels. Glutathione is an essential water-soluble antioxidant in the body that protects cells and serves as a primary detoxifier of harmful compounds such as peroxides, heavy metals, carcinogens and other toxins.

    * Glutathione also is intimately tied to immunity, and reduced glutathione levels have been associated with disease such as AIDS, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, to name only a few. In fact, glutathione levels appear to be one way of modulating immunity. 6

    * Whey protein concentrate was found to consistently raise this extremely important immune stimulating antioxidant beyond that of any protein studied (including soy) to higher than normal levels in multiple animal studies. 7

      A small pilot study with HIV-positive men who were fed whey protein concentrate found dramatic increases in glutathione levels of all the study participants, with two out of three men reaching their ideal body weight. 8

      In fact, there have been several U.S. and international patents granted for the treatment of AIDS and improving immunity with whey protein concentrates.

    * Whey protein improves immune function and fights infections. Animals fed whey protein concentrate consistently showed dramatic enhancement of both the humoral and cellular immune response to a variety of immune challenges, such as salmonella, streptococcus pneumonia 9 and extreme cancer-causing chemicals. This effect on immunity was not seen with other proteins.

    * Whey protein concentrate fights cancer. Animals fed whey protein.

Weight training increases lean body mass via several factors. One being microscopic tears in muscle fibers. Once we consume the ideal post workout meal (containing carbohydrates and protein) insulin levels rises. Once this hormone is elevated it's extremely effective at shuttling nutrients into cells, in this case nutrients will be shuttled off to repair the microscopic tears. This results in enlarging of the muscle (hypertrophy) and strengthening the fibers in order to prevent this tears from reoccurring.

Since whey protein has a fast absorption rate and a high biological value. It makes perfect sense to use whey protein post workout. Its' high amino acid content, makes it an ideal supplement to increase protein synthesis and aid in hypertrophy.Whey protein is a relatively safe supplement but no more than 30 grams of protein should be taken at one sitting as excessive single doses could overload the liver. The safety of whey protein has been well documented in many scientific studies and there is clear proof that taken consistently, coupled with regular exercise, it will result in meaningful muscle gain.

Mass Gaining For HardGainers

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Hard gainers are the ones who are mostly skinny and who seem impossible to gain mass or muscle. There is the myth of the impossible-gainer. Some people confuse this with the term "hardgainer". Certain people put on mass by looking at a picture of a barbell or a burger.
Some people are more sedentary than others and therefore don't require as many calories per day to maintain their mass. Others are constantly moving, frittering away their precious calories and must take in a lot of them to maintain their mass, let alone grow more!
Most people, including undisciplined bodybuilders, don't really remember what they eat each day. So what should you do to gain mass?

12 Week Transformation

First, you need to know the basis of how to calculate what you need to grow. This can be annoying.
There are 2 types of bodybuilders: those who grow and those who don't. Now, the sport is extremely difficult at best, so bodybuilders who become champions usually have ways of making things like eating eight billion meals per day more practical than the average person would think(lol). After all, eight billion is a lot of meals. Ok, so it's more like 6-10 meals per day. Depending on your schedule and/or individual needs.
Now you must decide what you want to look like and have a firm picture of that in your head where you can conjure it up frequently. It'll help you keep eating!
So step two, (step one is having a size goal) is all about the right diet. If you're eating right and lifting weights improperly, you will probably still grow. If you're lifting perfectly and not eating right, you probably will not grow. See the difference?
Remember this: eating right is even a tiny bit more important than your gym time. You have to lift to grow. What I mean is that your lifting sessions can be less than perfect and you can still outgrow a lot of gym overtrainers.
A lot of figuring out your diet is done through trial and error. Start by weighing yourself in the morning, naked and after you've used the bathroom. Then go about your day and workout as normal while writing down everything you eat and at what time you're eating it.
Now, if you eat a lot more than you're eating while keeping your workouts more or less the same and you will grow well for a bit and then the fat will come on quicker than you'll probably appreciate. Bodybuilders use cardio to sometimes balance this out. Not running. Running tends to hinder leg development.
Eat at least every 2.5 hours. Have a protein shake and whatever source of carbs for your first meal. Think low glycemic index, or low G.I. as people in-the-know refer to it. Google the term and you are sure to know.
Don't know how much protein to have? Start off with 40 grams at meal one. Read the label on your protein tub. Don't know how many carbs to have? Eat a bit, then if you're hungry, eat a bit more. Still think you could pack in some more after that? Well, stop before you do that. You want to feel comfortable but satisfied.
You can adjust the values after you determine a trend over time. By trend I mean how you are growing. Use the mirror, not a scale as your basis. Try a digital camera too. If you're too fat, then eat a bit less on the carb side. Maybe do a bit of modest cardio. Now growing at all? Bump up your carbs and protein.
This sport is about applied knowledge. Not guessing. People who guess never reach their true potential. You must approach your quest to gain mass in a logical manner that is based on science.
How will you know your progress unless you keep track of it?
Champions frequently do these things:

    * They keep track of their workouts and progress.
    * They eat the right things every 2 to 2.5 hours generally.
    * They take top quality supplementation, but don't totally rely on it to get them to the top.
      They rely on good ol' food and training.
    * They don't give up because of hard times, they get back up to fight again ASAP.

Try this routine as your daily life schedule-

   1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.

   2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal.

   3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.

   4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.

   5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).

   6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea.

   7. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).
So come on champion, you can do it.

Training The Biceps Effectively

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:56:00 +0000

Biceps are really an attractive part of your body. Big Arms and Big Admirers go together.
But the fact is that over 90% of the regular trainees in your gym are over-training. And once your body is in an over-trained condition no routine can help you.

The first priority of your body is to fully recover. Then, and only then, will it go to work creating new muscle. So step one is to take two weeks off all strength training! That's a fact you need to face if you want to train rationally.

So if you lack the mental toughness to handle the above hurdle, you might as well stop reading this. This routine won't do anything for guys in an over trained state. These are the guys who haven't added any size to their arms in months. But they train more than anyone else. See the connection? The exception, of course, is for guys just starting out and for guys who understand training frequency and have adjusted their training days to compensate for their ever-increasing intensity of workouts. Those wonderful people can do this workout today.

The Workout
These exercises will add the most muscle to your biceps, triceps and forearms. Guaranteed.

Seated Biceps Curl: Sit on a bench and rest a barbell in your lap. Take a shoulder-width underhand grip on the bar and curl it upward toward your chin. Use a weight that is so heavy you can only perform eight reps. This exercise allows you to use more weight than you normally would because the seated position limits the range of motion. Try to curl 150% of your normal biceps curl weight. Perform one set of eight reps, rest 30 seconds then increase the weight 10% and perform as many reps as you can.

Close-Grip Bench Press: Do yourself a big favor and perform this exercise in a power rack or on a smith machine. Limit the range of motion to the top third of your range. By limiting the range of motion you will be able to hoist a much heavier weight and it's that big weight - not the range of motion - that triggers new muscle growth. Grip the bar with your hands spaced about six inches apart and contract your triceps to lift the bar off the support and to full extension. Use a weight that is so heavy you can only perform eight reps. Again, with this restricted range you should be able to use at least 50% more weight than normal. Perform one set of eight reps, rest 30 seconds then increase the weight 10% and perform as many reps as you can.

