Muscle Genius

How To Treat Sciatica Nerve Pain At Home Without Medicines

2016-01-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

Sciatic Nerve Pain (sciatica, sciatic neuralgia, sciatic neuritis) is the pain felt in the left leg that originates from the lower back and go down the leg through your left hip. This pain is associated with the sciatic nerve which is the largest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve is responsible for connecting the leg muscles, the skin of the leg, thigh muscles, foot and limbs to the nervous system. Sciatic pain is common during ages between 25-40 years. Most of the time the pain goes away itself if the pain is due to mild lower back pain.

Causes Of Sciatica

Spinal disc herniation.
Dorsal nerve root compression.
Degenerative disc disease.
Lower back injuries.

Signs And Symptoms Of Sciatica

Pain in the left or right leg that goes down to limbs via hip.
Weakness in either leg.
Difficulty in bending lower back.

Out of the above-given causes, a lower back injury is the most common cause of sciatic nerve pain. A lumbar injury can be caused by incorrectly lifting heavy objects. The human spinal cord is composed of vertebrae which are separated by spinal discs. These discs are composed of a tough spongiform ring of cartilage and provide cushioning to the vertebrae.

This cushioning is strong enough to bear shocks when you jump from a height but becomes very weak when you lift a heavy object from either side of your body. Sciatic pain from lifting heavy weights is most common and be treated by oneself if the spinal disc herniation is not present.

Spinal cord vertebrae misalignment can also cause this pain. Taking NSAIDs or pregabalin in this case is of no use because the pain is rather physical than mental. If the vertebrae are aligned properly your pain will be gone. Misaligned vertebrae can also cause spinal nerve compression which may lead to sciatic pain. You can approach a chiropractor if this is the case with you. However, you can self-crack your back if the symptoms are not severe.

How To Treat Sciatic Nerve Pain At Home Without Medicines

This article assumes that your sciatic pain is due to a minor lower back injury or misaligned vertebrae. If you have other severe conditions like spinal disc herniation, piriformis syndrome, spinal stenosis or if you are pregnant then seek medical help and do not follow the instructions given here.

Below are some tips and exercises that will treat your sciatic pain without medicines.

1. Walking:

Make a habit of getting up early in the morning and going for a morning walk. Walk with variable speeds. Walking will help to exercise your legs also which will help you relieve the sciatic pain.

2. Abdominal Crunches:

This exercise will strengthen your core muscles. Strong core muscles will support your lower back and prevent the risk of injury further.

3. Barbell Deadlift:

Perform this exercise only under the supervision of your GYM trainer. This exercise helps to strengthen your lower back and will increase blood circulation around the lower back muscles. Regularly practicing this exercise will eliminate the sciatic nerve pain. You should first start with the barbell only then after few days you can use weights.

For people who don’t want to do this can practice the form only. To do this exercise, stand straight and bend your knees a little bit. Now start touching your toes with the hands keeping the lower back straight. As you gradually progress keep your legs straight because bending the knees is only used to support the injured back.

4. Have Someone Crack Your Back:

Cracking the back can also relieve the sciatic nerve pain. Cracking the back brings the vertebrae in their right position if done properly. Cracking helps to correct a pinched nerve. This should be done by a qualified person or a chiropractor. However, if you want to do it yourself then check this.

5. Alternate Leg Lifts:

Lie on your back on the floor and start lifting your legs one at a time. Gradually increase the angle to keep the leg as straight as possible.

6. Barbell Squats:

If you are feeling any weakness in your left or right leg then you can perform barbell squats to increase the blood circulation in leg muscles.

According to my experience, unless you get your back cracked by someone/chiropractor, you will not get relief from the sciatic pain. If there is a compressed nerve in your spine due to vertebrae misalignment then medicines or exercises won’t work great. But you can still try the above-listed exercises to get relief from sciatica.

How To Prevent Lower Back Injuries In The Gym

2016-01-05T01:06:00.000-08:00

Exercising in the gym is a good way to keep oneself fit and healthy. Exercising in the gym can help you lose weight and build muscle. Exercising in the gym also help to improve your metabolism and body’s blood circulation. If you weight train in the gym then you should be aware of the correct form and safety precautions taken while lifting weights. Weight training is the key to building muscles but it also poses some risks of serious injuries. You should lift weights to build muscle but not to injure yourself. The most common injuries that occur in a gym during weight training is the lower back injury. The lower back injury is a nightmare for every athlete since it takes a considerable amount of time to recover from the pain.

Serious lower back injuries may require physical therapies or spinal rehabilitation. So at any cost, it is better to prevent this serious injury. There are many exercises in the gym that can cause a lower back injury. You should practice good form to avoid any injury. Below are some workouts that may give you a lower back injury. If you lift weights correctly then you will be on a safer side.

How To Prevent Lower Back Injuries In The Gym

1. Barbell Curls:

Barbell curls are used to build the bicep muscle. However, it also helps to build the upper chest muscle a little. If you stand straight and lift the barbell then you are doing it the wrong way. This wrong form will put a heavy stress on the lower spine. Failing to do it the right way will cause lower back pain or spinal disc herniation.

To do it safely wear a support belt. Now open your legs and there should be a minimum distance between them equivalent to your shoulders. Now bend you knees a little bit, doing so will eliminate the risk of spinal injury. Bring down the barbell slowly.

2. Barbell Deadlift:

The barbell deadlift is used to strengthen the lower back muscles. You should bend your knees and while performing it, your spine should be straight. If you feel any pain while performing this then you may be doing it wrong.

3. Barbell Squat:

Barbell squat is the best free weight workout to build the thigh muscles. A heavy barbell squat allows the body to release testosterone and HGH (Human Growth Hormone) which helps the muscle to get bigger. Since it requires heavy weights loaded on your upper back, you should be aware of it correct form. The lower back injury may occur while lifting yourself up from the squatting position because it puts a heavy stress on the lower back muscles and spine. Make sure to wear a gym belt to support your back and stay in the correct form.

4. Machine Rowing:

The machine row workout helps to build the upper back muscles. To do this, you should sit on the machine with bent knees and pull the weights. While going forwards do not lean completely as this will completely stretch your lower back muscles and the lumbar spine will be completely bent. So while pulling the weights from this position, you will injure your lumbar spine. You should avoid this leaning. You should always use a lumbar support belt.

5. T-Bar Rowing:

This machine workout helps to build the upper back muscles. You have to stand on a platform then start rowing. While performing this exercise make sure that your back remain straight without leaning forwards. Slowly lift and bring down the weights to avoid muscle pull and tears. The lumbar support belt should be used.

These were some exercises that may give you lower back injuries if not done with proper safety and form. Performing weight training with correct form will always keep you on the safer side.

MuscleTech Nitro-Tech Whey Protein Supplement Review

2015-12-31T04:51:00.000-08:00

MuscleTech supplements are really helpful when it comes to gaining lean muscle mass. Everybody wants a lean body with well-toned muscles and MuscleTech supplements can help them achieve their muscle building goals. There are many whey protein supplements available today. The most popular of them is the ON Gold Standard 100% Whey which is quiet popular among beginners who just start to lift weights in the GYM. Every supplement has its own benefits. MuscleTech produces some of the highest quality protein supplements today that help you build muscles without any notable side-effects.

One of the whey protein supplements is the MuscleTech Nitro-Tech which is a value for money whey protein which actually gives results for your hard work done in the GYM. The Nitro-Tech WP contains all the essential amino acids and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) like L-alanine, L-valine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-glutamine, creatine, Glycine, and Taurine. The superior whey protein isolate and amino acid matrix make it a super lean muscle builder that actually works.

With one scoop (36 grams) of MuscleTech Nitro-Tech, you get high-quality WPI, amino acids and 3 grams of creatine. The presence of creatine allows it to be used as pre-workout and post-workout fuel. Taking half scoop as a pre-workout will boost your strength while exercising in the GYM. This is a value for money whey protein since it has creatine mixed in it and you don’t need to buy it separately. It can be used to gain lean muscles and it can also help you to lose the tummy fat. But you will only see the results when you combine your workout with proper diet and nutrition.

MuscleTech Nitro-Tech Whey Protein Powder Review

1. Appearance and Aroma:

The powder is fine and is non-sticky. The Vanilla flavor has a yellowish color. It has a very pleasant aroma.

2. Taste:

The Nitro-Tech tastes very good when mixed with skimmed milk. It is one of the best tasting protein powders that I have ever tasted. When one scoop is used completely it tastes sweet.

3. Mixability:

It mixes well in water or milk without leaving any granules. To mix it you should use a shaker. There is no need of using a blender to mix it.

4. No Bloating:

The MuscleTech Nitro-Tech is light on the stomach. It doesn’t alter your digestion and doesn’t give any kind of bloating feelings. All you have to do is to drink sufficient water while you are using this.

5. No Muscle Cramps:

It does not give any kind of muscle disorders like cramps or spasms.

6. Side-Effects:

There are actually no side-effects if you consume this protein powder in moderation. Only one scoop per day is enough for beginners and rest of the protein should come from natural sources like dairy products, eggs and fish etc.

7. Value For Money:

The MuscleTech Nitro-Tech is the best value for money Whey protein supplement. When you are using this then you don’t have to buy creatine separately because it is pre-mixed in it.

8. Low Carbs and Fats:

It only contains 1 gram carbohydrates, no trans fat and only 1.5 grams of fat.

9. Aspartame Free:

MuscleTech Nitro-Tech does not contain aspartame. Aspartame is not found in Whey Protein powders mostly manufactured in the United States (USA). Aspartame has health risks as it affects the mental health of a person using it.

How To Use MuscleTech Nitro-Tech

For Beginners:

Take half scoop with skimmed milk half hour before Workout. Then immediately take half scoop as a post-workout with skimmed milk. Do not take more than one scoop per day. Drink adequate water because this powder contains creatine. Read more about creatine.

For Pro Bodybuilders:

If you are a pro-bodybuilder then you can take a maximum of 3 scoops per day if want to completely rely on this supplement for your protein needs. But that won’t be a good idea. Just take maximum 2 scoops and rest nutrition should come from natural protein sources.

Warning:

MuscleTech Nitro-Tech should be taken with extreme care to prevent health risks. While using this protein powder you should drink enough water to get results and prevent dehydration. It has creatine mixed in it so dehydration caused by creatine will affect the working of your kidneys and liver. Read creatine side-effects. Drink more water and keep yourself away from dehydration and unusual health risks.

It should not be used by persons having kidney or liver problems. Pregnant women should also avoid this at any cost. People having indigestion problems should also not use it. If you are consuming it then monitor any changes in your health. Discontinue its use if you experience unusual symptoms.

If you have any questions then ask via comments.

