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2010 Bodybuilding.com Coupons- Click Here!!!

Admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:03:29 +0000

All The 2010 Bodybuilding.com Coupons and Discounts In One Place Related posts:Looking for Bodybuilding.com Coupons And Discounts? Click Here Bodybuilding Coupons And Promos 3/28/2010 Kai Greene Wins the 2010 Arnold Classic Exclusive Photos! Related posts:

Effects Of Alcohol On Bodybuilding And Fitness

Admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:57:25 +0000

Ever wonder what effect alcohol has on your ability to build muscle and train effectively?

I did, so I recently began looking for some articles on the effects of alcohol on bodybuilding and athletes in general. I found a great article at the National Strength and Conditioning Association entitled Alcohol Consumption, and its Effects on Performance. It is definitely worth a read if you are clueless to the effects alcohol has on your body.

The points that really stuck out to me were

Alcohol is known to slow down one’s ability to react to an opponent or object 72 hours following alcohol intake
Strength, power, and speed are all negatively effected for many hours after blood alcohol levels return to 0.0%
Alcohol leads to quicker dehydration, which dramatically decreases performance.
Alcohol may displace carbohydrate intake from optimal recovery.
Alcohol (ethanol) is one of the worst nutrients you can consume to improve body fat to muscle mass ratio.
Alcohol has also been shown to increase fat composition.
Alcohol also stimulates the appetite and encourages extra intake of calories the body does not need.

Read the whole article here. It’s short, it will only take you 5 minutes max to read the entire article.

How do you balance your partying and bodybuilding lifestyle?

Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics Carbohydrates Part 2

Admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:56:53 +0000

In this part of Nutrition Basics focusing on carbohydrates, I wanted to focus on carbohydrate metabolism and two ways glucose is produced to help fuel your muscles and brain.

The glucose circulating in your blood is mainly derived from the consumption of carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are dissembled into monosaccharides for easy absorption into the blood.

Excess glucose sent to the muscles and liver are stored as glycogen to be used at a later time. However, both the muscles and liver have saturation points where they just cannot convert and store anymore glucose. At this threshold, glucose is stored as fat tissue.

Carbohydrate Metabolism

Humans store glycogen,stored carbohydrate, in both muscle tissue and the liver with the majority within the muscles. The more muscle you have, the more you can store, but also the more you may potentially need at any given time.

We control our blood glucose levels using mainly two hormones released from the pancreas, insulin and glucagon.

Insulin

Maintaining stable levels of insulin is crucial to your health. Release to little and suffer from low blood sugar levels and lack of energy. Release to much insulin and face the risk of developing diabetes.

Insulin is released from the pancreas when your blood sugar levels raise. Insulin acts as a key to muscle cell membranes, opening a door to let glucose into the cells. Now that the glucose has entered the cell with the aid of insulin, it can be used for one of three things:

1. Stored as glycogen for later use

2. Energy

3. Stored as fat

Glucagon

During exercise and between meals, your blood sugar levels are low. This is where the hormone glucagon comes in. Glucagon circulates in the blood stream and acts on the liver. It tells the liver that the body is running low on fuel and that it must break down its glycogen reserves and send that into the blood stream.This raises blood sugar levels and allows glucose to be circulated to where it is needed most.

Formation Of ATP from Stored Carbs

I am sure that you have heard that ATP is the fuel of the cell. So with that in mind, the body needs a method to convert glycogen into usable ATP.

Glycolysis

Glycolysis is the process in which large amounts of ATP is produced from the break down of glycogen to glucose. This process can occur both in the presence of oxygen (aerobic) or not (anaerobic).

Anaerobic: Break down of glycogen and lactic acid is produced. Used in high-intensity activities where the athlete cannot breath in enough oxygen to meet energy requirements. This process however is self limiting because of the build up of lactic acid, forcing the athlete to stop and recover.

Aerobic: Again break down of glycogen to produce large amounts of available ATP. This process is utilized during high intensity sessions when the individual can consume enough oxygen to meet their energy requirements.

