New Years = Bodybuilding Apocalypse

To bodybuilders and serious physique enthusiasts, there is one day on the calendar that looms overhead like a cloud which rains not water, but misery and frustration…

January 1st
This is the day that our precious safe house of all things muscle is invaded by an army of house wives, out of shape husbands and elderly people summoned there by their Doctor. I know, I know. These people should be encouraged as they are taking their health into their own hands and at least their heart is in the right place…but let’s just be honest, we all know 90% of them won’t last and all they really do is clog up weight room.

Besides being a membership salesmans wet dream, these people serve as an interesting study for human behaviour. The thing that becomes very obvious to me during New Years resolution time is that when people need an outside excuse to do something, they are much more likely to fail as opposed to their self motivated counterparts. How many body transformation success stories start with “I joined the gym on January 1st…”? I can’t remember hearing any, to be honest. Rather, most of the time the beginning of a success story starts with someone either hitting rock bottom or snapping into reality and seeing how far they have let themselves go. There is no magic date or square on your kitchen calendar that can truly spark the will to change, it has to come from within.

While it’s easy to be harsh on these new people, they are the unfortunate target of other frustrations. It isn’t annoying that these people are trying to get in shape, it’s annoying that the place you have frequented for years is now over populated and you can’t function as you normally would. This might not be the right attitude, but I can see how someone would get aggravated by not being able to park anywhere near their gym due to the parking lot being filled up by people who half heartedly wished up a resolution to lose their beer belly. You’ve been dedicated all year, why should you be punished?!

One particularly obnoxious stereotypical offender of the New Years crowd is the “Debbie’s getting her groove back” middle aged woman who has turned this into an emotional event of taking their life back. Usually this involves using way too much gym space and resting all sorts of shit across benches, or telling you that they are “using that machine” while simultaneously using that other machine…and letting their dumbbells sit on that bench, and that mat laid out in the middle of coveted weight room territory. I get it; They are finally taking control after putting themselves on the back burner possibly mothering a whack of kids or being involved in a failed marriage, so to them this is their triumphant return with a J-Lo performed theme song soundtrack and some hollywood pretty boy waiting at the end of the movie for a big kiss when the credits roll. They dreamt about getting back in shape for so many years that the fact they are finally doing it is a “you go girl” moment and they expect everyone to make way for them because we should just be so proud! Well good for you girlfriend, but the rest of us pay the same damn fees and should have equal access to the equipment, so perhaps avoiding turning the gym floor into the fitness equivalent of your terrifying bathroom counter (men, you know what I am talking about…) would help aid in a more seamless integration.

Now that I have that out of the way – Be kind to these people. If they ask for help (few do) show them ways they can get the most benefit out of their efforts so possibly they can melt into the pot and become a more community minded gym member. The reason most people quite after the first month or so is because they don’t have the guidance to really get the results they expected. Well, that and the fact it requires a lot more effort than the NOT going to the gym thing they had been doing so successfully for so long.

While it might not be the most inspired excuse to get off your ass, joining a gym is intimidating for the average person and it offers us bodybuilders a chance to disprove some of the negative stereotypes that exist about us and try to be a team player, even if it’s short lived. Give it a shot, you might feel good about it….and worst case scenario your gym will be back to how you remembered by mid February and maybe you helped one person start on a path that involves them falling in love with the same passion you have.

Marijuana and Bodybuilding

David Johnson (not his real name) was one of the premier bodybuilders of the mid-to-late 1960s. Although he did use drugs, such as anabolic steroids, to win many of his titles, later in his career he disavowed the use of most drugs with one notable exception. Johnson had a preworkout ritual that he claimed allowed him to train more intensely and concentrate more effectively throughout his training session.

What was his secret? The enigmatic root of his preworkout ritual became evident one day in the back room of a popular Southern California bodybuilding gym. This particular gym had a sauna that was never used, located in the back of the men's locker room. It was the perfect place to engage in surreptitious behavior. What Johnson couldn't conceal, however, was the pungent marijuana fumes.

Johnson smoked marijuana in that room. And he didn't just puff on one "joint," or marijuana cigarette, either. No, Johnson regularly engaged in a marijuana trip, losing his thoughts in the wispy smoke that rose slowly toward the ceiling in his secret alcove. He would emerge after an hour or so and head directly to the gym floor, working out with no apparent ill effects.

Although marijuana is an illegal drug, many athletes, not just bodybuilders, regularly smoke "weed" as a means of relaxation and mind expansion. A long-held tenet of the drug culture is that marijuana emphasizes the mood you're already in. Thus, if you feel good, you'll feel even better after the intoxicating effects of THC, the active component of pot, does its job on your brain.

While marijuana has always had a relatively innocuous reputation compared to other mind drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, few people are aware of its true effects on the body. Entire volumes have been written documenting the physiological effects of marijuana, but many people are still confused.

Active Ingredients

Known to botanists as Cannabis sativa, more than 100 species of the cannabis plant, also known as marijuana and hemp, grow wild throughout the world in temperate climates. Analysis of the plant yields 460 compounds, of which 60 are cannabinoids, but the only cannabinoid known to have psychoactive effects is delta-9-THC. That's the ingredient that makes you feel high. Not long ago scientists discovered nerve receptors in the brain that are specifically affected by THC, which suggests that the body produces its own natural form of THC.

Different parts of the marijuana plant have different THC contents. The bracts, flowers and leaves contain the most, while the stems, seeds and roots contain lesser amounts. The most concentrated form of all, however, is hash oil, which is the distilled liquid resin of the female marijuana plant. Street pot has gradually increased in potency over the years, and current versions are thought to be five to 10 times more potent than the stuff people used to "tune in and turn on" in the '60s.

When inhaled, as from a "reefer, or joint, THC is rapidly absorbed. Studies show the systemic bio-availability of THC following smoking is about 18 percent, with heavier users absorbing more than casual smokers. That compares with the oral uptake, from, say, a pill, of only 6 percent. The peak effects of the drug occur within 20 to 30 minutes and last for two to four hours.

THC circulates through the body and, being highly fat-soluble, easily enters the brain. About 80 to 90 percent of an intravenous dose of THC is excreted from the body in five days, although metabolites remain detectable in urine for 10 days after a single dose and more than 20 days after chronic use. Due to its proclivity for storage in fatty tissues of the body, in some cases THC may take up to a month to be eliminated.

How marijuana affects a person varies from individual to individual. A recent study funded by the United States National Institute on Drug Abuse involving identical twins found that the likelihood that you'll find pot enjoyable has a genetic basis. What's more, the effects can vary in the same person.

A 1970 medical review of marijuana described the typical effects:

"Typically, the user feels a series of jittery 'rushes' soon after inhaling. A sense of relaxation and well-being follows. There is awareness of being intoxicated not unlike that produced by alcohol. The user becomes acutely conscious of certain stimuli to the extent that his whole attention is focused, immersed and at times lost with the sensory experience. In this state jokes are funnier, misfortunes more poignant and human relations more deeply perceived.

"The appreciation of food, sex and, in particular, music is intensified. The user may believe that his thoughts are unusually profound (an impression rarely shared by observers). Paranoid thoughts and feelings of depersonalization have been reported by subjects and observed in the laboratory. Visual imagery is increased, and in larger doses colors may shimmer and visual distortions occur. There are feelings of changed body proportion. Among the most striking perceptual changes is the subjective slowing of time."

At least two effects rapidly occur in most people who smoke marijuana: The eyes redden, and the heart beats faster. This increased load on the heart tends to impede athletic performance, as shown in some studies. This occurs because, while pot speeds the heart, the cardiac stroke volume, or amount of blood pumped by the heart, decreases. One study showed that in men cycling against increasing workloads, pot decreased exercise performance.

Another study showed that when 161 men and women took THC, they experienced a general drop in standing steadiness, simple and complex reaction times, and other athletic skills. Contrary to the experience of the bodybuilder described above, if anything, pot decreases training concentration and focus, an effect so potent that it can't even be overcome with concomitant amphetamine usage.

A crucial question from a bodybuilding perspective is, How does smoking pot affect anabolic hormones, such as testosterone?

Marijuana and Testosterone

A brief report concerning the appearance in gynecomastia in three male pot smokers published in 1972 sparked a number of subsequent studies that examined the relationship between marijuana use and testosterone levels. Gynecomastia, or "male breasts," however, is not a common side effect encountered with marijuana use.

Instead, the condition is usually the result of an imbalance between testosterone and estrogen in men, with something causing an increase in the latter. Since marijuana has no estrogenic activity, it isn't likely to cause this condition.