Identify Fake/Genuine Optimum Nutrition Platinum Tri-Celle Casein Supplement

2015-02-17T03:36:00.002-08:00

Using any bodybuilding supplement will only be beneficial if it is genuine and authentic. You can find a plethora of muscle building protein supplements around you today. But it is hard to tell whether your protein supplement is genuine or fake. An authentic protein powder is manufactured from high quality ingredients to support muscle growth while a fake supplement is manufactured from denatured ingredients that will give you harmful effects on your body. In this post I am going to tell you how you can identify the genuine/fake ON Platinum Tri-Celle Casein from Optimum Nutrition. Don't buy this protein powder unless you read this post. It will clear all your doubts.

Tri-Celle means that the casein molecule is 3 times larger in this supplement as compared with the normal molecule. It forms a gel in the stomach which takes more than 6 hours to digest completely. The slow digesting property will prevent your muscles from going into catabolic state. You can take this protein supplement before going to bed and in between meals. Also you can stack it with other protein powders like whey gold standard, creatine or glutamine. However do not mix creatine and glutamine together.

Identify Fake/Genuine Optimum Nutrition Platinum Tri-Celle Casein Supplement

1. Check ON Logo : Check Optimum Nutrition logo with a 'TM' sign above it. The logo is white in color.

2. Check Authenticity Seal : You can find an authenticity seal around the tub's lid. This seal is silver in color and contains a hologram showing 'Authentic Optimum Nutrition Product'. Platinum Tri-Celle Casein without this seal may be fake.

3. MFG, Expiry Date & Lot Number : Always check manufacturing date and expiry date. An expired product is of no use because it can give you serious side effects. Also check the batch/lot number on the neck of the container.

4. Product Label : ON Platinum Tri-Celle Casein’s product label is printed with dark and vibrant colors with a shiny and smooth finish. You should check the label thoroughly, it should not look flimsy. It also lists 30g Whey Protein Isolates, 12.5g ECAAs and 200mg L-Theanine. You should check that this info is correct on your label.

5. Grammatical Errors : There is no room for grammatical errors on Optimum Nutrition’s product label. If you find any errors on the product label then it is fake.

7. Check Manufacturer’s Address : All ON products are mostly manufactured in the USA, so your Whey protein container should have the USA manufactures address. Check the back of the container. The address is mostly 975 Meridian Lake Dr. Aurora, IL 60504 (USA).

8. Scan The Bar Code : On the jar you will find a QR code and a bar code. Just scan these codes with your smartphone by using a QR code scanning app. It will show you product details. If the details come to be about ON Platinum Tri-Celle Casein then its genuine otherwise fake. When you scan the QR code then it will take you to Optimum Nutrition's website, while if you scan the bar code it will give you product details.

9. Buy From Authorized Resellers Only : You should buy ON Platinum Tri-Celle Casein directly from Optimum Nutrition if you live in USA. If you live outside of USA check the list of authorized resellers worldwide. The supplement bought from non authorized sellers have no guarantee of authenticity.

10. List of flavours : ON Platinum Tri-Celle Casein is currently available in only three flavours. These flavors are Chocolate Decadence, Vanilla Bliss and Strawberry Indulgence. The supplement comes only in 2.37 LBs tub which contains only 25 servings according to Optimum Nutrition's website.

Verify Lot/Batch Number With ON To Ensure Authenticity

You can verify your Platinum Tri-Celle Casein protein powder whether its genuine or fake from the following method.

Write a mail to ‘consumers@optimumnutrition.com’ including the LOT number of your product. Ask them to verify the lot number whether it is manufactured by them or not.
If you get a positive reply from Optimum Nutrition USA then your ON Platinum Tri-Celle powder is 100% genuine.
If your lot number doesn’t match with Optimum Nutrition’s product batch then your ON Platinum Tri-Celle is totally a fake one.

If you have any questions then reply via comments.

Difference Between ON 100% Whey Protein & ON Gold Standard 100% Whey

2015-02-16T05:14:00.000-08:00

Optimum Nutrition is the world's number 1 whey protein manufacturer which is now a part of Glanbia.Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard line of products have made it the king of supplements. Its been an award winning Whey protein since 9 years. Variety of flavors and their tastes make ON the best selling protein powder. I have written previously about the genuinity of Gold Standard Whey read here. It helped many beginners pro bodybuilders to find whether their ON products are genuine or not. But in this article I am going to tell you main differences between ON 100% Whey Protein and ON Gold Standard 100% Whey.

Difference Between ON 100% Whey Protein & ON Gold Standard 100% Whey

Contents	ON 100% Whey Protein	ON Gold Standard 100% Whey
1. Protein	ON 100% Whey Protein contains 23 grams of protein per serving.	ON Gold Standard 100% Whey contains 24 grams of protein per serving.
2. Fat	The fat content is 1.5 grams out of which 0.5 gram is saturated fat. There is no trans fat.	The fat content in ON Gold Standard 100% Whey is 1.5 grams out of which 1 gram is saturated fat. There is no trans fat.
3. Sugars	ON 100% Whey protein contains only 1 gram of sugar and a total of 3 gram carbohydrate.	ON Gold Standard 100% Whey contains 2 grams of sugar and a total of 3 grams carbs
4. Serving Size	The serving size is 29.4 grams.	The serving size is 32 grams.
5. Container Weight	Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein is only available in 1Lbs container.	It is available in 2Lbs, 5Lbs and 10Lbs containers.
6. Cholesterol	It has 30 mg cholesterol in just one serving.	It has 40 mg cholesterol in one serving.
7. Sodium	It has 60 mg sodium per serving.	It has 110 mg Sodium per serving
8. BCAAs	5 grams BCAAs.	5.5 grams BCAAs.
9. Price	The price per LBs is higher.	The price per LBs is lower than ON 100% Whey.

These were the main differences between ON 100% Whey and ON Gold Standard Whey. Buying the Gold Standard 100% Whey is a better choice than buying the 100% Whey 1 LBs because Gold Standard 100% Whey comes for less price per LBs. Consider buying a 2LBs tub which will save your money as compared to two 1 LBs tubs.

Identify Fake/Genuine Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey

2014-09-03T05:47:00.002-07:00

ON Platinum Hydrowhey is the most advanced protein supplement available today. With Platinum Hydrowhey Protein we are able to pack 30g of Whey Protein Isolates, 8.8g BCAAs, 15.5g EAAs in one serving size of 39g. This supplement is effective for muscle building and recovery. By hydrolyzing whey protein isolates to break larger proteins down into smaller pieces, these ultra-pure whey isolates are able to get into your body rapidly, enabling your muscles to start recovering from heavy training.

Whatever supplement you buy genuinity is the first concern. Any whey protein powder will only be effective if it is produced from high quality ingredients. While fake and cheap protein may contain anabolic steroids which give fast results along with lots of side effects and dangers.

So in this article I am going to tell you how can you identify fake Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey protein powder because it is the most selling WPI powder, so if you do not know about its originality then anyone can make you fool and sell you a fake one.

Identify Fake Optimum Nutrition [ON] Platinum Hydrowhey

I am telling the features of authentic ON Platinum Hydrowhey, so you can match them with the product you are buying. If features do not match it will probably a fake supplement.

1. Check Logo & Seal : The ON logo is white is color with black outline and can be seen below right corner on red label. It has a TM over the logo. Without TM logo the product is fake. The container should be sealed properly from outside especially the lid is properly sealed if ON Platinum Hydrowhey is genuine. Do not buy if there is no seal.

2. Lot Number : Every optimum nutrition product has a lot number which signifies that it belongs to the original ON product batch. This number can be found on the neck of the jar.

3. MFG and Expiry Date : Always check manufacturing date and expiry date. An expired product is of no use because it can give you serious side effects.

4. Product Label : ON Platinum Hydrowhey’s product label is printed with dark and vibrant colors with a shiny and smooth finish. You should check the label thoroughly, it should not look flimsy. It also lists 30g Whey Protein Isolates, 15.5g ECAAs and 8.8g BCAAs. You should check that this info is correct on your label.

5. Grammatical Errors : There is no room for grammatical errors on Optimum Nutrition’s product label. If you find any errors on the product label then it is fake.

7. Check Manufacturer’s Address : All ON products are mostly manufactured in the USA, so your Whey protein container should have the USA manufactures address. Check the back of the container. The address is mostly 975 Meridian Lake Dr. Aurora, IL 60504 (USA).

8. Scan The Bar Code : On the jar you will find a QR code and a bar code. Just scan these codes with your smartphone by using a QR code scanning app. It will show you product details. If the details come to be about ON Platinum Hydrowhey then its genuine otherwise fake. When you scan the QR code then it will take you to Optimum Nutrition's website, while if you scan the bar code it will give you product details.

On scanning the bar code with a smartphone app I get the following info about this product.

9. Buy From Authorized Resellers Only : You should buy ON Platinum Hydrowhey directly from Optimum Nutrition if you live in USA. If you live outside of USA check the list of authorized resellers worldwide. The supplement bought from non authorized sellers are totally fake.

10. Bottom Of Container : The bottom of the container has 'Polycon' written on it, basically "P" inside a triangle. Polycon is a company which makes plastic containers for Optimum Nutrition. But it is not compulsory. Some will find that 'PONT' is written on the bottom of the container, and sometimes nothing will be written except HDPE (High Density Poly Ethene).

11. List Of Flavors : ON Platinum Hydrowhey protein powder is available in 6 delicious flavors. I am giving the list of all flavors of ON Platinum Hydrowhey. If you see any other flavor other than listed here will be fake.

Velocity Vanilla
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Cookies & Cream Overdrive
Supercharged Strawberry
Turbo Chcoloate
Chocolate Mint

Genuine ON Platinum Hydrowhey Verification

You can verify your Platinum Hydrowhey protein powder whether its genuine or fake from the following method.

Write a mail to ‘consumers@optimumnutrition.com’ including the LOT number of your product. Ask them to verify the lot number whether it is manufactured by them or not.
If you get a positive reply from Optimum Nutrition USA then your ON Platinum Hydrowhey powder is 100% genuine.
If your lot number doesn’t match with Optimum Nutrition’s product batch then your ON Hydrowhey is totally a fake one.

Special Genuinity Check For Indian Users

If you live in India then it is hard to find genuine ON supplement, but do not worry please follow the below steps carefully.

NEULIFE Nutrition Systems regulate Optimum Nutrition sales in India. Neulife is the only authorized dealer of ON products in India. You should always buy ON Platinum Hydrowhey from authorized neulife store. To locate store in your area see this.
Check that your ON Platinum jar has a neulife VAT sticker with 3D hologram. This proves its genuinity. Optimum Nutrition products without neulife seal in India are totally fake. Do not buy it. Neulife seal is must for ON products in India.

Now you can apply the entire tutorial to find whether your ON product is genuine or fake.
Also you can verifiy your lot number with ON by writing a mail as I told you above.

