Alli is the latest body fat lowering drug, aka Xenical, that many are placing the hearts and souls on to keep their fat levels at bay while they try to gain weight and build muscle mass. Well, check out my latest article to discover the truth about this over the counter medication:
According to GetBig, there have been some new, major signings of two of the most popular competitive bodybuilders joining new muscle building magazines.
First off, Dexter Jackson, who’s on a hot streak of winning the last 3 professional shows, has left Muscular Development, where he was at for several years, and has gone over to Flex magazine. This is somewhat surprising to some, knowing the immense popularity of Muscular Development, but I wonder, just wonder, him leaving MD has anything to do with the rumor going around that Muscle Tech supplements will no longer have an ad relationship with MD. We all know that Dexter is sponsored by Muscle Tech. Could the two have correlation???
Second, Lee Priest will be apparently leaving MuscleMag International and will be going back to Muscular Development. Very interesting, seeing as how that ended pretty ugly the last time around.
Regardless, us muscle building fans are simply happy that they will be somewhere, regardless of what magazine. Keep up the good work, gents!
MH has written in a recent column some very interesting information regarding good old butter. It mentions that most of the fat is composed of palmitic and stearic acids. Research shows these saturated fatty acids either have no effect on your cholesterol or actually improve it.
Well, take a further look at some of these facts and figures:
1 pat of butter contains just 36 calories, and the fat it provides helps you feel full longer
Butter is one of the top sources of CLA, a natural fat that’s been shown to fight cancer
Studies show the fat in butter improves your body’s ability to absorb vitamins A, E, D, and K.
All’s I got to say is “Can ya please pass the butter?!”
Now a days, anything that’s “white” or “refined” is instantly labeled as being bad for muscular definition and quality weight gain, when it comes to bodybuilding / fitness nutrition. For example, white bread, white potatoes, etc. One of the main reasons for this is because they feel that anything white and refined causes huge spikes in your insulin levels, which many feel helps store body fat.
Well, according to a column in Men’s Health, white potatoes and sweet potatoes have complementary nutritional differences; one isn’t necessarily better than the other. For instance, sweet potatoes have more fiber and vitamin A, but white potatoes are higher in essential minerals, such as iron, magnesium, and potassiu.
As for the scam known as the Glycemic Index, sweet potatoes are lower on the scale, but baked white potatoes typically aren’t eaten without cheese, sour cream, or butter. These toppings contain fat, which lowers the glycemic index of a meal.
The form in which you consume a potato, continues to report the column, for instance, a whole baked potato versus a processed potato that’s used to make chips, is more important than if it’s a white potato or sweet potato.
So much for the whole “white / refined” bashing!
One of the biggest selling muscle building supplements known as ZMA is nothing but a good way to burn a deep hole in your wallet. If you are using it thinking it’s helping you build muscle mass and gain weight by raising your natural testosterone levels, you need to read my latest article:
Dexter Jackson, fresh off of a third Arnold Classic win, has taken the crown once again at this year’s Australian Pro. Dex once again brought his incredible display of sinew, muscular definition, and mass…..all with awesome symmetry. The rest of the results are as follows:
Melvin Anthony finished second, while Moe Elmoussawi (third), Toney Freeman (fourth), Troy Alves (fifth) and Ronnie Rockel (sixth) rounded out the top six.
Sun exposure increases levels of hormones called melanocortins, which cause the skin to darken, otherwise known as tanning. These hormones work with leptin to control appetite while helping to increase the signals that stimulate fat burning in your cells. There is plenty of evidence from animal studies and laboratory work that supports these effects.
Now, just because building muscle mass or gaining weight is your primary goal, that doesn’t mean that you are going to throw muscle definition, aka “cuts”, to the wind. Although right now you may be focusing on getting physically bigger in mass / size, you don’t want to turn into a “chubykins” either. So, building muscle while maintaining low levels of body fat are a must.
