Friday, September 28, 2012

On Your Newstand: Musclemag A-Z Nutrition For Mass Building


I stopped at Walmart on my way home from work to get some almonds, milk, Greek yogurt and the Avengers DVD. Hulk is the man! And to my delight on the magazine rack I found the Musclemag A-Z Nutrition for Mass Building (Fall 2012).

If you are serious enough about building muscle to actually apply some professional tips, then this is a must have.

It contains a breakdown of carbohydrate, fat and protein requirements by bodyweight and body type. The best times to consume various protein sources.  An expansive creatine guide. Workouts, nutrition and a guide to boosting testosterone.

All of this information only cost me $7.

Did I say this is a must have?

Stay strong my friend.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Hardgainers, Want to Build Some Muscle? Drink Russian Bear 5000.


Are you hardgainer? Do you eat as many cheeseburgers and ice cream sandwiches as you want and still gain no weight?

Well, you should do two things.

Workout less and turn to Vitol Russian Bear 5000.

As far as the workout goes, maybe you should do a Stronglifts 5x5 style workout (but only once or twice per week) and sit and play video games and sip Russian Bear 5000 all day.

Russian Bear 5000 is 2,600 calories per serving and provides 184 grams of protein and 391 grams of carbohydrates and 46 grams of medium chain triglycerides (MCT).

I wouldn't advise trying to drink the entire 5 scoop serving in one sitting but to break it up. I would start with one scoop per day and still focus on whole foods.

Vitol is an interesting company. Most of their products seem to be stuck in the eighties using ingredients like glandulars. Try them out if you are brave enough.





Other mass gainers worth trying.

Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass
MHP Up Your Mass


The below information is from the product page for Russian Bear on www.bodybuilding.com.

4 Lbs Ice Cream Chocolate
Supplement Facts
Serving Size 5 Scoops(approx. 635gm)
Servings Per Container~3
Calories 2600
Protein 184GM
Carbohydrates 391GM
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) 46GM
Fat 0GM
One Serving Contains: % RDA In Water
Vitamins & Minerals
Beta Carotine (Pro-Vitamin A) 2300IU 460
Vitamin D 460IU 115
Vitamin C 138MG 138
Natural Vitamin E (Succinate) 69MG 230
Vitamin B-1 4MG 230
Vitamin B-2 5MG 230
Vitamin B-6 5mg 230
Vitamin B-12 14MCG 230
Niacin (Niacinamide) 46MG 230
Pantothenic Acid 23MG 230
Folic Acid 920MG 230
Biotin 690MG 230
PABA 23MG *
Choline (Lipotropic) 460MG *
Inositol (Lipotropic) 460MG *
Calcium 1150MG 115
Magnesium 460MG 115
Phosphorus 805MG 115
Iodine 35MG 23
Potassium 1265MG *
Zinc 17MG 115
Copper 5MG 115
Chromium 200MCG *
Molybdenum 69MCG *
Selenium 115MCG *
Manganese 5MG *
* No U.S. RDA established
Soviet & USA Anabolic Profile Per Serving
Yohimbe Bark 1500MG
Sikadeer Antler Powder 500MG
Schizandra Chinesis 500MG
Eleutherococcus 1000MG
Inosine HXR 500MG
Colostrum 400MG
Boron 3MCG
Chromium Picolinate 200MCG
Typical Amino Acid Profile Per Serving In Water
* L-Isoleucine 10540MG
* L-Arginine 7135MG
* L-Leucine 14467MG
L-Aspartic Acid 4112MG
* L-Lysine 14352MG
L-Cysteine 5957MG
* L-Methionine 5023MG
L-Glutamic Acid 38124MG
* L-Phenylalanine 9232MG
L-Glycine 7148MG
* L-Threonine 8427MG
* L-Tryptophane 2180MG
* L-Histidine 4766MG
L-Tyrosine 11904MG
L-Proline 11720MG
* L-Valine 12512MG
L-Serine 6725MG
Alanine 1013MG
* The Ten Essential amino acids.
* The L-tryptophane in this product is naturally present in the protein. It is of the food source and not added or manufactured.
Ingredients
Three Stage Carbohydrate Mix (Glucose Polymers) Containing Complex, Medium Chain, And Simple Carbohydrates, Pharmaceutical Grade Protein Blend Consisting Of Non-Fat Milk Solids And Hydrolyzed Egg White (Albumin), Medium Chain Triglycerides, Vitamin, Mineral, And Liptropic Mixture (Which Includes Kreb's Cycle Complexes) Yohimbe Bark, Eleutherococcus, Crystaline Fructose, Sikadeer Antler Powder, Schizandra Chinensis, Inosine HXR, Colostrum, Boron, Chromium Picolinate, Natural Chocolate Flavor.