You can now identify fake ON Platinum Hydrowhey Powder. If you still have doubts feel free to ask via comments.

Identify Fake/Genuine Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Casein Protein Powder

2014-09-01T10:08:00.001-07:00

ON Gold Standard 100% Casein is the best casein protein supplement available today. It is the award winning king of the protein supplements since 9 years and is the top-selling protein powder. With Gold Standard Casein Protein we are able to pack 24g of Casein Protein Isolates, 10g Amino Acids including EAAS (Tryptophan, Valine, Threonine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Phenylalanine, Methionine), CAAs (Arginine, Cystine, Tyrosine, Histidine, Proline, Glutamine) and NAAs (Aspartic Acid, Serine, Glycine, Alanine) in a serving size of 33 grams. This supplement is effective for muscle building and recovery. It comes with Micellar Casein.

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Casein Protein is a great way to feed your body when you are unable to eat for a long time say 5-6 hours. The Gold Standard Casein protein has anti-catabolic or muscle protecting proteins properties which prevents your body’s fuel system to take nutrition from the muscles. By catabolic state we mean that when we don’t eat for more than 3 hours then our body start to eat itself because it needs energy to work. It takes energy from our muscles in catabolic state to feed itself. While sleeping we are in catabolic state because we are not going to eat for full 8 hours and during this time our body will eat itself. This situation is not good for any bodybuilder who is focusing on muscle gain.

To prevent the catabolic state we can use ON Gold Standard 100% Casein protein. This protein powder is a slow digesting protein which takes around 6-7 hours to digest completely. Due to its slow digestion it readily provides us protein whenever we are unable to eat for a longer time. The ON casein protein is mostly taken before going to sleep.

It is good that you are taking the ON casein to supplement your body even while sleep, but this protein powder has no benefit if it is a fake one. Fake ON Casein may give you serious side effects and most of them are very harmful. So in this tutorial I am going to tell you how to check if Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Casein is fake or genuine.

Identify Fake Optimum Nutrition [ON] Gold Standard 100% Casein Protein

I am telling the features of genuine ON Gold Standard 100% Casein, so you can match them with the product you are buying. If features do not match it will probably a fake supplement.

1. Buy From Authorized Resellers Only : You should buy ON Gold Standard 100% Casein directly from Optimum Nutrition if you live in USA. If you live outside of USA check the list of authorized resellers worldwide. ON 100 Casein bought from non authorized sellers are totally fake.

2. Lot Number : Every optimum nutrition product has a lot number which signifies that it belongs to the original ON product batch. This number can be found on the neck of the jar.

3. MFG and Expiry Date : Always check manufacturing date and expiry date. An expired product is of no use because it can give you serious side effects.

4. Product Label : ON Gold Standard 100% Casein’s product label is printed with dark and vibrant colors with a shiny and smooth finish. You should check the label thoroughly, it should not look flimsy. It also lists 24g WPI, 5.5g BCAAs and 4g Glutamine. You should check that this info is correct on your label.

5. Grammatical Errors : There is no room for grammatical errors on Optimum Nutrition’s product label. If you find any errors on the product label then it is fake.

6. Check Seal : The container should be sealed properly from outside especially the lid is properly sealed if ON Gold 100 Casein is genuine. Do not buy if there is no seal.

7. Check Manufacturer’s Address : All ON products are mostly manufactured in the USA, so your Casein protein container should have the USA manufactures address. Check the back of the container.

9. Check ON Logo : The ON logo is white is color with black outline and can be seen below right corner on red label. It has a TM over the logo. Without TM logo the product is fake.

11. Amount Of Sugars : The amount of sugars depend on the type of the flavor you are buying. For example chocolate supreme flavor has 0 grams sugar while chocolate peanut butter flavor has 1g sugar and cookies and cream has 2g sugars.

12. List Of Flavors : ON Gold Standard 100% Casein Protein Powder is available in 10 delicious flavors. I am giving the list of all flavors of ON nutrition casein 100. If you see any other flavor other than listed here will be fake Optimum nutrition gold standard 100 casein.

Banana Cream
Blueberries & Cream
Chocolate Cake Batter
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Chocolate Supreme
Cookie Dough
Cookies and Cream
Creamy Vanilla
Raspberry Smoothie
Strawberry

Genuine ON Gold Standard 100% Casein Protein Verification

You can verify your Gold Standard casein protein powder whether its genuine or fake from the following method.

Write a mail to ‘consumers@optimumnutrition.com’ including the LOT number of your product. Ask them to verify the lot number whether it is manufactured by them or not.
If you get a positive reply from Optimum Nutrition USA then your ON Gold Standard Casein powder is 100% genuine.
If your lot number doesn’t match with Optimum Nutrition’s product batch then your ON Casein Gold is totally a fake one.

Special Genuinity Check For Indian Users

If you live in India then it is hard to find genuine ON Gold Standard supplement, but do not worry please follow the below steps carefully.

NEULIFE Nutrition Systems regulate Optimum Nutrition sales in India. Neulife is the only authorized dealer of ON products in India. You should always buy ON Gold Casein from authorized neulife store. To locate store in your area see this.
Check that your ON 100 Casein jar has a neulife VAT sticker with 3D hologram. This proves its genuinity. Optimum Nutrition Casein Gold without neulife seal in India is totally fake. Do not buy it. Neulife seal is must for ON products in India.

Now you can apply the entire tutorial to find whether your ON product is genuine or fake.
Also you can verifiy your lot number with ON by writing a mail as I told you above.

You can now identify fake ON Gold Standard 100% Casein Powder with micellar casein. If you still have doubts feel free to ask via comments.

Identify Fake/Genuine Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein

2014-09-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

ON Gold Standard 100% Whey is the best whey protein supplement available today. It is the award winning king of the protein supplements since 9 years and is the top-selling protein powder. With Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein we are able to pack 24g of Whey Protein Isolates, 5.5g BCAAs, 4G of glutamine and precursors in one serving size of 31g. This supplement is effective for muscle building and recovery. It also contains HYDROWHEY, hydrolyzed whey peptides and essential BCAAs (Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine).

Whatever supplement you buy genuinity is the first concern. Any whey protein powder will only be effective if it is produced from high quality ingredients. While fake and cheap protein may contain anabolic steroids which give fast results along with lots of side effects and dangers.

So in this article I am going to tell you how can you identify fake Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey because it is the most selling WPI powder, so if you do not know about its originality then anyone can make you fool and sell you a fake one. ON Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey is not available in 1LB. If you are buying the 1LB/450 grams container then Gold Standard won't be written on it. It is only ON 100% Whey with only 23g WPIs. See the image below.

Identify Fake Optimum Nutrition [ON] Gold Standard 100% Whey

I am telling the features of genuine ON Gold Standard 100% Whey, so you can match them with the product you are buying. If features do not match it will probably a fake supplement.

1. Check ON Logo : The ON logo is white is color with black outline and can be seen below right corner on red label. It has a TM over the logo. Without TM logo the product is fake.

2. Lot Number : Every optimum nutrition product has a lot number which signifies that it belongs to the original ON product batch. This number can be found on the neck of the jar.

3. MFG and Expiry Date : Always check manufacturing date and expiry date. An expired product is of no use because it can give you serious side effects.

4. Product Label : ON Gold Standard 100% Whey’s product label is printed with dark and vibrant colors with a shiny and smooth finish. You should check the label thoroughly, it should not look flimsy. It also lists 24g WPI, 5.5g BCAAs and 4g Glutamine. You should check that this info is correct on your label.

5. Grammatical Errors : There is no room for grammatical errors on Optimum Nutrition’s product label. If you find any errors on the product label then it is fake.

6. Check Seal : The container should be sealed properly from outside especially the lid is properly sealed if ON Gold 100 Whey is genuine. Do not buy if there is no seal.

7. Check Manufacturer’s Address : All ON products are mostly manufactured in the USA, so your Whey protein container should have the USA manufactures address. Check the back of the container.

9. Buy From Authorized Resellers Only : You should buy ON Gold Standard 100% Whey directly from Optimum Nutrition if you live in USA. If you live outside of USA check the list of authorized resellers worldwide. ON 100 Whey bought from non authorized sellers are totally fake.

10. Bottom Of Container : The bottom of the container has 'Polycon' written on it, basically "P" inside a triangle. Polycon is a company which makes plastic containers for Optimum Nutrition. For UK versions of Gold Standard Whey 'Pont Packaging' will be written, but it is not necessary, sometimes nothing is written on the jar bottom.

11. List Of Flavors : ON Gold Standard 100% Whey Powder is available in 17 delicious flavors. I am giving the list of all flavors of ON nutrition whey 100. If you see any other flavor other than listed here will be fake Optimum nutrition gold standard 100 whey.

Delicious Strawberry
Rocky Road
Double Rich chocolate : Read Review
Banana Cream
Caramel Toffee Fudge
Chocolate Malt
Chocolate Mint
Cookies and Cream
Extreme Milk Chocolate
French Vanilla Creme
Mocha Cappuccino
Strawberry Banana
Vanilla Ice Cream
Tropical Punch
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Cinnamon Graham Cracker
Strawberry Milkshake

Check Whether The Powder Is Original

Whey protein powder can not be easily mixed with milk or water. When we mix the powder in milk or water to make a protein shake then it form lumps in the milk or water which proves its genuinity. The powder can't be completely mixed without using a blender. Use a blender to mix all the lumps in the protein shake so that you can digest it completely. See the image below in which ON Gold 100 Whey forms lump.

Genuine ON Gold Standard 100% Whey Verification

You can verify your Gold Standard 100% Whey protein powder whether its genuine or fake from the following method.

Write a mail to ‘consumers@optimumnutrition.com’ including the LOT number of your product. Ask them to verify the lot number whether it is manufactured by them or not.
If you get a positive reply from Optimum Nutrition USA then your ON Gold Standard 100% Whey powder is 100% genuine.
If your lot number doesn’t match with Optimum Nutrition’s product batch then your ON Whey Gold is totally a fake one.

Special Genuinity Check For Indian Users

If you live in India then it is hard to find genuine ON Gold Standard supplement, but do not worry please follow the below steps carefully.

NEULIFE Nutrition Systems regulate Optimum Nutrition sales in India. Neulife is the only authorized dealer of ON products in India. You should always buy ON Gold Whey from authorized neulife store. To locate store in your area see this.
Check that your ON 100 Whey jar has a neulife VAT sticker with 3D hologram. This proves its genuinity. Optimum Nutrition Whey Gold without neulife seal in India is totally fake. Do not buy it. Neulife seal is must for ON products in India.

Now you can apply the entire tutorial to find whether your ON product is genuine or fake.
Also you can verifiy your lot number with ON by writing a mail as I told you above.

You can now identify fake ON Gold Standard 100% Whey Powder. If you still have doubts feel free to ask via comments.

Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein Supplement Review

2014-08-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein powder as the name suggests is the best whey protein isolate supplement available today. There are many protein supplements in the market but since past 20 years ON is the leading Whey protein supplier. On 100% Whey protein isolate is best because it is the most selling Whey protein supplement and it suits almost every person whether they are a beginner or a professional. Whey protein isolates are the most expensive types of protein when it comes to muscle building

There is a slight difference between 100% Whey and ON Gold Standard. The Gold Standard Whey contains 24 grams of protein while the latter contains 23 grams. However other ingredients are same like BCAA which are 5.5 grams in Gold standard and 5 grams in 100% Whey. ON Gold Standard is not available in 1 LBs

In this article I am going to review the Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey protein supplement 1 LBs. It comes in 13 flavours but I am going to review the Double Rich Chocolate flavour.

ON 100% Whey Protein Powder Double Rich Chocolate 1LB Review

1. Appearance & Texture : The powder is light brown in color and is finely ground. It has a mouth watering chocolate smell.

2. Mixability : The powder mixes well in milk if you are using a blender. But while mixing with a spoon the powder forms brown lumps which cannot be mixed completely without a blender. On mixing completely the blended shake gives out white froth which looks like cappucino, hmmm Yummy.

3. Taste : The double rich chocolate flavor of ON 100% Whey protein is my best. It is so tasty that I won't take more than 30 seconds to drink it completely. You can try other flavors.

4. Serving Size : The serving size is 1 rounded scoop (29.4g). The scoop is supplied with the container. With one scoop you will get 120 calories, 3 grams of glutamine, 1g sugar, 3g carbs, calcium 10%, iron 2%. Also you will get 5 grams BCAA (Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine). It also contains Whey protein concentrates and HYDROWHEY, Hydrolyzed Whey Peptides, LACTASE and AMINOGEN and over 3 grams of Glutamine.

5. No Side Effects : This Whey protein supplement is light on stomach. It won't give you dehydration, muscle cramps or gastrointestinal upset. But you should consume 1gm of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Combine your meals with this supplement and only take 1-2 servings per day. Do not use it as a protein replacement. It should not be used as a sole source of nutrition. If you are taking it then you have to exercise hard to build muscle. You can take it with creatine.

Optimum Nutrition [ON] Micronized Creatine Powder Review

2014-08-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that is naturally found in vertebrates and supply energy to all cells of the body. It increases the formation of Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP) which is produced by mitochondria in the cell. In humans it is produced in liver, kidneys and pancreas from amino acids L-Arginine, Glycine and L-Methionine.

In this article I am going to review ON Mironized Creatine powder 0.6 LBs, 10.6 OZ from Optimum Nutrition.

Optimum Nutrition [ON] Micronized Creatine Powder Review

ON Micronized creatine monohydrate powder is the best creatine supplement. Each scoop of 5 gms of this supplement provides 99.9% pure creapure creatine monohydrate. Now I am going to review it and tell about its performance and quality after using it for one week.

Physical Appearance : ON creatine powder comes in a black plastic container with a green product label. The container is properly sealed from inside and outside. The inside seal has a text label ‘Sealed for your protection’.

Powder Properties : From Micronized we mean that the powder is ground to fines possible particles so that it can easily mix with water or juice. The powder is white in color and is odorless, but when you put your nose inside the container you will get a strong nitrogenous odor as like of ammonia. This indicates that your creatine powder is pure.
Mixability : ON Micronized creatine powder is eay to mix with any liquid like juice or water. You can mix it with your whey protein shakes and protein powder and take it before or after workout, whatever you like. Do not mix it with acidic juices as doing so may give you a burning stomach. Always take this supplement with simple carbs or glucose or dextrose.
Tasteless : This supplement has no specific taste.
Genuinity : Genuinity is the major concern with any kind of supplement that you are buying. If you are buying ON products then be sure that it is properly sealed and genuine. Check for ON logo, grammatical errors and quality of the label. If you live in USA then you can directly buy this supplement from Optimum Nutrition’s website. Read Check Whether ON Creatine Is Genuine Or Fake.

Results After One Week
I skipped the creatine loading and directly moved to maintenance and was taking only 3-5 grams dose per day. Within one week my muscles size increased a little bit which means that I has started to get results. To get fast results you have to drink more water at least 4 litres a day. You can read the following articles for more information.

How To Take Creatine Monohydrate Supplement: A Complete Guide - Read Here
Is Creatine Safe? What Are Its Side Effects And Dangers – Read Here

Read the above two articles to further explore knowledge about creatine to be safe.

What Are Creatine Side Effects, Dangers And Warnings

2014-08-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Creatine is an amino acid naturally produced in the human liver and is mostly found in skeletal muscles. It is a source of energy which is used by our muscles to form ATP (Adenosine Tri Phosphate) which is used as energy. Because creatine pulls more water in our muscle cells they look slightly bigger due to water retention. Initial gain is just water weight and you have to work hard and eat a regular diet to gain pure lean muscle mass. However in this post I will tell you some side effects of creatine, its dangers and warnings.

Note: Creatine side effects will appear if you take more than 5 grams per day. Simply saying, overdosage of creatine has serious dangers and side effects. Creatine is safe when taken only 3-5 grams per day for only month.

Creatine Side Effects, Dangers And Warnings

1. Kidney Damage: Overdosage of creatine will damage the kidneys because kidneys excrete creatinine which is the by product of creatine. Overdosage will put heavy stress on the kidneys because they will be busy all the time in excreting creatinine and some point beyond their capability they will fail. Even normal dosages of creatine can put harmful effects on kidneys. Make sure to drink more water per day atleast 3 litres per day to keep yourself hydrated and prevent kidney damage. More than 10 grams per day can cause Rhabdomyolysis (Sudden kidney failure). If you drink more water and only take 3-5 grams dosage per day then you will see maximum results in muscle gain without any side effects.

Note: People having kidney/renal problem should always avoid creatine because their kidneys will be damaged if they take this supplement.

2. Liver Damage: Liver naturally produces creatine, so overdosage can cause the liver to stop producing its own creatine and that’s why it will get damaged. Only 3-5 grams dosage is enough per day.

3. Gastro-Intestinal Upset: You may feel stomach upset after taking creatine. But it is rare. If you drink it on an empty stomach then you may feel a burning sensation in the gut or stomach. To avoid this always drink creatine with glucose powder or dextrose powder and easily digesting carbohydrates. You can also take it with whey protein supplement before or after workout. Avoid taking creatine with acidic juices and fruit drinks because this will surely give you burning feeling in the stomach.

4. Muscle Tears And Sports Injury: As you know that creatine is used for strength and energy to increasing exercising performance. So after taking it you can lift heavy weights. But how heavy, depends on your strength. Lifting weights incorrectly can give you serious sports injury like muscle tears, sprain, strain, a pulled muscle, pinched nerve, spinal problems or any other kind of injury. Some injuries may be temporary but some may be permanent that require medical attention. So always make sure that you will lift weights correctly to avoid injury. Avoid training the muscles to failure because they may get torn giving you serious muscle pain that take long time to recover. This is totally foolishness to injure yourself because these injuries are 100% avoidable. This is just a warning not a creatine side-effect.

5. Avoid Medicines: You cannot take medicines and creatine together as taking them both will increase risks of unknown side-effects because some medicines like diuretics, NSAIDs and cimetidine increase risk of kidney damage when taken along with creatine. Whatever medications you are taking, consult your GP or general physician first.

6. Other Things To Avoid: You should avoid caffeine and glutamine. Caffeine dehydrates the body while glutamine negates the creatine effects. If you want to take them both then have 4 hours gap between creatine and glutamine.

7. Creatine Can Affect Blood Sugar: Make sure that your blood sugar is normal. Diabetic patients should totally avoid creatine. If you are not sure about your blood sugar levels get a health checkup.

Warning

Always buy genuine creatine. Fake creatine powders will surely give you health risks. Read Identify Genuine Creatine.
If you have a history a of kidney, liver or blood sugar problems then you can’t take it.
If you have any doubts then feel free to ask via comments.

Everything You Need To Know Before Taking Creatine Supplement

2014-08-26T08:36:00.002-07:00

Creatine has been around us since over two decades and it is most popular pre/post workout supplement among athletes and bodybuilders. Due to vast research on creatine monohydrate it is considered safe to consume as far as it is from a reputable manufacturer and taken in controlled and recommended dosages. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) does not ban creatine because there is no evidence that it is bad for health and vital organs. However NCAA doesn't advice its students to take it.

In this article I am going to tell you some importants facts that you need to know before taking creatine. If you are taking it for the first time in life or never used it before then please do not ignore this article because incorrect usage of creatine is always dangerous. The main goal of this tutorial is to educate anyone about creatine, its benefits, its health risks and other facts.

After reading this article you will be able to decide whether to take creatine supplements or not.

Things To Know Before Taking Creatine Monohydrate

Whats Is Creatine

It is an amino acide which is naturally produced in the liver and kidneys in human body. Creatine supplement are used for getting more energy in order to increase performance in sports and resistance training.

How Does It Work

It is stored in muscles as creatine phosphate. During weight lifting or high intensity training phosphocreatine is converted into ATP (Adenosine Tri Phosphate) which is responsible for providing energy to the muscles.This simply means that we take creatine only to increase muscle strength so that we can lift heavy weights in order to gain lean muscle mass. Basically creatine pulls water into muscle cells that's why muscles look bigger due to water weight. Overtime this water weight can be converted into muscle mass with regular exercise and balanced diet.

Do note here that creatine can help you in gaining lean muscle, it will not build lean muscle. You will build lean muscle through your balanced nutritious diet. When you take creatine then you have to drink more water atleast 4 litres a day. This increased water intake helps in protein absorption in your body which enhances muscles growth and repair.

What You Have Learnt

You now know what creatine is and what it does. Now I will tell you some important points and facts about creatine that will help you to take it safely and prevent any injuries to your body that may arise due to incorrect usage and incomplete knowledge.

Before Taking Creatine You Should Be Aware Of The Following Facts

1. Physical Health: Before taking creatine you should ensure that you are perfectly healthy and free from any kind of kidney or liver diseases. If you have liver or kidney problems then you can not take this supplement. Also if you are taking any medications then consult your doctor or general physician before taking it. It can not be taken with NSAIDs medicines because it increases several health risks.

2. Exercise Is Necessary: There is no point of taking creatine supplements if you do not exercise. It has no benefit without doing proper exercises. Workout is necessary to gain muscle mass.

3. Creatine Causes Dehydration: With creatine dehydration is a serious problem as it pulls water into your muscles by taking it from your vital organs. So its your duty to keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water. You should drink atleast 3 litres of water per day. When you keep yourself hydrated you will see maximum results in muscle gains. Also your kidneys will have to do less work and they will be able to excrete creatinine effectively. Creatinine is a by product of creatine, excess of which is thrown out of your body via kidneys. High creatinine is not good for liver and kidneys. That is why I urge you to drink more and more water to avoid kidney damage.

