Bodybuilding Supplements May Not Be Necessary

To supplement or not to supplement – that is the question on more bodybuilder’s lips than ever before. Are they safe? What works and what doesn’t?

Lets have a look at the basics.

There are various reasons why athletes may be interested in supplementation.

 Concern about getting adequate nutrients from our food supply.

 Suspicion of pharmaceuticals.

 Belief that diet alone will not achieve optimal nutrition

Supplements include the following:

 Vitamins

 Minerals

 Amino Acids

 Herbs

The concerning thing about supplements is that anything classified as a dietary supplement is not required to meet any FDA or other standards! Think about that! there are no regulations in place that guarantee the safety or purity of something sold as a supplement.

They are also not made to meet the similar safety requirements as prescription drugs or any other manufacturing standards. They are not required to meet product potency or purity ratings and are not required to prove the effectiveness of any health claim that is made.

Studies suggest that a number of supplements may deliver on advertising claims. However, trainees are spending large sums of money on products that have little or no proven usefulness.

Personally I find the use of supplements over rated and as with strength training, supplementation asks the same question “if a little is good then maybe more has to be better”

Supplementation and steroids started to proliferate when volume strength training became the training system of the day. Young strength trainees slaving in the gym for five to six days a week was seen as normal. All this without making any progress or putting on any size whatsoever.

They then turned to the latest supplement or steroid thinking that this is the magic bullet to put on that added muscle when all the time they were just plain “overtraining”

The cold hard facts are that the majority of the regular trainees in your gym are overtraining. The sad reality is that the type of training that you find in bodybuilding books and magazines (and used by the stars) are irrelevant to the majority of

the population and has a high failure rate.

If more bodybuilders started using more infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger…

MOST OF THE WEIGHT GAIN SUPPLEMENTS AND STERIODS AVAILABLE TODAY WOULD NOT BE NEEDED.

The bottom line on weight gain supplements

 Before taking a supplement try to make modifications to your diet that might achieve the same goals.

 Only choose products that show the amount of active ingredients on the label that are required.

 Be aware that “natural” does not mean ‘safe’

 Some herbal supplements may have unpleasant side effects.

Listed below are some popular bodybuilding supplements available on the market today:

Creatine monohydrate

Creatine was first introduced to the market place some eight years ago and has since become the most popular bodybuilding supplement of all time.

Creatine is said to significantly increase lean muscle mass,

improve performance, increase energy levels and speed

up recovery rates. Creatine also stimulates the uptake

of amino acids in the proteins, which means that the

more that it’s used the more muscle that may be grown.

Dosage: A loading phase of 20grams a day for the first five days then a

maintenance phase of 5grams a day from then on.

Whey Protein isolate

The highest yield of protein currently available

and is extracted from milk. This is another popular supplement

for athletes and bodybuilders because of its high proportion of

amino acids. It is supposed to be high in potassium, which is essential

for muscle growth and is an antioxidant and a good

immune system builder.

Dosage: 20gms – 100gms a day.



Tibulus Terrestris

Tribulus terrestris is a plant that grows in many

tropical and moderate areas of the world and is

very rich in chemical compounds such as saponins,

flavonoids and alkaloids.

Tribulus terrestris is supposedly a testosterone enhancer.

and increases sex drives in both men and women.

Dosage as per bottle.

Glutamine

Is a non-essential amino acid, which makes up to 60% of the amino acids in the bodies muscles. Glutamine containing products are protein

shakes and good quality protein powders; it can also

be added to protein shakes for added potency.

Dosage: 5grams to 15 grams per day.

So please remember a supplement is something added to the diet to make up for a nutritional deficiency or imbalance they are not intended to substitute for eating a balanced diet. If they are to be taken at all they should only be used to supplement the diet and not replace it.

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Build Muscle Lose Fat Easier By Manipulating Your Training Variables

Everyone will inadvertently hit a frustrating plateau in their training at one time or another. You’re cruising along for a while, gaining strength, losing fat, looking better, and then all of the sudden it hits. Suddenly, you find yourself even weaker than before on your lifts, or you find that you’ve gained back a couple of pounds. It happens to everyone. Most of the time, these plateaus occur because people rarely change their training variables over time. Many people stick to the same types of exercises for the same basic sets and reps and rest periods with the same boring cardio routine. Well, I hope to open your mind and bring some creativity to your workouts with this article!