Even so, animal studies clearly point to an inhibitory effect of marijuana on both testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) production. LH is the pituitary hormone that governs endogenous testosterone synthesis in men. When it comes to humans, though, things are far less clear.

Most studies that have examined human marijuana use haven't shown any significant effect on testosterone levels in normal men. A 1983 study, however, did find depressed testosterone levels after subjects smoked just one joint, with the effect lasting 24 hours. A 1984 study found that pot not only inhibited testosterone but also lowered prolactin, thyroid and growth hormone. It did that by altering the expression of brain substances that govern hormone release.

Nevertheless, a 1989 study gave 17 male volunteers both high and low doses of THC and then tested their hormonal responses. The results showed no hormonal or immune parameters affected by either a high or low dose of THC. Notably, both testosterone and cortisol were examined, indicating that pot doesn't produce catabolic effects in muscle through increased cortisol release.

Based on the majority of studies that have looked at the effects of pot on testosterone levels, it appears that the drug has little or no effect on this hormone in humans. One study that examined Jamaican pot smokers, however, did find a significant decrease in active thyroid hormone in the blood, although the men showed no apparent thyroid dysfunction. Significantly, the men also showed normal testosterone levels despite smoking an average of seven to eight joints a day.

Other Health Effects of Marijuana

The recent passage of Proposition 215 in California and Proposition 200 in Arizona, both of which allow use of marijuana under medical supervision, has brought public attention to the health benefits (or lack thereof) of marijuana. This prompted the National Institutes of Health to convene a committee to study the medical benefits of pot.

The committee looked at marijuana's effects on at least three medical conditions: glaucoma; wasting diseases, such as those occurring with HIV infection; and the nausea common with cancer chemotherapy. It concluded that more study is needed to determine the effectiveness of using pot to treat those and other disease states.

What's interesting here is that legally, marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. That means it has no medical value and may be addictive. Yet in 1985 the Food and Drug Administration approved a synthetic version of THC called dronabinol (trade name Marinol) as a schedule 2 drug used to treat the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. In 1992 the FDA also approved Marinol for use in treating the wasting syndrome associated with AIDS.

Marijuana, or more specifically THC, does affect many body systems. Here's a brief review of its effects:

Immune system - Several test-tube studies of both animal and human tissue samples suggest that marijuana may inhibit cell-mediated immune functions. That has to do with the response of specialized immune cells called T cells that protect against viruses and cancers.

Other studies on this aspect, however, suggest that any immune dysfunction induced by marijuana is transitory. In addition, the immune problem caused by marijuana isn't sufficient to overcome other immune systems of the body. This is still a debatable issue, though, as evidenced by a 1990 study published in the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Weekly. That study found THC suppresses the normal growth of white blood cells and thus may impair immunity in some people.

Chromosome damage - Some studies show that THC may cause chromosome damage, leading to things like birth defects. Other studies dispute this, however, with the result that most scientists studying this issue feel that any chromosome damage caused by marijuana use is insignificant. Nevertheless, pregnant women are advised to avoid using any form of the drug to prevent any possibility of birth defects.

Mental reaction - As noted earlier, taken in excess, marijuana can induce such symptoms as panic reactions, paranoia and mania. When studies are produced to prove the concept of "reefer madness," however, it turns out that in most cases people experiencing adverse mental problems after using marijuana had preexisting mental problems. Other studies show that marijuana does not predispose people to violence.

A controversial topic related to marijuana use among younger people is its effects on memory and learning. This is also related to the increased potency of marijuana in recent years. For example, in a study that looked at short- and long-term memory functions in both pot-using and abstaining teenagers, the pot users showed defects in short-term memory that would have a negative effect on learning.

A 1996 study looked at the mental effects of marijuana in college students. The subjects included 65 heavy and 64 light pot users who had smoked it for at least two years. The results showed that heavy users had trouble paying attention and performing mental tasks even after a day of not smoking. In an editorial that accompanied the study, however, another researcher noted, "The few reports of cognitive effects of marijuana lingering on the day after smoking have not proven reliably reproducible even by the original researchers."

More problematic are so-called additives that may be found in pot. Sources of contamination can include insects, fungi and in Mexican pot a herbicide called paraquat that can cause lung damage. A 1989 report in the journal Bioscience found that pot grown in Hawaii (called "pakalolo") was high in the toxic metal mercury. Ingestion of mercury can lead to such brain defects as forgetfulness, anxiety and paranoia.

Oral absorption of mercury from food sources, such as fish, is only 7 to 10 percent as efficient as that absorbed from the lungs, and the body retains only 7 percent of ingested mercury. That's in contrast to the 85 percent absorption of mercury vapors from smoking. It takes about three months for mercury to clear body tissues once absorbed, although the nutrients vitamin C and selenium block mercury absorption and detoxify it.

A so-called amotivational syndrome is closely associated with pot use. In simple terms, that means regular pot users get so lazy, they don't want to do anything except smoke. Once again, in many cases a preexisting mental depression causes some people to turn to pot for relief. Studies conducted among workers in Costa Rica and Jamaica failed to find any apathy or laziness even among heavy cannabis users.

Marijuana, contrary to earlier reports, does not appear to cause brain damage. Although it's been accused of causing brain atrophy, or shrinking of the brain, newer studies on the effects of pot in even heavy users failed to find this effect.

Lung function - Studies that looked at the effects of marijuana show paradoxical effects. Thus, some studies show that the drug dilates breathing passages in the lungs, while others point to a significant degree of airway obstruction. Smoking pot yields more tar than cigarettes, and a 1988 University of California at Los Angeles study found that smoking pot releases five times as much carbon monoxide into the blood, which ties up oxygen, and three times more tar than cigarettes. Another study showed that three to four joints a day can produce as much lung damage as 20 tobacco cigarettes.

According to Kasi Sridhar, M.D., a professor of medicine at the University of Miami, smoking marijuana is 100 to 200 times more likely to cause lung cancer than cigarettes. Sridhar believes the increasing incidence of lung cancer in younger people may be due to increased pot use.

Other studies show that pot promotes bronchitis and impaired pulmonary defenses against infection. The tar produced from marijuana smoke contains 50 percent more carcinogens than unfiltered Kentucky tobacco. The fact that pot smokers inhale the smoke 40 percent deeper than cigarette smokers (except, of course, President Clinton) adds to the problem. One study found that smoking just one joint diminished vital capacity in a manner comparable to that produced by smoking 16 tobacco cigarettes.

If all this still doesn't convince you that its use isn't so innocuous, how about marijuana as a fat stimulator? Pot has long been known to cause a peculiar sensation known as "the munchies," in which you have an insatiable desire for junk food after smoking, and it turns out the effect isn't just folklore.

A study done at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine looked at the appetite effects of marijuana on six men for 13 days. On some days the men smoked two joints in the morning and another two in the afternoon. On other days they smoked placebo joints, which didn't contain THC. The men ate three meals a day, but also had unlimited access to candy bars, potato chips, soda and other junk foods.

On the days the men smoked the genuine pot, they ate no additional food at meals but ate enough snacks to consume 40 percent more calories than they ate on placebo days. That led to a six-pound weight gain after 13 days, which was quickly lost when they ceased getting high. The men were also less active on pot days and thus also burned fewer calories.

When you add it all up, even overlooking the fact that marijuana is an illegal drug, this weed has little or nothing to offer bodybuilders or anyone else seeking maximum health and fitness.

How Alcohol Affects Muscle-Building

I don't imagine there are many people out there who imagine that drinking a case of beer will make you a better athlete. Still, there are lots of people who argue that it doesn't really matter either way – that training is training and social life is social life, and the two don't really affect each other. So in that light, it's worth mentioning the results of a recent study from John Hawley's group in Australia.

The basic idea of the study was straightforward. Put volunteers through a rigorous exercise routine (it was a mix of weights, sustained cycling, and high-intensity sprints, designed to simulate the demands of a team-sport match); have them do it three times. After two of the trials, give them the "optimal" post-exercise nutrition: 25 grams of protein immediately after, a carbohydrate-rich meal two hours later, and another 25 grams of protein four hours later. During this recovery period, have them drink a bunch of drinks, either containing placebo or a total of 1.5 grams of alcohol per kilogram of body weight. In a third trial, give them alcohol but replace the protein with calorie-equivalent carbohydrate.

What makes this study so good is that they looked right into the muscles to observe what was happening in response. That means each of the three trials involved three muscle biopsies and 17 blood samples – not for the faint of heart! There are a lot of outcomes, but the bottom line is muscle protein synthesis: how much muscle is being built to repair damage from the exercise and build bigger/stronger new muscle?