According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the key to which exercise, between the bench press or the pushups, is better for isolating the chest, lies in your hand position. A recent study revealed that for both exercises the triceps are more active with a narrow hand position. The pectoralis major, on the other hand, is more active with a narrow hand position for pushups only. During a bench press the pectoralis major is more active with a wide grip. By changing your grip on the bench press you’ll change the emphasis from one muscle to the other.
I feel that the more you isolate a particular muscle that you’re trying to build, the more likely you are to develop it. So if muscle building and weight gain is what you’re after, isolate, isolate, isolate!
According to Allergy and Asthma Solution by Dr. Dean Mitchell if you leave your gym sneezing, wheezing, or feeling congested, the facility could be making you sick….literally. A lot of weight lifting gyms are humid, enclosed environments that aggrevate allergies because of subpar ventilation systems (HVAC). If you symptoms aren’t the result of a cold, consider checking it out with your doctor for an allergy test to determine the cause of your symptoms. Gyms full of dust and / or mold may force you to change the gym you currently workout at.
I remember when I used to be a member of a certain weight lifting gym. The place was fairly old, so their ventilation system was down right horrible. I used to always end up feeling sick to my stomach, and almost light headed when working out. I used to have to go outside once or twice just to get some fresh air. And that was by far the only location that I would get that way when training to building muscle and gain weight. So the physical environment does have an impact on your muscular performance.
As reported in a column in MuscleMag International, the average cutting board has 370 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. When you purchase a cutting board, go with pine, which has been proven to harbor 20% fewer E. coli colonies than plastic and beech wood. Cut down your risk of food poisoning by ditching that old cutting board and starting fresh with a new pine board. You should also use different cutting boards for vegetables and meat to avoid cross contamination. Soak boards after use in hot soapy water to kill bacteria.
As I’ve always written, calories from regular food is what will really make a difference with your weight gain / muscle building goals…..so you’ve got to make sure that you aren’t pushing contaminated food into your stomach.
According to a report released by Reuters, researchers have concluded that energy drinks may give you not only a but of energy but also an elevated heart rate (pulse) and high blood pressure. If you suffer from high blood pressure or heart disease, you should avoid energy drinks because they could interfere with your prescriptions meds.
I’d also like to add that you shouldn’t be wasting any of your hard earned cash on energy drinks to begin with. They are one of the biggest scams going around. Take a look at what the main ingredient is in all of them and you’ll be surprised to find out that it is caffeine. So basically you’re over-paying for sugar flavored coffee when you buy these things. I understand that in order for muscle building to take effect and to set the weight gain wheels in motion intense weight training is a must, and getting psyched up for these training sessions are important. I agree, caffeine is excellent and cheap………..just don’t get it in the form of an “energy drink”.
This week on Pro Bodybuilding Weekly they speak to Phil Heath, the newly crowned IronMan Pro champion, and the hosts go into a detailed observation of the contest overall.
Over at MD Radio, in addition to speaking about the contest, they also talk to Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray. Also, they speak to IFBB professional Kenny Jones. In addition, they also touch briefly the very sad death of Shellie Beatty.
Yet another dietary supplement aimed at helping you building muscle, or burn fat, has allegedly been found to be laced with an illegal prescription drug…..Clenbuterol.
Read about it in my latest weight gaining / truth-exposing article:
Latest muscle building / gain weight article
During the process of growing and shipping fruits and vegetables, pesticide residue and pathogens can be picked up, including trace amounts of salmonella and E. coli. If you can, purchase locally grown produce from a farmers market. The fewer people produce has been in contact with, the better. Wash all produce in water for at least 20 seconds just before eating. Don’t wash everything at once because washing speeds up spoilage; wash only what you’re about to prepare. Rinse prepackaged salads, even when they are labeled prewashed, to be on the safe side.
SOURCE: MuscleMag column
My take: being that a high calorie diet is crucial when trying to build muscle mass and gain weight naturally, you must be careful with the safety of what you put in your mouth. Trust me, knowing from personal experience, food poisoning is no fun activity!
Former American Gladiator Shelly Beatie, aka “Siren”, died on February 13th, according to Dave Palumbo. The actual cause of death has not been made public yet. She was married to in the past to Muscular Development’s John Romano.
