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Transitioning From Machine-Based Training to Free Weights and Functional Strength Training
Call it The War Against The Machines.There was a time when long rows of gaudy resistance training machines were the pride and joy of every gym facility, particularly the big chains. Think 1980s and 90s. The machines made training seem less forbidding. They look “high tech” in comparison to long bars and collars and plates. They make it easy to toggle resistance up and down to find a weight you’re comfortable with.Despite these advantages, machines have been steadily losing the war ever since. For at least two decades, training professionals have been pointing out the drawbacks of machines. They isolate individual muscles, causing them to work in ways they don’t in real life. The weights themselves move along a predetermined path, removing stabilizer muscles from the equation and robbing the exerciser of the opportunity to increase stability, coordination, and functional capacity. They’re very limited; you can do hundreds of things with a dumbbell, but only one thing with a seated crunch machine.They also, let’s face it, give people an inaccurate sense of just how strong they are. Anyone who’s ever moved the pin closer to the bottom of the stack on a machine bench press, then struggled with two 45-lb plates on a barbell in the free weight area can attest to that.As a result, gyms have evolved in different directions. Some make a point of going full retro, with rows and rows of dumbbells, barbell plates, kettlebells, and ranks of squat racks. And then there’s the rise of boutique fitness, with its emphasis on group fitness, functional fitness, high intensity interval training, and yoga.In some ways, that’s too bad, because machines have their advantages. They function as an entry point into the fitness lifestyle for beginners and anyone who’s been away from the gym for a long time. There are plenty of people — perhaps you’re one of them — who just don’t want to jump directly into the deep end of the fitness pool with the daunting high-intensity classes, mountains of metal plates, and costly training sessions. Most gyms and health clubs lose 50% of their new members within six months. And those are the ambitious people who actually walked in the door and handed over their credit card. Machines are the means by which thousands of people adopt a new and lasting commitment to fitness every year.Leaving Machine IslandShould you be moving toward free-weight training, body weight exercise and functional strength training over time? In a word, yes. Functional training that incorporates compound movements involving multiple muscle groups is the key to peak health and wellness. Strengthened stabilizer muscles and better balance / coordination will help you avoid injury. They’ll also help you do things — like getting out of a beach chair, carrying groceries into the house, or basic yard work — that will enhance your quality of life for decades to come. Having said that, should you do it all at once? Absolutely not. Moderation is key. You don’t have to go from the bicep curl machine to sharing a mat 100% of the time with a grunting mass monster in a Gold’s Gym tank. You don’t have to risk pinning yourself beneath a barbell in the bench press. In fact, there are some machines you’ll never give up. But there are are plenty of free weight and functional exercises that closely mimic the range of motion you’re experiencing now on machines. In fact, some of those machines are doing you very little good and may actually be increasing your risk of injury.There’s a wide sea of gym floor out there, and it’s time we sailed off our little machine island and explored some of it.Proper Form Suddenly Becomes a Top PriorityUp until now, your exercise machines have been making all your decisions and adjustments for you. It’s been their way or the highway. Now you’re going to have to find out what works for you and how to achieve it. Proper form is essential to getting the most muscle-building benefit out of every exercise and avoiding injury. When you’re supine on the bench press machine, proper form takes care of itself. The weights only go one way, in a single track. The machine balances the weight for you. If you work to failure, the weights won’t crush your chest. Load some plates (start small!) on a barbell and it’s a whole different story. Lift the bar off the pegs and (whoa!) the bar wobbles up there! You have to maintain control of the bar all the way down and then all the way up. How far down and how far up? Should you lock out at the top? Suddenly that’s up to you. If you don’t have a spotter, you must have a very good idea of which rep is your last rep.It all sounds scary, but it’s really kind of liberating. But with liberation comes responsibility. Achieving proper form will help you eliminate wasted movement so you work more efficiently. It will help you work the muscles you’re trying to work, while also bringing stabilizing muscles into play. It will sharpen your focus on the task at hand, improve oxygen intake, and (most importantly) reduce injury risk.How do you learn proper form? A few sessions with a certified trainer is almost always worth the expense. If you’re on a tight budget, there are literally thousands of YouTube videos laying out the do’s and don’ts of every possible exercise. The mirrors on the gym walls have been the subject of a million jokes, but they also serve a purpose. Watch yourself and learn. Eventually you won’t need the mirrors (except for some discreet preening) because you’ll feel the right form in your bones.Free Weight / Body Weight SubstitutionsAs we’ve said, there are some machines you’ll never leave behind. Some people can’t do an unassisted pull-up. For them, the lat pull-down machine makes perfect sense; the movement is very similar to a pull-up. Here, however, are some machines that can be the first booted from your regimen.1. Seated Crunch Machine —> Ab RolloutHow are crunch machines still a thing? Why are they taking up floor space in a gym? Even regular sit-ups and crunches, where you curl up over and over on a mat, have long fallen out of favor. They’re bad for your neck, bad for your shoulders, put your spine in an unnatural position, and compress your lower back. And that’s before you add a stack of metal plates to the equation. See that little vertical wheel with the handles on either side? That’s an ab roller. Get on your knees, grab the handles and roll forward, roll back. Your core muscles will resist flexion and extension to stay stable while your back stays straight. Another option here is planks with or without a stability ball.2. Bench Press Machine —> Push-UpThe functional training equivalent of the bench press machine is the greatest bodyweight movement ever -- the humble push-up. Push-ups activate your delts, your pecs, your triceps, your abdominals, and the wing muscles under your armpit, the serratus anterior. Better yet, you can put added emphasis on any muscle group just by changing position. To focus on chest and shoulders, set your hands wide. To focus resistance on your triceps, move your hands in narrow. If you're just getting started, do a modified push-up, with your knees touching the floor. Once you get up to speed, you can add difficulty to your push-ups by doing decline push-ups with your feet up on a bench or chair, or plyometric push-ups, where you spring up off the ground entirely (or even add a handclap between push-ups). Another good thing about push-ups is you can do them anywhere, not just the gym. Push-ups make an excellent ramp up to your ultimate goal, which is the free-weight bench press. Yes, you can do it. Just start with an empty barbell (about 45 lbs) and progress from there. If you don’t have a spotter, remember to keep your lifts conservative. 3. Smith Machine —> Trap Bar / Goblet Squat / Hip ThrustYes, you can put metal plates on it. And also yes, it’s still a machine. The Smith machine’s bar balances the weight for you and moves in a fixed track. If you’ve always been leery of bending forward, grabbing a barbell and deadlifting it, there’s a remedy for that. The trap bar. It’s that hexagonal weight bar with two handles and prongs on each side for plates. Put plates on both sides and step into the hexagon. Now, instead of leaning forward and risking your back, you’re centered within the weights and can work your glutes, hamstrings, lats, traps and even your lower back in relative safety. Other options are goblet squats with a dumbbell or kettlebell, and a barbell hip thrust in which you place your back perpendicular on a bench, lay a barbell across your lap, and raise and lower your hips.4. Seated Leg Extension / Curl —-> Squats and LungesIt makes no sense to isolate leg muscles in exercise. Your hamstrings, quads, glutes and calves are all designed to work in unison. Separating them out risks damage to your knees and encourages imbalances between the muscles. Compound movements solve all of this and the big daddy of compound movements is the squat. The squat rack looks forbidding, but you can start with just the barbell, which weighs 45 lbs on its own. The squat works more muscle groups than any other exercise you can do, and is superb for building balance and coordination. An alternate option is lunges with or without dumbbells, which will really get your heart pumping as well.5. Seated Twist Machine —> PlanksDid we say the crunch machine was the dumbest machine? We stand corrected. The seated twist machine serves little purpose other than contorting your back into unnatural shapes. Walk far away from this one, find some space on a mat and do some side planks. To work your obliques, side planks, farmer’s carries with dumbbells or kettlebells, and even one-armed overhead presses are also far superior methods. 6. Back Extension Machine —> Back Extension BenchUsing the back extension machine is basically like being in a car wreck. Flexing your back over and over in a rigid position without your glutes or quads to help is a recipe for disaster. Instead head over to the back extension bench, that simple piece of furniture with a foot plate, a bar for behind your knees, and a pad at hip height. Bend forward, lift yourself up. If that’s not challenging enough, hug a weight to your chest. A perfect compound movement.7. Pec Deck —> Dumbbell FlyeThe pec deck’s biggest problem is its unnatural range of motion. Adjust it all you want, you’ll never approximate the natural movement you’ll get by lying on your back on a bench balancing a dumbbell in each hand. Self explanatory, really.8. Seated Abductor Machine —-> Squats / Single-Leg Romanian DeadliftIn every gym in America right now, someone is sitting in the seated abductor machine, forcing their legs open and closed, fraying their hip capsules and IT bands. It doesn’t have to be this way. Remember: lower body, compound movements. Squats work fine here (they really are the perfect exercise) and so do single leg exercises. A Romanian deadlift involves holding a weight with an overhand grip, lowering at the hip, keeping your spine straight, then pushing your hips forward, as you draw your shoulders back and rise to a standing position. The single leg variation activates your core and strengthens your abductors.And that’s it, the beginning of your charted course off Machine Island. Enjoy your new expanded gym domain! The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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The Definitive ProSource Protein Buyer's Guide