• Natural Formula
• No Preservatives
• No Artificial Sweeteners

   

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Why Protein and Creatine Helps You Put Size On. Here's the Whey.

These are the two staples for anyone looking to put on some serious muscle mass. Hands down the top two. I don't care what anyone says about test boosters, growth hormone seratogues or any other supplement.

The only other things you need are weights, rest and diet, diet, diet.

Get your bodybuilding stack at Piping Rock Supplements!

Why Protein? Why Whey?

You have to be in a anabolic state to build muscle. Once you've stressed the muscle sufficiently through progressive weight training, you have to rebuild the muscle. And whey has the highest biological value of any protein source. Whey also has the highest leucine content. See my posts "Leucine is King" for more on this amino acid.

Whey digests fast. Within two hours it's digested and then the bloodstream is filled with leucine. This kicks off what's called the mTOR pathway. That is the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin mechanism which signals the body to increase protein synthesis. Protein synthesis means MORE MUSCLE.

It seems that the perfect amount is 20 grams unless you've just worked out then 40 grams seems to really take muscle building into overdrive.

While any protein source post-workout will bring results, we are only interested in the most effective means and that means whey.

Why Creatine?

Study after study and bro science aficionados all agree that creatine helps you build slabs of muscle. While I love whey....if I could only buy one supplement...it would be creatine. It's inexpensive and provides the biggest bang for the buck.

Creatine is made from the three aminos arginine, glycine, and methionine. It works on new lifters as well as seasoned lifters.

You get the energy for explosive energy from a chemical known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Creatine helps the body regenerate ATP allowing you to keep pushing up weight. This is simplified but I'm no doctor. Just some dude with a blog.

Creatine supplementation also helps pull fluid into the muscle which expands the muscle and gives it its fullness.

More muscle, more strength, faster recovery and more explosive power are all results creatine supplementation.

Sources:
Resistance exercise enhances myofibrillar protein synthesis with graded intakes of whey protein in older men. Exercise Metabolism Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1

 Does Your Whey Protein Powder Suck? STOPPANI, JIM. Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness (0744-5105)

Whey To Lose. Men's Health (10544836) (1054-4836) 20111201. Vol.26,Iss.10;p.34-34

The Whys of Whey. Muscle & Performance May 2011. Vol.3,Iss.5;p.34-34

Haycock, Bryan. "L-leucine: the master anabolic trigger and more!" Flex Sept. 2012: 124+. Academic OneFile. Web. 13 Sep. 2012.

Haycock, Bryan. "Pre-workout protein intake: new insights." Flex Aug. 2012: 132+. Academic OneFile. Web. 13 Sep. 2012.

STOPPANI, JIM. "Post-workout protein." Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness (0744-5105)
20120701. Vol.73,Iss.7;p.76-76
STOPPANI, JIM. "Does Your Whey Protein Suck?" Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness (0744-5105)
20111201. Vol.72,Iss.12;p.110-113

"Crea-time! Save time and energy with creatine." Flex July 2012: 150. Academic OneFile. Web. 13 Sep. 2012.

Stoppani, Jim. "Creatine blends: the most effective supplement in the world is getting even better." Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness June 2012: 90. Academic OneFile. Web. 13 Sep. 2012.

Creatine Supplementation Prevents the Accumulation of Fat in the Livers of Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet. da Silva, Robin P.; Lamarre, Simon G.; Brown, Colin; Furey, George N.; McCarter, Shannon A.; Jordao, Alceu Afonso; Kelly, Karen B.; King-Jones, Kirst; Jacobs, Rene L.; Brosnan, Margaret E.; Brosnan, John T.; Deminice, Rafael. Journal of Nutrition (0022-3166) 20111001.                  Vol.141,Iss.10;p.1799-1804

Creatine Kickers. Elliott, Tabatha. Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness (0744-5105) 20100701.   Vol.71,Iss.7;p.214-214

Stir up some muscle. Gutfeld, Greg Men's Health; May 1997, Vol. 12, p90

Stoppani, Jim."Know your creatine powder." Flex.  27.10 (Dec 2009): 130(1). 

Antonio, Jose."See muscle. See muscle grow. Creatine is one of the few supplements that makes visible changes to your physique quickly and safely. " Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness. 71.2 (Feb 2010): 178(5).

Stoppani, Jim. "Creatine unleashed! Which of these 15 forms of creatine is right for you?. ." Flex. 22.6 (August 2004): 180(9).

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Product Review: BodyTech Critical Aminos XT. Fuel Your Next Workout, Boost Nitric Oxide and Recover Quickly




#helpYOUgetGAINS 
Twitter: @helpYOUgetGAINS
Instagram: @helpYOUgetGAINS
Fitocracy: @helpYOUgetGAINS


This is a great product. I have been mixing it with and Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey as part of my pre-workout. I have also been drinking it standalone after my morning cardio. Mixes great and tastes great. I take it pre-workout because of the energy and nitric-oxide support via the vitamin C, citrulline and grape seed extract.