She was an accomplished competitor in bodybuilding and fitness. She will be sorely missed not only in the muscle building world, but all over.
Recently, researchers conducted a study in which they had several individuals drink half a quart of cold water, to which then afterwards they measured how many extra calories were burned off. (Just so you’ll know, when you drink cold water, as opposed to warm or hot water, it takes energy to “heat up” a little that water when it enters the body. This “energy” that it takes to heat the water up is technically calories being used to heat the water, since calories are a form of energy).
The study was done on 7 men and 7 women. They found that their metabolism increased by 30% within 10 minutes of drinking the cold water. This metabolism increase lasted for about an hour or so.
How many extra calories were burned off?
The equivalent of 100 extra calories.
Now, my take: I don’t really feel like an extra 100 calories being burned off is a big deal in the grand scheme of things. However, if you are drinking a lot more than a quart of cold water per day, then instead of burning an extra 100 calories just from drinking that, you may be burning an extra 200 or 300 calories, which then, in my opinion, will definitely help you get into the oh-so-important calorie deficit that’s needed to burn off body fat and show off your muscle building efforts by enhanced muscular definition.
Hey, it’s free, so give it a try!
Becky Holman reports in her column that oil taken with meals, whether as fish oil capsules or salad dressing, has been shown to boost absorption of some antioxidants and phytochemicals in vegetables by as much as 10%. She recommends to take a few capsules with every meal.
My take: I’m all about increasing the absorption of the foods you are already eating, especially when you are trying to gain weight fast. I, personally, recommend going the olive oil route, since it is cheaper and a great way to get an extra amount of calories into your daily total.
That’s right, according to Becky Holman in a recent column she penned, seaweed can make junk food healthier by increasing the fiber content of whatever it is you’re eating to gain muscle weight and build muscle fast.
In a study done at the University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom, continues to write Holman, scientists added seaweed to white bread for the health-boosting effect. Hey, whatever it takes, right.
Now, I do want to add that yes, fiber is good to a certain extent, but if you are person that does not have the biggest of appetites, which is more than likely one of the main reasons why you can’t seem to build muscle and gain quality weight because it’s very difficult for you to eat enough calories, then you really don’t want to be eating too much fiber.
The thing to consider about fiber is the fact that it takes a long time for your body to digest it, thus making you feel slightly bloated in the stomach, and, as a result, can kill your appetite…..wonderful if you are trying to cut calories to burn fat and lose weight…..but bad if you are skinny and are trying to gain muscle mass naturally.
In a column written by Becky Holman, she mentions how onions have lots of quercetin, a bioflavonoid that reduces inflammation in the same manner as aspirin. That means onions can do good things for healing joint pain, that could be brought on by intense workout routines, as well as cardiovascular health, which will help in increasing the pump so important for muscle building and weight gaining purposes.
Probiotics are good bacteria that balance out the naturally occurring bad bacteria in your digestive tract, according to a column in MuscleMag. The majority of your immune system is located in your digestive tract, so if you keep it healthy, your entire body can stay healthy.
According to Dr. Alan Logan, continues the same column, several studies have shown that the use of probiotic supplements improves nasal congestion, sinus infections, and other allergies. One of the easiest and cheapest way to obtain probiotics in your every day eating is through yogurt, which contains a lot of these little guys.
Remember, the healthier you are the more likely you are to be able to engage in intense workout routines that will help you gain weight and build muscle mass fast!
The message boards have been lighting up in the last couple of days due to the fact that in one of the latest muscle building magazines IFBB rookie Ben White, who has long been challenging Johnny Jackson to a powerlifting contest, is said to now be claiming that he won’t do the competition because JOJ wants it to be a “3 lift” contest, meaning that they would be competing in the bench press, the squat, and deadlift.
Well, Ben White has long been stating that what he wants to go head to head with JOJ is in benching, since he feels that the deadlift and the squat are dangerous (which I completely agree with. I have always felt that those 2 movements have got to be 2 of the most over-rated exercises for muscle building ever!).
According to “Ask The Dietitian”, at www.dietitian.com, amino acids in the real world don’t offer any significant advantages to muscle building than does regular foods that contain protein.
