http://www.bodyconcept.com/Precor Fitness Equipment C-Line Arriving January 2009. Precor designers and engineers paid attention to every detail on the Experience Strength™ C-Line machines, from ensuring sound biomechanics for natural movement, to machines that arrive at your facility fully assembled and ready for installation. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=733&z=1Introducing an alternative pathway to increasing muscle size – Maximizing Muscle Cellular Volumization. Learn how to customize your training and supplement regimen to take advantage of this new route to getting absolutely jacked with freaky muscle density. Remember to consult your doctor before starting any diet and/or exercise plan.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=731&z=1Polar the leader in heart rate monitoring and fitness assessment consumer products today introduced a new lineup of training computers for general fitness and cross-training use. The new Polar Fitness line of training computers are designed to appeal to a broadening audience of mainstream users who want to become more active as well as those who are currently engaged in a regular fitness routine and lifestyle. Additionally, the new models in the Fitness line will also appeal to a core group of exercise enthusiasts who are seriously dedicated to maximizing their cardio and strength training by providing new features that are unlike any products on the market today." http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=730&z=1Compare Elliptical Models and Features The very best first step you can take before purchasing an Elliptical machine is to compare available models and features. Ample unbiased and reliable information is available on most elliptical trainers allowing you to make an informed decision about which machine to purchase. Don't rush or be pressured into buying a trainer until you have had a chance to compare models and features. The investment you will be making in a machine is substantial and you want to be happy with the trainer. Once you begin to compare models and features you will see a wide difference in trainer amenities. Below some of those amenities are noted. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=729&z=1What’s the one bodybuilding supplement no dorm room should be without? We’ll give you a couple of hints. When it was introduced in the mid-1980s, it was the very first Power Activator Drink. That tells you it has plenty of caffeine. It’s also packed with protein and carbs, making this choice about as versatile as they come. Check out how many ways you can put ABB Blue Thunder to good use. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=728&z=1With the Precor Elliptical, user will be able to enjoy a full body workout within the machine itself. If working out is considering being one of the important things in your life. Then, you might want to give this Precor Ellipticals a thought. The Precor Ellipticals can help in strengthening your whole body and saving you the worries of not getting the right type of exercises that you are looking for.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=726&z=1Precor Treadmills are really easy to use. These machines remain best-sellers, in spite of all the new innovations on the market today. They don't require much of a learning curve. Simply push the QuickStart button, and away you go. The suspension system ensures joint comfort while you walk or run. You can usually choose from a whole range of programs, concentrating on aspects such as weight loss, interval training or fitness tests. However, if you become bored easily when doing repetitive workouts, this may not be the best option for you.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=727&z=1Enabling fitness and leisure club operators, club staff, members and guests to easily manage all aspects of the workout process, improve customer and instructor interactions and provide greater business intelligence, VIVO from Life Fitness, is both unique and superior to any other connectivity system on the market. “VIVO connects the Life Fitness equipment, the staff member, the user, the prospect, and every class via an integrated information network,” declares Claire Kendrick, Life Fitness VIVO Director. The VIVO system integrates world class Life Fitness cardiovascular and strength equipment with innovative new software, wireless systems and communication tools. The result is a seamless technology solution which puts facility managers in control of key competitive touch points – enrolment, retention, programming, staffing and operations. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=725&z=1For the buyer, its always better to have too many options that to have too less. However, today’s treadmill industry makes it hard for a buyer to compare. When making treadmill comparisons, you should consider understanding the essentials of the fitness equipment. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=724&z=1If you are familiar with these more popular fitness machines, then you are ready to tackle any gym. A fitness machine can help you accomplish your health goals and often provides a more focused workout than other exercises thanks to the science that went into the machine's construction. Fitness Equipment provides detailed information on Fitness Equipment, Commercial Fitness Equipment, Fitness Equipment Financing, Used Fitness Equipment and more. Fitness Equipment is affiliated with Best Home Gyms. Fitness Equipment, Commercial Fitness Equipment,http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=722&z=1A vital part of any professional gym and a growing resource for home gyms are commercial fitness machines. Commercial fitness equipment is designed to provide a variety of programs to appeal to a broad range of users. These machines are fixtures in exercise facilities, and home gym owners are more frequently purchasing one or more of these professional exercise machines to expand their personal gym. Either new or used, commercial fitness equipment is costly, and you should consider your personal needs before making such a purchase.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=723&z=1Coming Soon CytoSport Monster Milk to release a higher in protein for the hardcore bodybuilder.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=721&z=1Nike+ SportBand Works Without iPod The Next Innovation in Nike+ Offers a New Way to Connect to the World’s Largest Running Club and Lets You Track Your Results to Train for Better Performance in Any Situation http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=719&z=110. That's how many strategically-chosen types of protein you will find in every serving of NitroCore 24. From ultra-fast acting, partially hydrolyzed whey proteins to much more slowly-digested micellar casein proteins, NitroCore 24 is a full-spectrum, sustained-release protein blend designed to be used any time of the day or night. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=716&z=1This workout is a great place to begin to develop your aerobic fitness and to train your body to burn fat during your workouts. This workout emphasizes lower levels of intensity to achieve maximum fat burning. A benefit of doing this workout is that you will begin to build a base of aerobic fitness and endurance which will enable you to take on more challenging workouts in the future. If you have not participated in a regular exercise program before, this is an ideal place to start. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=715&z=1Yes, NO XPLODE, NITRIX & CELLMASS, Just Got Better! with AVPT Multi-Action Matrix Technology. Never a company to rest on its laurels and always pushing the boundaries of human performance enhancement through sports supplementation to the absolute limit, BSN has remained committed to innovation, and to producing the best products in the world for the last 7 years. Over the course of those 7 years, BSN has carved out its own unique position as the sports nutrition industry’s ultra-premium brand with products relied on by a who’s who of the bodybuilding, fitness and sports world. The likes of 8-Time Mr. Olympia and the world’s greatest bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman, cover model and TV personality Alicia Marie, the “PHENOM” and future of bodybuilding Trey Brewer, genetic wonder Brandon the “PRODIGY” Curry, pro martial artist/actor Julien Greaux, U.S. Masters National Champion cyclist Antony Galvan and professional beach volleyball player Ty Loomis all rely on BSN products to do what they do best – Finish First™!http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=713&z=1Fish Oil May Help You Burn Fat...But Not THAT Much Fat! What The Latest Research Says About Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Weight Loss http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=712&z=1Get the Facts; Not Fiction Behind Anti-Aging Products and Their Active Ingredients Activate the Anti-Aging Process The aging process begins when we enter the world and the effects of aging are evident in our bodies through out our lives. Beginning in our 20's, the signs of aging start to become noticeable. Genetically programmed chronologic aging causes changes in collagen and elastin, the connective tissues that supply firmness and elasticity to the skin. The genetic program of individuals is different, so the loss of skin firmness and elasticity occurs at different rates and different times in one individual as compared to another. As skin becomes less elastic, it also becomes drier and underlying fat padding begins to disappear. With the loss of underlying support by fat padding and connective tissues, the skin begins to sag; it appears less supple and wrinkles form. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=709&z=1Build A Bigger Chest In 3-4 Workouts Or Less Tom Venuto, CSCS, CPT If your pecs are a weak body part, or, if you’ve simply hit a progress plateau in your chest development, then this high intensity chest training program will packs slabs of muscle mass on your chest after just 3-4 workouts and I guarantee it. This is a high intensity bodybuilding workout for advanced bodybuilders only. (Beginners don’t even think about it)…. I’m currently on workout 3 of 4 in this pec routine and the results have been so impressive that I decide to write it up for you before I even finish the final workout next week. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=708&z=1Keep Fit While Traveling: 7 Tips for Taking Your Workout on the Road Does this sound like you? You’re stressed. You’re tired. You need a vacation. But every time you decide to go away, you gain an extra 5 to 10 pounds that you have to work twice as hard to get rid of once you get home. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=707&z=1How Does StriVectin-SD Work? StriVectin-SD includes a proprietary complex of skin firming agents, elasticizers, and skin hydrators… adding up to the most comprehensive topical formulation shown to effectively confront virtually every aspect of visible stretch mark reduction. A groundbreaking series of studies has demonstrated, without a doubt, the amazing effectiveness of StriVectin-SD’s® functional isolates. After reviewing and verifying the clinical data, an incredible 93% of subjects saw a signifigant, visible reduction in the appearance of stretch marks. The unequivocal, verified results speak for themselves. But there’s more. Clinical observations further document the ability of StriVectin-SD’s independent isolates to dramatically improve the appearance of: Indented surfaces Smooth surfaces Skin firmness Irregularities in skin discoloration http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=706&z=1Walk into any gym today and you’ll see people who are dedicated to working out consistently. While some of these trainees make gains, others who workout faithfully don’t show any consistent improvement. Year after year, they have little to show for their hard work. Ho w can you avoid a similar fate? Building quality muscle takes years of hard and dedicated work using time-proven training and nutrition principles. Yet, some bodybuilding magazines today promulgate the instant gratification of building muscle overnight. That’s a nice thought, but it’s misleading. The worst part of this deception is that it has created an environment in which supplement marketing companies take advantage of uninitiated begin-ning bodybuilders. The beginner is prone to fall for the propaganda that marketing companies use to tout “magic” supplements that will purportedly give the user overnight muscle gains, but are often minimally effective at best.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=704&z=1The ProForm 20.0 CrossTrainer Elliptical with the special GameFit console features two proprietary games -- "Fat Blocker™" and "Calorie Destroyer™" -- that will keep you entertained for miles. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=703&z=1You’ve probably heard people say they have a "slipped" or "ruptured" disc in the back. Sometimes they complain that their back “went out”. What they’re most likely describing is a herniated disc. This condition is a common source of back and leg pain. Discs are soft cushions found between the vertebrae that make up the spinal column (your backbone). In the middle of the spinal column is the spinal canal, a hollow space that contains the spinal cord. The nerves that supply the arms, leg, and torso come from the spinal cord. The nerves from the neck supply the arms and hands, and the nerves from the low back supply the butt and legs. The discs between the vertebrae allow the back to move freely and act like shock absorbers. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=702&z=1Creating a New Year's Resolution can be a great idea, especially if you are resolving to get healthier (weight loss and exercise are the top resolutions made). But if you don't have an action plan it may be doomed before it ever gets started. Unfortunately, the majority of individuals who make a new year's resolution end up breaking it. By February, nearly half have already failed. The following shows how many of these resolutions are maintained as time goes on: - past the first week: 75% - past 2 weeks: 71% - after one month: 64% - after 6 months: 46% (1) But don't let those stats convince you to plop down on your couch with a bag of chips. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions. (1) So, if you want to lose weight or just get more fit in 2007, then resolving to do so may be beneficial to you. Just make sure you have an action plan that helps ensure your success. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=701&z=1The Secrets of Using Protein to Get BIGGER, STRONGER and FASTER! Are you an athlete who wants to play like a pro? Do you want to be bigger, stronger, faster, and have more endurance? If this is what you want and aspire to, then consuming more protein in your daily diet may be the ticket to accomplishing your goals. I’ve heard from hundreds of professional, Olympic, college, and high school athletes who have expressed their desire to get bigger, stronger, faster and have more endurance. Often, when I propose that the solution may be just as simple as eating more protein, many get dismayed and feel that I’m giving them a blown-off response. But the simple truth is that most athletes don’t eat nearly enough protein to help them recover from their training, much less grow bigger and stronger. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=700&z=1The "V-Taper" is a defining characteristic of every great physique. Wide up top with a narrow waist…you know what I’m talkin’bout! Are you “wid” it? The “V” is mainly associated with a wide back, but it’s important to realize that the taper starts up top with full, round, well developed shoulders. The meatier your “caps”, the narrower the waist will appear. That’s what I’ talkin bout! Now don’t be a chump. Let’s do this. The deltoid (shoulder) is a large three-headed muscle group consisting of the anterior (front), medial (side) and posterior (rear) deltoid. The basic function of the deltoid muscle is to rotate and lift the arm. In order to develop massive, round CANNON BALL DELTS all three heads of the shoulder must be fully developed. It is also important to develop the trapezius muscles as well since they extend from the neck down between the shoulder blades. Shoulder training involves two basic types of exercises: presses and raises. The following routine is designed for overall development of the deltoids and trapezius muscles. Although very basic, it is a foolproof way to get freaky development up top. It is the very routine that has given me the development I have today, and it will work for you! You know what time it is? Time to get…in the trenches! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=699&z=1Did a walk in and wanted to give this incredible Las Vegas athletic club a Look. I Spoke with Club Manager Edward R. Urrea, who allowed a pass to try the Club out. I would have to say BodyConcept.com was impressed not only with the layout, but how clean and well managed this club is. BodyConcept.com has seen and have been members of many clubs and only wish we had one here in Arizona as nice and well mantained. We found all the equipment clean and in working order. We also found the equipment to be top of the line commercial grade and not more than 1-5 years old. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=698&z=1The aging process begins when we enter the world and the effects of aging are evident in our bodies through out our lives. Beginning in our 20's, the signs of aging start to become noticeable. Genetically programmed chronologic aging causes changes in collagen and elastin, the connective tissues that supply firmness and elasticity to the skin. The genetic program of individuals is different, so the loss of skin firmness and elasticity occurs at different rates and different times in one individual as compared to another. As skin becomes less elastic, it also becomes drier and underlying fat padding begins to disappear. With the loss of underlying support by fat padding and connective tissues, the skin begins to sag; it appears less supple and wrinkles form. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=696&z=1Even though morning cardio has been embraced by bodybuilders as a "tried and true" fat loss technique, there is definitely not a unanimous agreement about its effectiveness, especially in the scientific community. Most competitive bodybuilders are die-hard advocates of doing cardio first thing in the morning before eating their first meal. They believe it will cause them to mobilize more stored body fat and increase their metabolic rate all day long. There’s quite a bit of scientific literature supporting the a.m. fasted cardio theory, but generally, the exercise physiologists and scientists tend not to buy it. They subscribe to the energy balance hypothesis, which states; as long as you burn more calories than you consume in each 24 hour period, then the time of day you burn them doesn’t matter, nor does whether you burn them from fat or carbohydrate. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=694&z=1Last week I was talking about nutrition with one of my workout buddies and when I mentioned grass fed beef and "organic food” he asked, "Do you mean like what you get at Whole Foods Market?" I said, "Yes, exactly... that's a natural food and organic supermarket." He said, "Yeah well, that place costs so much, I call it Whole Paycheck!" I was rolling on the floor laughing, but the truth is, organic food really is expensive and so is grass fed beef and free range chicken, so it's a valid question to ask, “Is it worth it?” After researching the subject and doing some personal experiments with my own diet, let me offer you my take on it from a bodybuilder’s viewpoint. This is a perspective on organics you may not have heard before. First, look at it this way - if you put the cheapest fuel in your luxury car, how well is it going to run and how many miles are you going to get out of it? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=695&z=1Life Fitness Summit Trainers 95Li & 95Le The latest innovation in cardiovascular exercise Introducing a completely new kind of cardiovascular training—the Life Fitness Summit Trainers. These revolutionary machines combine the best of total-body cross-training and climbing into one intuitive product that will challenge every exerciser. User-defined stride lengths and five training positions allow exercisers to control workout intensity and target different muscle groups for truly versatile, personalized workouts. The latest innovation in cardiovascular exercise Introducing a completely new kind of cardiovascular training—the Life Fitness Summit Trainers. These revolutionary machines combine the best of total-body cross-training and climbing into one intuitive product that will challenge every exerciser. User-defined stride lengths and five training positions allow exercisers to control workout intensity and target different muscle groups for truly versatile, personalized workouts. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=693&z=1Why should your protein? Timing is Every thing. Just like time your body never stops. Whether you're working, playing, or sleeping your body is busy keeping you healthy and strong. So you need to make sure it has access to the nutrients it need - when it needs them. This makes your nutrition and supplement schedule very important. In other words, timing is everything. Having a small meal every 2-4 hours (5-6 times per day) instead of the conventional 3 big meals (i.e., breakfast, lunch, and dinner) is a great way to keep the nutrient levels within your body more consistent throughout the day. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=692&z=1Most of us in the upper generation grew up with the Basic Four food groups as a suggested daily food guide. How nice it was to see such an improvement with the Food Guide Pyramid which had horizontal groupings of different foods. This guide did suggest whole grains and legumes, and concentrated more on the fruit and vegetables and was in place for more than ten years. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=691&z=1Muscle Milk Casein Micelles A Discussion Milk is an extremely complex food that delivers a broad spectrum of immune and nutrition factors to help babies survive and grow. Milk is far more complex than once thought, with over 100,000 different molecular substances estimated. Science continues to gain fresh insights into milk structures. One area in particular has received recent attention-casein micelles. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=690&z=1What is it about the abdominal muscles that has countless people worshiping at their metaphorical feet? Is it their ultra-shredded look? Is it the sheer power that they hold in relation to the entire anatomy? When absolutely ripped, they command the attention that every bodybuilder wants, but they also play a powerful role in everything we do. Lets get below the surface of this much-idolized muscle group and see what we uncover. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=689&z=1Protein: Its About Quality, Not Quantity Not all protein bars are created equal. Some protein bars tout themselves as having more than 30 grams of protein which is a lot of protein. But if you look on the nutrition panel, it actually provides a lower percent of the daily value (% Daily Value) than a bar with fewer grams of protein, like PowerBar ProteinPlus http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=688&z=1Let's face it; most hard gainers don't have a big appetite. If they did, they'd be bigger themselves. New Extreme XXL® Bars are a compact, high-calorie solution for those who can't seem to eat enough without getting full. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=687&z=1Do I take Animal Pump every day? Absolutely. Animal Pump is one of our “foundational supplements”-one that we believe should be a core, basic supplement taken every day. I train at night sometimes and I don't want the stimulants. Can I take it out? Yup. It's the red pill. Just remove that one and you're good to go. Don't worry--by removing this one pill, you're not going to water down the overall effectiveness of Animal Pump. How much caffeine is in Animal Pump? Animal Pump has as much caffeine as roughly two strong cups of coffee. Is 3 grams of the advanced creatine matrix in Animal Pump enough for a full daily dose? Absolutely. Early on in creatine's history, people were recommending 5 grams or more as a daily dose. Since that time, research has come out proving you don't need that much. For good old creatine monohydrate, as little as 2-3 grams a day will do ya just fine. And if 2 grams of plain mono is good enough, then you can bet 3 grams of the most cutting-edge, patented creatines are gonna be plenty. What are the three forms of creatine and how did you arrive at them? We chose CEE, TCM and patented MCC. Based on the research that's currently out there and confirmed by actual real-world testing, we determined the final daily dose (3g) and the specific ratios between the three. Long story short, with Animal Pump, you don't need any supplemental creatine. The fact that CEE is in a capsule is a plus, as it tastes like ass. How long will it take for me to see results with Animal Pump? You'll see and feel results within the first can. We guarantee it. Great thing about about Animal Pump is that it's great for creatine non-responders, thanks for the unique blend. Can I take Animal Pump along with a meal? For best absorption avoid taking Animal Pump with food. Always wait 10-15 minutes after taking Pump before consuming any food. Can the Pump be used while cutting or is it strictly for bulking? Both, Pump will help you to maintain your strength during a cutting period, a time when you often lose strength. While bulking, the Pump will help you to add both muscle mass and strength. What's the difference between Animal Pump and other popular creatine/NO supplements such as Universal's Shock Therapy and Storm? You can compare Animal Pump with the Shock Therapy/Storm combo in terms of ingredients and formula. The basic differences are that Pump is in pills, while both Shock Therapy and Storm are powdered drink mixes. Ultimately, it comes down to preference-pills or drinks. One other thing-if you're looking for energy first and foremost, Shock Therapy is still the way to go. Should I use additional NO boosters when taking Animal Pump? It would more than likely be an unnecessary precaution. Were you to use additional arginine, limit it to one serving either earlier in the day or postworkout. Will consuming a protein shake within close proximity to Pump nhttp://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=686&z=1Summer Fitness for Busy Women: 4 Quick Exercises To Stay Firm During Bikini Season It’s summertime, and the living is easy – except when you have to think about putting on an itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny yellow polka dot bikini! But don’t worry, there’s still time to get in shape to strut your stuff on the beach or the boardwalk! These tried-and-tested exercises can give you quick results with just 10 minute focused workouts every other day. (If you’re on a serious mission and feeling really motivated, feel free to go for it every day!) And don’t forget to mix up these moves with some cardio work, even if it’s a game of soccer with the kids or a brisk walk to the park. Take advantage of the extra quality time you’re spending with the kids, family or friends this summer - whether at home or on vacation - and put the fun things you do to work to stay active. Every calorie counts! And after a few weeks with these exercises, you can look your best in the season’s latest teeny-weeny bikini fashions! Have fun in the sun – but don’t forget the sunscreen!! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=685&z=1VPX NO-ShotGun The science of exponential muscle growth! There are three ways muscles can get larger. The first and most limiting is called muscle Hypertrophy. This is where you practically kill yourself in the gym to force your genetically pre-existing amount of muscle to get larger in size. Are you the chosen “1 in 10,000” that God blessed with a ton of fast twitch muscle? Probably not. So for you, training to make your genetically limited amount of muscle increase in size really sucks. Visualize a white male who trains intensely and eats right for 10 solid years and then a typical brother walks into the gym for the first time and is leaner and more muscular having never touched a weight. White men can’t jump for a reason – they don’t have enough fast twitch muscle! But, there are also plenty of black people and persons of all races who struggle with their God given genetics. The great news is that Hyperplasia can level the playing field! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=684&z=1Bodybuilding is all about the food!!!! by Daniel Rocha Over the past month I have received many emails concerning the same thing... is my nutrition ok for muscle gain and fat loss? Now first off let me set the record straight by saying that you can not change muscle into fat and vice versa. So if anyone tells you that you changed fat into muscle, say Thanks and never consult with that person again. You can gain more muscle and lose more fat at the same time. But again most do not know how to do that. I can admit to all that when I first started bodybuilding I use to listen to the local big guy and he would tell that to get big you have to eat big. So I did. I was the VIP customer at Burger King. Damn those whoppers were good. But the end result was that I gained fat and very little muscle. I won my first open class contest as a lightweight competitor (151lbs). Do the math I had to lose 50lbs of fat to get to the end result 151lbs of lean muscle tissue. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=682&z=1ALRI Jungle Warfare Pro-Hypertrophic Helping the Masses stay Massive…Still Jungle Warfare: Pro-hypertrophic from ALRI featuring an Herbal Proprietary Myotrophic Complex. So, obviously by now everyone knows that anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS), prohormones (PH) and prosteroids (PS) work rather well for aiding lean tissue growth by increasing the anabolic response in muscle tissue thus shuttling nutrients away from fat and feeding them to muscle…and most know that they can have serious side effects like jail, gyno, HPTA shut-down, liver enzyme and lipid issues. Oh, and they are banned by about every sporting organization on the planet. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=683&z=1ERGONOMIC ADVANCEMENTS IN TREADMILLS Walking and running are two of the most popular forms of exercise today. Consequently, the treadmill has become the most popular piece of fitness equipment. The Fitness Product Council and American Sports Data, Inc. stated that in 1987, 4.4 million Americans exercised on treadmills either at home or in a gym. By 1997, the number of treadmill exercisers increased to 32.9 million. With the massive increase in treadmill use as a form of exercise came an increase in concern regarding treadmill safety, proper running and walking form and injury prevention. According to an article in Runner's World, some of the advantages of exercising on a treadmill are comfort, safety, injury prevention, and a place to work on improving form. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=680&z=1Biomechanics Research Refines Cross Trainer Kinematics Since the introduction of the elliptical machine into the exercise market, the goals has been to simulate the movement of running and walking, but without joint deteriorating impact. The marketplace is full of elliptical offerings with similar end goals, but the subtleties of motion kinematics can make a product stand out for its superior overall feel and quality of exercise. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=681&z=1Benefits of Concentric and Eccentric Strength Training What’s the Difference between Concentric and Eccentric Training? Concentric training is most easily thought of as the muscle contraction when a weight is lifted. The muscle fibers shorten while contracting to lift the load as in the upward movement of a bicep curl. An eccentric muscle action is when the muscle fibers lengthen to lower a load, as in the downward movement of a bicep curl. While the fibers are lengthening, they’re also contracting to return the weight to the start position in a controlled manner. Eccentric muscle actions are common in strength training with free weights, body weight exercise, and non-hydraulic exercise machines. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=679&z=1XLR8 Xelerate Q. Why should I take Xyience Xelerate (XLR8)? What can it do for me? A. Xyience Xelerate (XLR8) is designed for anyone interested in increased mental alertness, enhanced energy production as well as appetite control. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=678&z=1Paravol Post Cycle Sexual Response Levels That Are Off The Charts! Formulated specifically for post anabolic users, Paravol is the most powerful and effective ejaculation and orgasm enhancer on the market. Paravol can help men with uneven testosterone levels increase their ejaculation level and sexual potency by as much as 500%. Medically documented, scientific studied data shows that with daily use of Paravol, the post cycle male sexual response curve exceeds all levels of expectation and provides uncharted levels of dynamic sexual performance. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=676&z=1XCFB Xtreme Carb Fat Blocker Q. Why should I take Xyience XCFB? What can it do for me? A. Xyience XCFB can be used by men and women who eat more starchy foods than they should and are trying to lose weight. This can be used by anyone wanting to reduce their starch and fat absorption or anyone following the “Atkins-type” diet, but is cheating on their carbohydrate consumption. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=677&z=1How does Hyperdrol compare with Superdrol or PheraPlex or even ErgoMaxLMGl?http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=675&z=1Q: I know free weights are the best tools for building muscle, but are machines ever useful? A: Free weights should always be considered your weapon of choice, but machines have their place--particularly if you're training purely for aesthetic results. Your workouts should begin with compound free-weight lifts, but as you fatigue, you can finish off with machine movements that better isolate the target muscles and allow you http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=674&z=1Lifting Q & A: got tough training questions? We have an answer for everything, Q: How do I know when I can work through an injury, and when it's best to just lay off? A: Here's a good rule of thumb: "If you're just feeling minor pain in the muscle, go ahead with your workout," says Jason Ferruggia, a strength coach in New York. (Although you may want to lighten the loads you're using to ensure you don't aggravate the problem further.) Training through a muscular injury can help the muscle recover faster, since you'll pump nutrient-dense blood into the area. If you feel the pain radiating from a joint, however-, it's time for- an "off" day. "You need to see a professional--a doctor or physical therapist," says Ferruggia. Still insist on working out? If you have minor shoulder pain, you may be able to get around it by substituting lateral raises for your overhead presses. "But stop the weight before your arm reaches parallel to the floor," says Ferruggia. If your elbow hurts, avoid triceps extensions and go for close-grip bench presses. If your-lower back aches, forget squats and do lunges. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=673&z=1Many people, especially redheads with freckles, blondes and those with a fair complexion who burn easily or tan poorly on sun exposure should be warned about the dangers of damage to the skin from sun exposure. Many people who fit into this category have Scotch-Irish-English or Scandinavian ancestry. Unfortunately, these warnings often come only after considerable damage has already been inflicted on the skin. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=672&z=1What is Acne? Acne is a disorder resulting from the action of hormones on the skin's oil glands (sebaceous glands), which leads to plugged pores and outbreaks of lesions commonly called pimples or zits. Acne lesions usually occur on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. Nearly 17 million people in the United States have acne, making it the most common skin disease. Although acne is not a serious health threat, severe acne can lead to disfiguring, permanent scarring, which can be upsetting to people who are affected by the disorder. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=671&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=670&z=1Up to 39 times stronger than creatine monohydrate! No “loading” required with new CreaLean2™… just take 2 servings per day! Creatine monohydrate is a tasteless, white crystalline powder. Creatine occurs naturally in many foods, with an especially high concentration in red meats. Creatine combines with phosphate in the body to form phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine is the rate limiting factor in energy production in muscle tissue. During the first ten seconds of an exercise using maximal loads (1-6 reps), muscles work in the phosphagenic range, that is, they use stored ATP and phosphocreatine for energy. ATP is an energy-bearing substrate residing in muscle. Phosphocreatine is a precursor to ATP. By increasing phosphocreatine through creatine monohydrate supplementation, athletes can increase their ATP, and thereby, the number of repetitions performed on any given exercise. In addition, creatine users typically experience dramatic results within only 7 days! Lean body mass gains of 5-10 pounds are not uncommon. This type of progress sounds like something from the mythical headlines of a supplement ad, but these claims can actually be validated. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=669&z=1Alzheimer`s Disease Zach Bashore June 26, 2006 Alzheimer`s disease affects millions of people each year and increases the fear you may have of getting older. There is no miracle cure for Alzheimer`s, which makes it even more scary, and today`s technology continues to look for steps in curing this disease. So what is Alzheimer`s disease, and how will it affect me in the future? What are steps to curing this terrible illness, and how can I explain to my family the problems associated it? Keep reading to learn the facts.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=668&z=1What if I told you that, without even moving your abs at all, you could get one of the most intense ab workouts you’ve ever experienced? The first question that I’m sure pops into your head is “how the heck can you develop your abs without moving the abs at all?” Well, I’m going to tell you exactly how this is done and believe me, the first time you try this exercise, you’ll never look at your ab workout the same way again! You see, oftentimes, the best movements for the abs involve very little bending or flexing of the trunk at all. This is especially true of the exercises that target the deeper core muscles (the transversus and the obliques), which are responsible for stabilizing and transferring power through the core. The exercise you’re going to learn here is going to demand great things from your deep core muscles, so start light and work your way up! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=667&z=1The S.A.I.S. Mass-Building Routine By Jeff McCarrell Anyone who wants to build a substantial amount of muscle in the shortest possible time must follow a carefully designed, methodical program based on undisputed scientific facts. This most certainly applies to the design of the training program. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of athletes have no idea what constitutes a truly effective workout, and thus make little or no progress. One look inside the gym confirms this fact and reveals a bleak situation: Almost everybody trains unproductively without any effective plan. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=665&z=1ATTENTION ALL WOMEN WHO WANT TO LOOK GREAT IN A SWIMSUIT: THE 7 SURE WAYS YOU WILL NOT LOSE FAT THIS SUMMER! By Heather Picken, ISSA/P.C.P.T, Women’s Body & Metabolic Expert for Women Over 30 Summer is here and I know you want to look good in a swimsuit. I hear your cries and feel your pain but also know that you are the only one that is holding you back from getting what you really want and deserve no matter what age you are! I hear this from many women, and they ask me about what diet they can go on to lose weight really quick. I have seen and heard some of the craziest things women do to try to get into shape for the summer and here are my top 7 that sure ways to NOT lose fat: http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=664&z=1Exercises For Busy Moms: 4 Quick, But Effective Exercises To Keep Busy Moms Strong By Tracey Mallett We all know how difficult it is to stay in shape and find time to exercise - but most especially for women with babies or small kids. There’s the sleep-deprivation factor, no time and priority changes. So what are the fitness options for busy Moms? The fact is, the more you can take of yourself and the better you feel, the stronger you will be physically and emotionally to take on the day with the “little ones” and all of life’s challenges. Below are some quick, but effective, exercises - specifically designed for the busy Mom - for the back and shoulders to keep you strong and prevent future injuries that may occur with poor lifting biomechanics and poor posture. The heavy weight of not just the baby, but also all the fun gadgets you’re expected to lug around. It’s no surprise that our bodies need a little help to get through the day. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=663&z=14 Sure-Fire Tips For Effective Weight Loss Are you just plain fed up because you haven't lost weight for a long time now on that latest fad diet, well please stop! Don't even think about trying another diet, because it will only produce the same results as you have already seen before. Have a look at the four sure fire tips found below that are based on "Scientific Principles" that have always been around, but are not followed by the majority of weight loss programs you see these days. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=660&z=16 Simple Steps To Catapult Your Muscle Gains What if I were to tell you that throughout the years there has been a growth of strength training techniques that have no scientific proof to back them up. Well there are hundreds of them, do yourself a favour, have a look at the facts presented in this outline of muscle gain principles and make up your own mind. Below you will find the Scientific Guidelines for strength training that have always been around for a long time but not followed by many main stream training systems these days. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=661&z=1A Guide To Muscle Gain Visualization Have you ever imagined how visualization can play an important part in gaining weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle? Gaining muscle can be difficult for many people who don’t use their minds to help in the process. Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make lasting lifestyle changes. Just by "day dreaming", you can significantly improve your chances in achieving your goals. Visualization is a great weight gain tool and its as simple as visualizing your body as you want your body to look like. This mental image of yourself is then transferred to your subconscious mind, which in turn starts to work on your body, shaping it in accordance with your mental image. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=662&z=1Training the back muscle to a decent size will give you a "Hulk" like appearance and give people the impression that you bodybuild. You are going to learn what the back muscle is, the two primary portions of the back, exercises for these two portions, and the best way to incorporate your back workout to your training routine. Don`t expect to perfect your workout right away, but as you gain experience, you should have a good idea of what needs to be done with your back. The upper back consists of twelve vertebral bodies in the spine. The upper back is not designed for motion and injuries to the thoracic spine are rare. The thoracic spine provides stability and structural support for the upper back, and allows very little motion. The lower back is a complex structure of disks, vertebrae, nerves which include the spinal cord and nerves, small joints, six shock absorbers called disks, and five bones call lumbar vertebrae. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=658&z=1A vast array of home fitness exercise equipment is at your disposal, clamoring for the number one spot as far as benefits to you are concerned. You need to be a wide-awake consumer. Let common sense be your guide. There is no easy, overnight road to fitness. Svelte and sweating unfortunately go hand in hand! However, by choosing home fitness exercise equipment that works for you, losing the extra pounds and gaining toned muscle-power, can be fun and enjoyable. An added benefit is the self-confidence boost it generates. When choosing home fitness exercise equipment, you need to concentrate on the three s-areas: strength training for muscle toning, stretching for flexibility, and sprinting or a related activity for cardiovascular fitness. To give your heart a good workout, an upright or recumbent cycle, treadmill, stepper, or an elliptical cross-trainer is ideal. Quality home fitness exercise equipment often feature a heart rate monitor, to enable you to be as effective as possible in your exercise routine. Distance travelled, and calories burned may also be measured to give you a complete picture of your progress. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=657&z=1The Superset is a very simple concept...basically, you just do two exercises back-to-back, with no rest inbetween! A quick example of this is doing a barbell curl then going directly into a cable curl. Sound simple? It definitely is. But there are many different combinations and ways to use the Superset to make it an incredibly powerful training technique. Before I get into specific combinations, you need to know what, generally speaking, makes a Superset more effective than two regular sets done with rest inbetween. There are three major reasons why Supersets are so effective for training (and there are many more specific reasons that apply only to specific Superset types): 1. Supersets increase Lactic Acid production, which helps boost Growth Hormone (GH) levels in the body. The body responds to the reduced pH (increased acidity) in the body from the production of Lactic Acid by secreting GH. GH is a powerful fat loss and muscle building hormone. 2. Supersets are time-efficient. By doing sets back-to-back, you reduce your total workout time while still doing the same amount of total work. If you're in a hurry in your workout, Supersets can get you out of the gym faster. 3. Different Superset combinations can help increase muscle fiber activation. Essentially, this means you can use specific exercise combinations to increase the intensity of work on a specific muscle, helping to develop it faster. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=656&z=1What Is Negative Training? The term "negative" refers to the lowering portion of a repetition. For example, when you do a bench press, pushing up the bar is the "positive" phase (also known as the concentric phase), lowering the bar down to your chest is the "negative" phase (also known as the eccentric phase). When we talk about negative training, we're referring to training that focuses specifically on working only in that lowering phase of each rep. Because your muscles can handle heavier weight when you're lowering a weight in a controlled manner than when you're actually lifting it up, we use a heavier amount of weight for negative training. The heavier weight helps build muscular strength and develops the connective tissue (tendons and ligaments), conditioning your body to then train with heavier weights than it would normally be used to training with. Negative training holds the potential for building TREMENDOUS strength. Typically, negative training is done with a training partner. The partner helps lift the weight to the top position, then the partner releases the weight and you lower it to the bottom solely on your own power. The real key to effective negative training is in HOW you lower the weight. Don't just lower the weight as you would in a typical rep, letting it come down on its own. You must ACTIVELY FIGHT GRAVITY by pushing (or pulling, depending on the exercise) as hard as you can against the weight. It's heavier than you can actively lift, so all you will be able to do is slow it down. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=654&z=1FACT: To get big arms you need to work the triceps HARD. FACT: I'm going to tell you how to work the triceps HARD and SMART. If you've ever read articles on arm training, you've probably learned that the tricep muscle makes up about 2/3 of total arm mass. The bicep, while being a great "show" muscle, is actually relatively small! That's all well and good, and just blindly doing tricep exercises without a plan may net you some results, but to really maximize your triceps (as I mentioned above) you need to work them SMART. So if you really want to stretch your T-shirt sleeves to the max, take a crack at this workout. It contains three of THE most powerful tricep exercises I've ever used. Not only that, these exercises are arranged strategically to literally FORCE the activation of many more muscle fibers in the triceps, leading to greater muscle growth and strength FAST! The best part is, this workout requires very little in the way of specialized equipment! In the next section, I will tell you about the three exercises (with a link at the bottom to use for pictures of the exercises in action as well as more detailed instructions). Then, I'll tell you how the exercises work together to help you blast your triceps into next week! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=655&z=1Killer Cardio WorkOuts: We asked four pros to describe their toughest cardio programs. See how yours measures up by Kathleen Engel ANNA LEVEL - miramar, florida When I need to shock my body into burning that extra bit of fat close to a competition, I pull on my weighted vest (which fits like a glove and forces me to take deeper, more concentrated breaths) and head for the Step-mill. I alternate single-stepping for two minutes at a fast pace with two minutes at a slower pace, climbing two steps at a time and doing a kickback with each step. It's so intense, 25 minutes is all I need. Even then, I have to build up my endurance over a four-week period. The first week, I start with 4 pounds in the vest, and I add a pound each week, up to 7 pounds by the fourth week. Let me tell you, it's tougher than Spinning! Some days, I just don't want to do it. I keep saying, "Two more minutes, two more minutes," and pretty soon, I'm done. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=651&z=1six new fat-burning ingredients that can boost metabolism and get you ripped for summer Since ephedra was taken off the shelves, you've probably been looking for a worthy fat-burning replacement and were disappointed by products that didn't live up to the hype. But due to recent leaps and bounds in supplement science, most new fat-burning products contain a selection of several ingredients designed to work together to maximize the effects of each. [??] Yet trying to get all of these ingredients would be overkill and a waste of your money. Instead, look for supplements that have two or more of these ingredients along with other known, effective fat-burners like green tea extract and caffeine. Sesamin is one product you can readily find as a stand-alone, and it goes great with any multiple-ingredient fat-burner. [??] Regardless of the product you choose, follow label instructions closely for the best and safest way to take them. Supplements with the following ingredients will get you ripped up instead of ripped off. What are you waiting for, fat boy? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=652&z=1Groundbreaking weight-gain supplement is coming! Here's the latest on a new supplement that's going to change the way you go about gaining dense MASS!http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=653&z=1Six Tips To Combat Food Cravings! Recently I was asked by a client what she could do about her food cravings. Right away I gave her a few ideas, but as I had a little more time to think about it I realized this would be a great topic for a radio show or perhaps an article. The subject of food cravings has always come up with my clients and I don't know if I have truly addressed the issue straight ahead. Perhaps I have side-stepped the issue a little because for me I have always exercised will power over my body. Will Power Vs. Cravings http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=650&z=13 Quick and Easy Ways to Exercise the Mind for Positive Change By: Dave DePew Let’s face it, we all have negative thoughts. It is important that we understand what these thoughts are and where they come from in order to gain more from life. I have found three ways that work very well for me to exercise my mind. These exercises allow me to dump negative thoughts and bring on positive thoughts. These exercises have changed the way I think. The three exercises involve writing. Writing is only one example, but I feel it is the best and first place we should start as it allows us to process the negative emotions and helps to instill the positive changes. Here are my three suggestions: http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=646&z=1Why Your Kids Should Never Eat French Fries and What You Can Give Them Instead As Americans and as parents are we willing to trade the health of our children for the convenience that fast food offers? Are the lives of our children worth the crayons and color-your-own placemats? Perhaps you believe that reports of fast and fatty foods being unhealthy is an over statement and meant only for those who indulge in such a lifestyle. Are you willing to gamble the health of your children? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=647&z=1Understanding Your Resting Metabolic Rate and 10 Things that Affect Your Metabolic Rate Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is... RMR is the rate at which you burn energy or calories at rest. Lean Body Mass is the main contributing componenent of energy expenditure. Please use the RMR calculator below as one of several calculators used to estimate your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=648&z=1How to Properly Fuel Sports Performance and Recovery through Nutrition and Supplemental Use By: Dave DePew Are you lacking recovery between games? Have the results you achieved during your off-season training vanished? Is your current training regiment providing diminished returns? Is your motivation so lacking that you are simply thinking about stopping exercise all together? If any of these situations sounds familiar, then know that you are not alone. The good news is that these are common problems that can be addressed with the right nutrition and supplemental program. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=649&z=1the latest, greatest supplement to land on our desk. Believe it or not, scientists are still unsure about exactly what mechanisms cause muscles to grow. But the team at MOLECULAR NUTRITION thinks it's found the answer with X-FACTOR, the pill form of a compound called arachidonic acid, which helps increase the body's production of the messengers that trigger muscle repair. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=645&z=1Treadmills vs. elliptical trainers - Fitness & Exercise Treadmills and elliptical trainers rank as two of the most popular machines in gyms today, but which one offers better results? According to Thomas Altena, professor of nutritional sciences and exercise physiologist at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the difference between the two is minimal.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=644&z=1Are all calories created equal? Two diets, same calories—but can one get better results? We explore new research on whether some calories make you fatter than others http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=643&z=1Understanding Bipolar Depression Zach Bashore Bipolar depression is a mood disorder characterized by the alternation of depressive and manic states. The distinguishing characteristic of bipolar depression is the presence of at least one episode of mania. It is also presumed to be a chronic condition because most of the people having manic episodes are likely to have another episode of it in the future. Every person with bipolar depression has a pattern of mood cycles, combining manic episodes with depression, which is unpredictable until the path is found. Bipolar depression usually begins during the teen or early adulthood years and continues throughout one`s lifetime. It`s usually not considered a psychological problem because it happens in episodes, but those who have it may suffer for years without proper treatment. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=642&z=1Are You a Bodybuilder or a Powerlifter? Zach Bashore For any person making the switch from bodybuilder to powerlifter, or are new to the whole fitnessw thing and want to learn the differences between the two sports, then this article is for you. Bodybuilding and powerlifting may sound the same, but they are actually the complete opposite. You are going to learn why they are the opposite and the differences between the two sports in training, dieting, and supplementation. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=641&z=1The Atkins diet is a popular diet that emphasizes a high fat, high protein, and low carbohydrate approach. The diet promises that you will not be hungry, you will lose weight, and have better health and wellness benefits that are in no other diet. The Atkins diet is based on the opinion that overweight people consume too many carbohydrates and by reducing these carbs and eating more protein and fats, our bodies will burn fat more effectively. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=640&z=1WHY HEART RATE MONITORS As a runner, you have probably been programmed to count the miles and live by the stopwatch. This is how runners have trained for years. The more miles the better and the faster the better. But the approach to training has been changing over the past several years. Athlete turned coach Marcus O'Sullivan, who has run more sub 4-minute miles than anyone, credits heart rate for prolonging his career. He was a skeptic like many runners are today. But you can't argue with success. O'Sullivan now trains his collegiate athletes using the same technology that he once resisted and later adopted. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=638&z=1The first step to integrating your heart rate monitor into your running program is to determine your individual training zones. These are the zones that you will use for Recovery/Endurance, (60-70%), Aerobic (70-80%) and Anaerobic (80%+) training. Some trainers advocate as many as five training zones, and that may be right for your training. These are the core zones that we use to demonstrate how a program would work. . Once you establish your zones, your heart rate monitor will allow you to meet the training goal for each day's workout. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=639&z=1Shoulder Development for Rookies Zach Bashore In some people`s opinion, the shoulders are the easiest muscle group to train due to its ease of training. However, any experienced bodybuilder will tell you that you are simply doing the wrong exercises or not using enough intensity if you feel shoulder exercises are easy. If you want to develop great shoulders, you need to learn the basics of the shoulders and how to train them properly. You are going to learn the different sections of the shoulders, what the shoulders are, best time to train them, and the best exercises to turn your shoulders into boulders. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=636&z=1Dexter Jackson Biography Zach Bashore Dexter Tyrone Jackson was born on November 25, 1969 in Jacksonville, Florida. He stands 5'6" and weights anywhere from 220-250 pounds, depending on the time of year. In high school, Dexter starred as a running back and ran a 4.20 in the forty meter dash, which was one of the fastest in the country at that time. Dexter wanted to go to college but his girlfriend became pregnant and he decided to take care of his family instead. After his girlfriend got kicked out of her house, she and Dexter got an apartment and he worked as a cook at a local restaurant. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=637&z=1HIIT Your Cardio Hard Zach Bashore High-Intensity Interval Training is a workout strategy that is intended to increase performance with shorter training sessions. High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, is one of the best methods for muscle retention and fat loss. Studies have shown that long endurance activities such as aerobics cause the breakdown of muscle tissue, which is why HIIT should be emphasized. HIIT and interval training are very similar and the only difference between them is the intensity in which they are done. Interval training is a varying of intensities within a workout, where you add a low-intensity session with a high-intensity session. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=635&z=1How many times do you hear someone say, "Hey look at that girl, she must be anorexic." Some people would love to be called anorexic and sometimes it seems as if that word is a compliment. However, anorexia is a disease that can be life threatening, and a person suffering from this illness should get help right away. This article is going to explain what anorexia is, signs and symptoms of anorexia, and treatment options available to those suffering from it. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=634&z=1As we get older, our joints become more susceptible to illness and certain precautions need to be in place to counter the dangers known as osteoarthritis. Before you can even consider diagnosing your aching joints, you need to understand what is the major cause of the pain in the first place. This article is going to address that issue and common methods of treatment that should be considered. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=632&z=1One of the most popular bodybuilding in the industry today is S.A.N. Tight. This supplement is popular because of its fat-burning effects without the dangerous consequences of ephedrine. This article is going to explain the benefits, uses, ingredients, and side effects associated with the use of S.A.N. Tight. One of the most popular bodybuilding in the industry today is S.A.N. Tight. This supplement is popular because of its fat-burning effects without the dangerous consequences of ephedrine. This article is going to explain the benefits, uses, ingredients, and side effects associated with the use of S.A.N. Tight. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=633&z=1Another popular method of fat loss is by use of fat loss creams and transdermals. Despite its popularity, these creams have been the issue of much controversy with people wondering if they actually work and if the side effects are too harmful to even use. This article is going to address the topic of fat loss creams. You will learn the problems of the transdermal industry, side effects associated with use of, and best selling topical products. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=630&z=1Many people like to call football a game of inches. However, I believe that in order to turn these inches into touchdowns, many aspects are necessary in order for this to take place. This article is an in-depth guide to improving your abilities as a football player. You are going to learn how to increase your speed, acceleration, agility, balance, and the most important, strength. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=631&z=1Better results in less time? Interval Training may be the answer for the common workout! If you want a workout that can help you burn more calories, improve your power, increase your speed, and help your ability to workout for longer periods of time, then Interval Training may be for you. What is Interval Training? Interval Training is short, high-intensity exercise periods followed by longer, lower intensity periods. These higher and lower intensity periods are repeated several times to form a complete workout. A basic example would be to walk for 6 minutes at 3.5 MPH and then jog for 2 minutes at 6.0 MPH, and then repeat this sequence several times. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=629&z=1Aspartame can be found in many diet sodas and sugar free candies. The makers of these products claim that they are healthier because they contain few calories and less sugar than that of their normal products. But is aspartame actually healthier? This article is going to explain what aspartame is, known side effects associated with consuming, and how these side effects occur. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=628&z=1What is Anator-p70? Anator-p70 is the first and only muscle gene activator ever created. Anator-p70 turns on the three major musclebuilding master genetic regulators, mTOR, PKB, and p70S6K. Anator-p70 turns on these genes responsible for the building key tissue protein structures that make up your muscle, actin and myosin. These two proteins are needed for both contraction and muscle size. Nothing available compares to Anator-p70. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=627&z=1Why Monitor Your Heart Rate? You're huffing and puffing through another aerobic workout, wondering if you're really doing yourself any good. Are you working too hard or not hard enough? You look around. The person next to you has barely broken a sweat while the one in front is drenched from head to toe. Well, sweat may not be the best indicator of exercise intensity. For that, we need to look to our hearts.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=626&z=1Jay Cutler was born Jason Cutler on August 3, 1973 in Worchester MA. Jay`s childhood was an active one where he rode ATV`s and worked on his family`s farm. His strong work ethic comes from working in his brother`s concrete business early in his life. The concrete business also gave him the foundation of his body, which led him to where is today. Jay traveled around in his high school life and attended school in five different towns. He was always a popular person and even played high school football. After graduation in 1991, Jay attended Quinsigamond Community College and received an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. Since Jay didn`t play any college sports, he picked up the sport of bodybuilding to feed his need of being active. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=624&z=1A Guide To Muscle Gain Visualization Have you ever imagined how visualization can play an important part in gaining weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle? Gaining muscle can be difficult for many people who don’t use their minds to help in the process. Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make lasting lifestyle changes. Just by "day dreaming", you can significantly improve your chances in achieving your goals. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=623&z=1Are You At Risk Of Contracting Diabetes It is unbelievable, but today there are at least 20 million people living with diabetes in America and the sad part is that it was possible to prevent and heal pre-diabetes and diabetes type 2 naturally with balanced nutrition, and basic exercise. People at risk of getting the disease drop by a staggering 60 percent if they manage to lose just 10 pounds by following a healthy diet and engage in regular exercise such as walking, according to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (May 3, 2001). http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=621&z=1A Guide To Positive Imaging For Weight Loss Have you ever imagined how visualization can play an important part in losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that keeps it off. Losing weight can be difficult for many people who use fad diets and pills to achieve their weight loss goals without letting their mind help in the process http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=622&z=1Carbohydrates: What You must know This scares me to death, every day you walk down the street it is becoming more and more apparent that the average person is becoming larger and this trend has escalated over recent years. Why are they getting fatter? Here are some reasons... • Less incidental activity • Automated and computerized lifestyle • Longer working hours and less leisure • Increased consumption of processed foods • Our food servings are larger than ever http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=620&z=1Are You Overtraining? Zach Bashore 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 overtraining. This article is going to explain the basics of overtraining and the problems associated with it. You are also going to learn about methods you can use to prevent overtraining in the future. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=619&z=1Easily Substitute Fats In Your Everyday Diet Lets face it there are a lot of non-fat and low fat food substitutions on the market today, and also lots of substitutions that are not hard to figure out such as the cheeses, low fat cottage cheese compared to full cream cheese and tuna packed in brine instead of oil. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=617&z=1Discover The Truth About Eating Too Much Protein Lets face it protein is an essential nutrient, and is vital to your health and is used to build muscles, skin, hair and nails. However, many people put their health at risk by eating too much of it. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=618&z=1Three Common Types of Body Fat Testing Zach Bashore When talking about a person`s stats in bodybuilding, body fat percentage is a term that you most likely will hear. Body fat percentage is simply a measurement of the body`s muscle to fat ratio, marked in to a percentage. This article is going to explain the three most common ways to accurately measure your body fat: DEXA, fat calipers, and judgement based testing. You may also learn some new things about body fat that you previously didn`t know beforehand. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=611&z=1Instant Weight Loss Strategies That Anyone Can Use You’ve probably heard it a hundred times before but I will say it again, incidental activity is very important in the process of losing weight as you can burn more calories than relying on dietary means alone. Fat is burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise or movement. When the exercise is done slowly to moderately then the majority of energy is taken from the fat stores. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=612&z=1Instant Strength Training Strategies That Anyone Can Use Ever wondered how over the years there has been a surge of different strength training techniques that have come onto the market and then just faded away. Are you sick and tired of getting nowhere in the gym? Well here we discuss the strength training strategies that will gain the maximum amount of muscle in the shortest time possible and have stood up to the test of time. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=613&z=1How To Stretch for Health By the time you finish reading this article I’m sure you will find time to stretch every day. The lack of flexibility in people is now seen to be the major cause of general health problems and sports injury and is also being linked to everything from stress, back pain, and even osteoarthritis. It also means that nagging injuries, especially around your joints take longer to heal. The latest studies show that up to 60 percent of the general population with bad backs and knees have tight hamstrings and hips and the main cause of this is a lack of flexibility. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=614&z=1How To Perform Cardio-Boxing For Super Fitness Ever wondered why most sports scientists agree that cardio-boxing is one of the best forms of exercise, well it is because it conditions the total body and provides a complete workout for your cardiovascular and endurance systems. Lets have a look at the benefits: The major benefits of cardio-boxing include: • Increased Stamina • Increased Strength • Increased Speed • Increased Coordination http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=615&z=1Easy Steps To Avoiding Gym Rage Have you heard about this recently? Many of us go through this at our local gym or fitness centre on a regular basis and are become increasingly frustrated. It usually starts as a group of trainees chat away their experiences of the day on a bench or at a piece of equipment for fifteen minutes while you are waiting to use it. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=616&z=1A DISCUSSION- CASEIN MICELLES- NATURE KNOWS BEST! Milk is an extremely complex food that delivers a broad spectrum of immune and nutrition factors to help babies survive and grow. Milk is far more complex than once thought, with over 100,000 different molecular substances estimated. Science continues to gain fresh insights into milk structures. One area in particular has received recent attention-casein micelles. The term "casein micelles" may seem confusing. But once you learn why casein micelles are in human milk, and their role in nutrition, they are easy to understand. Casein micelles are another example of the brilliant strategies Nature uses to solve difficult nutritional problems. Whether you are an endurance athlete or bodybuilder, the casein micelles in MUSCLE MILK can positively impact your metabolism and help you get the most out of your total milk protein supplement. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=609&z=110 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT LACTIC ACID: OLD MYTHS AND NEW REALITIES, by Thomas Fahey, Ed.D., Professor of Exercise Physiology, California State University at Chico Lactic acid has a bad reputation. Many people blame it for fatigue, sore muscles, and cramps. They think of it as a waste product that should be avoided at all cost. Guess what? Scientists have discovered that lactic acid plays a critical role in generating energy during exercise. Far from being the bad boy of metabolism, lactic acid provides fuels for many tissues, helps use dietary carbohydrates, and serves as fuel for liver production of glucose and glycogen. In fact, lactic acid is nature's way of helping you survive stressful situations. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=610&z=1Gary Matthews Fully Qualified Fitness Instructor As the official online trainer, Gary Matthews brings over 20 years of experience in the Health and Fitness Industry to MaximumFitness.com Gary’s professional career began in the Royal Australian Air Force where he was employed as a Fitness Instructor. His duties consisted of training recruits in various disciplines including strength training and conditioning techniques. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=603&z=1Untold Nutritional Secrets A good understanding of nutrition and how to use the information will be extremely rewarding for anyone. We can all prevent disease and fight infection utilizing a powerful medicine ‘Food’ Using nutrition and supplementing your diet is the key to fat loss and muscle gain. Have a look at these Nutritional Secrets and discover how to stay disease free, feel great, look good and live longer http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=604&z=1Tips on Health What if I told you that our health is the most important asset we have. Would you believe me? Why is it today that everybody seems to be plagued with bad health. You can make a stand and try incorporating these health tips into your everyday life and see if they make a difference to your total health. Lets have a look: Don’t Smoke - One of the main reasons why people decide not to give up smoking, and sadly, the reason why some people take it up is the effect smoking supposedly has on you weigh gain or loss. It is true that smoking has been associated with an increase in metabolism it is a drug!! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=605&z=1The Untold Secrets To Improving Your Fitness You might disagree with me on this but please hear me out "The best and the only exercise program for you is the one you will do!!" The next time you start an exercise program or eating plan take note of the following guidelines and if they don’t stack up don’t put yourself through the hassle. You need something to stick to for the rest of your life, never start a program that will set you up to fail. It must be interesting and fun or you will never stick with it. Below you will find some very interesting fitness tips that will keep you right on track. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=606&z=1Strength Training: 10 Things You Must Know Lets face it everybody knows that strength training builds muscle but did you know that it does more much more for you in the health stakes. Lets have a look at these strength training tips one by one and you will see what a difference this valuable tool will make to your general health: http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=607&z=1More Tips To Improve Your Weight Loss If you are like me you are probably totally sick of dieting because every time you stop the weight comes flooding back on and you just cant stop it! I have put together 10 more weight loss tips to try and sway you away from the dieting run around and to try and put you on a more steady and healthy course of weight loss. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=608&z=1The Truth About Counting Calories by Tom venuto Do calories matter or do you simply need to eat certain foods and that will guarantee you'll lose weight? Should you count calories or can you just count "portions?" Is it necessary to keep a food diary? Is it unrealistic to count calories for the rest of your life or is that just part of the price you pay for a better body? You re about to learn the answers to these questions and discover a simple solution for keeping track of your food intake without having to crunch numbers every day or become a fanatic about your food. In many popular diet books, Calories don t count is a frequently repeated theme. Other popular programs, such as Bill Phillip's "Body For Life," allude to the importance of energy intake versus energy output, but recommend that you count portions rather than calories& http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=601&z=1Abdominal Training Secrets The David Grisaffi Interview: TV: Hi David, thanks for taking the time for this interview because I know how busy you are and that, among other projects, you run a training studio in Tacoma and you keep a full client load. I've known you for a couple years now through the Internet and the emails we've sent to each other and you're very well known within the fitness industry - especially in the sports training field. But on the off chance that some of the people listening to this interview don't know who you are, would you give us a quick introduction and tell us little bit about your background, how you got started in this field and how you spend your time now? Abdominal Training Secrets The David Grisaffi Interview: www.flattenyourabs.net TV: Hi David, thanks for taking the time for this interview because I know how busy you are and that, among other projects, you run a training studio in Tacoma and you keep a full client load. I've known you for a couple years now through the Internet and the emails we've sent to each other and you're very well known within the fitness industry - especially in the sports training field. But on the off chance that some of the people listening to this interview don't know who you are, would you give us a quick introduction and tell us little bit about your background, how you got started in this field and how you spend your time now? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=602&z=1Health & fitness is not a 12 week program by Tom venuto Not long ago, one of the members of my health club poked her head in my office for some advice and assistance. Linda was a 46 year old mother of two, and she had been a member for over a year. She had been working out sporadically, with (not surprisingly) sporadic results. On that particular day, she seemed to have enthusiasm and a twinkle in her eye that I hadn't seen before. "I want to enter a before and after fitness contest called the -12 week body transformation challenge." I could win money and prizes and even get my picture in a magazine." "I want to lose THIS", she continued, as she grabbed the body fat on her stomach. "Do you think it's a good idea?" http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=599&z=1How To Lose 20 Pounds In 5 Minutes by Tom Venuto Back "in the day", when I used to do coaching programs full time at my New Jersey Health Club, the first thing I would always ask my client during the initial consultation was: "Tell me what you want... and I'll show you how to get it." Typical reply from client: "I want to lose 20 pounds fast." My reply: "Are you SURE that's what you want? ...If I can show you how to lose 20 pounds REALLY fast, will that make you happy?" They nodded their head affirmatively as their eyes lit up in anticipation of the secrets I was about to reveal... http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=600&z=1Simple Steps To A Low Glycemic Index Diet Have you read about this recently? over the last 30 years, research into food and blood glucose response has completely changed our carbohydrate classification system. It has been learned that it is impossible to predict the impact on blood glucose levels by certain foods, instead people are fed carbohydrate foods and the response measured. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=597&z=1Is Your Fat Being Threatened What if I told you that fat is a major contributor to the increasing problem of obesity in the world today. It’s stored in the fat cells of the body. The number of fat cells is estimated to be around 50 billion for the average person. It can be up to 100 billion for the obese person. Fat cells are like storage tanks of energy to be used for later use. It has been shown that obese people who binge eat may stimulate baby fat cells to sprout to increase the number of fat cells they have. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=598&z=1The Truth About Weight Loss Myths Lets face it every regime has its own supply of useless folklore and half-truths that get passed on down the line from person to person. But I'd put weight loss up against any of them for what has to be the most time wasting and even the most dangerous myths out there. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=593&z=1The Truth About Bodybuilding Myths You might disagree, but hear me out on this; the vast majority of myths about weight gain are mostly passed down from "gym talk" and so-called experts who know nothing about the body's workings. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=594&z=1The Three Simple Steps To Fat Loss Its unbelievable but being overweight has now moved from a social nuisance and domestic embarrassment to an official disease. The American Heart Association has announced obesity a dangerous epidemic and a major risk for heart disease. More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that figure is rapidly increasing http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=595&z=1The Secret Weapon Of Successful Weight Loss Are you sick and tired of being fat and unable to lose weight!! There is an answer! Please listen; if you want your weight loss regime to work you will have to perform ‘Strength training’ and there is just no getting around it. It is absolutely imperative that during the course of a lifetime not only for your weight loss goals but also for general health and well being that you must use these valuable tool. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=596&z=1Using Calories For Weight Loss Ever wondered what a calorie is? The definition of a calorie is “the amount of energy, or heat it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water to1 degree Celsius”. A calorie is a unit of energy that is associated with food and drink and is a measure of the energy, or heat, that food produces as your body uses it as fuel. The first step in counting calories for your personal weight loss is to calculate how many calories you burn in a day (your total daily energy expenditure), this is the total number of calories that your body expends in 24 hours, including all activities. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=590&z=1Uncover The Pros and Cons Of Fad Dieting When was the last time you were tempted to try that fad diet you have found in the latest magazine that promises the world with fantastic fat losses and without doing a thing. What was it again; just take a couple of fat burning pills follow the diet and then bang! A brand new you in a couple of weeks http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=591&z=1Tips On Fast Weight Loss For Special Occasions If you are like me, you have probably been through all this before, the family wedding is coming up next month and you can’t seem to fit into that suit or dress because you have put on too much weight. So you must lose at least ten or more pounds quickly. Losing weight quickly is not advisable as most of the loss will be muscle tissue and water; you put on the weight slowly (usually over years) so normally you should take it off slowly and then you will know that the majority of the loss will be body fat. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=592&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=589&z=1Why Aren’t You Using Online Fitness Coaching? If I were to tell you that you could burn away as much fat as possible by sitting at your computer twiddling your fingers and toes, would you believe me? Well I sure hope you don't! However, losing weight in the confines of your own home at your computer is not only possible, it's a reality. What I mean is that you can use the advice that's given to you through online fitness coaching to pursue a more productive way of burning off undesired fat and reach your fitness goals. Any program, no matter how difficult or time consuming takes EFFORT. Through online coaching, anyone can receive the advice and the motivation to put 100% effort into their fitness goals. The end result whether its weight loss, toning, and muscle gain can be achieved with certainty. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=585&z=1Glutamine is a word that flows around gyms and message boards throughout the world but the average person does not even know what Glutamine is. This article is going to explain what Glutamine is, how much should be taken, the best ways to consume it, and top sellers. After reading, you should then be able to make an educated decision on whether or not you should supplement with Glutamine. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=586&z=1Want To Workout Without a Gym If you are like me, then you will probably know that using free weights and machines is the fastest and most efficient way there is to improve your metabolism and strength but for many reasons these may not be convenient or readily accessible to you. You may also have no access to a commercial gym, home gym or are on business trip, but there can be a solution, a strength-training workout without the need of expensive machines. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=587&z=1Want To Stop Over Training In The Gym Let me tell you a quick story, twenty years ago I was very influenced by the bodybuilders and the training systems of the day. Hitting the weights five or six times a week, splitting upper and lower body workouts and working out twice a day was seen as normal. Every set was taken to positive failure, with three or more forced reps on top of that and if that wasn't enough I would throw in a few negative reps to top it off. This type of training would leave me totally exhausted and render me sore for days after every session. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=588&z=1The Untold Secrets To Improving Your Fitness You might disagree with me on this but please hear me out "The best and the only exercise program for you is the one you will do!!" The next time you start an exercise program or eating plan take note of the following guidelines and if they don’t stack up don’t put yourself through the hassle. You need something to stick to for the rest of your life, never start a program that will set you up to fail. It must be interesting and fun or you will never stick with it. Below you will find some very interesting fitness tips that will keep you right on track. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=577&z=1Strength Training: 10 Things You Must Know Lets face it everybody knows that strength training builds muscle but did you know that it does more much more for you in the health stakes. Lets have a look at these strength training tips one by one and you will see what a difference this valuable tool will make to your general health: Weights Improve Immunity - Immune strength depends on the availability of the amino acid glutamine and your muscles have to supply the glutamine to your immune system in order for it to work. The more muscle you have the more abundant the glutamine supply, and other things being equal, the better your immune system works. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=578&z=1More Tips To Improve Your Weight Loss If you are like me you are probably totally sick of dieting because every time you stop the weight comes flooding back on and you just cant stop it! I have put together 10 more weight loss tips to try and sway you away from the dieting run around and to try and put you on a more steady and healthy course of weight loss. Lets have a look at them: http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=579&z=1How To Use Rest To Gain More Muscle Are you frustrated with not gaining any weight while you keep putting in the hard yards in the gym day after day week after week. It might be because you are not getting enough quality rest and sleep and this could be what’s holding back those big gains you are looking for. While you are on any weight gain program you have to be careful, you have to stop any intense cardio work, as it will mar your strength training progress by taking a big bite into the energy needed for your recovery. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=580&z=110 Things You Must Know About Fat Loss Ever wondered why there are so many diets around out there and people are just getting fatter and fatter. We now know that fad and repeat dieting don't work, so what does! I have put together 10 fat loss tips below and if followed will make things a lot easier for you on your road to fat loss. Lets have a look at a few: Burn Fat: Lift Weights - Muscle determines the speed of your metabolism - the speed of your metabolism depends on how much muscle you have. That's why men burn fat faster than women... They have more muscle. Women could burn fat faster if they had more muscle. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=581&z=18 Ways To General Health And Fitness It never fails but as soon as I wrote all my Weight Loss, Weight Gain, Fitness and Nutrition type of tips I had a few left over that couldn't really be placed into these categories. But as you will see they are right on the money for your general health and fitness and can be used in your everyday activities. Lets take a peek: What Is A Healthy Diet - A healthy diet satisfies two criteria: It contains enough fibre and a number of micronutrients including vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy body. It is balanced in forms of fat, protein, and carbohydrates and micronutrients. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=582&z=15 Action Ideas To Get Big Fast Are you sick and tired of picking up that latest body building magazine off the shelve, opening it to the latest program on the current bodybuilding star and discovering that he is using a six day split program that has you in the gym for four hours and day!! What it won’t tell you is that the guy is a professional and probably doesn't have to hold down a steady job, pay off a mortgage or raise a couple of kids. The thing is you don't have to train like an athlete to put on muscle, all you need to do is follow these action ideas below and you will start making big gains fast without spending all your time in the Gym. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=583&z=1Winning Tactics For Giving Up The Diet You might disagree, but hear me out on this, if you're thinking of going on a diet to lose those extra pounds think again. Long-term weight control through dieting is near impossible, for the simple reason is that diets promote only short-term solutions not long term. After dieting you’ll certainly look lighter on the scales, but in most cases this is because you've dumped a few pounds of body fluid and muscle, and not because you've lost any significant amounts of body fat. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=584&z=1Why You Shouldn’t Be Using These Exercises In The Gym Have you ever imagined using potentially dangerous exercises in your workout? You have to be very careful with strength training equipment because it may not be the most effective or functional available. How do you know that the exercises you are performing are safe? Found below are some potentially dangerous exercises with suggestions on how they should be done correctly or avoided completely. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=574&z=1What if I told you that our health is the most important asset we have. Would you believe me? Why is it today that everybody seems to be plagued with bad health. You can make a stand and try incorporating these health tips into your everyday life and see if they make a difference to your total health. Lets have a look: Don’t Smoke - One of the main reasons why people decide not to give up smoking, and sadly, the reason why some people take it up is the effect smoking supposedly has on you weigh gain or loss. It is true that smoking has been associated with an increase in metabolism it is a drug!! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=576&z=1Shape up for summer As we scrape ice off of our windshields in many parts of the country, it is hard to imagine that summer is just around the corner. Soon enough however, it will be beach season, and time to be in shape! When it comes to weight loss, too many people wait until the last minute before starting to diet. How many times have we all heard in the gym “I need to lose 20 pounds, because I am going to the beach in a month”? While it is possible with a severe diet to drop large numbers of pounds, the problem is that you will end up losing as much muscle as fat, and the end result is you don't look your best. Slow and steady is the key to losing that fat you accumulated over the winter months. The more you restrict calories in your diet, the more your body will eat into your precious muscle. Therefore, what you want, is to have a moderate caloric reduction and a longer cutting cycle, as opposed to a short cycle with severe caloric restrictions. Typically, a 12-week cutting cycle is ideal, with the goal being a 1-2 pound weight loss per week. In the first few weeks, weight loss will be probably greater, then as you drop bodyfat, the weight loss will slow, but if you are averaging that 1-2 pounds a week, you are on the right track. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=572&z=1Nitric Oxide The Right Way As a football fan, I am now looking at that long stretch of time between the Super Bowl and next years training camp where I rearrange my life with additional cardio sessions, and extra trips to the gym to fill that void I now have on Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings. When I began writing this however, it was a Sunday afternoon in the heat of the Divisional Finals. Watching the game while contemplating this article, I realized a football stadium has the same issues our muscles do. For anyone who has seen a stadium after a major game, you know, the place is in shambles! Food wrappers, beer cans, posters and banners litter that stadium, and the cleanup crew has a big job ahead of them to get that stadium back to rights. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=573&z=1Everyone wants great abs but very few people know how to properly make them stand out. No matter what the commercials say, you simply cannot do thousands of reps on their exercise devices and expect to get washboard abs. This article is intended to give you the knowledge successfully needed to achieve a six pack and will also tell you the best exercises to do to achieve one. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=571&z=1If you are a regular exerciser and on the day after a harder workout, you never feel soreness in your muscles, you will not improve your fitness level as much as you could. Take a tip from competitive athletes who train by taking a hard workout, feeling sore on the next day and then take easy workouts until the soreness goes away in a day or two. The good soreness that makes you stronger is called D.O.M.S. (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and is caused by microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. It is not caused by lactic acid buildup. When muscles are damaged, they produce healing prostaglandins that cause muscles to become bigger and stronger than before they were exercised vigorously. Researchers have shown that D.O.M.S. heals faster when you do nothing, but if you take off every time your muscles feel sore, you will never become an athlete and you will not reach a high level of fitness. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=570&z=1“If you can’t measure your progress, you can’t stay motivated.” Write this into your workout log, scribble it on a piece of paper and tape it to your bathroom mirror, or just memorize it. Whatever it takes. It’s one of those immutable laws of nature that you don’t want to forget in your quest for a bigger, more muscular body. It hit me right in the face once again just the other night, while I was working out in our corporate gym here at Labrada Nutrition headquarters in Houston. I was on my third set of Smith machine incline presses when one of my Team members brought in a large, muscular bodybuilder who wanted to meet me. It was obvious, even through his warm-ups, that this young man was extremely muscular and ready for competition. He was 5'10" and over 235 pounds. Upon speaking with him, I learned that he would be competing in an upcoming Nationals qualifier in a few weeks. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=569&z=1Even making one of these mistakes can compromise your growth. Learn how to avoid the most common training errors and watch your gains skyrocket! You've worked hard in the gym, tried to eat right, gotten plenty of sleep but you STILL can't seem to get the results you want! You're not alone. We've all been there - from the advanced weightlifter to the raw beginner - we all know the frustration of not meeting our goals. It's easy to sit back and lose steam, to start blaming yourselfƒ to curse the gods (or the parents) that gave you those lousy hard-gainer genetics and in some cases, simply give up out of frustration. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=568&z=1Amino acids are the building blocks of life. They are responsible for building cells and repairing tissue, forming antibodies, creating DNA and RNA, and carrying oxygen throughout the body. Your body can produce the twelve non-essential amino acids on its own, but the eight essential amino acids must be supplied through your diet or supplementation; your body cannot produce them. Three of the eight essential amino acids are called ‘The Branched Chain Amino Acids’. They have particular importance to tissue maintenance, recovery and growth. The Branched Chain Amino Acids, made up of L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-valine, must be present for the molecular growth and development of body tissues, such as muscle. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=565&z=1Okay, I know exactly what you’re looking for. You’re skinny and you get no respect. Salesmen walk up behind you and say, “Can I help you, madam?” You’re sick and tired of having to laugh off intimidation from bigger guys. You’re tired of girls respecting you for your mind and just wanting to, “be friends.” You want them to love you for your body! You want to be ABSOLUTELY HUGE! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=566&z=1Chest Initially Bench Press or Machine Press 3 sets 3rd Week Bench Press or Machine Press 3 sets Assisted Dips for Chest 3 sets 6th Week Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets Bench Press or Machine Press 3 sets Assisted Dips for Chest 3 sets http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=567&z=1How does H+Blocker work? It is well known that increased muscle mass, strength, and extended performance occur most effectively when exercise routines are done to complete exhaustion. However, it is during intense workouts that we experience "metabolic acidosis"—a reaction in our bodies that causes muscle fatigue and failure. If we were to peek inside the muscle cells, we would see this reaction is brought on by the generation of hydrogen ions (H+) and a decline in muscle pH levels, and this is directly linked to a muscle's inability to contract any longer4. The good news is I've found clear evidence that H+Blocker's patent-pending formula of beta-alanine/L-histidine increases the synthesis of carnosine, which binds to hydrogen ions and stabilizes pH levels in skeletal muscle. Imagine carnosine as a sponge that floats around the muscle, soaking up hydrogen ions, and the more carnosine inside the muscle, the more hydrogen ions it can soak up. As a result, with H+Blocker, one can experience immediate, almost explosive strength increases, more intense muscular contractions, as well as faster recovery between sets and workouts. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=564&z=1Are you lacking recovery between games? Have the results you achieved during your off-season training vanished? Is your current training regiment providing diminished returns? Is your motivation so lacking that you are simply thinking about stopping exercise all together? If any of these situations sounds familiar, then know that you are not alone. The good news is that these are common problems that can be addressed with the right nutrition and supplemental program. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=563&z=1Once you understand the roll nutrition plays in your child's sports performance, it is simply foolish for you to neglect those nutritional needs if you expect them to be competitive. It takes discipline and dedication to develop the skills necessary to be a great athlete. Sports nutrition is a fundamental part of that puzzle. It is not important to see how many pieces of the puzzle come from the nutritional element, but rather it is more important to decide, as an athlete that no piece of the puzzle is worth going unaccounted for. As a parent, I realize the puzzle pieces are in part a combination of emotional health, social development, physical growth, self confidence, and a number of other pieces depending on whom you're talking to. The big picture is that all the pieces are important and none should be neglected for total health. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=562&z=1Recently, parents have begun to take more notice of the poor nutrition in the schools. Here in California, our Governor has gone as far as to create legislation to force changes in our school system. I, for one, feel it is a great idea and long overdue. However, as a parent, I also feel it necessary to create change immediately where we can. The first step as parents is to take action at home. While parents have little to no control once their kids leave the house and head off to school, it is important to continually reinforce proper nutritional behavior in order to form the habit of healthy nutrition throughout life. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=559&z=1In today's world, kids don't play as much as they did 10 and 20 years ago. This combined with poor nutritional habits has resulted in a major increase in the number of over weight kids. The only physical exercise our kids are getting is from sports. When you ask untrained, overweight kids to perform at very intense levels you are inviting a number of potential injuries. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=560&z=1The subject of food cravings has always come up. I would like to take this opportunity to share some helpful tips in the fight against food cravings. Learn more...http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=556&z=1Millions of Americans begin each New Year considering a number of possible resolutions. These goals can range from finding love, to starting a family, to making a career change, to increasing personal wealth, to purchasing a home, or to simply leading a healthier lifestyle. It is the desire to lead a healthier lifestyle that catches my attention.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=557&z=1To take aim is not enough; we must awaken a part of us that many only know in moments of desperation. Mental focus is key in preparing for the playoffs. Not much else should change! Keep focus and learn... http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=558&z=1Ronnie Coleman was born Ronald Dean Coleman on May 13, 1964 in Monroe, Louisiana. He graduated from Bastrop High School in 1982 and graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from Grambling State University. Ronnie played football for the Grambling State Tigers under the famous coach Eddie Robinson. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=555&z=1What is Hydroxycut® Hardcore? Team MuscleTech™ has invested in clinical studies to create the most powerful fat burner ever developed. Hydroxycut Hardcore is the most powerful formula ever to alter the way you burn fat. Hydroxycut Hardcore makes all other fat burners obsolete. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=554&z=1Do you want to gain some lean muscle mass or do you want to get stronger? Typically you have to choose between these two goals when deciding how to train – but not any more! I’ve designed a program specifically for those of us who want to get both bigger and stronger at the same time. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=553&z=1What would you say if I told you that your level of "self-discipline" might not be quite "up to snuff" when it comes to building a lean and muscular body? Before you answer, consider this: no matter whether you're an elite body builder or a "couch potato," you still have the same amount of self-discipline. How is this possible? The difference lies in which habits you're disciplined to. An elite bodybuilder is disciplined to working out regularly, eating frequent and nutritionally-dense meals, taking quality supplements, and getting plenty of rest. All of these habits propel him towards his goal of gaining muscle and losing fat. On the other hand, a "couch potato" is disciplined towards his habits of watching endless hours of TV and stuffing down as much junk food as his artery-plugged heart desires. See what I mean? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=552&z=1The only competition Andy competed in was was "The Stars of Tomorrow 2005" where he came in first place in the junior class. The next show that he is preparing for is the "Mr.Britain" in October. His motivation is being titled junior Mr.Britain, as well as the coverage in magazines, and qualifying for bigger contests held in Europe such as "Mr.Universe." http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=551&z=1Everyone experiences problems in their life, but sometimes it seems as if the world is crashing down on you. For anyone who feels this way, there is some good news. You are not alone! This article is intended to keep you under control even during the worst of times. I will give you examples of problems that can go wrong, steps to overcoming your problem, and words of encouragement to get you in a positive mental state. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=547&z=1 Let`s face it, a body with chicken legs looks awful and is the cornerstone of all bodybuilding jokes. There is nothing worse than going to the gym and seeing a bodybuilder with a huge upper body and legs that look as if they`ve never been trained before. Prior knowledge dramatically influences a person`s decision to train legs and if they don`t know how to properly train them, then what is the use of doing it? This article is intended for readers who are interested in improving their knowledge of the quadriceps muscle and learn proper exercises to make them bigger and more toned.