Forearms tend to be neglected in most workouts but these two exercises are fabulous at generating an awesome intensity of overload to these highly visible and impressive muscles.

Seated Wrist Curls: These are performed from the same position as the biceps exercise, above. With an underhand grip on a barbell, rest your wrists on your knees so your hands extend beyond your knees. Allow the weight of the bar to force your wrist toward the floor. Use your forearm muscles to power the weight back up. Perform one set of eight reps, rest 30 seconds then increase the weight 10% and perform as many reps as you can.

Wrist Curls Behind the Back: These are performed by holding a barbell behind your back with your palms facing backward. It helps to have the bar on a rack to start or to have a training partner place the bar in your hands. The heavy bar will naturally hang down and your wrists will be in a relaxed position. Use your forearm muscles to power the weight up by bending your wrists. You can use a lot more weight on this exercise than you think you can. Go heavy. Don't worry about getting a full range of motion. Perform one set of eight reps, rest 30 seconds then increase the weight 10% and perform as many reps as you can.

Each time you perform the four exercises in this arm workout try to increase your weights by 15-25%. Doing the same workout each time gets you nowhere. It's all about making progress. Progress drives new muscle growth.

Perform the above workout three times over the next twelve days. Avoid any other arm training during this time. You can also train your other muscle groups and you can perform all the low intensity aerobics you want during this time. But remember, if you started this program in an overtrained condition you won't see results.

Done the exact way described, this routine will add new muscle strength and very significant size to even the most developed arms.

Training The Back Effectively

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:13:00 +0000

The back can be your matter of pride or the first impression of a gigantic structure underneath you because it makes you look broad. You may think that developing those muscles are tough but training the back is one of the easiest and it does not even necessarily deal with weight training. You can put it under free hand exercieses. Your back contains the second largest set of muscles, which is why working on it definitely pays off huge dividends both in health and physical looks. In fact, very few things look more impressive than a person's ability to hit a front or rear lat spread with effortless confidence.

The best back exercises effectively strengthen your back muscles, thus allowing you to pick up any heavy object with the assistance of your leg muscles. A strong back also lets you move your body easily in any direction, but most especially when you have to lift yourself up. Furthermore, a strong back protects you from having muscle imbalances that usually result from overtraining the chest. If you are concerned about your weight, then it will please you to know that strong back muscles also allow you to burn as many calories as you do when you train your legs.

Following is a discussion on the five best back exercises that can help you develop a stronger and better-looking back.

1. Barbell Bent-over Rows

This exercise is certainly one of the best back exercises you can perform to develop strength and thickness in your upper body. The movement involved in this exercise works everything - your traps, lats, lower back, and hamstrings. With proper form, this exercise will definitely set you apart from those who focus solely on pull-ups, chin-ups, and pull-downs.

Set up for this exercise by standing on a raised platform with the weighted barbell. Stand with your feet a shoulder width apart. With your knees slightly bent, your head held up, and your back straight, bend over slowly until your body is at an angle slightly lower than 45 degrees from the floor. Make sure that the weight hangs straight down from your arms and that you grip the bar with your palms facing towards you.

This exercise can be done in several variations: You may use close-grip, wide-grip, or medium-grip. You can also choose to hold the bar with your palms facing away. And if you prefer, you can do two-arm dumbbell rows instead of a barbell row. You may also use a machine called T-Bar for this exercise.

2. Pull-ups and Chin-ups

These are among the best back exercises that can be used to gauge your physical strength relative to your weight. To illustrate, a guy who can bench press a weight of only 315 pounds, but perform 30 consecutive pull-ups is a lot stronger than one who can bench press 600 pounds, but do only four straight pull-ups.

Set up for these exercises by standing on a box if needed. Otherwise, you can just jump up to reach the bar. Pull-ups are generally more difficult than chin-ups, but the best results are gained if you switch from one exercise to the next. When doing pull-ups, be sure to grip the bar with your palms facing away and your hands a bit wider than shoulder width apart. On the other hand, your palms should be facing you when you do chin-ups and your hands should hold the bar a little less than shoulder width apart.

In performing these exercises, you can use wide grip, medium grip, or narrow grip (with your palms facing each other). You may also want to do towel pull-ups in order to maximize your grip and finger strength. Try to avoid doing pull-downs with machines as much as possible. Stick to chin-ups and pull-ups with free weights instead.

3. Barbell Shrugs

This exercise is targeted at developing your traps and does not have any effect on the lats at all. In fact, you can build a good set of traps by doing up to 12 repetitions with a maximum of 585 pounds of weight in an Olympic bar. You can set up for this exercise either by deadlifting the bar off the floor or unracking it at thigh height. It is acceptable to use straps for this exercise. However, you will want to avoid using alternating grips. Using chalk may also be ill-advised for this exercise, especially if you are using a heavier weight than what you usually use when deadlifting.

When performing this exercise, remember to always stand straight, hold your head up and your knees slightly bent. Shrug straight up as high as your shoulders can go and try to touch your shoulders to your ears with the movement. To get full contraction, hold the position for about half a second. Dumbbell shrugs are a good variation of this exercise, except that it doesn't allow you to lift as much weight.

4. One-Arm Dumbbell Rows

This is one of the best back exercises for isolating each side of your back. You can't go as heavy on this exercise as you can with barbell rows, but you can achieve fuller contractions with a wider range of motion because your scapula is not restricted from fully retracting on each repetition.

Set up by grabbing a dumbbell and then setting it down beside an exercise bench. Kneel with one leg on the end of the bench and then lay your hand on the other end for support. Position your upper body such that it is parallel to the floor and your free leg is planted on the side of your body, just behind the other leg for maximum support.

Some exercisers perform machine or cable exercises for the same purpose, but the best back exercises are still those that employ free weights, so it is most beneficial for you to stick to these exercises.

5. Barbell Deadlifts

This exercise is unique because it belongs to the list of best hamstrings exercises as well as this one. It is, in fact, one of the fundamental exercises of any serious weight training program. Deadlifts work your legs a hundred percent and require functional stability from 95% of your other muscle groups. When done in proper form, this exercise can help you gain more muscle, burn more calories, and become generally stronger. For these purposes, deadlifts are second only to squats.

Set up for this exercise with the barbell placed on the floor just above your ankles and right in front of your shins. For conventional deadlifts, stand with your feet a shoulder width apart. Bend your knees, reach down and grab the bar. Make sure that your knees are just inside your elbows. If you want to go heavy on this exercise, you may alternate your grip with one hand holding the bar with the palm facing you and the other hand holding the bar with the palm facing away from you.

You can choose to do this exercise with close stance or wide stance. Other variations you can choose from are sumo-style deadlifts, deadlifting off a box, deadlifts with chains or bands, and rack or pin pulls.

Now that you know what the five best back exercises are, you'll be more equipped to develop the strength of your back muscles. Of course, there are other exercises that can also help you build stronger muscles in your back as well as other parts of your body, but the five discussed above are the most essential and should therefore be mainstays in your workout. Integrate these exercises properly into your regular fitness and strength training routine and soon, you'll be the one impressing other people with your lifting prowess instead of the one being impressed.