According to the site, “There is no research to support any benefit to taking amino acid supplements for persons who exercise…Weightlifting will increase muscle size and the average U.S. diet and the RDA contains enough protein (females 50 grams and males 63 grams per day) to promote an increase in muscle mass.”.
Interesting quote. However, we always have to be cautious whenever we read any scientific or medical study, being that what may happen in a lab doesn’t always come out the same in the real world.
Saying that, however, I personally agree that amino acid supplements are a waste of money and don’t offer any visible benefits in gaining weight and building muscle mass naturally than does simply ensuring that you are eating enough calories for your particular body. There are plenty of real world proofs of this. Look at IFBB legend Danny Padilla, who back in the day, when preparing for a competition, practically ate only 60 grams of protein per day, according to what he himself has said. Also, take a look at prisoners, who get big and strong, yet they don’t get anywhere near the amount of protein suggested in the bodybuilding magazines or internet sites, yet they manage to build more muscle and gain more weight than your average gym rat / supplement user
According to GetBig, the new Ironman Pro Competitor list has officially been released. It is as follows:
Phil Heath, Toney Freeman, Gustavo Badell, David Henry, Silvio Samuel, Johnnie Jackson, Troy Alves, Desmond Miller, King Kamali, Paco Bautista, Omar Deckard, Moe El Moussawi, Deshaun Grimez, Ray Arde, Will Harris and many others.
This lineup looks to be one of the better lineups for this competition in a while. Definitely tough!!!! They will all need to be bring their A-Game.
In the latest article I’ve just posted, you’ll read what I have to say about whether it’s more important to try to lift more weight and take longer rest breaks in between sets, or if you should not worry about how much you’re lifting, but maintain rest periods constant and short…..if muscle building and gaining quality weight is what you’re after.
Check out the article:
Continuous Sets or More Rest For Muscle Building Purposes?
BCAAs, also known as “branched-chain amino acids”, are what protein are made of. Recently, online and in magazines, some have began to recommend taking higher dosages of BCAAs, even suggesting that you can substitute a dosage for a meal and / or protein shake. The reasoning being that BCAAs don’t contain calories, technically, yet you get all of the benefits of protein. So, as a result, they say you can gain muscle on less overall calories, which would also benefit fat burning.
Well, I like how Dave Palumbo sees this matter. According to him he’s not a big believer in branched-chain amino acids. As he states, “The truth is that if you take in 6 solid meals (spaced every 2-3 hours) that contain high-quality protein, your blood amino acid levels should always be sufficient to support muscle growth and repair…..it’s probably a waste of money!”.
Dave, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
The University of Edinburgh, located in the country of Scotland, found that a low carbohydrate form of eating the breaking down of the hormone cortisol. Now, first off, to remind you, a high level of cortisol is not good if your after muscle building. This hormone directly breaks down muscle mass. So, the higher the amount of cortisol you have in the blood, the lower the amount of muscle tissue you’ll possess.
Now, if your body isn’t breaking down cortisol, that means that there will be higher amount of this hormone in the body. This study showed that eating a low carb diet keeps cortisol elevated…..which again, can wreak havoc on your muscle building goals.
Energy drinks have got to be one of the biggest rip-offs around. Why do I say that? Well, in all reality, the ingredient in these drinks that actually provide any type of “pick me up” is good old caffeine. I don’t know about you, but I rather brew my own or buy a large cup of coffee for $1.50 than pay $3.00 for some sugary drink that simply laced with caffeine…..same effect.
However, a heads up if you still decide to use them:
Wayne State University researchers have discovered that these energy drinks raised blood pressure and heart rate. If you have any type of history of hear disease, or already suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure), you need to be careful. In this research they found that those that consumed 2 cans of a particular energy drink (they didn’t specify the serving size, which would have been nice!) for 7 days noticed a 9.6% raise in systolic blood pressure (the top number of a blood pressure reading), and a 7.8% increase in diastolic pressure (the bottom number of the blood pressure reading)……let’s just say that ain’t necessarily that good!