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=545&z=1Introducing new and advanced Hydroxycut ®24, a scientifically formulated weight-loss supplement that works, to help you lose weight fast. Hydroxycut 24 consists of AM and PM formulations. Use Hydroxycut ®AM to provide the energy you need throughout your day and Hydroxycut ® PM for stimulant-free nights. By including the convenient formula of Hydroxycut 24 with a healthy diet and fitness plan, you’ll have the energy to get active and get slim while controlling your appetite. Hydroxycut 24 contains key ingredients clinically proven to increase calorie burning all day long! Get Hydroxycut 24 by your side to help you successfully reach your weight-loss goals. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=543&z=1LEUKIC (L-leucine-ketoisocaproic acid calcium) is designed to work synergistically to bring permanent gains in high-quality, dense muscle – the kind of hard-as-nails muscle that makes people's jaws drop in astonishment. So how is it that LEUKIC does its job so well in making bodybuilders naturally anabolic beyond belief? LEUKIC is able to bypass the normal hormone/receptor anabolic mechanism and trigger muscle anabolism all on its own. You see, in order to build muscle, hormones have to be elevated or spiked, and then attach or bind themselves to receptors. Once they attach, the receptors then send a signal to the inside of the muscle fibers, telling them to grow. This is a good thing, but it also creates and undesirable problem. What happens when you elevate one hormone, is you cause others to increase or decrease, creating a hormonal mix that might work toward building muscle, or might create an imbalance that could set your body back weeks or even months! The latter is referred to by scientists as a negative feedback loop mechanism. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=544&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=542&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=527&z=1Despite all of the busy airplane lines, cramped hotel rooms, and uneasy feelings of meeting new people, staying fit while traveling is easier than most people realize. If you are motivated enough to stay fit then there is no doubt that you will achieve whatever you want. Okay so now I`m motivated, but what will help me maintain a decent physique while i`m 500 miles from home? You are going to learn the basics of bodybuilding while traveling and be able to use this information to your advantage. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=528&z=1Weight training is an important aspect of the bodybuilding process, but what about the forgotten exercise commonly known as cardio. Cardio is just , if not more important than weight training itself and should be at the top of every trainee`s to-do list. In this article, I am going to give you a run down on the different types of cardio that can be done and the benefits of doing cardiovascular exercise.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=529&z=1Most of you know of how to get proper nutrition throughout the day but what do you eat before bed? Common sense suggests that a balance of complex carbs and protein is adequate at this time but I am going to tell you more than that. I am going to tell you precisely what you should be eating and what macronutrients they should be coming from. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=530&z=1Training the same way everyday can become boring and may even lead to burnout. With all of the available training methods, it is hard to choose which one works best. Try all of them and determine which works best for your body. I am going to tell you about one training method used by bodybuilders to develop a good body. That style is called supersetting. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=531&z=1For some people motivation comes easy, but for others, it is what separates the true bodybuilders from the "posers." Bodybuilding is a sport that requires 110 percent of your focus, if one part is lacking then your whole plan will become a failure If you are wanting to improve your motivation or would just like to learn why it is important, then keep reading. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=532&z=1Many people believe that their way of doing things is the only way to achieving a good body. These people start getting confident to the point of developing an ego and feel that they are trendsetters so to speak. These people are destined for failure. They have to much pride to try new ideas and won`t take advice from anybody . If you are one of these people or would just like to educate yourself on why finding what works best for you is important, then read on! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=533&z=1MuscleTech Gakic A new era in musclebuilding performance has arrived. GAKIC is the biggest bodybuilding breakthrough ever! New to bodybuilders, athletes, and sports enthusiasts, GAKIC, chemically known as glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid has been in development for 8 years. That's 8 years of research, testing, clinical studies, and refinement. Why 8 years? Well, we all know that greatness takes time. A great mind takes years to develop, a great physique takes years to build, and a great supplement should be no different. The game has changed, the rules may have to be altered, performance might have to be redefined, your success however, is imminent. GAKIC has officially arrived. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=493&z=1In our unwavering commitment to bring you more lean muscle, more raw power, and more explosive energy and endurance than ever before, who else but Gaspari Nutrition could unleash what is destined to become the #1 legal sports nutrition supplement on the market. Friends, get ready for Novedex XT--the definitive Holy Grail natural testosterone booster and potent anti-aromatase.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=525&z=1New protein technology turning the protein world upside down! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=526&z=1Welcome to a smarter way to get lean mass. Welcome to Pro-Complex Gainer from Optimum Nutrition. Pro-Complex Gainer includes everything you want in a weight gaimer supplement and eliminates all the things you'd rather do without. In addition to Pro-Complex Gainer advantages, here are a few things you can lose: http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=524&z=1While some find various forms of lateral raises good for developing the delts, I have found presses to be the most productive for adding size. Naturally I favor both presses and lateral raises for overall development but for pure size alone, experience has taught me presses, with both dumbbells and barbells are superior. The shoulders, or deltoids - delts as they are referred to in bodybuilding circles, consists of three separate heads. The first is the Anterior or frontal delt. The second is the Lateral or side delt. The third is the Posterior or rear delt. For complete development all three heads must be developed proportionately. It is far too common to see people with overly developed frontal delts and underdeveloped side and or rear delts. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=523&z=1Forever, well, as long as a well developed physique has been admired, people have sought the formula responsible for obtaining wide shoulders, thick chests, massive arms, rippling abs, and huge thighs. Some have sought to drink their way to muscular proportions by downing every protein and energy supplement on the market. Others have purchased every piece of equipment made. More than a few have joined heath clubs and gyms and spent hours on end training in hopes of achieving the perfect build. Ah, the quest for perfection or at least a move toward looking better strikes at the heart of every red blooded man and women. Who doesn’t want to look better? Now that’s not to say all want to be a Mr. or Ms. Olympia. Naturally everyone doesn’t. In fact, that much development turns a great many people, in our mainstream society off.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=521&z=1 Not much can be said about the “Blonde Bomber” Dave Draper that hasn’t already been said or printed. He stands as one who has faced life’s challenges and rose from the valleys to the mountain tops. Hard knocks and punches delivered, Dave learned to roll with the punches and fight back to survive all life had to dish out. For more than forty years I have viewed Dave as the epitome of what a bodybuilder should be and how bodybuilding should be represented. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=522&z=1 You`ve decided to start bodybuilding but all of these new terms seem to be in a different language. Most of us experienced bodybuilders have felt the same way at one time, so don`t give up just yet. You train hard, but you don`t know anything about proper nutrition. Getting enough protein is the most important when trying to get a good body. I am going to explain the different types of protein, what protein does for your body, and problems associated with not getting enough. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=520&z=1You`ve decided to start bodybuilding but all of these new terms seem to be in a different language. Most of us experienced bodybuilders have felt the same way at one time, so don`t give up just yet. You train hard, but you don`t know anything about proper nutrition. Getting enough protein is the most important when trying to get a good body. I am going to explain the different types of protein, what protein does for your body, and problems associated with not getting enoughhttp://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=534&z=1VPX, the Frontrunner in rapid fat and weight loss science, has entered the market with a rare botanical known as Hoodia, which has potent effects on suppressing appetite. The company’s Hoodia-based Craving Control™ products branded as Dietex™ are a welcome blessing for millions of desperate, overweight Americans. Dietex™ innovator, Jack Owoc explains that, “a whopping 64% of obese and overweight Americans are ‘Serotonin Junkies’! Americans blame their addiction on sugar and carbohydrates, but what they are really addicted to is the serotonin rush delivered by extreme overeating and excessive consumption of high glycemic junk food. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=519&z=1Keeping track of every single calorie you eat can become a hassle. Some people like doing it, while others despise the idea of logging calories. I am going to give you some of the positives and negatives with logging calories and give you alternative ways of keeping track of how much you eat. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=536&z=1Organized sports are everywhere and are an integral part of a person`s belonging. No matter what age, gender, or racial group you are classified as, you can almost always find a sports league to join. Organized sports are important because they make a person feel more confident but just like in anything else, there are problems associated with them. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=518&z=1DESIGNER WHEY OPTIBOL is the world's first lean muscle optimizer. A "one-of-a-kind" protein supplement. The first ever to take the growth promoting nutrients of mother's milk and make them even better for muscle strength, muscle repair, and muscle growth. The result? OPTIBOL helps optimize muscle function like nothing else ever. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=515&z=1Only AXIS-HT is designed to support the “super-normal” surges of testosterone and related androgens that you need to recover, grow, and perform at super-normal levels. Hormones may have disappeared from the supplement world, but the body- and performance-enhancing results they were known for have not. BSN has raised the bar yet again with AXIS-HT. From the advanced weight trainer or bodybuilder through to the beginner, the world is about to experience a new supra-physiological dimension that just made being hardcore easy!http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=514&z=1New human study shows Xenadrine®-NRG™ helps test group lose 4 times more body weight and 3 times more body fat! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=513&z=1From the hallowed halls of creatine creation a new performance-enhancer this way cometh. It’s simple. It’s natural. Its mechanism is understandable. And it’s research proven to substantially increase power output and anaerobic muscular endurance. In my humble opinion, this may be the next shining star on the sports supplement horizon. And you are the first to know about it.. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=512&z=1Pro-testosterone technology … new scientific method of hormonal manipulation alters your biochemistry for explosive gains in muscle mass!http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=511&z=1With a Bowflex TreadClimber machine, you get a superior cardio workout in the shortest amount of time, with a lot less impact to your joints - all in the privacy of your own homehttp://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=509&z=1Universal Nutrition, a leading nutritional supplement company has just launched a new and complete natural testosterone-enhancing supplement, N1-T. Unlike many other supplements, N1-T was engineered to specifically help modulate the athlete's own existing anabolic hormones in novel ways. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=510&z=1ON Pro Complex™ is one of the main products that I rely on to get me through a competition for a couple of important reasons. It consists of high-quality whey and egg proteins which mix easily and digest very well. It contains Glutamine and Glutamine Peptides which help to support the immune system and prevent injury during training. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=507&z=1Each year after the age of 18, the average woman gains one-half pound of body fat, and loses one-half pound of valuable lean tissue. Ten years later at 28, she weighs about the same, but she’s squishier, and a lot further away from that hard-body look she’s always wanted. The reason? It’s the natural and progressive slowing of a woman’s metabolism that occurs shortly after the teenage years. It’s inevitable. The good news is . . . It’s also preventable! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=508&z=1Reality: Even though many put post-workout nutrition ahead of their needs before they hit the weights, pre-workout nutrition is arguably just as important, providing the fuel needed for intense exercise and energy expenditurehttp://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=503&z=1No doubt about it, increased muscle size and power are important to a quality physique. But it's not always a question of how high a bicep can peak; sometimes, it's a matter of who can last longer. Sure, anyone can bang heavy weights around - that's called intensity. But banging heavy weights around for an hour or more takes endurance, too: the kind of strength every athlete needs if they hope to outlast every other competitor out there. And if that's the kind of strength you're after, you better know how to eat and train to that end.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=504&z=1Top 10 Tricks To Get Big If weight gain's your bag, you're in for a treat: we've assembled the Top 10 Tricks To Get Big. Stuff only the guys that have been there would know. Take it from them, sometimes it's details like these that make the biggest difference. Open your bag - here comes a handful of helpful tips to get bigger and better, faster. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=505&z=1Making Gains with Glutamine Trying to put on some weight? Okay, so you already know you need a weight gainer, creatine, ZMA™, maybe a multi, but there is another weight-gain goodie out there that you should also include. It may not be as popular as these other established supplements, but this outshined ingredient plays an important recuperative role in the physiques of bodybuilders and other hard-training athletes in every sport. It's called Glutamine. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=506&z=1If you're a regular reader of this column, you no doubt have picked up on the fact that Jay Cutler is a big user of the wildly popular nitric oxide transducing supplement Pump-Tech. As Jay has said in this very column, "Pump-Tech made a huge difference in my preparation for the 2004 Mr. Olympia contest. I took it religiously. In fact, my two training partners also take it along with me. The results were phenomenal! My strength increased. My muscles were full and round. I looked at my best ever in my bodybuilding career and the only thing I really changed was adding Pump-Tech to my training. So I attribute the difference to Pump-Tech." http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=499&z=1CELLMASS (A.K.A. "THE POST-WORKOUT AND NIGHT-TIME MASS ACTIVATOR"). Nothing is more important than saturating your muscles with creatine and glutamine immediately after your workout and before bed. Post-workout creatine and glutamine supplementation is essential for replacing creatine stores lost during training, speeding recovery, volumizing the muscle cell, increasing muscle density and hardness and activating a powerful anabolic growth phase. Now imagine a post-workout supplement that not only achieves this better than anything developed to date, but does it so quickly and effectively that it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Your muscles will literally feel like they are exploding before your eyes, case in point: CELLMASS! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=500&z=1You gym is officially under new ownership! Looks like the same place ... but something seems different. That's because you're under the influence of a breakthrough supplement innovation of immeasurable magnitude! The name of this unprecedented muscle growth trigger ... BLITZ CYCLE. Might not be by choice ... but you are now your gym's official new owner! That's right! Get ready for the assault! It's time to throw down ... to bust up the gym ... and tell the janitor to rack the weights when you done! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=501&z=1HOW SERIOUS ARE YOU ABOUT GAINING MUSCLE? Since you're reading this, I figure you're pretty damn serious. That means you're probably spending 200 hours or more every year pumping iron. That's a lot of time and effort-a lot of sacrifice. There are four issues that must be addressed every time you hit the weights in order to make it a muscle-building success. Nail every one, and your muscles will leave the gym with their "growth switches" turned fully on. Miss them, and your muscles may not grow at all. WHAT ARE THESE 4 CRITICAL ISSUES? (1) ENERGY: Your mind, body, and muscles must be jacked up and ready to go from start to finish. If they aren't, you won't be able to sustain the type of workout that stimulates maximum muscle growth. (2) MENTAL FOCUS: http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=502&z=1How many of you fall back into old bad habits after reaching a certain goal you`ve accomplished? I can admit that I am guilty of becoming lazy after I`ve achieved something great and just end up back to where i started. So how do you keep focus after achieving a certain goal? How can you achieve more than what you are of naturally capable of? If any of these questions apply, then this article is for you. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=540&z=1Many of us don`t have the luxury of being able to focus all of our attention on bodybuilding. Unless your getting paid by a sponsor or making some serious cash doing bodybuilding shows, you almost have to have a stable job to afford the necessities that are needed to having a good body. Assuming most of us work the typical eight hour job, how do we achieve balance between work, bodybuilding, and all the other things we deal with on a daily basis. This article was written for the bodybuilders who want to bodybuild as well as work a full time job. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=539&z=1Some of us bodybuilders come from backgrounds where money doesn`t allow us to accomplish our fitness goals as fast as we`d like. Without money you can`t afford good gym equipment, the right foods, and even supplements. When you`re living in poverty you have to do everything possible to accomplish your goals without worrying about your financial problems. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=538&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=495&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=496&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=497&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=498&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=494&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=490&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=474&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=470&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=471&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=472&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=473&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=410&z=1In my opinion, there aren't many feelings you can experience as a bodybuilder that are better than walking out of the gym after an awesome workout! Striving for productive and efficient training sessions is usually our number one priority. After all, this is the very first step toward developing an outstanding physique.