If you're a regular reader of our articles here at ProSource, you already know that all proteins are not created equal. (Imagine believing that all foods are created equal!) Some proteins are created out of the very best quality ingredients, based on the latest scientific research, and formulated via the most advanced processing methods. Many, unfortunately, are not. Those lesser products exist merely to turn a profit, not help you achieve your physique and performance goals.If you want to tell the difference between an elite protein and a poor-quality protein, you need only read the nutritional facts panel on the jug. Some manufacturers will attempt to mislead you with deceptive language, but their tricks are easy to recognize. If you're new to protein supplementation, we suggest you take a moment to read this article, "How To Read A Protein Formula Label." It will give you all the facts you need to avoid the scams and get maximum value from every gram of protein you buy and consume.Here at ProSource, we've spent 25 years building a bond of trust with our customers, basing our legendary proteins on scientific research and innovation that has spurred our entire industry forward. Our proteins, bearing both the ProSource and BioQuest brands, are always formulated from the very best ingredients and formulated via the most advanced processing methods. They have helped a generation of serious athletes achieve their goals.And yet, even our ProSource protein formulas are not all the same. In fact, they have fundamentally different nutritional profiles and are geared toward very different purposes and goals. Some are intended for extreme growth, while others support peak functional fitness. Others are targeted for fat loss or mass gain. ProSource prides itself on offering the perfect protein for every fitness goal. Which one is best for you? Let's take a closer look.ProSource NytroWhey Ultra Elite Muscle Fuel Powered by the World's Most Advanced Proteins* The Industry Leading Ultra-Premium-Grade Protein Blend* 100% Pure Whey Protein Isolate Formulated Via Advanced CFM Processing* Ultra-Rapid-Action Whey Protein Hydrolysate* Advanced Leucine Peptide Technology to Facilitate Muscle Protein Synthesis* Rich, Creamy Milkshake Taste and TextureWhy You Should Add It To Your Regimen: Because, frankly, NytroWhey Ultra Elite is the best daily protein supplementation available to meet your higher nutritional needs, support your active lifestyle and elevated levels of training, and help you attain your physique and performance goals. NytroWhey Ultra Elite is protein for people who are very serious about their protein.There are many things we could say about the potency, power, and purity of NytroWhey Ultra Elite. But perhaps the most revealing is this: Once a customer tries NytroWhey Ultra Elite for the first time, they never go back to their old protein. The difference is like night and day. A first-time buyer of NytroWhey Ultra Elite is a NytroWhey Ultra Elite fan for life. Primary Ingredients and Benefits: NytroWhey's muscle-supporting power and efficacy derive from its advanced whey isolate blend. Its superior-quality crossflow-microfiltration whey protein isolate is loaded with critical growth catalysts primed for muscle support. Its cutting-edge hydrolyzed whey protein is rich in the low-molecular-weight di- and tripeptides that drive elevated levels of growth. And its state-of-the-art leucine peptide technology is a precision-targeted driver of instant protein synthesis that puts your muscles on the road to recovery and growth after an intense workout.The combination of these three protein technologies places NytroWhey Ultra Elite far above every other protein designed for muscle mass maintenance and growth. This blend of high-quality proteins -- completely free of fillers, impurities and spiking agents so common in other commercially available brands -- also ensures that NytroWhey Ultra Elite mixes better and tastes better than all of its competitors. NytroWhey Ultra Elite is the world's foremost premium whey protein for serious fitness enthusiasts and athletes. ProSource Vectron A Unique Fat-Loss Muscle-Supporting Protein Technology* Contains a Fractionated Protein Complex Designed to Support Fat Loss * Key Compound Validated in Independent Clinical Testing* Specialized Whey Mineral Complex to Support Healthy Glycemic Response* Light, Delicious Flavor and TextureWhy You Should Add It To Your Regimen: Because you're trying to lose excess fat, while minimizing muscle loss in the process. Whenever you start restricting calories, your body will seek out carbs in the form of glucose for energy first. If that's not available, your body will seek out glycogen stored in muscle tissue, starting a process in which muscle mass is broken down to facilitate energy production. Typically, for a person dieting, 25% to 35% of total weight loss is lost muscle mass.There are ways to avoid this fate, however. One is to not prioritize rapid (and usually unsustainable) weight loss, which will convince your body that you're starving and force it to conserve fat (which is metabolically less costly to sustain) and shed muscle. Fat loss is a marathon, not a sprint; losing a little each month is preferable to trying to lose a lot over the short term. It's also important to keep up a normal exercise regimen when dieting. You body will not sacrifice muscle it uses all the time.A third way to keep muscle during dieting is to supplement with protein. Protein is a natural thermogenic; it costs energy just to digest. It also directly fuels the muscle tissue you're trying to keep. While most protein formulas do not specifically support fat loss, there is one unique protein formula that takes fat loss to a higher level -- Vectron from ProSource.Primary Ingredients and Benefits: ProSource Vectron contains an elite fractionated protein complex called Prolibra®. The patented protein peptide fragments found in Prolibra® are designed to enhance satiety by helping to stimulate the release of the hormone CCK. CCK is a hormone that is sent from your digestive tract to your brain letting your brain know that it needs to turn down the hunger signals. Prolibra also contains milk mineral complexes aimed at optimizing calcium levels within fat cells to yield maximum efficiency with regard to weight-loss support. These mechanisms, working in tandem, can produce remarkable results. In an independent, randomized, double-blind, 12-week clinical trial (1 Frestadt) published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, test subjects showed significant improvements in the ratio of lean mass to fat while taking just 24.4 grams of Prolibra® per day compared to a control group taking an isocaloric placebo. The subjects taking Prolibra® retained twice as much lean muscle with 79% fat loss compared to the control group at 51% fat loss. Remarkably, the Prolibra® group, using just 24.4 grams per day, lost 6.1% fat. Maintaining muscle mass while dieting is, in itself, a valuable fat loss strategy. Vectron can help make that goal a reality. BioQuest MyoZene Ultra-Rapid-Action Post-Workout Growth and Recovery Formula* A Powerful Matrix of Advanced Growth Catalysts* Hydrolyzed Whey and Added Leucine Peptides for Significant Growth* Clinically Validated Strength Results in Product-Specific Testing* Additional Strength and Endurance Co-Factors* Advanced Carbohydrate Technology to Stimulate Nutrient Delivery to MuscleWhy You Should Add It To Your Regimen: You want to completely transform your physique, adding significant amounts of new muscle mass. The proteins we've discussed up until now are ideal for serious fitness-conscious individuals. They're for people who want to stay fit, look great, and maximize performance. MyoZene is a whole different beast. It contains a number of different technologies that work together to drive extreme muscle gain and increase strength. If you want to be big, look big, and turn heads in the gym, MyoZene from BioQuest is for you.Primary Ingredients and Benefits: First and foremost, MyoZene's protein component is comprised of a blend of highly specialized hydrolyzed whey rich in essential di- and tri-peptides for ultra-rapid absorption into the muscle, fortified with an advanced leucine peptide technology to enhance muscle protein synthesis. MyoZene also contains an advanced carbohydrate matrix designed to raise blood glucose levels, potentiating insulin release, which in turn plays a key role in skeletal muscle protein synthesis by activating ribosomal activity and growth initiation factors within skeletal muscle. Rounding out this state-of-the-art mass-building formula are creatine monohydrate for cell volumization and strength support, taurine and glutamine for recovery support, and L-carnitine L-tartrate for additional hormonal support. MyoZene is highly unusual in that its benefits have been validated in product-specific independent clinical testing. In a study presented at the prestigious American College of Sports Medicine Annual Conference, subjects supplementing with MyoZene experienced a 24% increase in muscular endurance mid-way through the study and a 32% increase after one month of training. Subjects experienced a notable reduction in body fat as well. MyoZene is serious post-workout nutrition for athletes who want to make their workouts hugely productive and to convert that output into real, tangible physique results. ProSource NytroWhey Original The Ultra-Pure Whey Protein Isolate That Started It All* 100% Pure Ultra-Premium Whey Isolate* Pure and Complete Amino Acid Profile Derived Via Advanced Microfiltration* Powerful Concentrations of Protein Fractions for Enhancing Bioavailability and Muscle Growth* True Gourmet Quality Taste and TextureWhy You Should Add It To Your Regimen: You're looking to maintain functional strength, sustain and increase existing muscle mass, and support your regular exercise regimen. Original NytroWhey is also ideal for newcomers to the fitness lifestyle and those fitness-minded athletes who are on a budget. Its pioneering formulation forever raised the bar for protein texture and flavor.Primary Ingredients and Benefits: Original NytroWhey was and continues to be the 100% whey isolate formula that revolutionized the protein category. Before its appearance, the widely available ion-exchange and acid-treated protein formulas contained damaged and largely inert protein fractions, were larded up with inferior whey concentrates and fillers, and tasted horrible. After Original NytroWhey's appearance, those lesser proteins were instantly outmoded and marginalized.The whey isolate in Original NytroWhey is precision-manufactured using high-performance, ultra micro-filtration processing, a precise and complex synthesis that involves ceramic cold filtering that delivers the purest, most bioavailable protein available, preserving the alphalactalbumin, lactoferrin, and glycomacropeptides that are essential catalysts for enhancing bioavailability, and boosting growth and recovery. This state of the art technology also removes the lactose and other undesirables typically found in other forms of whey protein. Original NytroWhey launched twenty years ago and there are countless athletes who swear by it and have never used any other protein. Today it remains arguably the single greatest value for your protein dollar. ProSource After Mass Super-Comprehensive Mass Builder at an Affordable Price* Tri-Phasic Hydrolyzed Whey / Whey Protein Concentrate / Casein Hydrolysate Complex* Targeted Dose of 12.26 grams of Potent Aminos* Advanced High-Glycemic Carb Matrix for Insulin Potentiation* Real Physique Results at an Affordable PriceWhy You Should Add It To Your Regimen: Just like the product's name says, you want to add mass. You may be what is called a "hard-gainer," someone who fits an ectomorphic profile that makes it hard to add mass, or you may simply be someone who finds it difficult to consume the requisite daily calories necessary to benefit sufficiently from your training regimen. ProSource After Mass contains a wide-spectrum combination of 25 grams of a cutting-edge tri-phasic protein complex, plus 48 grams of precision-targeted, high-glycemic carbs to up-regulate insulin release and support protein synthesis. That's a lot of nutrition in one affordably priced post-workout supplement!Primary Ingredients and Benefits: While some of the protein formulas featured here are specifically designed to provide a fast-acting, potent punch of rapid-uptake aminos in the form of whey isolate and hydrolyzed whey, After Mass adopts a different strategy, fueling growing muscle tissue over both the short and long term. The hydrolyzed whey in After Mass supports protein synthesis in the immediate aftermath of your workout, while the whey protein concentrate and hydrolyzed casein in After Mass provide an extended flow of aminos to keep your muscles in a growth-favorable state. Additional glutamine, leucine, taurine and other key aminos enhance recovery and growth as well. After Mass also has you covered here with 48 grams of precision-targeted, high-glycemic carbs that will restore glycogen reserves depleted during exercise, raise blood glucose levels and potentiate insulin release for improved nutrient delivery to muscles, and support the secretion of insulin-like growth factors. If you're an athlete on a budget, After Mass post-workout formula from ProSource checks all the boxes of your muscle-building nutritional requirements at an affordable price. BioQuest Muscle Maize Multiple Muscle Supporting Mechanisms in One Super Supplement* Twenty Grams of a Super-Premium Whey Isolate / Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Blend * Additional BCAAs and Glutamine for Rapid-Action Protein Synthesis* Advanced High-Molecular Weight Carbohydrate for Insulin-Potentiated Nutrient Delivery * Hormone-Support Activation Blend for Increased Power, Endurance and Vitality* Focus and Intensity Blend of Key Aminos and Herbal Extracts Why You Should Add It To Your Regimen: You want a super-comprehensive, all-in-one muscle and performance support technology that eliminates the need to take a schedule of different supplements throughout the day. If you're a serious and experienced athlete, Muscle Maize offers the opportunity to truly replace many individual supplements that can cost a lot of money and may not be working in precise ratio for maximum results. If you're just beginning your fitness journey, Muscle Maize is the perfect "starter's kit" for physique transformation.Primary Ingredients and Benefits: Muscle Maize from BioQuest is unique among supplements in the scope and power of its muscle-supporting mechanisms. It contains high-quality whey plus additional BCAAs and glutamine to support protein synthesis, endurance and strength support, plus co-factors that address muscle cell volumization, nutrient transport and muscle pump. Testosterone-boosting herbal extracts and ZMA provide hormone support, while key aminos and herbal extracts support workout focus and intensity. Finally, the high-molecular-weight waxy maize in Muscle Maize is essential for stimulating insulin production, which enhances nutrient transport to muscle tissue, activates growth initiation factors and prevents muscle protein breakdown. Waxy maize also restores glycogen reserves which, when severely depleted during intense exercise, can lead to additional muscle loss. If you've ever wondered if your supplementation regimen was providing too much or too little of any number of essential nutrients -- or just wanted to save money on the supplements you take -- Muscle Maize was formulated for you.1 Frestedt JL1, Zenk JL, Kuskowski MA, Ward LS, Bastian ED. A whey-protein supplement increases fat loss and spares lean muscle in obese subjects: a randomized human clinical study. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2008 Mar 27;5:8. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-5-8.2 From "An Open Label Clinical Trial Evaluating the Effects of MyoZene with Resistance Training on Changes in Body Muscle Strength." Lidia Lou, MS, Samantha Feldman MS, RD, William Chong BS, Douglas Kalman PhD, RD, FACN, Diane R. Krieger, MD. May 2008. Presented at the 2008 American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, IN.Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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8 Healthy Habits Of People Who Lose Fat And Keep It Off
A new year is upon us and we're not here to talk about your summer beach body. We're not here to talk about how you can lose 15 pounds in 15 days. Instead, we're here to talk about a new kind of resolution: Change that lasts.Because the other kind of changes -- fad diets and juice cleanses and that new treadmill in the corner of the family room -- are temporary at best. Roughly 90 percent of people who lose a significant amount of weight eventually regain just about all of it. And they're throwing their metabolism out of whack while they're doing it.But what about that other 10%? What are they doing to keep that fat off? Chances are, they're losing a half pound a week here and there, nothing dramatic. They're building a foundation where the excess fat comes off and stays off. Advances in the modern science of fat loss are giving us new insights into how and why our bodies store away excess amounts of fat and what we can do to attain and maintain a leaner -- and healthier -- physique.Notice too that we're talking about losing fat here, not "losing weight." When the number on your scale starts to creep downward day by day, you're inevitably losing some muscle mass along with fat. The key is to keep that percentage of muscle loss compared to fat loss as small as possible, because muscle retention is key to your overall fat loss efforts, as we'll get into later. At any rate, let's take a look at what lasting fat loss looks like:1. Get In About 300 Minutes of Physical Activity Per Week.Yes, we know, that seems like a lot. But really, it's just 45 minutes per day. And "physical activity" doesn't mean we're sending you off to the squat rack every day. It means going for a walk or playing a game of tennis or going for a bike ride. (It also means going to the gym three times a week because really, you should go to the gym.) Mainly, it means getting off your butt for a while each day.Why 300 minutes? Researchers have long known that people who take up exercise regimens tend to eat more, but they didn't know why except to speculate that exercisers were somehow rewarding themselves. An interesting new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests there may be another reason. Researchers gathered two groups (men and women) and gave one of them a regimen of exercising twice a week, for at least 90 minutes, until they had burned about 750 calories a session, or 1,500 for the week. The other half exercised six times a week for about 40 to 60 minutes, burning close to 500 calories a session, for a weekly total of about 3,000 a week. At the end of the study, only the second group that had exercised six days a week had shed much weight, dropping about four pounds of body fat. More interestingly, this second group experienced increases in their bodies’ levels of leptin, an appetite hormone that can reduce appetite. There were no changes in leptin levels in the group exercising twice per week. The group that exercised more consistently throughout the week appeared to exhibit increased sensitivity to leptin, helping them better regulate their desire to eat (Flack 1). More study is needed here, of course, but gentler, longer-interval exercise would seem to have fat-loss benefits.2. Drink More Water.At any given moment, 75% of Americans are walking around chronically dehydrated. This is according to a survey of 3003 Americans conducted by the Nutrition Information Center at New York-Cornell Medical Center. Why are they dehydrated? Because they drink too many caffeinated beverages, they consume too much sodium, and they just don't drink enough water.This is bad news, because dehydration causes fatigue, which makes even moderate exercise difficult, and it increases the likelihood that you'll resort to unhealthy snacking to perk yourself up. It also slows your metabolism, which facilitates excess fat gain.In fact, in a study published in the The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, simply drinking cold water helped boost healthy men's and women’s metabolic rate by 30 percent (Boschmann 2). How much water should you be drinking? Eight 8-oz glasses of water a day. That's a half gallon. You can do it.3. Eat When You’re Hungry, But Not Otherwise.How many times do you come home from work and walk immediately to the refrigerator (or the cabinet where you keep the snacks) and eat something? Not because you’re hungry, mind you. But just because that’s what you do? How many times do you sit down to a big meal, not particularly hungry, and then clean your plate because there it is, in front of you? For many of us, eating has lost its connection to real hunger and instead has become a behavior grounded in daily habits, a response to stress, or a social activity. Eating in a healthy manner requires being mindful of what you’re eating and why. It also means eating smaller portions when you are hungry. Eat a small portion and then wait twenty minutes. Chances are your hunger will fade and you’ll be glad you didn’t pick anything from the dessert tray.When you’re hungry, your body is trying to tell you something. It’s also trying to tell you something when you’re NOT hungry. It’s time to start listening.4. Get Stronger.Earlier we pointed out the benefits of mild exercise for helping you lose fat. However, we would be remiss if we didn't emphasize that strength is inextricably bound up in enhanced quality of life, and this includes being able to get and stay lean.If you want to burn fat, you have to lift weights regularly so you can get stronger, increase your training volume, and add muscle mass. Muscle mass is the furnace of fat loss. The more of it you have, the more fuel it takes to maintain, the more fat you will burn. You don't have to become a bodybuilding mass monster; you just have to develop basic functional strength. Forty-five minutes of fairly swift-paced lifting, with an emphasis on keeping rest intervals short, should be more than enough.5. Prioritize Rest.In a better, saner world people would attend to the details of their sleep with all the rigorous attention they bring to their workouts. Because proper rest is every bit as important as a good workout when it comes to support of the bodily functions that keep us vital and well. It's during sleep that your body repairs cells, restores energy, releases essential hormones and gets rid of toxic waste. Intriguingly, it's also when your nerve cells strengthen vital connections and your brain files away new information (which we call "dreaming").Does lack of sleep lead to fat gain? It would certainly seem so. In a weight-loss intervention trial published in the journal Obesity, researchers sought to determine the association between sleep characteristics and weight loss in overweight or obese women enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of a weight-loss program. In the study, 245 women were randomized and asked to complete a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at baseline and 6 months. Researchers found that better subjective sleep quality increased the likelihood of weight-loss success by 33% (Thomson 3).So turn your phone off, draw the shades, turn the thermostat down to a cool but comfortable setting, and put the TV in another room. If you're taking a thermogenic fat-loss or energy catalyst, take it in the morning. Likewise caffeine. Then get your ZZZ's. About 7 hours worth.6. Stop Counting Calories.It's not the number of calories, it's the quality of calories. A turkey breast and a big handful of potato chips can both have the same amount of calories. One will support muscle growth and repair while also having a distinct fat-burning thermogenic effect on your body. The other will go directly to fat gain without providing much (or any) benefit at all. This is where all the low-cal and no-cal nutritional options out there are hindering your fat-loss efforts. Those same "low cal" cookies that are helping you stay within your arbitrary daily caloric budget are providing precisely none of the essential nutrition your body needs to facilitate the many physiological processes that support muscle mass increase and fat loss. If you must restrict calories, it becomes more important than ever to make sure that every calorie you consume performs an important function. Oh, and one more thing. High-quality calories like lean meats, healthy fats, and green vegetables tend to be more filling than junk foods that lead to insulin spikes and energy crashes. So eating healthy foods naturally creates the satiety that leads to restricted calories. Magic!7. Prep Your Meals in Advance.Most people have little idea of what constitutes proper portion size. Left to their own devices, they consistently underestimate the amount of food they're eating. They equate serving sizes with portion sizes. They ladle on absurd amounts of dressings or condiments. They eat out of packages instead of off plates. Don't even get us started on the sheer caloric overload present in any typical restaurant meal.The solution to all this is to weigh and measure the food you eat, prepare it in a healthy manner, and stack your meals up in the refrigerator and freezer for when you need them. This allows you to monitor and document what you eat and prevents counterproductive snacking. It also frees up more time for you to attend to the other productive elements of your new, healthy, sustainable lifestyle.8. Adopt a Lifestyle You Can Live With.If you're not living a life you love, it's not going to last. That means, if you find running tedious, get yourself a bike. Take a spin class. Heck, try yoga. If you find lifting weights a little daunting, treat yourself to a stint with a professional trainer. Find a friend to go to the gym with. If your life is so jam-packed with responsibilities and chores and social events that you never seem to have a moment to yourself, write it all out and see how much of it is really necessary. And then set aside fifteen minutes -- Just fifteen minutes! You can do it! -- for quiet meditation. Remind yourself every day, this isn't a crash diet; my goal isn't coming due in three weeks or three years. This is my new life now. Make the best of it.Scientific References1 Flack, Kyle D., Hays, Harry M., Moreland, Jack, Long, Douglas E. Exercise for Weight Loss: Further Evaluating Energy Compensation with Exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: November 2020, Volume 52, Issue 11, p 2466-2475.2 Boschmann, M, Et. Al (2003). Water-induced thermogenesis. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 88(12), 6015-6019.3 Thomson CA, Morrow KL, Flatt SW, Wertheim BC, Perfect MM, Ravia JJ, Sherwood NE, Karanja N, Rock CL. Relationship between sleep quality and quantity and weight loss in women participating in a weight-loss intervention trial. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2012 Jul;20(7):1419-25. doi: 10.1038/oby.2012.62. Epub 2012 Mar 8.Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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My Supplement Strategies for Success