L-citrulline is the precursor to l-arginine which leads to nitric oxide production.


The bromelain fights post-workout inflammation and the carnitine helps with both cortisol lowering, fat burning and increasing androgen receptors. 

You could drink this all day if so inclined. I have been adding scoops of BodyTech Critical Aminos XT to my pre-workout along with Jet Alert caffeine and L-theanine. 



Great Read:
IS FASTED CARDIO ACTUALLY AN EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR FAT LOSS?










Testosterone Therapy - Royal Men's Medical Center
Great Service and Price - Tell them Michael Henry referred you. https://t.co/0HQkC961lN pic.twitter.com/pLPd4uTAOt
— #HelpYouGetGAINS (@helpYOUgetGAINS) September 26, 2017












Monday, September 10, 2012

Eat 3 Whole Eggs Per Day to Increase Muscle Mass, Strength and Testosterone


Sometimes you should listen to the old schoolers. Men started eating egg whites and testosterone plummeted.



Well, it appears people are listening. I meet hardgainers all the time who hate eggs. These guys want to just chug weight gainers and do barbell curls.



Youngman start squatting and eating and eating eggs.



According to Tim Ferriss in his book the 4-Hour Body, if you want terrific sex you need to eat 4 whole eggs before bedtime 20 - 24 hours before the big event in order to get 800 mg of testosterone maximizing cholesterol.



Texas A&M (College Station) did a 12 week study and found that subjects who ate three whole eggs per day while weight training almost doubled their muscle mass gains and more than doubled their strength gains. This was compared to study participants who ate no more than one egg per day.



In the past, when protein supplements were either rare or terrible tasting, eggs were a staple in the bodybuilding diet.



In addition to the protein and cholesterol, eggs contain numerous beneficial nutrients. Choline, lutein, zeaxanthin, tryptophan, selenium, iodine, vitamin B2, molybdenum, vitamin B12, phosphorus, vitamin B5, and vitamin D.



Eggs are inexpensive and portable when boiled or pickled.



Eat up and get huge!

Back in the day. I wore big glasses and eat plenty of eggs.



Sunday, September 9, 2012

Tropinol, Ultra Male or Ergo Test - (Prolensis) Bulbine Natalensis 10:1 - Raises Testosterone by 347% and Lowers Estrogen by 35%

That's the claim. It's right on the box. Of course the study was on rats. So if you are a rat it's almost guaranteed that you can be the biggest rat on the block. What's that.....do I hear the Smashing Pumpkins?

Well, I think the product is definitely worth a try. It a pretty simple formulation. Oh yeah, apparently more is not better with bulbine natalensis. It can actually lower testosterone if you do not follow directions.



Many of these herbs are in my Aggressive Strength Testosterone Booster. Yes I have a vested interest in this recommendation and thus I am no doubt biased. However, that does not mean my testosterone booster is not effective. Obviously it is in my best interest to sell a supplement that actually works and Aggressive Strength definitely works for most users as I only have a 2% non responder rate. Just look at the endless testimonials for more support and decide for yourself. Check out Aggressive Strength Testosterone Booster Feedback





iForce Tropinol contains a 325mg Proprietary Blend of the following ingredients.

Prolensis - Bulbine Natalensis 10:1
African herb used traditionally for impotence.

Basella Alba (25:1)
Used by herbal healers in Cameroon as a libido booster.

Methyltheobromine - caffeine
Vitamin D 1500IU

 Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, Consume 1 (one) Serving upon working, and 1 (one) serving 30-35 minutes prior to workout. Non workout days, Consume 1 (one) serving upon working, 1 (one) serving midday. Do not consume more then 3 servings during a 24 hour period. For best results, cycle this product for 12 weeks.

Another option is Ironmaglabs Ultra Male Rx.

The Ironmaglabs version contains:
Vitamin D 2000IU
Zinc 10mg
Prolensis - Bulbine Natalensis 10:1
Fenusol - Fenugreek Extract
Urtica Dioica PE 10:1 (Stinging Nettle)
Maca Root PE 20:1