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=411&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=412&z=1Do you have aspirations of becoming a bodybuilding and fitness professional someday? Although my journey has not been an easy one, I'm fortunate enough to earn a living doing what I love to do. I want to save you some of the pain and frustration that I suffered through by offering my insights. I want to share with you what I've learned, help you succeed, and achieve your dreams: http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=413&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=414&z=1In many ways it seems like only yesterday when I made my way to the gym for the first time and my love affair with bodybuilding began. I loved everything about it, especially the possibility of one day becoming a great competitor. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=415&z=1I’ve been working here with AST for about 4 years now and in that time I’ve basically been in a capsule as far as the supplement world is concerned. I haven’t paid much attention to the other brands and products on the market because I know everything I need is right here. If AST doesn’t make it, I know it isn’t worth taking because we only produce products that have solid scientific research behind them. This code of ethics seems like it would be the common standard companies would adhere to but out there in the supplement jungle that isn’t the case. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=416&z=1There is a big misconception when it comes to abdominal training. You often hear that in order to trim your waist line you need to do countless high rep sets of crunches and you need to train your abs frequently throughout the week. This is simply not true. You can’t spot reduce fat around your waist no matter how many reps you do so forget about it.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=417&z=1Getting the most out of each and every workout not only means training hard it also means training smart. Having a set plan of attack before you ever touch a weight can make a big difference with the productivity of any given workout and keeping a daily training journal is an easy practice that will increase your workout success ratehttp://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=418&z=1The muscle building process is actually pretty simple. When I say that, I am not talking about the effort required to execute the process, just the basic formula which can be summed up as stimulus and response. Muscle is best stimulated to grow by being placed under heavy mechanical tension (overload) and responds to that stimulus by building bigger stronger muscles. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=419&z=1It’s January and this is the time of year you are used to seeing me put up a journal documenting my training and diet as I prepare for contests in the summer or at least that’s been the case for the last 3 years or so. As you can see there is no journal and that’s prompted a lot of you to ask when I’m going to start one, so I thought I should bring you up to speed with what’s going on and answer some of the more common questions I’ve been getting.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=420&z=1When you embark on your quest for better health and fitness you can improve your chances of adhering to your plan by carefully selecting a gym or fitness center that best suits your needs. The WB2 Morning News did a live broadcast from the AST Sports Science Headquarters this week and asked me to share some tips to help their viewers select a gym. When you embark on your quest for better health and fitness you can improve your chances of adhering to your plan by carefully selecting a gym or fitness center that best suits your needs. The WB2 Morning News did a live broadcast from the AST Sports Science Headquarters this week and asked me to share some tips to help their viewers select a gym. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=421&z=1This is the time of year where the promise of change and self improvement fills the air on the wings of New Year’s resolutions. Some of them fly to fruition while many go down in a blaze of unfulfilled glory. Do things “pop up” and get in your way? Do other responsibilities and duties overshadow your new found goals until they are forgotten for another year? The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way. With action you can turn any resolution into a reality but you have to really want it to make it happen. Success and results don’t happen by accident. They are planned and worked for. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=422&z=1You’re pounding out an intense set of bench presses and you’re just about at your limit. You want to pack on as much mass as possible and nothing is going to stand in your way. You’re not about to stop the set so you grunt to your partner, “two more” because you know those extra two forced reps are what separates the men from the boys and will ignite crazy new muscle growth, right? Wrong! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=423&z=1We all know progressive overload with the Max-OT principles is the key to continual muscle gains but how much weight should you add and when should you add it? There’s no magical formula but there are a few guidelines you can follow to keep each workout heading in a maximum muscle building direction. I’ve found it helpful to establish individual daily goals of bettering my numbers each workout. I try to increase the weight or get more reps (in the 4-6 rep range) with the weight I left off with the previous week. These individual workout goals give me concrete objectives to accomplish and help me assess the success of each workout. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=424&z=1There’s not a doubt in my mind that Max-OT cardio is the most effective way to approach cardiovascular exercise based on research and my own personal experience. Max-OT cardio played a very big role in achieving the best condition of my life during last year’s contest preparation and it continues to play an important role in off season training too. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=425&z=1In order to pack on as much lean mass as possible you need to strive to do as many parts of the muscle building equations as intelligently and consistently as you can. We talked about mindset and the actual training schedule, now we need to take a look at a hugely important part of the mix – nutrition http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=426&z=1It is very true that you grow outside the gym and what you do or fail to do nutritionally in the hours after your workout will directly impact the speed and degree of your results. That being said, let’s not forget the important fact that the muscle building ball gets put into motion by your efforts in the gym. Intense, heavy training is the catalyst for packing on mass.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=427&z=1My goal every time I train is to build maximum muscle. This is true if I am six weeks from a show or in the off season and that’s why my workout approach never changes. I always train heavy with the Max-OT principles year ‘round because it’s the best way to train to stimulate maximum muscle growth. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=428&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=429&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=430&z=1As I approached this contest season I examined things that I needed to do to make this year better and more successful. I tried to look at the bigger picture and events surrounding the show, not just the show itself. I thought about what I could do to set up more win, win situations. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=431&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=432&z=1There are numerous myths concerning muscle building that circulate all the time which can make things very confusing when you are starting out and trying to follow the best muscle building plan possible. One age-old myth that seems to be cropping up a lot lately is exercise variety and more specifically why exercises don’t change that often throughout the Max-OT course. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=433&z=1There is an age old myth that you need to train with light weights and high reps to achieve more muscular definition and muscle separation. I have to tell you, that simply is not true. If you are striving to achieve a leaner physique based on high rep training you are going about it the wrong way. Whether you are working to get ready for a contest or just want to be leaner for the summer it is important you continue to train heavy to achieve the greatest results. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=434&z=1I am within single digit weeks of the contests and it’s the time of year when all the little extra things really count. By little extras I am referring to the additional things you can do on top of the scheduled daily tasks that will have a positive effect on the preparation process.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=435&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=436&z=1As I have discussed before, bodybuilding is unique in that it is a 24 hour a day sport, especially when you are in the heart of pre-contest training. You have to be organized, disciplined and have the ability to prioritize in order to successfully complete your tasks each day while sticking to your nutritional plan. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=437&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=438&z=1A few years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Paul Cribb when he came to Colorado for the inaugural Max-OT Training Camp. Once I deciphered his Aussie slang, it only took a few minutes to realize what a great bloke he is and we’ve been good friends ever since. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=439&z=1I am fortunate to be able to work closely with Paul Delia and Paul Cribb and I have learned many important things over the last few years. Some of the most recent lessons have had a huge impact on my progress and they involve carbohydrates, nutrient timing and how it all plays into intelligent dieting for a contest. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=440&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=441&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=442&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=443&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=444&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=445&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=446&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=447&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=448&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=449&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=450&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=451&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=452&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=453&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=454&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=455&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=456&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=457&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=458&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=459&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=460&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=461&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=462&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=463&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=464&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=465&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=466&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=467&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=468&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=469&z=1At one time or another, most of us have measured the quality of our physique and/or training abilities to that of other people. Comparing how good we look or how effectively we train with another person can either drive us to propel our efforts off the charts—or bring our progress to a grinding halt. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=408&z=1Most of the winning qualities common among those who build great physiques without the use of steroids or other illegal drugs deal with the way they think. The way these accomplished individuals choose to perceive the events around them is much different than many of the guys who are training in your local gym. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=409&z=1What is your definition of “form”? Think about that question for a moment. How you perceive the meaning of form can make the difference between mediocre gains over the years—and packing-on the most thick, rock-hard muscle possible in the shortest period of time. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=401&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=402&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=403&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=404&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=405&z=1Continual improvement, or taking our physiques to “the next level”, is the primary goal of everyone training in the gym. Whether we’ve been training for three months or three years; are genetically-gifted or consider ourselves a “hardgainer”; weigh 150 pounds or 250 pounds; are young or old; an ectomorph, endomorph, or a mesomorph; male or female; train naturally or with drugs; a competitive bodybuilder or a guy who enjoys the challenge of looking his best only for himself, we all strive for constant improvement.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=406&z=1Is it better to bulk up for added muscle growth or stay lean and healthy-looking all year around? The “old school” way of thinking is that you must carry around a little extra weight for a certain period of time during the year to eventually build more muscle. Or, is this just an excuse to go a little overboard on your nutrition under the guise of doing yourself some good? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=407&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=388&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=389&z=1One day the devil was having a sale, hawking his many diabolical tools of the trade. On display, with their price tags attached, were all the devil's tools and weapons: the arrows of jealousy, the hammer of anger, the dagger of worry, the slingshot of doubt, the axe of hatred and numerous others. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=381&z=1In this article, you will learn ten more of the most hyper-effective fat burning tactics I’ve discovered from nearly 20 years in the bodybuilding game and 16 years in personal training and coaching. These are the same techniques I use to hit 3-4% body fat for competition, and stay at 9% or less all year round, year after year without difficulty. If you’ve already got all the basics covered and you want to incinerate every last vestige of unwanted body fat, then this is the information you've been waiting for! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=382&z=1Do calories matter or do you simply need to eat certain foods and that will guarantee you’ll lose weight? Should you count calories or can you just count "portions?" Is it necessary to keep a food diary? Is it unrealistic to count calories for the rest of your life or is that just part of the price you pay for a better body? You’re about to learn the answers to these questions and discover a simple solution for keeping track of your food intake without having to crunch numbers every day or become a fanatic about your food. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=377&z=1I want to share a secret with you. But first, because I value your time and I don't want to waste it, I want you to know that the information on this web page is NOT for everyone. Answer these three questions - it will only take a few seconds - and you will find out if you're the type of person who will benefit from the powerful secret this web page reveals... http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=378&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=379&z=1Take a moment and think about the sum total of everything you’re currently doing to improve your health, fitness, physique and athletic performance. Think of every detail; the workouts, the dieting, the level of effort, the sweat, the time - everything. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=380&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=374&z=1Because of the many, many requests I have had regarding weight loss for individuals who are not bodybuilders; I have decided to write an article outlining a program for the non-bodybuilder / non-athlete. As with everything related to exercise and diet, I recommend you do not undertake any such program without first discussing it with your doctor. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=369&z=1Although sometimes people take up bodybuilding to lose weight, the majority take to the sport in an attempt to add weight and gain muscle size to their frames. This is especially true for teenagers and young adults. As one matures with age it is usually much easier to gain weight, sometimes too much weight. Individuals who are extremely thin go through just as difficult a time as those that are excessively overweight. Being extremely skinny was the reason I took up bodybuilding in the first place.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=367&z=1Sometime in the mid 60’s I advanced from the wooden bench I used for my workouts to the “Weider Professional 3-in-1 Adjusto Bench.” The bench was advertised monthly in “Mr. America” and “Muscle Builder.” I’ll never forget the day Mason - Dixon, the freight company, delivered the unit. It was assembled and came in a cardboard box. I wanted it because it had racks and I could use it for incline work as well as many other movements. Man, what a bench. Years later I had a man tell me he heard Weider benches were not very well constructed back in those days. Well I can tell you one thing, the bench I got not only looked great with its gold painted steel frame and red leatherette padding, it was one of the best built units I’ve ever owned. In fact it was better than some pieces a few of the gyms I frequented had.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=368&z=1A product of Bodybuilding’s Golden Era, the 60’s, I can reflect back on mistakes made in nutrition as well as training. In those days we trained each body part three times per week and it was not uncommon for our workouts to last three hours or so. Somewhere along the line I broke away from what was then considered the “norm” and started to listen to my body and train more instinctively. I am not genetically gifted and I recognized early on that although I loved bodybuilding, I would never stand on a dais and accept a trophy for winning a major title. For me that was okay, it was the training I loved anyway. My goal was self improvement, not a major title. The sound of the iron banging together, the sweat, the pump, the feel of performing a rep in perfect form, those were the important things to me. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=358&z=1Exercises such as chins and bent over rows can take the wind out of your sails and also place an overload on the biceps. So why work biceps the same day you do back? Why work triceps the same day you do chest as any work for the chest also works the triceps? Good question! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=359&z=1Believe it or not, some people simply refuse to train instinctively, including some of the world’s top champions. They feel they need the regiment of a routine, following a planned program written down in a journal. Some, including the “Iron Guru” himself, Vince Gironda, even spoke against incentive training stating it was for people who didn’t know what they were doing or how to train. The truth is instinctive training can be one of the most rewarding workout concepts in bodybuilding. It can keep your enthusiasm level high, ward off burnout, increase your energy level, and promote new growth and gains. I know some who train every workout instinctively and wouldn’t train any other way. Now I don’t subscribe to doing that but I definitely feel at various times in your training, doing so instinctively is a great approach and one that is well worth considering.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=360&z=1 Well developed delts are one of those body parts that attract admiring glances whether you are in a swimming suit, a sport coat, or just a shirt. If you haven’t discovered it by now, they are also one of the trickiest muscle groups in the body. You can perform any direct delt movement you can think of and when you come to the point you feel you can’t do even a single partial rep more, stop and rest for only five seconds, that’s right just five seconds, and start again. I bet you can now do at least three more full reps. Like we call it down south, the delts are playing “possum”. The delts are notorious for making you believe they can’t do another rep more and trick you into thinking you have to quit because they have gone as far as they can go. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=362&z=1First and right up front, I want it understood I did not originate the 10 – 8 – 6 – 15 routine. Vince Gironda brought it to the forefront and popularized it. It may very well have been, and I believe it was Vince, who actually developed the routine. Over the years, I made various modifications to the routine in order to make it more productive for my specific needs and body type. Here is one modification of the routine I have followed with a great deal of success. It should be understood that the 10 – 8 – 6 – 15 routine is designed to help get past sticking points and ruts in training. It is not designed to be a routine followed for extended periods.