Hello, I’m back. Can you believe we are on Article 3 already and this is my first time ever writing? Today we are going to dive into diet and supplementation. This is definitely a tough one to get dialed in, but when you do it's amazing the results that come and how relatively easy it is to tweak one way or the other when wanting to cut or continue putting muscle on. First things first though; thank you ProSource for picking me out of all the incredible physiques out there with similar transformation stories. It is an honor to be able to share with all of you through such an outstanding company with such high quality products at such incredible prices. Remember, I’m not a genetically gifted person, I'm actually a hard gainer, and do all my workouts at home with around $2500 worth of equipment, nothing fancy. If I can do it, so can you. If you remember when I started it was all about lifting and not much thought into diet and supplementation. Grab some protein bars and maybe on sale cheap protein powder at one of the big box stores. If you also recall, I hit burn out very quickly and started losing strength and muscle rather quickly too, so back to the internet I went. I remember in my early research that everyone that had success always said diet and supplementation, over and over again. They would even go as far as to say that even using PEDs are useless without proper diet and supplementation. So, you don’t just lift weights and grow, imagine that. Evolution of a Dietary Regimen How did I build my daily diet? I am not a big eater so I knew that my meals would have to be small and many throughout the day. I figured this part out by using 1.5 times grams of protein per pound of bodyweight for starters. This is very common and is used by many to ensure proper protein for growth. For me and my inability to eat a lot at any given moment I came up with 8 meals per day. I was 160lbs when I started, so that equates to 30 grams of protein per meal to equal 240 grams of protein per day. Ok, now what? Let's get some carbs in there. Do I calculate carbs? No, instead I look at my day as always 3 main meals with 5 snacks. What? Are you confused? Let’s break it down. For growth and even maintaining, your body needs to be fueled up as much as possible without running on empty. What about sleep? Yes I factor in about 7 hours sleep per night with a nap or two on the weekend. My sleep time is when I come closest to empty as it is the longest time of a day that I don’t consume something. Do I use a ratio or count macros and calories? No I don’t! Here is how I came up with what to have with my protein; back to the internet. What are the big guys doing? Rice, oatmeal, nuts, fruit, vegetables, bread (yes bread) in reasonable amounts, plus pasta and legumes. Got it. I built my meal plan around those items, 8 meals per day, but protein stayed the same and increased as I grew. Here is where I started and where I am now. This is daily, every day unless I am on vacation. Consistency, consistency, consistency in training, diet, sleep, supplementation. My body completely turned around when I made the decision to be consistent. • 330am: 1 serving of oatmeal, 30 grams of chocolate NytroWhey and Glutamine mixed in. Today I mix 40 grams in for where I currently am • 530am: Nutrition bar – This changes to different types but is extremely easy to increase or decrease based on bulking or cutting. You can eat half, whole, quarters. Depends on what you are doing • 830am: 1 cup of white rice, 30 grams of chocolate NytroWhey and Glutamine mixed in. Today I mix 40 grams in for where I currently am • 1130am: 1 cup of white rice and 8 ounces of chicken breast, lightly seasoned • 1PM: Snack on some trail mix – serving or 2 – Recently added for bulking – Another easy delete or add on for bulking or cutting • 230pm: 30 grams of chocolate NytroWhey and Glutamine mixed in water. Today I mix 40 grams in for where I currently am • 330pm: Pre-workout – ProSource Creatine, Leucine, Acetyl L-Carnitine, Beta Alanine, Super AKG, 1 scoop amino powder, Extreme Caffeine, Arginine tabs, Tyrosine Tabs, Taurine Tabs and a piece or two of chocolate • During workout – Sports drink and a banana • 530pm: ProSource MyoZene • 7pm: Healthy dinner – I really don’t put much thought into this other than grams of protein – Might be burgers, tacos, tuna, some type of steak or chicken salad. I love bread so I have some type of bread here. Everything else is lean meats and low fat items but I want a good dinner so why not. Once again though, this is also a great place to cut or increase depending on your goals • 830pm: 30 grams of chocolate NytroWhey and Glutamine mixed in water. Today I mix 40 grams in for where I currently am • Last but not least – WATER. I try to drink 2 gallons per day. Sometimes I get there, sometimes I don’t, but can certainly see the difference when I am well hydrated versus not. It can be really easy to think you have put fat on but in all actuality you are retaining water. Get your water up before you hit the panic button and start cutting calories. This has worked very well for me and is so convenient. Yes it is the same everyday but I’m okay with that because I want results. Do I cheat? Sure occasionally, but I monitor my weight, bodyfat, and overall appearance when it comes to deciding when I feel okay cheating. Just Add Supplementation Lets talk about supplementation. Like I have stated earlier, there is and always will be a controversy over what is necessary and what is not. My opinion remains the same and there is substantial backing for this; supplements are just that, supplementation. When you are heavily taxing your body week in and out, just food alone is not enough to keep you healthy and growing, your body needs excess vitamins, minerals, and aminos. Think about supplements just like the protein; you need excess to grow, supplements fall into the same category. I have 3 different times during the day that I take supplements and it is working well. Do I do this year around? No. When I take a vacation, away from home and weights, I only take a vitamin pack. Why? I believe that your body becomes tolerant to supplements to where the effectiveness might fall off a little, so allowing the body to clean and reset is a good idea for me anyway. It’s especially important when using AndroTest where usage is 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off. This allows your natural testosterone production to not be affected so the boost you receive is just that -- a boost. If you suppress your natural testosterone you lose that boost. Yes, Androtest is that powerful. How do I continue to grow over 50? You might want to try Androtest. Ok, back to my daily supplement routine…. 3:30am • Vital Mens Multivitamin - Complete Spectrum of Vitamins/Minerals/Antioxidants for Men • BCAA Caps - Anti-Catabolic and Energy Support Aminos - Try this with and without on your next workouts. I definitely notice decreased muscle soreness when using • Turmeric - Awesome for joint pain • Ultra Glucosamine and Chondroitin - Joint health • Ultra CLA - Stimulant-Free Fat Loss and HDL Cholesterol Support • COQ10 - Heart-Healthy Antioxidant and Energy Support • Acetyl-L-Carnitine - Reduce muscle soreness, enhance focus and greatly facilitate the muscle's capacity to recuperate and repair • Flush Form Niacin - Clinical studies have shown that non-buffered (flush form) niacin may enhance workouts by helping to increase blood circulation to muscles (vasodilation) along with cholesterol support • L-Leucine - Leucine has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to decrease protein degradation and improve protein synthesis, especially after intense exercise • Omega-1250 - Highest Potency Standardized Amounts of EPA and DHA, May Play a Role in Reducing Post-Workout Catabolism, Essential for Immune Support, Well-Validated Support of Cardiovascular Health • Vitamin D • Garlic Tab • A liver support supplement Pre-Workout • Creatine - Contains 100% Creapure® Creatine, the World's Purest, Most Potent German Creatine Monohydrate • Leucine - Leucine has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to decrease protein degradation and improve protein synthesis, especially after intense exercise. • Acetyl-L-Carnitine - Reduce muscle soreness, enhance focus and greatly facilitate the muscle's capacity to recuperate and repair • 1 scoop Amino Powder - Anti-Catabolic and Energy Support Aminos • Beta Alanine - Clinically Validated to Significantly Increase Carnosine Levels, Shown to Help Reduce Fatigue, 100% Sourced With Premium Grade CarnoSyn® Brand Beta Alanine, The World's Best, Helps Augment Energy Levels During Intense Workouts • Super AKG Powder - Nitric Oxide Potentiator. This mass-building, pump-producing dynamo is highly reactive and plays a critical role in increased blood flow by a process called vasodilation, for improved nutrient delivery, amplified growth signals, muscle recovery and increased endurance • Extreme Caffeine - Stimulator that contains 200mg of the highest-quality natural caffeine available and 250mg of L-Tyrosine for added focus and performance enhancement, and 200mg of calcium • L-Arginine - Potent vasodilation, proper immune system function and potential cardiovascular support • L-Tyrosine - this powerful amino acid offers a spectrum of important benefits for athletes looking to maximize their intensity level and even for non-athletes just looking to increase their focus and energy • Mega Taurine - Taurine has demonstrated profound muscle cell volumizing effects, which can help to enhance protein synthesis. Taurine also provides support as an insulin mimicker, which can help enhance glucose and amino acid metabolism • Post Workout – MyoZene – Heavy hitter here - MyoZene’s core strength originates from its rare and highly specialized whey hydrolysate technology. It’s well established that the ingestion of premium hydrolyzed whey protein immediately after exercise results in the highest levels of blood amino acids, which are associated with augmented nitrogen utilization, protein synthesis and a greatly elevated anabolic state 830pm • BCAA Caps - Anti-Catabolic and Energy Support Aminos - Try with and without on your next workouts. I definitely notice decreased muscle soreness when using • Turmeric - Awesome for joint pain • Ultra Glucosamine and Chondroitin - Joint health • Ultra CLA - Stimulant-Free Fat Loss and HDL Cholesterol Support • Acetyl-L-Carnitine - Reduce muscle soreness, enhance focus and greatly facilitate the muscle's capacity to recuperate and repair • L-Leucine - leucine has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to decrease protein degradation and improve protein synthesis, especially after intense exercise. • Omega-1250 - Highest Potency Standardized Amounts of EPA and DHA • Vitamin D • Garlic Tab • A liver support supplement So there you have it for my diet and supplementation program. I am living proof that this combination works to a tune of 10-12 lbs of muscle addition for the past 6 years. Cycle in Androtest 3-4 times per year, follow a strict diet and training plan and you will see results. Remember start with a diet plan that gives you the protein that you need then come close with everything else, don’t be afraid to experiment a little, learn where you gain and learn where you lose. This diet and supplementation program has allowed me to make lean gains. I prefer to stay lean just for overall sense of feeling good about how I look year round. Next article we will talk about training routines and exercise selection, as well as what is too much and not enough. Again, when you are at the gym, you are not there to bs, you are there to lift, bring the heat, be always within 1-2 reps of full failure and don’t be a show off with weights you can’t control. Remember, mind muscle connection. The results and appearance you get will speak volumes versus how much you can lift. You can always find me on Instagram @darrinjhills Thanks for reading, Darrin Endorsers used supplements referenced here in conjunction with diet and exercise and were compensated for their appearance. Endorser's results are not typical. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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The New Science of BCAA Muscle Growth Support
