Bodybuilding

Highlights From The 2010 L.A. Fit Expo!

2010-01-31T04:06:00.000-08:00

From the massive, excited crowds to more than 250 exhibits and booths, the Los Angeles Convention Center was packed on January 23rd and 24th. Learn more.

By: Bodybuilding Contests

With its biggest, best year yet, the 2010 Bodybuilding.com L.A. Fitness Expo was a monumental success! From the massive, excited crowds to more than 250 exhibits and booths, the Los Angeles Convention Center was packed on January 23rd and 24th. Joe Weider was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Expo offered 10 major competitions.

Guest Appearances

On top of all the vendors, free swag, and beautiful people, the Expo also sported a record number of guest appearances.

Alongside his eight Mr. Olympia wins as a professional bodybuilder, Coleman holds the record for most wins as an IFBB professional with 26 wins.

Michael was Team Captain Titan in American Gladiators. In addition to 4-time Mr. Natural Universe titles, O'Hearn is also a 4-time Power Lifting Champion, and Iron Warrior.

Ava Cowan is a Team Gaspari NPC Figure Athlete and a 4 x Overall Figure Champion. She also became a certified personal training specialist after receiving her credentials at the Fitness Institute in Boca Raton, Florida.

BodySpace Spokesmodels

Of all the contests at the Expo, none was more anticipated than the 2010 BodySpace Spokesmodel competition. The event gained so much popularity that audience members were referring to the entire Expo as "The BodySpace Expo."

From 300 contestants, BodySpace members voted on their 10 favorites to compete in L.A. If you haven't already,

Check out our exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage of the Spokesmodel Search finalists!

Male SpokesModel Contestants Doing A Posedown
At The Mecca Of Bodybuilding - Gold's Gym Venice.

Gorgeous Girls From The Expo Posing
For The Camera. Stunning Aren't They?

A Once In A Lifetime Photo-Op With
The Legend Himself, Joe Weider.

They Work Hard And They Play Hard! Having
Fun And Enjoying The LA Nightlife.

Contestants Capping Off The Night With A
Good Cheat Meal! They Deserve It!

The Expo

For more great event coverage, check out our L.A. Fit Expo main page, where you can catch more pictures, videos, and highlights.

BodySpace Spokesmodel Female Finalists.

2009 BodySpace Winners Sean And Allison.

Mindy Karuk & Erin Stern.

Bodybuilding.com Booth: BodySpace Spokesmodel Finalists!

2010 Arnold Classic Sports Festival Info!

2010-01-31T04:04:00.000-08:00

The Arnold Sports Festival is recognized as the largest multi-sport festival in the nation and the greatest sports-fitness experience of a lifetime. Learn how you can check it out in 2010.

By: Bodybuilding Contests

The 2010 Arnold Classic Sports Festival

When:

March 4-7, 2010

Where:

Columbus, Ohio

Greater Columbus Convention Center
400 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614.827.2500

Directions:

If traveling from the North, take I-71 South to Broad Street and turn right. Continue across the bridge and the facility is on the right after the bridge. If traveling from the South, take I-71 North to 4th Street. Turn left onto Broad Street and continue across the bridge. The facility is on the right after the bridge.

Franklin County Veterans Memorial
300 W. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.221.4341

Nationwide Arena
200 W. Nationwide Blvd.
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.431.3600

Hotel Information:

The 2010 Arnold Sports Festival enjoys more than 100 hotel partners - from luxury hotels to stylish bed & breakfasts, the City welcomes you! For best room rates, ask for Arnold Sports Festival blocks.

The EXPO:

Fitness enthusiasts from around the globe gather for the annual Arnold Fitness EXPO, a three-day extravaganza of fitness shopping and sports entertainment featuring the biggest names in the fitness industry. 700 booth spaces create the largest and most prestigious fitness EXPO anywhere in the world offering a wide array of fitness supplements, equipment, apparel, and endless star power. The 3-day annual EXPO offers the enthusiasm and excitement of 170,000 visitors and more than 17,000 athletes competing in 40 sports & events.

The Arnold Fitness EXPO grows every year in size and entertainment variety on the Arnold Fitness EXPO stage. The steady stream of non-stop fitness entertainment draws around the clock unparalleled crowds who come to shop, see and enjoy. Leading EXPO stage entertainment includes Friday's 12 noon prejudging for the professional women's Ms. International, Fitness International, and Figure International competitions as well as armwrestling, amateur bodybuilding, fitness & figure, professional strongman competitions, fitness entertainment and more.

Event Info:

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer held the first-annual Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in 1989. Today the Arnold Sports Festival is recognized as the largest multi-sport festival in the nation and the greatest sports-fitness experience of a lifetime.

The growth and popularity of the event led to the addition of the Ms. International Professional Women's Bodybuilding contest; the now 700-booth Arnold Fitness EXPO in 1993; the Fitness International, a contest of female athleticism and appearance in 1994; The Arnold Martial Arts Festival in 1996; The Arnold Cheerleading Competition in 2000; and the Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships, Arnold Gymnastics Challenge and the Arnold 5K Pump and Run in 2001.

Since then the addition of many more events including the MHP's Arnold Strongman Contest, The Arnold Archery Competition, The Killerspin Arnold Table Tennis Challenge, The Arnold Fencing Classic, and The Arnold USA Powerlifting Championships have created a four-day event that welcomes 17,000 athletes and 170,000 fitness enthusiasts to five premiere Columbus, Ohio venues. including Franklin County Veterans Memorial, Dispatch Ice Haus, Greater Columbus Convention Center, LC Pavilion and Nationwide Arena. Every year the event gets bigger. New in 2010 are Amateur Strongman, Amateur MMA, Skateboarding and Figure Skating.

Megan Tarntino Lost 85 Lbs Of Fat!

2010-01-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

After high school, Megan watched her weight climb to unhealthy levels. Finally, she decided that she needed to do something about it. Read on to learn how she shed 85 pounds right here!

By: Female Transformation Of The Week

Before:
215 lbs

After:
130 lbs

Vital Stats

Name: Megan Tarntino
BodySpace: tarntino

Before:
Age: 21
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 215 lbs
Body Fat: 36%
Waist: 41"
Chest: 42"

After:
Age: 22
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 130 lbs
Body Fat: 17%
Waist: 27"
Chest: 33"

Why I Got Started

I was always chubby in high school and when I got out I just let it go to the extreme! The scale was going up day by day! One day I reached a whopping 215 lbs and I knew that I had to do something.

A friend saw me in the mall and came up to me and said "Megan, you got so big!" My heart dropped and I knew I had to do something about it!

I Knew I Had To Do
Something About It!

How I Did It

I joined a local gym and started to workout a little. While working out I always saw beautiful women who were figure competitors. I loved the way they looked and the way they carried themselves.

I thought "This is something I would love to do with my life!" Without even doubting myself and keeping my head up high I made my long term goal to lose the weight and compete in 2010!

Well after a little research and 11 months of going to the gym twice a day six days a week, weight training, 5 mile runs 4 days a week, spin class and a dramatic diet change, I lost 85 lbs.

I went from 215 lbs to 130 lbs and I am not even done yet, I have just 5 pounds to go and only 4% more body fat to lose!

I Made My Long Term Goal To Lose
The Weight And Compete In 2010!

Supplements

NxLabs Nitro T3

Nutrex Lipo 6

Glutamine

Whey Protein

BSN NO-Xplode

BSN Syntha-6

RELATED PRODUCT

BSN Presents:
Syntha-6
Syntha-6 is the ultra-premium protein with an ultra-premium taste. Our multi-functional protein blend utilizes multiple individual proteins, each with varying digestive rates and distinct amino acid profiles.
[

Diet

Meal 1:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup of oatmeal
1/4 cup of blueberries
Meal 2:
4 oz of chicken breast
1/2 cup of sweetpotato
1/2 cup of green beans
Meal 3:
Protein shake
Apple
Meal 4:
Spinach
Fish
Cucumber
1/2 avocado
Meal 5:
2 scoops of BSN Syntha-6

Training

I ran in the morning before work and cycled on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday in the afternoon. Cardio was done at least 6 days per week, twice a day.

Sunday: Shoulders, Calves, And Abs

Monday: Legs

Tuesday: Chest And Triceps

Wednesday: Abs

Thursday: Back

Friday: Glutes And Abs

Saturday: Off

Suggestions For Others

Never give up! When you set a goal, go for it full throttle and don't ever let anyone hold you back. You're in-control of you!

Don't Ever Let Anyone
Hold You Back.

The Most Hated Man in Bodybuilding - An Interview with Greg Valentino

2009-12-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

To normal, untrained people, those who choose to lift weights to get bigger are considered freaks. Why, they say, would anyone put themselves through all that just to get bigger biceps and more defined abs? Are they obsessed? Do they suffer from low self-esteem? To the people who lift weights recreationally, professional bodybuilders are the real freaks. Why do they risk their health to look like that when most people think they look disgusting anyway? Do they have psychological "issues?" Body Dysmorphic Disorder? Small penises?

But who is it that the professional bodybuilders call a freak? Who is the freak's freak? Answer: Greg Valentino. If you don't know Mr. Valentino, check out the pics below (and no, there's no Photoshopping involved):

Greg is not a liked man. In fact, he's quite possibly the most despised man in bodybuilding. Mention his name on an internet forum and this is what you'll hear: "Why would he destroy his body with Synthol like that?" "Does he think he looks good?" "Who does he think he's fooling?" "He's a laughingstock." "An idiot." "An embarrassment to the sport." "He gives bodybuilding a bad name."

When TC told me that Greg had offered to do an interview with T-mag, I wasn't sure what to think. When I was asked to conduct the interview, I really didn't know what to think. You see, although I'd never spoken to the guy, I didn't like him either. In fact, I pretty much agreed with the statements above. I wondered if it would be wise of T-mag to draw attention to this guy. I wondered if he deserved a forum in which to speak. But I also couldn't help but wonder what he had to say.

The old psychology student in me has always been interested in the motivation of self-professed freaks. People with full body tattoos, people with ten pounds of piercings, women with breast implants the size of beach balls… I find them all fascinating. What would bodybuilding's biggest freak have to say? What motivates him? And most of all, is Greg Valentino a glimpse into the frightening future of bodybuilding, or is he the death nail in a "sport" gone too far?

It was time to find out.

Testosterone: Greg, I heard you were arrested, you're not talking to me from jail are you?

Greg Valentino: No! I have been in jail, though. I had a lot of problems obviously, but I'm okay now.

T: I also heard the other day that you were dead.

GV: What it is this: everyone accuses me of Synthol. I don't take Synthol. I was taking propionate and Equipoise into the muscle itself. Synthol just works one way: it stretches the fascia. With Equipoise and propionate you get the double whammy. You get the stretch from the oil plus you get the localized growth from the drugs themselves.

Synthol is like taking oil without the drug. It's like taking dead oil — like buying fake steroids without a drug in there. You can only get so much for Synthol. I've got 27-inch arms, what, you think I have seven inches of oil in there? That would be ridiculous; they wouldn't even look like arms anymore. Listen, I had 21-inch arms before I ever took a steroid in my life.

T: Really?

GV: Yes. I'm in my 40's. I trained for 25 years without ever touching a drug. Then when I took roids — I've taken roids for over six years now — my body just exploded. I was always a genetic freak with the arms. And I can back it up with pictures.

T: I recall seeing some pictures of you from back in the eighties and you looked like a normal bodybuilder.

GV: In some of those early pictures I was only twenty years old. I was a lightweight and won my class in a lot of shows. I had 18-inch arms at about 143 pounds. I didn't even know what steroids were back then.

T: After so many years of natural training, why did you start using steroids?

GV: To be honest with you, I saw a lot of guys passing me — guys that I'd been training for years. These guys had just started out lifting weights and all of a sudden, just a few years later, they're already gigundo. And here I am training slowly, making gains over the years and they went from nothing and now they're somebody. It's frustrating. Plus I just felt like I'd earned it. Twenty-five years of lifting weights with no steroids and everybody accusing me of it anyway, I figured, holy shit, I earned it!

T: Do you use steroids or other drugs now?

GV: I haven't taken steroids in over a year and I've never done growth hormone. I got thrown in jail, couldn't touch a weight, came out and still looked fuckin' big! My arms are still like 25 inches…

T: You're not using anything right now? No type of site injections or anything?

GV: No, I can't do anything! They're on me. I'm in drug rehab and I don't even take drugs. You're talking to a guy who's never drank in his life, no recreational drugs or nothing, but they have me in a drug program.

T: You were busted with steroids and they put you in a drug rehab program?

GV: Yeah, they don't know where to stick guys for steroids so what they do is stick you in with the hardcore drug people. So I'm in classes with crack addicts and all that shit. So anyway, I can't do drugs. I'm drug tested twice per week. I can't do any steroids; they test me for that, too.

T: So after your initial experiences with steroids, when did you decide to go all out with the arms and site injections?

GV: The minute I started I fell in love with it because my body responded incredibly. Within the first month I smacked an inch on my arms. And I wasn't even doing site injections yet. Then I just went hog wild, you know? I just kept going with it. Ice cold, my arms were 27 inches. And I'm a little guy. It's not like I'm tall or anything. But I don't just have big arms. I'm big all over. My worst body part is my chest. My chest is flat. It's not bad but it's not up to par with the rest of me. I have a very broad back and my shoulders are really wide.

T: People always want to know why you do it because it's just not symmetrical.

GV: Yeah, but I'm not trying to be symmetrical. I'm trying to be a freak, you know what I'm saying? Like I'm the Tom Platz of arms. Guys like Paul DeMayo who've known me for years will tell you I've always had big arms.

T: So you're saying that much of your arm size is the result of genetics and if someone wanted to do what you're doing they probably wouldn't be able to get the same results?

GV: Right. Synthol is available to everybody and anybody. Let's just say that for shits and giggles sake, that's what I did. Then how come there aren't other guys walking around with 27-inch arms? I know a lot of guys who've tried Synthol who didn't get nothing from it. They got a temporary pump and as soon as they went off, they lost it all. If it was that easy, then everybody would be walking around with big arms.

T: Have you ever thought about doing an X-ray or an MRI to prove your critics wrong?

GV: I would do that. You know what they're going to say, though: you're not going to be able to tell the difference between Synthol or if it's steroids. But you can definitely tell it's not no implant, so I'd be more than happy to do that.

T: Now, you say you don't use Synthol, but I read where you said that you have your own blend of MCT oil and other stuff that you use. True?

GV: No, no, I've never said that. People say I say all kinds of shit. MCT oil? That's nuts! I wouldn't take MCT oil as a supplement, much less stick that shit in my body. You'd be nuts to do that. I have never talked on a forum, not even the one at my web site, but people use my name all the time and say the most horrendous shit. My web site is horrendous. I'm blowing it up and going to put a new one up.

T: Give us an idea of what you did exactly to get your arms that way.

GV: I did a lot of Testosterone. I did about 3000 mg of Test per week. I love Testosterone and I love Equipoise. The Test I did was mostly propionate. Once in a while I would do enanthate and I would always keep it with Equipoise. I'd probably do, oh God… I would do a shot every other day. I wouldn't worry about the amount of oil; I would worry about the amount of drug. Over the course of a week, I take 3,000 mg of Test and probably put in 400 to 500 mg of Equipoise. Remember, that's 15 mg shots. So that would be about 10 CC's of EQ over a week's period. I would do shoulders, triceps, and biceps.

Greg as a steroid free young man of 20, Greg right before be started using steroids (according to him), Greg with 23-and-a-half-inch arms, and finally Greg with 27- inch arms.

Now, I would mix up the drugs. I'd throw sten in there sometimes in place of the propionate. People give sten a bad rap, but I happen to love it. It made me hard and ripped. You seem to grow a little more body hair from it and it's definitely androgenic. There are some pro-bodybuilders who used to get drugs off me and they happen to love it.

T: Is selling drugs what got you arrested?

GV: I was arrested because I was a big time drug dealer!

T: You owned a gym right?

GV: I owned a gym, I'm the landlord now, but I had to sell the business because it caused a lot of problems for me. You know, I'm the guy that was on Comedy Central when I was arrested. They were making fun of me and everything.

T: What was that all about?

GV: My arms are so big and my shoulders were so broad, they were filming me when I came out of the police station. They do these spoofs about the local news on the Daily Show and they showed me and said, "What do you think this guy was arrested for? Hint: It wasn't estrogen!" Then they showed me on tape and said, "Local police found that this guy was doing steroids. No shit! What, did you think he was storing nuts for the winter in those arms?"

T: Now, you've told me that you know a lot of the pros like Ronnie Coleman and are friendly with them, but Lee Priest has said some nasty stuff about you, right?

GV: I could stand next to Lee Priest and you could hide him right behind me. I'm a little taller than him, but not much. But yeah, Lee has said a lot of nasty shit. But what he doesn't understand is that I was training when he was in elementary school. I started in 1972! I know more about training than most of these guys, I swear to God. That's why when these guys go off the shit they look like they've never touched a weight in their lives.

Shawn Ray was fucking flipping out on me at the Night of Champions too, saying he didn't understand what I was doing. But you gotta' understand, I'm big all over. I'm a lot bigger than him. My arms were bigger than Shawn's before I did roids!

T: Have you lost much size since you were forced to go off?

GV: Yeah, I've lost size. My arms are 25 inches now. But I was just at Night of Champions and people were still going nuts wanting my pictures and all that crap.

T: You say that as if you don't like the attention.

GV: Do I like it? Actually, I'm a little embarrassed.

T: So what's your motivation? You've got to expect that kind of attention.

GV: My motivation is this [laughing], I've got small man complex, Napoleon complex, whatever it is. I'm only like five foot five and a half. I mean, a guy with 27-inch arms who's only 5'5" with a 27 inch waist…it looks ridiculous. But then again, if I can't grow taller, then I'm going to be the biggest freak I can be. I don't give a shit about symmetry.

In bodybuilding, nobody gives a shit about Milos Sarcev up there all symmetrical with a beautiful body. You ask the crowd who they like to see. They like to see the freaks, Markus Ruhl or Paul Dillet, even though he can't pose to save his life. People love to see mass. They like to see freaks. It's what gets them into this sport.

T: Do you think you motivate people?

GV: No, I think I disgust people. I get rotten e-mail from all over the world from people that tell me I suck, I look like shit, I ruined my physique… Then again I do get people who are awed by it, the fact that I'm a freak. Anyway, I know I disgust people. I know I'm the laughing stock of bodybuilding. I know that and that's okay with me.

T: You know, I'm thinking about titling this piece "The Most Hated Man in Bodybuilding." No offense, but that's the impression I get from listening to people talk about you.

GV: That's fine. You gotta know the kind of person I am. I'm a very easy going person. I understand that I'm the most hated person in bodybuilding, without a doubt! It's not that that's what I want, but it's okay by me because that's the truth. But people don't give me credit. Most guys could never hang with me. I can do the most incredible amount of sets. I used to curl a ridiculous amount of weight. I can't any more; I'm in my forties.

But nobody gives me credit. They assume it's all Synthol or drugs, but they don't understand. I had 18-inch arms in the 140's. Right before I started taking steroids I was like 185 with 21-inch arms. It's nothing for me to do 60 sets for a body part. I love volume training. I used to have to drink soda and eat rolls while I was training just to keep the carbs up because I would train for hours. I don't do that anymore, but I still do mega sets.

T: I have to ask, are there any daily activities you can't do because of your arm size?

GV: Everybody asks me that. I can shoot baskets and I can throw a football a mile. I play sports; I'm very well-rounded. I can hit fast balls over the fence. People don't realize I'm a really good athlete. I'm not muscle bound at all.

T: Now, you have an arm-training video, but come on, it's not like you got your arms from just training alone. Isn't that being deceptive?

GV: It's not an arm training video. It's a regular training video with my philosophies and stuff. If I worked with you for one fucking week, I guarantee you I could put an inch on any body part you want without steroids or any injections.

T: But when people see your arms, the smart ones say, hey, what does this guy know about training, he just shoots a bunch of stuff into his arms!