4. Only Consume Micronized Creatine Powder: Creatine is available in many forms as tablets, energy bars, non-micronized powders and liquid creatine. You should totally avoid liquid form because its a total waste and is degraded. You should always consume micronized powder because it easily dissolver in water.

5. Creatine Should Be Genuine: Since creatine is not regulated by FDA we can't say what we are getting in the containers that we buy. You have to be double sure about the quality and genuinity of creatine that you are buying. Only buy this supplement from renowned manufacturers like ON (Optimum Nutrition), Dymatize or Muscletech. Only buy from authorized dealers and resellers which are approved by manufatures. Do check for proper seal, lot number, manufacturing date and expiry date.

Read Identify Fake Creatine Monohydrate

6. Avoid Overdosage: The recommended creatine dosage is 5 grams per day taken 4 times during loading phase and 3-5 grams during maintenance period. 3 grams per day is sufficient if you weigh less than 60 KG. According to EFSA (Europe Food Safety Authority) creatine dosage of 3 grams per day is risk free. More than 10 grams per day for six weeks can cause Rhabdomyolysis (sudden kidney failure) as revealed by a study only in one case.

Overdosage of creatine supplements may stop the body from making its own natural creatine thereby damaging the liver.

7. For How Long We Can Take Creatine: Creatine Monohydrate supplements can be taken for one month only with recommended dosage. After one month you have to stop taking it. Before you start taking it again you should wait one month so that your body'd creatinine level return to normal as higher creatinine levels are not good for liver and kidneys. If you have stopped taking the supplement in the end of April then you can start taking it again from 1st June.

8. Creatine Loading Is Not Necessary: Most GYM trainers recommend beginners to start with creatine loading. In loading phase you have to take 20 grams creatine divided in four dosages of 5 grams each for the initial five days. But there is no need to go in loading phase. You can get same benefits with single dosage of 5 grams per day for the next 30 days. Loading phase is not recommended if you are a beginner and weigh less then 60 KGs.

9. Creatine May Cause Sports Injury: Creatine provides energy boosts during workout. So you should be careful about your weight lifting techniques because lifting heavy weights incorrectly can cause any kind of sports injury like muscle sprain, strain, spinal sprain, permanent muscle damage, torn muscles or any other injury.

These injuries can be easily avoided if you lift weights correctly and never train to failure because training to failure while being on this supplement may damage the muscles and tears may occur in them. Muscles will take longer to recover and they won’t grow as you want them to. This is not a side effect but totally depends on your exercise technique. Work hard but don’t injure yourself.

List Of Medicines That You Can't Take Along With Creatine

Below is a list of medicines that you can not take if you are consuming creatine supplement. However this is not the complete list, consult your physician if you take any other medications before taking creatine to avoid health risks.

Caffeine: Caffeine negates positive effects of creatine and it increases dehydration.
NSAIDs: Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs can increase risk of kidney damage when taken with creatine.
Diuretics: Diuretics increase risk of kidney damage and dehydration when taken along with creatine.
Cimetidine: It can cause renal damage.
Glutamine: Glutamine also negates creatine effects because they cancel out each other's effects when taken together. There should be 4 hours gap between these two supplements if you are taking them both.

Now you have learnt enough about creatine and can possibly use it without health risks.

Now please read the following articels for further knowledge about side effects.

How To Take Creatine Supplement

2014-08-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

Creatine is an amino acid which is used by athletes to increase performance in sports, bodybuilding and wieght training. In human body creatine increases the formation of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) which is responsible for providing energy boosts during strength training.It is naturally produced in liver by amino acids L-arginine, glycine and L-methionine.

Creatine Monohydrate is the most used form of creatine, so always buy only this type. With creatine you can lift heavier weights in GYM that can enhance muscle mass and strength, today most manufacturers are bringing creatine with creapure which delivers 99.9% pure creatine monohydrate in a dose of 5 grams.

If you are planning to buy creatine or using it for the first time then read this first.

Things to know before taking creatine

Creatine is taken in two phases

Loading phase
Maintenance phase

Creatine Loading : In loading phase you have to take 15-20 grams creatine per day for initial 5 days. You should divided 20 gms in 4 doses each of 5 gms taken in morning, afternoon, evening and night. You should drink more water to avoid kidney damage during this phase.

Maintenance Phase : In maintenance phase you have to take only 2-3 grams creatine per day. You can take maximum of 5 gms in maintenance phase to avoid kidney damage. Drinking more water is a compulsion.

Creatine Loading vs Maintenance

Studies have shown that creatine maintenance would have same effect on one's body as compared to creatine loading but it takes little longer around a month to get the same effect. Creatine loading is not necessary and you can skip to maintenance phase taking only 5gms creatine per day.

How To Take Creatine

First of all you should have genuine creatine supplements from manufacturers like ON [Optimum Nutrition], Muscletech or Dymatize. Read the article to check creatine genuinity.
Measure 5 grams of creatine monohydrate and mix it in 250 ml of water followed by two full teaspoons of dextrose or glucose powder or non-acidic fruit juices. If you do not know how to measure 5 gms dose then read How To Measure 5 Grams Creatine.
You should always take this supplement with dextrose because an insulin spike is necessary to absorb creatine quickly in muscle cells. If dextrose is not available take it with glucose powder, grape juice or pomegranate juice. Creatine is 36% more effective when taken with dextrose.
Drink creatine immediately because it starts to deteriorate when kept longer in water. Drink additional 100 ml of water to prevent dehydration.
It should be taken 1 hour before workout so that it is readily available in your bloodstream to give you energy boosts during workouts.It is not necessary you can also take it post workout with your whey protein supplement.

Preventing Dehydration Easily

Creatine pulls water into muscle cells so that muscles look bigger and stronger due to water retention, therefore water from your other organs is pulled into muscles.So you have to drink more water atleast 4 litres a day or more. Creatine dehydrates the body and will not show any effects if you do not drink sufficient water. The basic principle states that if you are taking creatine supplements then you have to exercise hard and drink plenty of water to avoid kidney damage and dehydration.

When To Stop Taking Creatine

You should stop taking creatine 30 days or 1 month after you first took your dosage. For example if started taking on June 1st then I will stop taking it on July 1st. Studies reveal that there is no long term benefits of taking creatine monohydrate specially upto 6 months.

When To Start Taking Creatine Again

After taking the supplement for 1 month you should wait 28 days or another 1 month before you start taking it again. For example if I stopped taking it on July 1st then I again start taking it on August 1st, which is 30 days gap in between. The reason behind this is that creatine increases creatinine levels in the body. Creatinine is the by product of creatine which is removed from your body by your kidneys. So after taking creatine for 1 month you should skip it for next 28 days so that your creatinine levels return to normal. Drinking plenty of water during this period will ensure faster removal of extra creatinine from your body via kidneys. Higher creatinine levels are not good for liver and kidneys.

When Will I Start Seeing Results After Taking Creatine?

Most people ask the above question. So, I should tell you that within one week you will start seeing results from creatine supplements. You will gain weight and your muscles will look bigger. Well bigger muscles within one week is just water weight which means that your muscle size is increased due to water retention in muscles. This is not lean muscle gain. This is only an indication that creatine has started working for you. If you are a vegetarian then you will quickly see results, if you are non-vegetarian then you won't see any results because your diet already includes meat which is high in natural creatine.

If creatine supplementation does not show any results within one or two weeks then you are not taking it as adviced or you are a non-vegetarian. If it doesn't work for you then you are a non-responder.

Who Can Take It
Any one who is 18 years above and doesn't have any kidney or liver problems. If you are under the age of 18 please do not take it because your body is still in growth period and is not ready to take it.

What To Avoid

You have to avoid following medicines while you are taking creatine supplements. However this is not the complete list please consult your doctor if you are taking any medications before taking CM.

NSAIDs.
Caffeine.
Cimetidine.
Diuretics.

Now you have successfully learnt how to take creatine supplements. If you still have any doubts then leave your comments here.

How To Measure 5 Grams Creatine

2014-08-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Creatine is an amino acid mostly used by athletes, bodybuilder and sprinters to increase their sports performance. Creatine Monohydrate is mostly taken in Micronized powder form. By micronized we mean that creatine powder is finely grounded so that it mixes well with water or non-acidic juices. The recommended dosage of creatine is five grams which is taken four times in loading phase and only one time in maintenance phase. Most people find it difficult to measure 5 grams of creatine because there is no scoop included in the container. People ask how much is 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, well it equals to one rounded teaspoon but most of the time we are not sure about the exact amount. So in this tutorial I am going to teach you how you can measure 5 grams of creatine. Follow the steps below.

Find a liquid measuring cap/lid equivalent to 5 ML or more. This cap can be found in medicine bottles.
This cap has ML markings like 2 ML, 3 ML.

Now fill this measuring cap with creatine upto 5 ML mark. Now just pour some creatine so that the level is just slightly above the five ML mark.

If you are a beginner then only take and measure 3 grams of creatine per day either before or after workout.

You have successfully learnt to measure 5 grams of creatine.

Identify Fake/Genuine ON Micronized Creatine Powder From Optimum Nutrition

2014-08-19T03:14:00.000-07:00

Creatine supplements are best known for increasing performance of athletes in sports, athletics, bodybuilding and weight training. Creatine Monohydrate is used by almost every person who wants to lift heavy weights and perform better in any field of sports on weight training. Creatine is basically used for energy boosts required during weight training or heavy strength training. Creatine is available in different forms but the most common used form is the micronized creatine monohydrate because it is the most used and most researched type of creatine. In this article I am going to tell you how you can identify whether the ON Micronized Creatine powder is genuine or fake which is one of the best creatine powder available today.

I am reviewing the 100% original micronized creatine powder of Optimum Nutrition [ON] with creapure which delivers 99.9% pure creatine monohydrate in one dose of 5 grams, so you can check whether the specifications or details here match with the creatine you bought which will let you decide whether it is fake or genuine. These tips specially work for you if you live in USA, UK or Canada.

Identify Fake Optimum Nutrition [ON] Micronized Creatine Supplement

1. Check ON Logo: ON stands for Optimum Nutrition. ON logo doesn’t have any background. On your micronized creatine supplements powder jar the logo can be found on the top left above the product lable. The logo has the TM superscript on it. If the logo doesn’t have a TM over it then it is fake ON creatine. The logo is written in capital italics which rests on a bent harpoon. See image below.

2. Check The Seal: The ON creatine powder that you are buying should be properly sealed. The jar is sealed from outside as well as from inside. The outside seal is not necessary but inside seal is must. You should ensure that your jar is sealed from inside. The inside seal is a thick paper seal with “Sealed For Your Protection” written on it. Do not buy ON products that are not properly sealed.