In a sports nutrition world where many products in important categories are regularly updated as new science emerges, the tried-and-true BCAA supplement has remained much the same for decades. The basic formulation — usually leucine, isoleucine and valine in a 2:1:1 ratio — has seemed unimproveable.Until now.In recent years, researchers have been discovering that timing and efficacious delivery of leucine is of even greater importance in supporting the repair and growth of lean muscle mass than had been previously understood. Because BCAAs can be broken down and used for an energy source, they are particularly susceptible to rapid depletion in muscle tissue. Even moderate physical training can swiftly increase the need to replenish them for optimum performance and recovery. While supplemented leucine even in its most basic form promotes muscle protein synthesis, more quickly delivered and precisely targeted aminos appear to have a greater muscle-building effect. In short, speed and bioavailability are key. A new science of rapid-action BCAA delivery to muscle tissue would deploy advanced muscle fuel into that nutritional gap, offering athletes a significant new opportunity for lean muscle mass increase.Improving Leucine UtilizationEnter advanced leucine peptides. Researched and formulated by Glanbia Nutritionals, the world's foremost manufacturer of advanced proteins, PepForm® Leucine Peptides are a patent-pending technology that contains high levels of leucine-rich peptides isolated from whey proteins. This more soluble and more bioavailable form of leucine is ideal for supporting muscle protein synthesis and growth, thus sparing intact muscle tissue from being broken down for fuel after exercise. Research shows that individuals can decrease the rate of muscle loss (and indeed, spur new growth) by consuming proteins that are more quickly and fully absorbed and have significant levels of leucine (Jackman 1). All that remained was for one forward-looking sports nutrition manufacturer to incorporate this exciting new technology into a next-generation BCAA supplement that addresses multiple factors of muscle performance and growth enhancement. And now one has. Introducing Amino Fusion™ From ProSourceAmino Fusion from ProSource represents the new state of the art in muscle performance and growth science. The most powerful product of its kind, Amino Fusion facilitates growth and recovery via a Two-Phase Muscle + Growth Technology powered by this highly advanced peptide/BCAA breakthrough. As a result, Amino Fusion delivers the compounds you need to build and repair muscle, swiftly and in optimized quantities, providing a uniquely powerful engine of lean muscle mass increase.Amino Fusion's first wave is facilitated by rapid-uptake PepForm® Leucine Peptides precision-engineered to unleash a rapid intra-workout flood of leucine into the blood, triggering maximized protein synthesis. The second wave of instantized BCAAs then continues a steady flow of aminos into the blood, positively impacting endurance, while further optimizing post-workout growth and recovery.In addition, Amino Fusion contains an electrolyte matrix which provides elevated muscle cell hydration, necessary for energy production within the muscle cell. It also contains a clinically indicated dosage of glutamine for optimized muscle recovery and citrulline malate, which supports blood flow and nutrient delivery. Amino Fusion is cutting-edge muscle fuel based on the latest science, which can be taken before, during or after your workout to maximize physique and performance results.Why BCAAs?BCAAs -- the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine -- are considered essential because, unlike non-essential amino acids, your body cannot make them. Therefore, it is essential to get them from your diet. They are also unique in that they are metabolized directly by muscle tissue, an end result that becomes more likely the longer a particular activity continues, such as during a long, intense workout. During prolonged workouts, BCAAs are burned as fuel to provide as much as 15% of your total energy requirement. Since your body only has a limited store of these essential amino acids, it is forced to break down lean muscle tissue when dietary sources are not sufficient. BCAAs may also play a key role in delaying fatigue so you can push yourself harder, faster, and longer through the most intense training bouts and competitive events (Mittleman 2). In essence, more fuel equals greater potential work output.Of the three BCAAs, leucine is the most important for muscle support post-exercise. (Isoleucine and valine are more effective at producing energy and regulating your blood sugar levels, especially by stimulating the production of insulin, the main function of which is to allow circulating blood sugar to be taken up by the muscle cells and used as a source of energy.) Leucine, on the other hand, is a potent nutritive activator of muscle protein synthesis due to its ability to directly stimulate mTOR complex 1, thus increasing mRNA translation in muscle cells. Increased mRNA translation simply means an increase in the cell's efficiency to read the genetic material that manufactures amino acids and proteins, thus ramping up protein synthesis (Atkins 3). Finally, BCAAs may facilitate the release of hormones such as growth hormone and IGF-1, creating a favorable environment for efficient muscle repair and growth (Carli 4).Faster Nutrient Delivery, Faster GrowthSerious athletes have long known the value of supplemental BCAAs, especially leucine, and have made them a key part of their nutritional regimen for years, even as the science behind BCAA delivery and utilization has remained essentially unchanged. Now a new era of BCAA supplementation is at hand. A new science of faster, more efficient BCAA delivery to muscle tissue unleashed by advanced leucine peptide technology is enabling athletes to leverage high-intensity resistance training more fully to make greater gains in muscle mass and performance. ProSource's Amino Fusion is the most potent and powerful sports nutrition product of its kind, combining this breakthrough technology with other potent growth factors to help athletes achieve new levels of physique and performance enhancement. Scientific References1 Sarah R Jackman, Oliver C Witard, Andrew Philp, Gareth A Wallis, Keith Baar, Kevin D Tipton. Branched-Chain Amino Acid Ingestion Stimulates Muscle Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following Resistance Exercise in Humans. Front Physiol. 2017 Jun 7;8:390. 2 K D Mittleman, M R Ricci, S P Bailey. Branched-chain amino acids prolong exercise during heat stress in men and women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998 Jan;30(1):83-91. 3 Atkins, Robert C. Dr Atkins Vita-Nutrient Solution p. 187 Fireside 1998 Evans, WJ et al Protein metabolism during exercise. Physician and Sports Med 1983: 11:63 4 Carli et al., Changes in the Exercise Induced Hormone Response to Branched-Chain Amino Acids, Eur. J. Appl. Physiol.: 64, 272, 1992. Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Beat Fatigue to Increase Muscle Mass
When it comes to building new muscle mass, the most important rep is the last rep. This is the rep that engages every last muscle fiber, breaking them down and necessitating that they be rebuilt larger and stronger than ever. Postponing that last rep as long as possible (while maintaining proper form) is your #1 priority.As you toil your way through prior reps, physiological processes at the cellular level are working against you. That "burn" you're feeling is an increase in hydrogen ions, which makes your muscles fatigued. Your body can attempt to increase muscle capacity and time-to-failure by buffering the hydrogen ions in muscle tissue by employing a hydrogen scavenging di-peptide molecule called carnosine, which buffers the pH levels in muscle cells during periods of oxidative stress. But only for a short interval.Long-term muscle use requires the delivery of oxygen and glucose to the muscle fiber to allow aerobic respiration to occur, producing the ATP (adenosine triphosphate) required for muscle contraction. If the respiratory or circulatory system cannot keep up with demand, your muscles will slowly stop contracting as hard and fast. Training individuals who quit early are at a disadvantage because those last brutal reps to failure facilitate the release of lipase, a pancreatic enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of fats. Those last difficult reps also promote the release of testosterone and growth hormone which will aid in increasing lean body mass, fat burning and recovery. So here’s the problem. Your body doesn’t want more muscle mass. Muscle mass is metabolically expensive to maintain, while fat just sits there on your body waiting for an emergency. So your body doesn’t want to work too hard. That’s what it’s telling your mind. Your muscles would like this rep to be the last rep. Frankly, it wanted the prior rep to be the last one. But this rep, the absolute last rep, the one you can’t do until you actually do it, is the important one.How can you get to that rep and past it? Well, there are strategies you can utilize to push your fatigue threshold further and further away, so you're doing those reps that count. Here's a few.Stay Properly HydratedThe process by which we generate energy within the cell, called the Kreb's cycle, cannot occur without sufficient water. Our cells convert nutrients like carbohydrates and fat into ATP, which in turn facilitates the contractions that make exercise possible. When you’re working out, the amount of energy your muscles need increases, so synthesizing ATP efficiently becomes even more important. On a larger scale, blood volume is mostly water. When bodily fluid levels drop, your heart has to work harder to pump blood. Finally, your body uses water to regulate body temperature through sweat. Intense exercise, especially in a hot environment, drives body temperature up, which must be compensated through perspiration.At the same time, you can be dehydrated and not even know it. Dehydration doesn't always manifest as thirst, it can be expressed through headache, brain fog, and yes, fatigue. Researchers suggest that that the average non-training person should consume about eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. If you're engaging in high-intensity exercise, it is suggested that you need about twelve ounces of water for every 30 minutes of exercise you do. Soda, tea or even fruit juices -- all of which the body recognizes more as food -- don't count and can even further dehydrate you. There's no substitute for a tall, cool glass of pure water.Consume Carbs Before ExerciseMaintaining sufficient glycogen stores before exercise and restoring them post-exercise, can make a big difference in your endurance potential. If you’re burning through your stores of muscle glycogen too quickly, you're running out of the fuel required to sustain ATP generation. In addition, some researchers speculate that providing sufficient cellular glycogen may reduce the negative effects of ammonia accumulation in muscle tissue, thus postponing the advent of muscle fatigue. Supplement With Beta AlanineRemember the role carnosine plays in buffering pH levels within cells, referenced earlier? Well, beta alanine plays a rate-limiting role in carnosine production by interacting with histidine. High muscle carnosine improves muscle performance through its ability to modulate skeletal muscle pH (acidity) during high intensity, fatiguing exercise. Medical researchers theorize that beta alanine supplementation and subsequent increased muscle carnosine levels may help to support increased workout volume and intensity. In fact, a recently published article in the journal Amino Acids summarized several studies published on beta alanine and when all of these measures were considered, the authors concluded that beta alanine significantly improved outcomes when compared to a placebo. In particular, beta alanine improved and maximized the capacity to perform exercise (1 Hobson).Combine Betaine with Creatine MonohydrateAs we've said, cellular hydration is paramount for energy generation and overall proper cell function. Once hydration collapses within the cell, your muscles' capacity for work output falls off a cliff. Betaine anhydrous, also known as trimethylglycine, is an amino acid derivative of choline that helps support cell hydration and volume during the dehydration, stress, and metabolite accumulation associated with high-intensity exercise. Increased cellular hydration may be linked to increased muscle power output and muscle force production. A 2009 study found that two weeks of betaine supplementation in active college males appeared to improve muscle endurance