GV: Exactly. But the people who've worked with me will tell you they've put inches on their arms and their whole body. I have different ways of doing shit.

T: Any health problems from all this?

GV: Oh fuck yeah! I have a video where I'd hit a blood vessel with an injection and it had exploded my blood vessel. It just kept bleeding and bleeding and I couldn't do anything about it. Even after they stuck me in jail, they couldn't do anything about it and when I came out my arm was fucking humongous. My left arm was like 29 inches. But it wasn't muscle, it was like a balloon in there. So I videotaped myself pulling all this blood and shit out of there.

Also, I was taking 3,000 mg a week of Testosterone alone. Throw in about another 500 mg of Equipoise and you've got about 3,500 mg of drugs. Well, they stuck me in jail, so I went from 3500 mg to nothing! Thank God I didn't lose muscle, but my dick was like holy shit! I was at the point where Pam Anderson could come in and suck it and nothing would happen. It's destroyed my libido.

My body is bouncing back now. I never got no nut shrinkage though. I don't understand that, but I didn't. They were still the size of eggs, but I definitely fucking lost sex drive. I can get a hard-on now, but it's been over a year and that's why. But when I first came out, I was like, holy fuck!

I don't get any bitch tits or nothing. I never took any anti-estrogens. I believe that's something that's genetic. Some guys can sniff steroids and their nipples get sore. Other guys can take whatever and they don't have any problems. I think guys who naturally have bigger nipples are more prone to getting bitch tits than guys with small nipples. I always had small nipples. I have a lot of theories on shit.

T: What about scar tissue?

GV: I'm sure there's some scar tissue in my arms from taking injections. I get hard spots and stuff. I've had abscesses. That's why my one bicep doesn't peak. I went to an emergency room doctor and he fucking sliced my bicep to fucking clear out an abscess. It flattened out my peak in one arm.

T: Tell me, are you making money off of this?

GV: [laughing] No! Nobody likes me! I'm making no money. Well, I do make some money off my videos. I haven't sold a ton, but I've sold quite a few.

T: If you don't do Synthol, why do you sell it on your website?

GV: Everyone is always asking me about it and asking where can they get it because they think I do it. So why not try to capitalize on that? So I get it from my friend who owns Zoe Labs. I've only sold a couple of bottles actually.

T: Where do you see yourself in 20 or 30 years?

GV: Hmm, maybe with 30 inch arms! No, I'm just kidding. I don't know. I know I'll always be in shape. Hopefully I'll still be alive.

T: Think you'll be around at age 60? I have to wonder given your past run-ins with the law and heavy steroid use.

GV: I don't blame people for thinking that about me. I'm not taking any drugs anymore. I want to get a doctor to put me on Testosterone because I know I have low Testosterone now. But I'm certainly not going to sell that shit anymore. I don't take any other risks. You're talking to a guy who's never drank in his life. I don't even know what beer tastes like! I've been a best man at three weddings and I've toasted with water. It has nothing to do with bodybuilding. It has to do with the fact that I idolized my father growing up and he never drank, so I never drank. The only risks I've ever taken in my life involved steroids and I'm done with that. I've got kids and I don't want to spend my life in jail.

T: Just out of curiosity, do you think Synthol should be allowed in professional bodybuilding?

GV: I do. I think Synthol is useless, personally. Well, not useless, it has a small place in bodybuilding. Women have breast implants and that enhances their physiques without a doubt. Without the implants they'd look like men in bikinis up there. If they can do that, I don't see what the big deal is with guys using Synthol. Synthol doesn't make the bodybuilder. If people say my arms are all Synthol, then I challenge anyone else to get 27-inch arms just by using it. There's no way. You've got to have the drug to get the localized growth.

T: What do you think about the state of competitive bodybuilding in general?

GV: Bodybuilding is definitely going backwards. It's a terrible sport. The promoters make money, but the bodybuilders make next to nothing. You've got guys in the top five at the Olympia who are bouncing in nightclubs just to support themselves. Mike Quinn was bouncing in nightclubs yet he was sixth one year in the Olympia. If he were the number six player in baseball he'd be making millions.

Bodybuilding is a terrible sport. I like it for me. I like being a freak because it makes up for the fact that I'm a little guy. But as far as who wins the Mr. Olympia, I could give a shit. As long as the Yankees win the World Series I'm a happy man.

T: Any last words for your critics and haters out there?

GV: Well, I guess if they keep talking about me it'll keep my name out there. There's no such thing as bad publicity. Everybody hated George Steinbrenner but the Yankees kept winning.

T: But if you're not making money off of it, why do you want the publicity?

GV: One day I'd like to make money off of it. The thing is, when people meet me they like me. When I'm at the big shows, people always mob up to me and tell me they didn't realize I was a nice guy. I give everybody the time of day and give them respect. I'm not a bad person; I've just done some bad things.

NO2 Hemodilators, Muscle, Bodubuilding

2009-12-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

INTRODUCING NO2… the first of an exciting new category of muscle-enhancers known as a hemodilators. NO2 has the unique ability to perpetually sustain the flow of muscle-building agents to skeletal muscle.

Now get faster, more dramatic increases in muscle size, strength and endurance plus full-body muscle recovery and the stunning new phenomenon known as the perpetual pump… all from the man who brought you creatine!

What is NO2 ?

NO2 has created a revolutionary new category of muscle-builders and muscle-enhancers known as "cell-signaling hemodilators".

Through mediation of the "signaling-molecule" nitric oxide (NO), NO2 induces powerful hemodilation and creates dramatic increases in muscle size, strength, endurance, power output, and load capacity.

With its advanced sustained-release technology pHyser3, NO2 generates a virtual permanent muscle pump, now known as the "perpetual pump."

NO2 was created by the same man who introduced Creatine to the market in 1993 - Ed Byrd, co-founder of EAS™ and now president of MRI™ (Medical Research Institute).

How NO2 works ?

NO2 creates - and sustains - levels of nitric oxide in the skeletal muscles.

Nitric oxide is the muscle's "cell-signaling" molecule responsible for blood flow (hemodilation), oxygen delivery, glucose uptake, muscle velocity, power output, and muscle growth.

By creating and then sustaining levels of nitric oxide in the skeletal muscles NO2 delivers continuous muscle-enhancing benefits around the clock. Like amplifying muscle-growth signals for faster gains in lean mass, accelerating both fast and slow twitch muscle fiber for greater strength, providing complete "full-body muscle recovery", and increasing endurance index (EI).

In addition, NO2's sustained hemodilation (continuous and amplified blood-surge to the skeletal muscles) generates a "perpetual pump".

Before the introduction of NO2, hemodilation occurred only during intense exercise, and lasted for a relatively brief time. Now, with NO2's extended-release delivery system pHyser3, it is possible for hemodilation to last all day long! That means greater results and faster gains for you. And, of course, a "perpetual pump."

The NO2 difference

The NO2 difference is this:

No other supplement can sustain levels of nitric oxide AND generate a continual and amplified blood-surge (hemodilation) in skeletal muscles.

Until the creation of NO2's extended-release delivery system (pHyser3), generating and maintaining nitric oxide levels was impossible. The human body's pH factor literally dissolved any agent or substance that could help generate nitric oxide inside the body. Now, with NO2's pH-corrected, body-compatible delivery system, pHyser3, the human body is
able to not only accept the nitric oxide delivery agent, but also sustain levels of nitric oxide in the muscles throughout
the entire day.

Now athletes and bodybuilders can finally get all the powerful benefits of hemodilation - all day long! Including faster gains in muscle mass, increased strength and endurance, and the creation of the "perpetual pump".

Hemodilation

Hemodilation means a widening of the blood channels leading to skeletal muscles through the mechanism of amplified blood flow.

The word "Hemodilation" comes from combining 'Hemo' [from the Greek word 'haima' meaning blood] and 'Dilator' [from the Latin word 'dilatare' meaning to widen]. The measure of the widening of the blood canals is calculated by the "dilation differential™" - known as d-delta™.

Hemodilation is initiated by nitric oxide synthesis. Nitric oxide is the cell-signaling molecule responsible for blood flow, oxygen delivery, glucose uptake, muscle velocity, power output, and gene-expression, or muscle growth. By sustaining nitric oxide levels in the skeletal muscles, NO2 generates its sustained hemodilation. The channels that deliver muscle building agents to the muscle cells become forced open and remain that way throughout the day.
The results are faster gains in lean mass, greater strength, increased endurance, complete full-body muscle recovery, and a "perpetual pump."

NOTE: Hemodilation is a new term that came into existence with the discovery of nitric oxide (NO). Under ordinary circumstances, hemodilation lasts only briefly. With the introduction of NO2, however, and the sustained NO levels it generates in the skeletal muscle, sustained hemodilation became a reality. The word hemodilation, as applied to NO2, means sustained hemodilation.

Hemodilation vs cell volumization

"What I started with Creatine, I perfected with NO2." -Ed Byrd

How does NO2's "hemodilation" compare to Creatine's "cell-volumization"?

Because Ed Byrd introduced both Creatine and NO2, he says it best...

"As you probably know, Creatine causes 'cell-volumizing' by pulling water into the small space inside the muscle cell.
It does increase size, but you may look a little "puffy". NO2's hemodilation, on the other hand, creates genuine size by forcing blood into the vast and voluminous spaces between the muscle cells – not inside the cells.
This super-engorging creates massive pumps. What's more, because the blood is between the cells not inside them, the pump is rock-hard – not at all puffy.

And with the extended-release delivery system pHyser3, the pump does not go away. You get what is known as a "perpetual pump".

"Frankly, my recommendation to bodybuilders would be to take both Creatine and NO2. I look at it this way, what I started with Creatine, I perfected with NO2."

What results should I see with NO2 ?

The first result most bodybuilders see (in 5-7 days) is the "perpetual pump."

The perpetual pump is a massive rock-hard muscle pump that literally does not go away. Unlike the exercise-induced pump that quickly fades with time, the perpetual pump is virtually permanent.

Then, 2-3 days after the appearance of the perpetual pump, you'll start noticing increases in strength and endurance.
At the same time, you'll see increases in size in all your skeletal muscles.

Is NO2 right for me ?

Ask yourself these simple questions:

Am I happy with my current muscle gains?
Would I like to get the great-looking pump I get after an intense workout, and keep it all day long?
Would I like to add more reps and more sets to every workout?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, NO2 is the perfect answer for you.

That's because NO2 gives you:

Continuous gains in lean mass by triggering forced-growth muscle-signaling action;
A perpetual pump through its powerful hemodilating effects;
Greater strength by accelerating your fast-twitch muscle strength; complete full-body muscle recovery; and
Far better workouts by increasing your Endurance Index (EI).

Is NO2 safe ?

Yes. NO2 generates, and maintains, levels of nitric oxide - a substance that is totally natural to your body.

NOTE: There are now 3 categories of substances that help enhance performance: Drugs; Dietary Supplements; and now with the introduction of NO2 - Nutraceutical Expressors.

Drugs, like androgenic anabolic steroids, are foreign to your body. They work powerfully, but because they're a foreign agent, they have many negative side effects. We do not recommend using drugs unless under a doctor's supervision.

Dietary Supplements are naturally occurring substances in your body. They have a moderate range of effectiveness and usually have no side effects.

NO2 - the Nutraceutical Expressor™ - gives you the best of both worlds: powerful results and safety.

Nutraceutical Expressors work by amplifying both volume and action-time of muscle-building agents that are natural to your body. For example:

Keeping nitric oxide in skeletal muscles for extended periods of time to effectively increase muscle-building protein synthesis
Inducing sustained hemodilation; and
Providing complete full-body muscle recovery

are all examples of the benefits of Nutraceutical Expressors.

When should I take NO2 ?

For maximum results, refer to the chart below. You should start noticing results in about 5-7 days.

IMPORTANT: Remember to drink at least 64 ounces (that's 8 glasses) of water daily while taking NO2.

Men

Up to 200 Pounds	Over 200 Pounds
8 Caplets Daily	10 Caplets Daily
Take 4 Caplets first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Take another 4 caplets 1/2 hour prior to lunch.	Take 5 Caplets first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Take another 5 caplets 1/2 hour prior to lunch.

Women

Up to 125 Pounds	Over 125 Pounds
4 Caplets Daily	6 Caplets Daily
Take 2 Caplets first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Take another 2 caplets 1/2 hour prior to lunch.	Take 3 Caplets first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Take another 3 caplets 1/2 hour prior to lunch.

Hemodilation

Hemodilation means a widening of the blood channels leading to skeletal muscles through the mechanism of amplified blood flow.

Hemodilation is initiated by nitric oxide synthesis. Nitric oxide is the "cell-signaling" molecule responsible for blood flow, oxygen delivery, glucose uptake, muscle velocity, power output, and gene-expression, or muscle growth. By sustaining nitric oxide levels in the skeletal muscles, NO2 generates its sustained hemodilation. The channels that deliver muscle building agents to the muscle cells become "forced open" and remain that way throughout the day. The results are faster gains in lean mass, greater strength, increased endurance, complete full-body muscle recovery, and a "perpetual pump."

Perpetual pump

A "perpetual pump" is a muscle pump that remains in its post-exercise, blood-engorged, rock-hard condition virtually all the time! The increased muscle size and muscle density achieved through exercise do not fade with time.

The "perpetual pump" is a brand new phenomenon. It's one of the stunning effects of the sustained hemodilation you get from NO2.

Increased blood flow is responsible for your pump. Your body responds to exercise by releasing nitric oxide, the muscle's "signaling molecule" responsible for increased blood flow.

When you exercise hard, Nitric oxide opens the blood floodgates, allowing blood to surge in. That's hemodilation, and that's how you get a "pump". But the exercise-induced pump is only temporary. It disappears soon after the body realizes exercise has ended.

Now, with NO2, pumps do not go away. Even massive, vein-popping pumps show no sign of diminishing.
That's because NO2 generates a continuous surge of blood that courses through the skeletal muscle throughout the day. So muscles remain engorged and steel-like all day long. The secret of the continuous surge of blood lies in NO2's exclusive nitric oxide extended-release delivery system pHyser3.

Muscle Fiber Twitch Accelerators

These accelerators are any agent or substance capable of increasing the contractile velocity of both fast and slow twitch muscle fibers.

By increasing nitric oxide production, NO2 increases your maximum contractile velocity - in all muscle types.
Fast-twitch fibers get faster. Slow-twitch fibers start acting more like fast-twitch.

The results are immediate and consequential, and include increasing your load capacity, boosting your power output, and quickening your muscle contraction.

Endurance index (EI)

The Endurance Index (EI) is the new measure of the rate of increased endurance during work output.

Current research indicates that the keto-acids, like the ones you find in NO2, can help significantly delay fatigue and dramatically improve your Endurance Index (EI).

In fact, many athletes are now reporting that taking NO2 gives them the kind of endurance they get when they train at high altitude and then race at sea level.

Providing Full-Body Muscle Recovery

Muscle recovery refers to the difference in blood channel diameter between normal conditions and hemodilated conditions. The greater the dilation (d), the greater the blood-surge to the skeletal muscle. The difference between any two sizes of dilation is called the differential (dD).

NO2's increase in the dilation differential is what generates the new condition known as the "perpetual pump."

The new full-body muscle recovery is one that provides all skeletal muscles with a complete recovery.
That includes both the smaller and larger muscle groups.

Full-body muscle recovery allows all the muscles on your body grow in the correct proportion to each other - providing a better and more proportional physique.

NOTE: The continual surge of blood that NO2 supplies muscles gives them the time they need to recover completely. Compare that to the normal recovery time of about 30-45 minutes. NO2's "amplified" surge of blood and the greater dilation it creates (known as "dD" - dilation differential), "forces" blood to all the muscles not just the larger ones.
That gives all skeletal muscles a complete recovery.

Dilation Differential (dD)

Dilation Differential is the difference in blood channel diameter between normal conditions and hemodilated conditions. The greater the dilation (d), the greater the blood-surge to the skeletal muscle.
The difference between any two sizes of dilation is called the differential (dD).

NO2's increase in the dilation differential is what generates the new condition known as the "perpetual pump."

Nutraceutical Expressors

Nutraceutical Expressors dramatically amplify both the volume and action-time of natural muscle-building agents.
For example, NO2 helps keep nitric oxide in skeletal muscle for extended periods of time to effectively increase time of muscle-building protein synthesis, induce sustained hemodilation, provide full-body muscle recovery, accelerate muscle fiber twitch, and increase endurance index.

NOTE: There are now 3 categories of substances that help enhance performance: Drugs; Dietary Supplements; and now with the introduction of NO2 - Nutraceutical Expressors.

Dietary Supplements are naturally occurring substances in your body. They have a moderate range of effectiveness and usually have no side effects.

NO2 - the Nutraceutical Expressor™ - gives you the best of both worlds: powerful results and safety.

Dillation Differential

Dilation Differential is the difference in blood channel diameter between normal conditions and hemodilated conditions. The greater the dilation (d), the greater the blood-surge to the skeletal muscle. The difference between any two sizes of dilation is called the differential (dD).

NO2's increase in the dilation differential is what generates the new condition known as the "perpetual pump."

Gene Expression (re-defined)

"Gene expression" is not a new term. But it now has new meaning thanks to NO2.

In fact, it is the standard term used to describe the activation of any gene responsible for a specific function - like constructing new muscle.

Gene expression, when used in the context of NO2, however, takes on a new meaning. It refers to sustained gene expression, and therefore, the sustained muscle growth it provides.

pHyser³™ (delivering the undeliverable)

pHyser³ represents a major breakthrough in the effective delivery muscle-building agents. pHyser³ allows the delivery of agents previously thought to be undeliverable.

MRI's new pHyser³ is a pH-corrected, body-compatible delivery system that allows the human body to fully accept the nitric oxide delivery agent, unlocking the full potential of nitric oxide's powerful effect on skeletal muscle.

In addition, its extended-release delivery mechanism ensures that nitric oxide levels are maintained and sustained for the entire day. That's how NO2 creates a steady and continuous blood-surge to the skeletal muscles. Creating greater size, strength, endurance, and the "perpetual pump."

pHyser³ was created by the Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Northern California. MRI's president and CEO is Ed Byrd, co-founder of EAS™ and the man whose company introduced the last significant breakthrough in sports supplements in 1993 - creatine monohydrate.

Discipline: You Need It To Reach Your Bodybuilding Potential.

2009-12-08T05:51:00.000-08:00

We all know real champions are those who push their physiques to the limit and accept nothing but the best from themselves. Their success can be isolated to one point. Discipline! Absolute and unwavering. Read on to find out more about what discipline is.

By: David Robson

Let's face it: walking through our workouts, with a lack-luster attitude, will produce very little in the way of size gains. We all know those who shuffle from one piece of exercise equipment to another in an aimless fashion, looking at their watches and hoping for their session to come to an end so they can drive home and watch television.

One wonders why these people train in the first place. After all, real gains come only from intensive training and their half-hearted sessions, lacking the necessary intensity, more often than not, fail to deliver even minimal results.

We all know real champions are those who push their physiques to the limit and accept nothing but the best from themselves. These people are the ones who move quickly and purposefully around the gym, like human dynamos with expressions of intensity on their faces - their physiques reflect the intensity they apply. These people clearly demonstrate discipline, the essential component that often separates the awesome from the mediocre.

What Is Discipline?

People generally hate discipline because it often means forcing oneself to confront the realities of their life: the dieter for example who must rigidly adhere to a stringent eating plan.

Discipline therefore has negative connotations for many. It is, however, an immensely important variable, as far as developing a phenomenal physique is concerned.

Mental Control
A Life And Death Situation

Essentially, exercising discipline means having control over ones mind - using our inner voice to force a particular result. Imagine performing a set of bench-presses with a non-disciplined mind-set. The weight lifted and number of reps would probably be at least 25% below what could be achieved with sufficient motivation.

A Non-Disciplined Mind-Set
Can Reduce Achievements By At Least 25%

Imagine then a raving lunatic approaching with a gun and demanding you load an additional 20kgs and pump out and extra 5 reps. In all likelihood this would be achieved.