Gluconeogenesis

This refers to the process from creating glucose from noncarbohydrate parts. Because glucose is so vital to your central nervous system, it is important to have a method of creating glucose that doesn’t require carbs. Glucose can be created from one of the following three sources. I will not go into detail because I wanted to focus mainly on carbohydrates here.

1. Fat

2. Protein

3. Lactate

Next week will be the last part in this series and will cover how you use carbs during exercise.

Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics Part 1

Admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:55:27 +0000

Many believe that protein is the most important nutrient when it comes to performance in the gym and other sports activities. However, it is actually carbohydrates that play the major role, especially in bodybuilding where short high intensity bursts of energy are needed. There are many types of carbohydrates and knowing the responses they produce is crucial to achieving maximal performance and gains. For example, consuming dextrose post workout produces a large insulin spike by increasing blood glucose levels. On the other end of the spectrum, oatmeal is digested slowly and no huge rush of glucose enters the bloodstream.

Glucose is the main source of fuel for muscle activity during high intensity workout sessions and when it is fully depleted from your body, your performance decreases measurably. While protein and other nutrients are important, your main goal should be to consume the right nutrients to conserve glucose as long as possible.

Carbohydrate Types

Not all carbohydrates have the same form or function within the body. The basic carbohydrate unit is the monosaccharide ( single molecule carb ). All the common monosaccharides have 6 carbons, but differ slightly in your hydrogen-oxygen configurations. These differences account for the metabolic differences seen among the monosaccharides. The general fuel of all cells is the monosaccharide glucose, and other monosaccharides have pathways to be converted into glucose.

There are 3 main disaccharides:

sucrose
maltose
lactose

Each of the above contain a different combination of monosaccharides. Grouped together disaccharides and monosaccharides are known as the simple carbohydrates while polysaccharides are known as the complex carbohydrates.

What makes up your favorite dissacharides?

sucrose= glucose+fructose

lactose= glucose+galactose

maltose= glucose+glucose

Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics: Insulin Response

Admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:30:26 +0000

This will be the first of many of Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics because you can not solely rely on supplements to help you bring your physique to the next level.

Like it or not, nutrition in the sport of bodybuilding is just as important was the time in the gym training. Insulin is one of the most misunderstood hormones among bodybuilders and athletes. This is most likely due because of insulin’s association with carbohydrates. Increased levels of insulin combined with carbs has been shown to increase fat deposits and decrease the rate of fat breakdown. Chronic levels of high insulin in the blood stream can result in increased fat production and adult onset diabetes.

With that said, insulin is just as effective in carbohydrate fuel storage as protein synthesis. Whether insulin results in increased fat production or protein synthesis depends on how receptive those fat or muscles cells are in that individuals body state. To take full advantage of this anabolic hormone you must increase insulin levels when muscle cells are most sensitive.

Muscle cells are most sensitive to insulin after your workouts. The role of insulin during this post workout state is to drive amino acids and glucose into your stressed muscle tissue, jump starting the process of recovery and protein synthesis. During this time, a very small portion of this insulin will be used to convert carbohydrates into adipose tissue.

Why Insulin is the most anabolic hormone

Increased Protein Synthesis:

Insulin stimulates both DNA and RNA which increases the enzymes responsible for protein synthesis.

Increased Amino Acid Transport:

One of the major roles of insulin is to increase the uptake of amino acids of muscle cells. And as you all know, amino acids are the building blocks of protein.

Reduced Protein Breakdown:

During and after exercise there is both protein synthesis and breakdown. Whether you gain new muscle or not depends on the net summation of synthesized and broke down tissue. Insulin helps halt degradation and start the processes necessary for synthesis.

Increased Muscle Glycogen Storage:

During resistance training, muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate) levels can be significantly diminished. Other than creatine phosphate, muscle glycogen is the main fuel source to replenish ATP levels necessary for contraction. Insulin dramatically increases the muscles ability to uptake and store glucose from the blood reducing recovery time.

Reduces The Release of Cortisol:

The main cause of cortisol release during exercise is the reduction of blood glucose levels. Higher levels of insulin help blunt the catabolic effects of cortisol. Increased levels of cortisol has also shown to depress the immune system. So the effects of insulin suppressing cortisol levels can also keep you healthy and in the gym.