Gain Weight Without Getting Fat

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 06:26:00 +0000

How many of you know that eating and putting in fat go together for most of us. We know it very well. But there are ways that you can avail of, like putting in lean mass and not getting fat. Today I came across an article about it. I am posting it for you. Here it goes.

1. Double It Up

      If you aren't growing, the solution is simple - get in more calories. What's the easiest way to bump your calorie intake through the roof? Double up on all your servings. For example, if you're having one chicken breast for dinner, from now on, make that two.

      Toasting a slice of bread for breakfast? Double that as well. This takes all the thinking out of it for you. Whenever possible just aim to eat twice as much as you normally would to double your calorie intake. Since you have to prepare the food anyway, it's not really any extra effort to prepare twice as much.

2. Focus On Food Timing

      Next, don't let yourself be distracted during the day. You have to eat and eat frequently - once every 2-3 hours would be your best bet if you really struggle to get those calories in.

      If you find you forget to eat when it's time, get a timer and set it to go off. Or, buy a watch that has a beeper. This includes breakfast as well. You must get quality nutrients into your body within fifteen minutes of waking up if you want to go grow. Don't ever let your body turn to present body mass as fuel or you'll be digging yourself out of a hole.

3. Find Big Eating Equipment

      Another sneaky trick I have many of the guys in my program do is just purchase bigger plates. Just like many diet books will tell you to cut the size of your plate in half to consume fewer calories, for building muscle you want to do the exact opposite. Once you have that bigger plate, make sure you fill it - FULL. It will take less mental effort to clean one large plateful of food compared to two whole smaller plates of food.

4. Don't Skimp On Post-Workout Nutrition

      Next, you also must be absolutely sure you're eating good food immediately after your workout. If you let yourself suffer at this point, you're not maximizing the true potential of the effects of that workout.

      The body is in a state where it will literally suck up any calories you supply it immediately following a workout, so failing to give it a huge dose of carbs and protein shorts the recovery process.
            If there is one time you want to slam back a higher calorie shake, this will be it.

      Also, if you're someone who can only train in the morning, don't think this means you can get away without eating beforehand. It doesn't. Just like everyone else you must fuel the body before the coming workout. If you cannot tolerate a full food meal, then you should instead use a liquid shake to get the calories in.

5. Find Calorie Dense Foods

      For guys who do require the very high calorie intakes to build muscle tissue, you must get your hands on the most calorie dense foods available. If you waste your time eating foods that have too much volume, it's going to be a real struggle to meet your calorie requirements, and this will hinder your ability to build muscle.

      Good, high-calorie dense foods include peanuts, peanut butter, raw oats, lean red meat, bagels, and dried fruit. The more of these you can include in your diet, the faster you'll see results. Avoid eating foods such as whole vegetables (blend them into sauces or drink V8 juice for nutrition), bowls of cooked oatmeal, popcorn, and low calorie soups. These have too much volume and will fill you up quickly.

6. Track, Track, Track

      Now, since you are going to be taking an aggressive approach to your diet and getting those calories up there, you also need to be tracking. You don't want to wind up a fatty and the best way to prevent this is by monitoring how many calories you're taking in daily. If you're pushing the limits too far, you're going to start gaining body fat.
If you see this happening, then all it takes is for you to cut back on your calorie intake by about 200 calories a day or 10% and fat gain should stop.

If you aren't tracking, you never know how many calories you're taking in daily and if you do start gaining fat, you don't know how much to cut. Most guys who start gaining body fat really reduce back on their calorie intake, which is a huge mistake because then they stop building muscle as well.

There has to be a very careful balance. Go too low and you won't gain muscle. Go too high and you'll start getting fat. Once you've found the sweet spot you'll know because you'll be getting bigger and may even appear to be leaner as well.

7. Consider Some Cardio

      Finally, you may also wish to consider adding a bit of cardio to your program. Don't make the mistake most guys make though and think you can do cardio every day and prevent fat gain whatsoever. Too much cardio training will limit muscle building as well, so it has to be done at moderate levels.

      What cardio can help to do is boost your appetite, increase your recovery rate (if kept to lower intensity levels), and get the metabolism running a little faster.
When my diet is perfect I only need a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill and 20 minute cool down after my weights to squeeze out any last drip of glycogen. I walk at around 4.0 mph and a 8.0-12.0 grade which prevents you from getting a double chin and won't put the breaks on your muscle gains. Anything more and you may be consuming too many calories.

Conclusion

Gaining weight is not an excuse to get fat and schedule daily visits to all-you-can buffets. I suggest you begin implementing one principle each week and watch your body stack on more muscle to your frame each week.

10 Tips For Putting In Mass Muscle Fast

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 04:24:00 +0000

If you have been looking to put on some serious mass, then this is the plan for you.

Week One:

Diet

Meals every two to three hours upon waking.

Meal One: (breakfast) Half cup of oatmeal and Supplement.
Meal Two: (mid-morning school snack) Whole grain peanut butter sandwich or whole grain turkey sandwich double meat or handful of nuts and apple or pear

Meal Three - (lunch) Two grilled chicken breasts or med. can of tuna with handful of green veggies or handful of salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing

Meal Four - (late afternoon snack probably post workout) Supplement
Meal Five - (dinner) One and a half handfuls of lean meat such as london broil, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, tuna steaks, or salmon with two handfuls of green veggies and med. sweet potato or handful of brown rice

Meal Six - (bedtime) Supplement

Helpful Tips:

* Drink only water and never miss meals.
* Try not to eat until full at each sitting.
* Pick Sat. or Sun. as a free or cheat day.

Buy groceries once a week and you buy the amount of whichever foods you decide you will use in a week - oatmeal, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, brown rice, green veggies or salads, med. sweet potatoes, oil/vinegar, sliced turkey, peanut butter, apples and pears, almonds unsalted.

Workouts

Workouts (first set or two should be challenging, but not as bad as 3 and 4; choose a weight you feel you are near failure about 75% of the way through by the third and fourth set and ask for a spot if needed).

Wednesday - Legs & Abs

5 min. med. pace warm-up walk or bike
4 sets leg press 8-10 reps
4 sets leg extensions 8-10 reps
4 sets leg curls 8-10 reps
3 sets seated calf machine 8-10 reps
2 sets hyperextensions 12-15 reps
4 sets ab machine
4 sets normal crunches
Finish with 20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Friday or Saturday - Arms & Shoulders & Abs

5 min. warm-up
4 sets dumbbell shoulder presses 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell side lateral raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dips on edge of bench 8-10 reps
4 sets rope pressdowns 8-10 reps
4 sets barbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell alternate hammer curls
4 sets decline bench crunches
2 sets hanging leg raises
20 min. walk or bike med. pace

Monday - Chest & Back

5 min. warm-up
4 sets incline bench presses 8-10 reps
4 sets flat dumbbell bench presses 8-10 reps
4 sets cable crossovers 10-12 reps
4 sets seated Hammer Strength low row 8-10 reps
4 sets reverse grip Hammer Strength high row 8-10 reps
20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Week Two:

Diet

Meals stay the same, but the workouts change as follows:

Workouts

Workouts (first set or two should be challenging, but not as bad as 3 and 4 and fifth; choose a weight you feel you are near failure about 75% of the way through by the third and fourth set and ask for a spot if needed).