The lifter has disciplined themselves to lift this weight because their life has depended on it. This is precisely the type of attitude needed to excel in bodybuilding, and sport in general. Training needs to become a life or death situation, as extreme as this may sound.

Before beginning the aforementioned set of benches, the lifter, in the first instance, has taken the easy way out. This is a natural part of the human condition. We are likely, when faced with difficulties, to take the easy option because we are pleasure seeking beings.

Obeying The Doctrines Of Oneself

We all love to feel good and this makes sense. However, we need to apply self discipline, and make things hard when training muscle is the aim. Clearly an unpopular concept, discipline (which means adhering to the doctrines of another) must be used to push the boundaries of physical capability.

Self discipline could be extrapolated to mean obeying the doctrines of oneself. This means we must set goals and continually seek ways to enhance motivation levels. In short, self discipline is the ability to get the job done, regardless of ones emotional state.

Given its competitive nature and the degree of excellence needed to separate oneself from others of similar proficiency, sport is one arena where self discipline is needed in abundance. One who understood the importance of self discipline was Great coach, Vince Lombardi, who said,

	"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."

How To Practice Self-Discipline

Self discipline is essentially a frame of mind. When we think positive thoughts, self-discipline is more readily activated. On the flip-side, negative thoughts promote a sloppy attitude and a weak mind.

The Necessity Of Negative Thinking.
Contrary to what positive thinking devotees say, applying negative thinking is often necessary to achieve your goals and improve your life. Let's start off by going over some of the pitfalls of positive thinking.

This leads to low self-discipline. The key to activating self-discipline through positive thinking is to perfect our inner dialogue - the little inner voice that talks to us all the time, and gives out instructions.

Those who have experienced a negative childhood, generally have a very negative inner dialogue. Thoughts planted in our heads from a young age tend to crystallize into a particular mind-set that leads us into adulthood.

If negative thoughts are planted, it is much harder to activate a positive mind-set and consequently self-discipline is harder to practice.

On the other hand, a positive upbringing will probably lead to a more optimistic voice and a higher degree of self-discipline as a result.

Given training success depends to a large extent on discipline; one will need to try and change any nagging self doubts and negative internal dialogue.

Before attempting a set a heavy squats it is advisable to train your inner voice to say, for example, "this will be the most enjoyable set of squats ever and the weight will be lifted with ease" as opposed to the negative "this weight is very heavy but I will attempt it anyway".

"This Is The Most Enjoyable Set Of Squats Ever!"

By repeating the former, a positive, lasting, thought pattern will be established. This will help to obviate any lingering negative feelings which inevitably impede training progress. Practice the following to ensure your inner voice becomes positive, which will help to forge self-discipline and enhance training.

1: Forget The Past

Focus on the present, and future if previous negative experiences are holding you back. This will help to establish a positive inner voice and self-discipline.

Negative thought patterns are often established in childhood. Constantly dwelling on childhood experiences will reinforce negative patterns and dilute the present.

2: Your Inner Dialogue Must Be Specific

Before training arms, for example, think about exactly what is to be achieved. "I will lift the heavy weight" probably won't cut it. Rather, "I will curl the 85lbs and contract my biceps to develop massive arms" is more detailed and conjures a vivid image of an end result.

3: Visualize

Repeating positive statements to develop a positive inner voice does not have the same impact as visualizing exactly what you want to achieve while making these statements. Imaging building biceps like mountains, while saying "my arms are exploding with new growth".

4: Try To Avoid Negative Events & People

Both will sap energy and dilute enthusiasm. Negative people will plant negative thoughts in those of whom they come in contact with. Surround yourself with positive people as this will reinforce your own positive thought patterns.

A good training partner can help to strengthen self discipline with their insistence that you complete "one more rep".

Surround Yourself With Positive People.

5: Learn To Master Problem Solving

An important step to establishing self-discipline is taking control of ones emotions. Becoming upset and angry will only serve to derail positive thinking and self-discipline. We all encounter problems. How we deal with them differs depending on a variety of factors. Self-discipline, and control, certainly help when it comes to solving a problem, and moving on.

Those who find it hard to move on are often those with minimal self-discipline. An injury, for example, might mean weeks, or months, away from the gym. Continuing positive self-talk, and keeping ones eyes on their goals, will assist a smoother transition back to the gym, when the injury has healed. A strengthened resolve and sufficient self-discipline will help in this respect also.

6: Focus On Discipline, Often

Discipline, by its very nature, is not an easy trait to establish. However, by putting ourselves in challenging situations throughout the day, while resisting the temptation to become sloppy and unfocused, one can strengthen their ability to rouse discipline when it counts.

For example, when sitting in a chair, one might try to keep their back straight; despite the fact they are tired and feel like slouching back. Another way might be to resist staying up late or sleeping in, excessively. These things might encourage complacency and a resultant lowering of discipline over the long term.

How Your Personality Affects Your Training!
By developing greater insight into who we are, training weak points can be challenged, and overcome. Read below to find out more about different personality types!
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Indeed, focusing on discipline, with a view to building it, can be elegantly explained with a bodybuilding analogy: in short, the more you train discipline, the stronger it becomes, and, just as it takes some muscle to build more, it, similarly, takes some self discipline to establish additional levels.

Progressive Resistance

The key when using this analogy, to establish self discipline, is to consider the principal of progressive resistance, as it applies to weight training (the lifting of progressively heavier weights, or the addition of repetitions, to increase training intensity, and promote muscular gains).

Taking on challenges that are close to ones capabilities will promote increases in self discipline, more effectively than unrealistic, largely unobtainable, targets.

Therefore, to build self discipline, take it slowly and establish it at a progressive rate, rather than diving straight into the heavy stuff and risking injury, metaphorically speaking.

It is next to impossible to achieve every objective, regardless of how self disciplined one is. It is, therefore, more advantageous to correct the so called smaller problems, such as eating that extra bite of pizza, or stopping short of failure when training with maximal weights, rather than trying to tackle a 300lb behind-the-neck-press, when ones training weight on this movement is 120lb.

7: Work Hard

This could be the single most important piece of advice pertaining to the achievement of self discipline. To put all of the above into practice, one needs to work exceedingly, and consistently, hard.

Hard work to some might conjure up images of self denial, and suffering. However, all the good things in life come as a result of the kind of sustained hard work that makes these things worth having, and life worth living.

The biggest barrier to self discipline is a weak mind, and this often results from failure to set goals, and execute a plan of action (explained soon). As mentioned, self discipline can be strengthened like muscle tissue, and the more one practices self discipline development, the more they will become strong mentally.

How To Apply Self Discipline

Knowing all of the above will undoubtedly help when aiming to strengthen self discipline, but without a plan of attack, the best idea and knowledge base in the world might fail to gain traction. Using the following plan will help to bring ones self discipline goals to fruition.

1: Choose the area of life that needs strengthening.

For simplicities sake, a basic weight training example will be used. An area that might need addressing could be the amount of weight lifted on the bench press. A lifter might stop short of adding an extra 5-10lb due to complacency, or lack of self discipline.

2: Create a plan of attack.

The plan would, therefore, be to consciously add weight to this movement, as per the progressive resistance example mentioned earlier. At this point, self discipline is actively being put to the test, as a change in mind-set is being occurring.

3: Execute the plan.

The execution phase is where the lifter will either succeed, or fail, as the mind-set is challenged to actually put into practice what has been planned.

Not dissimilar to classic goal setting, this is the essence of self discipline - the execution of a plan to break a negative cycle of self delusion. Indeed, without goal setting, we live our lives floundering in a sea of ill discipline.

The SMART Way To Set Goals!
The SMART Goal Setting principles will help you reduce your chances of setting goals that you wouldn't be able to obtain even if you had some sort of superhuman powers.
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Conclusion

To achieve ones bodybuilding goals, a large degree of discipline is imperative. The sloppy thinking and complacency that result from an undisciplined mind (which is itself the product of negative thinking) may result in a complete lack of focus and low self-belief.

To counter this state, it is advisable to focus on developing discipline. The strategies suggested in this article might sound silly to some, but they will have profound results if practiced religiously.

Anything that encourages a positive inner dialogue is conducive to success in any sphere. Given bodybuilding is an intensive activity, a large degree of self-disciple is needed.

Self-discipline (the strategy we use to get ourselves to do something that does not come naturally) can only be developed through a strong sense of self belief coupled with a positive inner voice.

Weight Training and Hormones - The Amazing Hormone Connection

2009-11-04T15:28:00.001-08:00

The time has come for me to lay out in profane simplicity the importance of the body's key hormones and their role in energy, fat storage, muscle building and disease.

Plowing over stacks of research, rummaging through my muscle-building memory and compiling engaging information to help you (and me) respect and understand the intricate world of hormones is no day at Pleasure Point. The facts, biochemistry, sequences of hormonal and enzyme activity and their interplay with nutrients in the bodies of healthy and unhealthy men and women, though pertinent and logical, is confusing when presented in an article intending to be bright and inspirational. Difficulty also arises when the reader is not a pre-med student but simply a guy or gal interested in getting in shape.

Hormones, vast in number and comprising an intricately interconnected system, are considered by scientists to be the body's most powerful biological agents, regulating almost entirely the chemical activities of the body. Their handiwork is reflected in the storage and distribution of excess bodyfat, the density and strength of muscle, levels of energy and sex drive and the symptoms of aging. The foods we ingest are immediately attended by these amazing workers and they can serve us both positively and negatively. We can at some point and to a considerable degree control the activity of the hormones to optimize their effects on our health and longevity.

The five hormones I have selected to sketch a rough profile are growth hormone, testosterone, insulin, glucagon and cortisol.

Growth hormone, produced in the pituitary gland, is particularly involved in building muscle and directing the body to burn fat. Keep in mind that any efficiency we have in building, repairing and replacing muscle is also efficiency in retarding the aging process. Growth hormone cooperates well with insulin and testosterone in the muscle-building process. This life-giving ingredient enhances immune function, inhibits early stages of arteriosclerosis and numerous symptoms of aging. It unfortunately declines in production as one gets older. Growth hormone is secreted in the early hours of deep sleep and it is positively affected by exercise.

Testosterone is the super hormone in man responsible to a large degree for his sexuality and male characteristics. It is to a much lesser degree present in women. It plays a powerful role in muscle building and fat burning and, like growth hormone, declines in production with age. Testosterone levels fluctuate and can be increased by exercise providing over-training is not initiated and environmental variables are favorably controlled: fitness, nutrition and eating patterns, rest, sleep and emotional stress.

Insulin is the hormone secreted by the pancreas that's primary purpose is to transport blood sugar or glucose (derived primarily from carbohydrates) into the cells for energy. It also moves amino acids into the tissues for their anabolic action. Not incidentally, insulin in excess is a very potent fat storage agent, a fat builder. Any given person is more or less insulin resistant or insulin sensitive, depending on a wide variety of conditions including obesity, lack of exercise, excessive sugar intake, insufficient dietary fat, emotional stress and genetic predisposition. Insulin resistance is fast becoming the medical problem of this day and age.

When carbohydrates are eaten excessively, insulin remains chronically high and the cells over time adapt to its presence and become resistant to its function; additional insulin is demanded to carry on its job of transporting sugar into cells for energy, thereby lowering blood sugar. The persistent and long-term elevation of insulin and glucose in the blood stream cause havoc on the system. Impaired insulin activity inhibits sugar burning and initiates its storage as fat (adipose tissue). Damage to arterial walls result in cardiovascular disease and insulin-resistance might very well lead to adult-onset diabetes. It is noted that insulin and growth hormone are mutually antagonistic.

Glucagon is also a product and secretion of the pancreas yet is exactly opposite of insulin in its action. Glucagon converts glycogen to blood sugar and insulin converts blood sugar to glycogen. Glycogen is unused glucose stored in muscle tissue or the liver to serve as energy when necessary.

To simplify, if you followed the order of events of macronutrient ingestion to their active place in the blood stream you would find that, eventually, insulin stores fat and glucagon mobilizes or burns fat. This can be a positive and healthy process if care in the initial manner, quality and quantity of ingestion is observed. Careless administrators of eating habits risk chaotic blood sugar levels, appetite cravings, adipose development and loss of muscle. Mood swings and energy dips often accompany over-consumption and misguided blood sugar reservoirs.

Cortisol: Where growth hormone and testosterone are hormones that promote muscle building (anabolic), life extension, well-being, immunity, resistance, energy and fat burning, cortisol is the catabolic hormone. It destroys muscle and contributes to undesirable fat storage. It is primarily a product of stress, real and imaginary. Stress prompts its release from the adrenal cortex and floods our system 24/7.

Over-training elevates cortisol levels, lack of sound sleep facilitates its destructive action and we find it everywhere at once competing with and compromising testosterone and growth hormone anabolic action. Nutrition, sleep, stress-buffering attitude and exercise counter the enemy.

Behold the battle.

You have just read my distillation of the raw material available to us in volumes of medical research dedicated to the metamorphosis of man and to his diseased or healthy condition. Those hormones are a busy bunch. I offer the last dozen painful paragraphs for you to ponder, hold in your mental shirt pockets and reference from time to time as telltale words pop up in muscle-talk and beg explanation. My synopsis of the underlying activities of fat storage, muscle growth and hormones might shed some light in the dark corners where secrets are hidden. Or not. I slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Interview with Lori Beach

2009-10-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Lori Beach

VITAL STATS

Name: Lori Beach

E-mail: beachfitnessfactory@gmail.com

Age: 39

Where: Northern Virginia

Height: 5'4"

Weight: 123

Years Competing: 15

Favorite Bodypart: Back

Strongest Bodypart: Back

Favorite Supplements: Creatine, Lipo 6

How Did You Get Started?

I've worked out as long as I can remember starting in high scool. Then after graduating college at VT I joined the local gym. They had a flier up to join the power lifting club and I thought 'why not?' So I tried that for a few years. I continued working out and then met my husband in another gym.

He was competing in bodybuilding and I loved the look and really wanted to give it a try. I did a few shows and then took a break when I had 2 children. After the last baby, I was dying to get back in shape (although I had never stopped working out, especially during the pregnancies). I hired the assistance of a trainer who is also pro fitness competitor, and between her and my husband they finally encouraged/talked me into getting back in the game and trying my first figure show. Plus, I am always looking for a challenge and also always like to have a goal to challenge me and aspire too.

Lori Beach.

What Workout Plan Worked Best For You?

Chest

Dumbbell Flyes: 3 Sets Of 6 Reps

Cable Crossovers: 3 Sets Of 10 Reps

Incline Bench: 6 Sets Of 6 Reps

Dumbbell Pullovers: 3 Sets Of 15 Reps

Standing Calf Raises: 3 Sets Of 10 Reps

Ab Work In Between Sets

Back/Arms

Wide-Grip Chins: 3 Sets Of 10 Reps

T-Bar Rows: 4 Sets Of 10 Reps

Deadlifts: 6 Sets Of 4 Reps

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows: 4 Sets Of 10 Reps

Front Pulldowns: 4 Sets Of 10 Reps

Reverse Grip Push Downs: 4 Sets Of 10 Reps

Cable Triceps Extensions: 4 Sets Of 10 Reps

Weighted Dips: 3 Sets Of 15 Reps

EZ Bar Curls: 6 Sets Of 6 Reps

Machine Preacher Curls: 4 Sets Of 10 Reps

Straight Bar Curls: 3 Sets Of 15 Reps

Seated Calf Raises: 3 Sets Of 10 Reps

Legs

Box Squats: 3 Sets Of 15 Reps

Leg Press: 4 Sets Of 10 Reps

Leg Curls: 6 Sets Of 6 Reps

Weighted Alternated Lunges: 3 Sets Of 10 Reps

Leg Extensions: 4 Sets Of 15 Reps

Shoulders

Arnold Presses: 5 Sets Of 12, 10, 6, 6, 6 Reps

Plate Raises: 4 Sets Of 12 Reps

Lateral Raises: 3 Sets Of 10 Reps

Smith Machine Behind The Neck Press: 4 Sets Of 6 Reps

Bent Over Laterals: 4 Sets Of 10 Reps

Weighted Ab Work

120 minutes of cardio per week.

Lori Beach.

What Nutrition Plan Has Worked Best For You?

Meal 1:

4 Egg Whites

1/2 Cup Of Oatmeal

Meal 2:

3 oz. Tilapia

3 oz Red Pepper

Low Carb Tortilla

Meal 3:

Salad

Mixed Veggies

3 oz. Grilled Chicken

Meal 4:

Protein Bar (<30>

Meal 5:

3 oz. Baked Tilapia

1 Cup Of Green Beans

1/2 Sweet Potato

Meal 6:

Low Carb Protein Shake Prior To Bed

Lori Beach.

What Supplements Have Given You The Greatest Gains?

Fat Burners

Multi-vitamin

Creatine

BCAAs

Why Do You Love Fitness?

I like to be strong, I like to compete but I also want to look good and feminine doing it and fitness seems to combine all those things. I really think fitness celebrates strong healthy women.

What Motivates You To Follow A Healthy Lifestyle?

I don't always necessarily love working out and I really don't like passing up chocolate but I love the way I feel and the confidence I gain by being in shape! I had to make a decision which one I wanted most, chocolate or chiseled abs.

Lori Beach.

What Made You Want To Achieve Your Goals?

I don't like failing at anything, ever. And I always have the attitude, 'If someone else can do something then so can I', so to apply it to the sport of figure, if other ladies can achieve their pro card then so can I. I am so impressed by other competitors and if I see someone that I feel is better than me, it doesn't discourage me, it inspires me.

What Are Your Future Fitness Plans?

I would love, love, love to get my pro card. I'm going to take the rest of the season off from competing to try to fine tune some areas and compete again in the spring of 2010.

What One Tip Would You Give Other Fitness Competitors?

Never give up! If you're not where you want to be, hire, get to know, and/or hang out with people who will inspire you and have the knowledge, wisdom and experience you can draw from. My business partner and I train others to achieve their personal goals. Please send me an e-mail to beachfitnessfactory@gmail.com for availability and rates. We offer advanced virtual training with ongoing feedback, pre-contest coaching, and personal, tailored nutrition programs.

Who Are Your Favorite Fitness Competitors/Bodybuilders?

Ava Cowan and Monica Brant are two of my favorites.

Lori Beach.

Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH, And... Is It Working?

2009-10-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Why are we trying to enhance GH, and... is it working? Many of us have heard all about the use of growth hormones. However, how many of us know how they work, or why they work? Learn more.

By: Topic Of The Week

TOPIC: Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH, And... Is It Working?

The Question:

Being exposed to the bodybuilding community and all of the current news regarding steroids in sports, many of us have heard all about the use of growth hormones. However, how many of us know how they work, or why they work?

Why are we trying to enhance GH?

How effective is GH?

What are the differences between GH and steroids?

Show off your knowledge to the world!

1st Place - Opiewags99
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

Enhancing GH
Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH?

Human growth hormone has recently become a topic of controversy in the bodybuilding community. Although many people talk about it as one of the factors that will lead to the decline of professional bodybuilding, many people simply do not know what it is. So let's take a second to look at what GH actually is.

Growth Hormone, or GH, is a hormone that is secreted by the pituitary gland in the human body. The simplest way to describe the effects of growth hormone is to say that it causes cell growth and cell reproduction. ¹

But, what does growth hormone actually do? There are a couple of things that growth hormone does.

1. Calcium:

First of all, growth hormone raises the body's ability to insert calcium from foods that are consumed into bone tissue. This strengthens the skeletal system, allowing the body to be very much more resistant to trauma. This essentially means that you're less likely to break bones if you've got high levels of growth hormone.

2. Protein Synthesis:

The second thing that the growth hormone does in the body is that it increases protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is the creation of new proteins in the body, which leads to new muscle mass, as muscle is primarily made out of protein. What a lot of people don't realize about protein is that the protein you eat doesn't directly get put into your muscles in the same form that you eat it in.