With all the benefits listed above, insulin is the most powerful anabolic hormone and most important hormone for muscle hypertrophy.

My Favorite Sources Of Insulin Increasing Carbs:

(Must Be High On The Glycemic Index)

Optimum Nutrition’s WazyMaize

Now’s Dextrose

White Bread Or Bagel (If your on a budget)

Yohimbine Effects and Information For Bodybuilders

Admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:31:11 +0000

In the previous post about Cellucor D4 Thermal Shock vs. D4 Extreme, I mentioned that the main difference between the two supplements was D4 Thermal Shock contained yohimbine. Yohimbine is not well known by most bodybuilder’s, so I did some research and this is what I found out.

What is Yohombine?

Yohimbine is derived from the bark of two trees found in Africa, the Pausinystalia yohimbe and Corynanthe yohimbe.

Its Original Uses

Yohimbine was originally prescribed as an aphrodisiac and help impotent man. It was the viagra of yesterday.

For Bodybuilders?

The bodybuilding community thought that since yohimbine helped with giving guys hardons that it may also boost androgenic hormones such as testosterone. However, science revealed that instead of raising hormones such as testosterone, yohimbine actually is a really strong vasodialator (inscreases the size of your blood vessels) allowing more blood flow.

Yohimbine To Loose Weight?

Since this extract blocks alpha receptors, an increase in lipolysis (fat metabolism) may result due to increased levels of norepinephrine in the blood stream. Norepinephrine raises fat utilization by the body because it directly stimulates a hormone, sensitive lipase. By turning on this enzyme, increased triglycerides and fatty acids are broken down. Increased release of free fatty acids into the blood stream results in more burned adipose tissue.

The studies I have seen have had mixed results. Some showing that increased fat loss occurred and others there was no significant difference among test subjects.

Word of Caution

And as always if you are going to purchase a supplement containing this extract made sure to purchase from a well respected company because supplement manufacturing is not regulated.

No Nonsense Muscle Building Review

Admin — Sun, 02 May 2010 07:13:11 +0000

I have received many questions via my contact form about what bodybuilding program is the best. In the past, I had never bought a training course, instead just studied various bodybuilding forums. Looking back, I should have invested in a course when I just started out because it gives you the basics you need to know all in one place. Roaming through forums was not always as productive as it could have been. So with all the questions I have been getting, I decided I would review some of the most popular bodybuilding courses available because I did a google search for bodybuilding course reviews and all I found where bullshit ones. I will try to give an honest review that you can use and make an educated decision to whether to invest in a course or not. The No Nonsense Muscle Building system review will be the first and then most likely Jason Ferrugia’s Muscle gaining secrets next.

Check out the No Nonsense product page

Try the No Nonsense Muscle Building Program for $9.95 for 21 days

Since No Nonsense Muscle Building contains several ebooks and other bonuses, it will take a few weeks for me to review the entire course. As a bonus for buying through this page, I will create a few reports containing information that I thought this product left out or didn’t cover enough. Until, I create those reports and finish going through the entire course, I will be offering you a $10 Bodybuilding.com giftcard. To receive the bonus reports (when I write them, please remember I am a full time student) or free Bodybuilding.com giftcard, just order through the links I provide on this page and send me an email using our contact form with your receipt number. Within 24 hours you will have your bonuses.

Stuff You Need To Know

Instant download of ebooks as pdfs and dvd video. Free Membership to private forum.
60 Money Back Guarantee
21 trial trial for $9.95(you can find the trial link below). After 21 days you will be billed the remainder of $67. The trail option allows you to download everything.
Full price is $77
Male and Female Versions Included

No Nonsense Muscle Building First Impression

This course comes with a ridiculous amount of stuff including pdf ebooks, dvd tutorials, and a huge database of animated gif’s of thousands of exercises. My first impression after scanning through the ebooks is that this course is geared toward beginner bodybuilders to intermediate. The basics are covered with easy to understand terminology that nobody should have a difficult time understanding or implementing. With that being said, even intermediate-advanced bodybuilders can benefit from this course. Skimming through the main No Nonsense ebook, I picked up some things I have never tried or have neglected in the past. I think it will be a good reference guide for me in the future. One thing that I really liked was that this course comes with a detailed meal plan based on how many calories your consuming daily, from 2000-6000 calories. I believe this will be a huge asset for many because I often receive questions about a proper diet and lack of diet structure.