There are many ways that you can strategically modify your training variables to assure that you maximize your fat loss and/or muscle building response to exercise. Most people only think about changing their sets and reps performed, if they even think about changing their routine at all. However, other variables that can dramatically affect your results are changing the order of exercises (sequence), exercise grouping (super-setting, circuit training, tri-sets, etc.), exercise type (multi-joint or single joint, free-weight or machine based), the number of exercises per workout, the amount of resistance, the time under tension, the base of stability (standing, seated, on stability ball, one-legged, etc.), the volume of work (sets x reps x distance moved), rest periods between sets, repetition speed, range of motion, exercise angle (inclined, flat, declined, bent over, upright, etc), training duration per workout, and training frequency per week. Sounds like a lot of different training aspects to consider in order to obtain the best results from your workouts, doesn’t it? Well, that’s where a knowledgeable personal trainer can make sense of all of this for you to make sure that your training doesn’t get stale. Below are a few examples to get your mind working to come up with more creative and result producing workouts.

Most people stick to workouts where they do something along the lines of 3 sets of 10-12 reps per exercise, with 2-3 minutes rest between sets. Booooorrrrring! Here are a few examples of different methods to spice up your routine.

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Anabolic Steroids Use

In quite a few illnesses, medical practitioners prescribe anabolic steroids. Use of it is however suggested with caution since the drug is known to show harmful side effects. Ironically, anabolic steroids are used more for non-medical reasons than otherwise, and this has been so ever since its utility for performance enhancement has become widely known among athletes and body-builders. Glossing over what prompts people resorting to anabolic steroids’ use – or is it misuse – here are some main reasons:

Professional athletes in their attempts to over-perform use anabolic steroids. One remembers Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson winning the 1988 Olympic 100-meter dash in Seoul to make a new world record, but later stripped of the title when tests revealed that he partook banned steroid, stanozolol.

Men suffering from behavioral syndromes, believing they look small and insignificant even though they are muscular, use anabolic steroids. Similarly, women with this problem take the drug as they tend to think they are flabby, though in actual they are quite lean and muscular.

It is seen that people who have suffered physical or sexual abuse in the past often take recourse to the drug with the belief that it will make them look stronger and abler thus discouraging any future attacks.

Adolescent youth get a kick out of doing risky things, like driving fast, drinking atrociously and suchlike. They are easily attracted to anabolic steroids’ use.

Are anabolic steroids not used for medicinal purpose? But yes they are. Some examples are:

Helping patients gain weight after a severe illness, injury, or continuing infection. They may also be administered when patients do not gain or maintain normal weight because of unexplained medical reasons.

Treating certain types of anemia and also some kinds of breast cancer in women.

Treating hereditary angioedema that causes swelling of face, arms, legs, throat, windpipe, bowels, or sexual organs.

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Unwanted side effects of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation, Could they be A Myth?

Journalist Revoker Yu Romance - do not get me wrong, I 'm not going to play devil's advocate are available outside and how creatine monohydrate is certainly positively horrible and dangerous and avoid taking in the interest of his life because of statements simply can not be achieved. Research has recently shown creatine monohydrate side effects great understanding creatine monohydrate reviews nasty creatine to enhance athletic performance in several ways and addicted creatine monohydrate reviews to supplement creatine monohydrate reviews and health creatine monohydrate dosage professionals recommend both are close friends .

Although creatine monohydrate reviews the benefits and possible outcomes of the supplement creatine monohydrate promoted for each vendor around , there's a lot less on the rear wall of the review of the side effects of creatine monohydrate , health complications , and does not blow much less separate individual , even if these are questions that creatine monohydrate reviews should be familiar creatine monohydrate reviews to anyone who is considering the type of popular supplement today.

Basically, creatine, inevitably , at this time creatine monohydrate reviews is an organic compound and is not without serious damage to the body. Why the creatine monohydrate dosage addition of creatine are things such as:

The side effects of creatine monohydrate and caffeine ?

Some articles have suggested relationship between creatine and caffeine that have negative side effects. Get a misunderstanding that has been shown in a study that the absorption of creatine in muscle tissue may have been slowed by creatine monohydrate reviews the presence of caffeine in the blood. Scientists have since discovered that creatine can also be easily absorbed by the presence of caffeine as a substance creatine monohydrate side effects knowning that creatine monohydrate dosage the final results creatine monohydrate reviews of the initial study was based on many variables.

Will I have cramps are a side effect when creatine monohydrate dosage taking creatine monohydrate ?

Many studies have focused on the final results creatine monohydrate reviews of muscle cramps after a cycle of creatine with varying results . However , knowledge and general common sense provides a scientific basis for it now accepted . A great way creatine works is still very moisturizing muscles leads to repair and recover faster and be more ready for a steady workload . This means that more water should be consumed while taking creatine to creatine monohydrate side effects compensate creatine monohydrate reviews for their action in the supplement. If you do not drink enough creatine monohydrate dosage water and whole body and muscles are dehydrated, cramps occur either in the presence of creatine or otherwise. Therefore, creatine monohydrate reviews if cramps creatine monohydrate dosage occur during creatine monohydrate supplementation is not an unintended effect of the product itself , rather than a side effect to dehydrate !