Not surprisingly, the pre-exercise (rest) value is the lowest, and the optimal (post-exercise, no booze) value is the highest. In between, you've got the two alcohol trials. Alcohol plus protein is better than alcohol plus carb, but not as good as protein alone. Note that this has nothing to do with how much rest you're getting, how hung-over you are, or any of that other business. This is simply showing that if you exercise and then drink 1.5 g/kg of alcohol, the signals that would normally tell your body to adapt and get stronger are suppressed immediately.

The results don't come as a big surprise. For example, a few years ago researchers at Massey University in New Zealand published a series of studies showing that recovery from delayed-onset muscle soreness is hampered by alcohol.

The big question, of course, is dose. How much is 1.5 grams per kilogram? Well, in the U.S., a "standard drink" is considered to be 14 grams of alcohol. So for someone who weighs 150 lbs, 1.5 g/kg is 102 grams in total, which translates to 7.3 standard drinks – a fairly big evening for most people, I'd say. In the New Zealand study, 1.0 g/kg (4.9 drinks for the 150-lb person) hindered recovery, but 0.5 g/kg (2.4 drinks) didn't.

Again, I figure all this should score pretty low on the surprise-o-meter. If you're downing 7 drinks in an evening, you're presumably prioritizing something other than optimal muscle protein synthesis – and that's fine, as long as you understand this and are making an informed decision. Just don't kid yourself.

Make Your Cardio Fun

Being bored is not fun and it`s even worse when you know that you have another thirty minutes left on the treadmill. The minutes seem to go by like seconds and you hit the stop button because you simply cannot go on any longer. So what happened? Why does the cardio have to be so boring? This article is going to give you alternatives to the good ole treadmill and hopefully give you enough inspiration to finish your workout.

The first alternative to simple cardio is by the use of workout videos. Workout videos are perfect for those who don`t have a gym membership and are acceptable because of their workout in your own living room. Workout videos are also perfect for motivation because the instructor pushes you all the way to completion. Another benefit of having this instructor on your TV is that you get expert guidance in helping you achieve your goals.

Another great alternative to cardio is by the use of a jump rope. The cardio benefits of jumping rope are tremendous because of its calorie burning effect in such a short amount of time. Jump roping can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour, making it one of the most effecient workouts possible. Jump roping is fun, easy to learn, inexpensive, great for kids, portable, and in my opinion, the best way to make your cardio workout fun.

Heavy bag training is not just for boxers anymore. On top of the great cardio workout that you are getting, heavy bag training also improves your self-defense skills. Heavy bag training also reduces stress, works your muscles, and helps improve hand-eye-coordination. Fitness manufacturers continue to develop new products aimed towards the fighting athlete. As new products are being developed, old training equipment such as the heavy bag are often forgotten.

Now that you`ve learned three great alternatives to dull cardio routines, you should now be able to achieve your fat loss goals much easier. Don`t over-do your cardio and never go over an hour of continuous work due to chances of overtraining. Take things one day at a time and reap the benefits at a later time. Until next time, later!

Nicotine and Bodybuilding

Most people are aware of the fact that the drug nicotine is found in cigarettes and other tobacco products and is the substance primarily responsible for their addictive nature. But what exactly is nicotine, where does it come from, what are the real effects, and are there any possible uses for the average bodybuilder? We are always looking for novel ways to use existing drugs aside from the intended medical use, a fact which is clearly apparent when considering certain Prescription Only Medicines (POMs).

What is Nicotine?
Nicotine is an organic alkaloid which is found more notably in the tobacco plant in quantities of around 5% of the plant's dry weight. Although a poison in higher quantities, it acts as a pleasure stimulant in lower concentrations. There is approximately 0.8-1.0mg of nicotine in a single cigarette.

What are the effects of use?
It acts as an agonist of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, stimulating their activity which leads to increased amount of the hormone adrenaline to be released. As a result, an increase in blood pressure and heart rate is seen, as well as a rise in blood glucose. Chronic use often provides a relaxing effect, though this is in all probability due to the cessation of short term withdrawal effects which include irritability, headaches and anxiety, amongst others. Aside from its effects on adrenaline, nicotine also increases levels of dopamine in the brain, resulting in a feeling of pleasure; a trait that is primarily responsible for the addictive qualities of the drug.

Benefits to the Bodybuilder
As you would expect from a stimulant, particularly in reference to its effect on adrenaline release, nicotine appears to hold some promise for those wishing to reduce bodyfat. There is evidence to suggest that nicotine supplementation of just 1mg per dose could be beneficial in increasing total calorie expenditure, through increases in metabolic rate and thermogenisis. Furthermore, it has been shown that the conjunctional ingestion of 50mg caffeine results in an approximate 100% increase in thermic response over nicotine alone, with no reported side effects. There is also a notion that nicotine may result in reductions in insulin secretion which may lead to an increase in the utilisation of fat, protein and glycogen together with a reduction in preference for sugary foods.

Also, nicotine clearly acts as an appetite suppressant. This fact is proven from many accounts of ex-smokers who find themselves gaining weight.

Further noteworthy effects are that nicotine appears to decrease lipolysis, resulting in lower storage of adipose tissue. It may also act as a stimulus of Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) in adipose tissue. As we know, UCP1 acts within the mitochondria making the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) less efficient, with a resultant generation of heat. The mitochondria therefore need to work much harder to produce the same level of energy (ATP)

Looks very promising doesn't it?! If nicotine is indeed benficial for those looking to shed fat, would I advocate that one should starting puffing 20 cigarettes a day? I would hope that everyone would agree that doing so would not be a sensible choice. Nowadays however, there are products available such as nasal sprays, inhalators, chewing gum or tablets that dissolve under the tongue, which are designed to deliver the drug in a much safer, more controlled manner, without the negative consequences associated with tobacco smoke.

What are the risks of supplementation?
Due to the effects on blood pressure, it would be wise to monitor this closely so that supplementation can be stopped should it rise to abnormal levels. Some users may experience nausea, or even vomiting, something which is also sometimes endured by new smokers. Although not thought to be directly carcinogenic, nicotine does interfere with apoptosis, which is one of the means used by the body to destroy unwanted cells (programmed cell death). Since apoptosis helps remove mutated or damaged cells that may evolve into cancerous tissue, its inhibition by nicotine creates more favourable conditions for cancer to develop once the initial mutations have occurred. Risk of birth defects associated with nicotine appear very small, but would nontheless be worthy of consideration for pregnant females and nursing mothers.

But what about addiction? It's true that chronic smoking can often lead to the addiction of nicotine, so is it possible that dependance may occur from using other sources such as chewing gum? Well the incidences are very slight indeed, with less that 1% of gum users becoming dependant upon it. Addiction appears to depend largely on the speed of absorbtion. Nicotine from smoking reaches the brain within 7 seconds, with maximum blood concentrations of around 22ng/ml reached after only 5 minutes. In comparison, chewing gum will yield a maximum blood concentration of around 7ng/ml, this level being reached 30 minutes after chewing begins.

So is it worth it?
It is clear that this drug holds some promise as an aid to fat loss and may be a worthy addition to the arsenal of products used, though the relative high cost, and perhaps the stigma that is attached to smoking and thus nicotine, means that we're unlikely to see it becoming a feature in legitimate supplement formulations.

Growth Hormone vs. Testosterone for Lean Muscle Mass and Fat Loss.

Which is Better for Body Composition?
New research has shed some light on the anabolic effects of growth hormone. Several studies in the past have shown an increase in lean body mass in subjects taking growth hormone. However, lean body mass does not necessarily mean muscle, but anything that is not fat and this includes water, organ tissue growth, bone mass, and connective tissue growth. One recent study on HIV positive test subjects showed no significant change in skeletal muscle mass after taking six milligrams (about 18 units) per day of growth hormone for 12 weeks. Another study, also on HIV positive test subjects, also showed a lack of muscle growth when doses of nine milligrams (roughly 27 units) per day were given. Keep in mind that HIV positive individuals are often suffering from muscle wasting conditions, which should make them more responsive to any possible anabolic effects of growth hormone. Growth hormone is probably equally ineffective in healthy individuals.

One study on young (aged 22-33), highly trained athletes did show a significant increase in lean mass after six weeks of taking 2.67 milligrams (about 8 units) per day. However this increase was only 4%, and may have not included any muscle mass at all. It seems overwhelming clear that growth hormone is either non-anabolic or very weakly anabolic for skeletal muscle when taken by itself, and it definitely not worth the large price if you are taking it solely for gaining muscle. The only real use in gaining muscle may be as a synergistic agent with testosterone. A synergistic effect of taking growth hormone with testosterone has been reported for increases in lean mass, but further research needs to be done to see if this synergistic effects holds for skeletal muscle. Keep in mind that some increases in lean mass are not desirable. Growing some organs too big such as kidneys can produce some embarrassing effects seen in some professional bodybuilders. You do not want your "guts" sticking blatantly out of your body.