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=357&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=348&z=1Massive and thick are the two words that come to mind when I hear the name, Sergio Oliva. Eyes opened or closed I can still visualize the way he looked the day I met him. He looked taller than he really was because he wore a pair of Cuban boots with thick soles and high heels. Maybe lifts but that’s just a guess on my part. He appeared taller dressed, on stage, and in magazines than he did that day. For some reason I always thought he would stand well above six feet. In reality about five ten is what he was. His massive upper body and thick legs looked even larger due to his small wasp like waist. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=345&z=1Vince Gironda, a legend in bodybuilding history will be forever be immortalized not only for his unique approach to bodybuilding but his unique approach with people as well. Perhaps the most controversial individual bodybuilding has ever known and without a doubt, Vince himself made certain it was that way. Vince was a master of many things. He was also lacking in some areas, such as marketing techniques. Vince was at his best however, when he could cause controversy and he was definitely a master at doing so. Loved by some, hated by others… all would have to agree Vince Gironda had a passion for bodybuilding. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=346&z=1 It was four-thirty pm and I just hit the gym for a quick workout. After signing in and chatting for a few minutes with friends at the front desk I went out to the gym floor. It was pretty crowded and I noticed people were hanging around the back equipment; it was my day for back work. I headed for the water fountain to get a quick gulp. Not that I was that thirsty but it beat hanging around looking lost. This gave me some time to evaluate the situation to see if those hanging around were hanging around or actually working out. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=343&z=1I personally like to train at home. Over the years I have put together a sufficient amount of equipment that allows me to do most of what I want and certainly all I need. I do however, like to go to the gym from time to time in order to use equipment that I do not have. This not only keeps enthusiasm high but also helps encourage progress by hitting muscles from different angles. When I do go to a gym, I try to go during an off hour so I can train without getting in someone’s way or having someone get in mine. I have always liked training alone. I can concentrate better and do what I want to do. Independent you might say. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=344&z=1Why Are We So Fat? That’s the question asked in the cover story of the August 2004 issue of National Geographic magazine. “Americans enjoy one of the most luxurious lifestyles on Earth: Our food is plentiful. Our work is automated. Our leisure is effortless. And it’s killing us,” says Geographic senior writer Cathy Newman. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=329&z=1If you're extremely overweight or if you've been extremely overweight in the past, then you know that getting rid of excess weight is only one of the challenges you face. Once the fat is gone, you are often confronted with an equally frustrating cosmetic problem; Loose skin. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=330&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=321&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=322&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=323&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=324&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=325&z=1EVERYONE who wants to get leaner should read this article. Yes, I know it says "Fat loss for beginners," but sometimes we veterans forget what we once knew or we don't practice what we now know. If you're a beginner, this will be an introduction. If you're experienced, let this be a reminder. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=326&z=1One day the devil was having a sale, hawking his many diabolical tools of the trade. On display, with their price tags attached, were all the devil's tools and weapons: the arrows of jealousy, the hammer of anger, the dagger of worry, the slingshot of doubt, the axe of hatred and numerous others. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=327&z=1There are three things you need in order to be successful in 2005 and for the rest of your life: 1. You must know where you are now 2. You must know where you want to go 3. You must have the resources to get where you want to go. First…. You must know where you are now. The old cliché’, “You can’t fix a problem unless you know you have one” is true. The first step towards a successful 2005 is an honest assessment. If you don’t know where you are, you usually describe that as being “lost” don’t you? If you’re lost, how can you map a route to where you want to go? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=328&z=1For years, the “The Legend” himself, Larry Scott ruled supreme over bodybuilding. He took no prisoners as he dominated every aspect of the sport. The first Mr. Olympia in history, the first multiple winner of the title and the first Mr. America, Mr. Universe, Mr. Olympia winner was unstoppable and untouchable. Even today, almost thirty years later, Larry Scott is a personality in bodybuilding people still seek information from and about. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=277&z=1Most well-respected authorities in the health and fitness industry agree that proper nutrition can greatly accelerate the positive effects of exercise. Larry Scott, the first IFBB Mr. Olympia pro bodybuilding champion, has said on hundreds of occasions that putting on muscle mass is at least 80% nutrition. Actually, when Larry said 80%, he just picked that figure out of the air to emphasize upon the mindset of bodybuilders just how important the nutrition factor is when combined with training.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=278&z=1Why are bodybuilders infatuated with protein? Bodybuilders are infamous for their love affair with protein. The way iron-pumpers see it, muscle is protein, so they associate eating more dietary protein with gaining more muscle. Devouring egg whites by the dozen, meat by the pound and protein powder by the bucketful is the norm for hard training physique athletes. But is all this carnivorism really necessary? Why the infatuation with eating huge amounts of protein? Are bodybuilders correct in their habitual practice of pounding down the protein or is this immoderation unfounded? To answer these questions, it is first necessary obtain a solid understanding of what protein is and how it is used in the body. Only then can we objectively look at the protein consumption practices of bodybuilders and compare them to what the scientific evidence says in order to make some sensible and productive recommendations. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=287&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=317&z=1A local gym member decided to prepare for an upcoming bodybuilding show. I was surprised, as he was no bigger than I was, at the time? He was older than I and had a good physique, but in no way was ready to take on the “big boys”, in my way of thinking? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=318&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=319&z=1http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=320&z=1You either want to do it or you don’t! It’s that simple. People make excuses for not doing the things that they, really don’t want to do. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=311&z=1I remember the day that I won the Mr. Louisiana contest. The previous year, I placed third. It was at that show that I came to realize that I didn’t have the genetics to ever be a “massive type” of bodybuilder. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=312&z=1People go to great lengths to destroy their health and then spend all of their savings to try and restore exactly what they destroyed, themselves? I see it all the time. They come to me to help guide them to getting into shape. I begin with telling them that getting healthy is the first step http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=313&z=1Steve Speyrer is a Drug-Free Champion Bodybuilder, Powerlifter, Trainer, Gym Owner, Contest Promoter, Model, Actor and Published Author. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=314&z=1You either want to do it or you don’t! It’s that simple. People make excuses for not doing the things that they, really don’t want to do. So, why try and do it? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=308&z=1When I first began training, I used calorie controlled diets to change my bodyweight and shape. I noticed that when I reduced my total caloric intake, I lost muscle size, strength and received minimum definition. When I increased them, I got bigger and stronger, but lost definition? http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=309&z=1People ask me my opinion about doing aerobics? I tell them that I’ve tried it both ways, with aerobics and without. And honestly, to tell you the truth, I’ve built more muscle with less body fat, when doing no aerobics at all! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=310&z=1Not long ago, one of the members of my health club poked her head in my office for some advice and assistance. Linda was a 46 year old mother of two, and she had been a member for over a year. She had been working out sporadically, with (not surprisingly) sporadic results. On that particular day, she seemed to have enthusiasm and a twinkle in her eye that I hadn’t seen before. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=301&z=1When is the best time of day to do your aerobic exercise? The answer is any time! The most important thing is that you just do it. Continuous cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, stairclimbing, or cycling, sustained for at least 30 minutes, will burn body fat no matter when you do it. However, if you want to get the maximum benefits possible from every minute you invest in your workouts, then you should consider getting up early and doing cardio before you eat your first meal - even if you're not a "morning person." Early morning aerobic exercise on an empty stomach has three major advantages over exercising later in the day: http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=299&z=1New York City - "Battle Your Biology? Fat Chance," proclaims a headline in the health section of the "July 11th New York Post. Quoting new research and citing psychologists, dietitians and physicians, the article says that more and more evidence proves that your weight is genetically determined, and if you're fat, "it's not your fault." "We've known for a while that genes - more than environment and behavior - explain obesity" argues Dr. James Rosen, an eating disorder specialist and professor at the University of Vermont. While genetics are definitely a factor, believing you are destined to be overweight for life because you've inherited "fat genes" is the most disempowering and self-defeating attitude you could ever adopt. The only way you’ll lose weight permanently is to accept total responsibility for yourself and acknowledge the fact that you have the power to change, regardless what mother nature has given you to work with. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=300&z=1I don’t care what era you discovered bodybuilding I can assure you of one thing, if it’s shoulder width you admire, Don Howorth has to be on top of your list. Wide sculptured delts that are recognizable even under a shirt and sweater; Don’s delts are legendary. I remember the first time I saw a picture of Don in a magazine, unbelievable! No one has shoulders like that, I thought. Don’s shoulders were not only wide they looked like they had coconuts sitting on top of them. In the back of my mind I actually thought the pictures I saw in the magazine were touched up. Couldn’t imagine anyone having shoulders like that.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=297&z=1I’m not going to get into the fact most neglect their legs and focus a disproportionate amount of time to chest and arm work. Sad but true and I will remain silent on that subject for now, although that’s hard for me to do.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=296&z=1Ah, the controversy continues and the wolves are at the door. No sooner had Joe Weider sold his magazine empire than those who remained silent over the years have suddenly stepped up spouting the many so called “evils” of Joe Weider. Oh yes, I have no doubt I will once again be chastised for writing this article just as I have been for other articles I have written about Joe. I also know some will feel I have betrayed them because they do not feel the same way toward Joe as I do but that’s not true. I betray no one; I only speak from my own experiences and what I feel is the truth. Joe Weider does not need me to defend him and I am not using names of people in an attempt to capitalize on their misfortune, real or imagined, accurately placed or misplaced. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=292&z=1 Forearms are usually forgotten when it comes to regular training. In fact, some people don’t even train them at all… they don’t have to. A good number of bodybuilders develop powerful well-shaped forearms without any direct work. For some, forearms get sufficient stimulation while working other muscle groups. These individuals are blessed with genetics that allow their forearms to grow without direct work. Even though the forearms do receive a considerable amount of stimulation constantly throughout the day, working out or not working out, it is not enough to stimulate growth for the majority of us.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=293&z=1Exercises such as chins and bent over rows can take the wind out of your sails and also place an overload on the biceps. So why work biceps the same day you do back? Why work triceps the same day you do chest as any work for the chest also works the triceps? Good question!http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=294&z=1When was the last time you read an article in a bodybuilding magazine on how to develop a strong muscular neck? Does your memory go back that far? If it does it’s better than mine. Oh sure, I remember reading a couple of articles in magazines but that was years ago, back in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Today you can find a lot of articles on the Internet related to neck training but for whatever reason, there does not seem to be any real interest in neck work. Of all the requests I get the neck receives the least. Football players and wrestlers are not the only two groups of athletes that need to have strong powerful necks. Bodybuilders need well-developed necks also, so the neglect or lack of interest is somewhat puzzling. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=295&z=1In this third and final installment of the series, we will scrutinize the sometimes-extreme protein consumption habits of competitive bodybuilders. This article is based on a combination of scientific research and my personal observations from 17 years in the sport. I'm a firm believer in the scientific method, but too often, scientists refuse to accept ideas that haven't been "properly tested," even if evidence of their effectiveness is right in front of them. Placebos, double blind studies, control groups and all that other lab rat stuff is great, but being too scientific can hold back your gains. Could it be that bodybuilders, with their high protein diets, are ahead of the science? There's no doubt that eating more protein works - just ask any successful bodybuilding champion (or just look at them for that matter!) The million-dollar question is... "How much more?"http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=288&z=1The secret to packing on pounds of solid muscle mass is simple: For the most part, the types of foods you eat on a muscle-gaining program are the same ones you should eat all the time, whether you want to lose, gain or maintain - you just need to eat more of them. "Just eat more" is easier said than done, however. It seems like you're constantly shopping, cooking and eating. Sometimes preparing food and eating it can seem like a full time job! One way to make gaining weight and forcing down all that food less of a chore is to choose foods (or supplements) with a HIGHER CALORIE DENSITY. By doing so, you can get more calories in the same amount of food. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=289&z=1It was back day. I had just chugged my favorite pre-workout beverage (a Grande Starbucks), which I used to wash down a couple of those ephedra "thermo" capsules. My heart was pounding, the adrenaline was flowing and I was ready to pump some HEAVY iron! I was pacing back and forth across the gym floor, psyching myself up for a big set of close grip lat pulldowns. I took a few deep breaths and strapped into the bar. The pin was set at 250 lbs. - the full rack. With a mighty grunt, I pulled the bar down to my chest, leaning back slightly with just "a little" swinging and momentum. I repeated eleven more times and then released it, exhausted but exhilarated. Twelve reps with the whole stack! I was pretty happy with myself. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=290&z=1In part one of "Bodybuilders & Protein," we talked about the ABC's of protein: what it is, what it is used for, and how it is processed in the body. We also looked at what the scientific literature says about protein needs. From this discussion, we came to five important conclusions: http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=291&z=1Next to “six pack abs,” the one muscle group that almost every man and woman wants the most is arms. So, instead of boring you with a ton of arm training physiology and long words like capillarization and coracobrachialis (yawn), and instead of giving you a single arm routine (gets old too fast), I’m going to skip the science and theory and go straight to the good stuff! In this article, I am simply going to give you a master list - an “anthology” - of the most result-producing arm routines in bodybuilding history! http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=286&z=1So you say you've tried everything and your "genetically cursed" calves won't grow? Well my friend, I'm happy to inform you that no, you probably haven't tried "everything" and that yes, your calves will grow - but only if you fire the right ammunition at them (and that means bringing out the heavy artillery). The only way to know how to attack those stubborn, exercise-resistant suckers is to understand the reasons why they aren't growing in the first place. Then, you can you strategically deploy the appropriate techniques to target and overcome each calf-building roadblock one by one. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=285&z=1For years, the “The Legend” himself, Larry Scott ruled supreme over bodybuilding. He took no prisoners as he dominated every aspect of the sport. The first Mr. Olympia in history, the first multiple winner of the title and the first Mr. America, Mr. Universe, Mr. Olympia winner was unstoppable and untouchable. Even today, almost thirty years later, Larry Scott is a personality in bodybuilding people still seek information from and about. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=276&z=1 A compound movement, the full back squat is both hated and loved. Challenged as a poor movement for bodybuilders by the Iron Guru Vince Gironda as well as many others I might add, and hailed as the single greatest movement of all exercises by countless others including some of bodybuilding’s greats. Those in opposition to the back squat claim it will make the hips wide, bulk up the glutes, thicken the waist and cause back and knee damage. Those in favor of the back squat claim it will build huge muscle mass not only on the thighs but other bodyparts as well, it will increase the ribcage, and increase endurance. So, with experts and highly educated and experienced proponents on both sides of the issue, who is right? Both are! Sound like an easy way out, well it’s more than that it’s also the truth. http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=274&z=16 x 6 Rest Pause Most bodybuilders have followed the 6 x 6 program at one time or another in their training. The 6 x 6 has many different variations that can be performed off the standard version in which you select one, two, or three exercises per body part and perform six sets of six reps of each exercise. Little tweaks are added to make the program more interesting and intense. Bodybuilders modify all programs based on their personal experience to suit their individual needs. This modification or adjustment provides them with continued growth and progress.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=272&z=1Anyone who has even just one week of training under their belt knows that intensity needs to be increased in order to continually coax the muscles into growth. It is also a well-known fact several methods are available to accomplish this task. You can add resistance by increasing the poundage used in an exercise, you can reduce the rest time between sets, you can isolate the muscle being worked, etc. All of these methods work and are unchallenged in their useful place in bodybuilding.http://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=273&z=1Being patient when trying to achieve your goals is a quality few people possess. It doesn`t matter if you are trying to gain muscle or lose fat, you must have the ability to be patient. In today`s world, everything is moving at such a fast pace and being patient is not something a person wants to do. In the sport of bodybuilding, everything you do requires patience of some sort. You can`t become satisfied with just one day of hard work, achieving the body of your dreams takes a lifetimehttp://www.bodyconcept.com/articles/templates/?a=537&z=1