Creatine monohydrate and side effects upset stomach ?

Because the form of creatine monohydrate is concentrated especially , many say they have an upset stomach when you finally take creatine dose close all phases of the home " expenses". Of course, this is definitely resolved by spacing your creatine monohydrate reviews doses of creatine or reduce appropriate doses when they creatine monohydrate dosage become a burden on the stomach, everyone is different.

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Can Growth Hormone Boosters Enhance Muscle Growth

Many experts feel that supplementation with growth hormones offers exciting possibilities to adult bodybuilders, especially those aged over thirty. They should not be taken by anyone aged under twenty. In the past growth hormone was available only in injectable form but recent years have seen the development of HGH precursors and more advanced delivery systems. The most popular means of taking growth hormone boosters today include sub-lingual spray, homeopathic pills and capsules containing HGH secretagogues.

That’s all very well, but do these supplements have any place in bodybuilding? To answer this, we’ll need to look first at what growth hormones actually do.

Human Growth Hormone is responsible for the regulation of insulin, protein synthesis, transportation of amino acids across cell membranes and fat metabolism. Clearly, these are processes that are of relevance to serious bodybuilders. Users have reported higher energy levels, enhanced libido and greater cardiac output. In addition, superior immune function, lowering of blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels have been documented. Add in other potential benefits like improved sleep, shorter recovery times, quicker regeneration of damaged muscles and you can begin to understand why some experts are excited by the possibilities offered to bodybuilders.

No adverse side effects have been reported when used as directed but persons aged under twenty should not use growth hormone boosters without consulting a health care professional familiar with HGH therapy.

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Anabolic Steroids In Sport Exercise

In most cases, people use anabolic steroids in sports and exercise. Sportspersons, including athletes, bodybuilders, footballers and others, who put a lot of stake in improved performance on the field, resort to frequent usage of the drug. The same goes for those who wish to build muscles and cut down on body fat, thereby presenting themselves with well-toned physique.

Researchers have found that there is a growing tendency among youth to abuse anabolic steroids. In sport and exercise the phenomenon is known to be happening for quite awhile. But there are cases where apparently well-built persons too use the drug, believing that without it they will look small and insignificant. In medical parlance, it is called muscle dysmorphia, which surprisingly is prevalent in both men and female, though to a lesser degree in latter’s case.

Even as anabolic steroids are known to cause less to grievous harm to health over short to long term of usage, what is equally true is that there are many myths surrounding its supposed ill-effect. One such is that anabolic steroids cause shrinking in penis and testicles. While that is true in short term, over long term the size returns to normalcy soon after exogenous androgen administration is halted. This is one reason why boys at tender age are never suggested to use the drug, for in their case the effect can be quite damaging.

Be that as it may, the fact that the drug can boost muscle size and ability to perform well in exerting games would mean that the use of anabolic steroids in sports and exercise is not going to go away forever. To that extent, the role of agencies to control the abuse of the substances is important.

And indeed that is the reason why the US Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 has been enacted to ban selling and using anabolic steroid and pro-hormone without relevant medical prescription. To what extent the new act is able to check the abuse of anabolic steroids in sport and exercise, while not unnecessarily preventing genuine medical reasons, remains to be seen.

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Abdominal Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders

The abdomen contains the muscles that most beginners struggle with because they take a long time to develop and need a low level of body fat to be seen. The abdominal muscle group consists of three main muscles:

1. Rectus abdominis – commonly known as the abs, this is a large flat muscle wall that runs from the lower chest to the pubic bone.

2. Obliquus abdominis – commonly known as the obliques, this muscle runs diagonally along the side of the mid-section from the lower ribcage to the pubic area. The internal obliques lie underneath the external obliques.

3. Transversus abdominis – this is a thin strip of muscle that runs horizontally across the abdomen.

You can target these muscles effectively by performing the following exercises:

1. Crunches – 3 sets of 15-20 reps. This exercise will work the upper abs.

2. Pelvic tilts – 3 sets of 15-20 reps.This exercise will target the lower portion of the abdomen below the navel.

3. Side bends – 3 sets of 15-20 reps. This exercise will work the obliques.

As with all exercises you need to take care in scheduling specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your abdominal exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below:

Day 1: Biceps, Back, Abs

Day 2: Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs

Day 3: Quads, Forearms, Calves

Day 4: Triceps, Chest, Abs

For the first couple of weeks complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.

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