Wednesday - Legs & Abs

5 min. med. pace warm-up walk or bike
4 sets walking dumbbell lunges 10-12 steps each leg
4 sets leg extensions with toes turned in 8-10 reps
4 sets leg curls with toes pointed back 8-10 reps
4 sets seated calf machine 8-10 reps
3 sets hyperextensions 12-15 reps
4 sets ab machine
4 sets normal crunches
Finish with 20 min. med. pace walk or bike.

Friday or Saturday - Arms & Shoulders

5 min. warm-up
4 sets barbell shoulder presses to front 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell side lateral raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dips on dip machine 8-10 reps
4 sets rope press downs 8-10 reps
4 sets barbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets reverse grip barbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets decline bench crunches
4 sets hanging leg raises
20 min. walk or bike med. pace

Monday - Chest & Back

5 min. warm-up
4 sets incline dumbbell presses 8-10 reps
4 sets flat barbell bench presses 8-10 reps
4 sets cable crossovers 10-12 reps
4 sets one arm dumbbell rows 8-10 reps
4 sets wide grip lat pull downs 8-10 reps
20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Week Three:

Diet

Meals stay the same, but the workouts change as follows:

Workout

Workouts (first set or two should be challenging, but not as bad as 3 and 4 and fifth; choose a weight you feel you are near failure about 75% of the way through by the third and fourth set and ask for a spot if needed).

Wednesday - Legs

5 min. med. pace warm-up walk or bike
4 sets barbell squats 8-10 reps
4 sets leg extensions 8-10 reps
4 sets seated leg curls with toes pointed back 8-10 reps
4 sets seated calf machine 8-10 reps
4 sets hyperextensions 12-15 reps
4 sets ab machine
4 sets normal crunches
Finish with 20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Friday or Saturday - Arms & Shoulders

5 min. warm-up
4 sets barbell shoulder presses behind the neck 8-10 reps
4 sets alternating front dumbbell raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell side lateral raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell kickbacks 8-10 reps
4 sets straight bar press downs 8-10 reps
4 sets barbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets alternating dumbbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets decline bench crunches
4 sets hanging leg raises
20 min. walk or bike med. pace

Monday - Chest & Back

5 min. warm-up
4 sets incline barbell presses 8-10 reps
4 sets incline dumbbell flyes 10-12 reps
4 sets Hammer Strength wide chest presses 8-10 reps
4 sets cable crossovers 10-12 reps
4 sets one arm dumbbell rows 8-10 reps
4 sets reverse grip (hands shoulder width) lat pull downs 8-10 reps
20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Week Four:

Diet

Add a Supplement at either meal two or three.

Workout

Workouts (first set or two should be challenging, but not as bad as 3 and 4 and fifth; choose a weight you feel you are near failure about 75% of the way through by the third and fourth set and ask for a spot if needed).

Wednesday - Legs

5 min. med. pace warm-up walk or bike
4 sets smith machine squats 8-10 reps
4 sets leg extensions 8-10 reps
4 sets lying leg curls with toes pointed back 8-10 reps
4 sets leg press calf raises 8-10 reps
4 sets hyperextensions 12-15 reps
2 sets inner/outer thigh machine 12-15 reps
4 sets ab machine
4 sets hanging leg raises
Finish with 20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Friday or Saturday - Arms & Shoulders

5 min. warm-up
4 sets dumbbell shoulder presses 8-10 reps
4 sets alternating front dumbbell raises
4 sets dumbbell side lateral raises 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell two arm overhead extension 8-10 reps
4 sets rope press downs 8-10 reps
4 sets dumbbell hammer curls 8-10 reps
4 sets alternating dumbbell curls 8-10 reps
4 sets decline bench crunches w/ 25 pound plate
4 sets hanging leg raises w/10 pound dumbbell between feet
20 min. walk or bike med. pace

Monday - Chest & Back

5 min. warm-up
4 sets incline barbell presses 8-10 reps
4 sets incline dumbbell flyes 10-12 reps
4 sets Hammer Strength wide chest presses 8-10 reps
4 sets decline bench presses 8-10 reps
4 sets cable crossovers 10-12 reps
4 sets one arm dumbbell rows 8-10 reps
4 sets reverse grip (hands shoulder width) lat pull downs 8-10 reps
4 sets machine pullovers 8-10 reps
20 min. med. pace walk or bike

Awesome Chest Exercises

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:03:00 +0000

Chests are an important and attractive part of your body. Remember the day you put off your shirt at the beach and no one even noticed you because you had nothing special. A well built chest gives your body a lean, huge and strong look. They are the first noticeable trait of a well toned figure.

Though the chest is made up of one single mass of muscle, it should be trained like it was broken into 3 parts. The upper, middle and lower portions of the chest are stimulated best from changing the angle in which you execute the exercise.
The upper chest is best stimulated from exercises done on a 30-45% incline bench. For example incline barbell and dumbbell bench press or incline dumbbell flyes are great upper chest exercises. The middle chest is best stimulated from exercises done on a flat bench. For example: flat barbell and dumbbell bench press or flat dumbbell flyes are great middle chest exercises.
The lower chest is best stimulated from exercises done on a 30-45% decline bench. For example: decline barbell and dumbbell bench press or decline dumbbell flyes are great lower chest exercises.

5 Of The Best Chest Building Workout Programs

      1. Upper Chest Day:

          o Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 4-6 Reps
          o Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps
          o Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
          o Pushups*: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps

      2. Middle Chest Day:

          o Flat Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 4-6 Reps
          o Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps
          o Flat Dumbbell Flyes: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
          o Pushups*: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps

      3. Lower Chest Day:

          o Decline Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 4-6 Reps
          o Decline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8 Reps
          o Decline Dumbbell Flyes: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
          o Pushups*: 3 Sets Of 12 Reps

            *The lowering portion of the exercise should take 5-10 seconds.

      4. Barbell Strength Day:

          o Flat Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 4-6 Reps
          o Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 4-6 Reps
          o Decline Barbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 4-6 Reps
          o Dips - Chest Version: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps

      5. Dumbbell Size Day:

          o Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
          o Decline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
          o Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps
          o Dips - Chest Version: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps

Conclusion
I want you to pick one of the workouts above and use it for 4-6 weeks trying to increase the weight each workout (while still using perfect form), then rotate to a different chest workout and repeat the process.

Best Weight Gain Supplements

Body Building Tips Of A Hollywood Star

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:54:00 +0000

Most of you know he is a US actor. I admire him a lot for his body and looks. The face is God Gifted but the body build up is on his own. Known to have one of the most sought after bodies of all time. Matthew McConaughey was named People magazine's “Sexiest Man Alive” for 2005. While in high school, he was voted most handsome in the Longview Lobo Yearbook. While most stars spend hours training when it comes time to getting in shape for the movies, since you are not under a deadline, you can create a similar body type by using sound workout principles and maintaining motivation to stick with it.