When you consume protein, your digestive system then releases acids in addition to an enzyme called pepsin, the acid helps denature (unwind) the protein while the pepsin breaks the protein into small peptides, which then get broken down into smaller monomers called amino acids.

These are then built back together by the body, into new proteins, which is the actual synthesizing of the protein. Now, this is a real limiting factor in bodybuilding, and the simple fact that growth hormone increases the rate at which proteins are synthesized, directly means more muscle mass with the same amount of training.

3. Adipose Cells:

The third effect growth hormone has on the body is that it increases the body's ability to release fat from adipose cells into the body's bloodstream. This directly allows the body to use stored fat as energy rather than glycogen, which would keep your body fat at the same percentage. This release of extra fat molecules into the bloodstream adds up to be one of the strongest natural ways to lose body fat.

4. Central Nervous System:

Another thing that growth hormone does to the body, and the last we'll be looking at in this article is it's ability to stimulate the central nervous system, allowing the individual to be much healthier and much more resistant to falling ill to the common cold and even other serious illnesses.


	1 of 3: The Central Nervous System (CNS): The human central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. These lie in the midline of the body and are protected by the skull and vertebrae respectively. This collection of billions of neurons is arguably the most complex object known. The central nervous system along with the peripheral nervous system comprise a primary division of controls that command all physical activities of a human. Neurons of the central nervous system affect consciousness and mental activity while spinal extensions of central nervous system neuron pathways affect skeletal muscles and organs in the body.
	Learn More... Back Next

As you can see by the effects that growth hormone has on the body, these are some very desirable properties. Who wouldn't want stronger bones, more muscle, less fat, and have a much stronger immune system? Certainly every reader here. So this leads us to ways that we can increase the amount of growth hormone flowing through our veins.

Naturally, there are a few things you can do to increase your HGH levels. A few of them include getting good amounts of sleep, resistance training, and cardiovascular activity. Another way to increase amounts of growth hormone is through the proper use of supplements.

According to a variety of studies, it is suggested that arginine supplementation, such as the Arginine-Alphaketoglutarate found in many common NO2 supplements, can significantly raise GH levels. Not only that, it can also provide massive pumps during your workouts which will in turn increase productivity in the gym, also raising GH levels naturally through the stress placed on the body. Another method of raising your GH levels through supplementation is through taking a more direct GH stimulator.

Effectiveness
How Effective Is GH?

Growth Hormone, being a naturally occurring hormone in the body is very simply one of the most effective hormones in the body. Since it is a naturally occurring hormone, rather than a chemical that is normally never seen in the body, it is safer, and more effective than chemical supplementation.

To essentially reiterate the some of the information above, growth hormone is remarkably effective at not only increasing the size of muscle fibers, it can also increase the number of muscle fibers, which is called hyperplasia. In addition to this, it increases protein synthesis in the body in addition to increasing the rate at which lypolysis occurs in a person's body.

Simply stated, growth hormone, or increasing the amount of growth hormone your body can be a very valuable tool that a bodybuilder, or even a person just looking to lose a few pounds of fat while putting a bit of muscle on, should certainly look into for easier gains.

GH vs. Steroids
What Are The Differences Between GH And Steroids?

Steroids are essentially drugs that mimic or lead to increasing the amounts of testosterone in the body for the sake of much faster muscle recovery. Typically steroids are prescribed to people who have been succumb to an injury and need help in the recovery process.

This leads us to why some athletes such as bodybuilders take them. They also want much faster muscular recovery, which allows them to work out and recover much more quickly, allowing them to train two or three times as frequently as us natural athletes. The problem with this is that it is illegal.

The real difference between steroids and growth hormone is in the side effects. Although more research is needed, growth hormone has little to no side effects on the body. Steroids have side effects such as severe acne, shrunken testicles, roid rage, and gyno.

Now, I know that some people will argue with me that growth hormone does have a huge side effect, forgive the pun, called agromegaly. Acromegaly is basically referred to as gigantism, and is an unnatural growth of bone mass or thickening of the person's skin which is caused by a very large amount of growth hormone for an extended period of time. ²

Acromegaly.

Now this seems silly to think that you'll turn into a giant from supplementing with GH raising supplements, but if you're worried about it, cycling is the way to go. Keep in mind, that people who suffer from gigantism have uncontrolled amounts of GH due to tumors or improperly working pituitary glands, so remember you have control of how much you want secreted, and can stop supplementing if you wish to.

Steroids, or more specifically testosterone; is like growth hormone in the sense that they're both hormones that the body naturally produce. Since these two substances require prescriptions, this shifts the focus of what we are talking about to supplements that aim to raise the amount of either of the two hormones in the body by stimulating the body to create them, rather than doing something like "injecting" them.

There are both GH promoting supplements in addition to Testosterone boosting supplements that can legally and safely be taken by the general public. These supplements will aid in your bodybuilding gains in addition to reducing the amount of work needed to maintain the gains you have made.

Thanks for reading!
-K (Opiewags99)

References:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone
www.rajeun.net/sideeffects.html

2nd Place - Belloc
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

Despite the perception given by the latest articles in the media, the use of growth hormone is nothing new.

In fact many top level athletes and bodybuilders have been using it since the early 80's. At that time there was no synthetic growth hormone available so they had to use growth hormone extracted from human pituitary glands... yes, that's exactly what you're thinking, they extracted growth hormone from cadavers, creepy stuff.

Besides being a morbid practice it turned out to be dangerous too, since a large percentage of people who used it ended up with mad cow disease... fortunately, this practice came to a halt in 1985.

Some bodybuilders and athletes had to resort to using growth hormone extracted from Rhesus monkeys; physicians never used that form of growth hormone. By the early 90's synthetic growth hormone was widely available and throughout the decade the popularity of GH soared... so as you can see GH use has been around for quite awhile and it's not the 'newest Hollywood fad' or the 'latest pharmaceutical edge for top level athletes' like the headlines in the media make it seem.

Some Had To Resort To Using
Growth Hormone Extracted From Rhesus Monkeys.

So what exactly is growth hormone? Well... It's a hormone that directly stimulates growth and cell reproduction in the organism (hence its name), it's produced, stored and secreted by the pituitary gland. Unlike most hormones used for bodybuilding purposes, GH is not a steroid hormone, it's a protein hormone made up of a chain of 191 amino acids.

Enhancing GH
Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH? And What Are The Differences Between GH And Steroids?

When we think about bodybuilding and athletic performance we immediately think about the testosterone hormone, it has been proven time and time again that those athletes and bodybuilders that have the highest levels of testosterone are the ones that perform better.

I believe that the importance of GH is up to par with that of testosterone for bodybuilding and athletic purposes, and consider this: For many professional athletes using anabolic steroids to enhance their testosterone levels is not an option, no way would they risk a million dollar career by getting tested with above normal testosterone levels. Unlike testosterone there's no way to tell if an athlete is using a synthetic form of GH so that's why many top-level athletes use it.

Related Steroids Articles:

An Insider's View On The Effects Of Testing! - By David Robson

Steroid Temptations. - By Myron Mielke

Steroids In Sports? - By Athletes Topic Of The Week

Let's focus on why recreational bodybuilders (you and me) are trying to enhance their GH levels; let's analyze what elevated GH levels can do:

Increase muscle mass by creating new muscle cells (hyperplasia)

Promote protein synthesis

Burn stored body fat for energy (lipolysis)

Strengthen and increase the mineralization of bone

We lift weights so we can hypertrophy the muscles (make the cells in the muscle swell up), now consider that GH can actually create new muscle cells, and you begin to understand just how important it is to keep our GH levels high, not to mention that elevated GH levels can help us burn fat for energy and promote protein synthesis and literally make us bigger by making our bones more dense.

GH Effectiveness
How Effective Is GH?

It's a moot point to discuss the effectiveness of GH. Why would athletes and bodybuilders spend thousands of dollars a month if they saw little or no benefit in GH therapy?

GH therapy is much more expensive than other hormone therapies (it ranges from 1k to 30k a month). I believe that a large percentage of elite level bodybuilders use GH; you see one of the side effects of GH is the so-called 'GH gut.' GH increases the size of everything (muscle, bones, organs and intestine). This explains why, from the early 90's onwards, the gut size of the top-level bodybuilders has been increasing.

One Of The Side Effects Of GH Is the So-Called "GH Gut."

This led some people to say that GH ruined the sport of bodybuilding and that they much preferred the physiques displayed by bodybuilders in the 70's, but consider this: without GH you wouldn't have the mass monsters of today.

I knew this 15-year-old girl that underwent GH therapy, she was kind of short for her age and skinny. I saw her a year later when she turned 16 and I didn't recognize her. She was not only taller but she looked much older than 16.

She told me GH therapy was h-ll because she had to take injections two times a day and she would have to keep taking those injections for quite some time to come. So if you're not an elite level bodybuilder or a short 15-year-old girl GH therapy is probably not something you would consider.

But there are ways to stimulate the production of GH in our own bodies. Here are some:

Sleep at least 7 hours. You need rest to ensure proper hormonal production and it is when you sleep that the body is more active repairing itself and producing the hormones you need to grow.

Make sure you ingest enough dietary protein and fat, both these nutrients play a vital role when it come to hormonal production.

Lifting weights has been shown to increase GH, especially intensive compound movements like deadlifts and squats.

Low levels of blood sugar stimulate GH production; you can achieve this by eating low carb or by fasting for a few hours.

Arginine has been shown to increase GH levels; try taking a supplement containing arginine before going to sleep.

You can also try one of the several supplements that claim to elevate GH levels to see if they work or not, I can't comment since I've never taken one, but hey maybe if I win this!

References:

Growth Hormone Therapy PMID 18048950
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone
Actions of Anterior Pituitary Hormones: Growth Hormone (GH). Medical College of Georgia. 2007
www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2004/nichd-07.htm

3rd Place - mrkdrt
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

Bigger and better. This is the way of the world, and the mantra of countless bodybuilders and fitness fanatics. With this said, Growth Hormone is becoming increasingly popular for use in the field of athletics. But, the illegality of HGH demands further enhancement of GH (produced in one's own body) with "boosters" or "releasers" available at many supplement stores.

Enhancing GH
Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH?

The name says it all, growth hormone. This peptide is responsible for signaling growth in the human body ??" predominantly in stages of life that requires full-body growth (puberty for example). This growth, for the most part, is throughout the entire body ??" so not only muscles are targeted, but also expect your organs and bones to grow as allowed.

For people with GH deficient disorders and the elderly, GH treatment is able to support and promote continued health of muscles and bones. The results are incredible! It has even been labeled as the "Fountain of Youth."

GH has given many people in need the ability to grow as youth do. The downside ??" this form of GH is widely unavailable or VERY expensive for the average bodybuilder. For the most part, pure GH for injection is hard to come by ??" and in many countries, is illegal for use other than prescribed.

However, many products are selling that boost or promote the production and/or release of GH (somatotropin). These are of course, at the discretion of the user to decide whether they work or not.

The benefit of these is that side-effects of excess GH are minimal as the GH is produced by the body itself ??" in response to the stimulators. That said ??" there are downsides to injectable GH.

Some of the most famous side-effects include Acromegaly, gigantism, blindness and tumor growth. So, enhancing GH production is a great way to increase GH effects ??" without the negatives. I suggest to using the GH boosters, as opposed to raw Growth Hormone ??" to limit the side-effects ??" and get an overall safer GH experience for mass gains.

GH Effectiveness
How Effective Is GH?

The creation of synthetic GH is meant as a supplement for those with a deficiency or dire need of the hormone. For an average person, GH is produced and secreted in response to certain stimulus ??" sleep, exercise and nutrition (the top stimuli) ??" all things the average bodybuilder will regulate. So, the average bodybuilder will have GH being produced and secreted, unless they are deficient.

An excess of GH in the human body can lead to gigantism (a serious disorder), vision loss, aggression and the promotion of cancers and tumors in the body ??" to name a few. This said, GH might not be recommended for use unless needed, or approved by a physician. However, boosting GH with a supplement may give the gains bodybuilders want, but at a slower, safer pace.

For most bodybuilders, the goal is muscular hypertrophy ??" to increase mass and size of muscle cells. What GH promotes is not hypertrophy, but hyperplasia ??" increasing the number of muscle cells. While this may appear superficially as an increase in mass ??" it is actually growth related to more cells being present.

One study compared bodybuilders without GH ??" the same amount of lean muscle mass was gained for those taking GH on a short-term basis. One benefit observed though was that fat loss was greater for those taking GH (Yarasheski et. al.) Thus, GH may be effective for fat loss during training for mass gain.

GH vs. Steroids
What Are The Differences Between GH And Steroids?

GH and Anabolic steroids are both hormones, but without getting too heavy into the science, growth hormone is a peptide (which are made up of amino acids) and steroids are based on the sterol molecule.

Anabolic steroids mimic the hormone testosterone. It's impossible to notice the differences between the 2 substances in liquid form ??" but your body knows the difference!

While both may appear to do the same thing, they do not. Anabolic steroids promote hypertrophy ??" which is increasing SIZE of cells, while GH promotes hyperplasia ??" which increases the AMOUNT of cells. Both can have negative side-effects, but as far as most studies show, anabolic steroids are far more dangerous and can lead to more disorders in the future.

Literature Cited:

Yarasheski, K. E., J. A. Campbell, K. Smith, M. J. Rennie, J. O. Holloszy and D. M. Bier. 1992. Effect of growth hormone and resistance exercise on muscle growth in young men. American Journal of Physiology. 262:E261-E267, E268-E276.

3rd Place - blackirish

Growth hormone, known alternately as HGH or simply GH, is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain in response to a variety of stimuli. Sleep, if long enough in duration for REM sleep to be achieved, produces a burst of GH secretion, as does body temperature elevation, and the consumption of certain amino acids.


	What Is REM Sleep? Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is normal stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes. REM sleep is classified into two categories: tonic and phasic.[1] It was discovered by Nathaniel Kleitman and Eugene Aserinsky in the early 1950s. Their seminal article was published September 4, 1953.[2] Criteria for REM sleep include not only rapid eye movements, but also low muscle tone and a rapid, low voltage EEG -- these features are easily discernible in a polysomnogram, the sleep study typically done for patients with suspected sleep disorders. [ wikipedia.org ]

Growth hormone utilizes several mechanisms to promote the growth of body tissues; working to directly boost anabolic actions in the body by stimulating an increase in the rate of cellular reproduction, enhancing cellular repair, and promoting the synthesis and secretion of insulin-like growth factors, notably IGF-1. These pathways cause growth throughout the human body. GH also promotes testosterone production, which is something we are all interested in.

Once the long bones have reached their full potential and the body's organs have attained their optimal size for function, our bodies tend to use our endogenous GH exclusively to repair damaged tissues, to promote the preservation of glycogen reserves by triggering a metabolic switch to facilitate the preferential use of body fat for fuel, and to maintain a healthy metabolism.

However, if exogenous sources of GH are introduced to the body in large doses, it can stimulate the continued growth of bones, organs, and muscle tissue.

In adults, the long bones have fused, and the additional bone growth will typically cause a thickening of the facial bones and skull, and continued growth of short bones (hands: carpals/metacarpals/phalanges - feet: tarsals/metatarsals/phalanges), causing a condition known as acromegaly. The extra growth of the organs can cause the distended abdomens we have sadly become accustomed to seeing in professional bodybuilders.

Enhancing GH
Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH?

The bodybuilder seeks to increase or enhance the amount, and thus effects, of GH in their system based on two specific actions.

First, muscle tissue is effected in the same way as any other tissue, and muscle growth is the primary goal of all serious bodybuilders. The enhanced healing ability, coupled with the increased ability of muscle cells to reproduce via satellite cells creates a powerful environment for increased muscle size and strength.

Add increased levels of IGF-1 and testosterone, which work in synergy with GH, and a bodybuilder may create a hormonal dynamo of muscle growth.

The second desired effect is the preferential burning of adipose tissue for fuel. The preservation of glycogen is critical not only for cellular energy (think increased intensity), but also for optimal cellular repair and volume (recovery and muscle size/hardness). Not to mention that burning more body fat creates a leaner body.

I said that bodybuilders use GH for these two beneficial effects, but GH offers much more. Including:

Elevated libido

Greater skin elasticity

Mood enhancement

Improved neurological function

GH Effectineness
How Effective Is GH?

GH can be very effective. Witness the incredible muscular development of today's professional bodybuilders when compared to the physiques of the champions of yesteryear, before GH was in vogue.

While I, like many of my peers, long for the days of Arnold and Haney, there is no denying that since GH has arrived on the scene, the top tier competitors have become much more massive. While the results seen onstage may be a result of synergism between GH and the rest of the pharmacological agents the pros are using, GH is definitely playing a big role in today's bodybuilding world.

But results are not limited to large dose injection of GH. Anecdotal evidence suggests that even the relatively tiny dosages of GH found in homeopathic preparations are helping bodybuilders decrease their recovery time. I have also read accounts of L-Dopa rich macuna pruriens supplements helping athletes to get lean. These GH enhancing strategies may not deliver incredible results, but for most of us, every little bit helps.

GH vs. Steroids
What Are The Differences Between GH And Steroids?

First and foremost, GH is natural. While modern GH is synthesized, rather than being taken from cadavers as in the past, the synthesized GH molecule is identical to that produced by our bodies. Steroids are also synthesized, but they are not exact copies of testosterone, the hormone they are meant to approximate.

Additionally, steroids are androgenic as well as anabolic. GH has no androgenic actions, thus, it will not lead to the masculinization of the female body or the feminization of certain parts of the male physique as steroids have been known to.

Conversely, steroids can be carefully selected, due to their modified molecular structure, to maximize certain aspects (anabolic) while minimizing others (androgenic). Large dose GH will effect all tissues of the body, with no reliable way to minimize its effects on bone and organ growth.

Finally, steroids are, as we all know, illegal. Steroids cannot be legally possessed by any person in any amount unless prescribed by a medical doctor. GH is also controlled to a large extent, requiring a script for all but minute doses, such as those used in homeopathic medicine, but it can be obtained legally in such preparations.

FORUM THREAD

[	Are Growth Hormone Boosters Safe? What are their side effects?

Started By:
markfromaurora

Conclusion

GH is getting some bad press due to its use by professional athletes. But this substance offers a plethora of benefits to those who use it judiciously. As with anything, moderation is key. One can use GH to cut fat and boost muscle mass while easily avoiding negative side-effects such as acromegaly and enlarged organs.

My preference is to give the body every opportunity to maximize its endogenous production of growth hormone through nutrition, supplementation, and regularly producing a hyperthermic body environment through hard training or the use of a far-infrared sauna.

Growth Hormone: What Is It And What Does It Do - An Expert's View!

2009-10-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

Since its inception, and first application as a bodybuilding super-substance GH has remained an anabolic that has attracted many conflicting opinions and has been shrouded in mystery. I sought some answers. Learn more.

By: David Robson

Article Summary:

GH is a single-chain protein made of 191 amino acids.

To get the full effect of GH, timing and amount are crucial.

The main benefit of GH is its action on the liver to produce IGF-1.

In their quest for greater muscle size and the ripped, dry look that characterizes a top-level bodybuilding physique, competitors have, since the 1950's, as is generally thought, used a variety of supplemental substances, both naturally and pharmaceutically derived.

After experiencing unprecedented muscle growth with anabolic steroids in the early '60s (a time when these drugs were used in larger quantities as the level of bodybuilding competition increased), bodybuilding competitors knew they had found the critical factor necessary to take them several steps higher towards physical perfection, and iron warriors the world over have not looked back since.

With the 1970's ushering in a new era for competitive sporting success, with the emergence of lucrative contracts and entire careers based a upon athletic ability, a new compound found its way into the drug regimes of champions not adverse to pushing the boundaries: Growth Hormone (GH).

As a hormone critical for the health and well being of all humans, Growth Hormone is needed in precise amounts for the optimal functioning of a number of physiological processes and growth of body tissues, including muscle. Generally this is achieved, resulting in growth and functioning within 'acceptable' and 'normal' parameters. However, an over or under production of GH can potentially cause serious health concerns.