But enough on growth hormone for muscle gain. For information, see Bryan Haycock’s article in this issue or go to Michael Mooney’s web site. If you are going to spend the money on growth hormone to try to improve your body, your best bet is to use it as a fat loss or "sculpting" agent. The previously mentioned study with growth hormone on trained athletes did show an impressive 12% decrease in bodyfat. So well it is well established that testosterone is far, far better for building muscle than growth hormone, is growth hormone the better choice for fat loss? The research on this issue is mixed, and there is no easy answer to this question.

One recent study put growth hormone head to head with testosterone and measured its effects on fat loss. In this study, men on growth hormone lost an average of 13% of their bodyfat compared to 5.8% in the group taking testosterone. But before you jump to conclusions, there are a couple of reasons why this study doesn’t settle the question. For one thing, this study was on very old individuals (aged 65 to 88) who had low IGF-1 and testosterone levels. Another problem is that the doses of the hormones haven’t been reported yet (the study is only in abstract form right now) which also makes the comparison difficult to make. Most interesting about this study was that a synergistic effect was found in a group taking both testosterone and growth hormone, as they lost an average of 21% of their bodyfat. This is more than the averages of the testosterone alone and growth hormone alone groups combined.

Not all studies have shown this dramatic of an effect on body fat. One study using fairly large doses (adjusted by weight, but roughly 5 mg per day) on obese women failed to show any significant effects on body fat. The growth hormone group lost less than two pounds more than the placebo group over a one month period. The main significant result was that the growth hormone group lost much less lean mass (an average loss of 1.52 kg compared to 3.79 in the placebo). While this may seem impressive, the same results could be achieved with a caffeine/ephedrine formula at a fraction of the price. While there are a good number of studies showing growth hormone to be effective for fat loss, testosterone may be almost as good for this purpose.

Testosterone was recently found to be effective for fat loss in young men even in small doses. One recent study showed that men given only 100 milligrams per week of testosterone enanthate lost an average of six percent of their bodyfat after eight weeks. 100 mg per week is generally considered a very low dose by bodybuilding standards. Most impressive about this study was that the result was obtained in young, normal healthy men (aged 18 to 45), not obese or testosterone deficient. Most of the studies showing positive effects with hormone replacement therapy are on subjects who are obese or hormone deficient – i.e. the very subjects most likely to respond. While the amount of muscle gain reported in this study was not reported (it is still just in abstract form), another study showed 100 mg per week of testosterone enanthate was not anabolic. It appears that testosterone has a strong mechanism for fat loss other than increased ********* rate from increased muscle. Considering how much cheaper testosterone is than growth hormone, it may well be the cost-effective choice for burning fat even if it is slightly less effective overall.

Safety of Growth Hormone and Testosterone
Testosterone is widely believed to be far more dangerous than growth hormone. However, recent research is rapidly showing that much of these dangers have been exaggerated. For instance, the hypothesis that testosterone causes prostate cancer has never been established. In fact, one study even showed a slight negative correlation between testosterone levels and prostate cancer! A study on young men given supraphysiologic doses of testosterone showed no change is prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is one measure of prostate cancer risk.

Growth hormone may also be less dangerous to the prostate than previously believed. One study showed strong positive correlation with prostate cancer and IGF-1 levels. Since growth hormone stimulates IGF-1 synthesis in the liver, this study and others bring up the possibility of a link of growth hormone and prostate and breast cancer. Keep in mind that statistical correlations do not necessarily prove causality, i.e. IGF-1 has not yet been proven to be a cancer-causing villain. Actually IGF-11 may be one of the culprits in the cancer story, and not IGF-1. At the Serano sponsored Symposia on the Endocrinology of Aging in October, 1999 and at the Endocrine Society Meeting in June, 1999 there was an informal consensus that patients on growth hormone did not increase their risk of breast or prostate cancer. Several other recent studies have also cast doubt on the role of growth hormone as a cancer-causing villain.

Testosterone may have also gotten a bad rap for its effects on blood lipids. Since testosterone and other anabolic steroids have been shown in some studies to lower HDL cholesterol levels, it was believed that testosterone may increase the risk for heart disease. This was refuted in one recent study on testosterone that showed some positive results. A study on 21 hypogonadal men (aged 36 to 57) showed a replacement dose of testosterone using the Androderm transdermal patch to reduce blood clotting. While HDL levels did drop slightly, blood coagulability is believed to be the more important marker of heart disease risk. Another study showed a very strong negative correlation with testosterone levels and heart disease.

Growth hormone has shown mixed results on its effects on heart disease risk. One study on elderly men and women (aged 65-88) showed that growth hormone administration to lower LDL levels, but raised triglyceride levels. Since high LDL and triglyceride levels are considered measures of heart disease risk, growth hormone’s effects on heart disease risk are ambiguous. However, long-term use of growth hormone as been shown to decrease the thickness of the carotid artery lining – i.e. increased room for blood flow.

While much more research needs to be done, I am convinced right now that testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadal men may be safer than excessively large doses of growth hormone. The long-term studies have not yet been done to test the true long-term effects of these hormones, but the research seems quite clear at the moment. Michael Mooney has reported similar results on safety and side effects of these hormones:

While none of the studies on testosterone or anabolic steroids used for HIV have documented any significant health problems associated with their proper therapeutic use, Dr. Gabe Torres' data on his patients who experienced a reduction in symptoms of HIV-related lipodystrophy with Serostim growth hormone showed that at the standard 5 and 6 mg doses, 80 percent of his HIV patients experienced significant side effects, that included elevated glucose, elevated pancreatic enzymes, or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Don’t get me wrong – I still use both growth hormone and testosterone as part of overall anti-aging programs in my patients. This article is not meant to say one hormone is "good" and another is "bad". It is just my opinion at the moment that the overall benefit/cost ratio for improving body composition is higher with testosterone than growth hormone. By cost, I mean both the monetary price – testosterone is far cheaper than growth hormone, and the side effect/safety profile – testosterone is safer than high-dose growth hormone use.

Since growth hormone is extremely expensive and perhaps riskier than testosterone, I screen patients very carefully and only recommend it to those who either have very low IGF-1 levels and fail growth hormone stimulation tests, or those who have failed to respond to testosterone or other therapies. The new research has also made me confident in encouraging more and more patients to go on testosterone. However, we must keep constant track of the new research to better refine both anti-aging and bodybuilding programs. The science of hormone supplementation is still in its infancy, and there is still a lot more questions that need to be answered. 

Bodybuilding and the Endocrine System

Many health benefits are to be gained through bodybuilding. In fact, bodybuilding's training regimes and dietary practices can enhance cardiovascular, mental and immune health and improve weight loss. One aspect of health that is not often touched on, when bodybuilding's benefits are discussed, is the endocrine (or hormonal) system.

The endocrine system (from the Greek terms "endo" meaning within and "krine" meaning to separate or secrete) is comprised of chemical substances called hormones which serve as messengers, passing information from endocrine gland to organ, to control a large number of physiologic functions. To ensure these functions are governed efficiently, effective hormonal control is of paramount importance. Exercise is one of the best ways to beneficially assist the release and reception of hormones. Studies have shown that exercise actually increases the amount of circulating hormones in our bodies as well as strengthening the receptor sites on their target organ cells.

The Endocrine System 

The endocrine systems glands manufacture and secrete hormones, which communicate with specific organs and, in concert with the nervous and immune systems, enable vital functions to occur within our bodies. The endocrine glands are ductless, which means they secrete the hormones they manufacture directly into the bloodstream to be taken to the appropriate target organ, upon which these hormones act. Specific cells on the target organ which act as binding sites (hormone receptors) recognize the shape of each hormone and allow it to enter (a lock and key mechanism).

Hormones bring their characteristic effects on target cells by modifying cellular activity, and given that they are very potent substances, hormones need to be tightly regulated to maintain homeostasis.

Many hormones are controlled through what is termed a negative feedback mechanism, which causes a reversal of increases or decreases in the concentration of a particular hormone, to maintain homeostasis. This negative feedback mechanism illustrates just how sensitive a target organ is to the hormone it receives.

The Major Endocrine Glands Are:  

1. The thyroid 
2. Parathyroid 
3. Adrenal 
4. Pituitary 
5. Pineal glands 
6. Pancreas 
7. Testes 
8. Ovaries

Organs that are hormonally active as part of their function, but are not endocrine glands per se, are:  

1. Thymus 
2. Stomach 
3. Heart 
4. Small-intestine 
5. Placenta 

Although the endocrine glands are scattered throughout the body, and serve different functions, they are considered a system because they have similar mechanisms of influence and functions, and many important relationships.