during squat exercises and increased the quality of repetitions that could be performed (2 Hoffman). Researchers have also begun to investigate betaine's role in supporting how the body processes and partitions nutrients, resulting in quicker fat burning capacity. Indeed, a 2018 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, found evidence that betaine supplementation may enhance reductions in fat mass among female college athletes. The study found that 2.5 grams of supplementary betaine per day with nine weeks exercise training in 11 young women decreased body fat more than a placebo (3 Cholewa). Perhaps not surprisingly, combining one osmolytic factor with another powerful (and well researched) cell-volumizing agent can have a beneficial effect on strength and power. In a recent study published in the journal Amino Acids, study participants supplemented with placebo, creatine, or a combination of betaine and creatine over a period of 10 days. The creatine/betaine supplemented subjects experienced significant increases in power output during squat exercises when compared to the placebo group. Creatine/betaine supplementation led to significantly greater increases in maximal upper-body and lower-body strength as well (4 Stout). Consider ATP SupplementationAs we said earlier, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is literally the currency of energy generation in the cell. The more of it you have, the longer muscle cells can draw on it for power, the longer your muscles can work. Unfortunately, ATP production is strictly limited and your muscle cells store very little of it and then must make more to facilitate explosive, high-intensity physical activity.Recently, however, scientists have begun to consider the possible benefits of increasing ATP availability outside the cell via direct and precisely timed dosing of ATP before workouts. Out of this research, a patented form of supplemental ATP called Peak ATP® has emerged. Peak ATP® has been linked in clinical studies to a number of performance and physique benefits. In one such trial, a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, sixteen participants received either supplemental ATP (400 mg/day) or a placebo for 15 days. The researchers found that subjects who supplemented with ATP for 15 days experienced reduced muscle fatigue and improved ability to maintain a higher force output at the end of an exhaustive exercise bout (5 Rathmacher). Supplemental ATP is just beginning to appear in a select few advanced pre-workout formulas, and ATP supplementation in general is a sports nutrition trend to keep an eye on.Scientific References1 Hobson, RM, et al. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Amino Acids, 2012. 43(1): p. 25-37.2 Jay R Hoffman, Nicholas A Ratamess, Jie Kang, Stefanie L Rashti, Avery D Faigenbaum. Effect of betaine supplementation on power performance and fatigue. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009 Feb 27;6:7. 3 Jason Michael Cholewa, Andrea Hudson, Taylor Cicholski, Amanda Cervenka, Karley Barreno, Kayla Broom, McKenzie Barch, and Stuart A. S. Craig. The effects of chronic betaine supplementation on body composition and performance in collegiate females: a double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018; 15: 37. 4 Stout JR, et al., 2006. Effects of twenty-eight days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on the physical working capacity at the neuromuscular fatigue threshold. J Strngth & Cond. Rsrch, 20(4): 928-931. 5 Rathmacher, J. A., Fuller, J. C., Baier, S. M., Abumrad, N. N., Angus, H. F., & Sharp, R. L. (2012). Adenosine-5-triphosphate (ATP) supplementation improves low peak muscle torque and torque fatigue during repeated high intensity exercise sets. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9(1), 48.Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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See It In Your Mind: Achieving Maximum Motivation and Training Intensity
Hey everyone, Darrin here and I hope you all are well. Hope you all enjoyed part one of my transformation series brought to you by ProSource.net. It is an honor and a privilege to be asked to do this for such an amazing company. I think people have a tendency to forget about what goes on in the background when trying to transform your body. ProSource has been one of those very important transformation elements working in the background day and night to ensure my body gets what it needs to grow muscle and shed fat day and night. We will talk about how that works in another part of the series but today I want to talk about motivation, leaving everything at the gym, when to push, when to back off, working through injury, and learning to listen to your body. I feel I need to disclose a couple of things before we get started; I’m definitely not a professional or have any type of certified training in stress and body response to intense exercise. The things I speak about are items I have read or just learned along the way. Pushing your body while injured or ill is not always the brightest thing to do and if you’re ever in question please stop what you are doing and see a doctor. Here we go. Understanding Stress and How the Body Reacts to StressWhen I started I was just throwing weights around in my garage (still do today btw) and with no rhyme or reason as to what I was really accomplishing. I came across an old book titled Heavy Duty by Mike Mentzer. The first thing I saw on that cover was Mike standing there with an incredible physique and I said that is what I want to look like. How do I get that? Please see that the vison was created right there for me. I know what I want to attempt to look like, vision set. I didn’t realize how important vision was at that moment but I certainly do now. How can you get anywhere if you don’t have a destination, something to work for? Upon reading through the book, Mike didn’t say lift like this and do this exercise for this many reps at this weight and blah blah blah. Instead he started talking about how the body responds to stress, any stress. The example used that really got my attention was the sun tan/sun burn stressors. It kind of went like this: When thinking about your body and stress think about how your body reacts to the sun. It reacts by giving you a tan or burn. If you get just the right amount of sun you tan, if you get too much you burn and if it's way too much you lose skin and could get very sick. This is how the body deals with stress. It doesn’t like stress so it goes out of its way to reduce or eliminate that specific stress in the future. If you don’t overdo it and you give your body time to compensate, you may simply tan. If you do overdo it (or are just starting out) you are going to burn. The same thing happens when weight training. Do just enough to trigger growth, anything more than that and you are potentially losing muscle because not enough time is given to compensate for that particular stress. Mr. Mentzer has his own theories on volume, but the concept applies to all when it comes to stress and how the body responds. How do you know what is enough, too much, or not enough? For me it has been time in the gym and learning my response to high, medium, and low volume training. Believe it or not, other than feeling run down, one of my indicators is sinus issues occurring when I’m about to enter overtraining. Remember overtraining is just like getting a sun burn, the body goes backwards and begins losing muscle because you are tearing it down faster than it can rebuild. Diet, sleep, and supplementation are very important when it comes to training, so ensure you are getting what you need. I’ll break this topic down in a later writing but for now do some research and feed the body. Protein, aminos, creatine, and complex carbs are great starters. Motivation and Gym IntensityYou can find motivation anywhere if you really look for it. Instead of being upset about your waist band being too tight, why not focus on your shirts fitting tighter in the arms, neck, chest, or back? Use that to fuel your fire. Those were my early motivators. As things progressed it was comments from friends and now its videos and Instagram. Believe it or not Instagram is actually my online journal where I say things to help others stay positive and motivated, but in all actuality it fires me up and keeps me looking forward. I always put out a final post at night saying nothing but positive things and talking about the next day's activities including my workout. The saying "Never go to bed early angry or down," is true. Going to bed positive and thinking about the next workout makes for such a better day when I wake up and workout. You need this energy going into the gym because you don’t want to live there. You want to go in with your plan, execute it at 110%, and leave. Ok, lets recap. We have a vision, we understand stress to a certain degree and trying to listen to the body, we are motivated to get it done. Executing at the GymAnother bodybuilding legend I have spent a bunch of time reading about and watching his videos is Dorian Yates. That man was all about hard work in the gym. He never missed gym time. He was once quoted as saying that he will go to the gym even if his house is on fire, the fire department will handle it, that’s their job and he wouldn’t be much help anyway. Another great quote from Dorian is “Success will come when you make every rep count.” Dorian also worked out with very little if any interruptions in a dungeon and he brought the heat. I mean that man worked harder than anyone else and it showed. And last but definitely not least, I studied up on how Jay Cutler would approach training, another beast of a man. Jay would perform more with a volume approach. Yes he was strong as an ox, but I think he knew the injury potential with the extreme training that Dorian performed. Jay would say it all depends on how he is feeling when he starts lifting. Both ways produced multi-Olympia Champions, so what does that mean? For me it means I do both depending on feel. What does my average gym day look like? As I’m walking to my gym I’m stretching and trying to clear my mind of everything other than where I am headed. I’m looking at the sky or the ground and just getting clear. Remember I am already somewhat set on my routine because I ran through it the night before. Next I start stretching real thorough stretches and get some music going, not loud but going (this isn’t my workout song or album btw, this is just something to get going). From there I will start warming up lightly for my first set and stretching between. When I feel like I’m warm and ready to go, I get the album loaded that gets me going, start pacing the floor heavily, and then dive in at something I know I can get 12 reps out of. This is where I make the decision on a lighter-higher-rep, more-focused day or a let’s-throw-some-heavy-weight-around for low reps day. Sometimes I will do both. One exercise might be feeling really good heavy where another might not, but always try to make the mind/muscle connection, it is so important for growth and tendon protection. As far as working out with injuries goes; it really is a feel thing for me. Most of my injuries have been tendon related, muscle tears are another thing that is really hard to lift with. I will try as many different exercises as possible so I can hit that muscle. Currently I have a couple of tears in my rotator cuff that haven’t allowed me to do any type of pressing, so what did I do? Went to the pec deck, cable flyes, and svend press with cables and believe it or not, pushups. Today I am able to press again, but not heavy, so pre-exhaustion comes into play. What does that mean? For example I will pre-exhaust my chest with a pec deck super set with a flat bench press. I can go heavy on the pec deck and somewhat exhausted on the flat bench which forces me to go lighter, avoiding more injury, yet still getting an incredible pump on my chest and actually forcing fatigue-type failure. The point here is how bad do you want it? How creative are you willing to get to succeed? Another Mike Mentzer quote, “If you think you are on your last rep imagine a gun being pointed at you and the trigger is going to be pulled if you don’t get one more rep.” What about those days that you struggle? Go anyway, go through the motions if you have to. Why? Because you won the mental battle, the biggest thing that you need to accomplish, winning the mental battle. Beat the mind and the body will follow. Stay positive, stay committed, and be happy with any little bit of progress. Focus on what is working, what is changing, strength increases and the rest will follow. It won’t happen overnight, it takes months of commitment, 7 days per week. Do that and you will have great results. These are the techniques I have used to gain close to 60 lbs of muscle in 6 years. I’m 51 years old, still growing, and have no intentions of stopping. Stay tuned for where I started with training splits, volume differentials, and exercises as well as diet and supplementation and how these things have changed as I have progressed. Here’s a hint; always keep the body guessing. Thank you for reading and you can always find me on Instagram @darrinjhills Endorsers used supplements referenced here in conjunction with diet and exercise and were compensated for their appearance. Endorser's results are not typical. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Bone Hormone May Offer Wide-Ranging Health Benefits