A New Compound Found Its Way
Into The Drug Regimes Of Champion.

Excess GH, as occurs in those with Acromegaly, ultimately leads to an overgrowth of tissues and problems such insulin resistance and muscle weakness.

GH-secreting tumors, occurring in childhood, can also cause excessive GH production and resultant Pituitary Giantism, as witnessed with Andre the Giant, for example, who at 12 years old stood 6'3" and at his full height was 7'4". He ultimately died from this condition.


	Pituitary Giantism: Gigantism, also known as giantism (from Greek gigas, gigantas "giant"), is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average.

As there can be problems with an over production of GH there can also be so with too little. Genetic conditions and congenital malformations manifested through GH deficiency can cause a lack of growth in children. Though rare, Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) in adults can cause decreased muscle mass, quality of life and energy.

In both of these groups, carefully monitored GH supplementation restores the functions affected by GH deficiency. Benefits, in this context, generally include reduced fat mass, increased lean muscle tissue, increased bone density, improved lipid (fat) profile, reduced cardiovascular risk factors and improved mental health.

Bodybuilders being bodybuilders soon realized that if GH were introduced into their drug repertoire big muscles and shredded conditioning would result. And this is exactly what was experienced in those who began using this, until then, largely unknown anabolic agent.

Competitors of the '70s, and especially the '80s began to present a more refined look with chiselled muscle development reminiscent of Classical Sculpture and resembling deeply etched rock. Those guys, one could reasonably postulate, were not adding additional cardio to their programs and eating more lean proteins.

Since GH had become a mainstay for serious bodybuilders worldwide, it has attracted its fair share of criticism: some feel it is extremely dangerous while others contend it simply does not very well at all.

Those who use it, however, know just how effective it can be. Indeed, since its inception, and first application as a bodybuilding super-substance GH has remained an anabolic that has attracted many conflicting opinions and has been shrouded in mystery. I sought some answers.

One man who has, for many years, observed GH being used, and who is the first to say how effectively it builds muscle and reduces fat, but is also realistic as far as its application and efficacy in all who use it, is Ali Amini.


	Ali Amini: Ali Amini is the Middle East's most successful contest specialization guru. He is a trainer and nutritional advisor to hundreds of elite bodybuilding champions. Ali is a man at the cutting edge of sports science and athletic performance.

"GH", says Ali, "is a single-chain protein made of 191 amino acids with a molecular weight of approximately 22 kDa (Kilo Daltons). It is released into the blood-stream by the somatotrope cells of the anterior pituitary gland. Initially it was taken from human pituitary glands, however, in 1985, biosynthetic GH replaced this earlier version."

Trainer And Nutritional
Advisor, Ali Amini.

What of Growth Hormone's widespread use and its application amongst the sporting elite? "GH is used in sport for its ability to burn fat, increase lean body mass, shorten recovery time and strengthen joints and ligaments while healing damaged tissue," says Ali.

"And as far as pro bodybuilders go, all of them use GH, especially these days as it is much easier to get than in the early '90s. But it is not as essential a part of contest prep or of an off-season cycle as most think.

It helps a lot if taken in the right amount and at the right time according to the type of program/cycle one is on, but it is not a crucial aspect of the whole program."

RELATED ARTICLE

]	Drugs In Bodybuilding! To get an insider's look at this most contentious of issues, I recently spoke with a man who works with many top-level amateur bodybuilders.

Author:
David Robson

Bodybuilding Benefits Of GH And Effective Administration

"A lot of people think that GH is a magic potion," says Ali. "But most of these people are not taking GH at its maximum potential. GH doesn't add 50% to your gains, not even close to that. By adding GH to a cycle you will be lucky and considered genetically gifted and blessed (that your body responds well to GH) if you get a 15% benefit/gain."

In light of Ali's observations GH does not appear to be the magic bullet that many feel will give them bodybuilding success. However, if a bodybuilder were to solely use GH while excluding anabolic steroids from their program, what kind of effect would this have on their physique?

"Very little in the way of muscle gains and a barely noticeable decrease in body fat," says Ali, perhaps controversially. "GH alone isn't that strong of an anabolic, and even though it has the property of holding protein synthesis, like testosterone, it doesn't provide a constant durability of its effect, like testosterone, nor does it noticeably increase strength like other anabolic drugs."

GH Doesn't Noticeably Increase Strength
Like Other Anabolic Drugs.

But, though not a miracle drug, GH can work well for bodybuilders as shown in those who use it at optimal dosages. Surely if it is used by all professional bodybuilders it must have much merit.

"I know smart bodybuilders never do over 8 IU (International Units) a day, but, in some cases, I have heard of others doing 24 IU a day and even some non-pros, less then 150 lbs, who use 24 IU a day. This results in bloating because of all the water retention caused by that dose."

So what is the optimal dose of GH one should take to attain its benefits? Ali: "To get the full effect of GH, timing and amount are crucial. Needless to say, period taken and consistency is more important than the total amount, as taking a 200 IU kit of GH over 50 days (at 4 IU a day) is more efficient than taking the same 200 IU over a period of 25 days (at 8 IU a day)."

As is clear from what Ali has said, GH used in conjunction with anabolic steroids is the most effective form of administration. It is known to work, but how? What exactly does GH do and what are its positive effects?

"GH diverts calories in food towards protein synthesis and away from fat synthesis as demonstrated in animal tests. It is as powerful as testosterone in stimulating protein synthesis properties."

Those who are GH deficient are often cited as proof positive that GH is an important building agent; that we all need it to function properly. Ali's take on GH deficiency?

"GH-deficient (GHD) adults have reduced lean body mass and increased fat mass, particularly central abdominal fat mass, thus proving that the higher the GH level, the more muscle mass and less fat is synthesized."

And how long does GH have to exert its anabolic effects? "GH", Says Ali, "has a half-life of 15 to 20 minutes after sub-q (subcutaneous) or intravenous injection. After that, blood concentrations of GH reach their peak between one and three hours after injection."

So once the optimal dosage of GH and the potential benefits have been decided, how can it be administrated timing-wise?

Click Image To Enlarge.
GH Diverts Calories In Food Towards
Protein Synthesis And Away From Fat Synthesis.

"A lot of theories and speculation have made about the best way to administrate GH," says Ali. "The most reasonable way would be decided after one gained an understanding of how GH is produced in the body, how it interacts with other hormones and under which circumstances it converts best to IGF-1.

IGF-1 production is regulated by factors other than GH, most notably nutritional and thyroid status. But when GH is released it goes to the liver to stimulate a set of Growth Factors, and IGF-1 happens to be the best known of these.

"IGF-1 is a 70 amino acid single chain hormone that has been shown to be the most potent derivative (caused by GH release or administration) of GH," continues Ali. "GH is a hormone that works back to back with insulin so the lower the insulin, the more GH the pituitary gland produces, and thus there will be a better environment for GH to work.

Some speculations recommend taking GH at any time because they say what I just mentioned is applicable for the GH produced by the pituitary and not that externally administrated. However, the body produces GH in those conditions because it is the best time for it, sequentially leading it to function at its maximum potential.

Therefore, using GH at a time when insulin is low (using blood sugar as an indicator), post workout would be the best time to use it. However, if administrated in conjunction with insulin, GH should be taken immediately post workout with the insulin administered within a 30-40 minute window after that."

Since within bodybuilding circles it is common knowledge that elite competitors take GH twice a day, and that timing is of the essence, if post workout is one of these optimal periods, when is the other?

"A second dose," says Ali, "can be taken before going to bed, again at a time when ones blood sugar is very low as when a bodybuilder is getting ready for a show and is on low a carbohydrate diet; this is the optimal period - night - especially if a low carbohydrate meal was the last meal or two.

However, it would be even better to take it (the second GH dose) during the sleeping period, when, for example, waking up in middle of the night to go to the bathroom."

It Would Be Better To Take It
During The Sleeping Period.

Optimal Dosage And Timing

And what, typically, would each of the two dosages be?

"The main benefit of GH is its action on the liver to produce IGF-1," says Ali. "So, for this matter, it is important to know the capability of the liver in terms of how much GH it can use to get the maximum result/benefit. The liver can work with three to four IU of GH at a time and can do that twice a day with a reasonable gap of five to seven hours.

Therefore, the best dose would be a total six to eight IU a day divided into two doses and having those five to seven hours apart. For example, a dose (either three or four IU) can be taken post training with another three to four IU dose before bed or during the night sleeping period."

Clearly, as with any anabolic agent, there is an optimal dosage, but it has not been clearly documented as to what would occur if one took too little or too much GH. If one took below the recommended IU of six to eight per day of GH, as Ali recommends, what effects, if any, could they experience? If a bodybuilder took, for example, 2 IU, what effect would this have?

A Dose (Either Three Or Four IU)
Can Be Taken Post Training.

"What I recommend," says Ali, "is aligned with the capability of the body to use GH at maximum doses to produce maximum effect. However, taking less will definitely work and the gains will be noticed, just not at full potential (the body's full capability of occupying GH and employing it)."

Conversely, what would be likely to happen if that same person took well over the recommended amount? If they took, for example, 20 to 25 IU what could happen?

"Nothing dramatic," says Ali. "Just some water retention side effects, in a case where the subject abusing GH is not suffering from any kind of disease. But if you understand how GH works in the body and how the body utilizes it, it will become pretty obvious how, when and how much you should take.

Needless to say, trying to make GH use more constant for a longer period of time will result in more gains and make it much more cost efficient, as the legitimate form of it is still not cheap."

FORUM THREAD

Growth Hormone!
If I'm correct, isn't the most amount of natural GH released when you squat? Well I was wondering, how does benching compare?

Started By:
Fighterpilota10

That being said, GH does, like any other drug, hold dangers if used irresponsibly. So exactly how does GH compare to other anabolic drugs in terms of health problems if used excessively?

"Anabolic steroids can cause serious problems if overused," says Ali. "With some, the side effects are harsher than others. 17aa (one of the most potent steroids ever synthesized) is the least of your problems when you talk about overdosing, as insulin, Trenbolone and diuretics respectively are the most dangerous when overdosed.

With GH, by comparison, you don't need any special form of detoxification post cycle, as the body doesn't become toxic from legitimate GH."

GH And Insulin: Negative Interaction

As Ali says, insulin, a transport hormone, secreted from the pancreas to store nutrients in various body tissues, can be extremely dangerous if taken synthetically for bodybuilding purposes. It is also understood that insulin and GH do not interact positively with one another to produce lean muscle gains. What is the deal here?

Ali: "By introducing insulin to your body, GH and thyroid hormone levels drop dramatically. That is just how the human body works. Therefore you need to supplement your body with the two hormones mentioned to compensate the shortage, edge out the gains and minimize the side effect of insulin.

RELATED ARTICLE

[	Maximize Insulin Response! Insulin is one of the body's most anabolic muscle-building hormones. More specifically, it's a hormone released by the pancreas in response to nutrient availability.

Author:
MuscleTech

Naturally, GH is produced best when insulin levels are low, and biologically that is the best time for GH to be produced and to begin working." How is this dilemma solved among bodybuilders who use GH?

"I do, however," says Ali, "recommend taking insulin and GH together, but not at the same time. Depending on your insulin protocol, which we won't get into here because this is a discussion about GH, GH should be taken when insulin is low. And I advocate this protocol because this is the way the body works and all we can do is learn more about this and act accordingly.

You can say that the body is doing this in absence of an external source of GH and insulin and choose to take them both at the same time. But why risk the benefits and gains when there is no study to prove this?

And what I am recommending is what is recommended by the body in the first place. As I said, GH can be taken post workout in an intramuscular manner to reach the system ASAP and then insulin can be introduced 30-40 minutes after that."

GH Can Be Taken Post Workout
In An Intramuscular Manner.

Best Form Of Administration

GH can be taken in a variety of ways, but what is the most effective method? What do the pros do? Ali: "The most common has been sub-q (subcutaneously) for years, and a lot are still doing so. However, this was the medical method used when it was first introduced for GH-deficient people or infants born with a very low birth weight and/or lack of height.

But in the case of "GH in sports" it is different. The administrator is not a deficient patient; he is a person who wants GH to work in his body as soon as possible to get the most benefit from it, making the intramuscular (IM) method the best choice for administration in athletes as, in this fashion, it reaches the system much faster and starts its actions sooner than a sub-q injection."

FORUM THREAD

[ead. ]

GH Injections!
Is it better to inject the needle at an angle under the skin or to inject the needle straight into the area?

Started By:
ftlmatt

Side Effects

It is often thought that the larger the competitor, the more GH they will need to realize any kind of benefit. It seems this is yet another myth.

"The size and weight of the athlete is not a big factor here as it all depends on the liver's capability to utilize GH and produce IGF-1," says Ali. "Even though some athletes take up to 24 IU of GH a day, the body/liver can't utilize this amount, hence the abuse of GH and the undesirable side effects that can be seen."

As is known, all drugs have their share of side effects. What can be expected as far as the deleterious effects of taking GH? Can death result, as some think?

"There has been nothing recorded or reported on the matter of dying from GH," says Ali. "However, GH has the tendency to worsen any cancer due to its cell volumizing and anabolic effect on a cell's size. These are the serious potential effects. Jaw and nose growth are the main, and most noticeable, signs of using GH over a longer period.

No study has yet proved that GH causes cancer, even though a lot of speculation is made. The truth is: the cause of cancer is still not clear today. So no GH or, for that matter, any anabolic steroid is cancerous (theoretically to date) unless the person has been suffering from cancer before using any kind of anabolic; which, in some forms of cancer, the usage of anabolic drugs might worsen the case."

GH Detection

As Ali suggested before, the intramuscular method of GH administration is the most popular, as this causes a faster cascade of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) and faster growth as a result. Why is this method best exactly? Why can't it be taken orally like some anabolic steroids?

According to Ali this is "because it is a protein hormone and, as a result, has to be administered by injection as it is completely digested to its basic amino acids (the amino acids it was made of) when administered by mouth, which means it can't be differentiated from an oral amino acid supplement. Thus, only injectable administration can allow GH to function at its full potential."

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This being the case, can GH be detected in a drug test?

Ali: "Due to the liver and kidney internalizing the GH-receptor complex and completely degrading it to its basic amino acids, only minimal quantities of GH appear in the urine and the pattern of urinary excretion has been shown, in those using, to be too low, leading its metabolites in a urine sample to look identical to the metabolites of orally administrated amino acids, making GH an undetectable drug in a doping test."

Growth Hormone: Good Or Bad?

With their eternal search for a bodybuilding edge, bodybuilders have turned to synthetic growth hormone to boost what nature provides for them naturally. But is it as effective as many are led to believe?

The fact bodybuilders at the cutting edge use it to obtain rock hard definition and additional muscle size is testimony to its powerful nature, but according to Ali it is not a miracle substance and will not work as effectively as steroids for adding pure muscle mass.

However, in today's ultra competitive bodybuilding climate any edge appears to be worth pursuing and chemicals seem to be a firmly entrenched way in which to gain it. So is GH use good or bad?

From an effectiveness standpoint there is much divergence of opinion, with those considering it to be essential and those, like Ali, who feel it might add the finishing touches to a base of rock hard muscle that hard training and good nutrition has first established.

From a health standpoint there has been not one documented death directly attributable to GH administration, nor does it seem this hormone is as dangerous as some of the more powerful steroids along with insulin and diuretics, the latter of which has taken lives.

With its high cost and, in some quarters, questionable effectiveness, is GH worth the time and expense? As the pro bodybuilding scene continues to grow, along with it athletes, themselves ably assisted by various chemicals, a definitive answer will likely be given sometime soon.

Disclaimer:

Conclusions and opinions given in this article are for educational and entertainment purposes only. They do not necessarily represent those of this site and David Robson.

FAME East Montreal Review.

2009-09-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

NorthAmericanBodies attended the FAME East Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness show held in Montreal, Canada on April 18-19, 2008.

By: Bodybuilding Contests

Once again NorthAmericanBodies attended the FAME East Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness show held in Montreal, Canada on April 18-19, 2008. They say actions speak louder than words, and boy, that phrase sure came in handy during for this show inasmuch as French seems to be the language of choice in this Canadian province, and this show was no exception.

Contest Review

Review & Photography By www.NorthAmericanBodies.com.

Even if you did not understand a single word, the actions of the athletes told all as they put on a great show. In all honesty, though, every attempt was made to convey things in English when possible. Language aside, the FAME East show was again phenomenal.

Athletes gathered at registration at the host hotel on Friday evening, April 18th in anticipation of judging the next morning. There was a large turnout with competitive divisions. The show itself was held on Saturday April 19th at the Theatre Outremont, an opera-like venue complete with balconies and multiple-level seating.

There were many FAME Pros on-hand at the show helping out, including Maurice Vaillancourt, Julie Marsland, Sylvia Tremblay, Larry Vinette, Isabelle Galarneau, Alicia Neasmith, and Dave Catudal.

FAME EAST Openings

The morning show kicked off with Muscle judging by age categories, with bodybuilding athletes spanning the ages from as young as 20 to as old as 73. There was only one figure model in the show, Valerie David, who took the opportunity to shine and show the judges what she had to offer to the world of competitive fitness.

FAME EAST Openings

Her symmetry and poise was amazing! Fitness was the next category to take the stage to display their tremendous talents as they kicked off each with their fitness routines. Muscle Model and Fitness Models were the last group to display their sculpted physiques to the audience and the judges, each showcasing their talent in both swimwear and sportswear.

The judges had a tough job before them as the judging part of the show ended around 3 pm. It was a long morning into afternoon for the athletes, and they had little time before the finals to relax and prepare for the much anticipated evening show which was set to begin at 7 pm.

FAME EAST Openings

The doors of the Theatre Outremont opened at 6:30 pm to a sold-out crowd who came to support the FAME athletes. The show promptly opened with athletes being introduced by name and taking the stage in pairs to give the audience a preview of the night's competition.

The emcee for the evening was Stephane who has hosted this show in the past and who provided ample comic relief to entertain the crowd.

" width="" height=""> Juniors Division:

Felix Daigle and Massimo Mancuso

First group out was the Juniors Muscle class, and young bodybuilder Massimo Mancuso put on a stunning display of his physique and took 1st place. The 2nd place honors went to Felix Daigle.

Felix Daigle

" width="" height=""> Masters - Grandmasters - Super Grandmasters Divisions:

In the Masters category, Sylvan Deschamps walked away with top honors and a FAME Masters Pro Card, impressing the judges with his physique and an outstanding routine.

Men Masters

Richard Villeneuve took 1st place in the Grandmasters earning his Pro Card as well. In the Super Grandmasters division, Guy Lariviere at 71 years of age won 1st place and also earned his Pro Card.

Men Masters

" width="" height=""> Short & Tall Divisions:

Both the Open and Advanced level bodybuilding were divided into two categories: Short and Tall. In the Short Open division, Eric Guay walked took 1st place honors, with Costa Zervos taking 2nd and Spiros Stavropoulos taking 3rd place.

Short Division

For the Tall Open division, Francois Beauregard impressed the judges with his sculpted physique and entertaining routine and wound up taking the 1st place award. Matthew Scodras and Jean-Jacques Barett followed closely behind coming in 2nd and 3rd place.

Tall Division

" width="" height=""> Advanced Short & Tall Divisions:

Sylvan Deschamps - Eric Young

Sylvan Deschamps had a big night as he not only earned his Pro Card in the Masters division, but also earned a Pro Card by winning the Advanced Short division over Eric Young who placed 2nd.

Rob Riches - Henri-Pierre Ano

New FAME pro and overall show winner, Henri-Pierre Ano, won the Advanced Tall division, over 2nd place finisher Rob Riches, and was the Overall show winner earning his Pro Card by astounding the audience with his fluid routine.

Henri-Pierre Ano

" width="" height=""> Figure Division:

Although Valerie David was the only figure competitor, she took advantage of this opportunity by doing extra poses for the audience and continuing to wow them with her hard-earned physique and upbeat routine! Not only did Valerie walk away a winner, she is now also the newest FAME Figure PRO!