The Three General Classes Of Hormones Classified By Their Protein or Steroid Chemical Structure Are:  

• Amino Acid Derivatives: as the name suggests these are derived from amino acids; tyrosine in particular. Epinephrine for example is an amino acid derived hormone.  
• Steroid Hormones: these include prostaglandins and all are lipids, made from cholesterol.  
• Peptide Hormones: the biggest group of hormones, peptides are short chains of amino acids. Insulin for example is a peptide hormone. 

Key hormones beneficially affected by exercise are:

• Testosterone 
• Growth hormone 
• Estrogen 
• Thyroxine 
• Epinephrine 
• Insulin 
• Endorphins 
• Glucagon            

Testosterone 

Both males and females produce testosterone, which is a key bodybuilding hormone, as it increases basal metabolic rate, decreases body fat, increases feelings of self-confidence, and maintains muscle volume, tone and strength. In fact, testosterone, along with growth hormone, is responsible for the hypertrophy (increased size and density) of muscle cells as well as the repair of micro-tears in the muscle tissue.

Females have only about one tenth of the testosterone males have, but even at that level, powerful effects are exerted: libido and strength of orgasm for example.

The process underlying testosterones release is rather complex.  Firstly, the hypothalamus (situated in the brain), releases gonadotrophin releasing hormone to the anterior pituitary gland, which, in turn, releases luteinizing hormone, which travels to the Leydig cells of the testes and stimulates the enzymatic conversion of cholesterol to Testosterone.

The key to boosting testosterone levels through exercise is to concentrate on the larger muscle groups while avoiding training the same body-part two days in a row. It has also been shown that a higher level of training intensity can be achieved in the morning as it is then that testosterone levels are at their highest. Consequently, greater gains could theoretically be made at this time.

Repetitions should be kept low, while a correspondingly heavy weight is lifted, if testosterone boosting is ones aim. 85% of ones one-repetition-maximum for 1-2 reps is best.

In essence, the best form of training for testosterone increase is short, intense, anaerobic session. With aerobic training, shorter, 45-minute sessions are ideal as testosterone is depressed is this period is exceeded.

Growth Hormone  

Growth hormone which is released from the brains pituitary gland is an important bodybuilding hormone. It stimulates protein synthesis, and helps to strengthen bones, ligaments, tendons and cartilage. It also plays a role in fat mobilization, and the corresponding decrease in carbohydrate usage, during exercise.

As a result, body fat is used and blood glucose levels are balanced which allows one to train over a longer period of time (without exceeding the testosterone maximizing 45-minute period of course).
Increases in growth hormone provide a multitude of immediate benefits which include, increased energy, ability to concentrate, and interest and ability in sex. Longer-term benefits include, increased aerobic capacity and strength, thickening of hair, tightening of wrinkles and loose skin, decrease in visceral fat, and strengthening of osteoporotic bones.

Growth hormone production is reduced significantly as we age and can be prescribed to offset the negative effects of aging. However, without going to extremes, one can increase their output of growth hormone in the most effective natural way possible: though exercise.

For increased growth hormone the most productive form of exercise is vigorous, sustained anaerobic training. Adopt the same strategy as when training for testosterone release and, target the large muscle groups, the quads in particular. Train no longer than 30 minutes when specifically aiming to increase growth hormone.

This applies to aerobic training also, which should be undertaken at a very high intensity; bordering on anaerobic. Interval training is the ideal.

Estrogen 

The beneficial effects of estrogen, in its most biologically active form, 17 beta estradiol, include, fat mobilisation for fuel, mood elevation, increased basal metabolic rate, and libido in women primarily. As a woman ages her estrogen levels vary to regulate the reproductive system and are reduced significantly by the time she reaches menopause.

A study by Copeland, Consitt and Tremblay, reported that blood levels of estrogen, were significantly higher in women aged 19-69 years old after 40 minutes of either endurance or resistance exercise versus a control group who performed no exercise. Furthermore, blood levels of estrogen remain elevated for up to four-hours following an exercise session.

Thyroxine  

This hormone is produced by the follicular cells of the thyroid gland and its main role is to raise the body's metabolic rate. It is therefore a key hormone for weight-loss, as more calories are expended through its release. Thyroxine has an additional effect of influencing physical development.

Thyroxine increases in the blood by about 30% during exercise and remains elevated for up to five hours afterward. The intensity should be kept high to realise maximum benefit. Thyroxine levels at rest are also increased through exercise.

Epinephrine  

Produced in the adrenal medulla, epinephrine, a neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system, increases the amount of blood the heart pumps and directs the blood to where it is needed - the extremities. Epinephrine is one of the catecholamines, the other being norepinephrine, and both are synthesised from the amino acid tyrosine.

Epinephrine also stimulates the breakdown of glycogen in the liver and muscles and stored fat to be used as fuel. Vasodilation in muscle and liver vasculatures results also from increased epinephrine release. This allows the muscle to receive more oxygenated blood, increasing our ability to use these muscles while exercising.

To increase epinephrine exercise sessions, once again, need to be very intense. The amount of epinephrine released from the medulla is proportional to exercise intensity.

Insulin  

Insulin, produced in the islet cells of the of the pancreas, is an important hormone which decreases (regulates) blood levels of glucose and directs amino acids and fatty acids into cells.

Most of our body's cells have insulin receptors, which are composed of two alpha subunits and two beta subunits linked by disulfide bonds, and bind the circulating insulin. The cell then can activate other receptors which are designed to absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood stream into the cell.
An insulin response ensues after a meal has been consumed. An excessive insulin response causes fat to accumulate within cells, and, over time, those who frequently experience such responses can become overweight and their cells may develop a resistance to insulin (diabetes).

Weight loss through daily aerobic and weight-training can help to rectify this situation, depending on the type of diabetes they have. One may be fortunate to escape diabetes, but they will likely become overweight with continual, excessive insulin responses.

Therefore, it is important to exercise to help offset any potential blood sugar problems. Blood-insulin levels begin to decrease within ten minutes of aerobic training and continue to decrease as the session progresses. Weight training has been shown to increase the cells sensitivity (receptivity) to insulin at rest.

Endorphins  

Released from the pituitary gland, the endorphins are an endogenous opioid class of chemicals produced under conditions of pain, which block this pain, decrease appetite, create a feeling of euphoria and reduce tension and anxiety. Biochemically, endorphins are polypeptide neurotransmitters, containing 30 amino acid units.

Exercising is particularly beneficial in terms of endorphin release. In fact blood levels of endorphins increase above resiting levels up to five times with longer duration (over 30 minutes) aerobic exercise at moderate to intense levels. An increased sensitivity to endorphins is developed after several months of regular exercise.

This means that a higher high will arise from the same training stimulus. Although longer duration exercise is suggested as a rule, it is rather arbitrary, as individual variability dictates how one will experience the effect of endorphins.

Glucagon 

As with insulin, glucagon, a linear peptide of 29 amino acids, is secreted by the pancreas. Its main role, in contradiction to insulin however, is to increase blood glucose levels. Glucagon is synthesized as proglucagon and proteolytically (the hydrolysis of proteins into simpler compounds through the actions of enzymes) processed to yield glucagon within alpha cells of the pancreatic islets.

Glucagon exerts its physiologic effects in two ways:

• It is secreted when blood sugar falls too low, and this causes carbohydrate in the liver to be released into the blood stream, which raises blood sugar levels to normal.  
• It activates hepatic gluconeogenesis. This process involves the conversion of amino acids into glucose to be used as energy. 

Researchers Bonjorn, Latour, Belanger and Lavoie, from Montreal University, found that exercise enhanced the livers sensitivity to glucagon. This demonstrates the effect exercise, and its facilitation of glucagon, has on nutritional conversion for energy purposes. Glucagon is typically secreted about 30 minutes into an exercise session, at the onset of blood glucose reduction.

Can you convert Fat to Muscle?

Most people consider the idea that you can convert fat to muscle as commonly accepted knowledge. After all, if you throw a 300-pound guy and a scrawny 150-pounder in the gym, the 300-pound man is going to have more muscle after hitting the weights. But is this because his fat has converted to muscle?

Absolutely not! The reason why it seems that fat guys immediately get more muscular than skinny guys is because they often have more muscle to begin with - it's just tucked underneath all those layers of lard. Additionally, bigger people eat more calories, so they're likely to get more muscle-building protein. With that said, let us discuss the reality behind the myth that you can change fat to muscle.

Two Different Cells

Let's start this off by quickly stating that muscle and fat are entirely different cells. Muscle is mainly comprised of muscle tissue, glycogen and water. The muscle tissue has amino acid chains that contain nitrogen, which is stored as muscle.