Develop A Good Muscular Base:
      While Matthew is not overly huge, he does still have a good amount of muscle tissue on his frame. Therefore, the first step you need to take if you hope to develop a body that resembles him is developing this muscle mass so when you get to tweaking how it looks, the basic shape is there.
      For most individuals, the best way to accomplish this is going to be through heavy lifting on a three or four day split.
     Don't make the mistake that too many people make, going into the gym for an 'arms' day, a 'chest' day, a 'back' day, and so on.
Rather, group your muscles together and work them simultaneously in each workout. Studies have demonstrated that muscle tissues tends to respond the best in terms of growth when it's worked at a higher frequency, but in order to accomplish this, you'll have to be using this grouping principle.

This said then, aim for a full body workout three times a week or an upper/lower split, where you work the upper body on two days of the week and the lower on the other two (being sure to allow a day for rest in between similar body parts).

Additionally, as much as possible you should be incorporating in the exercises of bench press, bent over row, squats, deadlifts, and military presses.

These are the most compound exercises that will stimulate the greatest number of muscle fibers at once. Depending on where you are with your current training, this stage could take anywhere from six months to three years since developing a good amount of muscle is a timely process.

Also be sure you are eating more food during this phase so that your body has the nutrition to manufacture new muscle tissue. If you notice yourself putting on body fat too rapidly during this process, then simply cut back on food slightly or consider adding a small amount of cardio training to your program.
Dialing In:
The second stage of the training to achieve this type of body then is going to be dialing in on the muscle mass that's already been built and leaning it down, while bringing out the definition.
      In order to lean down, this will be accomplished in two ways - a lower calorie diet and more cardio added into the workouts. Note though that the diet component is going to play a much larger role in achieving the results you're looking for than the cardio, so this is really what you need to put a large amount of focus on.
    Try and focus the vast majority of your carbohydrates right around your workout, then eat more lean protein and small amounts of fat throughout the rest of the day.
Play around with your calorie intake until you're starting to see weight loss moving at the rate you'd like it to be. For most people, this happens at an intake somewhere around 10-13 x your bodyweight in pounds. Usually it's best to start at the higher value and then work your way downwards.
When it comes to your cardio training, Matthew McCaughney is known for his desert runs, so if you want to do your best to simulate his training, you are in your best interest to take yourself away from the cardio machines. He claims to have what he's named the 'Burn Hill', which is essentially a steep hill he'll run up to get his heart rate up and muscles working. While this run isn't going to be a sprint, it's definitely not performed at a walking pace either.
The great thing about taking your cardio outdoors is that it will put a better test to your agility abilities, helping to develop speed and quickness better than if you would have performed it on the treadmill.
      Next up, to maintain the muscle mass that you've developed in phase one of this, you're going to perform resistance training.
   While weight training is one way to go about doing this, Matthew McCaughney typically performs a lot of bodyweight exercises that are inserted right into his run.In this way not only is he increasing his metabolism, but also continually changing the workouts so the body never really knows what will be coming next. Consider also throwing in core and abdominal exercises, along with bodyweight squats so you can work the vast majority of the muscles in the body.
Keep in mind though that while this will be good for when you're away from the gym, ideally it's still smart to maintain some form of intense weight lifting program to keep your muscle mass as strong as possible.
While in the previous stage you really focused on those main core lifts, in this stage you can expand a little and work on any body parts that you feel are lagging a bit, by performing isolation exercises to bring out their size and definition. Do keep total rest in mind still though, as when on a reduced calorie diet, your recovery abilities are even further compromised.
Conclusion
So, if you're looking to achieve a muscular, yet streamlined body, this is the approach you want to take. Rather than focusing long-term on building up as much muscle mass as possible, you'll build up as much as you feel you need, then switch gears and accentuate the looks of that muscle by lowering your body fat and ensuring all your body parts are complimenting each other.

The Importance of Stretching

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 01:53:00 +0000

Many body building individuals tend to neglect this part because of pain but stretching has utter important role in muscle building. Passive stretching will help prevent injury, improve performance, reduce DOMS(Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is a major problem for hard-training athletes of all ages. Whereas normal muscle soreness occurs immediately following a workout and lasts for up to 36 hours, DOMS is far different: it sets in about 72 hours post-workout, severely restricts range of motion and functionality and is very painful), and should be part of a warm-up and cool-down. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims, and in fact there is mounting scientific research to show otherwise.
Despite this, there seems to be a lot of conflicting advice about how and when to stretch. It has been seen that too many trainees are unable to perform optimally or suffer from recurring injuries, in part due to improper stretching habits.
The stretch-shortening cycle occurs in a specific order. As the body performs an eccentric action the body stores potential kinetic energy. When the concentric action quickly follows the eccentric phase the kinetic energy is utilized.
The stretch-shortening cycle is displayed in numerous sporting events. This sequence of movement is often referred to as reversible muscle action in sporting events. The stretch-shortening cycle is displayed in numerous sporting events. This sequence of movement is often referred to as reversible muscle action in sporting events.
Examples of the stretch-shortening cycle would include the wind up by a pitcher in baseball. In power-lifting bench pressing and squatting are SSC(Strength Shortening Cycle) movements. In boxing fighters usually perform a slight pre-stretch before throwing a punch.

Stretching Reverses Hardening Of Arteries
Researchers show that prolonged stretching (in the form of yoga) with moderate aerobic exercise and diet control will reduce cholesterol and significantly reverse hardening of the arteries (20 percent regression) in adults with proven coronary atherosclerosis disease.
After one year in a yoga program, participants lost weight, reduced cholesterol, and improved their exercise capacity, (Retardation of coronary atherosclerosis with yoga lifestyle intervention, 2000, Manchanda).
If you have time for yoga classes, or your martial arts training emphasizes stretching, that's great. Keep it up! But if you're not attending karate or yoga classes, then the 10-Minute Synergy Fitness Stretching Routine may be for you.
   There are 2 main categories of stretching: passive and active.
Passive stretching is when you use an outside force other than your own muscle to move a joint or limb beyond its active range of motion, to put your body into a position that you couldn't do by yourself (such as when you lean into a wall, or have a partner push you into a deeper stretch). Unfortunately, this is the most common form of stretching used.

Active stretching eliminates outside force and it's adverse effects from stretching procedures. It involves actively using your own muscles to achieve range of motion; as the antagonist (opposite) muscle contracts, the agonist (target) muscle groups lengthen and relax. This is a safe, effective, and recommended method of stretching.
Active stretching is a safe effective method of maintaining a healthy range of motion, while increasing joint stability and strength. Because muscle 'tightness' is often due to compensation for joint instability or weakness in another muscle, developing strong, stable joints allows a greater range of motion.

It is recommended to perform active range of motion (AROM) exercises following a workout, game, or practice session. The "stretch" positions can be very similar to passive stretches, but they are being held using muscular effort, not outside force. Actively hold each position for 10 to 15 seconds. Perform AROM Exercises Following A Workout.

Examples of some basic AROM static stretches include:
        o Lats: reaching your arms straight overhead
          o Chest: extend your arms out to the sides, and retract your shoulder blades
          o Quadriceps: flex your heal toward your butt, contracting the hamstrings
          o Hamstrings: extend your leg straight in front of you, and contract the quads

      Athletes, coaches, trainers, and others need to use the combination of strength training, conditioning, and warming up that's best for a given sport or activity.