If you’re a fitness-minded person committed to an active lifestyle — regular exercise and activities that require mobility and strength — you probably think about your bones more than most people. After all, a broken bone represents a life-changing event for you. You’re going to be facing a lengthy interval of not being able to do the things you enjoy. In a general sense, just the physical act of exercising encourages you to consider the way your bones function and interact with each other.And yet, you probably picture your bones in your mind in much the same way a sedentary person might. As inert, calcified masses that serve the purpose of shielding the vital organs and providing a scaffolding upon which muscles, tendons and ligaments can anchor themselves. To the extent that we think of bones as having active physiological properties, we think of the marrow inside bones, which produces white and red blood cells.Emerging science, however, tells us that bones are doing so much more. Bones are, in fact, vital, living organs. They communicate constantly with muscle tissues and every organ of the body. They contain osteoblasts that secrete a hormone that may keep blood sugar levels in check and help us burn fat and build muscle, and appear to support brain function. In essence, our bones are living secret lives that we are only just beginning to understand.The Many Surprising Qualities of OsteocalcinBones, it turns out, are endocrine organs. Like your liver or pancreas, they secrete hormones that regulate bodily processes. While bones may in fact secrete a number of hormones, the one that has been the subject of most research up until now is osteocalcin, produced by osteoclasts in bone mass and once thought to be limited solely to the regulation of bone mineralization and re-formation.Beginning in the 1990s, however, experiments that involved removing the gene for osteomycin production from mice resulted not in inferior bone formation but rather in the mice losing muscle, gaining fat, and being cognitively impaired. Researchers, led by Gerard Karsenty, a geneticist at Columbia University, began to pursue the ramifications of these findings. They genetically engineered one set of mice to produce higher amounts of osteocalcin and another set not to make it at all. When fed regular diets, the mice making extra osteocalcin had lower-than-normal blood glucose levels and higher insulin levels than regular mice. Insulin sensitivity increased as well. The osteocalcin-deficient mice, on the other hand, got fatter and tended to develop type 2 diabetes when fed a normal diet (1 Na Kyung Lee). They also tended to be more torpid and lethargic than normal mice. Scientists have long known that bone loss (and muscle loss) accelerates as we grow older. They now recognize the production of osteocalcin inevitably decreases as we age as well. Subsequent investigations (by Karsenty and others) have begun to reveal that reduced osteocalcin production may have far-ranging negative effects on a variety of health and wellness markers. Karsenty and his colleagues have since collated the results of these investigations and published them in a highly influential overview of the metabolic functions of osteocalcin, in the journal Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (2 Jianwen Wei, Gerard Karsenty).In summary, Karsenty theorizes that osteocalcin acts in muscle to increase the ability to produce ATP, the fuel that allows us to exercise. In the brain, it regulates the secretion of the neurotransmitters that support memory function. Circulating levels of osteocalcin decline in humans as they age, which is concurrent with declines in memory and the ability to exercise. Karsenty and his colleagues have begun to experiment with injecting older mice with osteocalcins. When the older mice receive supplemental osteocalcins, they appear to manifest evidence of improved memory and capacity for exercise.Of course, this area of science is just evolving now and we're still some time away from osteocalcin therapy for humans. However, there are many well-indicated strategies for maximizing bone mass, health and its capacity for hormone production. One is simply exercise. Scientists have long known that highly active people demonstrate consistently less bone loss, muscle mass decrease and cognitive decline as they age as compared to sedentary people. They have come to recognize that if you exercise regularly, that activity stimulates your bone to make more osteocalcin, which may have significant beneficial effects on muscle and brain function.And then, too, nutrition plays an enormous role in bone health and function.Vitamin D and Bone HealthCalcium is the most important nutrient for building bone and slowing the pace of bone loss. Calcium keeps bone material healthy and strong. Indeed, 99 percent of the body's calcium is stored in the bones and teeth. But just maintaining adequate calcium intake isn't enough to keep your bones healthy.Your bones need Vitamin D to facilitate the absorption of calcium. Your body produces Vitamin D mostly by synthesizing it out of exposure to sunlight. It’s also available through diet from oily fish, beef liver, egg yolks and some Vitamin D fortified food sources like milk. Despite this, Vitamin D deficiency affects nearly half of the world's population and more than 40% of the US population. The reasons for this are many. Most of us spend too much time indoors and even when we do go outside, we apply plenty of sunblock. Also, not everyone is fond of oily fish or beef liver. Even the angle of the sun comes into play. The best environment for Vitamin D synthesis is when the sun is directly overhead, as it is in the summer. In the winter, however, the sun is lower in the sky. Studies have concluded that ultraviolet light is inadequate for optimal vitamin D synthesis during at least a few months in winter in areas above 35 degrees latitude (which in the US runs through the southern borders of Tennessee and Nevada). For this reason, here in the US, our Vitamin D levels tend to peak in September and bottom out in March. For these reasons, a high-quality Vitamin D supplement -- typically Vitamin D3, which is the most efficient form for elevating blood Vitamin D levels -- is well recommended. A couple of 1000-iu softgels or capsules daily can provide satisfactory support of Vitamin D levels, and larger doses may be even better for older people. Synergy For Bone Health: Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2Some Vitamin D3 supplements, including ProSource's own superior-quality version, are combined with a synergistically viable dosage of Vitamin K. This fat-soluble substance is necessary for the production of prothrombin, a clotting factor essential for blood clotting and bone metabolism. Just as importantly, Vitamin K2 works in tandem with Vitamin D3 to enhance calcium uptake and utilization to help maintain bone density. It also helps to activate a key circulatory protein that inhibits blood vessel calcification. Joint Health Goes Hand In Hand With Bone HealthStrong, healthy, vital bones are essential to overall well-being. So too is the health of the many ligaments, tendons and other connective tissues anchored to those bones. As is the case with bone fractures, one tear or strain to a tendon can be a life-altering event over an extended interval of time. Also like bones, the dense fibrous tissue of our tendons, ligaments, and cartilage can take a long time to heal. Fortunately, you can feed and strengthen joint tissue just as you would bone mass.New supplemental technologies of joint support have come a long way in their capacity to maximize joint stability, flexibility, and strength. Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate have been cited for their ability to facilitate the uptake of sulfur (a key building block of cartilage), support the production of friction-reducing synovial fluid, and help connective tissues retain water and remain flexible. More advanced joint support supplements incorporate more recent validated science to keep connective tissue strong and vital. ProSource's own Extra-Strength Joint Command contains ultra-potent HyaMax™ as a primary ingredient. This natural, standardized hyaluronic acid possesses a unique water-retaining action to help highly active joints stay healthy. Joint Command also contains Meriva®, an advanced phytosome technology that enhances the bioavailability and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, as well as 5-LOXIN®, which contains the most active of the 6 boswellic acids, and AKBA, which helps inhibit 5-lipoxygenase, the compound responsible for the conversion of arachidonic acid into pro-inflammatory cytokines.ConclusionIn order to manifest peak wellness and achieve your physique and performance goals, you have to build on a firm foundation. With regard to bones, that's always meant keeping them healthy, strong and sound to facilitate an active lifestyle. Now we know, however, that our bones have a lot more to offer. The more we learn about bones, the more we discover how interconnected they are with everything from muscle growth to brain function to a whole range of metabolic processes. Healthy bones are the key to a healthy life.1 Na Kyung Lee, Hideaki Sowa, Eiichi Hinoi, Mathieu Ferron, Jong Deok Ahn, Cyrille Confavreux, Romain Dacquin, Patrick J Mee, Marc D McKee, Dae Young Jung, Zhiyou Zhang, Jason K Kim, Franck Mauvais-Jarvis, Patricia Ducy, Gerard Karsenty. Endocrine regulation of energy metabolism by the skeleton. Cell. 2007 Aug 10;130(3):456-69. 2 Jianwen Wei, Gerard Karsenty. An overview of the metabolic functions of osteocalcin. Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2015 Jun; 16(2): 93–98. Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Best Supplements For Strength Increase
If you were a newcomer to the world of fitness and exercise, you might think, “Once I get big muscles, I’ll be really strong.” Spend enough time in the gym, however, and you’ll soon recognize that the process works the other way. You have to get stronger to increase muscle mass.While this might seem counterintuitive, the facts are pretty straightforward. You won't get bigger unless your total volume of work output (i.e. amount of weight lifted in an established time interval) continues to progress. If you keep showing up at the gym, clocking the same workout, putting the same weights on the bar, you're going to stay the same size. The secret is to continually upgrade the efficiency, capacity, endurance and force potential of the muscle tissue you already have to manage increasingly greater workloads, which in turn will maintain a virtuous cycle of muscle teardown and subsequent (larger) repair and re-growth. Yes, yes, we know what you're thinking. If larger muscle fibers produce more force, and I don't have those larger muscle fibers yet, where does this extra force come from? To which we answer, it comes from grit and determination and a little help from sports nutritional science. What kind of science? Read on. Creatine MonohydrateThe granddaddy of sports supplement nutrition has been helping fitness-minded people reach and exceed their strength and performance limits since, well, your granddaddy was training. And as a result, there's a vast wealth of scientific validation supporting its value in helping you go longer, stronger and harder.In fact, there has been so much science published in recent years in support of creatine monohydrate's support of strength increase among clinical test subjects that it now makes sense just to speak of the science in the aggregate. A comprehensive review article published in 2015 in the journal Sports Medicine offered a meta-analysis of over 60 clinical studies devoted to creatine’s impact on physique and performance. It concluded that creatine not only increased strength across the board for test subjects receiving creatine, but it did so irrespective of training background, training protocol, dose taken or duration (1 Lanhers).So, if you're the newcomer we spoke of earlier in this article, what do you need to know about creatine monohydrate? Here's how it works. Firstly, creatine monohydrate supports muscle cell volumization; it literally pulls water into the muscle cell, making muscles bigger and fuller. Bigger and fuller muscles can generate more force potential. Creatine may also support levels of the hormone IGF-1, an insulin-like growth factor that plays a key role in muscle growth (2 Burke). Creatine monohydrate also supports your body’s stores of phosphocreatine, which is used to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during high-intensity exercise. ATP is the most basic form of energy in your body’s cells, and plays a key role in metabolism and muscle function. This attribute of creatine monohydrate is especially important because your body can only store enough ATP for 8 to 10 seconds of high-intensity exercise, after which your body must produce new ATP to accommodate the demands of the activity. Which brings us to a new area of scientific investigation that offers great promise for fitness-minded people looking to increase strength and endurance.Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)ATP does all sorts of things in the cell that are essential for facilitating strength increase. It provides the energy to transport protein and fats into and out of cells, supports intercellular communication, facilitates DNA and RNA synthesis, and it triggers muscular contraction. Unfortunately, as we said, your muscle cells store very little of it and then must make more to facilitate explosive, high-intensity, highly exhaustive physical activity. This is why you can jog comfortably for half an hour, but only sprint at top speed for maybe 60 seconds. Creatine monohydrate can help your body lengthen this high-intensity interval by providing more ATP as fuel.Recently, however, scientists have begun to consider the possible benefits of increasing ATP availability outside the cell via direct and precisely timed dosing of ATP before workouts. If your muscle cells can access stored ATP outside the cell during periods of high-intensity exercise, your strength and endurance would presumably be positively impacted.One such technology has emerged in the form of a patented form of supplemental ATP called Peak ATP®. Peak ATP® is a form of adenosine triphosphate, identical to actual human ATP, which has been linked in clinical studies to a number of performance and physique benefits. In a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, sixteen participants received either supplemental ATP (400 mg/day) or a placebo for 15 days. The researchers found that subjects who supplemented with ATP for 15 days experienced reduced muscle fatigue and improved ability to maintain a higher force output at the end of an exhaustive exercise bout (3 Rathmacher). In another study, conducted by researchers at the University of Tampa, twenty-one resistance trained males took either 400 mg of Peak ATP® or placebo. Muscle mass, strength and power were measured at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, and 12. Test subjects who supplemented with Peak ATP® experienced an average of 147% increase in strength compared to placebo, as well as a 30% increase in power, a 100% increase in lean body mass, and a 96% increase in muscle thickness (4 Lowery). Clearly, this is science that can be a difference maker for athletes looking to enhance strength and performance.CaffeineCaffeine, as we all know, is a powerful and well-researched stimulant compound that can positively effect alertness, focus, and intensity. It's the reason many of us congregate around the office coffee station first thing in the morning.But caffeine has more to offer athletes than wide-eyed wakefulness. Studies suggest that caffeine supplementation may also reduce the perception of pain during high-intensity exercise. The earlier the onset of pain, the more swiftly our athletic performance deteriorates. In a study published in the journal Physiology and Behavior, researchers examined the effect of a caffeinated energy drink on leg pain perception, perceived exertion, mood state and readiness to invest effort pre-workout, during and after a 60-minute bout of cycling exercise. Fourteen active individuals completed two cycling trials at an intensity of 60% VO2 max preceded by ingestion of solutions containing either a caffeinated energy drink or placebo using a double-blind, deceptive, crossover design. Results indicated that heart rate was significantly higher from 30 to 60 minutes, while measurements of perceived exertion and pain perception were significantly lower from 20 to 60 minutes in the energy drink condition compared to placebo. The researchers concluded that the data "revealed positive effects of energy drink ingestion on perception of exertion, leg muscle pain perception and readiness to invest effort during submaximal cycling in active adults" (5 Duncan).It should be noted that even with regard to a well-established compound like caffeine, science continues to refine and improve its supplemental efficiency and efficacy. In recent years, a more sophisticated form of caffeine that delivers up to 90% pure organic, non-GMO-sourced caffeine derived from green coffee beans has emerged. This advanced form of caffeine, called PurCaf® organic caffeine, is specifically designed to deliver a clean, powerful boost of energy, mental alertness and performance without the energy crash. Vitamin DStrong, healthy, flexible bones are obviously essential to maximal performance and subsequent strength increases. Researchers are also only beginning to uncover the ways in which a hormone within bone mass, called osteocalcin, can positively effect a whole range of vital bodily processes ranging from memory to appetite, muscle health, fertility, and metabolism. Bones are not the inert, calcified masses we often consider them to be. They are in fact live organs, communicating constantly with other organs, producing their own hormones and proteins that circulate in the blood. Recently, researchers have come to recognize that osteocalcin acts in muscle to increase the ability to produce ATP, the fuel that allows us to exercise. These and other physiological interactions in bone mass enhance not just strength and power potential but our overall wellness and longevity. One of the best ways you can support bone health is to take a high-quality Vitamin D3 / Vitamin K2 complex. Vitamin D is an essential catalyst for facilitating calcium uptake into bones to maintain bone density and strength. Vitamin K2, when combined in a synergistically viable dosage with Vitamin D3, has been shown to further enhance calcium uptake and utilization, while also supporting cardiovascular health by helping to activate a key circulatory protein that inhibits blood vessel calcification.LeucineThe window for supporting strength increase during and immediately after exercise is shorter than people generally realize. The swift uptake of the amino acid leucine during this interval is a key factor for increasing performance potential and work output capacity. Leucine is one the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and the primary activator of the mTOR anabolic pathway that governs protein synthesis and consequent muscle repair and growth. Indeed, without sufficient leucine present, muscle tissue will remain in a negative nitrogen balance during and after exercise and protein synthesis will not initiate at all. It's not surprising then that leucine (usually combined in a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine, the other BCAAs) has been a "go-to supplement" pre- and intra-workout for serious athletes looking to drive increases in muscle strength and mass for a long time now. Here too, however, science continues to refine and improve existing supplemental technologies. Advanced leucine peptide technologies have emerged that are synthesized from a proprietary process that binds free form leucine to peptides isolated from whey protein using advanced fractionation and separation technologies. These leucine peptides are more swiftly absorbed by muscle tissue and provide this essential amino acid in greater quantities.Beta AlanineThe best and most productive workouts are characterized by maximum velocity and endurance. You have to maintain an elevated pace, while retaining ideal form in your movements, while also advancing your total volume benchmarks. This isn't easy and beta alanine supplementation can help.A naturally occurring beta amino acid, beta alanine plays a rate-limiting role in carnosine production by interacting with histidine. High muscle carnosine improves muscle performance through its ability to buffer skeletal muscle pH (acidity) during high intensity, fatiguing exercise. In essence, beta alanine can help you maintain consistent performance right to the end of your workout.In a macro-summary of existing published clinical studies involving beta alanine supplementation, recently published in the journal Amino Acids, researchers considered several different patterns of supplementation that involved over 350 research subjects. When all of these measures were considered, the authors concluded that beta alanine significantly improved strength outcomes when compared to a placebo. In particular, beta alanine improved and maximized the capacity to perform exercise (6 Baguet). Thus, it should come as no surprise that beta alanine supplementation and subsequent increased muscle carnosine levels would help to support increased workout volume and intensity.BetaineAnother key factor in the maintenance and increase of strength and power potential is cell hydration. During high-intensity exercise, muscle cells need water to synthesize energy. Specifically, the synthesis of ATP in the cell for energy becomes seriously degraded as the cell becomes dehydrated. To some extent, you can mitigate this deterioration by consuming water and the electrolytes sodium and potassium. Betaine, also known as trimethylglycine, is a nutrient that helps support cell hydration and volume during the dehydration, stress, and metabolite accumulation associated with high-intensity exercise. In a published College of New Jersey study, athletes supplementing with this osmolytic agent experienced an increase of 30% in squat repetitions after 7 days of supplementation and 60% after 14 days, as well as significant increases in the quality of repetitions performed (7 Stout). Betaine also works in combination with other strength and power-enhancing factors to support performance, particularly cell-volumizing creatine monohydrate. ConclusionIn every gym, there's that guy who looks like he weighs 170 pounds and he's deadlifting what looks to be 450 pounds. How does he do it? Surely he can't have enough muscle to do that! But he does. Chances are, that guy has internalized the lesson of real muscle mass increase. Strength before size. And he's utilizing precision-targeted supplementation to achieve his goals. You can too.1 Lanhers, C., B. Pereira, G. Naughton, M. Trousselard, F. X. Lesage, and F. Dutheil. 2015. "Creatine Supplementation and Lower Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses." Sports Med 45 (9):1285-94. doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0337-4.2 Darren G Burke, Darren G Candow, Philip D Chilibeck, Lauren G MacNeil, Brian D Roy, Mark A Tarnopolsky, Tim Ziegenfuss. Effect of creatine supplementation and resistance-exercise training on muscle insulin-like growth factor in young adults. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2008 Aug;18(4):389-98. 3 Rathmacher, J. A., Fuller, J. C., Baier, S. M., Abumrad, N. N., Angus, H. F., & Sharp, R. L. (2012). Adenosine-5-triphosphate (ATP) supplementation improves low peak muscle torque and torque fatigue during repeated high intensity exercise sets. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9(1), 48.4 Lowery, RP, et. al. Oral ATP administration improves blood flow responses to both animal and human training models. Presnted at the 10th Annual ISSN Conference. Colorado Springs, CO. June, 2013.5 Michael J Duncan 1 , Joanne Hankey. The effect of a caffeinated energy drink on various psychological measures during submaximal cycling. Physiol Behav. 2013 May 27;116-117:60-5.6 Baguet A. et al., 2009. Carnosine loading and washout in human skeletal muscles. J Appl Physiol, 106: 837-842. And Harris RC, et al., 2006. The absorption of orally supplied beta-alanine and its effect on muscle carnosine synthesis in human vastus lateralis. Amino Acids, 30(3): 279-289. 7 Stout JR, et al., 2006. Effects of twenty-eight days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on the physical working capacity at the neuromuscular fatigue threshold. J Strngth & Cond. Rsrch, 20(4): 928-931. Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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