Valerie David

" width="" height=""> Fitness Division:

The entertainment aspect of the show took an upturn when the fitness girls came on stage one by one to pump-up the audience with their strength-induced upbeat fitness routines.

Josiane Desroches - Veronique Lortie - Katy Dupuis

These routines are mainly hip-hop which had the audience cheering louder than ever as the girls performed amazing strength moves. Josiane Desroches wound-up as the winner of this category. Veronique Lortie took 2nd place and Katy Dupuis took 3rd place.

" width="" height=""> Advanced Fitness Division:

In the advanced category Marie-Eve Anctil inspired the judges and wowed the crowded with her "Little Red Riding Hood" theme. The routine, inspired by Fitness Pro Sylvia Tremblay, earned Marie-Eve Anctil her Pro Card in the Fitness category. Virginie Bassene placed 2nd.

Virginie Bassene - Marie-Eve Anctil

" width="" height=""> Muscle Model Division:

In the Muscle Model male class, British competitor Rob Riches, now living in L.A., dazzled the crowd and walked away a new Muscle Model Pro! Jean-Jacques Barett and Francois Beauregard rounded out the event placing 2nd and 3rd.

Male Muslce Models

Linda Delormier's sensational physique earned her a Pro Card in the Muscle Model female category. Following close behind her were Brigitte Lehoux placing 2nd and Jacynthe Anctil placing 3rd.

Women Muscle Model

" width="" height=""> Men Fitness Model Division:

Fitness Models

The fitness model category was very interesting and very competitive. In the men's Open division Jesse LeBlanc took 1st place. Jesse stepped onto the stage with his father Denis who competed in the same category.

Fitness Models

It was Jesse's father who brought up the idea of competing together and we can see where Jesse got his great genetics. Coming in a close 2nd place was Matthew Elliott and 3rd place went to Felix Daigle.

Fitness Models

" width="" height=""> Advanced Men Fitness Models:

The Brit, Rob Riches, also competed in the Advanced Fitness Model division which he won and for which he also earned his new Pro Card in the Fitness Model category!

Rob Riches

Women's Open & Advanced Fitness Model Division

Women Fitness Models

Allison Pullen won the Masters Fitness Model. In 2nd place was Aimee Devlin followed by Linda Delormier who took 3rd place. Isabelle Rochon won the Open Female Fitness Model division followed by Katy Dupuis who placed 2nd and Aimee Devlin who placed 3rd.

Women Fitness Models

Luciana Pursell won the Advanced Female Fitness Model. Chantal Brazean took 2nd place in this class followed by Genevieve Rene who placed 3rd. For her win, Luciana earned her Pro Card in the Fitness Model category.

Women Fitness Models

" width="" height=""> Pairs Division:

The audience viewed a spectacular pairs routine performed by Montreal trainer and bodybuilder Yannik Morin and new Figure Pro Valerie David. The sexy routine choreographed to the Broadway show "Chicago" had everyone amazed at what can result from true teamwork and creativity.

Yannik Morin and Valerie David

" width="" height=""> Bikini Division:

In the Bikini division, it was Stacy Paquin who took top honors, with Nadja Scantaburlo placing 2nd and Luciana Purcell placing 3rd.

Bikini Winners

" width="" height=""> Guest Poser Larry Vinette:

Rounding out the show was WNSO Muscle Pro Larry Vinette who was invited to guest pose. Larry hit the stage to perform a 3 minute who was so pumped up and energized that he jumped into the audience twice as he walked up the aisles so everyone could get a closer look at his amazing physique!

FAME Pro Larry Vinette

Conclusion

Shortly after Larry finished his routine, awards were handed out by all the FAME Pros who were in attendance and helping with the show. A big success, the FAME East show provided a stage to a cast of great athletes who entertained a large and enthusiastic crowd of spectators.

Kudos go out to the show's organizer Mike Clement and to the entire FAME staff who worked so hard to promote and stage this event.

Why Are We Trying To Enhance GH, And... Is It Working?

2009-09-16T17:23:00.001-07:00

In this review of the existing literature, I would like to look at another growing use of recombinant GH: its use to increase athletic performance and increase muscle mass.

By: Nandi

In last month's issue we looked at how growth hormone has been used in a number of trials to successfully induce weight loss in obese humans.

In order to better understand how GH affects this weight loss we also discussed in some detail how growth hormone and fat cells interact with one another. In this review of the existing literature, I would like to look at another growing use of recombinant GH: its use to increase athletic performance and increase muscle mass. There are much less data to guide us here than was available in our discussion of GH treatment of obesity.

What The Research Concludes...

Further, the scientific literature contrasts starkly with the vast number of anecdotal reports of dramatic improvement in athletic performance and muscle mass seen with GH use. The scientific literature paints a rather bleak picture of recombinant GH as an ergogenic aid.

The positive results of some of the obesity trials discussed in an earlier issue do suggest that GH might be beneficial to athletes and bodybuilders for weight loss while maintaining lean body mass.

In fact, the studies in which recombinant GH has been administered to athletes and healthy young adults have yielded mixed results in terms of changes in strength and body composition, with the data often being difficult to interpret. This will be evident upon looking in detail at the research.

For example, Yarasheski et al ⁽¹⁾ looked at the effect of 14 days of recombinant GH administration (40 mcg/kg/day) on muscle protein synthesis rates in experienced weight lifters.

The authors concluded that short-term GH administration neither increased the fractional rate of skeletal muscle protein synthesis nor did it reduce the rate of whole body protein breakdown despite significantly elevated levels of circulating IGF-1. This is in contrast to research that has shown that GH administration in normal, healthy humans in the postabsorptive state increases net muscle amino acid balance during the period of GH infusion ⁽²⁾.

This anabolic effect is evidently short lived, since as mentioned, long-term studies show no increase in muscle mass. Note that in the study by Yarasheski et al protein synthesis/breakdown rates were measured several hours after the last GH injection, not during an infusion as in ⁽²⁾. Nevertheless, IGF-1 levels were still elevated 2 fold above baseline when Yarasheski et al collected their data.

As an aside, in another interesting study ⁽³⁾ that looked at the short-term infusion of a combination of GH and insulin, GH once again appeared to increase protein synthesis, but it also blunted the normal antiproteolytic effects of insulin.

Yarasheski et al ⁽⁴⁾ conducted another study in which GH was administered to healthy young men in conjunction with a resistance training program. The authors measured a number of parameters: change in body composition; muscle strength improvement; whole body protein turnover; and fractional muscle protein synthesis rate. Compared to placebo, the GH treated group showed a significantly larger increase in fat free mass.

However, due to the rapid gain in this mass and the rapid loss after treatment ended, the authors attributed this gain primarily to water retention. There was no difference in strength gains between the GH and placebo treated groups. The GH treated group showed an increase in whole body protein synthesis but no change in fractional skeletal muscle synthesis rate. From this, and the lack of strength gains and muscle circumference, the authors deduce that the net protein accretion was not in the form of skeletal muscle.

Deyssig et al ⁽⁵⁾ conducted a similar study in trained power athletes. One group was given rhGH at 0.09 U/kgBW day while another was given placebo. Both groups participated in a resistance training program for six weeks. At the end of the study period changes in strength and body composition were measured in both groups. Again there was no difference between the two groups in the parameters measured. The authors concluded that GH treatment had no effect on strength or body composition in highly trained strength athletes.

Crist et al ⁽⁶⁾ examined the effects of six weeks of rhGH administration (30 ï¿½ 50 mcg/kg, 3 days per week) in a group of young, highly conditioned (resistance and aerobic trained) men and women. FFM increased more (2.7 kg) and body fat decreased more (1.5 kg) during the GH treatment period than during the six-week placebo treatment period. It is unclear however whether the increase in FFM was due to any accumulation of skeletal muscle (contractile) protein. The study did demonstrate a greater fat loss during the GH period. This is consistent with some of the research presented last issue of M&M showing that GH treatment is capable of promoting fat loss.

In bodybuilders wishing to lower their body fat levels to what is humanly feasible, GH may be a viable option if one is willing to accept the possibility of some unhealthful side effects. In competitive endurance or strength athletes, as opposed to bodybuilders, the detrimental effects of GH use on performance may argue against its use. In a review of the topic ⁽⁷⁾ Rennie cites recent research conducted at the Danish Institute of Sports Medicine where GH administration to trained athletes actually impaired their performance ⁽⁸⁾.

In these studies healthy endurance trained athletes were unable to complete accustomed cycling tasks after administration of exogenous hGH. The authors suggest that this could be a result of an observed increase in plasma lactate in the GH group compared to placebo. The significantly elevated lactate could result from the inhibition of the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) by high levels of fatty acids released during GH-stimulated lipolysis.

With PDH thus inhibited, pyruvate, produced from the glycolysis of glucose, is unable to enter the mitochondrial citric acid cycle and accumulates instead as lactate. One problem with this theory however, is that despite the increase in plasma free fatty acids observed by the authors, there was no apparent increase in lipid oxidation. The latter would be expected to be required to inhibit PDH. In any case, by whatever mechanism, GH administration clearly adversely affected cycling performance in this experiment.

Although the research described above looked at the acute effects of GH administration on athletic performance, there are chronic effects as well that could be detrimental to the athlete. Insulin resistance is a common side effect of GH use and would be expected to reduce glucose availability to muscle. GH administration also results in the impairment of muscle and liver glycogen storage. These latter effects, limited liver and muscle glycogen storage, could have a serious impact on recovery from strenuous exercise, as well as negatively impact performance itself as a result of decreased glycogen availability.

The edema associated with GH administration could also impair athletic performance, as might the arthralgia experienced by many GH users. Rennie even cites the possibility that the fatty acidemia resulting from GH-induced lipolysis could promote cardiac arrhythmia during intense exercise. Although remarks such as this are reminiscent of some of the hyperbole from the medical community regarding anabolic steroids, there is probably some degree of legitimacy to the concerns of Rennie and others who have stressed the potential seriousness of GH related side effects. Athletes should at least be aware that concern exists over such things as potentially fatal as arrhythmia.

In addition to the potentially detrimental derangements in glucose metabolism mentioned above, GH administration in humans has been shown to induce a shift in muscle fiber type from type 2a to 2x ^{(9, 10)}. The latter has been characterized as the "default" fiber type since the proportion of 2x fibers to type1 and type 2a is relatively high in "couch potatoes" compared to strength and power athletes. Resistance training induces a shift in the opposite direction from type 2x to 2a. During detraining, the muscle fiber type shifts back to 2x.

The training induced shift is interpreted as an adaptive mechanism to the increased demands placed upon the muscle. If GH administration induces a shift in muscle fiber type away from the trained state, this could have negative implications for strength and power athletes.

Why, in light of all this negative evidence for any strength or muscle mass increase resulting from exogenous GH, is the bodybuilding literature replete with anecdotal reports of impressive gains in muscle mass and strength? And what motivates athletes to use GH in light of the negative research and side effects? One obvious possibility is that the research results are wrong or incomplete. But assuming they are not for the sake of furthering the discussion, another conceivable explanation for the reported gains in muscle mass are the lipolytic effects of GH discussed above. Bodybuilders could easily be mistaking enhanced definition for an increase in muscle.

GH associated water retention could also add to the feeling that mass has increased. Certain anabolic steroids such as Dianabol and Deca Durabolin are notorious for causing water retention. These same drugs also have a reputation for increasing the resistance exercise induced muscle "pump", contributing to a feeling of increased strength. The water retention from exogenous GH could have the same effect.

The pink ones are Anabol (Dianabol) and the yellow ones are Stanabol (Winstrol). These are very popular right now. They are 5 mg tabs and they sell for less than 30 cents a tab.

Additionally, athletes and even researchers have noted that in elite athletes, studies would probably be unable to detect with statistical significance a 1 or 2 percent increase in performance that could result from GH use, and would make all the difference in the world to an elite athlete.

Arguing against this is the observation that performances in a number of Olympic events such as shotput, discus, and javelin, particularly among women, have deteriorated since routine testing for anabolic steroids was implemented. It is very likely that these athletes who formerly were heavy users of anabolic steroids are now using rhGH, but it does not seem to be helping their performance. And perhaps the most obvious reason that many athletes and bodybuilders use GH is that the competition is using it.

Summary

In summary, despite numerous anecdotal reports to the contrary, to quote from ⁽⁷⁾,

The results of studies of muscle protein synthesis, body composition, and strength in healthy young to middle aged humans tell a different tale: so far no robust, credible study has been able to show clear effects of either medium to long term rhGH administration, alone or in combination with a variety of training protocols or anabolic steroids, on muscle protein synthesis, mass or strength.

These results, coupled with the possibility that GH use could significantly compromise training and performance, as described in ⁽⁸⁾, make a fairly strong argument against the use of GH in sport.

Nutrition For Wrestlers, Fighters, And Grapplers!

2009-09-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

We are going to talk about a whole host of topics, from the best foods to eat, to the best methods of weight loss for grapplers and wrestlers. Check out this exciting excerpt and the Grappler's Guide.

By: Mike Fry - Grapplers Gym

Teleseminar Interview Excerpt
From Dr. John Berardi & Michael Fry

If you're a hard-training combat or grappling athlete, you've simply gotta read this article!

It comes to us from John Berardi and Michael Fry, co-authors of "The Grappler's Guide to Sports Nutrition", a new book detailing exactly how wrestlers and grapplers of all types should be eating and supplementing to optimize their body weight during both training and competition.

And we're not the only ones who like the book: The Brazilian Top team uses and endorses Dr. Berardi and Mike's ideas. Grapplers fighting in Pride, UFC, and Real Pro Wrestling use them. And a host of grappling coaches across the world have embraced their ideas as the very best way to prepare for grappling competition.

Mike Fry With The Brazilian Top Team.

(In the photo above, and in case you couldn't tell, Mike is the bald, pale guy standing up in the middle!) Seriously, though, these guys are no joke!

So, without much further ado, let's get into the teleseminar... but before doing so, it's important to understand that this article comes as an excerpt from an actual, full-length teleseminar that Dr. Berardi and Mike have recorded and provided for free, in its entirety, at grapplersnutrition.com.

So, if you like what you read below, get on over to their site and download the full, free teleseminar right away! Now, let's get started...

The Interview Segment

[ Michael Fry ] Tonight we're going to talk about a whole host of topics, from the best foods to eat, to the best methods of weight loss for grapplers and wrestlers. It's going to be a huge, exciting, and useful call. Dr. Berardi?

[ Dr. John Berardi ] I agree, it's also going to be a fun call! We've got a huge audience listening in on the phone and likely millions more will be listening to this one the web!

So, why not take the bull by the horns and get right down to debunking some of the common and really negative grappling preparation strategies?

Now, you and I both know that there are some "time-approved" methods of cutting weight that grapplers use that aren't what I would call "physiologically approved." In other words, the body doesn't like them at all. And, as a result, grapplers lose strength and power - heck, some have even lost their lives.

[ Mike ] You're right. So let's get into that right now. The number one topic I want to address is weight loss methods used by grapplers. And the reason I want to bring this up is because a majority of them are based on either excessive exercise or voluntary dehydration.

Now, a recent survey demonstrated that:

73% of grapplers used running/jogging to lose weight.

59% used other devices such as exercise bikes, ropes for jumping, and climbing ropes.

34% used rubber suits or nylon tops as a method of weight loss.

14 % used the sauna.

8% used throwing up as a means to lose weight.

5% used spitting, trying to get rid of excess saliva.

2% used diuretics.

The reason I want to bring this up is that nearly every one of these methods is a problem! The exercise used, slow cardio, actually impairs muscle strength and power development. And the other methods dehydrate the body - and without adequate rehydration strategies, huge problems could result.

The worst part is that none of the strategies were centered on the use of proper nutrition!

It's amazing how in other sports, athletes are taught the right nutritional strategies to reach their ideal body weight yet in grappling/wrestling, it's all about the wrong type of exercise, the sauna, and sweat.

Teague Moore, A Real Pro Wrestler
Who Uses The Grappler's Guide.

So, what we're going to try to do here today, as Dr. Berardi has mentioned, is come up with different methods and teach grapplers and parents and coaches that there are alternatives out there for this type of weight loss.

[ Dr. B ] I wanted to chime in on this one because I really want to emphasize just how crazy those stats are, Mike!

I mean, the real number one controlling factor for an athlete's body composition and body weight is their nutritional intake. Yet, the fact that these athletes are doing the wrong exercise, using rubber suits, saunas, vomiting, spitting, fat burners, and diuretics tells us just how far off the mark the grappling community really is.

Seriously, let's start with the exercise. Long, slow, cardio-type exercise causes muscle fibers to become more "slow twitch" - a characteristic of endurance athletes. These fibers contract more slowly and they have lower strength and power capacity.

So, as grappling is based on explosive speed and power, the last thing you want to do is do low-intensity exercise that will ultimately make you slower, less powerful, and weaker! Here's an example of this very thing in action:

I started working with a female national-level bobsled athlete. Before working with me, she was overfat and needed to lose weight for her sport. She was training hard, trying to "train her way into shape," yet the weight wasn't coming off.

So, after going to her original dietitian, she was told to eat less and to do the Stair Master a couple days a week to lose the extra body weight. Well, guess what happened? She lost a bit of weight - yet she also got worse at her sport.

And that's what 73 percent of the wrestlers in the particular survey were doing!

It just pisses me off when I hear this advice! Grappling/wrestling is not an aerobic sport. So, grapplers should not be training aerobically - not at any level.


	What's The Difference Between Aerobic And Anaerobic? Aerobic means "involving or improving oxygen consumption by the body". Aerobic exercise, therefore, enhances respiratory and circulatory efficiency by improving oxygen consumption. Aerobic movements require oxygen to generate force, and enlist slow-twitch muscles for activity over sustained periods of time (minutes to hours). Examples of aerobic exercise includes cardio, jogging, cycling, and running marathons. Anaerobic, on the other hand, literally means "without oxygen". Anaerobic exercise, then, does not require oxygen to generate force. Anaerobic movements use fast-twitch muscles for short bursts of intense activity lasting only brief durations of time (ranging typically from a few seconds to up to a minute). Examples of anaerobic exercises includes isometric holds, sprinting, and high-intensity weightlifting.

Not to condition, not to drop weight, never! It's just stupid. Especially when grapplers can get into even better condition focusing on interval and power work as well as eating properly!

[ Mike ] I agree 100%. Let's get into the dehydration part, too!

A lot of people don't understand this, but dehydration by only 3 percent of your body weight can cause you to lose 10 percent of your muscle strength and 8 percent of your speed!

So, unfortunately, while we're out there trying to lose weight, we're actually losing the things that we need the most, which are speed and strength.

[ Dr. B ] You know, we just talked about one foolish way to lose weight for wrestling and grappling - going out and doing a bunch of exercise that doesn't specifically help you with your sport.

The second foolish way we're talking about now is the dehydration method.

Now Mike mentioned some figures. A 3 percent loss of body water causes a 10 percent loss of strength and an 8 percent loss of speed.

However, even a 1 percent reduction in body water causes a reduction in performance! But, before this gets too numbers-based, let's put this into perspective: Take a 155 lb grappler. For that individual, a 2 percent loss of body water or body mass is about 3 pounds.

So, if any of you are sitting out there thinking "how much weight do I need to lose before I see my performance start to suffer?" - it's 3 lbs for a 155 lb guy. For a 200 lb grappler, it's 4 lbs.

Drop that small amount of water too quickly, not getting it back before your event, and you're already seeing drops in performance. And most grapplers try to lose much more then this, don't they?

[ Mike ] Yea, they do. And unfortunately, when you break the numbers down, that's a huge problem! I mean, you can lose four or five pounds at practice without even trying. Even a single practice can put you at that state of dehydration to where your performance is starting to suffer.

[ Dr. B ] So, truth be told, there are really two primary methods that most grapplers would use to lose weight - and neither is optimal.

First, they go exercise in a way that doesn't actually support their own training for grappling.

And secondly, they lose a bunch of water weight quickly before an event, five, eight pounds, whatever the case may be, through dehydration.