In general, it is recommended to perform a dynamic warm-up before training and incorporate some active range stretches afterwards. Also consider that stretching naturally occurs when you exercise. In order to contract a muscle, the opposite muscle groups have to be relaxed and lengthened.

Water-The Elixir of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:47:00 +0000

I have been reiterating on my previous posts about the importance of water in our diet. The foundation of a beautiful physique, sound health and a fresh mind is water. Water is needed for every single metabolic process, including protein synthesis. So if your training intensity is high, one of the simplest things you can do for your body is to drink more water. Conventional wisdom tells you 6-8 glasses of water is enough per day. Since you're training for an unconventional physique, you need more. Aim for at least a half gallon to a gallon per day, depending your level of conditioning.Water flushes out toxins and other metabolic waste products from the body. Water is especially important when following a "high protein" diet, as it helps remove excess nitrogen, urea (a toxic substance), and ketones. If you're eating big to gain weight, then you need even more water to help your kidneys do their work.
In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
Without enough water, the kidneys can't function properly. When this happens, some of the load is transferred to the liver. The liver metabolizes stored fat for energy. If the liver is doing some of the kidneys' work, it burns less fat. In addition, water can actually reduce feelings of hunger. Consistent failure to drink enough water can lead to Chronic Cellular Dehydration. This condition where the body's cell are never quite hydrated enough leave them in a weakened state, vulnerable to attack from disease. It weakens the body's overall immune system and leads to chemical, nutritional and pH imbalances that can cause a host of diseases. Dehydration can occur at any time of the year, not only during the summer months when it is hot. The dryness that occurs during winter can dehydrate the body even quicker than when it is hot. When you are dehydrated you tend to eat more.Contrary to popular belief, drinking water can actually help you shed excess water weight. When water is in short supply, the body, thinking there's a shortage, begins hoarding it. This water is stored in extra cellular spaces. In other words, your skin starts looking soft and puffy. Too little water, and your body steals it from organs such as the colon. When this happens, you experience constipation. Plus, water allows you to digest your meals efficiently. This is especially true when you're consuming over 4,000 calories a day. Supplements like creatine work in part because it pulls water in muscle cells, thereby creating an anabolic environment needed for growth. For this to work properly, you need plenty of water. Plus, if you're training hard, then you need a basic mega-vitamin. Many vitamins are water soluble, and water unlocks the power of those vitamins.

Jay Cutler's Top 5 Mass-Building Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 02:38:00 +0000

Jay Cutler - professional bodybuilding's true mass monster! Charging around at a ground-shaking 290 lbs. in the off-season, Jay sure knows how to pack on the mass. But what really gets him to this sun-blocking stature when he's not preparing for a show? How does he get so much muscle packed onto his 5'9" frame?

Meal #1:

    * 923 Calories, 103g Carbohydrates, 86g Protein, 18g Fat: 15 Egg Whites
    * 2 Whole Eggs
    * 4 Slices Of Ezekiel Toast
    * 1 Cup (Dry) Ezekiel

      If you've ever heard the term "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," after reading what Jay Cutler eats every morning you've quickly realized that he's a firm believer in this rule.
Jay starts off his day by throwing back enough food that would normally feed a family of four. But when you're as big as a house, you need to consume enough nutrients to ensure your muscles are constantly growing. Jay's morning carbohydrate of choice has switched from oatmeal to Ezekiel bread over the years because he believes that Ezekiel bread follows a more healthy "blood-type diet" that helps him bring his body into better shape come competition time.

What Is Ezekiel Bread?Ezekiel bread is a product inspired by Ezekiel 4:9:

"Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it..."
There are several commercially prepared versions of this bread, but one can find many recipes available online as well.

Meal #2:

    * 1,121 Calories, 88g Carbohydrates, 83g Protein, 44g Fat: 10 Oz. Steak
    * 2 Cups Rice

      One of the most beneficial foods for bodybuilders to consume for maximum muscle growth is beef. Beef provides essential nutrients such as creatine to help your muscles grow at optimum levels.
Jay Cutler is well aware of the muscle-building benefits of this food choice and that's why he incorporates it into his nutrition plan every day. In addition, he also includes rice in his food consumption because the benefits of complex carbohydrates, such as increased strength, when hitting the weights.

Meal #3:

    * 1,367 Calories, 176g Carbohydrates, 100g Protein, 24g Fat: 10 Oz. Chicken
    * 4 Cups Rice

      This is usually Jay's last meal before he trains mid-afternoon. The combination of chicken and rice feeds his muscles with the exact amount of protein and carbohydrates he needs before his relentless workouts. In the off-season Jay opts for white rice over brown in order to keep his calories high, maximizing his muscle mass.

Meal #4:

    * 721 Calories, 88g Carbohydrates, 70g Protein, 6g Fat: 10 Oz. Buffalo Meat
    * 2 Cups Rice

      Over the past few years buffalo has quickly become one of the most sought-after protein choices for top athletes all over the world. The reason for this is because it's packed with vital nutrients for peak performance while still remaining one of the leanest protein sources available.

      Once again, to ensure his muscles are saturated with complex carbohydrates, Jay takes in another two cups of white rice, which brings his carbohydrate count up to well over 350 grams in only four meals.

Supplements:
530 Calories, 84g Carbohydrates, 40g Protein, 3g Fat:
Jay Cutler also believes in the importance of incorporating supplements into his off-season nutrition plan. Not only because of their extreme convenience but because he attests to the vital role they have played in helping him attain two Mr. Olympia crowns.The two key nutritional supplements that help him maximize muscle growth in the off-season are protein and carbohydrate supplements. Once again, the combination of these two macronutrients plays a vital role in helping Jay Cutler attain the most muscular body in the world.

Consuming all of this on a daily basis may seem like a daunting task to some, but to hardcore bodybuilders like Jay Cutler this is the necessary way to ensure you pack on as much mass in the off-season as possible. Three square meals a day is not the way a bodybuilder lives his life.

Jay Cutler is the ambassador of the supplement brand MuscleTech which he himself uses.

Importance of Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:10:00 +0000

Nutrition Before and after workouts are the most crucial times to

1) Fuel your body for grueling weight training sessions, and

2) Start the repair and recovery process.

Pre-Workout Nutrition- Your body needs lots & lots of protein for body building. Its the most essential element that is likely going to be the staple food for you, in other words, your building blocks. Your pre-workout meal is going to provide you with energy and sustainability during your workout. A sound nutrition regimen, if followed correctly, will help you experience dramatically noticeable gains in muscle size and strength. To visualize the importance of pre-workout supplementation, picture your body running on an empty stomach while training. You may feel a little sluggish and your performance may suffer. If you're lucky, you may still achieve a little bit of a pump. But what you may not realize is that you're experiencing a dual negative effect. Get your pre workout meal before 1-2 hours before training. For starters, because you're running on near empty, your glycogen stores will be rapidly depleted. And once they are fully depleted, your body turns to your hard-earned muscle as its next closest source of available energy. The other negative consequence of improper pre-workout nutrition is that, when running on fumes, your intensity and strength capacity suffer. As a consequence, you're unable to push yourself to the limit, leading to a less-than-stellar performance in the gym. The end result: you're unable to stimulate your muscle fibers to the breaking point at which they'll form new scar tissue and new muscle mass. This is where the old adage "make every rep count" plays such an important role. And as you can now see, ignoring your pre-workout nutrition can be the difference between packing on more rock-solid muscle and remaining at yet another stubborn growth plateau. There are a plethora of supplements to choose from. So, when scanning store shelves be sure to select a fast-acting supplement that will quickly absorb into the bloodstream so you can feel rapid energizing results.