3. Check The Label: Genuine Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine powder has a good quality label with bright colors and shiny text that doesn’t look cheap or fake from any angle. The jar paper lable is covered with a plastic film that gives it the overall shiny look. The label does not look flimsy. On the product label all the information is given like the manufactures address, ingredients, warnings, allergen, instruction on how to take creatine, supplement facts, bar code and qr codes. All ON products are manufactured in USA so the manufacture’s address should be of US. If you encounter any other address, cheap label, wrong information then you bought a fake ON creatine powder.

4. Check Grammatical Errors: Fake supplements maker often make grammatical errors while printing the product labels. These errors can be spotted by our eyes. Check the entire lable for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Genuine ON products doesn’t have any spelling mistakes. If you find any grammatical error then you are buying a fake ON creatine.

5. Check Lot/Batch Number: Lot or batch number can be found on the neck of the jar. Lot/batch number is a unique product identification number assigned by Optimum Nutrition to its various products while manufacturing. This lot number can be used for genuine supplement verification with Optimum Nutrition. Fake ON creatine does not have lot or batch number. If they have any lot number they can not be matched with original Optimum Nutrition lot numbers.

6. Check Manufacturing And Expiry Date: Before buying the ON creatine powder ensure that it has a manufacturing and expiry date. Having a MFG and expiry date doesn’t always ensure that the creatine you are buying is genuine. It is just a basic check, because why you would buy creatine which has been expired.

7. Scan The QR Code And Bar Code: On the creatine jar you will find a QR code and a bar code. Just scan these codes with your smartphone by using a QR code scanning app. It will show you product details. If the details come to be about ON creatine then its genuine otherwise fake.

Genuine ON Micronized Creatine Powder Verification

You can verify your ON creatine powder whether its genuine or fake from the following method.

Write a mail to ‘consumers@optimumnutrition.com’ including the LOT number of your creatine. Ask them to verify the lot number whether it is manufactured by them or not.
If you get a positive reply from Optimum Nutrition USA then your ON micronized creatine powder is 100% genuine.
If your lot number doesn’t match with Optimum Nutrition’s product batch then your ON creatine is totally a fake one.

Special Genuinity Check For Indian Users

If you live in India then it is hard to find genuine ON creatine supplements, but do not worry please follow the below steps carefully.

NEULIFE Nutrition Systems regulate Optimum Nutrition sales in India. Neulife is the only authorized dealer of ON products in India. You should always buy ON creatine from authorized neulife store. To locate store in your area see this.
Check that your ON creatine jar has a neulife VAT sticker with 3D hologram. This proves its genuinity. Optimum Nutrition creatine without neulife seal in India is totally fake. Do not buy it. Neulife seal is must for ON products in India.

Now you can apply the entire tutorial to find whether your ON product is genuine or fake.
Also you can verifiy your lot number with ON by writing a mail as I told you above.

You can now identify fake ON Micronized Creatine Powder. If you still have doubts feel free to ask via comments.

How To Strengthen Heart Muscles

2013-09-15T01:51:00.001-07:00

A healthy heart leads to a healthy life. The main task of human heart is to provide oxygenated blood to the body. A heart keeps beating all the time in one's lifetime performing its duty of pumping blood in the body. Our heart muscles should be strong enough to take daily life challenges like the routine works in our lives. Our heart beats according to the work done by our body. Suppose if we are walking then our heart will beat normally while if are running then it will beat at a faster rate to supply the blood and oxygen needed by the body quickly. A strong heart means a heart with strong muscles including the left and right atrium. Strong atrium muscles ensure proper working of the heart and correct supply of oxygen and blood to the body.

In this post I will tell you some exercises to strengthen your heart muscles. You can perform these exercises on a daily basis if you have never performed them. These exercises also contributes to healthy blood. The exercises that I am going to mention will also increase oxygen levels in your body and you will feel energetic.

Exercises Strengthen Heart Muscles

1.Cycling : Cycling is a very good and proven exercise to build strong heart muscles. This exercise is the best because it also workouts you whole body. Cycling daily atleast 10 KMs will give great results in few months. In cycling the heart beats at a constant rate thereby the heart atrium muscles are under a little stress. This continuous beating of heart exercises the heart muscles and makes them stronger over time. What you have to do during cycling is to not to drink water when your heart is beating fast. Avoid cycling at high speeds as it will stress your heart more and you will feel lethargic. Gradually increase cycling speeds to get good results.

2.Running : Running also exercises our heart muscles in its own way. This exercise can be performed in a pollution free and clean area where fresh oxygen is available. Simply start running at a low speed if you are a beginner because running fast will make you feel lethargic and stress out your heart. Simply start with light running and do it on a daily basis. Over time do not perform this exercise daily because too much cardio vascular exercises are also not good for out heart.

3.Push Ups : Push Ups is a very good exercise that exercises your heart muscles. The technique is simple to perform push ups. Simply lie down on floor with your chest facing the floor. Now start pushing the floor with both of your hands and lift your body up. Breathe in oxygen when you lift your body up and breathe out when you come down. Simply start with 3 sets of 10 reps and do it for 15 minutes daily. Over time you can increase the sets and reps.

4.Pull Ups : Pulls Ups can be performed in your home or at gym to strengthen your heart muscles. In pull ups you hold a vertical bar above you and lift your body up. This exercise should be performed in an open space where plenty of oxygen is available. If you perform this exercise inside a room then you will feel weak instantly and your heart will go under heavy pressure due to low oxygen.

5.Weight Training : Any kind of weight training contributes to healthy heart muscles. You can go to a gym or can exercise at home with few dumbbells and body weight exercises.

Benefits Of Strong Heart Muscles

You will always feel energetic because your heart is now capable of pumping more blood and oxygen in a single beat.
You can easily go upstairs without getting tired.
You can run for long distances.
Your blood pressure will be lowered because your heart is now pumping more blood in single beat so it doesn't have to work more.
Your heart is now an 'athlete's heart'.

7 Exercises To Build Bigger Biceps With Dumbbells And Barbells

2013-09-15T00:35:00.001-07:00

BICEPS

Developing big ,sleeve busting biceps is not a big deal, if you are weight training your biceps the right way then you are doing well. Our bicep muscle is a small muscle that contributes 30 to 40 percent of the arm size. This muscle is used in most of the exercises so this muscle is prone to over-training. You should train your bicep in a right way. Training biceps once a week is enough. If you want to develop big biceps than train yourself with free weights because free weights provide the full curl on your arms. Following biceps workouts can be performed using free weights only to build muscle (biceps) and to get huge biceps fast. These exercises can be performed either in the gym or at home.

7 Exercises To Build Bigger Biceps With Dumbbells And Barbells

1.Dumbbell Bicep Curls: Take two dumbbells in your hand and then slowly lift them one at a time and hold the dumbbell at the squeeze position for two seconds then slowly bring it down and repeat for 3 to 4 reps . However, the dumbbell should be lifted by the biceps, not by the power of your shoulders. When this happens then this situation is called CHEATING. Always lift the dumbbells by using only your biceps muscle.

2.Barbell Curls: Barbell curls are performed by using a barbell and weights plates. The technique is simple, hold the barbell in your hands and lift it up unless it becomes parallel to your shoulders. On coming down lift the barbell up before you can let your arms to become fully straight. It also develops the chest muscles.

3.Concentration Curls: This exercise is used to develop the peak in your biceps and is the best exercise to develop the peaks. Take a dumbbell in your hand and bend yourself keep your either hand on the corresponding leg then star lifting the dumbbell towards your face and keep the dumbbell straight and don't hit your face.

4.Hammer Curls: Hammer curls are done to hit your biceps from a different angle in which the dumbbells are held in a vertical position. Hammers curls also workouts your arms. Simply hold the two dumbbells in a vertical position and start lifting them up. Breathe in oxygen while lifting the dumbbells and breathe out when going down. Hammer curls have two variety, one is alternate hammer curls and other is double hammer curls. In alternate hammer curls, you lift one dumbbell at a time while in double hammer curls you lift two dumbbells at a time.

5.Reverse barbell Curls: This is opposite of barbell curl. In this we hold the rod from its top, not from the bottom.

6.Seated Dumbbell Curls/Inclined Dumbbell Curls: This is performed while sitting on a bench. This exercise helps to build biceps while we are sitting on an inclined space. The good thing about this exercise is that our back gets a full support and we can hit our biceps muscles really hard in order to get a pump. This exercise helps to build bigger biceps with little effort. This bicep exercise mainly targets the front part of the bicep muscle.

7.Double Dumbbell curls: This exercise is similar to bicep curls but in this we lift two dumbbells at the same time. This exercise doubles the effect of simple bicep curls. This bicep exercise can be used to build big and broad biceps fast. This exercise can be performed while sitting or standing.

How To Treat And Prevent Lower Back Pain Naturally

2013-02-15T00:36:00.000-08:00

Curing lower back pain seems a challenge to most of the people suffering from it.Lower back pain is a very bad situation in which the lumbar spine region is affected.The lower lumbar spine consists of 5 spinal bones that support us to stand and sit properly.Lower back injury happens to everybody atleast once in a lifetime.Lower back injuries can happen due to improper diet,heavy lifting or sprain or strain in the lumbar region.

When someone gets a lower back injury then he/she will be unable to bend his/her lower back and feel much pain in the lower lumbar region. Swelling and tearing of muscles is common in lower back injury.Tearing of muscles and swelling is not a problem at all and can be cured with home remedies like applying diclofenac gel and taking hot salt water fermentation.It will go withing few weeks.But if spine has got some problems then immediately consult a doctor.Lower back pain is not limited to muscle tears only,spine can be injured which is the worst of all.

Back in November 2012 I got a lower back injury due to lifting weight incorrectly.It wass left lower back pain.My lumber spine curvature was altered and I was unable to lift any weights also I was unable to bend my lower back.The pain was very bad as I was unable to normal life activities.I took x-rays and a tlc/dlc blood test.The blood test came normal but x-ray showed a little hindrance in the spinal curvature which gave me the pain.I consulted the doctor and he said that I am fine but have to do exercises to prevent and cure this pain otherwise it will go worse.So based on my experience with lower back pain I am telling you to cure it naturally at home.However this can’t replace a doctor’s treatment in spinal fractures.

Treat Lower Back Pain Naturally At Home
First of all the first thing that you have to do after getting lower back injury is to consult the doctor as soon as possible and take his prescription.X ray is must in lower back injury to find any spine complications.