[ Mike ] People often wonder why we and other experts harp on this dehydration thing, and my answer is that it's because it's that important!

Pride Fighter And Top Team Member
Paulo Filho Lovin' The Grappler's Guide.

If you take two wrestlers, and put them on a mat together - both dehydrated - and maybe the disadvantages will cancel each other out. However, what if we can put a wrestler on the mat that isn't dehydrated against one who is? All of a sudden, you have a different event.

[ Dr. B ] That's right - the point is to figure out how to get grapplers into the ring or on the mat without a huge amount of dehydration, with full body strength and power, and with a low body fat percentage.

You see grapplers all the time who try to drop 10 lbs of water for an event when they should have been focusing all along on losing the extra 10 lbs of non-contractile body fat they don't need.

So, again, focusing on water is such a mistake because if you can learn the principles of good nutrition, you can get rid of body fat instead of body water. Coming in at your ideal weight is then a lot easier.

[ Mike ] Well, that's a fantastic point and that leads us into our next section. The reason for the call is proper nutrition for grapplers. But before we get into the food, I have to sound off about something related to young athletes.

It always drives me nuts when I see 9, 10, 15-year-old kids trying to cut weight while their overweight coaches and parents push them to go out there and run and spit and do everything that they can do to lose weight! All the while the booths at the games and tournaments just breed poor nutrition with concessions full of junk food.

So our young athletes start out with the wrong messages from parents, coaches, and their environment. And make no mistake; this is carried throughout their lives.

Truly, for sports and sport nutrition to improve, parents, coaches, and even organizers out there need to start learning this stuff so that the next generation of athletes get better information than what the typical North American gets - which is just garbage.

[ Dr. B ] Yep, young athletes develop a history of poor eating habits and this starts at young ages. And these habits are carried with them into their adult years.

Of course, in a single article or teleseminar it's tough to teach all the principles of good nutrition. We all have lifetimes of experience and education in eating a specific way - the North American diet. And the North American diet isn't so good. None of us are immune. We learn through our parents. We learn through our culture and our media.

Unfortunately, beyond even the fast food and junk food, the sports nutrition messages aren't that good either.

Here's an example: Mike, what do most athletes think they have to eat a lot of?

[ Mike ] Well, for strength athletes, protein; For other athletes, carbs.

[ Dr. B ] Right! These are conventional media-type messages: You've got to eat a lot of this or that. Well, here's the problem... What is a protein?

If you're a young athlete or not educated in nutrition, you've gotta go figure out what a protein is - what that means - or a carb, etc. And even if they do know what carbs are, you find them shoveling down pasta and rice and bagels and stuff like that because they think it's going to give them energy.

That's the problem. The foundation of a good nutrition plan is less about eating lots of any particular food, and it's less about certain foods being "good" or "bad". It's really about 3 things:

The first is how much you're going to be eating. You've got to figure out how many calories to eat every day to improve your body composition and your performance.

The second thing is what you're going to be eating. In other words, you've got to focus on making better food selections, getting more of the good foods in ya.

Finally, it's about when you're going to be eating. That's a concept I call nutrient timing.

I will tell you this - it's not about eating as much carbs as you can. Or eating as much protein as you can. Or about good vs. bad foods. But again, like I said, the real challenge at stake here is that every single one of us on this call, every single one of us in North America, is influenced the most by culture.

We watch the news, we read the papers, and we read websites. But these snippets of information only serve to confuse us. So we need a comprehensive re-education. And I'll tell you how I deal with my athletes. The first thing I do if an elite grappler contacts me is to send him a copy of the Grappler's Guide. But even that's only the first step...

Serious Grapplers Love The Guide.

After they check it out and they begin their "re-education," after they start to learn things like the "10 Habits", after they learn tips for managing body weight, and after they start to learn how to cut weight quickly, safely, and effectively, I fly in and do some private teaching with them.

This begins the re-education process. Now they can really talk about fine-tuning their nutrition, with my help, of course.

[ Mike ] So, to truly get athletes eating right, it's about re-education and learning a new lifestyle - not just focusing on protein or carbs.

[ Dr. B ] Exactly!

[ Mike ] Good stuff! Now I have a question. How much different are the needs of the competitive athlete vs. a non-athlete?

[ Dr. B ] This all plays back, Mike, into the whole idea of the how much to eat, the what to eat, and the when to eat it.

First, athletes do need more calories. They need more total energy intake to support their high intensity training. But, we can't simply just tell athletes to go out and eat more calories. Because if we're not telling them what the right foods are to eat, then they'll eat more of the wrong stuff.

By saying eat more, we're prescribing about 1,000 different diets. Athlete No. 1 may be eating a bunch of empty calories. You might say, "Go eat more calories," and all they end up with is more sugar and junk. You take another athlete and you say, "Go eat more calories," and they might triple their protein intake, but not increase their good fat intake or good carbohydrates.

So, obviously, athletes do need more, but they need more of the good stuff.

Another difference is nutrient timing. For the average person who doesn't exercise, their body pretty much responds to food similarly throughout the day. However, if you take someone who's training hard, their exercise changes their ability to tolerate and use certain nutrients.

Let me give you an example:

Okay, let's say I wake up in the morning and I either go to work or go to school. Then, after work or school, I train. Well, the way that my body handles nutrition up until my workout is very different from how it handles nutrition during and after my workout.

During and after the workout (some of you may have heard it called the "window of opportunity" or the post-workout window), the body preferentially burns fat and it stores carbohydrates and protein in the muscle.

So you end up with a powerful recovery mechanism built into the exercise period and post-exercise period. Your body just wants great nutrition at this time but also nutrition that's quickly digested and sent to the muscles.

Now, the rest of the day, the same types of things aren't happening. So, throughout most of the day, you want to focus on eating a specific way - namely slower digested foods. But during and after exercise you want to focus on faster digested foods.

So those are two important athlete vs. non-athlete differences.

Athletes typically need more calories and more good nutrition (and that includes vitamins, minerals, everything else) and better nutrient timing.

[ Mike ] And speaking of nutrient timing, a lot of people wonder about when to time meals before, during, and after exercise. How does that work?

[ Dr. B ] Well, let's start with before exercise. It's likely no surprise that exercise at high intensity can make you feel like dropping your lunch.

However, different people can tolerate different things. Some of my athletes can eat 30 minutes before training and others have to eat 2 hours before. It also has a lot to do with what you're eating. Fast digested stuff can be eaten closer to exercise without as much difficulty.

Yet, in the end, this is a comfort thing, not a "good nutrition" thing per se. The real good nutritional practices focus on what you're eating every meal of every day. To be honest, there is no magical food and no magical time period in which eating will lead to your best workouts.

The key to having consistently good workouts is eating well all the time. And the only thing you can do during the exercise to make sure you don't bonk is to make sure 2 things don't happen:

First, you need to make sure your blood sugar doesn't crash. That's what makes you feel light-headed and out of energy.

The second is not eating something that bugs your stomach.

To maintain blood sugar, you need to slowly sip a carbohydrate or carbohydrate/protein drink during exercise. To avoid feeling sick to your stomach, experiment with eating different times prior to exercise. Even if you eat 2 hours prior, you won't bonk as long as you sip the carb or carb/protein drink during training.

[ Mike ] Great stuff!

A lot of times I see people, especially at tournaments, trying to shove down food to make it to the next match. Or they won't eat at all out of fear. Then they're flat come the end of the day. So I think it's a very good point that you brought up, that you just kind of have to feel yourself out and just try and understand what your time line is for the best plan for you.

Now, you mentioned protein and carbohydrate drinks. There's always the question of how to make them. Any recommendations on the best way to go about doing that?

[ Dr. B ] There are a few ways to do it. First, when I was a Ph.D. student at the University of Western Ontario, my lab and I developed a product, a recovery drink, called Biotest Surge.

Surge is something we developed that contains protein and carbohydrates in ratios that we found to be good for recovery in both strength/power athletes and aerobic athletes. I suggest finding some and giving it a try. I describe how to use it in the Grappler's Guide book.

Even Art-Loving Grapplers Love The Guide!

However, keep in mind, Surge is awesome but it's no magic bullet. It works great in conjunction with a comprehensive nutrition plan, not instead of one!

[ Mike ] So, John, let's talk about some guidelines for a great, comprehensive nutrition plan.

[ Dr. B ] Sure, Mike. I believe all great sports nutrition plans should be based on the "10 Habits" we outline in the book.

I'll talk about the first 5 here.

Habit #1: Eat Often

The first habit is to eat every two to three hours, no matter what. If you're not doing that, you don't have any right to ask me questions about creatine, magic supplements, etc. Eat every two to three hours no matter what - get that down, and then ask about supplements.

Habit #2: Lean Protein

The second habit is to eat lean protein with each feeding. Every time you feed, I'm not just talking about breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but every time - you need to have a lean, complete protein source. If you're confused over what's a protein, we cover that in the book.

Habit #3: Fruits & Vegetables

The third habit is to eat fruits and veggies with every feeding. This one is difficult for some to get their heads around so I'll emphasize it again.

I mean every time! So if you're eating every two to three hours, you can see how you're building your meal.

So, the first thing you do when it's time to eat is to grab some lean protein. Then you'll next find fruits and veggies.

Habit #4: Carb Timing

The fourth habit deals with carbohydrate intake. Now if you really want to maximize nutrient timing, the bulk of your non-fruit/veggie carbs should come during and after exercise. So, what might that look like? Do you feel like having some pasta, some bread, some rice, or some potatoes? Save them for after your training session.

The rest of the day, stick to fruits, veggies, good proteins, and good fats.

Habit #5: Dietary Fats

The fifth habit deals with dietary fat. It's important not to avoid dietary fat, as the balance of fat in your diet can improve performance, improve body composition, improve injury healing, and more. Most people don't even think about supplementing with good fats like olive oil, fish oil, and flax seed oil - yet all these things should be in your diet.

So, let's review those first 5 habits really quickly:

Eat every two to three hours. Are you doing that?

Each time you eat (every two to three hours), eat some protein.

Each time you eat (every two to three hours), eat some fruits and veggies.

If you've just worked out, it's a great time to have some starchy carbohydrates like pasta and things like that. If you haven't, you should probably eat less of them in favor of the fruits and veggies.

Balance out your fats, supplementing things like olive oil, flax seeds, flax oil, fish oil, etc.

These are the fundamentals. So, what I want every single one of you reading this article to do is to try and achieve these first 5 goals. I'll teach you the next 5 in the Grappler's Guide book!

Make sure you're doing these things before you ever look for recovery drinks, creatine, fat burners, diuretics, etc. Get this stuff together as you'll find that your body will quickly reshape itself with less body fat, more lean mass, and you'll also find that weight control is going to be easier.

You'll be able to train consistently hard and effectively, and your competition performances are going to be stable. If you don't do this and instead obsess about the creatine and the other little things that don't make as much of a difference, you're not going to see the benefits that we're talking about.

I've done this for long enough to know that most people focus on the wrong things, ignoring the important things. I really want to shift your focus toward the most important stuff.

[ Mike ] I think that's a very good point, John, because my email's being pounded with questions about post-workout nutrition drinks and I'm glad that you went over those tips.

One thing in regard to that though, is that grapplers, wrestlers in particular, might get scared off with the every 2-3 hour thing because of school or work or whatever. They might think they can't eat all this food. And they might also think it's too much food.

[ Dr. B ] Right. Well, you know, Mike, it's a great point.

And it leads me back into what I was saying earlier. You've gotta choose the right foods. If you sit down to a lunch of cheese fries, cheese steak hoagies, and soda, and then have a dinner like that, and in between eat equally crappy food, eating every 3 hours might not work for ya. But neither will the 3 crappy meals anyway so you're screwed!

The point is to eat the right things every few hours, which includes nutrient-dense foods. I can't get into them all here but in the Grappler's Guide, I list the 21 Super Foods that every grappler should be eating daily.

These foods, and the ideas in the book, will help grapplers boost their metabolic rates so that they'll lose more weight eating every 2-3 hours than they would starving for a week before an event.

Also, with respect to the time constraints on the student athlete, I understand how challenging it can be. But it's possible - in fact, all my high school athletes do it. It just takes some planning, some pre-made meals stowed away in the schoolbags, in the lockers, etc. Eating every three hours is a lifestyle for my athletes and they all find ways.

"The Grappler's Guide To Sports Nutrition"
Available At GrapplersNutrition.com.

One great way is to make their own healthy bars and snacks at home. In my "Gourmet Nutrition" book (which people can pick up along with "The Grappler's Guide" at GrapplersNutrition.com), I outline all sorts of healthy snacks that athletes can prepare at home and bring with them.

[ Mike ] I want to now move ahead a bit. I want to bring some questions about Saturday morning. We've covered general nutrition but now I'd like to talk prep for competition, making weight, etc.

There are still a lot of guys out there doing some of the harmful, performance reducing, "old school" methods of starvation and dehydration. And, in the book, you've outlined some strategies for making weight that I'd never heard about before. Now, I've been involved in the sport of grappling and wrestling in general for about 25 years and thought I'd seen it all.

Yet you've got some stuff that's crazy effective and safe, too.

[ Dr. B ] Yep, the material I outline in the book to drop 10-15 lbs, if necessary, safely and effectively leading up to an event is based on my work with both bodybuilders and grapplers. There are certain supplements, foods, and water manipulation strategies that really maximize the body's ability to drop weight quickly as well as rehydrate quickly.

I won't spill all the info here as I want everyone reading this to pick up the book and to apply these strategies. But they work better than you'd imagine!

[ Mike ] What about rehydration? For those who don't pick up the book yet continue to do their stupid weight-loss strategies, how can we help them?

[ Dr. B ] Well, let's say that our athlete is dehydrated and has 2 hours to replenish their water or else suffer performance losses. Studies have shown that you can maximally rehydrate the body by about a liter per hour. So, theoretically, in two hours, you can get 2 liters (4.4 pounds of body water) back.

So, if you only lose 2-4 lbs to make weight, rehydration is fairly easy. If you dehydrate more, you likely won't get it all back. The best way to rehydrate is to sip a rehydration beverage slowly leading up to your event. Your impulse is to gulp. Don't do it. Sip!

Also, the best thing to sip is a rehydration drink containing water, carbohydrate, and some sodium. Pedialyte is a good choice. Gatorade with an extra tsp of sea salt is also a good choice. You can even use the Biotest Surge product mentioned earlier with some extra sea salt.

[ Mike ] Great stuff!

[ Dr. B ] The important lesson is this: If you need to make weight and you're four, five days out from an event, you need to make sure you're as close as three pounds away from your competition weight.

This way you won't even consider going doing some crazy exercise, you won't have to put a stupid rubber suit on, and you won't have to do much more than a slight dehydration the last three days. And, of course, we teach you how to do that nutritionally in the book. Then, all you have to do is just rehydrate in that next hour, get the two to three pounds of fluid back, and then go kick @$$.

But again, the lesson is this: If you have eight pounds to lose, you blew it, buddy. However, we've still got tricks for that in the book. I want you to learn not to make a habit of being 10+ lbs over before the event! And how can you learn that? It's in the book.

You have to make sure you're getting rid of body fat rather than water weight. This is definitely possible if you get control over your nutrition. Don't take care of the body fat and you're just hopin' and prayin' that you're not overweight when it's time to weigh in. And that's not a good way to live.

What we're trying to do with this book is to put people in the driver's seat of their weight and body composition.

[ Mike ] John, this is some great information you're sharing here! I'm pretty confident that everyone reading this will want to pick up the Grappler's Guide right away.

Heck, this info goes beyond grapplers alone. Any athlete who needs to cut weight including jockeys, bodybuilders, gymnasts, etc. would benefit from this. Heck, even parents who are going to a reunion or a wedding and want to look good in a certain dress or suit can benefit!

Even they starve themselves to try to lose weight... What a mistake! Especially when info like what you've included in the book is out there, Dr. Berardi.

For More Information

This is the end of the interview excerpt. If you wish to learn more, pop on over to GrapplersNutrition.com.

About The Authors

Dr. Berardi

John Berardi has been around the block so many times, he makes the mailman look like a slacker. A nutrition consultant to everyone from hockey players to soccer moms, when this guy talks sports nutrition - you'd better listen. Need more convincing? Well, how's this work for ya?

Dr. Berardi is currently the director of performance nutrition for the Canadian National Cross Country Ski and Alpine Teams as well as the Canadian National Canoe/Kayak teams. He also consults with a number of elite level individual athletes, sports teams, and Olympic training centers including:

The Toronto Maple Leafs

The US Bobsled Team

The Canadian National Speed Skating Team

The Calgary Sports Centre/Olympic Oval (Calgary, Alberta)

The Manitoba Sports Centre (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

The University of Texas Women's Track and Field Team

Some have called him "the greatest sports nutrition mind in the world today," and as such, athletes in nearly every sport including professional football (NFL and CFL), professional hockey (NHL and AHL), professional baseball (MLB), and professional basketball (NBA) hire Dr. Berardi to get the absolute best results.

Michael Fry

Mike is the owner of Grapplers Gym and www.grapplersgym.com. Grapplers Gym is the home for advanced fitness and conditioning for today's combat athletes. Some of the best grapplers in the world turn to Michael and Grappler's gym when looking to take their game to the next level.

Michael has worked with combat athletes from around the world which include members of The Brazilian Top team, fighters from Pride, UFC, and also Olympic team members. If you're a combat athlete you owe it to yourself to get in touch with Michael and the team at Grapplers Gym today...

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2009-09-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

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When you mix Isopure with water (a spoon will do, a blender isn't necessary) it will look a little cloudy. That's because while the protein is pure, they've added 25 grams of carbohydrates, 4.67 grams of L-Glutamine and a burst of vitamins and minerals.

Prolab Glutamine is known for speeding up muscle recovery, increasing strength and energy enhancement! Glutamine is the single most abundant amino acid found in skeletal muscle and is widely believed to help with muscle cell volumization.

Daily One Caps are great because you only need to take one capsule per day and they give you much more than normal multi-vitamins!

Higher Power Chromium Picolinate enhances insulin's effect in the body, improving the uptake of glucose, thereby causing better blood circulation and maintenance of blood sugar levels.

What People Say:
Simply put, creatine monohydrate is the most popular and effective bodybuilding supplement on the market. Everyone consistently using creatine is making HUGE, AMAZING gains! "During the 1998/1999 football season, we will be using Perfect ISOPURE. It is the highest quality, most convenient product we have ever been exposed to." John Lott, Coach Strength and Conditioning, New York Jets said about Nature's Best Isopure. We all know that glutamine has been proven to work! One supplement that is a must is a good multi-vitamin. Twinlab's Daily One is great because you only have to take it once a day! Lowering body fat and increasing lean body mass are just a few of the positive properties that chromium exhibits on the body.

Tips For Use: The best thing to do for this combo is to follow the directions on each bottle to the "T". Used correctly and this combo will have you packing on the muscle in no time!

Price: ~~$159.99~~ $86.75 [Order]

[ Basic Mass Stack ]

The Products:

Ultimate Nutrition Muscle Juice 2544

AST Multi Pro 32X

Scivation VasoCharge

Prolab Glutamine Powder

Why It Works:
Muscle Juice 2544 is quite simply the most calorie-packed and best tasting weight gainer on the market today. With Muscle Juice 2544 you can't help but grow muscle with 55 grams of Ultimate Nutrition's special protein blend, 162 grams of premium quality carbohydrates and 17 grams of high performance MCT oil to support performance.

VasoCharge is the ultimate pre-workout performance, nitric oxide and energy booster to build serious mass and strength.

Finally, Prolab Glutamine is known for speeding up muscle recovery, increasing strength and energy enhancement!

This is the perfect stack for adding serious mass without blowing the budget!

Tips For Use:
Take one serving of Muscle Juice 2544 in the morning and another directly after your workout. Take Mult Pro 32X first thing in the morning to optimize performance and energy throughout the day. Take VasoCharge 30 minutes prior to workout to increase strength and energy to lift heavier and heavier. Finally add take Glutamine Powder throughout the day and one directly after your workout to maximize muscle recovery.