Have Caffeine-It is one of the most popular energy sources. It is easily available; you can get it from energy drinks, coffee, tea, coke. It's extremely effective in increasing your energy before a workout because it is such a fast acting substance. Caffeine increases your mental alertness. However, a word of caution, caffeine only offers a temporary boost of energy. Some may feel a crash after the effect of the caffeine wears off.

Post Workout Nutrition-Getting the proper amount of nutrients especially carbohydrates, proteins, electrolytes, and antioxidants is vital to achieve your physique goals. If you want to lose body fat, gain muscle, or just maintain, using a post workout drink is the most important time if any, to use a post workout supplement. When you workout, play sports etc your body uses glycogen from muscles for energy. Therefore, after training, muscle glycogen is depleted and muscle tissues will be broken down. Take advantage of the 40 minute window of opportunity you have after training. During this period your muscles will be craving nutrients and will act as a sponge ready to absorb anything and everything you feed them.

Most importantly you need to get protein; whey protein is ideal as it is a fast acting protein and is easily absorbed. Foods that are suitable for your protein would be chicken, oatmeal etc. Next are simple carbohydrates high on the glycemic index e.g. glucose, maltodextrin etc. which would be found in a post workout supplements or foods such as bananas, pineapples, white rice etc. The post workout meal should consist of 25 – 40 grams of protein, 30 – 50 grams of carbohydrates e.g. A post workout supplement or whey protein, added glutamine and a banana.

Adding supplements will greatly enhance your muscles recovery and help with growth and repair. There are many different options, you can use one or a combination of the below.

Here is a short description of some of the post workout supplements that you could use:

Whey Protein – Whey protein is ideal for post workout and indeed throughout the day as it is a fast acting protein. It is a complete protein which means it has all the amino acids and has a very high biological value which means it has a very high absorption rate.

Glutamine – Glutamine is the most common amino acid found in the muscles. During intense training glutamine levels are depleted which decreases strength, stamina & recovery. Supplementing with L Glutamine can minimize breakdown of muscle and improve protein metabolism. It also increases your ability to secrete Human Growth Hormone, which helps metabolize body fat and support new muscle growth.

Creatine – Supplementing with creatine will greatly increase your energy during workouts. It provides more energy during workouts due to ATP regeneration, increases strength & stamina.

Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) - These are the Essential Amino Acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. The essential branched chain amino acids are of special importance for active people because they are metabolized in the muscle, rather than in the liver. This means that, after digestion, once protein is broken down into individual amino acids, these BCAA’s can used within the muscle either to build new proteins or be burned as fuel to produce energy.

Tips For The Skinny To Gain Mass Muscle

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:56:00 +0000

Now how many times have you been embarrassed to have got a comment of being skinny too much. Your painful days are over. First, you should let go of the embarrassment thing and concentrate on improving your overall look out. Its possible very much.

Anthony Ellis-left-3 months transformation speaks about the potential.
Go out there, show the world you can actually do it. Here are some tips I know of which everyone uses to motivate themselves.
Challenging Yourself For The Motivation- Try increasing the amount of weight after each set or day. This can be possible by training to failure.

Nutrition- Eat the correct diet. You need lots of good nutrition with lots of water to stay healthy and fit and gain weight. Egg-whites, Whey Protein, Chicken etc. Grab em all. Eat a high protein, high calorie diet pre and post workout and should be under 1 hour of both.

Compound Exercises man- Compound exercises are multi-joint movements that rely on the coordinated actions of several muscle groups to move two or more joints through a range of motion. Compound exercises are multi-joint movements that rely on the coordinated actions of several muscle groups to move two or more joints through a range of motion. Examples are press, squats etc. These are much more beneficial than isolation exercises especially for skinny guys. Like I mentioned earlier, get those training for use.

Supplements-Only supplements won't do you any good if you just happen to sit at house and do nothing. Everything should go hand in hand to work.

Routine- Follow that routine which suits you and which is right for you. Not the one which pro body builders use. You are likely to end up hay-wire.

Frustration- Remember, frustration is a bad thing. Don't quit too early. Be Positive. Rome was not built in a day.

Proper Training- Using less no. of reps with heavy weight mostly does the trick for growth. Rely on this theory and you are sure to get rewarded. You should always take a day-off between workout days. Stretching is very important folks. Don't neglect this part. Stretching after each workout is important. Concentrate on free weights not machines.

It's always a good idea to book a session with a personal trainer to get set up on your first program until you have a better understanding of all the concepts involved with weight training. After that point, you can start playing around with your own program, implementing advanced training principles to help kick your results up a notch.

The Beginner's Guide to Body Building

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:22:00 +0000

Now all those nonsense in one place and the real business. People think that for maintaining a good body, you will have to give up normal life and put as much time to health exercises. The truth is something else. You will have plenty of time even if you have a busy schedule for your job. Follow the 3-day regime of Monday, Wednesday and Friday, that is it. And the ones who have got plenty of time, they can go often but I strongly emphasize on training 3 times a week. Body Building Champions and Mr.Olympia's use a 3 day routine. More than that will result will over-training actually which causes muscle damage-literally means you are damaging muscle tissues than building it.

   Train each part of your body just once a week. You might have heard about it. If you haven't start doing so. Soreness after lifting heavy weights is actually a good sign. As I posted in my previous post about muscle soreness. This tends to remain for sometime. Give that part a lil rest before the next workout on it. For eg. you concentrate on Chest & Upper Body on Monday, until next monday don't do the same.
    Legs are an important part of the body which needs to worked out. Do concentrate on it as it stimulates an overall growth in the body.
    So here it goes- the routine
    Monday- Chests, Shoulders, Triceps
    Tuesday- Rest
    Wednesday - Biceps, Back, Wrists
    Thursday - Rest
Friday - Legs, Abs
    Saturday - Rest
    Sunday - Rest
Rest does not mean that you have to rest completely like an unemployed but no more body building. Also be sure to change your workout plan each week. Keep Shuffling the wednesday and friday routine when your soreness after working on monday plan is high. Then after 2-3 weeks, do the legs first. This has been the core of routines in body building. Follow it. Don't give up too soon. Happy Body Building.