Since this is quite a detailed and comprehensive course, I will be reading and reviewing it in clunks. So keep on the lookout for weekly updates.

Review of Chapters of 1 and 2

The first chapter is dedicated to common mistakes made by new bodybuilders. The author, Vince Delmonte, states the mistake and gives plausible recommendations to keep you on the right track to start building and maintaining new muscle mass. Some of the mistakes include:

Setting Performance Goals versus Outcome Goals –
Know Which Ones to Set.
Not Prepared to Break Old Habits and Build New Habits.
Not Harnessing Your Power of Intuition and Instinct.

The last is definitely my favorite of the list of 14 common mistakes. I always preach to new weight lifters to listen to their bodies instead of their favorite bodybuilder or new fad. What works well for the pro may not work for you. Everyone’s bodies are built differently and you must use trial and error to determine what exercises/rep ranges/rest periods work best for you and your goals.

Chapter 2 is dedicated to the most common bodybuilding myths. Some of which include:

Nutrition Supplements Will Help You Gain Muscle
“I’m Training To Sculpt, Tone, Shape And Define”
High Reps Equal Getting Cut And Low Reps Equal Mass

I really like how Vince put the “nutritional supplements will help you gain muscle” as his first myth. Bodybuilding comes down to consistent training, proper nutrition, and lots of rest. While I disagree that supplements don’t help you maximize your muscle gains, without the three above, supplements are a waste of money.

Review of Chapters 3 and 4

So the third chapter is entitled “How to Build Muscle” Vince gives 8 principles that forces your body to adapt and start building new muscle. His overall training prinicples include:

Lifting heavy with moderate reps making sure to recruit all muscle fibers
Maintaining high intensity with low to moderate volume
Emphasizing recovery

Overall, this chapter provided good information on the principles you must use to force your body into growth. He really emphasizes high intensity workouts that contradict most of the popular bodybuilding magazines prescribe, high volume training sessions. I would have to agree with Vince on this one, I just recently started a more of a HIT (High Intensity Training) program and I am seeing great results already.

I do have to disagree with one point that Vince made in this chapter. He stated that super sets, drop sets, and all the above are not good for building muscle. I have found through personal experience that these techniques increased the intensity of my training sessions and help me break through various plateaus.

Chapter 4 is very short and deals with recovery. He covers all the basics that you probably have already heard about. However, he does take the stance of taking prolonged time away from the gym after a certain amount of training time. I have always wanted to do this, but I always find myself back in the gym. He covers some interesting topics dealing with sleep, including a test to determine if you are getting enough sleep to maximize your muscle growth that I will implement myself. Overall things you might know, but definitely need to know.

Check out the No Nonsense product page

Try the No Nonsense Muscle Building Program for $9.97 for 21 days

Here are some videos of Vince Delmonte so you can get a glance to what you will receive with No Nonsense Muscle Building (Ignore the first 10 seconds of each video : ))

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGC_q0emouw

Looking for a supplement review writers

Admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 06:59:12 +0000

I am looking for fellow bodybuilders to help write supplement reviews for the site.

I am looking for well researched reviews and supplements that you have already taken.

The reviews must be between 400-600 words without any grammatical errors and helpful to this sites visitors.

I am willing to pay up to $5 for each review.

If you are interested please leave a comment below.

Thanks

Admin

Watch The 2010 Arnold Classic Online Free

Admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:17:06 +0000

The 2010 Arnold Classic is tonight March 6. You can watch it at Bodybuilding.com live streaming by clicking the link below:

Click here to watch the Arnold Classic

Best Bodybuilding Quote By Henry Rollins

Admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:35:00 +0000

The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black.

I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.

– Henry Rollins.

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