1.Exercise Your Abdominal Muscles : Exercising your abdominal muscles will relieve the pain.Our abdominal muscles support our lower back and if our abdominal muscles are strong then it can prevent back injuries in future.If muscles are weak then they will put pressure on spine instead of supporting it thereby increasing a chance of injury.Workout your abdomen with regular crunches and oblique crunches.Crunches will strengthen the abdominal muscles.More strong the muscles are lower is the chance of lower back injury.

2.Lower Back Exercises : Workout the lumbar region with lower back strengthening exercises.Slowly try to bend your back and try to touch your feet also try to cross touch the toes.Deadlifts with mild weights also strengthens the back muscles.A morning walk is very helpful because it will keep the spine in shape.I f you have got an injury then walk or run on a daily basis to increase the stability of spine.Perform spine strengthening and stability exercises to prevent it in future.Consult your doctor before performing any exercises other you will injure you back again.

3.Good Diet : Do not take excessive fat during lower back spine injury because it will increase belly fat and fat around your waist thereby making difficult for the spine to recover fast.Drink milk,eat carbs which are full of calcium and drink adequate water.Sit in sunlight if it is winter for atleast 15 minutes with the affected area exposed to sunlight directly.Eat calcium rich foods to decrease the recovery time.Also take foods that are good for blood like bananas and eggs.Good blood health leads to healthy bones.Take adequate amount of protein.Protein will help to repair the torn lower back muscles.

4.Hot Salt Water Application : Apply hot salt water with a cotton swab to the affected area.Mix 5 full teaspoons of salt in half litre of hot water.Do this hot salt water twice a day.This salt water application will help to recover fast and also relieve the pain caused by injury.After application apply diclofenac gel to it and do not expose it to cold weather.Wear warm clothes if it is winter.

5.Turmeric Massage : Massaging the lower back with hot mixture of mustard oil and turmeric powder is very beneficial.Turmeric powder has healing capability it will repair the torn muscles and relieve pain effectively.Ask a good masseur to massage your lower back with this hot mixture.This will surely help healing the lumbar spine injury fast.

Important Note
When you get a lower back injury then do not keep yourself in bed because it will make the pain worse.If you won’t exercise then scarring may occur in the muscles of lower back which increase the chances of injury again in future.Take good diet,drink milk and eat calcium rich foods also take adequate amount of protein.The healing time of lower back injury is around three months but it can be reduced by performing exercises and taking good diet.

How To Increase Sperm Count Naturally

2013-02-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

How To Increase Sperm Count NaturallyLow sperm count leads to infertility in men.Low sperm count is not a disease but is a sign that you are not taking good care of your body.Most men do not know about this and they waste there money in many medicines instead of being natural.Having low sperm count is not good for a women getting pregnant.Low sperm count greatly depends upon the human lifestyle and diet.All work and no physical activity makes us sick.Unable to take good and healthy diet is also a reason for low sperm count.

The normal sperm count in human body is around 20 million per ml which is nowadays reduced to 15 million per ml because of poor lifestyle and diet.We can increase sperm count in our body naturally without taking any pills or expensive medicines.Just follow below tips to increase the sperm count and sperm fertility.

Tips To Increase Sperm Count And Male Fertility Naturally

1.Avoid Smoking : Smoking is injurious to entire body health.It damages our lungs and gives us a big belly and damaged brain cells.Smoking also affects the blood quality.And increased nicotine in blood reduces and destroys sperm production in human body.If you smoke heavily immediately stop it.Smoking introduces many toxins in the body and makes the skin color darker and removes the glow on face and skin.It is very deadly and harmful for sperms.Avoid it totally.

2.Avoid Alcohol : Like smoking alcohol is an enemy of human sperms.It damages liver and brain cells.Due to damaged brain,the brain cannot control the right amount of sperm production in our body thereby lowering sperm count.It also affects the pituitary gland in the human brain which is also known as growth hormone releasing gland.

3.Always Be Happy : Always try to be happy in your life and avoid unusual tension and stress on your mind and body.Keeping oneself happy is the first step to a healthy lifestyle.Keep yourself motivated always and never lose hope.A happy brain releases adrenaline in the body which is a chemical responsible for the feeling of happiness.Do not put stress on your brain under any circumstances.Do meditation and be calm.

4.Wear Loose Pants And Underwears : Wear tight pants and underwears greatly affects the sperm production.The temperature for sperm production is 3 degrees lower than human body i.e. 34 degree celcius.If you wear tight underwear then it will put stress on the testes which will affect sperm production.If you are sitting for a long time then relax them at intervals to avoid stress on testes.Also varicocele can trigger lower sperm count and infertility.

5.Do Exercise At Home : Exercise is most important to improve lifestyle.Exercise will improve everything in your body.Exercise will give you healthy blood,healthy muscles,healthy bones,healthy heart and healthy lungs.It will boost your metabolism.Add exercises to your life no matter how busy you are in life.If you do not have much time to hit the gym workout at home.A good workout will enhance sperm production in body.Exercises like squats are very good for sperm production.Invest atleast one hour to workout for good health and well being.Do cardiovascular exercises daily like running,walking and jogging.

6.Take A Healthy Diet : Avoid junks foods and excessive fats.Take vitamins of all kinds.You can get most vitamins from fresh fruits and dairy products.Include protein in your diet.Eat eggs,drink milk and adequate amount of water in a day upto 2 litres.Eat bananas because they are vitamin rich foods and best food for sperm production.Bananas are full of vitamins.They add health to your body.Also consume fish and sea foods if possible.

7.Avoid Mobile Radiation : However we can’t avoid mobile radiation completely but we can reduce it.Most people and expert says that mobile phone radiation affects sperm count if the phone is kept in pant’s pocket.Yes it can lower sperm count and also the phone itself can.Mobile radiation increases the heat in pocket which affects sperm count.So be careful while using your mobile phone.

Above tips can give you a good sperm count and health.But exercise is most important in one’s life for overall health.Change your lifestyle ,exercise a little bit,take a healthy diet and you will live a healthy life.

Tricep Workout At Home With Dumbbells

2013-02-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

Triceps is a three headed muscle consisting of long head,medial head and the lateral head muscles.It is the largest muscle in the human arms contributing 70% or 2/3 rd of the overall arm size.The triceps muscles are used in almost every activity which we do by our arms.Tricep muscle is responsible for elbow joint movements,bringing the arm down and arm extensions.Most beginners forget about triceps and keep on developing their biceps.They think that to get huge arms we should train only biceps.But this concept is totally wrong.It is not bicep muscle that contributes 70% to the overall arm size.Tricep muscles make the most of the arm size.

2/3 of Tricep Muscles + 1/3 of Bicep Muscles = Overall arm size

You can't neglect triceps exercises while training in a gym to get huge arms fast.Train your triceps atleast 2 times per week and mostly perform free weight triceps exercises including compound exercises.Compound tricep exercises will build triceps muscles fast than exercising on weight machines.This tutorial will teach you to perform tricep exercises with free weights like dumbbells and barbells without weight machines.You can perform these exercises either in a gym or at home.

Triceps Workout At Home With Dumbbells And Barbells

You can perform following exercises at home to get huge triceps muscles fast.Free weight triceps exercises are very effective if you perform them 2 times per week then you will see difference early because tricep muscles grows very fast if trained properly.So here is a home based triceps workout.

1.Two Handed Overhead Triceps Extension-Stand up or you can perform this while sitting on a bench.Hold one dumbbell with both hands behind your top of the head and slowly bend your arms behind the head at right angles.Your biceps and triceps should be close to your face and do not move them here and there otherwise triceps exercises will not be effective and will injure your shoulder.If you feel pain in any shoulder than you are doing this exercise in a wrong way.

2.One Arm Overhead Tricep Extension-This exercise is similar to the above but in this we are only using one hand instead of two.Rest the process is same as above.Hold a dumbbell with one hand behind your head and keep your elbow at right angle.Raise the dumbbell with one hand unless the arm become straight or fully extended and slowly move it down.

3.Triceps Kickbacks-Put your hand and one knee on a bench and hold a dumbbell with either hand,the upper arm parallel to body.Slowly push the dumbbell back by fully moving your elbow thus making it 180 degrees from 90 degrees and slowly return.The arm should be straight.At the squeezing position hold it for 2 seconds and return.

4.Bent Over One Arm Tricep Extension-Sit down on a bench or a chair without back and bend yourself forward and hold a dumbbell in either hand keep your elbow at 90 degrees with the face facing your knee and then slowly raise the dumbbell until your arm is parallel to the ground.

5.Triceps Skullcrushers-It is a barbell triceps exercise.Lie down on floor/bench and hold a barbell with both hands straight pointing towards the roof and then start moving the barbell down until it become parallel to your forehead thus making a right angle with elbow.Do not open widen the distance between elbows otherwise it won't be much effective.Be careful about forehead.You may injure your head if this exercise is not done properly.

6.Close Grip Push Ups-Close grip push ups is the toughest of all and it heavily stresses your tricep muscles because you have to push your arms at a little space.Keep your hands close and the distance should be less than between shoulders.Slowly push your body up and down.Be comfortable while performing this exercise because it is difficult for beginners and put too stress on your elbows.

7.Tricep Dips-This triceps exercise uses your own body weight to develop tricep muscles.To perform tricep dips put your hands on a bench behind your back and put your legs on another chair and slowly bring your upper body down thus making right angles with elbows.Keep your back close to the bench otherwise it will hurt your shoulders.You can increase your intensity by putting weights on your thighs.Do not keep your legs too straight bend them a little bit.

These exercises include bodyweight and free weights triceps exercises.These exercises are very effective in building big triceps fast because we are using only dumbbells and our own body weight to build muscle.You have to be consistent and regular.Train your triceps atleast two times per week and have a good diet including protein,vitamins and little bit of fat to bulk up muscles.

5 Body Weight Exercises To Get A Healthy And Fit Body

2013-02-10T22:25:00.001-08:00

5 Body Weight Exercises To Get A Healthy And Fit BodyTo stay fit and healthy joining a gym is not necessary.You can stay fit without going to gym.Yes you heard right,if you do not have much time to devote to exercise in a gym then you can perform body weight exercises to sculpt your body at home.Body weight exercises are those exercises that use your own body weight as resistance.These are basic exercises and are very effective to stay in shape,stay fit and healthy.The most interesting thing about these exercises is that you don’t need any weight machines or weight plates.You can perform these exercises anywhere you want.The place can be your room,garage or a public park.

5 Body Weight Exercises To Stay Fit And Healthy
1.Push Ups : Push ups is a universal exercise that workout your whole body including chest,arms,shoulders,abdomen and legs.It is the best exercise to build your upper body and chest muscles.

How To Do : Open your hands wide apart while facing the floor.Now with your both hands push the floor to lift your body up.Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

2.Pull Ups : You will need a metal bar fitted in between two walls to do this exercise.This exercise workouts your chest,biceps and arms.