Weight Training

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:17:00 +0000

Weight training is a strength training for developing the strength and size of the muscle mass by using heavy weights. The results of overall health improvement, metabolism and body toning are tremendous. The major benefits of a weight training include looking trimmer and more youthful as one ages; increased metabolism and weight management; reduced stress and depression; prevention of the onset of diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. There are two basic types of weight lifting that produce different results. These principles become important for individuals who are training for certain sports. Exercisers who want to develop strength may train with heavy weights with fewer repetitions. On the other hand, individuals who want to develop muscle endurance may use light weights and more repetitions. Whatever the effect, heavy & light weight training may bring health benefits to anyone who engages in it.
Weight training causes micro-tears to the muscles being trained; this is generally known as micro-trauma. These micro-tears in the muscle contribute to the soreness felt after exercise, called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness(DOMS). It is the repair to these micro-trauma that result in muscle growth. Normally, this soreness becomes most apparent a day or two after a workout. However, as muscles become adapted to the exercises, soreness tends to decrease.

Ronie Coleman-8 times Mr.Olympia lifting 400lb weight.
Thats some tremendous and awesome display of strength.
Weight training aims to build muscle by prompting two different types of hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy leads to larger muscles so is favored by bodybuilders more than myofibrillar hypertrophy which builds athletic strength. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is triggered by increasing repetitions, whereas myofibrillar hypertrophy is triggered by lifting heavier weights. In either case, there is an increase in size and strength of the muscles (compared to if that same individual does not lift weights at all).

Read more at http://www.articlealley.com/article_1409670_17.html?ktrack=kcplink

Body Building - The History and Present Scenario

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:59:00 +0000

Body Building is the ways to sculpt or modify your body by transforming the fats in your body into large muscles. Building muscle is achieved through comprehensive muscle hypertrophy, or the scientific term that means the boost of muscle cells. There are a lot of ways to build your muscles; probably one of the most common and effective forms of body building is weight training. Weight training is one of the ways to improve the size and strength of the skeletal muscles by using assorted kinds of gym equipments such as barbells, weight machines, and dumbbells among others.
Some of the popular body builders are Arnold Schwarzenegger(my fav), Jay Cutler(2nd on my list), Ronnie Coleman(8 times winner) etc.

On left-Jay Cutler-he proved that if you work hard enough, and put enough laboratory-enhanced substances into your system, you too could own a limb that's freakishly bigger than your head.

Eugen Sandow - The father of modern bodybuilding, was the first who displayed his physique to a large number of audience. In those days bodies were displayed to communicate their strength. The audience response was so great that there was a musical film made inspired by Eugen Sandow. Whose role was played y Nat Pendleton.
The New York City - Madison Square Garden witnessed large scale bodybuilding competition on 16 Jan 1904. Al Treloar was declared the winner and was given $1000 as the cash prize. Two weeks later, a film was made on him by Thomas Edison.
World Bodybuilding Federation, in 1990 was created by Vince McMahon. Many of the IIFB stars were employed, but the venture never made it large. Due to the less money generated by it, McMahon was forced to put an end to it after two years, in 1992. The reason for their failure was also that due to the less number of people, repeated competitions took place, and soon interest was lost. Most of the times, it was won by Gary Strydom.
The IIFB in the early 2000's tried to make bodybuilding an Olympic sport. However it did not succeed as bodybuilding is not considered as a sport by some.

Left-Ronnie Coleman-8 times Mr. Olympia-known for his upper back and very developed pectorals-uses BSN supplements.

A person who has qualified in bodybuilding competitions and has earned a pro- card from IIFB. Professional bodybuilders stand a chance to compete at high level competitions such as Arnold Classic and New York Pro. Winner of these also the other good bodybuilders get a chance to compete for Mr. Olympia which is the highest title to be won in the entire field of bodybuilding.
Natural bodybuilding is another form of bodybuilding where the participants are regularly tested for the use of any illegal substances. It is mostly done by urine testing. Natural bodybuilding organizations banned the use of Anabolic steroids, Prohormone etc which is largely used by the professional bodybuilders. NANBF and NPA are a part of Natural bodybuilding organization.
Female Bodybuilding- the first true female bodybuilding competition was held in Ohio, in the year 1978. Basis of judgment was their muscularity. In 1980 the winner of the first Miss Olympia was Rachel McLish. This inspired many women and also a movie, in the year 1985 called Pumping Iron II.
Most body builders don't participate in any contest, common people just build around a good physique to have good confidence which is a very positive aspect and in fact the vast majority of bodybuilders also never compete, but body build for their own personal reasons. Body building nowadays have become a common trend for either show business, personal reasons, gain confidence, attract opposite sex or etc. So for better confidence having a better body is always a win-win situation. What would be your reason?

Why is Fitness Important?

noreply@blogger.com (Albert Basumatary) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 04:46:00 +0000

Health and Fitness are very important for you.

Looking at Arnold Schwarzenegger, some words might hit your mouth, Cool, huge and slender, you don't need that body to stay fit but you certainly need to be fit to stay healthy. Being active makes a person healthy and strong. It is not just for people who have a weight problem but for everyone who likes to stay fit.

Do you want to be that person on the yellow or fit and healthy and lean.
Studies show that fat people are more prone to diseases than skinny guys and they are much likelier to develop sugar problems and die earlier than their counterpart.
There is a lot you can do such as jogging or walk every morning, play basketball or any other sport with friends but if you want to have muscles and look lean like him, then you can sign up and workout in a gym.

People workout for 3 reasons;

The first is that the person is overweight and the only way to lose those extra pounds will be to reduce ones calorie intake and at the same time workout in the gym.

The second is that the person is underweight and the only way to add extra pounds is to have more calories in ones diet and workout.

The third is just for fun and to keep that person in shape.

The best exercise plan should have cardiovascular and weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase ones metabolism and gain or lose weight.

Don't neglect this - Just like taking any medicine, you should first consult the doctor before undergoing any form of exercise.

Here are some benefits of exercising

1.    It is the easiest way to maintain and improve ones health from a variety of diseases and premature death.

2.    Studies have shown that it makes a person feels happier and increases ones self esteem preventing one from falling into depression or anxiety.

3.    An active lifestyle makes a person live longer than a person who doesn’t.

Working out for someone who has not done it before should be done gradually. Endurance will not be built in a day and doing it repeatedly will surely be beneficial to the person.It is advisable to workout regularly with a reasonable diet. You can consult with a dietitian or a health professional to really help plan a good diet program. It starts by evaluating the lifestyle and the health of the patient before any program can be made.

A good diet should have food from all the food groups.

This is made up by 2 things. The first is carbohydrates. The food that a person consumes should have vitamins, minerals and fiber. A lot of this can come from oats, rice, potatoes and cereals. The best still come from vegetables and fruits since these have phytochemicals, enzymes and micronutrients that are essential for a healthy diet.

The second is fat which can come from mono and poly saturated food sources rather than animal fats. Since fat contains more than double the number of calories in food, this should be taken in small quantities to gain or lose weight.
Yet the most essential remains water, the elixir of life, this by far is the most essential thing you need for your health. It increases your metabolism, refines your systems and provides numerous benefits.

Another way to stay healthy is to give up some vices. Most people smoke and drink. Smoking has been proven to cause lung cancer and other diseases as well complications for women giving birth. Excessive drinking has also shown to do the same.
For people who don’t smoke, it is best to stay away from people who do since studies have shown that nonsmokers are also at risk of developing cancer due to secondary smoke inhalation.
We would like all those out there to just refrain from smoking. Its a really bad habit. Think for your own health.
Stay fit and stay healthy.