Price: ~~$145.94~~ $87.94

[ Advanced Mass Stack ]

The Products:

MuscleTech Mass Tech, 5 Lbs.

Universal Animal Pak, 44 Paks

VPX NO Shotgun, 810 Grams

Scivation Xtend, 30 Servings

Controlled Labs Black Hole, 90 Capsules

Universal Uni-Liver, 500 Tablets

Why It Works:
MuscleTech Mass Tech is an advanced weight gain formula for dramatic muscle growth! Mass Tech is a delicious, high-protien weight gainer that contains a precise blend of musclebuilding protein, energy-providing carbohydrates, and healthy fats that will help you put on mass like crazy! Increasing calories is the key to adding quality size and Mass Tech makes it easy.

Animal Pak provides all the needed nutrients for hardcore athletes looking to grow muscles in a freakish way. Each pak contains 11 tablets specifically formulated to deliver the goods.

VPX NO Shotgun fuels your physically intense workouts to induce insane muscle pumps that can lead to muscle growth. The end result is an increased ability to build large muscles.

Xtend enhances muscle recovery after intense workouts with a blend of BCAAs and glutamine.

As stated increasing calories is the key to adding quality mass and Black Hole will get you there. Black Hole increases your appetite to take in those extra calories. It also aids in digesting those calories and protein to utilize every last nutrient.

Uni-Liver is rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and amino acids. Uni-Liver contains high amounts of BCAAs which are directly responsible for building muscle tissue and increasing lean body mass.

The Advanced Mass Stack is the ultimate stack for adding slabs of muscle like never before!

Tips For Use:
Take one serving of Mass Tech in the morning and another directly after your workout. Take one packet of Animal Pak 30 minutes after the meal prior to your workout. Take NO Shotgun 30 minutes prior to workout to increase strength and energy to lift heavier and heavier. Take Xtend directly after your workout to maximize the recovery process. Take 1 capsule of Black Hole 45 minutes before your first meal of the day. Finally, take 2-4 tablets of Uni-Liver with each meal.

[ Big Cat's Mass Stack ]

The Products:

AST Sports Science Multi-Pro 32X

Prolab N-Large2 10 lbs. x2

Universal Uni-Liver 250 Tablets x3

AST Micronized Creatine 1000 Grams

Purpose of stack:
To support maximal lean mass gains in combination with a diet that supplies 18-22 calories per pound of bodyweight and at least 1 gram of protein per pound, not counting the Nlarge. Stack for just under 60 days, but can be used as long as mass gain is the principle motivator for your workouts. Can also be used with numerous other, more specific supplements like BCAA's, amino formulas, prohormone stacks and so forth. Worth adding would be a B-complex vitamin or Vitamin C.

Stack as follows:
Days 1-5: Use 3 equally spread doses of 7 grams of creatine, before breakfast, after lunch and after workout or dinner.
Weeks 1-9: Use 1 cap of Multi-pro, immediately after breakfast, Use 1 serving of N-Large2 in 500-1000 ml of milk after workout, use 5 grams of creatine 20 mins before breakfast and another 5 grams postworkout in your N-Large shake, or after dinner, Use 4 caps of Uni-liver 3 times a day.

Price: ~~$284.94~~ $128.99

Celebrity Personal Trainer Mike Ryan Inspires Top Athletes & Actors!

2009-09-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

With many stories to share and much advice to give, Mike is one trainer that inspires and enthuses with his approach to training. Here's more about him and his approach to getting the best health and fitness results possible.

By: David Robson

Article Summary:

Mike is currently working with Bollywood actor John Abraham.

He has trained celebs such as Edward Norton and Mickey Rourke.

Mike usually gets contracted to one person at a time.

An Interview With Celebrity Personal Trainer, Mike Ryan.

Celebrity personal trainer Mike Ryan is one health and fitness expert that walks the walk, demonstrated by the amazing physical shape he maintains in light of his all-encompassing position as consultant to Hollywood's elite.

Currently working with high profile Bollywood actors, Mike, who also runs a thriving training business in California, where, additional to his celebrity clients, he assists busy executives get into their best shape, has effectively used his knowledge, gained over his 25 years in the health and fitness industry. The results are often seen on the big screen.

Getting his start in the early '90s as a consultant to major sporting stars, Mike is an old school bodybuilder at heart.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Mike Is An Old School Bodybuilder At Heart.

His clients are expected to throw around a lot of iron. From major athletes Kobe Bryant and Bill Romanowski through to film stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Edward Norton and Mickey Rourke, among many others, Mike has worked with the best and has achieved incredible results with each.

With many stories to share and much advice to give, Mike is one trainer that inspires and enthuses with his approach to training. I spoke to him recently and he shared his background and his approach to getting the best health and fitness results possible.

[ Q ] Who are you training celebrity-wise these days Mike?

[ A ] The number one guy I am working with is John Abraham. Of course while I am here (California) I still communicate with a lot of the guys like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, so I am always offering advice and a helping hand to those guys. But for contractual purposes I am working in Bollywood right now.

[ Q ] Is that generally how it works for you? Are you contracted to one person or group of people at a time?

[ A ] Yes, usually I get contracted to one guy and when I'm with that one person I really dedicate a lot of time, effort and energy to them. I really want them to get the most results. And I don't want to spread myself thin because I do have a steady cliental base back here.

[ Q ] So your steady cliental base would comprise non-celebrities?

[ A ] Correct, I have a few guys, but more guys behind the scenes. I have presidents of networks, big time producers.

[ Q ] I guess you would need to have strict confidentiality agreements in place for these people as well.

[ A ] Yes, definitely (laughs).

Click Image To Enlarge.
I Want My Clients To Get The Most Results.

[ Q ] When did you get started in the personal training industry?

[ A ] I have always been a gym guy my whole life; I was a big bodybuilder and played a lot of competitive sports: American football, ice hockey and lacrosse. These are all high impact sports so I always had weight training as training requirement.

I was fortunate enough to play college football and I played a little pro in Europe. I always had the drive and I always just loved the gym environment. So when I graduated college I put a little more time in there and when my playing days were behind me I still worked out.

I was always fascinated with training and how my body responded. I never really thought (personal training) would be a profession until I moved out to California - I grew up in Boston.

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When I moved to California and started working at Gold's and with the visibility and just being there, people started asking me questions. People would be very complimentary. They would be like, "Gee, I want to look how you look." That just fuelled me to study more and learn more and to work with some really cool people.

[ Q ] In a sense, looking the way you did, you were you own advertisement.

[ A ] It really is true. That's what I tell a lot of trainers who ask me how I began working with so many people. I tell them that your physique is your number one marketing tool. The business we are in is very visual. If you're in shape 365 days a year people are going to be enquiring about how you achieve this.

[ Q ] And you are inspiring your clients through the way you look as well.

[ A ] Yes, absolutely.

[ Q ] At what point in your career did you begin training celebrities?

[ A ] I used to run Gold's Gym in Venice, beginning back in 1994. At the end of '97 Bill Phillips approached me and started telling me about his vision of taking his company EAS all natural and asked me to join the company, to be a spokesman for the company. I'm like, "Oh sure, promoting natural athletes would be great."

Through all the contacts I had at Gold's I became the head of VIP marketing for EAS. So what I would do is work with a lot of athletes. So I started with athletes first.

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We were always involved with the Broncos because we were Denver-based. Kobe Bryant was a rookie and all these guys were receiving products from us. We were giving the products to them and telling them to take it, explaining the best time to take it and what is the best way to train. And they were, "wow that's great, could you train me some more."

So with EAS, we devised a team; I had a team of trainers that would follow guys to pre-season, follow guys to locations, camps. Then these guys were getting the maximum benefits from EAS and of course they were promoting the h#ll out of the company.

[ Q ] And when did you begin training actors?

[ A ] It's funny, especially in California, celebrities and athletes co-mingle. Wherever you go to a party you are going to see an athlete or a movie star or a musician. You see them at parties and at charity events.

It started with the athletes who invited me. You go along and before you know it you are talking to the guys from Kiss, or you are talking to the Spice Girls. And you start talking to all these other musicians. People will introduce you; my athlete clients will tell one of their celebrity friends, "I have this trainer Mike Ryan, I would like you to meet him." Before I know it I am talking to Edward Norton.

[ Q ] That must have been an incredible experience, meeting all of these different entertainment industry stars.

[ A ] It was. It was overwhelming. To this day I feel very blessed and fortunate and am thankful for every day that I get, that's for sure.

[ Q ] I would like to discuss your experiences training and hanging out with some of your celebrity clients. Tell me how you first met Mickey Rourke?

[ A ] Mickey has always been a gym guy. He called me one day and said, "Did you ever hear about the comic book called Sin City." I was like, "Yeah, I totally love it." Well he said, "They want me to play Marv, one of the characters." I'm like "Mickey, that's so for you. You should get in the gym and just start getting jacked."

I'm sure if you saw Sin City you would agree he looked fantastic. And he was so dark and foreboding. It really re-launched his career. He is a good guy and I love him to death.

He told me whenever he has a project he wants me to work with him. I was obligated to be in Miami with my Bollywood guy while he (Mickey) was in New York doing a wrestling movie (The Wrestler, currently in post production) so I followed up with him, gave him a program and wrote a diet for him as he progresses along.

[ Q ] How long did you work with Mickey for?

[ A ] I was contracted with him for two years. Sin City to Domino, to a movie we did in London, Stormbreaker, kind of a like an early James Bond film.

[ Q ] And during that period, did you develop a personal as well as a professional relationship with Mickey?

[ A ] Oh yeah, absolutely. That's one of the things that happen. Fortunately all the guys I tend to work with all have the same likes and dislikes, we have a fascination for bodybuilding and training. So personally I got along so well (with Mickey).

[ Q ] It must be an incredible honor for you to be on close terms with many of these big names, people who would be off limits to the average person.

[ A ] Yes, especially growing up in the '80s, Mickey Rourke was just so massive. When I tell everyone I was with Mickey Rourke, everyone my age - 40 and above - are just like, "That is awesome." And I'm like, "Yeah, he is just the coolest guy."

[ Q ] Was Mickey committed and disciplined when it came to training?

[ A ] Oh yeah, he's intense. Because he had a career as a boxer too, he dropped out of Hollywood for a while to do this. So he is a very intense guy. When he trains on his films you can see it. Some days I'm thinking if he isn't having a good day he's going to kill me (laughs).

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[ Q ] Mickey does strike me as being the kind of guy who can be unconventional, a little wild.

[ A ] Yes, absolutely - with everything. Life in the fast lane: from training to acting to his social calendar.

[ Q ] What kind of training program do you design for your clients? Do you have a particular approach for all your clients?

[ A ] It's like, what is the primary role going to consist of? Are you going to be short-listed? Do you have to be thick, have to be big? When do you want to look your best?

It's all geared on the shooting schedule.

Dealing with Edward Norton it was a reversal. When he did Fight Club, he wanted to peel all his muscle off from American History X. He is like, "Mike, I'm having a meltdown, my whole role is me having a meltdown. Mentally, psychotically, physically." So it was basically skipping a bit of rope here and there, a couple of sets of push-ups, plyometrics. Towards the end - Edward is such an intense actor - he was just living off a protein shake and an apple a day.

[ Q ] That's extreme, but it did the job in the end.

[ A ] Oh yeah, when you see Fight Club, you see the guy just go from scene one to the final scene in the movie; he just has a total meltdown. He's half his size and he's all whacko (laughs).

[ Q ] When training any of your clients, do you use a specific approach or do you tailor it more to the individual needs of the client?

[ A ] It's definitely based on their needs, but I'm still old school. There's a lot of core, a lot of bombing and lot of medicine balls and a lot of rubber bands these days. Personally don't care for that stuff. I'm an old school guy; I love the iron. When you work with me you are going to throw around a lot of iron so you better get used to it.

[ Q ] Most trainers I have spoken to tend to be no nonsense in that they expect the best from their clients or they don't bother at all. Are you one of these trainers?

[ A ] Absolutely. Especially when you have actors, because they have time frames. It is like, "Well I have 30 days and I need to look my best." I'll be like, "Oh sh!t, here we go."

[ Q ] Are you the kind of trainer that expects a certain outcome and if the client doesn't meet that, you will continue until it is reached?

[ A ] Yes, exactly. The funny thing is, when I'm on the road with my guys I'll train with them. I'm a pretty driven guy, so when I get into training someone, I will say, "Hey if I can push this weight you can do it too. If I'm getting up at four o'clock to run six to eight miles then you can do it."

Click Image To Enlarge.
I'm A Pretty Driven Guy.

I tell them while they're working all day on the set I'm going to be there with them so they can't say they worked all day. I'll say, "There is no excuse you can give me, there is no sh!t you can try on me because I've been there and done it myself." And the guys will really respond to that. They are like, "This guy is just not going to quit so I better just work hard."

[ Q ] What do you do at the first stages of a client's program?

[ A ] What I like to do with someone I've never met is to first just sit down and have lunch with that person. I like to spend some good in depth time; I do like getting a good read on people. Just to see if our personalities match and if we are going to get along.

[ Q ] How old are you?

[ A ] I'm 42.

[ Q ] Since you began in the industry, what changes have you seen in terms of bodybuilding and fitness trends?

[ A ] Of course the trends have changed a lot - dramatically. Growing up in the '80s you had a lot of major stars like Stallone. These guys were just muscle-bound.

Through the '90s guys like Brad Pitt were the big thing; the lean, slender ripped look. And now Hollywood is still trying to find an image. But it tends to go back. All these comic book movies are hugely popular. Granted a lot of these guys are getting away with rubber suits and everything. But I still think the audiences want to see the big ripped guys. I think in the next few years they will get a bit bigger and more buffed.

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[ Q ] There does seem to be a veering away from the more muscular actor nowadays.

[ A ] Well they are just not doing the roles that require that much physicality and that massive look to their physiques. When Dwayne started it with The Scorpion King and the Mummy, he still had the massive wrestlers physique. But now he has the contract with Disney, which is awesome, and congratulations to him, but it's all toned down. He is a bigger than life, happy go lucky character, which kids really love and admire.

[ Q ] But not the same massive, intimidating quality that many actors of the '80s presented.

[ A ] Yeah we are just waiting for the next guy to come along and it will be like, wham!

[ Q ] What strategies do you use to get your clients focused on their training objectives?

[ A ] I'm a visual guy and I use a lot of visual aids. I'm not afraid to take a picture, and just say, "Hey, this is how you look from day one. Now take you shirt off, here's a pair of shorts."

Of course everyone just dreads that. They are like, "Oh, you are such an @sshole." I'm like: "Hey, part of the job. We are visual people. This is day one. We will see how we look in 15 days and then we will see how we look in 30 days." And in 45 days, that is when we will talk and make the required adjustments.

[ Q ] And this approach works well for you?

[ A ] Oh yeah. Fantastic. I think everyone responds to that better.

Click Image To Enlarge.
We Are Visual People.

[ Q ] I've trained a few people and they will either like this approach or they will completely hate it.

[ A ] And the funny thing is the people who hate it still realize it is still a good motivating tool. They dread looking at themselves. And I'm like, "Yes, you should be pissed off. You let yourself look like this. Now, the good thing is you can change it.

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[ Q ] So the key for you is to try and reinforce the fact they can do it and you will help them. Are there any other things that might separate you from the average personal trainer?

[ A ] You know we all have a lot of knowledge; we all have knowledge in different aspects of what we do. But a lot of it comes from motivating the individual and leading by example. And I'm just a huge fan of that and that's why I think a lot of these guys like to work with me.

What you see is what you get. And it's funny because a lot of these guys will go, "Will you go out and have a beer." And I'm like, "yes, sure. We will have about three to six beers if that's what you want. But remember, we are just going to have to work harder the next day." And that's what it's all about: having a happy balance.

[ Q ] I think that is one reason you have so many clients. They like to have a beer with you.

[ A ] Absolutely.

[ Q ] You mentioned earlier that you are currently contracted to one actor, John Abraham? Tell me more about this actor.

[ A ] Yes, right now I am contracted to one actor, but I'm always available at Gold's Gym. If anyone has a question they only need to come and ask. In the movie business, as you know, there are special requirements. A lot of times a project might take three months and it's like, "Okay, we have to go in two weeks."

So you always have to be readily available. And Bollywood's funny because they work differently to Hollywood. A Bollywood actor, they really don't get contracted, it's like they go from movie to movie - it's constant work for these guys.

The guy that I'm with, John Abraham, he's like the Brad Pitt of India. He's a handsome guy, so his physique is very important. I want him in shape 12 months of the year, no doubt about it.

[ Q ] Tell me more about the recent movie theater incident you were involved in with John Abraham.

[ A ] Oh yeah, we are in London as I've been flown out there as he is scheduled to do a movie, but before this we began training for a few days before they started filming. So he asks me if I would like to go see a movie before they started filming and I'm like, "Sure." And when we get in there I see people pointing and saying, "There's John Abraham." So I think, "Okay a few people recognize him, it's no big deal."

We are in Piccadilly Square right in the middle of downtown London. We come out of the movie theater and all of a sudden my God, there had to be about 500 people waiting for John to come out. And I'm like "you have to be kidding me." And of course when you walk out of a movie theater door the door shuts behind you and you can't get back in. So I'm "Oh sh!t."

This guy has people all over him and the crowd was not separating. It was such a madhouse scene. It was crazy. The police had to come and rush him out. I said to him, "Dude, you are popular." (Laughs) and of course then he said to me: "Your job is now security and bodyguard." And I was like, "How on earth did I end up with this (laughs)?"

[ Q ] I take it you are not a master in four different martial arts styles.

[ A ] (Laughs) I'm quite comfortable, but when it comes to the masses it's just called running.

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[ Q ] And I understand you were in a similar predicament with Mickey Rourke. Tell me more about the hi-jinx you got up to with him?

[ A ] (Laughs) Oh with Mickey every night was hi-jinx. The funny thing with Mickey was it happened on the first night I got there, to begin working with him. And the producers were like, "Hello great to meet you and so on." And I'm like, "Thank you." And of course they asked me to keep an eye on him when we hung out in LA together.

They told me we wouldn't get in trouble, that what I heard about Mickey's past was all behind him; Mickey had gone straight. And so we went out that first night. And it's funny because wherever Mickey goes his reputation precedes him.

Well we were out and some Russian supermodel comes up to him and goes, "I've seen you in a movie, will you take me home?" I'm thinking, "well that is pretty easy, the whole Russian Mob will be outside waiting to try and kill us."

Click Image To Enlarge.
Wherever Mickey Goes His Reputation Precedes Him.

The next day in the headline and papers everywhere, it was all reported, about our night out. The next morning the producer read the paper and it's like, "Way to go Mike, you are going to watch him, keep him out of trouble." I'm thinking, "I've got three more months of this, I don't think that I can make it."

[ Q ] What are some common goals your clients have when getting in shape for a movie role?

[ A ] Of course the main thing is the six-pack. Everyone wants to get the abs. It's that one killer shot and it highlights so much. Especially with the latest Bond when Daniel Craig came out and it was that one scene that was the most memorable in the movie when he was walking along and the freaking guy's ripped. And that's it.

People were going, "The new Bond guy is in shape." And that kind of set the precedent for the new leading man so all the guys in Bollywood relate to that too. They say the guy in 007 is the guy that is in shape, and that is something they aspire to. So everyone wants to get the six-pack.

[ Q ] And how would you approach the acquisition of a six-pack? People tend to think there is some kind of secret here.

[ A ] It's a range of things. Weight training, nutrition and cardio. And with my cardio and for my clients I make sure everything is done with a heart rate monitor; you always want to be in a constant fat burning zone. That's why when I go with these guys I eat with them.

My room is pretty much right next to their room. We are eating together; it is like "Every two and a half hours we have to eat. And when we get some down time, we are going to do some activity. Before we go to bed we are going to do a little cardio, some stretching." So it is constant activities.

[ Q ] What is your view on protein intake?

[ A ] Well protein is the foundation for building muscle so for my guys it's a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.

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