How To Do : Grab the metal bar with grip wider than distance between your shoulders.Cross your legs and bend them to avoid contact with the floor.Now lift your body up then down.Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

3.Squats And Lunges : Squats and lunges work o your thigh muscles.Squats are situps which build thigh muscles.Lunges are also for thigh muscles.

How To Do Squats : Just open your legs wide apart equal to distance between your shoulders.Now bend your knees and sit down to form a chair position so that angle between thighs and knees is 90 degrees.Get up without going down further.If the angle is less than 90 degrees then squats will not be effective.

How To Do Lunges : Stand straight and put both your hands on your waist.Now take your right leg forward and bend it in a forward direction to an angle of 90 degree also bend your left leg or keep it straight in position.Do the same for your left leg.

4.Tricep Dips : Tricep dips workout your triceps muscles.Tricep muscle contributes 70 percent of the overall arm size.So tricep dips will help to develop tricep muscles.Here is picture depicting tricep dips.

5.Crunches : Abdominal crunches workout your abdominal muscles.This exercise make your stomach muscles strong.You can perform regular crunches and oblique crunches to get stronger abdominal muscles.

How To Do : Lie on your back and bend your knees then start lifting your upper body off the floor which will put stress on abs.Perform 10 reps of 3 sets.

By performing above exercises you are doing a total body workout at home by using your own body weight rather than using weight machines.Share this post if you like it.

8 Tips For Building Healthy Blood

2013-02-10T08:48:00.001-08:00

8 Tips For Building Healthy BloodBlood is the most vital element of human body.Without blood no human can survive.Most of us always think to have a good health free from diseases,but ignore blood health.Healthy blood leads to a healthy body.Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body to supply them correct and adequate fuel to work.Lets check some of the functions of the blood in human body.

Functions of Human Blood

Carrying oxygen to different parts of the body.Low oxygen levels in blood leads to quick fatigue and inabiltity to perform heavy activities but it can be overcome with regular strength training and physical activities.
Carrying minerals,vitamins and essential nutrients to the whole body.
Keeping the body temperature under control by circulating around the whole body.
Fighting micro-organisms that get into your blood stream by using its white blood cells called antibodies.

Foods And Tips To Get Healthy Blood
The main constituent of blood is haemoglobin (blood protein).So eating iron rich foods can build healthy blood in your body.

Eat green leafy vegetables like spinach,green broccoli and peas to get adequate iron compound from it.
Drink mixed vegetable juice of carrot,beetroot and tomatoes.Tomatoes are full of iron and carrots and beetroot are also good for your heart.This juice is good for both heart and blood.
Eat red cherry tomatoes,apples and cereals like sprouts and pulses.Pulses and sprouts are vegetarian sources of protein which is good for building blood.
Eat mixed vegetable salad at dinner time to supply minerals and vitamins for good blood health.
Eat bananas.Bananas are blood building fruits.They contain vita A,B,C,D,E,H,K.Vitamin K is good for blood clot.So eat fresh bananas.Banana milk shake is a weight gaining and blood building food.Eating bananas will regulate blood pressure.
Eat boiled eggs.Mostly consume the egg white and take only 2 yellow parts because eating excessive yellow part of the egg can increase cholesterol if you do not perform any physical activity.Egg contains protein,carbohydrates,iron,potassium,zinc,magnesium and phosphorus.These minerals are good for blood health.

All the above mentioned foods are rich in iron which will build the haemoglobin in your blood if you consume proper amounts of these foods.

Exercise to increase the oxygen levels in your blood.Oxygen levels in your blood can be increased by regular weight training which can be performed at home only with free weights.
Cardiovascular exercises helps to maintain your blood by increasing oxygen levels in blood.These exercises include running,jogging,cycling and swimming.Higher oxygen levels leads to healthy blood.Train atleast 3 times per week.

To see the difference take a haemoglobin test to ensure the amount of haemoglobin in your blood before following these tips.Then after following these tips for 2 months take the haemoglobin test again.You will see an increase in your haemoglobin level.The normal values for haemoglobin in blood should be between 14-18 gm/dL.See whether your blood test indicate a value between this.Value below 14 gm/dL indicates anaemia.
Keeping your blood healthy will boost your immune system.So take care of your body but also take care of your blood because our overall body health depends on healthy blood.

How To Build Your Own Home Gym

2013-02-10T02:56:00.000-08:00

how to build your own home gymEverybody wants to go to gym to stay fit and healthy.But every gym has its own rates of memberships with coach fees included.A popular gym can charge you around $1000 per year for membership.Everybody can’t afford this much of money so you can find a local cheap gym in your area which will be best for you.To stay fit and healthy is everybody’s birth right and nobody can take it from you,but you should know how to use this right.

In this post you will know how you can setup your own gym at home by spending minimum amount of money as possible.Instead of spending too much money at one time spend adequate money at right intervals to increase equipments in your home gym.If your money budget for home gym is small then you can only buy free weights like dumbbells,barbells,kettlebells and weight plates.It doesn’t mean that you can’t exercise,free weight exercises are the best.We will only talk about creating a home gym in minimum amount of money.

Tips To Build Your Own Home Gym

Find and search fitness and health equipment store around your local area.A fitness equipments store contains all the bodybuilding equipments including free weights and weight machines but you should buy free weights only if you are a beginner in bodybuilding and have low money budget.
Do not buy whole dumbbells because they are expensive and can’t be adjusted.Always buy adjustable dumbbells with small rods and small weight plates.These plates and rods are ideal for dumbbells.The best things about adjustable dumbbells is that you can add extra weight plates when needed according to the length of dumbbell rod.

Buy barbell rods of two sizes.One is small and other large.With small barbell you can do exercises like barbell curls and triceps extensions.With large barbell curls you can perform squats,bench press,deadlifts,barbell shoulder press.Also you can buy a EZ-bar for multipurpose exercises,but if your budget is low for home gym then you can ignore the EZ-bar.
By cheap weight plates with rubber coating.These weight plates are very affordable to buy as compared to iron weight plates.Iron weight plates are double the price of rubber plates.Buy weight plates according to the following.

4 weight plates x 2 KG
4 weight plates x 3 KG
4 weight plates x 4 KG
2 weight plates x 10 KG

Find a good place in your home to keep all the equipments and where you can exercise without any disturbance.
Learn free weight exercises with dumbbells and barbells with light weight plates first to avoid injury due to incorrect lifting.Educate yourself more and more about the free weight and body weight exercises.
A personalized home gym looks like as follows which contains free weights only.

Benefits Of Home Gym

It will save your time and money.
You will gain weight fast by performing compound exercises with free weights with good diet.Compound exercises increase range of motion of muscles which are more effective than exercises performed on weight machi nes.
You don’t have to wait in a line like a gym to use the equipment because you have your own home gym.

Precautions For Home Gym

In your home gym you are own your own and no coach or fitness instructor will be present to help you.So learn about free weight exercises before performing them.Learning more about these exercises will help you to perform these exercises well.
Start with light weights to master the art of bodybuilding with free weights.Heavy weights can injure you if not used properly.Perfection in bodybuilding with free weights will make you a master.So learn first then perform.
Start with compound exercises only to develop your muscles and target each muscle group.You can workout each muscle group at home.

Share this wonderful post if you like it.

How To Gain Weight Naturally At Home

2013-02-09T02:46:00.001-08:00

How To Gain Weight Naturally At Home
Gaining weight for many skinny people is difficult because lack of knowledge.Most people want to gain weight in no time.Gaining healthy weight is not limited to just eating food but it also includes weight training.Gaining weight can be simple but you should know what are the right foods to gain some extra pounds.Gaining weight and gaining healthy weight are two different things.In first situation you gain only fat and cholesterol which is not good for your heart.In second situation you gain muscle mass which is pure body weight.But you can’t gain healthy weight only from eating foods but also you have to perform weight training exercises and some cardiovascular exercises.Here are some tips to gain weight naturally at home with natural foods without expensive supplements.

Tips To Gain Weigth Fast
1.What To Eat : Eat everything you get but in a balanced way.By balanced way I mean not overeating and not under eating foods.Eat adequate protein,vitamins and fats.Avoid junk foods and transfat.You can get adequate amount of protein from chicken eggs,milk,cheese,sprouts and carbs.Eat eggs daily with milk and banana.Milk contains 15% protein and a large egg contains about 7 grams of protein.So drink milk and eat eggs on a daily basis.Do not overeat the boiled yellow part (albumin) of egg as it is high in cholesterol.Only 2 or 3 albumin are sufficient.Eats lots of fresh fruits and vegetables like banana,apple,carrots,cherry tomatoes and beetroots.You can get all major vitamins from banana only.Banana is very healthy for gaining weight and is also good for our blood.

2.When To Eat : Eat atleast 6 meals a day with 3 large meals and 3 small meals.3 large meals include breakfast,lunch and dinner.3 small meals can be taken between breakfast,lunch and dinner.2 small meals between breakfast and lunch and one between lunch and dinner.Never miss your breakfast otherwise you will get into starvation mode unless you eat.In starvation mode body eats itself to produce energy mostly it uses the stored fat on your body to survive.The more you starve the more skinny you will become.You can take fruits like bananas in small meals or everything you like which is not junk food.Eating fresh fruits is good for gaining weight

3.What To Drink : Drink 1.5 litres of water in a whole day.Human body is made of 70% water.So drinking adequate water can earn you extra pounds.When you eat protein then your body starts consuming body water to digest the protein as a result the body water level reduces.If you do not drink sufficient water then your body will not be hydrated and become weak.Hydration levels of body should be excellent specially in summers.Drinking water removes toxins from the body and gives glow to the skin.If you are non-vegetarian then drink lots of water atleast 2 litres a day but do not overdrink.You can also drink mixed vegetable juice of carrot,beetroot and tomatoes.This mixed fruit juice increases the blood quality and rbc count.

4.Do Weight Training : You should exercise at home to gain weight fast and the healthy way.If you do not like to go to gym then few dumbbells and barbells are sufficient.Exercise will increase your metabolism rate.Do body weight exercises like pushups,pull-ups and squats.With dumbbells you can perform biceps curls,dumbbell chest press,shoulder press,tricep curls,barbell curls,reverse barbell curls,close grip push ups.All these exercises will help you to gain weight.Eat pre workout diet and post workout diet.Post workout diet should be taken within 20 minutes after workout for best results to gain weight.

5.Do Cardio : Do cardiovascular exercises atleast two times per week to improve your heart and blood health.Perform running and cycling.Start running with small distances and do not stress the heart much on the very first day.Cardio exercise will reduce all extra body weight and improve heart health.

6.Get Proper Sleep : Sleep atleast 8 hours per day to refresh your body for the next day.Sleeping is very necessary to gain weight because you build muscle when you sleep.

Follow these tips for the first month and you will see weight gain results in your body.Measure your weight every week on a weigth machine to track your progress.