IronMagLabs - Hardcore Bodybuilding Nutrition
References

  1. Guidance for Industry Estimating the Maximum Safe Starting Dose in Initial Clinical Trials for Therapeutics in Adult Healthy Volunteers
  2. Short Term Safety of bulbine natalensis
  3. Yakubu MT, Afolayan AJ. Anabolic and androgenic activities of Bulbine natalensis stem in male Wistar rats. Pharm Biol. (2010)
  4. Pather N, Viljoen AM, Kramer B. A biochemical comparison of the in vivo effects of Bulbine frutescens and Bulbine natalensis on cutaneous wound healing. J Ethnopharmacol. (2011)
  5. Yakubu MT, Afolayan AJ. Effect of aqueous extract of Bulbine natalensis (Baker) stem on the sexual behaviour of male rats. Int J Androl. (2009)
  6. Yakubu MT, Afolayan AJ. Effect of aqueous extract of Bulbine natalensis Baker stem on haematological and serum lipid profile of male Wistar rats. Indian J Exp Biol. (2009)
  7. Yakubu MT, Afolayan AJ. Reproductive toxicologic evaluations of Bulbine natalensis Baker stem extract in albino rats. Theriogenology. (2009)
  8. Afolayan AJ, Yakubu MT. Effect of Bulbine natalensis Baker stem extract on the functional indices and histology of the liver and kidney of male Wistar rats. J Med Food. (2009)
  9. 2005 Dec;7(4):411-7. Effects of Basella alba and Hibiscus macranthus extracts on testosterone production of adult rat and bull Leydig cells
  10. Beboy, N.E., et al. "Effect of methanol extract of Basella alba L. (Basellaceae) on the fecundity and testosterone level in male rats exposed to flutamide in utero." Andrologia 44.1 (2012): 38+. Academic OneFile. Web. 9 Sep. 2012.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Vitaminshoppe BOGO is Here! Muscle Up Bro! All September 2012. 2nd VS item 1/2 off.

I love the Vitaminshoppe's buy one get one half off month. It's a time where I try stuff that I felt maybe good but are too pricey to normally get.

Last time I tried the 400 mg version of SAMe. Good stuff. Gave me a relaxed, mellow feeling. I was hoping it would do more for my shoulder pain.

Here's some things you might want to try. To see specifics on the ingredients goto www.thevitaminshoppe.com.

My favorites are Wheytech, Critical Aminos XT, Nitrulline, PrimalPro, Ribose, Ultimate Man Gold Multivitamin, Growth Tech and Longjax MHT.

Excellent HGH and Testosterone support products.

Great anytime not but especially during and post-workout.

Great addition for IGF-1 support.

Weight Gainer.

Mood and Joint Support. Big bench pressers and squatters love SAMe.


Leucine metabolite that supposed to put protein synthesis in high gear.

Perfect hardgainer combo. I would recommend over weight gainers.

Perfect bedtime protein.

Primal Protein Blend (whey protein isolate, micellar casein, hydrolyzed whey protein concentrate), Primal Power Blend (creatine monohydrate, Creatine MagnaPower)


Ribose is great for those lacking the energy to get through their workouts.

My favorite nitric oxide (NO) booster. Contains 3 grams of Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate(A-AKG) and 1 gram of Citrulline-Malate per serving.
 

 





Thursday, September 6, 2012

Be the Boss of the Gym with Your Gymboss Interval Timer. Tabata Time.





My days are pretty hectic....well at least they were until this week. For the past two years I have been getting up at 5:30 a.m. for my workout. I was leaving for work at 7:30 a.m. and got home from my second job at 10:00 p.m..

I had to find a way to workout efficiently. Sometimes moving from bench press to lat pulldowns without rest inbetween.  Weights for 15 to 20 minutes then treadmill until time to get ready for work.

Well, my best tool to keep me moving has been my Gymboss Interval Timer. Inexpensive and invaluable. Rugged and accurate.

I bought two. One I use for straight timed events (rest periods) the other I use for Tabata training.

Tabata training involves doing 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for a total of 8 rounds.

An example would be a 20-second sprints and 10 seconds of rest repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes.



Beginner Kettlebell Workshop DVD 
 
 

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

The New Muscletech Hydroxycut Hardcore Elite combines Green Coffee Bean and Forskolin (Coleus forskohlii)

Has Muscletech done it again? Is this the industries new best fatburner? Maybe....only time will tell.

I have not tried it yet but will. It has the combination of stuff that could make it the best. A synergistic combination of ingredients that should speed you on your way to rip city.

I love the ingredients, not loving the price. However, if you were to buy all of the ingredients separately, you'd pay more.

Let's break it down.

CAFFEINE

Frees up fat and boosts your metabolism to burn that freed fat.

FORSKOLIN

Activates the enzyme adenylate cyclase that allows fat cells to be broken down and used as fuel. Forskolin also increases testosterone production at the source.

GREEN-COFFEE EXTRACT

Contains chlorogenic acid which has been shown in several clinical studies to lead to significant fat loss. It works with caffeine to do this while also lowering the impact of post meal blood sugars.

COCOA EXTRACT

Cocoa provides theobromine, an active metabolite of caffeine that provides fat-burning effects similar to caffeine.

YOHIMBE

Yohimbine and rauwolscine bind to fat cells removing limits to the amount of fat burned.
 

Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)



Stoppani, Jim. "Muscletech hydroxycut hardcore elite: an up-close look at muscletech's clinically supported fat burner." Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness May 2012: 76. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.