Fat, on the other hand, lacks nitrogen so it cannot be stored as or changed into muscle. Instead, it just sits there as a reserve energy source in the event that you're starving. Luckily, it can also be burned off through exercise like lifting weights.

One Step at a Time

Wouldn't it be so convenient if you could just kill two birds with one stone by changing fat to muscle? Unfortunately, as we just discussed, this isn't possible and so getting a ripped body becomes that much harder.

Taking this into account, it almost always works best if you focus on one goal at a time - i.e. burn fat or build muscle. Weightlifting can accomplish both goals in heavy people, especially right off the bat. However, there'll eventually become a point where you should focus on one or the other.

The reason why is because burning fat requires a calorie deficit, while building muscle requires more calories. My personal preference is to bulk up, then start cutting after you've gained some muscle mass. But those who are tired of being fat might just want to lift for reps while doing more cardio.

Once again, don't believe the myth that you can turn fat into muscle. Instead, you need to work on accomplishing two separate goals to get the body of your dreams. For the lucky mesomorphs out there, these two goals can be met simultaneously. But for us ectomorphs and endomorphs, the journey will be a lot tougher.

Beginner and High Doses Why?

Some bodybuilders (using the term loosely) want to grow, some bodybuilders want to get lean, some bodybuilders want to maintain, and some bodybuilders just want to take drugs. You could definitely say that all enhanced bodybuilders choose to take drugs, and that is correct. The reason I separated taking drugs from the actual goals related to their body, is that some seem really focused on how many mg’s of drugs they can take regardless if it will benefit their physique.

The way my brain works when it comes to progression is I highlight a short term mission (add size, lose fat, etc) and then construct the most efficient plan to get there…while also considering long term goals and making sure the methods I use now won’t bite me in the ass down the road. That way you can structure a diet and supplement regime that will inch you towards your desired result every single day and not do any more or less than is required.
I’m not here to imply that someone can blow up on 200mgs of Test if their diet and training is up to snuff, that is really only going to get you so far (AKA not far), but it seems that people in the bodybuilding world either prescribe suspiciously low doses or they have zero regards for their bodies and think that more is always better.

What makes someone with little gym experience want to take more drugs than they need? Psychologically it seems very strange to me that someone who could make great progress on 400-500mg of combined AAS would want to run 800mgs of test and 600mg of deca weekly plus 50mg of dbol a day. If we hypothetically took the same person and cloned them and then one did 3 small cycles that each pyramided up and then reached 1.5 grams maybe at 2 years around cycle number 4 or 5 and compared them to someone who did 1.5 grams for 4 cycles and stayed there (both coming off for same amount of time etc), would we really see much difference? Other than the total amount of drugs used (or wasted) of course.

I know the answer is debatable, but I really feel that taking enough to make steady progress is all you need to do. This number is going to go up over the course of your time using and I feel it is extremely immature to deny yourself of easy gains off minimal supplements.

The obsession sometimes seems to be a fetishizing of drugs even more so than with muscle. It’s like bringing ecstasy, cocaine, vodka, and LSD to your first party instead of a few beers. The sad thing is that most of these people burn themselves out and vanish from the gym altogether, and then they are left with bottomed out hormone levels which is not a fun souvenir from a lifestyle you don’t follow anymore.

There is becoming more and more evidence that your body will actually be able to utilize higher doses the longer one stays on and the more usage experience they have, through an increase in androgen receptors. This would certainly explain why a beginner on 1 gram of gear might not look that much more impressive than a beginner on 300mgs. Unfortunately, this information and anecdotal evidence is not enough to stop most of these people from loading up on stuff and wasting their money. Usually, the type of person who rushes the doses is also the same person who completely falls off track with their training and can’t maintain any form of diet year round.

There’s no problem with being on heavier cycles of gear at certain times in your bodybuilding career but save them for when they are needed.

The Science Behind Intra-Workout Nutrition

The concept of a training window, during which recovery and growth could be enhanced through the timed consumption of particular nutrients, is nothing new, having first been mentioned in bodybuilding publications over 50 years ago. Since that time, our understanding of the science of muscle growth has increased exponentially, revealing to us newer and more effective ways of utilizing workout-based nutrition to enhance our progress.

In this article I am not going to debate which method is the most effective, but rather, discuss how we can use certain foods, drugs, and supplements to take advantage of this brief window of opportunity. The purpose of any training-based nutrition program is to accelerate recovery and growth, which is accomplished primarily by enhancing glycogen deposition within muscle tissue and increasing the rate of protein synthesis.

Protein, from which aminos acids are derived, are the basic building blocks of muscle tissue and are therefore essential to protein synthesis, while carbohydrates are converted into glucose and subsequently stored as muscle glycogen. Knowing this, the question then becomes “how can we use protein and carbohydrates to optimize both the rate and extent to which these processes take place?”

With the training window remaining open for just a few hours, factors such as protein/carbohydrate type, quantity, and speed of digestion, as well as the timing of these nutrients, all have a profound impact on the body’s ability to take advantage of this heightened muscle-building state. When it comes to protein, the type of protein consumed becomes an important factor. Not only must the protein be complete (i.e. contains all essential amino acids), but it must digest rapidly. Otherwise, the muscles will not be supplied with the correct ratio or amount of aminos acids necessary to maximize protein synthesis.

To this end, protein powders work best, particularly those which have been hydrolyzed, or pre-digested. Basically, a hydrolyzed protein has been broken down into smaller particles known as di and tri-peptides, which dramatically increase the ease and rapidity with which the accompanying amino acids are digested. In many cases the amino acids from these proteins will enter the bloodstream in one hour or less. By comparison, red meat and casein protein can take up to 7 hours to fully digest, and in some cases even longer. Any type of protein can be hydrolyzed, equalizing the digestion rate regardless of source, assuming the protein has been hydrolyzed to the same extent. The best of these are whey, casein, beef and egg protein hydrolysate, as they provide a more balanced amino acid profile than most other proteins.

In the absence of hydrolysis, protein selection should be determined by natural digestion rate. Protein powders are still ideal, but type becomes much more important at this point. Whey isolate would be the next best choice, followed by whey concentrates. Beyond that, digestion rate slows tremendously, making protein source much less relevant and canceling out many of the potential benefits found with a properly structured intra-workout program.

There is one more option, which under certain circumstances may be preferable to hydrolyzed proteins. EAA’s (essential amino acids) in free form have similar advantages to hydrolyzed proteins, in that they are rapidly absorbed and possess a complete amino acid profile, but they have the added benefit of taking up less room in the stomach. This final benefit is a significant advantage for those who don’t feel well when consuming a large volume of liquid during workouts due to nausea or cramping, as well as those who are trying to reduce caloric intake for fat loss purposes, but who still want to receive the same muscle building benefits of protein powders.

When it comes to carbohydrates we are left with numerous options, many of which are now considered out-dated. In my personal opinion, branched cyclic dextrins are ideal for intra-workout nutritional, due to their impressive list of benefits. HBCD’s possess extremely high osmality in solution, which greatly increases the rate of gastric emptying (i.e. clearance from the stomach). This reduces bloating and cramping during training, while also leading to a near immediate, yet sustained absorption. These super-carbs are lead to improved glycogen restoration, and are even less likely to impair fat loss.

In addition to these basic macronutrients, there is one other amino acid which deserves a special mention, specifically because of its ability to directly stimulate protein synthesis. I am referring to the essential amino acid leucine, which, while being a basic building block in the construction of muscle tissue as one of the EAA’s, also has a dual role as the primary regulator of protein synthesis via the M-tor pathway. While all the EAA’s are required to build new muscle tissue, only leucine has the power to turn on, as well as control the rate of protein synthesis. In other words, leucine tells the body to begin mobilizing currently circulating amino acids for the construction of new muscle tissue, while the quantity of leucine consumed will determine how strong that signal is. The stronger the signal, the more muscle growth one will experience.

Allow me to use the following analogy. You could look at the job of protein synthesis in the same way as building a skyscraper at a construction site, with the construction workers being the essential amino acids and leucine being the foreman. By increasing the number of workers on staff, the potential level of productivity goes up (more muscle can potentially be built), but without a foreman telling the workers where the construction site is and providing the orders to begin work, nothing will get done. Leucine functions in the same way as the foreman, signaling the body to begin using the EAA’s to synthesize new muscle tissue.

For this reason, we must be sure to consume optimal amounts of leucine during the training window if we desire to maximize protein synthesis. Recent studies have shown that 4.5 grams of leucine, consumed all at once in their free-form, produced a maximal spike in protein synthesis, with greater amounts having no additional effect. Now, keep in mind that a protein such as hydrolyzed whey, casein, or beef contains a large amount of easily and quickly liberated leucine (one must ingest roughly 40-45 grams in order to get 4.5 grams of leucine), which means it is not necessary to supplement with a full 4.5 grams of leucine when one has already consumed adequate amounts of these proteins.

However, the 4.5 grams of leucine referenced in the above–mentioned study was delivered into the body in near bolus style, while a protein like hydrolyzed whey will take a bit longer to fully release its available leucine into the bloodstream. While the difference is not extremely significant, the addition of a few grams of leucine is likely a wise practice, as it will ensure optimal concentrations of leucine within the bloodstream right off the bat. When consuming non-hydrolyzed proteins, such as non-hydrolyzed whey or whole foods, supplementation with leucine becomes even more important. In terms of EAA’s, since the manufacturer determines how much leucine is contained per serving, you will need to view the nutrition label in order to know how many gram of leucine, if any, should be added.

When deciding what other products should be included in your intra-workout nutrition plan, it becomes more a matter of finances than anything else. There are numerous beneficial supplements on the marketplace which can increase the rate of muscle growth through various mechanisms. Creatine is the most well known example, with clinical studies showing it to be capable of stimulating protein synthesis through both direct and indirect mechanisms. With high quality forms of creatine available at such a low cost, I find its inclusion to be basic fare for just about everyone.

I am not going to name dozens of different products and their respective benefits. Rather, I will conclude this topic with the following thought. During the training window, just about anything you consume which has recovery and/or muscle building benefits, and which is used within the muscle cell—those benefits will be increased due to the body’s up-regulation of its recovery & growth processes. Therefore, allow your finances to determine what you do or do not include in your program. Some notable products include anything which increases blood flow to the muscles, volumizes the muscles, or which increases protein synthesis.
Now, we could consume the very best proteins, aminos, carbs, and other products, but if these macronutrients and supplements aren’t being delivered into the muscle cell in optimal quantities, then muscle growth cannot be maximized. This is a basic fact that cannot be ignored if we want to make the most of our training sessions. There are two ways to go about this, one of which is considerably more effective than the other. We can either use insulin, or we can use supplements designed to increase insulin sensitivity, so that the body responds more effectively to its own insulin production. The ideal scenario would be to do both, as this will allow us to receive maximum benefit from both forms of insulin—endogenous and exogenous.

Let’s take a minute to address the issue of timing before I finish up here. It used to be in years past that the post-workout window was considered to be the single most important time of the day to eat ample amounts of protein, carbs, etc. It wasn’t until studies began showing even greater increases in protein synthesis with the pre-workout consumption of amino acids that BB’rs began to change their views. However, pre-workout nutrition is more accurately defined as intra-workout nutrition, as any nutrients we consume immediately before the workout will be delivered to muscle tissue during the workout itself. At the same time, intra-workout nutrition is more accurately defined as post-workout nutrition for the same reason.

Knowing this, it is not surprising that the consumption of aminos pre-workout provided superior results to post-workout supplementation, as the consumption of nutrients post-workout would have delayed their delivery into muscle tissue until sometime after the workout had been completed, preventing the muscles from receiving much needed amino acids during both the training session and immediately afterward.

With such strong evidence backing up this approach to workout-based nutrition, if you are not currently utilizing some form of pre-intra workout supplementation, then you are short-changing yourself of the benefits you could be receiving. Reduced muscle soreness, improved glycogen restoration, enhanced protein synthesis, faster recovery, greater fullness and muscle pumps, and improved endurance recovery are all possible. The good news is that it doesn’t cost much to use a basic mix of hydrolyzed protein/EAA’s, branched cyclic dextrins, and leucine, but if these supplements are outside of your price range, than a basic whey isolate and waxy maize concoction will still provide most of benefits listed above, although to a reduced degree.

Are You Overtraining?

Many people start bodybuilding because they want to either gain muscle or lose fat, and feel the need to exercise six hours a day to achieve their fitness goals. Training for that long will not give you the results you are looking for, in fact, it will lead to over training. This article is going to explain the basics of over training and the problems associated with it. You are also going to learn about methods you can use to prevent over training in the future.

Over training is a severely bad physical and mental state which occurs from training without adequate recovery. Over training can also be caused by excessive intensity of weight training and not giving the body enough time for rest and recovery. Not only is over training common in weight lifting, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes as well. Studies show that 10-20% of intensely trained athletes are currently over trained.

Over training can effect an athlete in many different ways but the most noticeable symptoms come in a physical and mental state. The following list tells you the most common symptoms of over training in both states.

Mentally 

• Lack of energy 
• Insomnia 
• Headaches 
• Inability to relax 
• Dehydration 
• Slower recovery after exercise 
• Decreased appetite 
• Decreased desire to exercise 
• Depression 
• Increased chance of infection

Physically 

• Achiness 
• Pain in muscles 
• Increased resting blood pressure 
• Decreased athletic performance 
• Decreased maximal blood lactate concentrates 
• Weight loss
• Increased risk of injury

If you are experiencing any of these problems, chances are good that you are over trained.

Okay, so I am over trained. What should I do to get myself back on track? The first thing you need to do is take a step backwards and rest for a few days. You also need to to drink plenty of fluids and alter your diet if needed. Even if you are not currently over trained doesn`t mean that you can`t be in the future. You should keep your training sessions under forty-five minutes and make sure that you stretch before and after exercising.

I could write a book on the many different psychological and physical effects that over training can cause, but I simply don`t have enough space in such a short article. Remember to always listen to your body and never try pushing yourself to more than what you can handle. Bodybuilding is the only sport I can think of that uses the "less-is-more" approach and is another one of the reasons that we are a breed apart from the rest of society. Until next time, later.

Building a Bombastic Booty

Because this muscle mom from Oakland, Califiornia, has some of the most awesome glutes on the planet.

She has to have...because Shannon has also built some of the most jaw-dropping legs in the whole of female bodybuilding and great quads absolutely need great glutes! All bodybuilders know that the barbell squat is the granddaddy of all leg and glute exercises – but Personal Trainer Shannon adds a fabulous superset after squatting to really hit the gluteus maximus and carve out that sexy and desirable bodybuilder booty!

Shannon explains that the superset consists of one set of 12 deadlifts followed immediately by a set of 20 Dumbbell Squat Swings (sometimes called Dumbbell High Swing or Russian Dumbbell Swing).

Few women who workout will need any introduction to the deadlift, but just for the sake of completion here it is:

Deadlift* - (try 60% of your 1 Rep Max)

Grasp a bar using an overhand grip (palms either facing down or alternate). You may need some wrist wraps if using a significant amount of weight.

Stand with your torso straight and your legs spaced using a shoulder width or narrower stance. The knees should be slightly bent (soft). This is your starting position.

Keeping the knees stationary, lower the barbell to over the top of your feet by bending at the hips while keeping your back straight. Keep moving forward as if you were going to pick something from the floor until you feel a stretch on the hamstrings. Inhale as you perform this movement.

Start bringing your torso up straight again by extending your hips until you are back at the starting position. Exhale as you perform this movement.

Repeat x 12.

Dumbbell Squat Swings

Squat down and pick up the dumbbell by one end.

Pushing your butt back and bending your knees slightly swing the dumbbell back, between your legs.

Use your hips and legs to swing the dumbbell up. Shannon prefers to stop at shoulder height – but the dumbbell can be swung overhead too.

Keep your back straight and look forward the whole time.

Repeat x 20

Both these exercises require concentration and strict form – much more than super heavy weights.

(Remember: Good form can make 10lbs feel like 100lbs – bad form can make 100lbs feel like 10lbs, which doesn't build muscle and can lead to injuries.)

Happy lifting – you're on your way to perfect glutes!

* Caution – The Deadlift is not an exercise for people with lower back problems. It should be treated with the utmost respect paying special attention not to round the back forward as you move the torso down; the back should ALWAYS be straight. Jerking motions or doing too much weight can injure your back.

The Truth About Carbohydrates

Bodybuilders and most athletes are universally looking for faster gains in lean muscle and faster recovery from all forms of workouts. Convenience is a big factor - witness the enormous use and growth of super high-protein bars in the last 5-6 years!

It's no secret that the prime protein issue in bodybuilding those last 5-6 years, albeit somewhat illusory, has been the marketing debate over the relative and absolute nitrogen retention and absorption of whey versus casein proteins. This is also known in our vernacular as the 'fast versus slow' protein debate or the so-called 'Designer (whey) versus Met-Rx (casein)' debate. Let us add nausea to the protein - as an extra ingredient.

The bigger and much more important issue is the ratio, amount and type of carbohydrates used in concert with any great protein. The fact is every serious bodybuilder and lifter has been sidetracked and horribly misguided on the 'zero or low carbohydrate' kick. Not only is this a whole lot of nonsensical marketing schlock anyway, but also going low carbohydrate is absolutely disastrous for athletes who want to build muscle faster.

This issue has been erroneously propagated in the marketing of protein bars as any high protein bar must be nutritionally germane to bodybuilding, which is supplying nutrition to build muscle and that means carbohydrates my friends.

Basically there are two different types of protein bars available - high-protein, low carbohydrate bars (that may be high in glycerin) and/or bars high in protein and moderate in full-range, normal carbohydrate bars.

Let us leave glycerin issue out of the equation for now. Let it only be said that glycerin while having some special properties, is certainly not special when it comes to calories. For individuals who are on a high protein/low carb diet, the first category-this high protein/low carbohydrate nutrient profile may indeed help you to burn fat faster.

But for serious athletes who train consistently at high intensity levels (bodybuilders), food bars, with high protein and moderate-to-high carbohydrate and some fat, definitely offer better gains and faster recovery. There is absolutely no question about this.

Carbohydrates spare protein and are your body's principal source of fuel. They provide the energy necessary for intense workouts more efficiently than any other energy source. Protein needs carbohydrates to work. In fact, starving your body of carbohydrates during and after periods of intense exercise will likely cause your body to use protein as an energy source. In severe cases of low carbohydrate for prolonged periods, this may even result in the breakdown of hard-earned muscle proteins to be used as fuel during workouts or to replenish muscle glycogen after training.

In either case, protein is a relatively expensive (and inefficient) energy source when compared to carbohydrates. As much as some frown on sugars and starches, these carbohydrates are your body's most important fuel source. Your body breaks them down into the simple sugar glucose. Glucose is either directly consumed by your cells for energy, or it's stored as glycogen in the muscle or liver for later use when your energy demand requires it. Those are the simple, accurate facts.

Glucose Economy

When glucose is in short supply, your body will begin to utilize fat and protein (even muscle protein) for energy to preserve glucose levels. This complex energy system has been referred to by some as the "Glucose Economy." If you do not obtain enough glucose from the food you eat, your body has the ability to convert protein or fat into glucose. As you burn calories (energy) through exercise, or remain in a carbohydrate-fasted state (as on low carb diets), your body scrambles to make glucose in an effort to maintain its glucose economy.

It is your glucose economy that determines how fast your body burns fat, how well it performs physically, and how fast you recover after training. Yes, low carbohydrate diets may be an effective way to manipulate your body's glucose economy to burn fat faster. Since the body is in a carb-depleted state, it is forced to convert fat into glucose to meet its energy demands. But you simply can not do this for any extended period or you will not accrue muscle.

Smart bodybuilders may carbohydrate-deplete gradually ONLY for a few weeks (maybe 3-10 weeks) as they get shredded for competition. During these critical competition, low carbohydrate trials, high protein bars (commercial examples: The Pure Protein bar and The Promax Lean Protein bar), are convenient and effective means to increase protein intake and minimize carbohydrates.

Beware, though, bodybuilders and other athletes may be at risk of catabolizing muscle protein to meet the body's demand for glucose and may actually sacrifice gains in lean muscle if they follow low carb diets (or just use low carbohydrate bars), for extended periods of time. I say again strongly, such use must be occasional, not for extended periods of time.

Packing On Muscle: Carbs & Fats Required!

Most of the training year, bodybuilders and strength athletes are training to pack on muscle. During this type of training, low carb diets categorically will NOT be as effective at building muscle as a diet that is higher in carbohydrates. Moderate-to-high carbohydrate diets provide better energy levels, support muscle growth, prevent muscle break down, and promote faster recovery after training, all of which are vital when athletes are training for size and strength.

Research suggests that for these training periods, a protein bar with moderate levels of carbohydrates will prove a much better choice than an ultra low carbohydrate bar. There is another thing to consider: fat intake. That's right - fat intake. The glucose economy model offers insight into how to manipulate fat intake to maintain a lean muscular look.

When you are restricting the amount of carbs you eat, you need to increase the amount of fat in your diet to help maintain energy levels and to spare protein. When you are eating normal levels of carbohydrates, reduce the amount of calories you eat from fat. Gram for gram, of course, fat provides twice as much energy (calories) as carbohydrates. So small adjustments to your fat intake offset large increase or decreases in carbohydrate levels. You simply have to have some fat to grow muscle so do not be afraid of some fat.

New labeling laws may also affect how companies market protein bars. Effective January 2002 bar manufacturers must list glycerin as a carbohydrate. Since the body does not metabolize glycerin like simple sugars and starches, most bar manufacturers had not listed it as a carbohydrate in the fact panel.

And, in fact, an equal dose of glycerin, will not raise blood glucose as much as will an equal dose of conventional carbohydrate. Glycerin is therefore a special low glycemic from of carbohydrate, at the least. However, it has approximately the same calories as carbohydrates for the energy balance equation (what the FDA is most concerned with, not performance) and it certainly does not increase post exercise levels of depleted glycogen, where conventional high-glycemic carbohydrates work better!

If you are at all confused, to select the best nutrition bar for your particular training cycle, look at the sugar levels listed in the nutrition fact panel.
What I mean by this is low sugar bars are ONLY appropriate for short-tem low carbohydrate diets, while believe or noe, bars with 15-30 grams of sugar are actually better for putting on size and strength for all bodybuilders. That's the undeniable truth! 

Healthy Super Foods To Make You Superhuman

Antioxidants not only promote growth and healing, they play a role in physical performance and can enhance your athletic performance.

Most of us take supplements to improve our athletic performance; I bet you can tell me everything you are taking, but do you include antioxidants? You may want to consider reaping the benefits by incorporating antioxidants into your nutritional strategy.

Antioxidants, ‘super foods’ as they are called fight off damage to our cells. Some antioxidants can also be used to your advantage around your exercise times to prevent damage to your cells and stress on your body from exercise. Antioxidants reduce the amount of inflammation which is another bonus for athletes after a very hard training session.

Another benefit of these ‘super foods’ is they will help you maintain a strong immune system, and a strong immune system means more time spent in the gym rather than on the sidelines.

Antioxidants will help clean up your pineal gland. In an interview I recently watched with Dorian Yates, he spoke of opening up his pineal gland through the use of DMT. Through the introduction of antioxidants in our diet over time, we can do this naturally. The pineal gland controls the endocrine system. The endocrine system itself controls every aspect of your life. Your body is a well-oiled machine and it is all connected.

From an athlete’s standpoint, 3 things you should be aware of that the endocrine system controls are your ability to grow, your energy levels and your ability to be strong. Keeping it optimized is to your advantage to enhance your athletic performance NATURALLY. The pineal gland naturally makes its own DMT, but as time goes on our bodies produce less and less, but we can make improvements and clean it up. Once we clean it up, it has the ability to make its own DMT.
Antioxidants is an effective group of nutrients that can be found in naturally in foods, flavonoids, vitamins and some trace minerals as well. I am sure you have heard that blueberries are full of antioxidants, but so are a wide variety of other colorful fruits and vegetables.

Some other sources are cherries, strawberries, mangos, apricots, carrots, butternut squash, spinach, broccoli, nuts, avocado, dark chocolate, some spices and even green tea! Vitamin C, E and Alpha Lipoic acid some trace minerals including beta-carotene and selenium are also antioxidants.
So with all this information how do we choose the best sources?

Here are some tips. Choose wisely, not all is created equal.

• Look for organic fruits and vegetables that are free of pesticides.
• Select Raw Cocao; it is in the raw form and is unsweetened.
• Ceylon Cinnamon has more health benefits than the common cinnamon, ‘cassia.’
• Vitamin C is very powerful, but to make this a more powerful source select a C with Camu, Camu. It is made from berries and is one of the highest natural sources of c derived from the Peruvian Amazon.
• Choose High Gamma E this vitamin E has far more anti-inflammatory actions compared to your local drugstore vitamin E.
• Pick R-Alpha Lipoic Acid over the S-form. You want the R-form because it will bind to your cells. The S-form is not as effective, because it is synthetic.

How can you implement this into your daily regimen?

As athletes we sometimes fall short of eating our fruits and vegetables. How many servings of fruit and vegetables are you eating in a day? You may want to up your ante and aim for 6-9 servings a day. Trace minerals are needed in such small amounts that you can acquire them naturally through your diet. Beta-Carotene can be found in plant sources such as carrots, spinach, pumpkin, butternut squash, apricots mangos and nectarines. Selenium can be found in fish, meat, eggs, grain and asparagus.